Online Portfolio Reflection, 2nd Semester

I have had a great experience being the the core. There were so many things I have learned and have done in this year that I'm able to say that this year was a job well done. I'm proud of the accomplishments I have achieved so far in my high school career and I hope to continue to strive in my education and academics. My GLO portfolio will showcase to you the work I have done this year showing how I have applied my class lessons into my work. So, after you have viewed my portfolio, please proceed so that you can answer the questions below.

Click Here to view my portfolio ^o^

1. What did you like best about my portfolio and portfolio conference? What would you like to see me improve on in my portfolio?
2. From your point of view, which of my attainments of the 6 general learner outcomes is of most value? Please explain why you feel it is important and what about my documentation of it impresses you.
3. Which of the GLOs would you like me to focus on in the coming year(s)?

Journal #4 - How You Shaped & Produced the "Impact Activity?" (Process Paper)

For my “impact activity,” I am going to play a portion of a piano piece I’m currently teaching myself, and I will be applying the lessons I have learned from my piano classes into the song. I made a video instead because I couldn’t bring in my keyboard to school. (Hahaha)

For the piano piece, I actually knew how to play the whole beginning part of the song so that wasn’t much of a problem for me to do. However, I could never get past the first page of the song so I gave up. It became sort of difficult. I gave it a try, but it didn’t sound right. Then, with some practice and after the first two piano lessons I took, it became quite easier. The lessons really did help me out a lot.

The process I went through to develop my impact activity wasn’t difficult to come up with. It was obvious that I would have to perform a piano piece. The better question was “HOW?” How could I present it to the class? I knew I couldn’t bring my piano to school. That would be crazy. (Hahaha) So, as suggested by Mrs. Sueoka and my friends, I should just take a video of myself. I was even thinking of having someone film me while I was taking my lessons, but it didn’t work out. So, instead of performing live, which I would have loved to do, I just decided to take a video of myself and present it to the class.

Journal #3 - Response To Your Learning (Reflective Journal)

My passion is playing the piano. Even though I stopped having lessons ever since the third grade, that never stopped me from continuing to play. Without lessons, I managed to still teach myself how to play about 10 songs, mostly by ear. However, I didn’t know the dynamics and terms of piano, such as forte, which means to play loud, and piano, which means to play soft. Because of Project Icarus, I signed myself up for piano lessons and it was the best decision I ever made. (This is shown as a documentation of how I attained GLO #1.) I learned a lot from my instructor, which helped me improve my piano playing overall. As the lessons became a little more challenging, I began to struggle a bit. I could read the notes just fine, but I needed to give myself a second to figure out what note it was. No matter how difficult it gets, I’m still motivated to continue and not give up. The challenge is what keeps me going. The point of school is to inspire and challenge students and to help them reach their highest potential. Because of this, I have developed an outgoing attitude that will help me go far in life.

Journal #2 - Data & Information Gathering (Essay)

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard and it is also one of the most popular instruments in the world because of it’s versatility and ubiquity. I enjoy playing this instrument a lot. By taking lessons, my skills have enhanced and my passion for “tickling the ivories” grew. (“Tickling the ivories” is another way of saying playing the piano.)

Playing the piano involves a lot of focus. In piano, you are required to think about how each hand needs to move separately. Reading the notes on the music staff, which creates the melody, is one of the most important things when it comes to piano because you need to translate the notes and hit the correct keys in order to produce the right sound.

When you play the piano, you also need to have some kind of control; control of timing and control of tone and dynamics. Timing is more of a mental thing. That is why piano playing requires much concentration. In addition, it enhances fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. The control of dynamics is control of hammer velocity; how hard or soft you hit the keys of the piano. If you strike a key with a small amount of force, then the resulting sound would be soft. If you strike a key with a large amount of force, then the resulting sound would be loud. The control of tone is control of hammer acceleration; the acceleration of the hammer to the strings of the piano, which causes the deformation of the string affecting the tone.

Of course before you play the piano, you need to know the basic terms and their meanings. (Since there are a lot, I’ll just explain the most common ones.) The treble clef sign is used for right hand notes and is found on the treble staff. The bass clef sign is used for left hand notes and is found on the bass staff. When combining the bass staff and the treble staff with a brace, it makes up the grand staff. The dynamic signs such as p for piano meaning to play softly, mf for mezzo forte meaning to play moderately loud, and f for fore meaning to play loud, are very important things to remember too.

Other than just control and knowing the fundamentals of piano, as a pianist, I think it’s very important to not only just learn and memorize the song, but more beyond that, feel the music. In my opinion, there is no sense in playing a piano piece you aren’t into. It’s just a waste of time when you could be learning another song that you’d probably enjoy playing much more.

Playing the piano has its benefits. It develops your brain by engaging it to multitasking activities because you have to read the notes and simultaneously press the keys of the piano. It can also enhance school performance. Research shows that learning the piano can improve school performance because the sessions needed to learn the piano causes a long-term enhancement of the brain that involves logic and reasoning skills and cognitive skills. The things attained from playing the piano can last for a lifetime.

Reflection: Holocaust Video, Chapter 1

After watching the first chapter of the video of Oprah and Elie Wiesel at Auschwitz, answer the following questions on your own blogs.

Questions:

1. What details about the Holocaust experience became clearer or more vivid for you because of the video?

2. Describe the video techniques used to tell this story:

• Camera angles
• Graphics
• Interviewing
• Excerpts from the book

3. What is the "madness" the Oprah and Elie Wiesel speak of at the end of this section?

Responses:

1. After viewing the video, I now see how big and immense of Auschwitz was. Details about the hard labor, work, toil, and death was more vivid. In the book, I thought the women and children were sent to another camp, but actually they were thrown into the crematories the first night they arrived. They were stripped of their clothing as well. I didn't know about the gas chambers too much. I only recall it once in the book. The inhumanity in night is more clear. The way how the Germans placed 100 people in each train cart, where this was no air to breathe, no space to move, and just everything was totally inhuman. Seeing the videos and graphics of the Holocaust made me believe how real it was. When I read the book, I couldn't believe the things the Jews were put through.

2. The camera angles worked nicely. I liked how the camera focused on the two of them while Elie was telling his story. Like I said in the first response, seeing the videos and graphics of the Holocaust made me believe how real it was. When I read the book, I couldn't believe the things the Jews were put through. The interviewing gave more depth to the book and helped me to understand it clearer. Using excerpts from the book also helped by highlighting the terrifying things Elie saw during his experience at Auschwitz.

3. At the end of this section, the "madness" they speak of I think is the how unbelievably inhumane the Germans were. It was still hard for Elie to accept the horrors he experienced.

Journal #1 - Learning & Research Process

TOPIC

Piano

PASSION & STRETCH

• Been playing piano for about 2 years, since the 8th grade
• I took lessons in the 3rd grade, but had to stop after 6 months because my piano teacher had to go to Seattle.
• From 8th grade until now I have taught myself how to play piano, mainly by ear
• I can read notes, but I have to write them down on the piano sheet before I forget
• I want to read notes off a piano sheet on the spot without writing them down
• I know some of the basics of playing piano, but I want to learn more about the rests, time signatures, etc.

RESOURCES & RESEARCH

• Piano teacher & lessons

PROCESS & PRODUCT

• I would take lessons for about a month, or how ever long the duration of this project is.
• Learn everything I can, mainly read notes on the spot and my other said goals.
• Practice everyday.
• As a result, I would want to start playing piano for my church.

Outside Reading Card, 3rd Quarter

This I Believe Essay - Rough Draft

Imperfection

by Sharmaine Sebastian c/o 2013

Perfection. A simple yet complicated word. Everywhere I look, everywhere I am, the pressure to be perfect is always there. I have never been the petite, pretty girl that every boy dreams of. I have never been the smartest, quick-witted student that everyone else envies. I have never been the perfect child that every parent wishes for. I’m just an average teenage girl with many imperfections.

I remember sitting on the couch at home during a typical Saturday. I watched TV while trying to finish homework. I decided to give myself a break and grab a snack from the kitchen. As always, there was nothing but a bag of potato chips. I settled for that and walked back to the couch. A commercial started to play and it was about “having the perfect body”. I felt awkward watching this commercial even though I was at home alone. I admit, I don’t have the best physique as most people and that’s something I’m not proud of. It’s not that I really hated myself for being the way I am. It’s just that the pressure to have that perfect figure made me think that way. After the commercial ended, I looked at the half-empty bag of potato chips, put it down quickly, and ran to the bathroom. I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror for a good five minutes pointing out the many things wrong with my outer appearance. “Perfect? Is there even such thing?” I thought to myself.

There were many times where I questioned the meaning of “perfection” and in different situations as well. At school, I’m pressured to have perfect grades. Not only because of my parents and teachers, but because of competition with my other classmates. I’m a very competitive student. I always compare my grades to others discreetly. If someone gets a higher grade than I do or gets straight A’s and I don’t, I tend to question how they got the grades I wanted. Also, at home my parents always complain how I don’t do anything around the house, how I don’t always do the things they want me to do, how I don’t always listen to them. The thing is I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. Everyone does.

Growing up, I learned that there is no such thing as perfection. I have met people along the way in my journey of life that have the same problems I go through everyday. Sometimes worse. If I were perfect, I would not be human. I believe that it is part of human nature to have flaws. I may not be the most prettiest, the most intelligent, the most obedient, but I am human. I have imperfections and they define me. This, I truly believe.

Reading Circle #3: Catcher Reflection Questions

Explain the following quote from the reading selection. How does the museum fit both literally and figuratively into Holden’s story?

“The best thing, though, in hat museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move. You could go there a hundred thousand time, and that Eskimo would still be just finished catching those two fish, the birds would still be on their way south, the deers would still be drinking out of that waterhole...Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you.”

-The museum appeals to Holden because everything in it stays the same. It never changes. Holden then realizes that he is the only one changing. The museum fits into Holden’s story figuratively because the museum personifies the kind of world Holden wants to live in. From the quote, I guess I can say that Holden’s fantasy world is a world that doesn’t change no matter how long you live there; everything is straightforward and easy. The museum fits into Holden’s story literally because everytime Holden visits the museum, there is no difference whatsoever. He is the only one who has changed after all the times he visited that place. Even though his brother died, the museum is still the way it was before. Even though his relationships with others changed, the museum is still the way it was before. Even though he is all grown up, the museum is still the way it was before.

Allusion Poem & Graphic - Final

As I stray far from my flock,

I enter a valley of darkness.

I start to panic.

I begin to call out for help,

But I doubt my Savior will come.

I am lost.

I hear a voice calling out to me,

But I ignore it.

I continue to seek for the right path.

I try to find my way back to the Ninety-Nine,

But somehow, I tend to wander back into an empty, gloomy meadow.

I am searching.

As I see a bright light appear,

a voice calls out again.

I choose to finally listen.

I hear the voice say "Come and rejoice, for I have found you".

I am home.

Allusion Graphic - Rough Draft

For the picture of the girl, I'm going to change it to a picture of me. I'm pretty sure that I'll be adding more detail to this since it seems really plain right now. Again, this is only a rough draft. (:

Allusion Poem - Rough Draft

THIS POEM IS RELATED TO THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP.

As I wander far from my refuge,

I walk into a valley of darkness.

I start to panic.

I begin to call out for help,

But its feels as if my voice is mute.

I am lost.

I try to find my way back to the light,

But somehow, I tend to fall back into the dark abyss.

I hear a voice calling out to me,

But I just ignore it.

I am searching.

I need to change my ways.

I need to open my heart more widely.

I need to find my way back home.

I need help.

I am needy.

A voice calls out again.

I choose to finally listen.

I hear the voice say come home.

I see a bright light appear.

I walk into the light.

I am home.

Outside Reading Card, 2nd Quarter

Online Portfolio Reflection, 1st Semester

I feel that my portfolio does a great job of proving how I've met the writing standards. I highlight particular selections to show if I did attain the standards or not. I'm content with it overall.

Click Here to view my portfolio (:

1. What piece of writing did you like best in my portfolio and why?
   
2. What did you like about my portfolio and sharing and what would you like to see me improve on?
   
3. Which of the writing traits (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency) do you feel was most successful for me?
   
4. Which of the traits of writing would you like me to improve on in the coming semester?

Angry Letter - Rough Draft

Dear Longs Drugs Pharmacy Customer Service,

I’m writing on behalf of my father who had ran into some problems when trying to get the medicine he was prescribed by his doctor.

On December 7, 2010 at around 5:15 PM, my father dropped off his prescription to your pharmacy. He waited for 15-20 minutes as instructed by you and waited just like how every customer does. But when you called him back, you said that his prescription cannot be processed because you did have medicine available, but the size was wrong. My father was prescribed the 10 mL Prednisolone eye drops, but you only had the 15 mL at that time. He needed that medication right away because it was an emergency. Earlier that day, he had scheduled an emergency appointment with his eye doctor because he had a suspected inflammation in his eye, and the doctor gave him an emergency prescription for it. Of course my father was really unhappy and upset when you couldn’t provide him with his needed medications because he really, really needed it that night. He asked to you to call his doctor so that this problem could be settled and so that you could give him the 15 mL Prednisolone eye drops instead of the 10 mL. Knowing that this was an emergency, you should have already known to call the doctor right away if it was possible to change it. Eventually, he did receive his needed medication, but the process was just time-consuming which was very unnecessary and upsetting.

My father feels that you make people wait too long and unnecessarily waste time. With that, I also feel that you could improve on serving your customers more to the best of your abilities. I understand that there are days where it is super busy, but still, as a worker, you should be able to provide excellent customer service which includes, fast service and better communication, especially when the situation is an emergency.

Sincerely,

Sharmaine Sebastian

Risky Business Rough Draft - Teen Depression

Teen depression isn’t just bad moods and occasional melancholy. It is a very serious issue that affects every aspect of a teenager’s life, which includes family, friends, and school. If it is left untreated, mild depression may develop into the extremes. But now, the question is “How should teen depression be treated?” The most common treatments are drugs and psychotherapy. The differences between these two are that drugs give more rapid results, but it isn’t the best solution. And psychotherapy takes more time and patience, but it is more effective. Regardless of the fact that pharmacological treatment has the advantage in relieving depression quicker, it may be harmful to an individual’s health and difficult to find right medication; therefore, psychotherapy is more advantageous.

Depression is a common but serious illness. It can seriously affect one’s life in many ways and can also cause serious problems if left untreated. It can change a person’s habits, including eating, sleeping, working, relationships, and how they think about themselves. For teens going through depression, they tend to become more irritable and angry. In addition to that, they experience vague aches or pains such as headaches and stomach aches. After a while, they start to isolate themselves away from their friends. Other effects include low self-esteem, eating disorders/change of eating habits, giving up easily, use of alcohol and drugs, self-mutilation, violence, other reckless behavior, and suicidal thoughts. The best possible way to prevent mild teen depression from becoming an even bigger problem, it’s very important to get help right away.

In order to help someone with depression, you have to know what their situation is. You also have to know the symptoms to determine if they are really suffering with depression. Symptoms include persistent feelings of sadness, anxiousness, hopelessness, worthlessness, and restlessness. Teens with depression may also feel guilt, anger, fatigue, and indifferent. They too tend to lose interest in the things they love to do; for example, maybe a sport or friend outings.

It has been proven that treatment consisting of mainly pharmacological therapy was effective for many people. Drugs had a quicker effect on the symptoms of depression than talk therapy. It also stated that a combination of counseling and medication worked best in relieving major depression and anxiety. However, the individuals in whom their treatments included more talk therapy did nearly just as well as if they had 13 more sessions with their therapist. It would be better for teens to get the talk therapy treatment because it allows them to let out and release all their tense feelings which reduces the stress in their life and prevents suicidal thoughts from increasing. Also, it lessens teen exposure to drugs that could possibly become addictive.

One of the biggest issues with medication, such as antidepressants, is the side effects in which some are very serious. Apparently there is a link between antidepressants and suicide rates among teens. Teens might increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors while taking antidepressants. On the other hand, like what I have stated earlier, psychotherapy allows teenagers to express their thoughts decreasing the possibility of suicidal thoughts from developing.

Most people prefer pharmacological therapy because it offers faster results. However, another big issue with drug therapy is that it often takes trial and error to get just the correct medication for a certain person because it depends on their needs. By that, I mean that it might take quite a while to find the proper drug treatment without undesirable side effects. So technically, drug treatment isn’t the quickest way to fix depression. Even though psychotherapy doesn’t give results right away, the later outcomes are worth it. Compared to drugs which you can constantly change, it would be difficult to change your therapist because it would take some more time to get used to you new therapist. Also since you’ve know your therapist for a long period of time, he/she knows exactly what your needs and preferences are. It would be hard for someone, especially a teen, to adapt to a new environment as well.

Whether it is drugs or counseling, teens with depression or developing depression should get help as soon as possible. However, one method is better than the other and that is psychotherapy. Admittedly pharmacological treatment has its advantages regarding speed, but it’s not worth wasting your time changing from medication to medication for, it’s not worth suffering side effects for, and it’s not worth committing suicide for.

Outside Reading Card, 1st Quarter

SELF-ASSESSMENT:

3.5 - My graphic does an "okay" job of illustrating the story, but it could be better. My editing could be a bit more clean. My conflict and resolution shows my overall understanding of the novel. Even though I feel that my text could be cut short, the layout helps make it work. My selected quote gives insight to the story.

College Essay Draft - Personal Statement

*NOTE: When I was writing this essay, I wrote it in an older perspective of me. So, please do no be alarmed in the first paragraph when you read "..and I didn't get a job until I was seventeen."

SPECIFICALLY, I'M AIMING FOR UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES.

*Prompt #1 (Freshman):

Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

Suggestions for Prompt #1 (Freshman)

- The majority of your response should be the description of your world.

- While describing your world, don't forget to add how the world has influenced your development as a student, or as a person.

SOURCE: Click Here

Compared to my parents, I have lived a pretty easy life. I was born here in Hawaii, while they were born in the Philippines. They started working in the rice fields when they were around eight years old, and I didn't get a job until I was seventeen. Every time I hear their stories of labor, toil, and hardship in the Philippines, I feel ashamed at myself because compared to them, my problems were no more than mere teen angst. My mom and dad did receive an education and graduated from college with bachelor degrees, but they did not get the chance to pursue the careers they wanted in life. Because of that one true fact, I have become inspired by them to succeed in my academics and to persevere no matter what struggles may lie ahead.

My parents hold very high expectations for me. I sometimes feel pressured to be the perfect child. Sometimes, I even doubt that I could meet the standards that they have set for me. They always want me to be the most advanced in my class, be polite and courteous to others even when I don't know them, and be respectful to my elders. It's always "Yes, you can do this! No, you can't do that!" And it sometimes frustrates me because of course, we all know that there is no such thing as perfection. Although it may be a pain from time to time, I am grateful for their extraordinary confidence in me because without it, I wouldn't be motivated to strive for the goals I want myself to accomplish.

From my childhood until now, my mom and dad stress the importance of receiving high GPA's, enrolling into a prestigious college, and getting a good professional career. Being that they were really strict about my education, they were unsatisfied if my grades were lower than a B. When I was younger, I only did well in school just to make my parents happy because, in all honesty, I disliked school and learning. But as I grew and matured, I finally understood the reason for my parents strict emphasis dealing with my future. From that time on, every school year, I put my best effort to get A's in most, if not all, of my classes, and I tried to attain and maintain a 4.0 GPA. I did everything to the best of my abilities not just only for my parents, but also for my future and myself.

Now that I'm about to go off on my own and enter the real world, I understand fully the hard work and effort my parents did to instill in me the desire to be successful in not only school, but in life as well. Through my parents' discipline, I became an ambitious individual who has her mind set on what she wants and won't stop at anything to reach it.

College Essay Topic

This prompt is used for all University of California Campuses.

Specifically, I'm aiming for University of California, Los Angeles.

Prompt #1 (Freshman):

Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community, or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

Suggestions for Prompt #1 (Freshman)

• The majority of your response should be the description of your world.
• While describing your world, don't forget to add how the world has influenced your development as a student, or as a person.

SOURCE: Click Here

My Choice of College

I actually have two colleges in mind.

- University of California, Los Angeles

- University of California, San Francisco

I chose the University of California, Los Angeles because it is said to be one of the best ranking schools in the US academically. The nursing program provided there is also one of the best which is why it's on my list of colleges that I would want to attend. They give the opportunities to do clinicals in hospitals; basically they offer hands on training.

Another choice of mine, University of California, San Francisco, is known for innovation in medical research, public service, and patient care. I'm interested in their nursing program as well. It is ranked as second in the nation.