Worth 40 points-- 20 for a strong post, and 20 for a strong reply.
- What is your name, the place you live, and your history with homeschooling and/or Horizon.
- What is your favorite recent read? Why?
- What is your favorite all-time read? Why?
- List two colleges that you are interested in attending and the lowest AP score that they'll take to give you credit for your AP exam.
- What makes you most apprehensive about this class?
- What makes you most excited about this class?
To kick things off, I'll just answer questions 2 and 3. You, of course, need to answer all of them, but I'm bossy like that. :-) My favorite recent read would have to be Ready, Player One by Earnest Cline. (And yes, I'm deeply troubled that I can't italicize or underline that book title!) It wasn't deep literature, but it was a fun sci-fi game-within-a-story that brought back all kinds of 80's cultural memories. I went from 7th grader to college grad during the 80's, so all of the movies, music, computer history, old video games and clothing/slang make me wax nostalgic! Asking for an all-time favorite book is like asking for my all-time favorite child. Not fair. If I had to choose one, it would be The Sound and the Fury by Faulkner. I love complex character development and enjoy books that use stream of consciousness to jump around and make me work to understand.
ReplyDeleteI am Bailey Lewis. I live in Roseville, CA and I was homeschool in Elementary and started with Horizon's RAMSE program in 7th grade.
ReplyDeleteRecently I read Wicked by Gregory Maguire as well as Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley. I liked Wicked because of its excellent attention to detail, you actually felt as if you were in Oz. I enjoyed Parnassus on Wheels because it was full of Allusions to other classic literature and philosophy books. My favorite all time read is Pride and Predjudice by Jane Austen. I read it for the first time in 8th grade and fell in love with the characters (especially Mr. Darcy) and have been obsessed with Austen's writing ever since.
I am interesting in Vanguard University of Southern California and Biola University. They both will take 3's on the AP test. (I recently visited Vanguard, my top choice, and they confirmed that.)
I had a bad experience with previous AP English Teachers, so AP English is a little daunting.
I am very excited to reread Frankenstein and Jane Eyre.
I LOVED Wicked, Bailey! I had to look up vocabulary words-- and not many books can make me do that. I'll have to check out Parnassus on Wheels.
DeleteI had once read Wicked as well but the book got irritating because I had to use a dictionary on almost every page to understand what on earth they were saying. What is the book Parnassus on Wheels about?
DeleteI am also a fan of Wicked (the book). I read it before I watched the musical, which I was glad of because they are substantially different. I really liked the book because, though it included mature content, it was a refreshing intellectual break partly due to the aforementioned unique vocabulary. It was an original and interesting twist on the seemingly innocent land of Oz.
DeleteMy name is Elisabeth Cris and I live in Roseville. I began attending Horizon last year just before RAMSE was shut down and turned into VLI.
ReplyDeleteI very recently finished reading The Catcher in the Rye and absolutely loved it. Holden Caulfield is such a relatable, though frustrating, character. Salinger created an amazing story through use of strong tone/diction. All of my all-time favorite books happen to be ones that I was forced to read for school. This tends to happen because I always appreciate a piece of work more after deeply analyzing it. The Kite Runner is my #1 top read because it contains so much emotion. Any book that can make me cry like that will definitely make the cut.
Though I am still exploring my options, San Diego State and Humboldt University have caught my eye. They both accept 3's on the AP Literature exam for college credit.
The only thing that worries me about this class is that it is online. I have yet to experience a successful online AP English class experience. Other than that, I look forward to this class! Although I have already read Jayne Eyre and Frankenstein, I hope that we will be able to go more in depth with them. I also eagerly await the poetry unit.
Looks like then you will be a good partner for the whole poetry unit. I completely failed that whole unit last year. My mind just does not interpret the proper meaning of a poem.
DeleteI agree with Dustin. I am not very good with poetry and I worry about that unit. I have troubles interpreting the right meaning behind the poetry as well. I would love to understand poetry because people who do understand it seem to really enjoy it. I, too, enjoy stories that make me cry. I love to feel the rush of emotions for the characters that skilled authors can bring to life.
DeleteHave you seen the trailer for the new movie on Salinger? It looks good!
DeleteI just watched it! It does look very good :)
DeleteHello! My name is Dustin A. McCoy I currently live in Lincoln, California at P. Sherman 42, Wallaby Way, Sydney. So go ahead and come on over its one big party over here. I have been attending Horizon Charter School since seventh grade starting at Lincoln Montessori and then moving on to RAMSE until its brutal end and stayed through the rough transition over to the online high school atmosphere. My absolute favorite read is a tough question to answer and as it could be a number of different books. When I think of my favorite book three come to mind, Stephen King ,Cell, Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughter House-Five, and James Paterson’s, Kiss the Girls (all three of these books are the most recent ones I have read). I am sure we are not supposed to pick all three as my favorite all time read but being a high school rebel ill choose all three of them only because I enjoy books with lots of bloodshed and with a depressing story line and those three immediately got my attention in the first five pages. Two collages I would go to if money were no option would be Berkley or UC Davis both of them require you to score a minimum of a three on your AP test for them to give you credit for the course. What makes me very apprehensive about taking this particular class is that I have no idea who the teacher is. I am not sure what she expects from me or how she does things because every teacher runs their class rooms in their own unique way. Already just typing this I have come across problems this is the second time I had to retype this because my lovely computer felt it needed to restart while I was working on this. With that being said things will happen and I hope you will be willing to help us online kids work through technical problems because they do happen and are extremely frustrating on our end. Anyways I am excited to take this course, I hope to learn lots, and end my senior year strong.
ReplyDeleteI agree that having a new teacher makes me nervous. We will have to get a feel for how they run their class, and how they grade work. Adjusting to this new AP class will be hard at first, but in a month or two, will probably be no problem.
DeleteAlso, I hope there will not be too many technical difficulties this year! Its always a huge bummer when your laptop shuts down or when there is no Wi-Fi. It is nice that Mrs. B offers class face to face as well, in case someone can't get online or needs extra help.
P.S. Dustin, I like the finding nemo reference in the beginning of your comment
1) My name is Haley Smithee and I live in Plumas Lake, California. I have been home schooled since the middle of 8th grade and have been with Horizon the whole time.
ReplyDelete2)My favorite recent read would definitely be Saints and Soldiers by Jeffery Scott. I love to read about historical events and especially those of war. Saints and soldiers is a dramatization based on the Malmedy Massacre and the few that survived.
3)I love To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I love the story line and the relationship between the characters that Harper Lee creates makes it almost feel real.
4)I'm not really sure on any colleges yet. I am thinking about U.C. Davis because I am planning on becoming a doctor. They will accept a 3.
5)The thing that makes me most apprehensive about this class is just doing it through VLI. I have never liked how VLI is set up and prefer Apex.
6)The thing that makes me most excited about this class is that I've gone through it before. I kind of have an idea of whats going to happen and what to expect from the class. I am also excited to be taking an AP class again to help me better my future.
I realized I only put one college when asked for two. My other choice would be to go to Baylor University and they require a 4.
DeleteHaley~
DeleteI also enjoyed reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I too appreciated the emphasis that the author had in creating relationships between the characters.
What an exciting field that you want to go in to! I plan on becoming an OB nurse, working in Labor and Delivery. Do you know, specifically, what department you might want to be a Doctor in?
Blessings~
Lindsey Rogers
We had a good Apex run together, didn't we? This is work too!
DeleteLindsey-
DeleteI am not quite sure, I'm still exploring my options. I have it down to either a Pediatrician or a Medic.
Mrs. Breckenridge-
Yes, last year was a great class and you were a very helpful and patient teacher.
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DeleteHi Haley,
DeleteI remember enjoying To Kill a Mockingbird last year, right before I read The Great Gatsby, definitely a good read.
I can relate to your feelings about VLI, I think it's a new program and a great vessel for learning, but the constant changes can be confusing. Hopefully this year will be a great experience for us both.
My name is Lindsey Rogers and I currently live in Pollock Pines. I began homeschooling in the 2nd grade and continued through 6th grade. For Jr. High I attended Charter University Prep. Upon completing the first three months of my freshman year, I returned to Horizon.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite recent read was The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I enjoyed the literary concepts used by the author as well as the intriguing story line. Because of my deep study with The Great Gatsby, I would also say thas this is one of my all time favorite novels. Fitzgerald has a way of capturing the moment and alluring the reader to look beyond the words and search for deeper meaning.
I am still in the process of determining what college I would like to attend, but both Belmont and Biola University interest me. Belmont requires a minimum AP score of 4 and Biola requires a minimum of 3.
I am most apprehensive about the online perspective of this class. I have never taken an online English course, but I am eager to step out of my comfort zone and advance my course of learning!
Thank you to Mrs. Breckenridge for taking the time to teach us and grow our understanding in literature and composition!
Blessings~ Lindsey Rogers
Hello there! I also recently read The Great Gatsby. I mostly did it because my parents have a rule, which is that I and my siblings must read the book before seeing a movie based off of it.
DeleteI loved the Great Gatsby! The online class is always scary at first, but as long as the teacher answers questions and concerns promptly, its fairly straight forward.
DeleteLindsey, I could not help but notice that you are interested in attending Biola University in southern California. My sister attended there and my brother will be a junior this year. I have heard some of the professors from there speak and they are brilliant!
DeleteIf you love to read, the Torrey Honors program at Biola is an excellent choice for you! Its not a major, but more of a great books program. The students in that program spend hours reading and discussing books and writings of numerous well-known authors and philosophers. I know several people who chose Biola for the Torrey Honors program because they like digging deep into what they read.
I know you said that you enjoyed reading Fitzgerald as he took you deep into his book. This reminds me of how the students in Torrey Honors feel. Maybe you should look into it.
1) Hi My name is Sarah Fazzino. I live in Roseville California. I came to Horizon two years ago, in order to have more time to focus on my dancing. I first went to RAMSE, but now I am doing almost all of my classes online.
ReplyDelete2) My favorite recent read is The City of Bones, which is now a movie that I can't wait to see this weekend! I love reading books and then seeing the story come to life on the big screen.
3) My favorite all-time read is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I read it twice this summer! I love easy reads that I am able to easily picture in my mind, and sometimes relate to the characters.
4) Because I do not want to leave my hometown anytime soon, two collages that I am considering are Sac State and William Jessup. Before that I will most likely go to Sierra College for two years and then transfer over. The minimum AP score Sierra requires is a 3. For Sac State and William Jessup, the minimum is also a 3.
5) The thing that makes me the most apprehensive about this class is reading Shakespeare. In the past when I studied Shakespeare, it was hard for me to interpret and understand the storyline.
6) I am excited to see how watching classes that are not live will work, because that is new for me. I am also excited to pace myself with work and NOT procrastinate ;)
Spelling Error! .... under number 4, its colleges :)
DeleteI love the Fault in Our Stars! I read it last year and I'm so excited that they are making a movie. John Green is my favorite author.
DeleteThough I didn't mention it in my post, I am also planning on attending Sierra for two years to finish my General Ed before transferring to a state school.
I too am very apprehensive about reading Shakespeare. I've always had difficulty understanding the language, though I enjoyed Romeo and Juliet.
Sarah! I picked The Fault in Our Stars as my favorite read before even reading your response! I agree with the Shakespeare thing, I have difficulty with him as well but hopefully I'll learn how to better my interpretation skills. I'm planning on going to community college too, Folsom Lake though seeing as it's closer to home:)
Delete1. My name is Chris Johnson.I live in Rocklin, CA. I have been in the Horizon Schools since 6th grade. For 6-8 I was part of ALA, for 9-10 I was part of the RAMSE High School.
ReplyDelete2. My favorite recent read was Guns, Germs, and Steel. I forget who the author is. It is my favorite because it outlines human history, and why certain societies formed separate from each other.
3. My favorite read currently is Animal Farm. Again, I forget who the author is.
4. BYU & BYU Idaho both take 3s.
5. I think by biggest fear about this class is not having teacher support through live sessions.
6. I am excited about reading Shakespeare! Can I get extra credit for memorizing Hamlet's soliloquy?
Hi Christopher-- Guns, Germs and Steel is a great book. If you like reading about history, you might try any of Sarah Vowell's books. She's got one where she does travel study on all three US presidents that have been assassinated. It's called Assassination Vacation, and despite the gruesome subject, it's pretty hilarious. ...and extra credit? I'll make you do a soliloquy for regular credit! :-)
Delete1. My name is Laurel Capps, and I live in Wheatland, CA. I did independent study through Horizon Charter Schools during 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. Last year I changed to the RAMSE organization, which was shut down that October, later to become VLI. I am continuing this year with VLI.
ReplyDelete2. I think my favorite recent read is Fire and Hemlock, by Diana Wynne Jones. I have always loved her works, and this book was a particularly enchanting, mysterious, and witty addition to her collection.
3. My absolute favorite book of all time is Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. The story is one of passion, misery, love, and redemption. It captures the human condition. It isn't one of those historical fiction adventures that modern authors write for entertainment. It was written in the same time period in which it is set, and it portrays all the real difficulties of its era.
4. I want to attend Yuba Community College first, and it will accept a score of three or higher. I am also interested in UC Davis, which requires three or higher as well.
5. Honestly, I'm mostly apprehensive about how much homework we will be assigned.
6. I am excited to read all of the books and texts we will be going over.
I love Les Miserables!!!! Never having read the book, I happened to go see the move last winter and was completely blown away!! I definitely plan on reading the book, and if its similar to the movie, I too love the depth of the human condition that he paints. Wrought with so much misery and hope I can honestly say it has to be my favorite classic story ever :)
DeleteMore love for Les Miserables! I'll always fall for any book with a theme of forgiveness and redemption. "To love another person is to see the face of God." Whoa.
DeleteHello, my name is Joseph Corona and I live in Lincoln. Generally, though, I go by Diego instead of Joseph. I have always been home schooled, with the exception of 7th grade during which I was enrolled in Horizon’s ALA program.
ReplyDeleteIt can be safe to say that my favorite recent read is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Eyre's perseverance in the face of hardship helps to make her story powerful. It is difficult to choose a favorite read, even though I have not read a lot of books. However, my favorite read is probably That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis. I found myself fascinated with the characters while engaged with the story.
I would like to major in architecture so my first choice for college is California Baptist University (Cal Baptist) for its five year masters in architecture program and its Christian values. My second choice would probably be Cal Poly SLO for the excellent architecture programs that it offers. Both universities require at least a 3 for an AP score.
My greatest apprehension of this class is that it is an AP class. I have never taken an AP course before and therefore do not know the amount of work that it requires. I am most excited that I have the opportunity to use this course for college credit while experiencing a new method of learning.
Hi Diego- My husband is an architect (Cal Poly, SLO). If you ever want to pick his brain, give me a call!
DeleteMrs. Breckenridge, that's great to know! I would love to see some of his work. :)
DeleteHowdy, my name is Emma Smith and I live in Placerville. I have been homeschooled my whole life - in Horizon for these last six years.
ReplyDeleteHmmm favorite recent read would probably be As Sure As The Dawn by Francine Rivers. It is the third book in a series I started a couple years ago so it was satisfying to finally get my hands on it :).
Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin, hands down winner. To me, a really good book is one that leaves an impression, or stands up for important principals (of which this one did both. It is an amazing work of fiction in my opinion; Martin puts incredible depth and emotion into every word of his books, and this one in particular, had a good mystery to it as well.
Honestly I really don't have any plans for collage after I graduate. I am taking this course because I have always enjoyed English, and I like the idea of graduating with a few collage credits under my belt :)
Similar to the rest of you I am a little apprehensive of the new format, Apex has really been the only online course that I have enjoyed. And I have never taken an AP class before so... I'm confident, but a little nervous about the workload :).
I am most excited about the class itself, and the opportunity to earn collage credits. I have always love the written word and learning how to study it and, sense I enjoyed English so much last year with Mrs. Breckenridge, I'm excited to be in her class again.
Emma~
DeleteI too am excited about the opportunity to earn college credits from this class! Both books that you mentioned sound very intriguing. What a neat opportunity that you have been given to be home education all throughout your schooling.
I believe that we have met in Calvary Chapel's youth discipleship class with Pastor Edde! I was excited to see a familiar name in this class.
May the Lord bless you and your family~
Lindsey Rogers
Sometimes I find myself looking for the "Like" button here. How cool that you know each other and made a connection.
DeleteMy name is Emma, I live in Folsom, and I've been with Horizon since about 7th grade.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite recent read would be The Fault in Our Stars by John Green because it's incredibly well-written and tragic (I'm usually drawn to books that give me feelings haha).
My favorite all-time read is The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald because I have always been fascinated by the hypocrisy of the roaring 20's and this book captures it flawlessly.
Two of the colleges I researched are the University of Washington and Sac State, both of which accept scores of a three or higher.
I would say I am most apprehensive about the AP test at the end of the year because I tend to have extreme anxieties close to tests and projects and as a result, not do as well...
I am most excited about the literature; I am an avid reader and am looking forward to going in-depth into things I've never read before.
I also love The Fault in Our Stars! I'm get really anxious about tests and projects too, but hopefully we'll both do good.
DeleteI have heard that The Fault in our Stars is really good, but I haven't read it yet. Maybe I'll read it now!
DeleteMy name is Breana, I live in Shingle Springs, I've been home-schooling since part way through seventh grade. My favorite book that I've read recently is Feral Sins by Suzanne Wright. Its great storyline and great character identification between two main characters complement each other without taking away any charm that makes each character unique. All in all, a very good paranormal romantic, college level read. My all time favorite book is Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost that has a fantastic storyline with wonderful imagery and a positive moral theme with the main heroine who evolves from a prejudice teenager that is easily influenced into an adult that learns to not make snap judgements based on first impression. Another interesting college level read. The University of Michigan and the University of Illinois both accept scores of fours or higher. I am looking forward to reading and examining some of the more classic novels. I am a little apprehensive about writing a timed essay for the AP exam.
ReplyDeleteHello fellow students!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Malcolm I'm from Sacramento and I am a 17 year old senior. I've been with horizon since 7th grade. I switched from public school to independent studies in hopes of furthering my education in a way that was suitable for me. I feel as studying independent I have control in how I learn and the pace. In the beginning I was ambivalent towards it, mostly because I missed the social life that public school offered, but once I saw the opportunities Horizon offered, I grew accustomed. My favorite 'recent' read was the original "Dracula" by Bram Stoker, I enjoyed the Gothic, dark thrill that it had. The whole book is written as a collection of letter between the characters, each through their own perspective, which I feel keeps the story interesting because you can observe each personality which also allows character development. one of my all time favorite book (After "The Giver") has to be "The Firm" by John Grisam, I'd describe it as a law thriller. I read it my Sophomore and finished it within two days. I was intrigued and felt as I was included in the story trying to unravel the secrets of a corrupt law firm.
One school I am interested in is Sac State, their AP Exam score requirement is 3-5. As for SFSU the requirement is 3.
This is the first AP class I've taken, I'm apprehensive about how different it is from my typical A-G classes but I'm up for the challenge. I love English and I'm excited to excel.
I know how you feel about controlling your pace and learning. Wow, "The Firm" sounds really interesting!
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ReplyDeleteMy name is McKenzie, I live in Roseville, and I've been with horizon since I started 1st grade.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite recent read would be The Shining by Stephen King, it's a really immersive and terrifying book, and I love the way that the characters sanity erodes right before your eyes.
My all time favorite read is The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo because it's one of those books that really has everything; humor, drama, and romance. And it brings up really interesting religious and moral questions.
Two colleges I'm interested in attending are Sacramento State and University of Washington, both of which both of which accept scores of a three or higher.
I'm apprehensive about this class because I'm very worried about the workload and how it'll be with my schedule. I'm also a bit prematurely anxious about the AP test.
I'm very excited for this class because I'm a huge lover of reading and writing and I'm really excited to learn new things and improve my skills.
My name is Abbie Kizer. I live in Sacramento and I have been taking classes through Horizons since seventh grade. I recently read about half of East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. I had to return it to the library, but it was very interesting and I would love to finish it when I have time. My favorite all time read is the Uglies series. It is kind of juvenile, but I loved it when I was in middle school so I associate it with good memories. The only college I am interested in is Point Loma Nazarene University, and they will accept a 4 on the exam. I am apprehensive about the online aspect of this class, and I am excited about the reading, especially the poetry.
ReplyDelete