Blog on Blog

Personally I liked the idea of blogging. I think they are an interesting way of including writing into our curriculum. Blogging is a good way of keeping young students interested in writing. Also I like them because you have a great choice of topics and the format of how you write is not limited.

Last year we did journal entries instead of blogging. No one liked journal entries because they were really old school and you had to write in cursive. Blogging is more current because you can do it on the internet and you can type instead of hand written cursive. Also blogging keeps young people interested because it happens on the computer, the same as everything else today. You can search the web and find information about your topic, listen to music, and do whatever you want on the computer while writing your blog. Blogs also have the potential of reaching vast audiences quickly.

I like blogging because you have unlimited topics to choose from. Every week at least one student writes a topic, Ms.Weldon writes at least one topic, and you can even make your own topic which stimulates creativity. This is a huge difference compared to journals. For each journal entry you had a specific topic you had to write about and it was very difficult sometimes to think of something to write.

Not only can you write about whatever you want but you can also write in any format. You can write a story, an essay, a poem, etc. This is very good feature because it lets us express our creativity in many ways and opens up many more possibilities. It also suits many different styles of writers.

I hope that blogging is accepted and is used for middle school from now on. Personally I think they are the future form of expressing your opinions. If they are continued most middle-schoolers will have a positive experience during middle-school Language Arts.

Alchohol

In 2007 approximately 1,239 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents in Canada through alcohol impairment. Alcohol is a major problem. Personally I think alcohol should be illegal for a few reasons. Alcohol dulls your senses, it brings out harmful actions/moods, and it is considered a drug.

Alcohol dulls many of your senses. When alcohol is consumed it makes your vision blurry and slows your response time. This can cause disaster if you are driving under the influence because it can make you crash into things you may not see or be able to react to fast enough. It also lowers your sense of danger. This could be harmful because you could put yourself into a position or situation that might threaten your life or health without even knowing it.

Not only can being drunk affect your possible health but also the health of others. When someone is under the influence they can experience extreme anger and agitation. These emotions can bring out violence that normally wouldn't occur. This violence can be toward children, spouses, or other friends and family. Obviously this can hurt others but it can also hurt the alcohol abuser. Their actions under the influence can cause them to lose their jobs, custody of their children, and respect from their family and friends.

The definition of a drug is a substance that has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body. According to that definition alcohol is a drug. Alcohol has many mind altering effects as does heroine, marijuana and other narcotics. An impaired individual can have just as poor judgment as people on other narcotic drugs. If they are illegal why isn't alcohol?

As long as alcohol is legalized families will continue to be abused and people will continue to lose their lives from drunk driving. Personally I think it is very apparent that alcohol should be considered a narcotic and become illegal. A world without alcohol would be a much happier and safer place.

commented on Olivia's Blog

Facebook

Social networking is one of the biggest things done on the Internet today. There are many sites that provide this quality. These sites include Facebook, MSN, Skype, IChat and there are many more. Personally my favourite is Facebook. I like Facebook because you can connect and talk to friends, look at photos, play games, and its totally free.

The essential quality of social networking is being able to connect and talk to your friends. Facebook makes this really easy because to find a friend you just type in their name. For most other sites you need to know the person's email address or username. Also Facebook makes it easy to chat with people while looking through Facebook. It has a little bar at the bottom of the screen where all your chats are located and it makes a noise when someone sends a message.

One of the other qualities Facebook offers is the ability to look at photos. This is a great trait because you can look at any of your friends photos, while chatting. Most people put there vacation pictures on Facebook as well. Also Facebook is a good place to store your digital pictures.

Another thing that is unique about Facebook is that it gives you the ability to play games online. Facebook has all kinds of games including, poker, farming, treasure hunting, and arcade classics. You can play these games while talking with people, looking at photos, or navigating Facebook.

Possibly the best quality of Facebook is that it is totally free. You can do all the things I have mentioned and more without spending a penny. You can also go on it when ever you want without worrying about the price.

Overall I think Facebook is the best social networking site available today. Facebook offers you the ability to look at other people's photos and it allows you to find your friends and talk to them easily. Also Facebook allows you to play games. The best part is that you can do all this completely free.

iTunes vs Limewire

In today's society CD's, records, and tapes have almost become obsolete. The majority of music is downloaded from the internet and put onto iPods and mp3 players. The two biggest and most popular music sites are iTunes and Limewire. iTunes is the more professional and official site. Limewire is interactive site which allows users to import music as well as export. Personally I like Limewire more for a few reasons, the music is free, it has much more music than iTunes, and it has non professional or unofficial music releases.

First, all the music and videos on Limewire are free. This is a great benefit because you can get as much music as you want without having to worry about racking up a huge bill. When I used iTunes I very rarely got new music because of the price. iTunes has recently made everything more expensive, a single song is now $1.29. Now that I have Limewire I get new music almost every day, and I don't spend a single penny.

Second, since Limewire doesn't need to get Licenses for music they can get music from almost every artist. iTunes must get a license or permission for music from the artist. There are a few very popular bands who aren't on iTunes such as AC/DC.

Third, limewire has unofficial music. On Limewire you can download mixtapes and music that is not released professionally. You can discover many new artists and up and comers. Also many famous artists record music that is not released. Most of this music can be found on Limewire.

I have heard that Limewire is susceptible to viruses, and the quality and consistency of the music isn't great. I have not experienced any viruses and the lack of quality does not pose a significant problem. So personally I think Limewire is the overall better site because it is affordable and provides better access to music.

Is Justin Beiber The New King Of Pop?

Micheal Jackson is one of the most famous music artists of all time. He started his musical career with the Jackson 5 when he was 6.

He started his career as a child star but as he grew older he changed his styles and had different fan bases, until his death on June 25th, 2009. There are very few artists who can stand the test of time. Micheal worked hard to earn the title "King Of Pop". He didn't have the title until much later in his career, after countless singles and albums in the top charts. Not only did he hit the top charts but he influenced the direction of pop music and dance. He was an innovator who brought pop music and his kind of dancing to the fore front.

Justin Beiber also is starting his career as a child artist but he is famous for his looks and age. Also he has a feminine voice that many people like. In a few years Justin Beiber will grow out of his little boy looks and voice. If he can adapt to his changes and revamp his style to appeal to different audiences than he may last a little longer. If he is unable to than he has about a year left of fame. Also, if he wants to reach Micheal Jackson's status he needs to bring something new to the scene, because right now he is doing and singing the same stuff as everyone else. So far Justin has only put out two albums. It is not fair to classify him as the "new king of pop". He is not far enough in his career for anyone to know if he will ever earn that title. Personally I think he will be like the Jonas Brothers, he will be around for a couple of years and then never heard of again. If last year, you told Cassie or Maddie that in grade eight they would not like the Jonas Brothers at all, they would call you crazy, but guess what. It happened. So, only time will tell if Justin Beiber is a flash in the pan or the new king of pop.

Commented on Olivia's Blog.

School Uniforms

At our school we have to wear uniforms. Most people don't like them, but personally I don't mind them. I like uniforms for a few reasons: they cut down on bullying, they cost less than clothes, they help with your morning routine, and they make our school look professional and united.

Uniforms make bullying less of a problem because you can't pick on some one's clothes if you are wearing the same uniform. Also everybody is supposed to wear the uniforms the same so you can't pick on someone for the way they wear clothes either. Uniforms help create a level playing field in the class room. To stand out you must have a great personality or excel academically. In this sense uniforms help to create a more relaxed and comfortable school environment where the focus is on learning.

A single t-shirt today can cost more than a hundred dollars, and is only worn a couple times. Kids who don't have uniforms want to wear a different outfit everyday, which can get very expensive. Uniforms are relatively cheap and you get very good use out of them since you wear them everyday. You also only need to buy one or two sets.

In the morning you don't have a lot of time to get ready. You have to shower, pick your clothes, brush your teeth, eat breakfast, get your books ready and get to your bus or car. Since our school has uniforms you wear the same thing every day. This helps with your morning routine since you don't have to decide what to wear. Freeing up this step gives you more time in the morning.

When a school is together wearing a uniform it looks very professional. Since everyone is wearing the same thing the group looks like one. Everyone is connected and united. Schools look unprofessional when they are on field trips and every kid is wearing different clothes. All you notice is a collage of colours and patterns. There is no continuity.

So even though most students you ask do not have a positive attitude toward uniforms, they are saving our parents money, and they may be helping their school experience without them even knowing.

Commented on Olivia's blog

EVENSONG

Evensong is a tradition at our school. It is when everybody goes down to the chapel at 1:40 and we have a religious service. Not many kids enjoy this event, but it is something that will never go away. In this blog, I am not going to whine about it but suggest a few ways to make it better.

I feel it should be earlier in the day, the chapel should not be as warm, and I think the constant sitting and standing should be adjusted a bit.

Currently, evensong is our second last period. Having it at this time breaks up your academic day. It takes your mind away from school making it difficult to focus during the final period. If it was earlier in the day people would be fresh and ready.

Another thing that really turns students off of evensong is how hot the chapel is. In our chapel everyone is always sweating and complaining about how hot they are. All we need to do is find a more comfortable temperature. By doing so evensong may result in a more positive experience.

My last point was how in evensong, we have to constantly sit then stand every few minutes. The constant up and down gets a little annoying after awhile. I know we have to stand for certain prayers, but I think we should be allowed to sit a little more often ( for hymns etc.). Or maybe all of the standing goes first and then we sit for the rest.

I strongly believe that if we can't stop evensong , then we can definitely make it better by making the few changes I suggested. If the changes can be made, then most students will look at evensong more positively and less negatively.

Commented on Lizzies blog