Field Trip

Classic Landscape

Portrait

Macro

Reflection

Moving Subject

1st Point of View

2nd Point of View

3rd Point of View

Bird's Eye View

Worm's Eye View

Column of My Choice

http://herinst.org/BusinessManagedDemocracy/education/curricula/teachtest.html

Teaching to the Test

Teachers and principals at all levels of education have become obsessed with test scores.  It seems that the only way to measure a student’s worth, a teacher’s ability to teach or a school’s effectiveness is with standardized test scores or the number of students who can pass AP exams.  Has the education system gone too far in encouraging a competition between schools and unintentionally left the best interest of students behind?

Since the third grade, I have had to take state issued assessments.  Since then, I have learned that the entire year is basically a TAKS study session.  If I didn’t pass the test, I didn’t pass the year, a point that drove teachers into a frenzy trying to prepare us for every possible question that could be on the test that year.  Unfortunately, by narrowing the scope of our studies, teachers are essentially limiting our education by dedicating way too much time to test preparation.  One teacher explained to my class the hierarchy of tests during a time when we were overwhelmed by the multitude of tests in our near future.  The TAKS test is at the very bottom of the totem pole, representing a level of understanding that pretty much means we’ve actually shown up to class that year.  The End of Course exams (EOCs) are the next level, showing that we not only have been paying attention but that we also have a basic understanding of the topics associated with a certain subject.  Above that is Laying the Foundation (LTF), the supposed basis of our curriculum, which has questions a few levels above what students are expected to actually know.  So why, if it is the very minimum of what we should know, do we focus so much on preparation for TAKS?  

In a completely different category, at least at BETA, are the AP exams.  A high rate of students taking and passing AP exams reflect well on the school.  Therefore, everyone is given incentives to take them.  Students get extra weight added onto their GPAs just for sitting through an exam and $100 for each exam they pass with a three or higher and teachers get $100 for each of their students who pass.  Should this form of bribery be accepted because it hypothetically leads to success or should it be abhorred for turning knowledge into some sort of business proposition?  Either way, the real issue is what effect these incentives have on both students and teachers.  It seems as if they increase the chances of teachers giving more attention to those that show potential instead of those who are struggling as they try to increase the chances of having a passing student rather than worrying about leaving others behind.  On the other hand, students seem to generally view the effort it takes to pass an AP test as being much more valuable than $100.  Instead, they tend to sign up for the tests, pay and put absolutely no effort into it, the only true motivation for them being the weight for their GPAs.  This being the case, were these students ever really trying to learn or were they just skidding along with the added cushion of a weight boost for their grades?

Although the response to the pressure to have good test scores varies with each person, either student or teacher, the possibility of how bad and counterproductive it could be is scary.  We are in danger of making tests the prime objective of school and sacrificing learning as a result.  As much as I enjoy being able to brag about my school being exemplary or having a certain number of AP Scholars, I have to wonder who is really benefiting from these achievements.  

Civil War 150th Anniversary

After 150 years of growth and change, the United States still remembers the events of the Civil War and the lives that were lost because of it.  The Civil War, which was the only one of its kind in our country’s history, was a time of confusion, death and poverty.  The positive outcomes of the war are obvious.  The end of slavery, the expansion of civil rights and the reformation of the United States are just a few of the positive effects of the Union’s victory in the Civil War.  On the other hand, the negative outcomes mostly include the usual consequences of a war, primarily the downturn of the economy as the country attempted to rebuild itself.  

After seeing the photographs included in these two photo essays and reading their captions, I realized that this war was a lot more personal than those in recent history.  It was fought in our country and consequently included more than just soldiers.  Women and children on both sides were right there alongside their soldiers, braving the front together.  

It is understandable why people still feel the need to reenact the Civil War.  As odd as it may seem to dwell on such an event, it was a major turning point in the history of our country.  It would be impossible to know where we would be today had things turned out differently back then.

Earth Day Posters

March Current Events

Aly Song/Reuters

Photo Essay -- My Choice

Friends

Senior Kassandra Granados looks down at a pool of water at the Fort Worth Water Gardens while attending the 2011 BPA State Competition.



Senior Sarai Maldonado smiles from the back of the bus on the way to Fort Worth for a competition.



Senior Kristine Nunez (left) and sophomore Gina Okada have an animated conversation at a mexican restaurant in Fort Worth.



Senior Sharon Thomas examines the inside of a candle holder during dinner in Fort Worth.



Seniors Elizabeth Scoggin, Sharon Thomas and Kassandra Granados look up at the stars from the top of a concrete mountain in the Fort Worth Water Gardens after a long day of competition.



Senior Elizabeth Scoggin poses with a chocolate cigar and a bottle of soda during lunch on our last day in Fort Worth.



Senior Sharon Thomas looks across the table at lunch in Gruene, Texas.



Senior Elizabeth Scoggin carves her initials next to those of her friends at a dance hall in Gruene, Texas.



Seniors Sharon Thomas, Cassandra Gonzalez, Elizabeth Scoggin and Kassandra Granados stand in the sun in a grassy area of the Fort Worth Water Gardens.



Senior Elizabeth Scoggin stands for a picture on her way down to the bottom of the "Active Pool" at the Fort Worth Water Gardens.



Photojournalism and Art

February Current Events

Iain McGregor /Christchurch Press/Reuters
www.boston.com/bigpicture

This cartoon is addressing the revolt in Egypt and facebook's influence in it.  Modern technology completely changed Egypt's political standing.  

Although facebook has proven useful for more than just mindless gossip through it's influence on the revolt in Egypt, Americans are still using it to talk about completely trivial things.  

MTV Generation?

1. Your age group has been referred to as the "MTV Generation," which carries a negative connotation of teen-agers that have little to no interest in anything, and even if you did, your attention span is grossly limited. Is this true?
2. Where do you get your news?
3. If a news article is accompanied by a photograph, do you read the article or rely totally on the visual?
4. Is it impossible for a "complicated message to be relayed in a 10-second sound bite" that the news media uses to get the message across? Is this possible? What are the advantages of using photographs? What are the disadvantages?

Answers:

a.) I don't think this is true at all. Generalizing a whole generation into one category is completely unfair.

b.) I get my news from the Internet, television news programs and the newspaper.

c.) I usually look at the photo first and, if it catches my attention, I read the article to find out what it's about.

d.) I think it is possible to relay a piece of news in 10 seconds, but it might be impossible to include the whole picture of the story. The advantages of using photos is that they can sum up an entire story in a way that only takes the reader a few seconds to understand. However, the disadvantages include the photos sometimes being misleading or misinterpreted, damaging the story or distracting the viewer from the actual story that accompanies the picture.

Analyzing Environmental Portraits

1.Natural light or flash used? How do you know?

A flash is used, which is evident based on the amount of light on the subject and lack of light in the background directly behind her as well as the shadows cast both on and behind the subject.

2. List the photo composition techniques used.

Photo techniques used include framing, leading lines, and rule of thirds.

3. Describe details of the subject. (Clothing, eyes, hair, pose, facial expression)

Along with the background, the subjects clothes show that she is a competitive swimmer.  Her facial expresssion shows determination and passion for what she is doing.

4. Describe details of the background environment. (colors, textures, lighting, indoors/outdoors)

The background establishes setting.  The color creates contrast but does not detract from the focus and the way it fades to black in the background adds to the subject's facial expression.

5. From these descriptions, write a sentence(s) describing the personality of this subject.

This girl is extremely determined, competitive, and loves what she does.

6. How did the combination of pose, expression, background and lighting create your perception of this subject?

My perception of this subject could not have been reached without the background and clothing that was used.  Furthermore, her expression is what makes her personality show.  Without that, she would just be a normal swimmer.

1. Natural light or flash used? How do you know?

Natural light is used. There are no shadows.
2. List the photo composition techniques used.

Rule of thirds is used.
3. Describe details of the subject. (Clothing, eyes, hair, pose, facial expression)

The woman's clothing and hair convey a sense of confidence and natural beauty.  Her facial expression, however, conveys that she is somewhat sheltered and almost wary of intruders. 
4. Describe details of the background environment. (colors, textures, lighting, indoors/outdoors)

The background is outdoors, mostly green and brown, and includes a lot of sunlight.
5. From these descriptions, write a sentence(s) describing the personality of this subject.

Based on this photograph, I would describe this woman as confident but sheltered. 
6. How did the combination of pose, expression, background and lighting create your perception of this subject?

Her facial expression had the most influence in creating my perception of her.  Her surroundings would suggest peace and happiness, yet she looks almost angry.  The contrast is interesting.



Environmental Photo Essay

Life's Work

Decorating Dream

January Current Events

Caption:  Coffins containing bodies of landslide victims rest on the ground at a cemetery in Nova Friburgo, Brazil on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011. 

Photographer:  Felipe Dana

Publication:  www.boston.com/bigpicture

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1704734,00.html

Editorial Cartoons To Ponder

This cartoon is about Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" being censored because it contains the N-word 219 times, and, therefore, is judged to be offensive.  The solution to this problem is to replace it with the word slave.  However, many argue that Twain uses that particular word to prove a point about Jim's place in society and that censoring it would alter the historical context.

This cartoon makes the point that, if it is truly the N-word that people are protesting, they should consider that young adults are exposed to it outside of books more than in them.  Today's music has a tendency to use the N-word more times in a three-minute song than even Twain could have managed.  Once censorship begins, there will not be an end.  Socially unacceptable words and actions are everywhere.  It is up to individuals to decide what they will allow themselves to be exposed to.

Passions Cafe Photos

Real or Hoax?

It is appropriate to drastically digitally alter the reality of an image if it is intended for an audience that knows or expects it to be altered or if it can be easily presumed that the photo is not real, such as the first photograph.  When reporting news or other issues of importance that are being presented as truth, it is extremely unethical to alter images beyond quality improvement.  Digitally altered photos can be harmful to photojournalism by diminishing the credibility of the news.  Because programs like Photoshop are so widely used, photography is no longer any more believable than any other forms of art and it has become easy for audiences to question whether or not they can be trusted.

My Goals For the New Year

1. Because it is the thing that is weighing on my mind the most right now, my first goal is to meet all scholarship deadlines and get as much money for college as is humanly possible.
2. Behind my obsession with deadlines (which is brought on by my recent tendency to procrastinate until the last minute) is to find a way to visit all three of the universities I am considering before I have to make a final decision about where I'm going next year.
3. My high school oriented goal is to maintain my grades for this last semester at BETA while keeping up with my extracurriculars and dedicating more of my time to my leadership positions, as boring as that sounds.
4. Speaking of my extracurriculars, I need to get back into the competitor mindset that I had last year and get interested in my events for BPA and TSA as Regionals for both are fast approaching.
5. My final goal, and the only dedicated to actual fun, is to finally take the time to really learn how to use the Canon Rebel that I got over a year ago, despite the fact that I really don't want to let go of my Power Shot.