Code Name Verity

 Wein, E. (2012). Code name Verity (p. 441). New York: Hyperion.

 Characters:

• Julie (AKA Verity, Queenie Scott)
• Maddie (AKA Kittyhawk)
• Fraulein Anna Engel
• Jamie Beaufort-Stuart
• Paul

Theme(s):

Spies, Friendship, World War, Fear, Nazi

Summary:

Julie is the main character.  She is a British spy and her best friend Maddie is a pilot.  Their plane crashes in Nazi occupied France. Julie (Verity) is captured by the Gestapo and is forced to confess the British mission or be killed. Maddie, on the other hand, is in France and is assisted by the "Resistance". The "Resistance" help Maddie find Julie. They are planning an ambush to release Julie.  The ambush goes wrong and Julie tells Maddie to kill her, so she is not tortured by the Nazis. 

The story is told in two parts - first part in the "confession" Julie.  Julie writes the friendship between her and Maddie. The second part is from Maddie's perceptive. At the end of the story, these letters are given to Maddie and they turn out to be false but they contain coded instructions to destroy the Ormaie Gestapo headquarters.

One of the major strengths of the book is female empowerment. Generally, the media (movies, books, TV shows. etc.) will have a strong male character. In this case, the author has two strong and courageous female characters. The books has Maddie would rides motorcycles and see an airplane and knows she can fly it. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian

Alexie, S., & Forney, E. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian (p. 230). New York: Little, Brown.

Main Characters:

• ·         Arnold Spirit (Junior)
• ·         Rowdy (Arnold’s best friend)
• ·         Mom and Dad
• ·         Mary (Sister)
• ·         Grandma
• ·         Coach
• ·         Gordy
• ·         Penelope (Arnold’s girlfriend)
• ·         Roger

Themes: Poverty, Race, Friendship, Love and Identity

Summary:  Arnold Spirit is a boy that lives on the reservation (rez).  He was born with cerebral spinal fluid in his brain.  At school, he finds his mother’s name in a geometry textbook.  He gets to frustrated he throws the book at Mr. P’s face.  After school, Mr. P talks to Arnold and tells him he needs to leave the reservation to experience live and to never give up. The following day, Arnold transfer schools, Reardan which is a twenty-two mile drive. Rowdy and the other reservation Indians shun him for leaving.

Arnold does not receive a warm welcomed at Reardan, a primarily white school. Arnold feels like a part-time Indian since he lives two lives; one at the reservation and one at Reardan. Arnold tries out for the basketball team and makes varsity.  He has never been good at anything, so this is a major confidence boost. The first game of the season is against Wellpinit, his old school. They lose because Rowdy is such a good player. The team has another opportunity to play them again the in the finals. They win! During the summer, Arnold and Rowdy reconcile and play a game of basketball.  Here Rowdy says Arnold is a nomad Indian; meaning he leaves to different places to find food or water.

Lesson: The audience that the book is intended for is young adults because the book addresses issues teens are going through, such as awkwardness and the desire the leave. Due to the loss of his loved ones, Arnold has an epiphany of self acceptance. He realizes he is not only an Indian, he is many things. 

YA Lit: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska: A novel (p. 256). New York: Dutton Children's Books.

Main Characters:

• ·         Miles (Pudge)
• ·         Alaska
• ·         Chip (Colonel)
• ·         Takumi
• ·         Lara

Themes: Friendship, Love and Grief

Summary:  Miles goes to boarding school, Culver Creek, to seek the “Great Perhaps”. He meets his roommate Chip and he introduces him to Alaska. Alaska is an avid reader and asks Miles “What is the labyrinth” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. In religion class, Dr Hyde (Old Man) poses their final exam question – “What is the most important question human beings must answer?”

Alaska dies from a fatal car crash. Chip, Takumi and Miles try to find out why she would drive drunk in the middle of the night. In the end, Miles answers Alaska’s question. “We have to forgive to survive in the labyrinth.”

Lesson:  You cannot change the past, so you must put in behind you. The only person you control is yourself.  True friends will always support and love you.

YA Lit: Speak by Laurie H. Anderson

Anderson, L. (1999). Speak (p. 200). New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Characters:

• Melinda – Main Character
• Rachel/Rachelle – Ex-BFF; Foreign-exchange friend
• Ivy – Ex-Friend, Art Class Companion
• Mr. Neck – History & ISS Teacher
• Mr. Freeman – Art Teacher
• David – Lab partner
• Heather – New friend, Ex-friend and “Martha”
• Brendan Keller (Basketball Pole) – Melinda helps him with foul shots
• Andy Evans (IT) – Rapist

Theme(s): Friendship, Rape, Pain, Suffering, Growth

Summary: Melinda is a freshman at Merryweather High School. She doesn't speak but has vivid thoughts and imagination. She doesn't have any friends because of a summer party.  Her old friends, Ivy, Nicole and Rachel/Rachelle have found new cliques.  Melinda does not mention what occurred at the party but that the cops were called.  Everyone hates her. Her only escape is her closet and Mr. Freeman’s art class. Melinda later reveals that she was raped by a senior, Andy Evans.  This is why everyone hates her because she called the cops for help.  This is why she does not speak, failing her classes and introverted. 

As she finds her niche, art class, she becomes more confident.  Melinda even gave a women suffrage speech. Melinda finds out her ex-friend Rachel/Rachelle is dating Andy.  She tells Rachel/Rachelle what Andy did.  Rachel thinks it’s jealously. Andy confronts her on the last day of school and tries to rape Melinda again in her closet.  This time she fights and gets a piece of glass to his throat. Thankfully, the lacrosse team hears them and bangs on the door.  At the end, she is vindicated and confides her story to Mr. Freeman.  

My Response: I think Speak is intended for young women; aging from 13-18 year old. One of the strengthens of the book is to empowering rape or abuse victims to speak about their experiences.  Once Melinda saw Rachel/Rachelle as a victim, she decided to share her experience. 

Mining PEW - How Teens Do Research in the Digital World

Buchanan, J., Chen, C., Friedrick, L., Heaps, A., Jacklin, A., Purcell, K., Rainie, L., & Zickuhr, K. (2012, November 1). How Teens Do Research in the Digital World. Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Student-Research 

In the articles, I have learned that students are "self-sufficient researchers" when in comes to surfing the internet. I also found interesting that a large percentages of teachers felt their student could access the information that they need quickly. The study also found that a majority of teacher felt the internet and technology, in general, made it hard for students to find credible resources and that a class should be offered that focuses on digital literacy. 

One statement made an impression on me, it say 87% of technology is created for users with a short attention span.  It is so true! I think of all of the social media website and Google. My student want the information now and they do not want to wait. I have also noticed they want everything to be given to them without putting any afford into the work. They rather copy off of another student than looking for the information themselves. When I have done research projects, I also tell my students to find website that cannot be edited my a random person, like Wikipedia.  

I thought it was interesting that the research was on teachers who teacher AP and NWP.  I wish they would have compared that number to students who are taking regular education classes. At my campus, we have about 25% of the taking advanced classes and it would have been interested to see if the numbers would compare. 

115 pages out of 150

Mining PEW - Cell Internet Use

Duggan, M. & Smith, A. (2013, September 16). Cell Internet Use 2013. Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Cell-Internet.aspx

In the article, I have learned that a large percentage, 63%, of cell phone owners are using their phones to access the internet.  I also learned that education and income play a factor in the cell phone internet usage.  Individuals with a high school diploma and that make less than 35, 00, tend to use their phones more to access the internet.  I wondered why that was the case.  I find myself using my phone to Google something. Then I thought, maybe this population cannot afford a computer or a internet provider.

I feel like the study was incorrect in say that individuals with higher education do not access the internet on their phone as much then individuals with a high school diploma. I feel the number is much higher because they study states that 91% of American own a cell phone. I do not feel the numbers match.


15 pages out of 150

Mining PEW - Teens, Smartphones and Texting

Lenhart, Amanda. (2012, March 19). Teens, Smartphones & Texting. Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.  http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Teens-and-smartphones.aspx

In the article, I have learned that teens are using their smartphones to communicate with others, through text messages, more than making phone calls. Males and African - Americans are leading the way. There is a correlation between teens that send text messages and those who talk on the phone. In the survey, about one fourth of teens who have smartphones also have parents who hold a higher education degree. 

It was interesting to see that one of out twenty teens are "checking in" through social media outlets like Twitter. I thought the number would be higher especially at a younger age than 17 years old. I feel teens are unable to have real conversations because they are used to texting.  I have noticed a lot of my students are "text writing" and are unable to spell simple words like are.  



34 pages out of 150