Sunday, August 26, 2012

Baby's First Pathbrite Portfolio

I published my AP essays on Pathbrite without too much trouble aside from them initially being upside-down.  If you are so inclined, feel free to comment and critique.  Protip: when you're in My Computer while creating a portfolio (idk about Macintosh), click the first document you want to add and then hold shift while clicking the others to save time.  I hope someone can benefit from this knowledge and that I didn't miss the memo or something.
Here's my Pathbrite: Clickety-click

For the Sake of Diversion and Utility

The page this link takes you to will guide you through the process of emboldening, italicizing, and creating hotlinks in your comments on posts:
http://mike.brisgeek.com/2006/08/30/simple-html-for-formatting-blogger-comments/

My Portion of the Beowulf Questions


The Dragon Wakes
1.How much later does Part 2 take place? What kings have died in the meanwhile? What danger now exists?  Part 2 takes place fifty years after Beowulf returns home.  Kings Hygelac and Heardred (son of Hygelac),  have died.  The new danger is an awoken dragon.

2.Why is the dragon angry? Why did the man take a cup? How did the treasure come to be there in the first place? (The speech of the lone survivor, the one who put the gold in the barrow, is in a typically Old English elegiac tone.):  
          The dragon is angry because a man has come and taken part of his treasure, a cup, to honor his lord.  The treasures are said to have been left there after an ancient race had been pushed to the brink of death and hidden their treasures in desperation.

3.What did the dragon destroy that evening?: 
              Many buildings and homes had been destroyed by the dragon.

4.Why does Beowulf think his home was burnt? Why does he order a new shield? How will he fight this battle? What will happen to him?: 
          Beowulf thinks it's his fault that his kingdom was burnt because he must have broken some ancient law and offended God.  He wants a steel shield because a wooden one will burn in the flame of the dragon.   He will die and he will bring the dragon down with him.

5.How did Hygelac die? (The description in lines 2354-2379 begins one of several versions of Geatish history and Hygelac's death we will get.) What did Beowulf do after Hygelac's death? What happened when he returned home? Did he accept Hygd's offer to become king?: 
          Hygelac died in hand to hand combat in Frisia when they ran out of swords.  Beowulf swam away from the battle with thirty coats of mail on.  Hygd offered him the title of king because her ill son could not rule.  Beowulf accepted.

6. What happened to Hygelac's son Heardred? (That's the story in lines 2380-2390.) How did Beowulf plan to revenge Heardred's death (lines 2391-2396)? 
                 Heardred died after an attack from the Swedes landed in Geatland and is avenged when Beowulf helps kill Onela.

7.How many men accompany Beowulf as he goes to meet the dragon?  
           Eleven and the man who took the cup initially.

8.What happened to Hygelac's oldest brother Herebeald? Who killed him? What did this do to his father King Hrethel? (This passage, lines 2425-2509, is the second account of Geatish history and of the death of Hygelac.) What happened between the Swedes and Geats after Hrethel's death? What happened to Haethcyn? How die Beowulf revenge Hygelac's death?: 
             Herebeald was accidentally killed by his younger brother Haethkyn.  King Hrethel was forced to send his own son to the gallows.  He became depressed.  When he died Haethcyn was king but he died during the war between the Swedes and Geats.  Beowulf killed the Frisian king.

 Beowulf attacks the Dragon
1.What does Beowulf tell his companions to do?
             He tells his companions not to fight the dragon because he knows it will be his last battle.

2.What happens the first time Beowulf and the dragon fight? What do his companions do? How is Wiglaf different? What does he tell the others? What does he then do?:  
             The sword Beowulf used to attack the dragon was no use to hurt the dragon and he is engulfed in flame.  His companions run into the forest.    Wiglaf stays because he is grateful of what Beowulf has done for his family.  He tells the others how good a king Beowulf was and that if a king is to fall, his men should fall to.  He enters battle with the dragon. 

These questions were answered as part of the set our group used to complete the questions. These are my partners: Samantha GarrisonChanel YamaguchiIliana Gutierrez, and Owen Iness.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Reflections on Week One

1. The only thing that I can foresee weighing me down at the moment is the obligation to be vigilant at all times. Still, that was one of the most attractive things I had ever heard from a class so I don't see me giving in.
2. The most significant lesson I have ever learned was from my mother. She is usually so calming to behold and hear but when I was learning to play the recorder in fourth grade she was quite the opposite. I was sitting in my room with the recorder in my hands, the music book at my feet, and tears in my eyes. It was a ridiculous scene but my frustration at learning was too much for me. And, like I hoped, my mother walked in but her words were unexpected. She told me to stop my crying and try again. I didn't understand because it was the first time I had ever not understood how to do something. Yet by the time I was to perform the next day, I had learned Hot Cross Buns. This lesson always whips my mind into attention when I try to give up.
3. I suppose what I am most exciting things about the class for me is the idea that, although there is a curriculum for us to tend to, we have been enabled to direct and manipulate it into nearly anything we see fit. The use of web tools is also going to be a valuable experience in becoming familiar with freewares.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Orientation Video



Almost forgot to post this integral moment in the perspective of an individual who isn't myself because my phone seems defunct.

Não Falo Besteira


It's about time I write this.  I'm not gonna put up a façade of typical answers (unless, of course, my honest replies are actually that standard).  I signed up for this class because,  in 2010,  I found a new way to perceive the world.  Maybe I just got a little more mature, but I think it legitimately altered the way I interpret the things I see and hear.  I also took this class for the GPA boost and the AP label it carries, which is not to say that I wouldn't have taken the class otherwise.  I just know that the people who are in charge of letting me into the place I've been told to get to my whole life are not sitting in the classroom with me, understanding how innovative and immersive this class promises to be.  I'm not sure that place, a.k.a. NYU,  is gonna be worth it in the end but I  really want to be there in (arguably) the most cosmopolitan city in the world.  It's the cityscape in this blog's background and the purple at the top of the page is NYU's official purple.  But for now, back on task.
             I'm excited for the incorporation of technology into our lesson planning because we're gonna be living in this world full of wi-fi, iclouds, and video conferences.  And that's just standard at the moment.  I know that Dr. Preston is going to come through in this promise because he doesn't put things in the syllabus that aren't true like the majority of teachers. 
            Nervous? As in what makes me tense and short of breath?  Not knowing how difficult this class will be.  I'm gonna deal with whatever I'm sent but I still would like to know what's coming at me (biggest insecurity in life also.).  My personal goal in this class is to be an active participant and not sit there letting my thoughts work my stomach into a knot that isn't loosened until I escape the roomful of breathers.  Also, let's try not to procrastinate.  How many times has that goal been set?
             I expect nothing less than sophomore year.  In fact, I expect much more knowing that we've had time to learn and become (marginally) wiser since then.  My knowledge will be beefed up by thinking about things that others have thought about before.  My knowledge will be beefed up by thinking of these things alongside people who actually care about how their brain is filled and used.  Also, my thinking, I hope, will be less dogmatic and more pragmatic, while becoming more receptive.

P.S. This posts title (Portuguese) means: I do not speak nonsense.