Assignment 7

PenPal News Final Project Options:

1. Interview someone important to you. Use questions from this website to get you started.

Write up: 1) a summary of what the person said in the interview 2) what surprised you and what interested you most about you learned.

2. Write an opinion piece about a current event or an issue in your community or the world.Describe what is happening, how you feel about it and why.

You can read about things happening near you on these websites:
Taipei Times - Taiwan
Taiwan Today - Taiwan
The Slovenia Times - Slovenia

You can read about things happening around the world on these websites:
Yahoo World
CNN
BBC

3. Write an article about where you live.
Is there an event coming up? Is a big change happening?
What’s something interesting or challenging that your community is going through?
Describe:
What is happening? / What has happened? / What will happen?
Where it is happening? / Where has it happened? / Where will it happen?
Who is involved? / Who was involved? / Who will be involved?
Why is it happening? / Why did it happen? / Why will it happen?
Talk to people about your topic and write about what they said and how you feel about it.

4. Write about an issue that you discussed with your penpal. 
What is the issue?
Write what your penpal felt about it
Write what you originally thought about it
If your thoughts changed, write about why they did
If your thoughts didn’t change, write about why they didn’t

5. Write a personal news story. You can write about something that happened to you recently that was funny, sad, weird or surprising. (Must be appropriate for school) 

After you’ve finished this assignment, please complete this short survey about PenPal News.

HW#6 Tina

I think that it's true, that their peers are nice. But it's possiblle that they could be lying. My peers are always nice to me.
I have never expirienced bullying. Iv'e seen it in school when boys were fighting or teasing someone. But it happens very rarely.
I am on social networking sites. I am not friends with my parents, beacuse they don't use social networking sites. Though my mom doesn't really like me using it.

HW#6 Katja

1. I think that we should chat only with people we know and not with strangers because it can be very dangerous. Sometimes older people pretend they are teenagers and teenagers believe them. Then they ask to meet and they may not be the ones who described themselves as. Many teenagers were abused or raped beacuse of that so I think we all should be careful.

2. My schoolmate had a friend on Facebook and they were chating every day but nobody knew this person. I started to worry about the situation, it was very weird but my friend didn't listen to me. It turned out that I was right. Fortunately, nothing bad happened to my friend.

3. Yes, I am on Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, Formspring and Tumblr. My parents are also my friends on Facebook, but sometimes I have to lock my wall or photos for them. They don't like social networking because they think it's dangerous and they worry that something will happen to me.

4. Are you on Facebook? If you are, do you accept everyone who add you as friend or just people you know? Is social networking popular in Taiwan? Do you friends all have computers at home?

HW#6 Petja

1 In my opinion that is true. I know that if any of my friends are not being nice on social networks, there just goofing off. But like always there are some exceptions. And if teenagers are being rude that’s their parents fault or something from their past, maybe somebody bullied him in the past, and he or she just wanted to get back at somebody. But every person is different so there is the same number of reasons why as there is teenagers that are not being kind on social networks.
2 That is actually lower number that I would expect. But is great that it isn’t higher and I hope that it gets even lover over the next years. I must say that I’ve never been bullied over the internet and I don’t know anyone that would be. To me it’s not even logical how could that happen, I mean if you are being bullied over the, let say Facebook, why don’t you just block the one that is being rude? What can he do then?
3 Yes, on a lot actually. I’m on Facebook, Netlog, twitter, YouTube, and a lot of others too. I have my mum as friend on Facebook. But I fixed it so she have limited access to my profile or pictures,.. They don’t have anything against them. At least they never said anything to me. But it’s true that I never asked them if I could registrate for them. They knew anyway.
4 Hej iris,.. Yes I like my country. It’s not big but it has a lot of different things to do. Sometimes. But not always. The hardest thing it’s to study for tests.
Shelly you asked if is everything orderly in Slovenia,. No not everything,. We still have some rivers that need to be clean and i think that our politicians aren't the best.. But mostly yes. If you mean the traditional food, I don’t think so but there is people that would disagree with me.
So what do you like the most about your country.?
And is what’s your favorite place in your town.?

HW#6 Tiona

1. I think that peers are kind on social networing sites. It may happen that someone rude talks to you on diffrent networing sites but this doesn't happen very offten to me. If someone would talk to me like this I would ignore him or I would block him.
2. Luckly I don't have experience with bullying on network sites. And I don't know anoyone who was bullying in past 12 months or earlier. I also hope that it won't happen to me.
3. Yes, I am on many social networing sites. No I'm not friend with my parents. Well once we were friends but now we are not any more. My parents are fine with social networks but they remind me all the time that it could be dangerous because of people who pretend to be a teenager but they didn't.
4. Is your capital city very big and developed on small and not so developed?
Do you have many natural attraction?

HW#6 Tjasa

1. I think that's not true. Some people are very rude. They share rude comments and judge people.
2. I saw many bullying on internet. It was nothing special... insulting and so on. It never happend to me.
3. Yes I'm ''friend'' with my mom on facebook. I have nothing to hide from her. Also I have other family members for friends. I never accept anyone who I don't know.

HW#6 Marija

I have never experienced bullying before, but I heard a lot about it. I think I was lucky. I think it is just horrible and pointless. Well today taht doesn't surprise me because today so many teenagers use internet on the unsave way. Yeah I have facebook and things like that on the internet like most of my friends does but I keep myself save. I don't have people that I don't know for "friends". Well my parents don't like the social networking. I think they don't know much about the internet because they don't use it. They really care about my safety. Well have you or any of your friends experienced something like that? Do you have facebook or something like it? Have you ever experienced braking in into your profile?

HW#6 Gregor

I think on social networks people are usually nice. But there are some people with bad intensions and they want to bully others. There are many fake profiles, so they can bully without people knowing who they really are. There are some programs where people can hack social networks and write bad stuff and people think the real users wrote it.

Yes, I have seen bullying on many social networks. People hacked profile of my friend. They wrote some things which aren't real and my friend was very ashamed and angry. I have seen many fake profiles too. Some people I know created it so they could bully one girl. I think people become mean when they can write anonymously. They write really mean and bad stuff about others.

Yes I am on some networking sites. I think people should be careful with what they write. Some teens employ privacy settings on social networks, so their parents can only see some of photos and posts. I am friend with my parents on some of those sites. My parents don't like those networking sites, but they still use them, so they can chat with their co-workers.

What do you think about those networking sites where people can write anonymously? What do you think about hackers?

HW#6 Matjaz

1. I don't have any problems with social networks. I can simply ignore people, who are idiots and want to insult me. But i have problems with account security because i've been hacked (on FB).

2. Yes, they are bullying all the time. They argue about football or basketball and, in some cases about nationality. Most of the internet "fights" are also transfered to the real life.

3. I am on Facebook (you can add me as a friend if you are too. I'm Matjaž Razdrih). I use FB because all of my friends also use it. I don't have problems with "annoying" parents, because they don't use computer. But i have some teachers as friends.

4. Are you on FB? Do you play any PC games?

HW#6 Gasper

1. Yes i think they are kind. I pearsonaly have never expirienced and bullying whatsoever.

2. I have never expirienced bullying because i always had my friends standing by me. Ive seen bullying happen over TV but not really pearsonaly (atleast not many times)

3. Yes i am on facebook and i am friends with my dad and sister. He doesnt really like facebook so he isnt on it much.

HW#6 Sara

1.) I agree that are many teenagers on social networking sites. Each of them has different reason to use social networking sites. Many of them I think chat with other peers or something like that.

2.) I have never experienced so far bullying. But I have seen bullying happening to person. But it wasn't so big and the consequences haven’t been terrible.

3.) Yes, I am on social networking sites. I mostly chat with my friends. Only my dad has this social networking site and I have him for my friend. They don't agree so much.

4.) Have you computers at home?

HW#6 Peter

1. It's good because teenagers can comunicate with each other but it's not good because some peopple were target of mean behavor.
2. No i didn't experience bullying.
3. Yes i am on facebook and formspring and i am friend with my mom. They think its good because you can comunicate with all peopple around the world and peopple that you know but they are living to far to go visit them.
4. I would like to know how long do you stay in school and if facebook is very popular in Taiwan?

HW#6 Anja

1. I think that this is not true because a lot of teenagers insult others on the internet. But you don't have to be 'friend' on facebook with people like that.
2. I saw many bullyings on internet but I don't remember that anything like that happend to me.
3. Yes I have facebook but I don't have my parents on it because they don't have it, I'm only "friend" with other familly members and my friends. But my parents trust me so they don't feel bad about social networking.
4. What would you do if anything like that would happend to you?

HW#6 Blaz

1. I think that a lot of people get bullyed but social networks are of vital importance to our society. Bullying is bad but we should not blame it on social networks because without the we would have a hard time connecting with each other.

2. My friend experienced bullying. Luckely it was nothig serious and we found out who did it and took care of him... I personaly have nothing experienced bullying and I hope I dont.

3. Yes I on soncial networks. I do not have my parents as my friends becaus neither of them has facebook. But if they had it I would have no problem ading them.

HW#6 Emilija

I would partly agree with that. I think people start being mean when they can be anonymous so that no one knows who they are and then they start writing things that they really think and feel about that person they're writing to (for example Formspring). But besides that I think teenagers that are online behave ok and respectly to other peers.

I have never experienced bullying on social networking sites. I have seen it when my friends were bullyed. Some unknown people wrote bad stuff and mean things about them. Or they break in a profile and write things so they ashame the person.

Yes, I'm on social networking sites. I'm not a friend with my parents on these sites just with my siblings, other relatives and my friends. My parents think that I should be very careful at posting photos, posts and so on...

I wrote you two questions before in assignment 5 but it wasn't posted. I asked you if you like living in Taiwan or would you rather live somewhere else and what music do you listen to.

Answers to Eric: There aren't many famous places in Slovenia. The most popular is Ljubljana which is the capital city. We have delicous food but we just cook that at special moments like holidays or something like that.

Answers to Kiki: I would say that people in Slovenia travel a lot. I mean I am ;) If we don't travel far we go to neighbour countries like Italy, Croatia, Hungary and Austria. My favorite country is Spain because I really liked island Mallorca.

HW#5 Tina

It helps the children to navigate obstecle courses and using their abilities to recognise various sounds, materials and smels. It has a special path for better orientation in space. The blind and weeksighted learn how to avoid obstacles in their way.
The goverment helps in many ways. for example the traffic lights and buses are adjusted for the blind.
I think It would be horrible to be visually-disabled. But I would learn to live and adjust to it.My familly would always be there and help me, but as for my friends, only the truest ones will do so.

 

Is anyone in your family?
Have you ever offered help to a visually-disabled person?

 

Is anyone Visually-disabled in your family? *

HW#5 Katja

1. This garden helps blind and weak-sighted children develop their senses through touching, smelling and hearing different things. Children are also training their orientation on special paths, that teaches them how to avoid obstacles when walking.

2. Our country is helping disabled people in many ways. Disabled people who cannot work, receive special payments. Country also encourages companies to employ disabled people on special jobs. There are a lot of organizations and schools for disabled people which help them join, help and gather special funds.

3. I imagine visually-disabled life would be very difficult. I would have to go so special school and at home my family would have to help me. It would be very hard or impossible to get independent one day and live on my own.

4. How does your country takes care of disabled people? Do you think society accepts and helps them more today, than it did in the past?

HW#5 Tiona

1. This garden help visually-disabled children for better orientation in the place. They also learn how to avoid opsticales wich can sudenlly appear in their way.
2. In this garden blind children can touch, smell and feel the things taht they can't see. I think this is very nice because I don't imagine the life without vision.
3. If I would be visually-disabled my familiy and friends would help me. We have very good relationship and nothing can't change that. Not even that I could not see.
4. Is anyone in your familiy visually-disabled?
Did you ever help someone blind?

HW#5 Gasper

1. The garden helps visualy challenged by helping them trough the spaces in the obstacle course. Helping them is a very nice thing i belive because that way we can assist the people that are less fortunate than we are.

2. Our gouvermant and the charity organizatons where people learn about the people that arent like them. They raise money to help them and build schools and other buildings that can make a better life for them.

3. I think that being visually disabled is very hard because you can't see the things that are beautifull such as natural atractions, tv shows and such so i think it would be very very hard. I think that the true friends and family wouldn't treat me any worse beacuse of that.

HW#5 Tjasa

1. This garden helps visually-disabled children to reconize things. It also helps them to walk alone. Those people also help them to accept that they are visually-disabled and teach them how to live like others do.
2. In my town where I live there are people who help visually-disabled children and they spend a lot of time with them. Some of them also have special dogs to help them across the crowded street.
3. I can not imagine. I think my wish would be to see my parents and friends.

HW#5 Marija

They are holding their abilities to recognize sounds, materials and smells. This garden was made for sharping the senses. It helps children a lot because they learn how to avoid opsticals. They prepare children for more independent future. I think it is really nice to have that park, because it is very helpful for people who are not able see or hear. This is very good for them because I think it is horrible not to see or hear. If I wouldn't see or hear my family would help me a lot. I think relationships between my friends wouldn't change, because they I really good persons and they always help me. I would like to know how does relationships looks like in Taiwan.

HW#5 Gregor

1. This garden helps blind and weak-sighted children to recognize things. It also helps them to develop their other senses with touching, hearing and smelling. They can train their orientation on special designed paths, which train them how to avoid obstacles when walking.

2. People in Slovenia are helping visually-disabled people in many ways. We give special payments to those people, who can't work. We also try to hired disabled people on special jobs. We have a lot of organizations and schools for disabled people which help them join, help and gather special funds.

3. I think being visually-disabled is difficult. I would need to go so special school. I think it wouldn't change my relationship with family, but my family would have to help me. I think living on my own would be very difficult or almost impossible.

4. Do you know anyone who is visually-disabled? How does your country take care of visually-disabled children?

HW#5 Matjaz

1. It helps rekognizing the surroundings.

2. It can install ramps for wheelchairs and special traffic lights with sound machines.

3. I don't think it would be nice thing to be. My relationsips would change for sure.

4. Do you often play football in Taiwan? What about Basketball?

HW#5 Gasper

1. The garden helps visualy challenged by helping them trough the spaces in the obstacle course. Helping them is a very nice thing i belive because that way we can assist the people that are less fortunate than we are.

2. Our gouvermant and the charity organizatons where people learn about the people that arent like them. They raise money to help them and build schools and other buildings that can make a better life for them.

3. I think that being visually disabled is very hard because you can't see the things that are beautifull such as natural atractions, tv shows and such so i think it would be very very hard. I think that the true friends and family wouldn't treat me any worse beacuse of that.

HW#5 Sara

1.) In this garden visually-disablend children can learn how to see with senses. It helps those children to awoids opticals. With this help they can live almost normal life.

2.) There are special schools for them. And what you can se thic garden is here.

3.)I is hard i think. But when you are one of them you get used to. They most learn to live life as normally as possible. Family will always be with you and good friends too.

4.) Do you have any relatives or friends like those children?

HW#5 Peter

1. Garden helps them to imagine the world how does it look like. Evin know that they cant see they can still touch things and they can imagine the shape of the subject that is standing next to him.

2. In slovenia we adjusted our busses so now can evin disabled peopple go on the bus and ride with it, we have sound effects on trafic ligths and we have diferent school for disabled peopple.

3. I think to be a visually-disabled person is realy hard because i wouldnt be able to see a beautiful ladys or a beautiful nature or my friends i could only make a face of my friens inside my head from my information of touch. It would be harder to get friends because usualy peopple dont like very diferent peopple.

4. Have you ever been in europe before? Did you ever tried european food and if you did did you like it?

HW#5 Matic

The garden help children for better orientation and normel life. They are walking around the garden which have some barriers and they must cross them.

In my city there are some goverment and voluntary groups like Karitas, Red cross, Unicef,...Many people are working in this groups. Our family usually give them toys, clothes, food,..

If I will be blind I think that my family and friends will help me, because they love me and they care for me.

HW#5 Anja

This garden helps visually-disabled children to reconize things. It also helps them to walk alone. Those people also help them to accept that they are visually-disabled and teach them how to live like others do.
In my town where I live there are people who help visually-disabled children and they spend a lot of time with them. Some of them also have special dogs to help them across the crowded street.
I don't know if I can exactly imagine how it would be like to be visually-disabled but I think it wouldn't change my relationship with family but for friends I don't know. I rhink the most important is to acept people who are different and be there for them. Even if they're visually disabled that still doesn't change their personality.

HW#5 Blaz

1. The garden helps visualy challenged by teaching them to navigate trough space and avoid objects in their way. I think its very important that we are helping those that are not as fortunate as we are.

2. It organizes evets in wich we raise awernes. We have special institutions that people can go to for shelter. We also collect money and clothing for them.

3.I think being visually-disabled is hard becaus people some times treat you like a leser man. But I think that my relationship with my friend would change but they woul stay loyal to me and not turn their back on me.

HW# 6 Jenny

1.- I think more and more people surf the social networking sites. I think maybe the  teenagers are the major part on them. In the future, it is necessary to teach teenagers how to use the social networking sites politely.

2.- I don’t have any experienced about bullying in past twelve month. Nan Jung Junior High School is a safe place, and I have never heard of bullying in my campus.

3.- I don’t have any social networking sites. Because I can’t play computer, my mother gives me limited time to play computer. So I don’t have social networking sites.

4.- What do you think maybe have more and more bullying in Taiwan?

    Does Slovenia have a lot of teenagers have social networking sites?

I think so. It happened in many places in Taiwan. I think they have some social networking sites, too.

Assignment 6

ASSIGNMENT #6

Read this article about a study about bullying on social networks. Answer the following questions in the box below (write at least 3 sentences for each one):
1. The study says that two thirds of teenagers say their peers are mostly kind on social networking sites. What do you think?
2. The study says that 12 percent of teens have experienced bullying in the past 12 months. Have you ever experienced bullying or seen bullying happening? If you did, what happened?
3. Are you on any social networking sites? Are you “friends” with your parents on these site? How do your parents feel about social networking?
4. Ask your penpal two questions about anything else you’d like to know about life in Taiwan or Slovenia

Assignment: Assignment #5

Instructions:

This week you’ll be learning about a special garden that was built in Ljubljana, Slovenia for visually impaired children.

Watch a video about the garden here.

Answer the following questions in the box below (write at least 3 sentences for each one):

1. How does the garden help visually-disabled children?

2. The garden is one example of the government helping disabled people. How else does the government help disabled people where you live?

3. What do you think it would be like to be visually-disabled? How do you think it would change your relationships with your family and friends?

4. Answer the questions your penpal asked you last week and ask your penpal two more questions.

Assignment 5, a garden built for visually-disabled students

Okay. I actually found something else that I found interesting about a garden built for visually-disabled students in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where your student's penpals are from.  

http://www.cnn.com/video/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_freevideo+%28RSS%3A+Video%29#/video/international/2011/06/03/wv.seeing.other.senses.cnn

I think it is something both groups might enjoy and might spark some interesting conversations.