Term Two Test Essay - Social Media, a Blessing or a Curse? Dicuss.

Social Media - A blessing or a curse? Discuss.

(This essay was written during the Term Two LA test. It is reproduced in its entirety here.)

With the availability and convenience of modern day computers, social media has become more widely used. Social Media has been used before to allow people to share their views if the other forms of media are heavily censored by the state. Therefore, social media is a blessing if used for the proper means.

Social Media allows freedom of expression. This use of social media is most frequent in countries where other forms and types of media are heavily censored. For example, in recent protests in the Middle East, in countries such as Egypt and Syria, the social media websites were used to rally other protestors, and also to draw worldwide attention to their cause. Although the governments of the countries blocked their citizens’ access to these social media websites, the people managed to circumvent the blocks.

Also, social media has been used to generate public support and publicity. For example, after the recent Christchurch Earthquake, the Prime Minister of Christchurch stated that they would be appealing for funds to assist rebuilding efforts via Facebook. Charities also use social media platforms to garner support and donations. Apart from collecting donations or fund raising, social media can be used to reach out to the youth, as part of generating increased publicity. For example, in the ongoing 2011 General Election in Singapore, many political parties use social media to spread information and increase support for the party. Social media has also been used as part of advertising programmes, as social media is free and is already widely used.

Social media is also used as a form of entertainment. An example of social media being used as a form of entertainment is Youtube, an online video sharing community for people to share videos of all kinds, from instructional to entertaining. This service is also completely free. Since the videos are all made by users, although the quality of the videos may not be consistent, there is a mass variety of videos. Other examples include online websites which allow users to upload and share pictures. Image and file sharing websites allow users to share images and even artwork with each other.

However, there are some downsides of social media. Social media may be used as a tool for scammers to trick computer users into giving away personal information or money. Many such scams and tricks have been surfaced to the public’s attention but not before a member of an online community had already fallen prey to it . Such examples may include convincing the subject to send money to an obscure bank account to claim their winnings in a foreign lottery, or asking the user to send their personal details to claim a prize .

Also, information on Social Media is not always accurate. An example of this would be when a couple posted videos and daily updates about the relationship troubles they were feeling before they got married. Online netizens , touched by their sincerity , promised to help the couple . However, they were shocked to find out that it was an elaborate advertising programme for an insurance company. They were upset that they had been tricked. However, they could not deny that they were at fault for automatically believing what they had seen.

In conclusion, Social Media, when used properly, is a quick, efficient and convenient method to spread information. However, despite these factors, if social media is misused, the effects would be very widespread, considering the mass number of users who utilize Social Media. Therefore, Social Media is a blessing if used in a proper method.

A Day in the life of a WWII housewife

We're fighting the war on the home front. They say that every day. In London, the streets now are littered with debris and corpses, that no one has cleared up yet. Both my children, have been relocated to the country, to escape the Luftwafte's cluster bombing, daily, nightly. The air-raid sirens have become our daily song of despair. Rations too are become stretched even tighter, the queues at the rationing centre stretching into the hungry hundreds hoping for their food. Everything is rationed. Food, meat, clothes. The war stretches ever longer, as the government tries to assure us that everything will go well.

When will the tide finally turn?

Descriptive Essay based on below picture

The soldier ducked as he leaped over the debris, an hour before, a peaceful village, another victim of cluster bombing. Smoke and gunpowder hung heavily in the air, gunfire breaking into their thoughts, the bitter acrid taste of burning villages around them, This was a destroyed village. They leaped over the shrapnel and crushed houses on the ground. A gate swung loosely on its crushed hinges, a slow rhythmic back and forth. Back and forth.

Newspapers.

Newspapers - We encounter them practically everyday either at home or at school. But how much thought do we devote to the humble newspaper?

The purpose of Newspapers is mainly to inform people. Of course, there are two major types of newspapers, each with their distinctive features. These two newspapers are the broadsheets and tabloids. Broadsheets have a large layout and inverted pyramid layout for major stories which places the most important information at the top of the page. Broadsheets mainly report on breaking news and international events. The tone is usually very formal and quite analytical. In contrast, tabloids focus more on visual pictures as well as very sensationalized stories, which mainly are human interest stories.

Furthermore, each section in the newspaper has a specific function to cater to a specific type of reader.

Lastly, there are also newspapers which fall into a "unclassified" catorgory, such as Singapore's Today, published by Mediacorp, which is given out for free, and contains snippets of news but with a tabloid layout. Today is also heavily sponsored by advertisers.

To Kill a Mockingbird - Ending of The story

Guiding Question - Did the ending of the novel surprise you? If you were the author would you have ended the story differently? Explain.

I think that if I was Harper Lee, I would still have ended the story in a similiar method, as the ending of the story encompasses several main points:

1. Appearance of Boo Radley
2. Death of Bob Ewell (End of the Conflict)

Therefore, the end of the story, also allowed for the closure of the main story arcs, being the Kindness of Boo Radley, and Bob Ewell's actions. The ending also shows how Boo Radley left the safety and comfort of his house to protect Jem and Scout, even though he might have endangered himself in the process. Also, the death of Bob Ewell ends the story on a calmer note. The last few sentences of the story, implies how Boo was actually like.

" 'An' they chased him 'n' never could catch him 'cause they didn't know what he looked like, an' Atticus, when they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things ... Atticus, he was real nice....' " (Pg 287)

Lastly, the last sentence of the story, ends the story on a calm and peaceful note, with Scout falling asleep in bed.

Different points of View - First person and Third Person

Both first person and third person points of view have their own advantages.

Advantages of First person POV:

1. The narrator is mostly involved in the story
2. The narrator can experience most feelings firsthand
3. Certain stories can make use of unreliable narrators - Information can be filtered by the narrator to show only certain POVs

Disadvantages:

1. Character has limited vision only.
2. No access to other Characters' thoughts.

Advantages of Third Person POV:

1. Allows access to all of the thoughts of the characters
2. Omniscient and Omnipresent narrator - able to see things and narrate the story in non chronological order. For example, the omniscient narrator can skip foward slightly - "Jane thought it was all over, but little did she know that more was to come." However, first person narrators cannot do so unless it is a flashback.

Disadvantages:

1. The reader can feel alienated from the characters if they are not elaborated upon well.

Picture Description - LA Writing Exercise

This is a creative writing exercise for LA:

It was a beautiful day, nearing dusk. The vast expanse of sand, was nearly empty, as beachgoers had left. The clouds, were wispy, like little fields of scarlet cotton candy. There were various abandoned sandcastles, being swallowed up by the swelling tide. The sun disappeared behind a cloud, flooding the sky with crimson orange red. There were many boats preparing for the end of their working day, waves gently rocking the boat.

LA comic strip - Storyboard of Short Story - Identity

For panel three, I used that background as I wanted to symbolise the vastness of the entire world, so I chose a more abstract background. For the rest of the backgrounds, I chose them to work and fit into the storyline. I tried to compress the entire storyline into just 6 panels, and thus had to chose my words and scenes very carefully. Thus, I chose the scenes which were most vital to the storyline. Also, due to the limitations of Toondoo, I had to use the Man as the main character as it had the most postures, and was the easiest to resize.

LA Home Learning - My favourite poem

My Favourite poem is Digging by Seamus Heaney. We went through it last year during Language Arts, and it made a deep impression upon me, due to its imagery, which I find quite vivid.

Digging by Seamus Heaney

Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rest; snug as a gun.

Under my window, a clean rasping sound
When the spade sinks into gravelly ground:
My father, digging. I look down

Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds
Bends low, comes up twenty years away
Stooping in rhythm through potato drills
Where he was digging.

The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft
Against the inside knee was levered firmly.
He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep
To scatter new potatoes that we picked,
Loving their cool hardness in our hands.

By God, the old man could handle a spade.
Just like his old man.

My grandfather cut more turf in a day
Than any other man on Toner's bog.
Once I carried him milk in a bottle
Corked sloppily with paper. He straightened up
To drink it, then fell to right away
Nicking and slicing neatly, heaving sods
Over his shoulder, going down and down
For the good turf. Digging.

The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap
Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge
Through living roots awaken in my head.
But I've no spade to follow men like them.

Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests.
I'll dig with it.

How is Imagery used in the poem?

The imagery in the poem is meant to appeal to all five of the human senses. Smell - "Cold smell of potato mould" Hearing - "Squelch and Slap" Sight - Seeing the Father digging, Touch - "Cool hardness in our hands" Taste - N/A. Other than that, the rest of the imagery focuses on how the Narrator's Father and Grandfather both had jobs which "dug" or required them to dig - E.g Cutting Turf, Digging for potatoes. This trend leads to the last line -- "I'l dig with it".

Why do i like this poem?

I like this Poem due to the effective use of Imagery, as well as how the poem is very vivid and detailed. Furthermore, the poem really allows me to visualize what is happening better than most poems. I also like the theme of the poem as it is about the previous generations of his family. However, he does accept that he cannot completely follow in his Parents and Grandparent's footsteps either. Therefore, I like both the theme, and the poem for the exceptional imagery.

About the author:

I also like many of this poet's other poems. For example, Mid Term Break and Blackberry Picking. I enjoy the former due to how poignant it is, and the effective use of imagery to convey the emotion to the reader. I enjoy the Latter due to how it shows the greed of a younger boy, even though he knew the Blackberries would spoil. The poem is also very vivid as the descriptions make up a significant part of the poem.

How To Kill a Mockingbird Short Analysis

Why is it necessary to understand the historical and cultural context of the Novel?

How does it help to understand the author’s background? Is it necessary to learn about the author’s background?

Is it possible to appreciate the text without pre-reading about the historical and cultural context of the novel/background of the novel?

It is necessary to understand the historical context of the novel, as because nowadays, prejudice is less common (though it is not eradicated) Therefore, we might not be able to properly understand the nuances of the novel itself. For example, a person who did not understand the background of the novel would not understand the true meaning of the novel, and would also miss out on some of the parts of the novel.

Knowing the author's background is important, and would help with understanding the novel, and the author's reasons behind it. However, it most books and cases, it is not really necessary to understand more about the author. Harper Lee (Actually Nelle Harper Lee). She wrote the novel in 1944, approximately 79 years after the conclusion of the American Civil War, which was fought to free Negroes from Slavery. The book is actually set a few years after the American Civil War, in a Southern State (Which supported Slavery and fought against the Union during the Civil War).

First post of Sec 2 LA Online Lesson - Prejudice

For our first LA lesson in 2011, we have a short free writing exercise. For today, the exercise is on Prejudice.

What I already know about Prejudice:

Prejudice is a form of discrimination against an individual, institution or group of individuals. The prejudice may be racial, religious, etc. For example, when Adolf Hitler tried to exterminate all the Jews, the unsuccessful genocide may be viewed as Religious Discrimination or Prejudice.

Such Prejudice was also seen in the USA during the Civil War period, where a war was fought between the Confederate and the Union, to free negro slaves. Although the war was won to free them, they did enjoy complete equality, until recent years. However, since Mr Barack Obama became president, it might be seen as a milestone that the country and its people have managed to overcome such racial prejudice.

What I want to know about Prejudice:

I want to understand more about how a prejudice can develop, and affect a society.

My favourite poem

Messy Room by Shel Silverstein

Whosever room this is should be ashamed! (Line 1)
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window, (Line 5)
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall. (Line 10)
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or--
Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear, (Line 15)
I knew it looked familiar!

The poem uses mainly hyperbole and personification. Personification is less frequent, occurring only in Line 11, "A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed," This makes the reader think of a person in the bed, rather than a Lizard. This is also mainly due to the fact that the lizard has a name. 

Hyperbole is quite frequent, with it mainly referring to the messy room. Generally, it would be rare to find a room as messy as the above mentioned room. 

Also, the twist at the end makes the poem more enjoyable. The narrator has been "putting down" the room, and complaining about how messy it is. However, he finds out that it is his own room. "Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear, I knew it looked familiar!" (Line 15 & Line 16) This twist is also present in most of Shel Silverstein's poems, if you have read more of them. I have actually read quite a few of his poems, and his is one of my favourite poets. The others being Roger McGough and Kenn Nesbit.

I also like:

Food Fight
	by Kenn Nesbitt

We’d never seen the teachers in a state of such distress. The principal was yelling that the lunchroom was a mess. It started off so innocent when someone threw a bun, but all the other kids decided they should join the fun. It instantly turned into an enormous lunchroom feud, as students started hurling all their halfway-eaten food. A glob went whizzing through the air, impacting on the wall. Another chunk went sailing out the doorway to the hall. The food was splattered everywhere— the ceilings, walls, and doors. A sloppy, gloppy mess was on the tables and the floors. And so our good custodian ran out to grab his mop. It took him half the afternoon to clean up all the slop. The teachers even used some words we’re not supposed to mention. And that’s how all the kids and teachers wound up in detention.

Me, My Learning Style and (Flowers for) Algernon

The First of March and the Second of March are two Home Learning days. We stay at home for the two days. Our schedule is: 8 am until 2 pm -- Work. But... We get a 30 min break between each subject. We have four subjects per day on the given schedule, although you can do it in any particular order.

For this LA assignment, I took a test on my learning style on this website--

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks1/ict/multiple_int/questions/choose_lang.cfm

I was able to see my results after entering a secret code at another area of the site. My (not so) secret code is: np28gwp68964. The place to enter the code is --http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks1/ict/multiple_int/results/results.cfm

Based on my results, I am intrapersonal, logical and visual spatial.

The test was interesting, but we (1I3) noticed that if you select "I am always like this" for all the questions you actually get, well, "Full Marks". You can use this code to retrieve it: wgv2vcr9b21803

Likewise, selecting "I am not like this at all" for all the questions gives you a empty graph.

Another interesting thing about the test is that it is based upon our perceptions of ourselves. E.g "I am good at mathematical problems and using numbers." Some people may interpret "good" differently, leading to somewhat biased results.

However, the test isn't meant to be exact, but it is a interesting benchmark to find out more about your intelligence type.

Jon

Flowers for Algernon (fictional) interview

We were meant to complete an assignment -- Issues in Flowers for Algernon and post it on our blogs. I chose the linguistic activity since I like writing. I had to write a fictional interview with Miss Kinnian, who was close to Charlie Gordon, the main subject of the story. For those who have not read the story, Flowers for Algernon is about a mentally challenged man who undergoes an experimental surgery to triple his IQ. The story focuses on Charlie's relationship with his co-workers and close friends. The story gets its name from a lab rat which underwent the same operation. The rat was called Algernon. The (fictional)interview transcript can be found below:

Interview transcript with Miss Kinnian regarding the Algernon-Gordon experiment

This interview was carried out with Miss Kinnian, who was Charlie Gordon’s teacher at a Adult Centre. She recommended him for the experiment to increase intelligence levels by almost three times. Charlie Gordon eventually reached the peak of his intelligence before regressing rapidly. At his peak, he had an IQ of roughly 185, much greater than his original IQ of 65. He wrote the famous thesis on the Algernon-Gordon Effect, when he reached the peak of his intelligence, (Refer to Page 56 ) which is now being studied all over the world in many prestigious universities. After he regressed, he disappeared. His current whereabouts are unknown.

How were you involved in the Algernon-Gordon experiment?

I was Charlie’s teacher at the adult centre. I was among the many teachers at various adult centres who were contacted to recommend someone from our class for the experiment. I decided to recommend Charlie Gordon as he fit the criteria; he was hardworking and he was very enthusiastic about learning to read and write.

I was told that the experiment could triple his intelligence, but it may be a temporary increase. I informed Charlie of this opportunity and after receiving his consent, I forwarded his personal details to the scientists in charge, Dr Strauss and Dr Nemur.

After the operation, I went to the laboratory to teach him personally. I started to teach him spelling, reading and punctuation. His progress was very quick after the operation. He started to learn the rules of punctuation and proper spelling quickly. He started to become a very quick reader and he developed a very accurate memory.

What can you tell us about how Charlie behaved before and after the operation?

As he started to progress in terms of intelligence, we could no longer relate to each other. During one such incident, he invited me to dinner, but we had nothing in common to talk about. I did not see him often after that, but I soon learnt from Dr Strauss that his intelligence was deteriorating quickly.

I went to visit him at the boarding house he stayed in, but he refused to talk to me. I was deeply saddened by his refusal to talk to me. I paid his rent, for he owed the landlady two months of rent, before leaving. I had gone back to the adult centre when Charlie walked in one night. On seeing him, I broke out into tears, because I did not realize the extent of his regression. I have not seen him since, and to this day, I do not know where he went.

Did you have any regrets about recommending Charlie for this experiment?

Well, Yes and No. I understood the risks of the experiment, and I was well aware that he might regress back to his original state. However, I ignored my doubts and I still recommended him for the experiment. Although I knew the risks of the experiment, I still felt very hurt and sorrowful when I saw how he had reverted back to his original state.

I am very motivated to try and enrich the lives of these mentally challenged adults. I feel disappointed that many people do not pay attention to them, or worse, laugh at them. These people are just like us, except that they do not possess the same mental capacity. They have feelings too.

I wished that Charlie could bring about a way to help these people, or even if he could not, he could at least raise awareness of the difficulties they face. I am glad that he managed to do so. Hopefully, maybe the surgical technique used by the doctors will be available to other mentally challenged people.

(Note: I used the novella for the interview, rather than the novel)

(The interview was also written as if a science journal was interviewing her.)