Malaq's Writing Nook

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Subtext Art

For some, the end justifies the means when it comes to gaining power. In the play Macbeth, the protagonist is faced with a dilemma on whether being king is worth going against his morals. Macbeth is satisfied with his current position as Thane of Cawdor, and does not believe that killing his friend, King Duncan, is worth it. His wife, Lady Macbeth, is an ambitious woman who believes that a man must fight for his power. Meanwhile, Macbeth believes he will not be respected if he “... should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself.” 1.7.15-16 The Macbeth’s have different perceptions on what it means to be a man. To Macbeth, loyalty and respect is what makes you a man, but to his wife, a man is a courageous person who is willing to fight for his future, and eliminate all the competition. How can influence from a spouse or other close relative cause your morals and perceptions to change?

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Subtext Reflection

What is your take-away about subtext? Consider how you would explain what subtext is to a student new to our class..

My take away on subtext is that it is the underlaying meaning behind the text. I would explain this to a new student by giving them a real world example. I’d tell them, you know when someone compliments you, but they really are trying to be rude and make fun of you instead? Well, that is subtext in the real world.

What are the steps you use in order to figuring out subtext?

You can start off by analyzing the text, what are they bluntly saying? Then, ask yourself, are they using something else to convey a different meaning, if so, what is it?

Why do we discuss or analyze subtext?

Because subtext is used in daily life and is important to the setting of a text. Subtext can change the mood of a scene because for example a character that you thought was nice can compliment another character but actually be making fun of them.

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Post Common Core English Regents:

When I stepped out of the room I thought I wouldn’t have to talk about the test again, but of course I did. In english class, my teacher, Christy took this test as an opportunity for us to all reflect on our work. And I am actually glad we did because now I know what I need to work on to make my writing even better. 

My first step is to actually learn the parts of a sentence. This will allow me to create both simple and complex grammatically accurate sentences. Also, grammatically correct sentences just create an overall sophisticated piece. 

Second, I need to get out of my bubble and start to implement evidence into my writing in varying ways. I could do this by using transitional phrases to introduce quotes instead of just using fragment quotes.

Third, is for me to use paraphrasing. This is the hardest for me because I usually don’t know what I need to cite, and what is known information that I am allowed to use from the text. 

Overall I think I am in a good place when it comes to my writing, but I also understand that there is MUCH room for improvement.

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The Invisible Man

What do the lists of classic books have in common?

           The biggest similarity to me is the age of these books and how many generations they have been around for. One of the aspects of determining whether a book is a classic or not is whether or not it continued to intrigue people over a long period of time. Classics usually are about real world problems that continue to be passed done from generation to generation. These books help many people realize that either a lot has changed over time, or little to nothing. For many people reading a classic is a wake up call to the world around them. 

What was your experience reading these classics? Do you feel they should be read by all high schoolers?

                To be completely honest for half of the book I was on the verge of knocking out, but I pulled it together and it was all worth it in the end. No, not all high schoolers should read this. One, it is a very complex text that needs a lot of focus and re reading. Two, this book is big, so much to take in at once. Even after re reading parts I didn’t understand and getting help from online resources I still am a little confused and feel that I didn’t appreciate the text as much as I should of. 

Should all high school students even have required reading? 

            Yes, reading is a major part of life. Many people learn important life lessons through books, and experience things they could never in real life. Ohio state university actually did research that showed people start to act and think like their favorite characters. Link to article: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/exptaking.htm 

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The Bluest Eye.

How did this whole class novel study go for you? What are your take aways? Did this text make you realize anything or think differently? 

This whole class novel went great for me. I must admit at times the book was hard to read because of the way it was written, which caused me to pretty much fall asleep. But, I got through it and at the end was very satisfied with the reading. My take aways came less from the book and more from the discussions in class. This book brings up many sensitive topics and by being able to use this text as a reference to speak about a bigger idea really changed my perspective. This book made me realize how similar the world still is no matter how much time has passed a lot of things still haven’t changed.

What outcome targets do you know you need to work on moving forward? How do you know this?

I need to work on communicate by practicing inserting quotes into my text. I have always had this issue and notice it while I am reading over because the quote stops the flow of my writing. I plan on doing some research and conferencing with Christy in order to learn how to correctly put quotes into my writing.

What are you thinking about this text in the context of our big question about what students should be reading in high school English classes? In other words, should this text be on the suggested list? Should it be required? 

The fact that some states are trying to ban this book shows that as a society we are not ready to face history because we would just see that it continues to repeat. I think kids in high school should be required to read this book because it opens up our minds to the reality around us at a young age. Being exposed to these topics is good and will help us as humans in the future.  

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Independent Reading Unit Reflection:

I really liked this unit. I was genuinely very happy with the fact that we were able to chose our own pace to read. There was not much writing involved which made the reading 10000X better because I did not feel like I had to analyze every single sentence I read. I tried to make time to read, but sometimes I didn’t get to it. The first book I read got really boring about halfway in and it started feeling like a chore to read it so I put it down and grabbed another. This new book is a blessing. It is super funny and I am actually a little sad when I don’t get time in the day to read a portion. When I don’t get to read it for a couple of days then start reading again I always think to myself “This book is great. Now I remember why I grabbed it in the first place.” 

Students should be given time to everyday to independently read. Teachers in all subjects should incorporate independent reading into their lesson plans because it helps students higher their education.

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ELA so far....

On the first day of class we did one of my favorite things; improv. Which made me like the class right off the bat. Now I’ve always liked English class because I am good at it. Even if I don’t like writing essays or reading boring books I do it, and I do it well. The only thing that I will probably hate in this class is when we get to the poetry unit. I love poetry, but after analyzing and annotating every line you want to crumble the paper and throw it out the window. But other than that class is great and I am looking forward to the rest of the year. 

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If I was a book, I’d be a hardcover one.

When I was little my mom would have to peel the book out of my hands. It felt like my skin was ripping off when she took it away. I once even tried reading in the dark. Sadly it didn’t work. As I got older I didn’t have much time for independent reading and even when I did get the time it wasn’t the same. I can’t say I hate books but recently it has been really hard to finish one. 

With writing the only experience I have is with essays. I’ve written short stories here and there but for class never because an idea just sparked and I had to put it on paper. I never liked writing in a journal/diary either. I used to force myself to just so I could be like those cute little girls from the movies. But after a while I couldn’t even force myself to anymore.