Ms. Kline's Random Thoughts

Historical Influence

Ms. Kline — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:11:46 +0000

And since it’s Martin Luther King, Jr. day; we might as well spend some time talking about history. He obviously had an enormous influence on our country, the world, and generally the way people think. Martin Luther King, Jr. is arguably one of the most influential men in American history, which is why we celebrate him today.

So, are there any historical figures you admire? Why?

Words of Wisdom

Ms. Kline — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:08:57 +0000

As Martin Luther King, Jr. day comes to a close here, I’m reminded of how many wise words he said during his lifetime. It also reminds me of how I like to put a famous, or thought-worthy, quotation on the board each morning before school begins. So with that said, what are some of your favorite quotations and why?

Is Ignorance Bliss?

Ms. Kline — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:25:58 +0000

I’m not one for bumper stickers, but while driving home from AG today, I noticed a car that caught my attention. There were two bumper stickers on the back. One read a very famous saying, “An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind.” And the other (the one that really made me stop and think) “If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t more people happy?” Essentially, both of these bumper sticker are worthy of discussion. I, for one, spent the rest of my drive thinking about this idea of ignorance. Sometimes it’s easy to turn the other cheek and say, “Ah, I don’t want to know about it – it’s not my problem!” But how often do you continue to think about that thing anyway? It festers in your mind. So, maybe ignorance really isn’t bliss.

What are your thoughts about either one of these bumper stickers? Can you connect it to anything happening in the world, or anything you are talking about in school (any subject)?

Major Political Changes

Ms. Kline — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:54:19 +0000

This past week has also been heavy on the political front with some issues overseas. Gaddafi (one of the various spellings of this name), the Libyan dictator, was killed. President Obama also announced that American Troops would be returning soon. These issues are all very complex and important for the world to recognize.

What political issues do you think are most important for your age group to be aware of now and why?

Natural Disasters Everywhere!

Ms. Kline — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:45:45 +0000

The weather has been pretty crazy over the last few years, to say the least. At home, we’ve had blizzards, hurricanes, and flooding. We even had an earthquake at the end of the summer! Watching the news again this weekend, I heard about a horrendous earthquake in Turkey. Read the article from CNN here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/24/world/europe/turkey-quake/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 .

This makes me think about how much there is to fear and/or consider when it comes to natural disasters. Which natural disaster are you most fearful of and why?

Is Our Culture Righteous?

Ms. Kline — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:15:01 +0000

As period 11 is well aware, I’ve been pretty troubled by some events I’ve heard in the news recently. One story was about a little two year old girl in China who was left in the street after being hit by a car. The other story involves a man in Ohio whose actions resulted in the deaths of several Bengal Tigers (an endangered species), lions, and other animals. Both of these stories are being widely discussed in the news at the moment. By researching them a bit (warning: these stories are upsetting!), you’ll likely see many points of view represented.

It reminds me of a line from Tuesdays with Morrie where Morrie discusses his belief that our culture is teaching us the wrong things. So in America, are we taught to be helpful, good samaritans? Are we respectful to animals? Discuss your feelings and include a reference to something you’ve found online as well.

Wiring and the Teenage Brain

Ms. Kline — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:27:53 +0000

I was surfing around on CNN and I found an interesting article about the make-up of the teenage brain and how it affects decision making. Read it here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/19/health/mental-health/teen-brain-impulses/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 .

What are your reflections about this article? Surf around on your own and find some other interesting things about the brain and post it!

Welcome 2011-2012 School Year Classes!

Ms. Kline — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:16:13 +0000

Well, another school year has begun and it’s time to get started with extra credit! The purpose of this blog is to create some online conversations across the various classes. Keeping this notion that all my classes have access to this blog, it’s really interesting to see how you converse with one another when you don’t have the same basis of knowledge. I love seeing how you respond to one another! I hope that you enjoy the opportunity to talk with new people as well. I’ve been using this for the last few years and it has worked really well. Though you are welcome to peruse prior classes’ comments, please keep in mind that you need to comment on this school year, and this school year only. If you need any help reminding yourself what a “good comment” entails, please use the pages on this site.

Happy Blogging!!!

Quick Tips via Podcast

Ms. Kline — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 02:55:43 +0000

Grammar Girl

For all you iPod fanatics out there: have you gotten into podcasts yet? A podcast is like a radio show; but instead of broadcasting at a particular time on a certain station, a writer/speaker/performer will record their show. They’ll then upload the show onto a website or interface like iTunes.

I listen to one podcast regularly: Grammar Girl. Are you that surprised? Now, I’msaying you have to start subscribing to this one (P.S. it’s free and shows are only about 5 minutes long), but you should realize that the thousands of subscribers are composed of both adults and young people. Why? Well, it’s because everyone from a high school student to successful professional need some reminders when it comes to writing better.

For this post, peruse the Grammar Girl website (found here: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ ) or a similar site and discuss a quick lesson you learned about writing from your research. Maybe you can even teach me something!

Freshman Year is All About Learning

Ms. Kline — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 02:46:19 +0000

I normally reserve a post like this for the end of the year, but since many of our classes have had conversations lately about how much we all change during our freshman year, I find this one appropriate. So, I pulled an article from About.com quickly (not always the most credible, sorry, but this one isn’t too bad). Check it out: http://homeworktips.about.com/od/preparingforcollege/bb/freshman.htm . A few tips are listed here for how to prepare and survive your freshman year.

What are some practical school and “life” tips that you’ve learned so far this year? You could have learned these tips/lessons either inside or outside the classroom. All learning is valuable.