alexandria cruz's blog

Teacher Advice

    Over the years, I have had many teachers that have had an impact on the way I learn, and some that have even impacted my life. Thinking back to what the teachers did that was able to impact me is difficult. I feel that when a teacher is able to successfully communicate with a student, then the student is able to learn better. That is my advice to the teachers; they need to get to know their students as people, and not as a number or a face in a classroom. For me at least, it is easier to learn when I know the teacher actually knows who I am. That is why I do better in small schools, and the thought of a huge college with 300 people in a classroom stresses me out. My friend tells me that in his psychology class there are so many kids, that people had to sit on the floor. That freaks me out. The second trait that I find most helpful to learning is when a teacher explains what needs to be done in order to improve. Just getting a solid grade back, without any comments or things to correct, it is difficult to write another paper or assignment and know what I did wrong on the first.

This goes in hand with one of the traits or practices that I find particularly frustrating. I find it frustrating when I receive a grade, but nothing that tells me what I should do to improve this grade. I also find that picking favorites, although mostly unintentional, is my biggest pet-peeve. I dislike even more when it is so obvious who the favorite is. Some teachers even grade their ‘favorites’ in a way that is unfair to the people who deserve the grade. I also find when a teacher gives up on a student, it is the most frustrating things because then the students will give up on themselves. I think that teachers to some extent need to serve as role models. They can preach all they want, but when push comes to shove and they give up on a student and tell the student that he or she ‘cannot handle the work’. If this is true, the teacher should offer to help, it is their job to respect the student (if they wish to receive respect) and make sure the student gets it, and not to give up on the child. That is the most frustrating aspect when it comes to teachers (some, not all). If anything, personally the poor teachers push me to prove them wrong.

All in all though, I would say I have had considerable more great teachers than I have had poor teachers. In my lifetime I have had, maybe two poor teachers. I will remember the good teachers for way longer than any bad teachers that’s for sure.

#9 Celebrity

            At first when I read this question the first celebrity that came to my mind was Will Smith. He has ALWAYS been my favorite celebrity and I have been watching him since I was little. I even have a collection of all his movies that I keep separate from the rest. I cannot even explain to someone how or why I enjoy watching him so much. I look up to him because he is a great role model, he is involved in so many charities, and he is raising his kids to be like that too, and not let fame get to his head. He is hilarious and I admire him so much. However, he has had no impact on my family or me. Sure, I guess he has impacted me because of how much I admire him, but his charities do not touch my family or me from a day-to-day basis. However when I read the part of the question about symbolism and extraordinary about the celebrity I would chose, I thought of Nick Jonas. That is a weird answer coming form me because I really never cared for his music, or his acting skills (or lack there of), however there is reason to admire him. Nick Jonas has type 1 diabetes. This means that he is insulin dependent and at a young age, he got very sick. After being diagnosed with diabetes, this did not stop him. He got healthier then performed at a diabetes fundraiser. During this time he has asked the audience who had diabetes, then he raised his hand too, revealing to the public his illness. I found a quote that I admire about him that reads: "I had an emotional breakdown since I really had no idea what diabetes was all about. I wondered, 'why me?' Then I asked myself, 'why not me?' and realized that I might be able to help other kids with diabetes." This is why I admire him; he took his illness, and used it to help other kids that already admired him so much. He was an inspiration to all those children with diabetes.

            Now at first, although admirable, I never thought much of him for doing so. It was not until this previous summer that I thought about him. My little cousin who is nine years got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Her family and mine have been the closest, she and her sister are like sisters to me. She was hospitalized for a few days before it was official. I saw firsthand what that did to my family and hers. I thought of it as unfair because she was just a kid and now she was not able to live a normal life, she cannot eat candy like her friends, or snack throughout the day, or eat most things that other kids can. She has to eat at certain times, and certain things, even certain portions. As if adjusting her diet was not enough, she has to take three insulin shots a day, all while pricking herself several times a day. I am deathly afraid of needles, and I cannot imagine going through that everyday, especially as a kid.

            Even while this was happening, Nick Jonas did not pop into my mind. It was not until her older sister came to me and told me she wrote a letter to Nick. I had forgotten that he was diabetic and wondered why she would do that. Then she explained that he was an inspiration to kids with diabetes and that he took part in many fundraisers and ways to find a cure. Without realizing it, he is the face of juvenile diabetes, and I admire him for that.

 

#8 Facebook Etiquette

    In today’s society it is not unusual to have a facebook. In fact, it is kind of odd NOT to have one. With our society to heavily dependent on the social networking, who are we to think this could NOT affect our lives so greatly? Internet is a powerful source of information, and of trouble. For example, when a job goes to hire you, and they decided to do a facebook search, do you think they will hire you if they see profanity on your page, both in what you say and what you post in pictures? No. Nowadays, teens post pictures of them every weekend doing activities that should be kept private. If you feel that it is so important to do these things every weekend, there is no need to put it on facebook, people already know what is going on. Some teens do not see the harm in it, and some do it to ‘brag’ and let others know what they are doing. The advice I would give regarding this subject is this: if you do not care that other teens are seeing it, then it is probably best just to keep doing it. Why not? If there is no respect to not let your peers see that, then why not let your future boss (or lack thereof) see it too, because they will. Once it is online it cannot be erased.

            My father’s life is computers. He knows just about anything there is to know about anything on the Internet. The ONE thing he has ALWAYS warned me about (since I was in the 5^th grade and got my first screen name) is to be VERY careful of not only what you POST but what you SAY. He works for a big company that DOES do facebooks checks. He has warned me a thousand times not to post pictures of ANYTHING that hints something bad. He knows people who it is their JOBS to do google searched of you and facebook checks before they hire you. He has even told me tales of people who did not get hired because of something they have searched. His other strong advice is not to talk about ANYTHING work related. It does not matter if you post “I love my job”, it will go back to haunt you. Which brings me to my next point.

            With social networking such as facbeook getting more complex, it is also easier to search for people, and even stalk them. For example, with the new facebook layout it is so easier to post where you are from, where you live now, where you go to SCHOOL (which again schools will not want to see bad things if you have THEIR SCHOOL NAME representing them) and where you WORK (same deal). It amazes me how someone can have their JOB posted and their position, yet post pictures or say things that if their job had seen, would not have them hired. A business, especially a big time name business, will not stand for their name being in vain, and will drop you faster than you can type ‘opps’.

            Aside from the jobs and schools that won’t hire you, let’s talk about your friends. How many fights have you seen on facebook? And yes, some are widely entertaining, but they start even more trouble. I have seen friendships END over FACEBOOK. That to me is ridiculous taken to the highest degree. And now it is not only facebook, it is twitter, and tumblr, and other various blogs. It is alright to keep them, but do not post something about your personal life that you would not want certain people to see, because chances are they will see, or hear about it.

            I could ramble about this subject all day but for my close I would like to just warn people of what they are doing. What we post online, to someone who might not know us, defines us for them. What we see as 'online joking' and inside jokes with friends, to others it paints a picture of who we are. It will come back to bite you if you don’t be careful. It doesn’t feel like it now because we are young and young people feel powerful, but you wont be so powerful when you cant land a job you’ve always wanted because you wanted to show the world how cool you are. 

 

Thank our Troops!

Dear Soldier,

            Thank you so much for fighting for our country. It must take so much courage and strength from not only you, but your family. Right now I have an uncle who is in Iraq, and I know what a sacrifice and struggle it is. Just know that the whole country should be grateful for what you are doing, and I am. I am appreciative to you and the rest of the troops. Thank you and be safe!

Life 101

I believe that students who enter the “real world” are not really prepared for it. I’m not sure about anyone else, but I am terrified to leave school. That is because I do not think I know what I am doing! I watch my parents pay the bills and cook food and do various things around the house and I wonder, where did they learn how to do that? They probably learned it through family traditions and such. However, I still do not understand how to pay the bills, or do anything that involves money. My dad still does not know how and it is my mom who does all of that. If there was a “Life 101” course in school, that would be a great addition. I think they should teach us the important things we need to know about the real world such as mortgages, bills, managing money, and so forth. As for “life lessons” I do not think those can be taught in a classroom, and students learn form their own mistakes. Other lessons that should be taught are responsibility. So many teens think it is so easy to raise a family and be an adult. There should be a lesson where the teens will truly find out how hard it actually is. I look at my family and think that I do not want to be older too fast and I want to enjoy being a teenager because it is hard. But it also looks rewarding. Besides family life and homes, other important things to know could be politics. I do not know the first thing about what this country does and how it runs. I do not believe a history class prepares you to understand the country fully and to teach modern things. We need to know what is going on now, not what was going on five hundred years ago. Along with the things we learn in the curriculum we have now, these along with many other lessons are crucial to know in the modern times, and will only become more central as time goes on.

Texting and IMing

At first, I was not sure what to write. Then I began to read the websites provided. The first one gave me this idea.

So many people are worried about the effect of texting and instant messaging on teenagers' literacy. However, I do not believe it had a huge effect. For example, right now I am writing this blog, because I know it will be graded I am not talking the way I would be if this were a text message. Even through text though, I never talk like "sup, cu l8tR". If I abbreviate it is a word such as 'you'. I actually think that is the only word I would abbreviate. Anyways, the first website brings up the point that in the old days, reading was not needed to carry on day to day conversations. Now, with so much of our communication through the internet and cell phones, reading has become necessary. Those who can not read, obviously can not participate in online talking. This is how it has become a social advantage, the ability to read. Some may worry that with rates such as "30 billion e-mail messages and 5 billion text messages" being exchanged, literacy and proper etiquette can easily be forgotten. However, some experts say technology is reshaping our understanding of literacy. One of my favorite points the website brings up is that there is not enough cre3dit given to teenagers regarding their abilities. For example, I can type an abbreviation on a text messages, like "u", yet be perfectly able to write "you" in an English essay. Switching between the two are not as hard as some people are making it out to be.

Another interesting thing I found very true on this website is this: "In other words, when someone texts or IMs someone who is not a close friend, or when the message is about something more serious, the grammar and spelling become less abbreviated and more conventional." I never even realized how true that is. If someone random texts me, I tend to write out all the words, however when it is someone I text all the time, I shorten it to save time. Same goes to when the subject is important; I tend to write in complete full sentences. I just thought that was really interesting to notice.

To answer the questions, I believe that IMing and texting can help students because they are learning when it is appropriate to abbreviate and when it is not. I agree that some people are not able to do this well, or sometimes a slip-up will show up in a paper. Due to this, I am not really sure if this form of communication IS actually HELPING or just confusing. I think if you are capable, then it is okay. If you find that it happens many times, then maybe perhaps typing normally through communicating could be a helpful thing to do. This answers the next question too. Some people can be affected by the texting, it affects their grammar and punctuation, and however some people are able to do that successfully. Texting and academics could be incorporated into academics by perhaps giving students a pen pal. In Spanish class last year, we had pen pals that we would e-mail every week. For these emails, we were talking to real students, (of course we had to write in Spanish) but we had to use proper grammar, even though we were talking to someone else. I think if I were to have a pen pal I would be forced to talk properly because I would not want to look unintelligent. Texting can be incorporated in academics because it could be an assignment to text people. Perhaps if it were brought into the classroom, more teenagers could make that transition from text to essays.

Cheating

 

Cheating is becoming more and more of a problem. The website glass-castle had great statistics for cheating. I was surprised that 95% of people cheat, although at the same time I was not surprised. Here at BCHS I think that cheating is not a huge problem, but it is most definitely present. I believe at our school in particular the people who cheat are not the 'best' in the class. I think those who cheat, do it to just get by, or because they were too lazy. The people on top, work to get there. I was surprised that 80% of the world's best students have cheated. I do not think that is fair, to get a position, or spot, and not deserving it. People cheat for all types of reasons. In BCHS, I have not witnessed 'serious' cheating but I often witness cheating. As in, the only cheating I have been aware of is someone may copy a workbook page that was for homework or on a religion test because it is the 'easier' thing to do. They may even 'borrow' someone's outline for a paper. Nevertheless, this all is a form of cheating. It is wrong for people to do this, but as the website says, students believe that is it more acceptable today. This, in part, is because no one has ever been penalized for it. No one at school gets caught for these offenses. I believe if more teachers are aware, than they should watch more carefully for that because most of it occurs in school. If a student is punished for this offense, perhaps more students would become aware that it is a serious problem that is a growing epidemic. Here at school, I know that many teachers do not even pay attention to it, but if this changed, then I believe that things would change.

It kind of scares me that so many more people are cheating in serious ways to get higher in life. "The general perception is that cheating is widespread. Students believe that cheating is more prevalent and accepted today. They see it in every facet of life: politics, business, home, and school. "That quote from the glass castle website scares me because it is true. In life, people cheat. They cheat to get ahead in school, then it escalades to cheating to get higher in a job. Then it could go higher, into politics, and then you are messing with a country in which the people voted for representatives they could trust. People even cheat at home, as in cheating on a spouse. This gets me angry too. I do not see how cheating that way should be needed, if someone is unhappy, they should leave. Cheating causes so much pain, not just that cheating, but all types of cheating, in all places.

Should the Drinking Age be Lowered?

            This is a difficult question to answer. I read the website and I agree with the fact that the drinking age has not stopped minors from acquiring alcohol. Honestly, I believe that lowering the drinking age will not affect anything. There are different scenarios that could happen. One, the drinking age is lowered and more people go on binges because now suddenly they are allowed to buy the alcohol. In this scenario, I believe the amount of drinking will increase by outstanding numbers. However, after some time, I believe it will regulate and possible remain the same as it was before, or even lower. Some kids only drink because it is “cool” to break the law. However, another scenario suggests that the drinking lowers, and the increase of alcohol continues to increase without stopping. This would like the article suggest, increase highway troubles. More people would drink and drive. To answer the question, I honestly do not think lowering the drinking age would matte. I think the people who want to drink, will drink. They won’t let something like a drinking age get in the way. Hopefully, they know better than to get in the car with someone while under the influence. More and more deaths are due to drinking and driving and it is so unfortunate. If the drinking age is lowered, someone better know what he or she is doing. I do not think its in America’s best interest to lower the drinking age. The article states that “"Well, we do enforce it," Chief Beckner replied. "But what we're seeing is it's not being effective."”(CBS) If the country cannot control the kids of America now, when will they be able to?

            Other arguments can say that drinking age should be lowered because in other countries kids can drink too. I know when my mom was a child living in Portugal drinking was so big deal and kids could drink too. I think that growing up around alcohol being “no big deal” is okay. However by lowering the drinking age in America right now, will screw up this generation. I think that kids today, really young kids, do not grow up with alcohol being “no big deal” they grew up learning not to drink. By lowering the age, this generation will be messed up. I cannot deny that perhaps in the next generation, the drinking age would continue to be messed up. Perhaps it will be okay far in the future. I just believe that in the immediate future and right after, if, the drinking age is lowered, there will be extreme chaos. 

 

What do you most want to accomplish during your senior year?

Well I'll try to remember what I said before...

During my senior year the one thing I would love is to get into my first choice college. I know it is a typical answer, but it's true. I have been so stressed lately it is unbelievable. I get stressed to the point where I don't even want to do anything. There is a huge burden on me, and tons of pressure, and unfortunately I am buckling under all of it. Maybe it's like that for most people this year. We will all be on edge until we start getting acceptance letters.

Another thing I want to accomplish is to learn to relax. It is my senior year and so far all I've done is freak out. I am SO glad October is over with! I want to learn to take it a day at a time and to relax. Life is not meant to be lived in constant anxiety, or in a rush to graduate, or to go to college, etc. Life is meant to be enjoyed, not wished away. These are some of the memories that I'll (we'll) remember for the rest of our lives, and I don't want all my memories to be of me worrying. 

Because I accidentally deleted my account...

I will post my response later :/ when i have the energy to try to remember everything I had.