Assignment 26-Gibbs

This year, overall, has been fantastic, this class included. Honestly, I wouldn't change much about the structure or content. I feel as though I was very well prepared for the AP test, both the essays and the multiple choice sections. However, I do think that the socratic seminars ended up being a little repetitive. In place of the last few, I think it would be abetter use of time to practice writing essays or even another multiple choice test.

18 Hallie

There are a so many things that I want to experience in my life that there is no way I can fit them on one list but I can at least name a few: this is a very steriotypical thing to but on a bucket list but I want to go skydiving, Margaret and I have already planned to go when we both turn 18. I could go on an on about all the places I want to visit and all the silly things I want to do with my friends for paragraphs but I would probably end up boring you.

The only thing on my high school bucket list is to survive. Senior year is ahead of me and the process of applying for college overwhelms me so my plan is to just survive. There are so many things I want to get out of the college experience but there is one thing that I've know that I wanted to do in college and that is to study abroad, I particularly would like to study/serve abroad in a 3rd world country. Finally, by the end of my life I want to be happy and I want the people I love and care about to be happy too, as long as this happens my bucket list is complete.

Assignment 25 - Jacquelyn Engel

With summer just two days away how could I not talk about summer? I have all my summer planned out or at least I did. Recently, my mentor backed out on me for summer. Needless to say it changed everything. I had scheduled my whole summer around my mentoring project, and now that they have backed out, I am in disarray and pretty peeved. I'm still trying to sort things out but for right now all is still muddled together. Nothing is set in stone, and this does not sit well with me at all. I like things organized. But I guess that's life; there are curveballs thrown at you and you just have to go with it. Which is fine with me for the most part. I can go with the motions, but I definitely prefer for things like my mentoring project to be completely planned and organized. I know things will work out; it's not the end of the world.

Assignment 26-Garrett Uebelhor

    Throughout the year i have had alot of fun in ap language yet still i think there are some things which could be improved upon. First off I think that we should have focused a little bit more on the timing aspect of the ap test. I did struggle a little bit with pacing myself throughout the year and although I improved I would have probably benefited from a little more practice. I did however like the many writing prompts we were given and enjoyed the end of the year life lessons. I also would have liked to see more Act practice over Sat practice. I think that the Act is more applicable to the colleges which i am applying so from my perspectivw mpre act prep would help. I would also like to see more use of the textbooks, i felt like we only used them early in the year. When grading essays i thinked i liked the class discussions the most, for me turnitin essay grading was hard for my computer to run and it turned into less of a assignment and more waiting on my computer to respond. I also feel that the class discussion better enabled me to umprove on my writing and helped me to understand what other people were expecting out of my writing.

Assignment 25- Garrett Uebelhor

 I really hate it how their is either alot of really good movies out at one time or none at all. Everytime I decide I want to go to the movie theater i get there and am faced with the agonizing decision of deciding between movie. Recently the superhero craze has taken over much of our movie theaters but DC and Marvel really dont think about their rekease dates well enough. It seem like you alwaves have two movies coming out together like the new batman and the spiderman or spiderman 2 and the newest xmen movie. To me it would make the most sense if they had separate release dates. I think they could both draw in more money if they were not competing against each other. This would also help to solve the periods of " crap" movies which we go through each year. By the way sense we are already on the topic of movie theaters did you know they are going to replace the current projectors with laser projectors which well give a crisper and more attractive experience for the audience. I think this will really help to bring back business to the movie theaters because lets face it, currently our home tvs usually have better images then the movie theater projectors.

Assignment 26- Andy

AP Academy English Language and Composition has been one of my favorite classes all year. It has certainly been more "laid-back" than most of my classes, but I still accomplished many things while in it. My favorite part about the class were the Socratic seminars. They may have been tedious and have some flaws, but I think they help build skills in analysis. One of major problems with the seminars is the lack of control by the teacher. More guidance is required so that students don't get sidetracked and so that we know what to talk about. Another thing that I thought was very constructive was the speech as the first semester final. Many people have a fear of speaking in public and it is important to develop this skill, as it is useful in all professions. The second semester video seems less constructive. Mos students have very little experience with video editing software and such a technically challenging project should not be a final.

Assignment 25- Andy

Cephalopods are some of the most interesting organisms in the world. They fall into class Cephalopodia in phylum mollusca of the Kingdom Animala and are invertebrates. Some of the most well known creatures in this class include octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, and the chambered nautilus. The animals in this class all have eight arms. These are used to propel the organism and grasp surfaces and prey. Squid have two extra, longer tentacles that they use to feel and attack prey. The visceral mass of cephalopods is contained within the mantle, or the head, of the organism. The mantle siphons water through the body to propel the organism forward. Cephalopods are the only mollusks with closed circulatory systems. They possess two brachial hearts that pump hemolymph (blood-like fluid) through the capillaries of the gills. A single heart then pumps the blood throughout the body. Instead of using hemoglobin (iron-based) to carry oxygen cephalopods use hemocyanin (copper-based) to carry oxygen throughout the body.

Assignment 26- Julian Perry

There is a reason that you, Mr Logsdon, are occasionally referred to as LogDog. You are the "dawg," as the 90s would say. You are truly a great teacher and person (not to say that teachers aren't people!). This post is not about how great you are, however. This post is about how you can improve. 

I have no real complaints with this class aside from the second semester socratic seminars. They appeared too loosely governed from my perspective, or perhaps too strictly governed. Ms Moses (no offense meant at all, she was a great student teacher) seemed to hold the middle ground too often, in that either: 

1. when the discussion would wind down she would push on, preventing transition     or...

2. she would cut us off in order to transition. 

I enjoyed and benefitted from the activity, but the teacher's role in the seminar was inconsistent at best. I guess that my point in this rambling is that I wish we could better predict and control transitions from question to question. How to do this, I can't say. Either the student-run or teacher-driven aspect should be buffed, in my view on the topic. 

On a side note, I am extremely grateful for the opportunities to practice AP exams in your class. Those activities helped build our confidence going into the real thing. The graph is a nice visualization of our improvements as well. 

Assignment 25- Julian Perry

One thing I haven't gotten to talk about nearly enough this year (although my friends and family would beg to differ) is the exciting new virtual reality company Oculus VR. After having obsessed over reddit.com/r/oculus for the better part of two years, the most active forum for VR news has left me with no blank spots in my knowledge. The company Oculus was started in 2012 with a wildly successful (the most successful ever, actually) Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of a developer kit for the Rift, a VR head-mounted display. Using cheap optics, this $300 hmd has revolutionized the market with a 100 degree field of view, similar to your sight wearing ski goggles. You aren't in front of a screen. You appear surrounded by the screen, on all sides. This has more applications than in just gaming. Many countries, including the US Government, are experimenting with these Rifts for military purposes. The $300 hmd is superior to any other hmd available previously for thousands, because it uses cheap lenses to create a wider field of view rather than using a larger (and heavier/more expensive) screen. 

Only days ago, a man named James posted the results to an experiment he was conducting on his own. He suffers from a lazy eye, which means he can't focus both eyes at once on the same object. With the Oculus Rift, James coded a game to train his lazy eye to focus correctly by showing it a slightly altered image. He claims that he can now see in true 3D even in real life, for the first time ever. Previously it was thought that a lazy eye could never be fixed after childhood, because the brain hardwires these connections during younger years, but VR is proving that wrong. VR truly is the future, and I'm excited for it. 

Assignment 24- Julian Perry

My Junior year has been an uphill battle. It has been a race against time and a struggle against my own self. First semester was fairly uneventful, aside from the large number of snow days Fayette County collected. It was certainly frustrating at times, but the real blows were dealt second semester. 

This semester, I've been victim to so many illnesses that I can't count my absences on fingers AND toes. An uphill battle is quite a fitting comparison. I'm proud of the work that I've done this year, climbing up from an F in a majority of my classes. It's just unfortunate that this is the year colleges look at. I hope to write a killer college entrance essay from this experience, however. Always looking on the upside. That's what keeps me positive when life isn't positive. 

Assignment 25: Sepehr Piltan

Even though many people think salads are bad tasting, there are plenty of ways to make a tasty salad that is still healthy. Keeping your salad healthy is the number one key. Adding too many calories by using salad dressing and cheese can make your salad unhealthier than eating a slice of cake. You want to find a good balance of healthy food ingredients that spice up the flavor of your salad without adding too many calories. Try adding some greens. There are several different types of lettuce that you can choose from to start your salad off with. If you are going to pick iceberg lettuce, make sure that you add another type of lettuce because iceberg has the least nutritional value out of all the types of lettuce. Add as many vegetables as you can. Pick any vegetables that you like and add it to your salad. Besides the basic carrots, broccoli, tomatoes and radishes, try other vegetables in your salad such as corn and peas. All the different vegetables will add crunch and different flavors to your salad. Try adding in some fruit into your salad. Try some apples, mandarin oranges, blueberries, raspberries, or pineapple to give your salad a sweet flavor, without adding a lot of calories. Toss in some protein to keep you feeling full longer. Again, there are several different options that you that will keep your salad healthy. Try a piece of grilled chicken. If you want more flavors, try adding some garlic to your grilled chicken. Other protein sources include tuna, turkey, and nuts such as almonds. Beans are another great option for adding some protein to your salad. If you must have cheese on your salad, like I do, make sure that you pick a low-fat cheese. Adding too much cheese to your salad will add the calories to the salad and you can get flavor elsewhere besides the fattening cheese.

Assignment 24: Sepehr Piltan

I've had many success's and failures over the year and learned a lot from my mistakes. I made a lot of new friends and learned that not all of them are the best ones,  I've learned that only your true friends are the ones that stick by your side even when things aren't going great. I've learned that no doing your work on time will catch up to you later. I've learned that you can never enough of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I've learned a lot this year through my success's and failures and hope to use them to my advantage next year. But before Senior year begins, there's summer, and I plan to accomplish absolutely nothing this summer except to sleep, eat, and to watch every show on Netflix. But I am going to Florida and Canada this summer, and I'm really looking towards it. And I might even go to California, which would be great because I've always wanted to go there. After summer ends though, comes senior year, my final year in high school. For my last year I plan to make the most out of everything, and just try to have the most fun possible,

Assignment 26 - Jacquelyn Engel

At the start of Junior year, I didn't really know what to expect about this class. I had heard that it was a relaxed class, and I have to agree. It was relaxed, but it was definitely helpful with the AP exam. With this type of English, you can't really study for it, you just have to practice. It was helpful becoming familiar with the style of the test. I have to say that doing the timed writings and practice exams were quite a drag but definitely useful. By the time I took the AP Exam, it felt comfortable and relaxed because I knew what to expect. I liked how they weren't graded because it was one less grade to worry about and it taught responsibility. Since we only did timed writings and practice exams, it helped me balance out the rest of my schedule. If you wanted to BS the practice exams and timed writings then fine, it was your choice but that ultimately would not abet you in the future.

Assignment 24 - Jacquelyn Engel

My success: AP Chemistry. My failure: AP Chemistry. Near the end of sophomore year there was a lot of talk about different classes to take Junior Year. I never really knew much about AP Chemistry, but when Mr. Ratliff and Mrs. Minor talked about AP Chemistry, it made me do a complete 180. I decided to go with a whole different schedule than the one I had originally intended to do my Junior year. I wanted to take AP Chemistry because I thought it would help me with my future and majoring in Medical sciences. Also, I heard it was extremely difficult, but I like a challenge. Well, it turned out a failure because I didn’t have much interest in the subject, and sometime early into Junior year, I had figured that I really didn’t want to major into Medical Science. So why did I stay? I asked myself that question quite often this past year because what was the purpose in taking this class if I didn’t enjoy the subject? But, that part was the success because I challenged myself. Sometimes you just have to deal with it; things might not go in your favor but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Although AP Chemistry was a failure in my interest, it was a success as it helped make me mentally stronger.

Assignment 23 - Jacquelyn Engel

This playlist is the "Everything Playlist" because it fits about any situation. It encompasses a wide variety of music in just five songs; it contains rock, rap, alternative, classic, pop. Because there are five genres of music in this playlist, it is suitable for any situation. There's one song that's good for working out, one for a dinner party, one for just thinking, one for a bike ride, and one for doing homework. There's so many situations that this playlist could suit, but it not only applies to situations, it applies to moods as well. If you're in a relaxed mood there's a song for that, or if you're in a super hyped mood there's a song for that too. Personally, I could listen to this playlist multiple times without getting tired because there is a drastic change in the genre of music and not one that sounds all the same. 1)Vultures - John Mayer 2)Fly Me To the Moon - Frank Sinatra 3)Sun - Two Door Cinema Club 4)Come and Get It - Selena Gomez 5)No Church In the Wild - Kanye West (feat. Jay Z)

19- Taylore Jordan

"Be yourself". Two simple words that everyone should live by. I have come to embrace myself for who I am; the girl who keeps to herself and tries to figure everything out. Though people may judge and say things about me, I am just following the advice of the people who always say this to me; namely my mother and grandmother. We as humasn in this big world should value diversity. The differences and complexities between people make they unique and make our world a more interesting place to live in. If everyone was the same, we would have no need to have many friends. No one would be specialized in various skills enough to contribute different things to the world that we cannot muster all by ourselves. So all in all, be yourself, because the differences among mankind help to make our world a lively place.

Assignment 26- Drew

I felt this class was overall effective in preparing us for the AP test. While it seemed tedious at the time, the AP multiple choice checks we did every so often  in exposed us to the way in which AP  questions are phrased, which in hindsight I realize is critical; I'm sure all of us had the knowledge to answer the questions on the first day of school, but weren't aware of what the question was asking or assessing. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the in-class congresses were invaluable in preparing us for the essay portion, especially when you broke down what the College Board was looking for in each particular essay. The online congresses, however, weren't any of that. Most of the comments left by people were simplistic, as they were just doing it to get it done, and I myself can be accused of that. I always felt engaged in the classroom discussions but couldn't muster the willpower to grade the online essays thoroughly, for which I always felt bad (but I guess that's a me problem). As far as the types of essays, you should do more of the argumentative and synthesis congresses in class. While I will say I needed help with the analysis, by the second one I had a pretty good grip on those, and I feel like more time ought to be spent on the other two, especially considering we didn't do any of the syntheses or argumentatives as in-class congresses.

20- Taylore Jordan

How to be extremely annoying in-between class changes at Henry Clay: 1. Have the mindset that the time between classes is somewhat of a party with the rest of the Henry Clay population. Believe solely in your heart that 5 minutes is so much more than it truly is. 2. When traveling from point A to point B (not assuming the stops you'll be making to talk to all of your friends), walk as slow as you possibly can. This is probably one of the more annoying things you can do in the hallway. It'll infuriate the people behind you who are actually try to get to class. That should make you feel really special. 3. Besides walking slowly, occasionally stop in the middle of the hallway abruptly. The more friends you have with you, the better. You'll create a blockage that makes the Academy kids groan. You might even get trucked or something, because you'll be basically asking for it. Heaven forbid the over-crowding issue at our school get resolved. 4. Just act like you are compeletly irresponsible and you don't think you are truly at school. Just do what you want. YOLO, right?

21- Taylore Jordan

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe, there is a family in an undeveloped country. A family who struggles everyday to put food on the table, a roof over their heads, and smiles on each other's faces. These families are no different than ours, fundamentally. They have the love (if not, more of it) that we share with each other. They just may not live as long to be able to prove it. They may become ill or die from starvation. While these families are working in the heat of the day, all day long making $1 a day and you are sitting in an office typing away making $40 an hour, and you waste at least half of the food that you make and buy. Our society takes way too much for granted, and we have the over-abundance of goods to thank for that. Americans (and everyone else in the world, really) need to think of others in the world who are not as fortunate as they are, and perhaps find a way to help them and to give back. They have more than they need, after all.

Assignment 25- Drew

The future of our species lies in the final frontier, space, and we must be willing to spend the money to get there. We continue to announce more and more spending cuts for our space programs despite our need for the vast resources and space available in space. Humanity, and the United States in particular, continues to wage war after needless war and spend exorbitant sums of money killing instead of researching. If we are to survive, we must stop this.

Assignment 26 (feedback)- Isaac Satin

The practice tests, both multiple choice and essays, were helpful for the AP test. The packets about what the essays were were not as helpful; seeing what they were supposed to look like was good but reading about what and what not to do only created confusion for me. Also, the last few essays we wrote were not graded in time for the AP test, so while writing them was useful practice I did not know whether I wrote them well or not which would have been helpful. As for the peer grading of the essays I found the turnitin grading to be the most effective; when it was done in a full classroom discussion people often wrote identical or similar things so the feedback was less varied and therefore less helpful. Lastly, I enjoyed the Socratic Seminars, but the some of the pieces we analyzed for them did not lend themselves to a long discussion, so it would be good if you or whoever the student teacher at the time is to look at the pieces before they are assigned to be sure that they are able to sustain classroom discussion for the full hour.

Assignment 24- Drew

The future...it's actually kind of intimidating to think about. College, something that was once so far away that I didn't have to think about is now upon me, and soon so shall also a career decision be upon me as well, two very difficult and life changing choices. What scares me is my love of so many subjects, such that a career choice will be most difficult. I enjoy and could see myself in so many different occupations that choosing one will be difficult. While I'm reasonably certain I'll go into engineering, I keep being reminded not only of my love of math but also my love of music and history. I can rule out history (can I?) due to a lack of serious jobs, but the other two remain in contention, so that is the most daunting task ahead of me in my future: deciding a career.

Assignemt 25-Gibbs

All I can really think about right now without becoming stressed is the fact that summer is almost here. My summer this year is relatively busy, but with activities that I am extremely excited about. For one, I have a stack of about 10 books that I need to read and I am planning on doing so the moment i get out. A few of these books are "The Goldfinch", "American Gods", and "A Storm of Swords". Other than reading, I am going to begin my metering project, which is an internship at the Morris Book shop. I cannot wait to begin, I think it is going to be an amazing and enjoyable experience, and I can ride my bike there now that they have put in sidewalks on Tates Creek road.  I will also be going to Montreat with my church. Montreat is a camp type thing in the mountains of North Carolina, and it is gorgeous. Hallie is coming also, so it should be a lot of fun.
Lastly, I am looking forward to beginning my last season with Henry Clay soccer. Well, I can't say I'm really looking forward to 2-a-days, but I do miss the team. It is going to be bittersweet this year, knowing that it is my last, but I want to make the most of it.

Assignment 24-Gibbs

Overall, I would so that I am relatively happy with my junior year. It has been stressful, exciting, and stressful again. Honestly though, my classes were not significantly harder than my sophomore year. Anyways, there have been multiple events that bode well for my near future. I have become even more involved in my after school activities, and received good grades (so far!)
Something that has been strange is the feeling of growing up. I have never truly felt like I was getting older, but with the new responsibilities and insanely important decisions looming in the near future, it can feel as though there is an enormous weight on your shoulders. Suddenly, our decisions matter. They will affect the rest of our lives, no turning back. That, to me, is growing up, and to a certain extent it makes me apprehensive of the future. However, though that feeling of responsibility does bring a weight, it also brings an incredible sense of freedom and self. When you are making decisions like where you want to go to college and what job you want to have, you are suddenly yourself. Not your parents child, not your teachers student, but you, fully and wholly. Well almost-what excited me about the future is the continuing development of self.

Assignment 26-Eliot Smith

This class was my first skill-based AP class, and it is easy to tell that this class is different from content-based courses.  Compared to content classes, the AP English class is much, much more laid back and much less stressful.  I believe that this class in particular is even more laid back and less stressful than the usual AP English class, due to the students that are enrolled (academy).  Mr. Logsdon, in my opinion, has a clear philosophy--if you want to fool around and learn nothing over the whole year and not take the AP exam, that's fine, just don't get in the way of those who actually want to further their skills as a writer.  And for those that actually do want to pursue a heightened writing skill, the resources to do so are very available due to the structure of the class.  I chose the latter, and I felt that this class improved my writing skills tremendously, and for that, I would like to thank Mr. Logsdon.  In the class, I don't feel overly pressured to participate and don't feel unmotivated in the least bit, and on the days that I just really wasn't feeling the whole English groove, I knew that I could sit out and spectate without being yelled at or pressured--I believe that this is one of the factors that contributed to my continued motivation.

Less Socratic Seminars though, after the 3rd one I wanted to bash my head in.

10/10

Assignment 25-Eliot Smith

He's the chameleon--the social one, to clarify.  He is rare, and uses his rarity as a tool to attract others.  Not predators, but admirers--these are the ones that cause his color shifts.  But these shifts are not brought on by the need to obscure himself, quite the contrary.  While they are adaptations to sudden changes of environment, they are meant to cater and appease, rather than to blend.

To clarify further, he is a man, but he is not like the others--this is easily discernible to those that look.  When approached by one, he takes on a certain act.  When approached by another, a different act, and so on. It is this exemplary ability to adapt that makes him so admired, so liked.

Like the chameleon, his true color can only be discovered by those study him to the point of complete trust--only then will he divulge his true nature, and only then will dedicate one color to you.

Assignment 23-Gibbs

On of my very favorite activities to do in the spring and summer is laying in the hammock under our porch while reading and listening to music. In the past couple of weeks I have been able to do this more often with with warmer weather. I like to make playlists for this time so that I don't have to mess with my phone or laptop during my period of relaxation. This playlist is an excerpt of 5 of my favorite songs that made the cut for my overall hammock playlist.

1) "Emmylou", by Vance Joy. I absolutely love the tune of this song and the lack of editing. It has the sound of an acoustic song without being one, and in my opinion, just makes you think of laying in the warmth with your eyes closed, which is exactly what I do while listening to it.

2) "First Day of My Life", by Bright Eyes. This song has a very similar overall feeling as "Emmylou", which is why they are on the same playlist. Both are upbeat, this one more so, but without a fast beat. I like that these songs, this one in particular, can be both happy and relaxing.

3) "On Top of the World", by Mindy Smith ft. Island Sky. Though there is another more popular song by this title, the two are nothing alike. This song has more of a dreamy quality to it, but still retains the happy-but-not-fast characteristic as the others on the playlist.

4) "Skinny Love", by Bon Iver. I know this song is not particularly happy, but what ties it together with the rest of the playlist, in my opinion,  is the acoustic qualities. The tone of the song just feels the same; I have also listened to it a thousand times and have not grown tired it, which is always a good sign.

5) "She is Love", by Parachute. Though this song id not quite as acoustic as the others, it is happy and still relaxing. I believe that it's style matches that of the other songs well, and blends into the playlist nicely.

So there you have it-my "Hammock Playlist". Even if you don't have a hammock, it could work for nay realizing activity that you can listen to music in.