Thursday, November 29, 2012

Metas for trimester 2

This trimester I'm going to try harder on big projects because that is when I need my grammer to be at its best for those projects. I feel good on homework but in class work I find to be a little harder like when we are talking to one another because I often stumble and I lose points on projects. So I think I just need to focus a little harder in class when Sr. Heskamp is teaching. I need to focus more on prewriting also because my mechanics have gotten very bad and I have lost a lot of points. So my main two focuses will be speaking grammar and little annoying mechanics.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Science Test Reflection

On my test I got most of the questions right but I made careless mistakes on some of them like not giving enough detail in the long answer questions.  On the multiple answer and equation questions my mistakes were very simple and I think it was because I just didn't study enough or I wasn't focused. I messed up a lot on the 2 graphing questions because I didn't pay attention to the instructions and it made a big difference. I think I messed up most in the written answer section just because I didm't pay attention to detail so that Mr. lammers would understand exactly what I was talking about. To do better on the next test I am going to study more and eat a better breakfast so I am more prepared and more focused for the longer questions because they have always been my weak point in tests. At school I will also listen more to get all the information I can to prepare for the upcoming tests on the given information.

When comparing this test with the marshmallow challenge it shows that I work much better hands on instead of paper and with a partner to help me work. My group was the one that got the highest on the marshmallow challenge so I think it shows that I like hands on projects much better than boring tests. I find it very stress relieving when working in groups or pairs because they can support you in your work or vise versa. When I am working on a project like the MC my thinking flows much easier because I'm not staring at a piece of paper trying to figure out wether the answer is A,B,C or D.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Middle East Essential Questions Relfection

1.How has physical geography shaped the region?  

It has shaped the region to live near the shore of the ocean or the rivers because it is a very dry place. It has also made many countries greedy for that resource so there has always been an edge of tension in the Middle East to come out on top by having the most resources. Having these few but precious amounts of water it has made the middle east a large farming area instead of hunting which is also due to that there isn't much to hunt in the desert. Oil has made them a very desirable place and that too has caused many feuds in the Middle East from outside of their own territory but it has also given them many allies like America because we want their oil. Between the oil and the water the Middle East has become a very dangerous place due to recent disputes.

Why is the region important both historically and currently? 

Right now religion in the Middle East is very important because it is what has led many terrorist attacks to kill lots of people. The Middle East has always been very strong in defending its religion by using its people as a tool to kill thousands of people. A long time ago it was still important because new religions were being made and it was causing disputes and many countries were made when groups of people would break off and start there own cultures by expanding on old ways. This expansion process has is still happening and it is affecting people all over the world on how they look at things today. Some groups aren't even leaving and starting in a new place the syrian rebels are trying to take back their country from the suppressive dictator to start their own government and culture. The Middle East has always been a changing country but it seems like it is dawning on a more peaceful time as soon as all the smoke clears out and they see what they have done.

How can I research reliable facts about the Mideast?

I think the best way to find facts is to use the student resources on the upper school library because all of the sites are very reliable and I feel like they are very organized so it is easy to collect information and then compile it in a slightly improved format. I think I could improve on my compiling process so I can filter out the less important stuff and get the really good facts that explain a lot. I think I just need better focus to get the best out of these websites and my time.

Monday, November 19, 2012

saber conocer presentation reflection

I think the presentation has helped me learn how to use real life situations to tell others about people and things we know how to do. It also helps us write with it better and when we present it it will help us know how to speak better spanish. I have gotten a lot of help on this project because it was confusing at first but now I understand it much better. Another thing I like about this]s project is that it lets me tell others instead if just writing down on a paper so it like you could be talking to some in a spanish speaking country. I like presentations better than tests but I think it should be a little bit more like a conversation so we will know how to respond while we can ask and talk.

I was Impressed with Win's presentation because he is knew and I easily understood what he was talking about and he had good comprehension and acted like he had been taking the language for quite a while. Win didn't seem like he was just focusing on a part of new york but all of it that he had ever been to and I thought the pictures were really good at relating with what the slides were about. I think Sam R. also had a good presentation because he had a lot of text in it but he needed to work a little on his annunciation.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

LA/SS interim reflection

In my interim report for the first half of the trimester (first sixth) we had already gone through a lot of work and our teachers based us on a developing to proficient on our skills. I never expected any of the X's to be very close to proficient but about half way in most of the skills. But some of them I feel that I am exceptional at and for the most part my teachers agreed with me never straying far from my decisions. I feel like my best skills are in turning things in and managing time so I can get at least most of my work done on time. I think the fact that I can do that is because I start with simple little homework and gradually move on to bigger homework. I also thought that I was good at using a larger vocabulary when needed and I easily understood new vocabulary. To be able to do this I had to use another skill of creating my own ideas and using them to solve problems. Together I used these skills to complete work efficiently and clearly.

While I have good aspects of working alone I don't always collaborate and cooperate the best in groups. I feel like I let the others do the work while I keep their grade and I tend to stray off of what the rubric says I need to be doing lowering the grade for the whole group. Generally I don't work so well at revising work and planning effectively before my work. These weaknesses I feel are just careless and could easily be improved. These issues may be small and easy but I think they are what have been lowering my grade.

Like I said earlier all may mistakes are simple and I just need to pay more attention to what I am doing and stop to figure out what to do. I will need to work hard and persevere to get through group projects and collaborate with others to solve problems hat I can't myself. Really all of my problems are in my head and they can be fixed with a little patience and speaking my thoughts.