Kayla Bloom

Chapter One: The Planet Kumat

The epic show-down between two giants has long been the topic of debate in my household. And the long-standing conclusion is that Marvel movies have done a considerably better job at bringing comic books to the big screen. But why? What makes them better than DC? Let’s break it down...

This may sound counterintuitive, but I actually started the idea of tips for writers on my very first visit to the Vocal website. I had little idea where to start, what people would find interesting, and if I was even any good at this whole writing thing. And then it hit me. Someday when my fingers ache from typing, eyes burn from the bright glare of the screen, and stomach growls from the neglect of writing excitement, I will look back to this moment. The beginning. Not really the beginning of all of my writing, but just maybe the most important. What is it I would tell that girl eagerly wanting to begin?

Wow.. all I can say is wow! First of all, SPOILER ALERT! You probably already figured that, but just in case you haven’t seen Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker yet and want to, you have been warned. The final ending to the Star Wars saga has come at last. And although the last one left me a little nervous, see my other review at https://vocal.media/futurism/star-wars-the-last-jedi-predictions-and-review, I came away from this movie thoroughly satisfied and there are several reasons. There seemed to be at least one missed opportunity, but let's get started.

It is rather difficult to find suitably diverse books to include in a classroom collection. Many common children’s books are written from a western, Anglo-American point of view. How do we include more diversity into the classroom with this limited variety of resources? How do we encourage more multicultural stories for the future? Like we have talked about in class, providing opportunities for all children to express themselves, tell stories, and facilitate their talents will have a large impact on them as adults in the workforce. When they feel represented in the classroom literature, it shows them that all perspectives are important. Children who are encouraged to read and write freely may feel compelled to write their own books featuring their unique cultural experiences.

As a future teacher, I want to understand the cognitive, physical, and social toll certain practices have on our students. Homework is a central part of school, at least that’s what we have been led to believe, but young children may suffer unjustifiably in the name of academic success. Particularly during the elementary school years, the young bodies and minds of children under the age of about 10 are not yet equipped developmentally for the sometimes daunting demands of homework. This is the age group I hope to teach someday. Homework has many effects, specifically because it is developmentally inappropriate, it wastes valuable time that could be used for other cognitive and social development, and it produces an educational gap.