TOW #30 Letter

Dear New APELC Student,

           

            I understand if you are feeling scared entering this class; I felt that way at the beginning of the year also. Although right now this class may seem very ominous, I can promise you it will be a rewarding year. I have a few tips for you to help you make it through.

1.     Write your TOW posts! They may seem to become a burden come the middle of the year, but the benefits later from the assignment are very curtail. Take the challenge to read more difficult material and take the time to think about your analysis.

2.     Take advantage of Mr. Yost’s help on essays. Use his advice when writing and editing, and you will see improvements. Coming from a person who met with him about every paper, his advice is very guiding; use it to help you focus your revising.  If you bring him specific questions about your work he will be able to help your specific needs better. This is an opportunity you should not pass up! Working with him has improved my writing substantially.

3.     Plan your writing before you start. I cannot stress enough how important this is. Planning is the key to timed essays. As the year progresses you will realize a 45-minute essay is plausible but the root of your essay comes from your planning.  Take the time to do it no matter what. HECTORing is not a joke. This acronym will allow you to write amazing essays efficiently.   

4.     When this class gets frustrating DO NOT give up. You will not always receive the scores you are hoping for in this class, that’s ok. You may not always be adequate on your timed essays, that’s ok. You may receive a B in this class, that is ok also. The outcome of this class is that you will be a much better writer; the road to get there may be tough, but it is completely worth it. The best way to learn in this class is from your “mistakes.” Use the feedback from your essays to improve the next one. When it comes time for the AP exam I can promise you that you will be ready.

Good luck in the course this year,

            Ellen Chinn 

TOW #29 Paperclips

The documentary Paperclips discussed issues of stereotype as kids in a Southern middle school learned about the holocaust. The movie addressed stereotypes that the kids face because of where they live and others that face people across America and around the world. The movie instructed its audience that in order to not prejudice others, it is important to understand other cultures.  

As seen through the mixing pot of America, understanding creates a much better community. In the secular school system today, knowledge of traditions from other religions and cultures allows more people to work together. In elementary schools, parents come to teach the children about cultures on diversity days, so that they can know more and not insult each other unintentionally. If these students grow up learning about others they will not prejudice people in their futures.

As the middle school students in the movie learned, the holocaust was a time when prejudice hurt a large population. In Germany, Hitler wanted to create a superior race but did not acknowledge all that these people had to offer. Without knowing their traditions or lifestyle, he eliminated 6 million Jews. He majorly shrunk the population by convincing the rest of the German citizens of false stereotypes. A greater understanding of others would have prevented this mass murder from happening.

The middle schoolers learned this lesson from the holocaust and then began applying it to their own lives. Through their paperclip project they met many new people of other cultures they were unfamiliar with, and treated tem with an open mind. By not accepting stereotypes or placing them on others they were able to broaden their education and become better citizen of the United States of America. 

TOW #28 Paperclips

Paperclips tells the story of how a small town in Tennessee became the home to a large holocaust remembrance project. The principle of Whitwell Middle School narrates the story of the transformation of this school. This middle school is home to a homogenous population of white protestant students. The school only has four African Americans and one Hispanic. Although the town is currently in a state of depression, the people still continue to have a happy and friendly manner. The students have grown up never knowing diversity and living a very culturally sheltered life. One teacher attended a conference in order to learn about new projects to offer his students. There, he was inspired to teach about the Holocaust, and this was the beginning of what has now become the Paperclips Project. When teaching a class about the horrors of how six million people perished in the holocaust, the school faced a challenge of portraying to small town children such a large number. Because of their symbolic meaning and origin, the students collected paperclips in order to commemorate the six million Jews lost in the Holocaust. 

The goal for teaching about the holocaust was for the students to learn tolerance. The teachers wanted their students to understand that stereotyping is wrong and to see the effects through the history of the Holocaust. This message that the teachers wanted the students to understand is given throughout the entire film so that they audience can too. With each new person interview in the movie, he or she begins their clip with how stereotypes have affected their life or beliefs. These range from what they imagined a southern school to be like or even what they assumed a German or Jew to look like. Through time spent with the children on the project and a visit at the school all people involved become enlightened on how all people are really the same. Watching others come to these realizations helps the audience learn the lesson as well.

To continue this extremely important message, the documentary highlights a special shipment of paperclips received by the school. A suitcase was received from Germany that held around fifteen paperclips each with a note attached. After the notes were all translated the principal came to share the amazing package with the class. The notes all were written by students in Germany writing to Anne Frank apologizing for what had happened in the country’s past. The movie shows one note in particular that gets read aloud to the class. This note finishes, “Regardless of who we are or what we are, people are people.” This quote is then discussed other times during the film as everyone found it such an impactful meaning to the Paperclip Project.  

TOW Reflexion

To reflect on my TOWs from throughout the year I read my first TOW from the summer, TOW #8, TOW #17, and TOW #24.  Although it is obvious when looking through my blog that change came gradually, there are distinct differences in my writing from the beginning to the end of the year.

A struggle I faced throughout this school year was with writing introduction and conclusion paragraphs.  In my past years of schooling basic ideas, in my opinion, were able to get me an A, and therefor formulaic paragraphs could describe my thoughts. However, as I began reading more in depth work and understand the author’s purpose in a greater light I had to learn to break that unoriginal mold. From my first post, which had no conclusion, to my #24, post where I use it to develop an idea about the author’s duel purpose, there is a clear distinction in the improvement of my writing.

In this class I feel I have been able to master the skill in tying my ideas together. My posts that started as purely an attempt to answer every question but became a fluid piece of writing. With the use of HECTOR, I focused my prewriting on connecting my ideas to help create less choppy transitions. Now without completely restating my previous sentences I can smoothly transition into my next relating topic.

Despite my dramatic improvements this year I still have a lot I need to work on. The sophistication of my writing should at a higher level and I need to increase my vocabulary. With these changes I would be able to write a more formal, argumentative, or interesting essay. My introductions and conclusions, although now existing and stronger than in the past, still could use work. I have learned how to extend my ideas and answer “So What?” however, I need to be able to create these thoughts on my own and more quickly. With these TOWs I have been working on these skills but I need to remember in the future that these are the weaknesses I need to improve.

Reflecting on my TOW posts this year has made me realize that this is the most positive of my metacognitive responses this year. At the closing of each marking period I have felt frustrated about the minimal changes I had felt I had made and the B on my report card. I continued working hard on the year but I never felt that I could pinpoint where my new strengthnesses weighed to write about them. As the AP exam neared I cleared my head and looked positively in order to score the best I could on the test. I feel that I have reached my goals for this class and that the repetition of writing weekly TOWS has helped me reach this point.

TOW #26 The Force by Volkswagen

The super bowl provides an outlet for many companies to promote their products to a large audience across the nation. Millions gather with their family and friends not only to watch the intense football but also the hilarious advertisements. During the 2012 game Volkswagen premiered a commercial, The Force. Volkswagen uses a famous character and music to appeal to their audience’s cultural memory in their 2012 advertisement.

Darth Vader, an extremely notable character from the movie Star Wars, is featured to create a relatable situation in this advertisement. A young boy dressed in a complete Dart Vader costume is pictured running around the house attempting to use his powers. While he tries unsuccessfully with the dog, his sister’s baby doll, and the washing machine, his father’s Volkswagen allows him to use “the force”. This seen depicts a common event in a household with young kids, where the children attempt to discover magic. By using this in the advertisement Volkswagen highlights a feature of their car, the ability to start from the press of a button, and appeals to the audience’s cultural memory. The adorable young Darth Vader is funny and relatable grabbing the audience’s attention during the super bowl.

The famous Star Wars music in the background of the commercial works primarily to grab the distracted audience’s attention. On a crazy day like the super bowl it is important to appeal to many of the watcher’s senses to hook them in for a minute long advertisement. This Volkswagen commercial has no speaking it but plays the music throughout the entire thing. It is a tune that is catchy and immediately recognizable so the audience will want to know the context for hearing it. The song will be in the audience’s head long after the commercial is shown and will continue reminding them about the car.

By appealing to the audience’s cultural memory through Star Wars messages, Volkswagen captures attention and promotes their car. The relatable situation with a funny kid and catchy music makes this an overall successful advertisement. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0