The Fault in The Presidental Cabinet

This unit in Argument, we learned about making a synthesis. A synthesis is a conclusion that resolves 2 opposing parties by finding a middle ground between their argument. For the final Ap in this unit, I had to chose a role in the Presidential Cabinet and appoint a person that would better fit that role. This AP was fun and only took a few days to finish considering the amount of days left in the term. I am most proud of completing it within those days. Below is my final AP, enjoy!

The New and Improved Contact... THE TIMETACT

This unit for LST,my class explored time, if time is even real, how to view time and how to measure time. I learned that one of the first ways people used to measure time was the sundial. The sundial measures time with the sun and casts a shadow from a stick. Whichever angle that shadow is casting, you add an hour for every 15 degrees. For our field experience, my class went to the Planetarium to get a better understanding of light and how the universe displays that. The purpose of this Action Project is to create a unique time telling device that is inspired from the ones we looked at in class.

My idea for a new time-telling device is contact lenses that display time 24/7. The time will be embedded during the process of getting your prescription at the eye doctor. It will be a contact where the time will be displayed inside the prescription. The units will be second, minutes and hours, just like any other modern clock, but it will not be a clock more just a display for time. The contact that tells time is related to light because it attaches to the eye. In order for the eye to work, the pupil lets light in and when a contact is put on top of the eye light is going through contact and then the eye.The contact is effective because you will always be able to keep track of time, there is no way right now to always be on track of time 24/7.It prevents people from being late because the person will know always know what time it is.

TimeTact Video,(LD),2017,Wevideo

TimeTac sketches,(LD)2017,Google Drawing

Citations:Missing Train,(LD),2017,Hilarousgifs

Alarm clock,(LD),2017, Mrwgifs

Viceland,(LD),2017,Giphy

California,(LD),2017,WIfflegif

Honey BooBoo,(LD),2017,Tenor

Contacts,(LD),2017,WIfflegif

Clock,(LD),2017,Best animations

Tokyo,(LD),2017,Dfiles

Africa,(LD),2017,Tumblr

New York,(LD),2017,Dfiles

Winnie the pooh,(LD),2017,Wifflegif

Southpark,(LD),2017,Giphy

Odd Future,(LD),2017,Giphy

Tv static,(LD),2017,Giphy

Leonardo Da Vinci,(LD),2017, leonardodavinci.net

Leonardo contact lens,(LD)2017, Pintrest

Men of vision,(LD),2017,College Optometrists

Rene descartes,(LD),2017,Wikipedia

Rene descartes eye diagram, (LD),2017, Theopticalvisionsite

Contact Lens,(LD),2017,andy-historyblogspot.com

Amending the Code

This unit in Argument, we studied the constitution and contradiction within it. Analyzing my rights as a U.S citizen, I learned that the framers(writers of the constitution) has contradicted and excluded people and laws that shouldn't be ignored. To learn more about the constitution and argument, my class visited the Chicago Courthouse. My class sat in for a trial about mal practice, this was one of the most exciting FE's I've been on. Watching the trial made me wonder how to set an argument effectively.The purpose of this AP is to amend a rule that is contradictory, unjust , has a logical flaw or needs to specified. in the GCE Code of Conduct. Through reading the Code of Conduct, I found that the rule truancy needs to be specified, read below to know more about the changes I've done to this rule.

The rule in GCE's Code of Conduct I've decided to amend is truancy. The code of conduct states:Truancy is considered tardiness or absence(s) without a valid excuse. A student out of school without a valid excuse is considered truant. Truant students must arrange with their teachers to make up missed work. Parents will be notified of excessive tardiness or absence. While reading this rule, I began to question,what does valid mean?, I knew I had to amend this rule because I've been in many situations like this. The Truancy rule leaves too much room for interpretation and power to the staff member, because a student doesn’t have a “valid reason” to the next person doesn’t mean it’s not valid for them.

Truancy Sing Post,(LD),2015,Texascourt.gov

I began to think about what the framers of the Code of Conduct were thinking, and to get into their head, I created a syllogism.The logic for this rule is to make sure students don’t skip school because they simply don’t feel like going to school.

GCE’s Syllogism:
P1: Students are required to attend school .

P2: There must be a valid reason for missing(unspecified).

P3: Whether the reason for absence is valid or not is up to the teacher.

P4: A Truant is someone who misses school without a valid reason.

C: A student who misses school without a valid excuse is a Truant.

A situation that has happened to me several times and any student that has a lot of siblings, is getting to school on time. The issue is that everyone has to be at school on the same time at different places. Having all my siblings run on different schedules means that someone might be late. For example, If I were to miss school or be tardy because my siblings decided to go slower that day, then my teacher or head of school would think this reason was invalid. They would question me and suggest that I need to get up earlier or take the train. If a certain student didn’t have access to the train or only have one parent that can drive them school, such as myself, have no power whether they get to school early or not. This rule needs to amended because it makes a student’s reason for being absent or tardy invalid, it leaves the decision to the teacher without a further conversation.

My Syllogism

P1: Students are required to attend school

P2: If the student is absent or tardy their reason can be justified through a discussion with teacher or head of school

P3: There must be a conversation to discuss whether their reason for absence/tardy is justified.

P4: A Truant is someone who misses school without a valid reason

C: A student who is a absent or tardy must talk to the head of school or teacher to justify their reason of absence/tardiness. That will determine whether they are a truant or not, whether they are or not, they must email teacher for missed work. Excessive tardiness or absence will result in a discussion that will involve parents.

By changing the world valid to the word justifiable allows the absent or tardy student to fully explain why they missed school to their teacher. The world valid is more of a one sided conversation that lets the teacher to make their choice, this could be because of a bias or not. The world justifiable allows there to be more communication and will lead to a more respectable community.

A reason for absence is not day or night.This means that the reason for a person’s absence should not be wrong or right, but more so a choice that they must justify to their teacher. The student should have the right to miss if they can justify their actions to their teacher. Students should know that they must email their teachers to make up their missed work.If this rule were to amended, there would be more communication to solve issues rather than letting a staff member decide whether the issue is justified or not. I would be more open to discuss issues, rather there being a miscommunication and leaving with hard feelings toward someone and vice versa. As a whole, this rule is beneficial to my school life because it leaves everyone with a voice.My co-signer/peer that supported my argument for amending this rule is AL. She said, student's excuses are different than others depending on who they are and what they find important enough to miss or be tardy.For example she always has family matter and another student could live very far."

The 9th amendment relates most to my argument, the ninth amendment states that there are rights of citizens that may not be written in the constitution, but this doesn’t mean that they can be violated.This relates to my argument, the students of GCE can be seen as the citizens as mentioned in the constitution. The rule of truancy, gives the person in power(staff member/teacher) to decide whether the reason of absence is valid or not. But, it states,” A student out of school without a valid excuse is considered truant.” This sentence in the rule gives the students rights that they may not know or is not explicitly written. As a whole, I think that the Code of Conduct is written intentionally to be vague to give students rights that may not have been written or thought of. 

My amendment demonstrates true citizenship, it allows every student and teacher to have equal rights.Students and teachers will have equal rights because the teacher won’t be deciding whether the excuse is valid or not,instead, it would be discussed. It would let the student tell their side of the story and the teacher saying what they think. Together, they would decide if the students reason is justified or not. If the rule isn’t amended, it’s possible that the teacher/ staff member can take advantage of the student because of a bias by letting them decide whether their reason is invalid.

Evidence

P1: Leaves room for interpretations and biases towards student.

P2: Change word from valid to justifiable for better communication and understanding for both parties.

P3: Relates to the 9th amendment by having rights that are not specified that need to be.

Tuning my Diddley Bow

Diddley Bow,(LD),2017

This unit in Light, Sound and Time, we studied and explored what sound is. Sound are the vibrations traveling through mediums then into our ears. We dove deeper into frequency and wavelengths and how the pitch of a sound affects the wavelength and frequency. I also learned that the speed of sound is 343 meters per second and travels differently depending on the density of the object. My class visited the Chicago Hearing Society, an organization that helps people hard of hearing or deaf for one of our Field Experiences. We listened and asked questions to some of the volunteers that were deaf, I learned how to say thank you and you’re welcome in American Sign Language (ASL).

For this Action Project, we had to create a Diddley bow, something similar to a guitar. We had to create it with wooden sticks, tin cans, nails and batteries. This project was fun and interesting to do, to know more about it keep reading below.

Diddley Bow Diagram, (LD),2017,Befunky

To create the Diddley bow I had to gather, nails, strings, a tin can, a wooden stick, and a glue stick. Then I created a hole at the back of the tin can, then put the tin can down sideways on the wooden stick. To stabilize the tin can, I nailed two nails front and back, then I inserted a string through the tin can tying it from the front nail. Then I nailed a nail in the back of the tin can, pulled the strings as tight as possible around that nail and then inserted the glue stick for tension. Finally, I plucked the string and it created a guitar-like note. The Diddley bow and guitar make sound similarly, first one has to pluck a string then the vibration travels through the body then into the tin can, amplifying the sound, allowing people to hear the note. The thickness of the string is 1.3cm and length is 12cm.

Math:

Tin Can,LD,Google Drawing, 2017

Frequency and Wavelengths,( LD),Google Drawing, 2017

This diagram explains the vibration, frequencies and wavelengths of my Diddley Bow at certain points of the string. Frequency is the number of complete cycles per second, in the case it is vibrations per second, and is measured in hertz. Wavelength is the distance from one peak to the next and can be thought of as one complete wave cycle.

     Trapezoid,(LD),Google Drawing,2017       

                                                 Recording of my Diddley Bow:

Peep Inside My Pinhole Camera

This unit is about light, sound and time, discovering what each means and how they all work together on earth. We explored our eyes,and looked into what parts make up a camera and eye..This was one of my favorite units this school year because I got to learn so much about light. I learned about why we see colors the way we do, which is because the colors of the spectrum are being absorbed and the color you are seeing in that object is the only color reflecting off of it.

This action project, we had to create a pinhole camera and take pictures with it in a darkroom. I had to use a cardboard box, then had to paint it black inside then create a pinhole to create the camera effect. 

I am most proud of myself for learning such interesting things and understanding all of it in such a little time frame.The pinhole camera captures light through the tiny hole that I created with a tac. It allows the light to pass through, working like a lens and projecting an object on the other side. The pinhole doesn't use refraction, the bending of light or reflection, the reflection of light. Reflection is light bouncing objects, and refraction is light slowing down and changing angle from one medium to another. The inside of the camera is black because the color black absorbs light while white reflects. If it were white the light would reflect the image making the light bounce around consistently, not creating an image. The black is perfect because it absorbs light while keeping the light in. A Pinhole camera works like any camera and functions like an eye: the image is flipped so it comes out the right side up,it absorbs the light then the pupil gets bigger or smaller depending on how much light there is, then light is focused by lens then directed onto the retina that sends signals to optic nerve. The pinhole camera is similar but is a simpler version of that.

The image didn't come out that well, it shows the background but not the elements of the objects.This could've been because of my own errors, such as: letting light in beforehand, not thoroughly painting the entire box black and having the shutter speed be too short or too long.

Height of object: 10 in

Height of pinhole to ground: 7.5 in

Pinhole to paper: 5 in

Shutter speed: 1 minute

My pinhole camera 

LD(2017)Box

Pinhole that allows light in

LD(2017)Inside pinhole

Final image

LD(2017)Photograph

To create my pinhole camera I had to select a box and paint the inside black. After i painted the entire box black, I got a piece of metal and created a tiny hole so light could pass through. After that I created a shutter that wouldn't allow light to go through to ruin my picture. Actually taking the image with the camera was pretty easy, I set up my picture by putting objects together,then placing my pinhole camera a few inches away. The shutter speed (how long the pinhole let light through without the shutter) was around 1 minute. Then I closed the pinhole and got the film processed and developed. My class visited the Latin School and talked to a photography teacher, there, she taught us how to use a darkroom. First, we set up the picture with some of the objects she had in a box. Then, I sat down my pinhole camera next to the object for a minute,after that I went into the darkroom to process the photo.

If I could redo this action project,I would make sure I painted the entire box black and had more time to take more pictures with my pinhole camera.

Math portion explaining similar triangles in relation to the pinhole

LD(2017)Math

The Lens of Independence

This term in Argument, my class learned about how to form an effective argument. We learned about premises, which is evidence that will lead up to the final conclusion. I compared two arguments from Phyllis Wheatley in her poem a Hymn to Humanity, and the Framers that wrote the Declaration of Independence. I had to decided what were the premises and conclusion, then decide based on the premises which argument was best executed. My class also went on a Field Experience to a federal law office, where we spoke to attorney’s. They helped us know our rights,if a police officer would detain us. For this Action Project, I have to declare independence by stating an argument of either a inductive or deductive argument. A inductive argument states a broad generalization into specific cases, a deductive argument is the opposite- specific cases into a broad generalization. 

I declare that there be an independence study on learning how to make films, the name of the class would be, The Empowerment of Filmmaking.Learning how to make films should be accessible for any student in school.Film is a form of art and a way to express oneself in a creative way, every person is an individual and can bring something new into the film industry.

The purpose of school is to learn new information from teachers and your peers and apply that into life. The things you learn in school will shape what career you want to pursue. My unalienable rights as a human being in America is that"...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." If I am allowed to express myself in anyway(which film will allow me to do), I am pursuing my own happiness. That pursuit of happiness will not only turn into a career of my choice but will allow me to contribute to society.

Content
- In Empowerment of Filmmaking, students will learn how the elements of film and apply it by creating their own short film.

- The course will begin with the history of film and how it has empowered people throughout history.

- We will learn about how lighting, camera angles, script and story can be best represented in film.

- We will learn how to empower ourselves through film.

Logistics
- Deliverables more of history and watching short films.

- Field Experiences going to watch short films in theaters, visiting film productions in Chicago,visit Chicago Film clubs,etc.

- Course would be a whole elective term around 5-8weeks.

- Action Project of completing a short film.

Resources

-Teacher to supervise, most likely Brent because he has background of studying filmmaking.

- Cameras or students can supply themselves with their own camera on their phones

-Lights similar to production lights

-Screening room to watch short films and independent films.

-T-room so the entire class can sit around and discuss what type of film they are making and have discussions about everyone's film.

My guiding question is,“how does film empower the youth?" To answer this question,we will discuss everything that is written inside the content section. This course represents GCE's morals that are accountability,autonomy, purpose,gratitude and achievement. The Empowerment of Filmmaking will specifically go with autonomy, having freedom/independence. The class will allow students to explore film while having freedom to make things that empower themselves.Although there was a similar class at GCE called Ollywood, where students learned how to critique a film by watching and reviewing films. The Empowerment of Filmmaking is going to remove that element of focusing on critiquing/reviewing and change that into creating.

The idea of motion pictures began in 1896, a time of social progressivism, a movement during the 19th and 20th century that wanted to bring a positive social change through organizations and government organizations. The Motion Picture Patents Company(MPPC)was one of the major trust of American film companies, many filmmakers declined to join into this trust and decide to make what we now call, independent films. The MPPC was ended because the Supreme Court cancelled the patent on raw film, including MPPC'S,this led to the support of independent filmmakers. In 1941, the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers(SIMPP) protected the rights of independent filmmakers and allowed any person that was interested in films to create their own without a major film studio. Students of The Empowerment of Filmmaking will create their own independent film, and prove to themselves that you do not need a lot of money or production to create a film.

Similar to the Declaration of Independence of America, it declares independence by expressing that the system needs to be altered because of a tyrant. Writing this declaration to independence through studying film, I am expressing my opinion to alter GCE’s school system. Film can change or challenge the status qou, it can range from documentaries or movies. Film can be historical, for example,"the Boy in the Striped Pajamas", is a movie that depicts two children living during World War 2. The boy in the Striped Pajamas, is one out of many historical movies that can challenge the status qou. Students in this film course will express how they view the world and it will empower them and give them a voice.

The desired outcome for the Empowerment of Filmmaking is to allow students to come together with other students to learn how to make films, collaborate with others,and have then feel empowered by their craft that they will have created by the end of the course. As a child living in modern society, we have the ability to explore filmmaking, but most don’t despite a camera being accessible to them almost anywhere at all times.

Premises 1:GCE is about accountability, autonomy, purpose, gratitude and achievement.

Premises 2: A filmmaking course help students understand what film is, then be able to create an independent film to express themselves in a creative way.

Premises 3: A filmmaking class allows students to achieve independence and feel empowered.

C: A Film course that expands on how to make films should be included in the GCE curriculum.

My syllogism explains that film empowers people especially young adults who are slowly starting to become independent.Teaching students to learn how to make films will allow them to express themselves in a creative way.

Reviewing the Great Gatsby

This 2nd term I took a class called Ollywood, where we learned how to critic a film. I learned about the elements to pre-production,production and post production to properly review a film. Pre-production involves location scouting, casting actors ,storyboard and costume design . Production is the shooting of the film involving camera angles and lighting .Post production is editing the film, sound editor and helping with the aesthetic of the film through CGI. In class, we watched Amelie,Jaws and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, after we  had to review and criticize the film based on its pre,production and post. In Ollywood, we got to get out of the classroom a lot, since film involves getting up and going around the city. One of my favorite FE's(field experience) was location scouting. Our class had to get excerpt from a book,visualize it by turning it into a scene and find a location that would best fit that scene. It was exciting to get out and I felt like a professional location scouter!

For the action project we had to choose a film we either hate or loved and had to give a review on it with a partner. My partner, CG(https://cggcelabschool.blogspot.com) and I chose to review, The Great Gatsby directed by Baz Luhrmann in 2013. I found this project to be enjoyable since I fell in love with The Great Gatsby the first time I saw it and was happy to critic it. One difficulty I had with this AP was the post production, editing videos can be tedious and can take lots of time for a small section. Specifically, my partner and I had trouble getting the blue-screen to work for a background. We had to watch videos and get help from our teacher, but it was an easy problem to fix in  the end.