What my portfolio says about me

What my portfolio says about me

When a random person sees my portfolio, I believe they will see a multitasking person who loves to do many different things. Also, I think what he will mainly see is that I do many projects in my English class.

I hope some day my portfolio will picture me exactly as I am, but right now it doesn't since it does not have more than ten posts. Portfolios are used to show the world what you are. I want mine to do exactly that and, as a byproduct, allow some universities to see the person I am in order to allow me into their facilities. I am just an 8th grader, but now as I enter High School I have to start thinking about my future.

That is what I want people to see in my portfolio. I guarantee that in the course of my next four years I will keep on adding to that portfolio so that when I graduate some people will know exactly what person I am.

What I Will Rewrite

I will rewrite my middle school myth that I did at the beginning of the year simply because I want to see my progress in writing throughout the whole year. Also, I will like to edit that piece of work because, frankly, I believe it's not the best.

I will do it by adding new ideas, vocabulary and details that could enrich the work. This will show my learning throughout the year.

My Passion

My passion

When people ask me what my passion is, I don't know what to tell them. Of course I like many things, but I don't think they are my passions. A passion is something you never get tired of doing. Something that you need to find as you grow up. In my case, I haven't found what my passion is yet. You could say that I am "shopping for a passion".

I will tell you about the things I like. I live to do sports, especially volleyball and tennis, I adore playing video games such as Fifa 12,and I like to spend time with my friends and family.

In this portfolio you will experience my works in school and my expedition to finding my passion.

3 Best Works of the Year

The first important project of the year was the Little Bird Tales in English. It consisted of writing a myth about a school problem and then post it in Little Bird Tales. This was a great project because it was one of the first assignments that required a Web 2.0 tool. I think this fact is what motivated me to do better. I was tired of pencils and paper so I was eager to use technology to show my show my work.

The next one was a Social Studies project in which we had to create Angient Roman baseball cards and some paragraphs describing which one is better. I think this was the best Social Studies project because it was the time I discovered the potencial of my iTouch. I did all this in Keynote for iPod Touch. What gave me motivation was the topic: Ancient Rome. Since I am very interested in this empire, I added a little more effort to the assignment.

The most recent major project I've had is a Spanish-Computers FIFA 12 proyect. I had to use a great variety of programs in order to complete that proyect. It was the best proyect because I mastered my use many important programs such as Adobe premiere Elements, iMovie, Excel. etc.  Also, I was greatly motivated by the fact that is was about FIFA 12, my favorite video game.

Myself as a learner throughout the year.

At the beginning of the year, I was used to learning from a textbook, board and desk. It was a good way to learn, but not exactly the best. This year in English class, through the technology tools and the amazing learning environment in Hippie Heaven, I have discovered that learning can happen in every shape and color. For example, the fact that we have to show our knowledge through songs, videos, and many other Web 2.0 tools has helped me find new ways of showing my work than just doing my homework.

One great advantage of this type of learning is the use of the Internet. This year I have learned so many ways of using the Internet that I'm confident that I know more about it than most adults. I have to present my work through a blog, and this was a crazy idea three years ago. This only shows our ability of progress. If in three years I can move from worksheets to blogs, imagine what changes will occur in the next 10 years.

I have learned a lot this year in English and I think it's due to the WAY of learning and not the material. I hope that in the next few years we will continue to learn in this method and not the regular, old and ordinary ways of the past.

KONY 2012 Questions

KONY 2012 questions
Why did they run for their lives?
Why was he going to Uganda?
How exactly did he meet Jacob?
How does he get all that information? Through Jacob?
How does that kind of terrorism affect the country and it's economy?
Why does the United States army take part of this problem? Is it only because of Invisible Children? Or is there another interest such as oil?

Working in Groups

Working in groups

When you work in groups, you use more then just one brain. This helps build knowledge in a way that every group member gives some new facts, theories, questions and information. There are many advantages that group working gives. Sometimes when working in groups, you think of things that you wouldn't have though of by working individually.

Working on the Uglies group project, we worked faster and more efficiently than working individually. We could split up the work and subjects, which would eventually lead to a faster and better understanding of the bungee jackets. Every group member gave new information and the final product was better than any o us could imagine.

Working in groups is also a lot of fun. We work, but we also have our laughs and jokes. You also get less stressed than you usually do when working alone. Working alone makes you work five times more than working in groups, and that will increase stress levels. You also learn how well others work. If a group member does not do their equal share of work, then you will know never again to pick him/her as group partners.

Real Learning

Real learning is to learn in a way so good, that you will never forget what you learn. For example, real learning is not academic. You may learn the world's countries and capitals, but in two months you will forget them. Real learning is spiritual, like lessons. If you learn something the bad way, you will probably remember it for the rest of your life. However,  if you learn something in class that you only need for the exam, you will remember it for a really short time.
I also think real learning occurs when the person is willing to learn. For example: in the movie The Million Dollar Baby, Maggie Fitzgerald wanted to train boxing so hard, that she became lightweight champion in 1 and a half years, compared to the average 4 years.

Volleyball

I am currently on the school's volleyball team. We are not that bad since we have won two straight tournaments. However, we now have a really big challenge. The upcoming city league for international schools is really difficult since there are some few schools who have a really high sports level. There is especially one; an all-boys school who trains its kids 24/7. It is really difficult to beat them because they train a lot, they are really tall, and they are really strong. We have never beaten them but this year it will be different. This season, most of the great people in the other school have passed to a superior category and we are left with our best team and their substitutes from last year. I really hope we can beat them this year-

I hope I wasn't very confusing in the way I described my special situation. I love volleyball.

Tennis Tournament

Last saturday, I went to the Country Club to play a tennis tournament. This was an internal tournament so it wasnt so important. However, I won it. I had the privilege to beat a close friend and another friend who was a bit harder to beat. It was a great experience and a great accomplishment because it is my second year in a row in winning the cup.

For the prevention of all future problems...

For all future problems I will meet the deadline and avoid these problems by doing the following.

I will not procrastinate and leave everything for break. I will pay more attention to what the assignments really are in class so I do not have to email Ms. Shawn asking an obvious question. This will help me by letting me organize my work time better. Also, it will delete the stress that can build up after working 8 hours on a vacation day.

I will also read the rubric carefully so that I do not make silly mistakes that can affect my grade. This will let me accomplish my tasks and it will remove doubt about assignments.

I need an upgrade

I need an upgrade because, even though I got a really high score, I want the grade to be a perfect 4. All my assignments were a 4 except for one, so I am going to fix that minor detail in order to gain the 4 I deserve. I appreciate the opportunity Ms. Shawn just gave us to fix our projects because it shows that she does want us to get the highest score possible, even though it means more work for her.

How I did as an Audience

   In the time when this assignment was put, I was in a Model United Nations model in a university. I was United Kingdom in World Bank and I believe I acted with a good audience in the committee because I didn't talk with any neighbors, I didn't eat anything and I followed all the rules present.
  But, in the ceremonies that took place in the mornings, I wasn't the best audience. I did talk to my neighbors, played in my iTouch and I chewed gum. In my defense, the presentations were really boring and LOOOOOONG!!! I know it was a bad behavior and manners, but in the bright side, I did my personal best in Angry Birds!

If I were a god, I would...

If I were a god, I would create a long-lasting world peace. The main purpose of the United Nations is to avoid future wars. I believe that it has not worked because in the past half century there have been a lot of wars. There has been the Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Korean, Anti-terrorist, and many other wars. Also, right now there is a World War 3 threat in Israel because of the issue they are having with Palestine. Wars do not only kill millions of innocent people, it destroys nature and, therefore aiding and helping Global Warming. This is why I would end wars and violence in the world if I were a god.

The Worst Audience Behavior is:

The worst audience behavior is shouting out. Shouting out can be put in different occasions. It can be used when you shout a the speaker without his/her permission. Also, it can be used when you talk to your neighbor beside you. I believe it is the worst audience behavior because it is disrespectful to the speaker and the audience. A shy presenter is putting a lot of effort in the presentation and it would help him/her if the audience is respectful. Also, talking to your neighbor will interrupt the learning opportunities of your surroundings. That is why the worst audience behavior is shouting out.

Asterix

I have a dog named Asterix. He is a West Highland White Terrier (westie). I love him a lot because he is the perfect dog: he is loyal, playful, small, obedient and a great friend. Also, he does not need a lot of baths/ haircuts/ nail cuts and this means he is not a pain in the butt for my parents. He is 2 and a half years old and he is one very important member of our family.

this is a picture of him

Volleyball

I am part of the volleyball team in Middle School. Last year we won the binational games at Bucaramanga. Volleyball, in my opinion is the best team sport because you rely on every single team member to triumph. My sister plays basketball and the always critizises volleyball because you do not excersise at all. I reply, “it may be true that in volleyball you do not run like you do in basketball, but you need to be 100% precise in every move you do. In basketball, you may lose the ball but then recover it back easily with no harm done. Meanwhile, in volleyball if you make one tiny mistake the point goes automatically to the other team. That is why in volleyball you need complete ball control to win.”

In volleyball I play on the left side of the court. It may be one of the hardest positions in the game because most of the attacks go to your side. Also, you are the one who attacks most frequently and you have to be ready to do it. That is why to play left you have to learn to defend well and attack excelent. 

General Problems in Middle Schools

It is probably known worldwide that Middle Schools are very different from other schools. As children start to become adults and they have constant mood swings, the whole social world becomes a drama heaven. The most typical problems now a days come from misunderstandings from text messaging, but other problems involve relationships and social life.

Bullying is also a major problem in Middle Schools. Some students feel superior to others and they start to keep bothering them. In other Middle Schools, the kind of bullying is more intense and severe than the one seen in CNG but that does not mean that it is not present. In other Middle Schools, the bullies are carrying a baseball bat and beating up weaker kids for lunch money. At CNG, bullying is generally some kid who bothers another repeatedly and the other does not do anything about it. However, bullying is rare in school and in the unlikely case that somehow appears, the bully serves his punishment and the bullied forgives him for his actions.

At CNG Middle School, those are the most common problems you will find. You may also find diciplinary issues because of students not following directions. Overall, CNG is a bully-free campus and a very peaceful and happy place.


I did not use WHO, WHICH or THAT incorrectly. I didn't even use it! :D

MUN

In school, I am part of the MUN society. The Model United Nations is an organization that trains us to solve world problems. By arguing in a peacfull manner, the world leaders prevent many catastrophies to happen. A good thing about the United Nations is that every country is equal inside it. Most countries have voice and vote in the United Nations and that allows the smaller, less powerful countries to state its concerns and ideas and to be heard. Inside the UN, Russia is the same size as Nauru. I really enjoy debating and training to be the future world leaders.

All About Me

Hello my name is Alejandro Samper.

 

I am 13 years old and my birthday is on May 13th. I have been at CNG since Kindergarden but I lived one year at Palo Alto. CA. I am really excited to spend a whole school year with a new PreAP English teacher. I am averagely tall with dirty blonde hair. I also play various sports such as tennis and volleyball. I also play the acoustic guitar. I have a firm grasp of the theory of music. My family is farely large. I have my dad (Mauricio), my mom (Luly), my older sister (Cristina), my twin sister (Ana Maria), my younger brother (Felipe) and my furry younger brother (Asterix). I like to watch comedy and thriller movies. I am a delegate of the Model UN and I will be the president of NJHS this next year.