PLN 1

Dear Mr. Fisch

As I watched this video I thought of my five year old cousin who has gotten leukemia for the second time and although it is not skin cancer it is still tragic. I also thought of how anyone can get cancer, and I am scared some times because on my mother’s side of the family almost every woman has died from breast cancer; in fact my grandmother was the only one to survive it and now she lives life to the fullest even though she is 70 years old. But even though I get a little scared sometimes I have the optimism of my grandmother and cousin that anyone can make it. Now that I see what people would say to their sixteen year selves I now see that the smallest things can cause the biggest problems. This video has really opened my eyes to the little things in life.

PLN 20

I read a blog post called Why do I have to study [Fill in the Blank] by Annes (Smith). This post is about what the point is of teaching students anything if they don't see the relevance in learning it. This post matters to me because some things that matter to me in school may not matter to some others and if schools structure classes to fit what students like students would take more initiative in their schoolwork and homework. This blog matters to teachers because if kids were enrolled in the classes they wanted and if the teachers got feedback from the students then the teachers would know specifically what to teach within their subjects relevant to the students. This blog post matters to education because the way students view the relevance of a subject is how they view the educational value.

What Matters

What Matters

Out the many things that matter to me in my life what matters most of all are California, family and education.

First is my home state of California. California matters to me because of the multitude of childhood memories I have there. One of the most prominent memories is going to the Rose Bowl almost every weekend. I loved going there because I could do a lot of fun things such as riding my bike, walking along one of the many trails or listening to music in the park. Another memory from California was walking the three mile secluded trail surrounding Lake Hollywood overlooking Los Angeles. Although it was a long walk for a five year old to undergo it was a time where me, my mom and my dad could have some good family times. There were so many things to discover on those walks like the eucalyptus trees and the dam. The lake was under the Hollywood sign and we could see Madonna’s house that she painted in stripes. Sometimes we even saw a movie star jogging along the same trail. The last California memory I have held onto for all these years is the ocean. I remember this so much because it was the one time where I didn't have a single care in the world, and was having total and complete fun. Between wake boarding, surfing, and just plain swimming it was hard not to have fun.

My family matters to me. Even my memories of California are about being with family.  One reason I chose my family as what matters is because my family has always been there to support me no matter what. They have helped me rise to each challenge in my life with love and support but they have also been there to lift me up when I have fallen. They allow me to be involved in what happens to me and to make decisions affecting the direction of my own life. My family matters to me because when we get together there is no limit to the conversations we have. We talk about good times in the past and what we want for the future. We have lots of laughs. My family treats me with respect and values that I have an opinion and that my thoughts and concerns are valid and important. One of the things that matters most to me about my family is they have taught me to have personal integrity, to stand strong in the face of adversity and to never forget who I am.

Education matters to me. One of the reasons this is so important is that a good education will increase the chance that I will end up with a steady, good paying job. Secondly, this is important because I know that many people in the world go without education during their lives and they struggle in life because of it. The last reason education matters to me is that it will allow me to be a productive member of society. I can make better choices for myself and those in my life with the knowledge I gain.

Now you know why California, family and education are what matter to me.