William Huang Public Feed

William Huang Capstone

Posted by William Huang in CTE Senior Capstone · Kamal/Shagin/Ugworji · Wed on
Abstract

How can you incorporate technology into modern day learning to make it both more interesting and accessible?


The internet has become the first point of contact for many people when they have a question. Our computers and mobile devices have given us access to so much information with a simple search. Technology has been incorporated over the years in schools all around the world to improve the quality of learning in classrooms. Although public school education is available to everyone in the United States, many inner-city schools, especially in the Philadelphia area where I grew up, are underfunded and understaffed. In addition, it is rare for them to provide education in highly-technical STEM fields, which are generally where the high paying jobs are.


I want to make education, especially in technical fields, more accessible to people around the world. I had the luxury of having an engineering program in my high school, which not many schools in my area have.


After many hours of research, meetings with my mentor, weekends spent filming, and countless days staying after school editing, I have finally created a dedicated YouTube channel featuring a series of videos sharing what I've learned over the years in my engineering program.


Bibliography


“Brief Introduction to Circuits.” Electricaleasy.com, www.electricaleasy.com/2014/09/brief-introduction-to-circuits.html.


Circuits are the hidden structures that power all electronic devices. A circuit allows current to flow from one place to another, from the source to the places that need it. This website serves as an introduction to circuits, addressing the different types of circuits and the different laws that govern circuitry. I will use to this explain the basics of circuits in one of my videos.


“Force and Motion: Facts.” Idaho Public Television, idahoptv.org/sciencetrek/topics/force_and_motion/facts.cfm.


A force is a push or a pull. We experience forces in our everyday lives. Some forces include normal, gravitational, and friction forces. This website dives into the different kinds of forces and what they mean. I will use this website to talk about forces in one of my videos.


“How to Read Engineering Drawings – a Simple Guide.” EEF, 24 Nov. 2017, www.eef.org.uk/training/blogs/2017/nov/how-to-read-engineering-drawings-a-simple-guide.


Engineering drawings serve as detailed instructions on the specifications of an item and how to manufacture them. They are a language used by engineerings and manufacturers to communicate how an item is made and serves as a contract in the event of factory errors. This website explores what engineering drawings are and how to read them. I will use this to give a brief introduction to engineering drawings in my videos.


NASA, NASA, www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/newton.html.


Newton’s laws of motion govern not only our everyday lives, but also the universe. There are three laws of motion and they all address a fundamental truth about our world. This website explores the different laws of motion and what they mean. I will use this website to talk about Newton’s laws of motion in one of my videos.


Plastic Forming Methods, iwww.the-warren.org/ALevelRevision/engineering/materials1.htm.

Everything is made of something. Material science is the study of how existing materials behave as well as the designing of new materials. Examples include woods, metals, plastics, etc. This website explores the different mechanical and physical properties of materials and what they mean. I will use this to inform my audience about material science.


ProEdify. “Units of Measure: Scientific Measurements & SI System.” YouTube, YouTube, 5 Mar. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAtDAoqdExw.


Si Units are a standardized language used by scientists and engineers around the world to communicate ideas and concepts without confusion. When speaking quantitatively, it is very important to know the exact units of an object, as the same number with different units result in different dimensions. This video covers what SI Units are and why they are important. I will use this to explain what SI units are in my videos.


“Simple Machines: Facts.” Idaho Public Television, idahoptv.org/sciencetrek/topics/simple_machines/facts.cfm.


Simple machines have been around for thousands of years. In the absence of motors, simple machines have allowed humans to move heavy objects with only a fraction of the amount of force required with just hands. This website explores the different types of simple machines and how they are used to do things faster and better. This will help provide content to discuss in my videos.


“Types of Gears.” KHK Gears, khkgears.net/new/gear_knowledge/introduction_to_gears/types_of_gears.html.


Gears are the most iconic mechanism ever, with the ability to turn rotational movement to linear motion. They are simple yet effective. This website covers the various types of gears and when they can best be used. I will use this website to talk about gears and their uses in one of my videos.


“What Is Binary?” Computer Hope, 13 Nov. 2018, www.computerhope.com/jargon/b/binary.htm.


Binary is a language used and interpreted by computers to store data. It is a base 2 number system that uses only two numbers: 0 and 1. A 0 indicates OFF and a 1 indicates ON. This website dives into the ins and outs of binary, including what they are, how they work, and how to read them. I will use this to explain what binary is in one of my videos.


Work Documents, Working Drawings, Building Plans, www.flooringtech.com.au/unit16_hand_and_power_tools/section1_types_of_tools/lesson1_general_hand_tools.htm.


People use hand tools to do all sorts of things. From the iconic hammer to the drill, there is a plethora of tools used everyday. This website explores the different hand tools and what they are each used for. I will use this website to briefly discuss what hand tools are and what situations each of them are good for.


Below is one of the videos I made. To check out my other videos, here's the link to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKooALxxFw2y3emSZQlgSig

Little Sister Podcast Episode 3: Author's Intent (William, James, Kamil)

Posted by William Huang in College English · Giknis · C Band on
Untitled drawing
Untitled drawing
​Abstract:

In this episode, we cover the content of the final chapters of 1984 by George Orwell. Winston gets tortured and confesses his crimes to O’Brien. He is able to make Winston believe 2 + 2 = 5. Not say, BELIEVE. Winston talks about his hatred for Big Brother, and he gets taken into Room 101, where O’Brien brings out rats, Winston’s biggest fear, to make him betray Julia. We discuss what may have motivated Orwell to write the book and what messages he was trying to convey to his readers. We also address the ethics of communist and socialist ideas and why they don't work in real life.


Evidence Used: 

  • “We, the Party, control all records, and we control all memories. Then we control the past, do we not?” (256)

  • “To cure you! To make you sane! Will you understand, Winston, that no one whom we bring to this place ever leaves our hands uncured?” (261)

  • “The Party is not interested in the overt act: the thought is all we care about.” (261)

  • “We do not merely destroy our enemies; we change them” (261)

  • “It is intolerable to us that an erroneous thought should exist anywhere in the world, hower secret and powerless it may be” (263)

  • “They pretended, perhaps they even believed, that they had seized power unwillingly and for a limited time, and that just round the corner there lay a paradise where human beings would be free and equal” (272)

  • “One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution to safeguard the dictatorship” (272)

  • “It is not enough to obey him; you must love him” (292)

  • “Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me!” (297)

  • “Sometimes they threaten you with something—something you can’t stand up to, can’t even think about. And then you say, ‘Don’t do it to me, do it to somebody else, do it to so-and-so.’ And perhaps you might pretend, afterwards, that it was only a trick and that you just said it to make them stop and didn’t really mean it. But that isn’t true. At the time when it happens you do mean it. You think there’s no other way of saving yourself, and you’re quite ready to save yourself that way.” (302)

  • “Under the spreading chestnut tree I sold you and you sold me” (304)

Link: https://www.soundtrap.com/play/18k9MnALQcOF1Sx0kIs45A/podcast-3/

The Road // Final Creative Project // Shana, Harlem, William

Posted by William Huang in College English · Giknis · C Band on
​NATIONAL CATASTROPHE 

SETTING (Read aloud at beginning of game): An unnamed disaster has caused humanity to face extinction and you must now survive with the remnants of a ruined world. 

RECOMMENDED # OF PLAYERS: 4

GOAL: To be the last one alive

STATISTICS (STATS): Stats fall under three categories:

Health Points (HP) - How much damage you can take. As the game progresses, HP cannot exceed the initial given HP. When a player’s HP reaches 0 at any given moment, they lose the game, meaning FOOD cards can only be used prior to a player’s HP dropping to 0.
Intelligence (INT) - Your ability to use certain items
Strength (STR) - Your natural ability in combat situations

DICE ROLLING PHASE: Determine the STATS you will be playing with for this game 

Players roll dice three times. The value rolled on the dice correspond to a STATS NUMBER (shown below). Each player will end up with 3 STATS numbers by the end of the DICE ROLLING PHASE. Players can assign their STATS NUMBER to any STATS above. 

Dice Rolls and Corresponding STATS NUMBER:

1-2: 3
3-4: 4
5-6: 5

Write all the STATS and the corresponding STATS NUMBER on a piece of paper. Keep this for reference for the rest of the game. Make sure there is enough room to cross out and rewrite your HP as the game progresses.

HOW TO PLAY:

  1. Players roll a die to see who will go first. The person with the biggest number will go first AND decide whether turns will go clockwise or counterclockwise.
  2. There are 4 piles, one for ITEM cards, one for SCENARIO cards, and each type of card gets a DISCARD pile.
  3. When an ITEM or SCENARIO card is used, place it in the DISCARD pile. When ITEM or SCENARIO cards are completely used up, take them from their DISCARD pile, shuffle them, and place them back in their respective piles for reuse.
  4. On a player’s turn, they draw a SCENARIO card. The scenario is read aloud, which explains a situation or circumstance that requires a decision and the player follows any instructions.
  5. Food items can be used be any player at anytime during anyone’s turn
  6. At the end of each round, meaning the turn player has circled back to the starting player, all players’ health go down by 1 due to hunger

TYPES OF CARDS: There are ITEM cards and SCENARIO cards
ITEM Cards: May be food, tools, clothing, etc. Used for different scenarios.
  • All item cards are placed face down in front of the player. Players may look at their cards at any time.
  • Players may only have 4 ITEM cards at a time 
  • Cards are discarded after use, unless specified
  • Anything more than three must be discarded at the moment the card limit is exceeded
  • When a player has 4 ITEM cards and they draw another ITEM card, they must discard an ITEM card to replace it, or discard the newly drawn ITEM card)
How to read a card:
  • Cards are either labeled WEAPON, TOOL, or FOOD
  • Description: What the item is and what it can do
  • INT: Determines if a player can use an item. If a player’s INT is lower than the INT written on the card, they cannot use it. 

ITEM cards:

WEAPON: Used to deal damage to other players
Pocket Pistol (4):
Description: A ranged weapon for self defense. +2 STR.
INT: 4
Hunting Rifle (2): 
Description: A powerful long ranged weapon used for killing. +3 STR.
INT: 5
Rusted Dagger (6): 
Description: A close range weapon. +1 STR. If a player gets hit, flip a coin. If heads, they take 1 additional damage.
INT: 3

TOOLS: Various effects
Flare Gun (2): 
Description: Used to direct attention. Can be used during any players turn. When used, a player is chosen to be the target of an interaction.
INT: 4
Old Crowbar (4): 
Description: Used to open boxes.
INT: 3
Cart (2): 
Description: Used to hold 2 extra items. Flip over to use. Attach ITEM cards face down to it. Does not get discarded. If stolen, attached cards get taken too.
INT: 3
Old Tent (4):
Description: Provides protection during weather. Player doesn’t take damage from rain or snow.
INT: 3

FOOD: Used to gain HP
Bottle of Water (2):
Drink to restore 1 health
Can of Pineapple (4): 
Description: Restores 1 health
Jar of Corn (3): 
Description: Restores 2 health 
Crate of Beans (3): 
Description: Restores 3 health
SCENARIO Cards: A SCENARIO card is drawn each round by the player. Follow the instructions on the card accordingly.
  • Some scenarios may call for the use of a weapon (i.e. a roadrat attack) and others, a utility (i.e. a cold night). A few require specific items. 
  • If a player doesn’t have any eligible cards, they may take damage (if specified by the card). 
  • In all combat situations, a WEAPON card may be used during the battle phase to increase a players STR. Once a player chooses to engage in combat, they cannot back out until one player takes damage.
SCENARIO Cards:
  • Night Time (4): All players are asleep. Turn player may flip a coin. If heads, take an ITEM card from another player. If tails, target is woken up and the two players fight. -1 HP for player with lower STR.
  • It’s Raining (2): Heavy rain and strong winds. All players -1 HP.
  • It’s Snowing (2): Dense snow and cold weather. All players -1 HP.
  • A Roadrat Attacks! (2): If you have a weapon, you defeat the roadrat and you loot his corpse. Draw 1 ITEM card. Otherwise, -1 HP. If you chose to run, flip a coin. If heads, you successfully escape. If tails, he catches you -1 HP.
  • Roadside Loot! (4): Someone must have abandoned it. Draw 1 ITEM card 
  • A Cave! (2): Flip a coin. If heads, you found someone’s abandoned belongings, draw 1 ITEM card. If tails, you got lost in the cave, -1 HP.
  • An Abandoned Trailer! (2): Draw 2 ITEM card
  • An Abandoned Town! (2): Draw 2 ITEM cards
  • LIGHTNING! (2): You got struck by lightning. You are left with 1 health
  • HUMAN ENCOUNTER! (4): You and the player to your left assume aggression from one another. Choose to fight or flight. If fight, player with lower STR -1 HP. If flight, flip a coin. If heads, you get away unscathed. If tails, you are attacked -1 HP.
  • Four Eyes On One (2): You and the player to the right found the same loot. Choose to fight or flight. If fight, losing player -1 HP. The winning player get to draw an ITEM card. If flight, flip a coin. If heads, you get away unscathed. If tails, you are attacked -1 HP.
  • Strike It Rich! (2): Today is everyone’s lucky day! All players find loot. All players draw an ITEM card
  • EARTHQUAKE! (2): A strong earthquake struck. All players discard 1 ITEM card and -1 HP.
  • Heavy Conscience (2): Give 1 ITEM card to another player
  • Wooden Box (2): Owner must not have gotten a chance to use it. Can be opened with an Old Crowbar. When opened, player draws 3 ITEM cards
RATIONALE

National Catastrophe is a card game set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity is facing extinction and the few that are left must fend for themselves with the remnants of a ruined world. Players will have to make choices, take risks, interact with other humans, and mostly importantly, learn what it takes to survive. 

The game has many connections to the novel, The Road. The first similarity is the setting and objective. Like the book, the game puts players in a world that has been destroyed, and all characteristics of a civilized people are thrown out the window. People kill and rob others for the sake of their own survival. And just as the book never explains what caused the world to become that way, neither is there is an explanation in this game. 
Originally, we thought of creating characters that can be played, similar to the card game Bang! There would be a name, like John, and characteristics that go along with the character. Although people have nothing left but themselves in The Road, their memories and skills still remain. Building off the reality that all people are different and everyone is better at certain things, we thought the players’ experience playing should also reflect that. Players would have a pool of characters to choose from, each with different statistics, so that each player will need to play a little differently and make choices according their strengths. As we learned through the progression of the story, the father has shown skills in both combat and medicine, so we decided to include strength and intellect as statistics. Strength is a measure of a player’s natural combat abilities and determines how combat situations play out. Intelligence is a measure of how knowledgeable a player is with tools, and determines if they can use a tool or not. However, to reflect the randomness of The Road and how the people have neither names nor history, we decided against having predetermined characters. Instead, name has no relevance, just like in the book, and players’ statistics will be determined through unpredictable dice rolls.

 We decided to have two types of cards: item and scenario cards. In The Road, the father and the son are on a constant journey traveling across the country taking whatever they can find use out of. There are times when they can’t find anything, and end up suffering either from the cold or hunger as a result. For this reason, we decided to leave item finds up to chance. Item cards are put in a pile and randomly drawn when the situation calls for it. There is an assortment of items that fall under either weapons, tools, or food, and that’s a pretty fair breakdown of the actual things that the duo come across. Weapons increase a player’s likelihood in winning during combat. A gun will provide an advantage over a melee weapon, just like how the father had an advantage over the road rat because he had a pistol and the other only had a knife. Tools have various effects that impact the player’s survival. Things like the flare gun and cart were actually in the book, and their uses are very similar. The flare gun is used to direct attention and the cart allows more items to be carried at once. At the end of each round, meaning the turn player has circled back to the starting player, all players’ health go down by 1 due to hunger. This was included to add more realism, as hunger was major issue in the book.

The father and the boy have no “long term goals” and constantly find themselves in tough situations. Scenario cards put players in similar shoes. Scenario cards are also drawn randomly so players don’t know what scenario they would find themselves in and they often require taking risks. Many of the scenario cards are reflective of the events that happened in the book, such as finding an abandoned town or getting struck by lightning. Finding an abandoned town allows players to draw item cards, just as the duo found useful things in the towns they scavenged, and getting struck by lightning leaves the player near death, just like the man who got struck in the book.

National Catastrophe requires players to think and plan ahead even when they don’t know what is to come. Resources are scarce and storage is limited. Players must be smart with how they spend their resources as well as which resources to keep. Sometimes it is better to play it safe but use resources inefficiently while other times you can afford to be more risky but get more out of your resources. Some items will have immediate impact, while others will require the player to hold on to it for specific situations, and in some cases, end up simply being dead weight. Players will find themselves in situations where they interact with other players, and can choose to either help, fight, or run away from them. Helping another player does not guarantee kindness in return, but may discourage players from choosing you as a target. Fighting someone usually includes a chance of gaining something in return, but you risk losing both health points and items. Flipping a coin determines the outcome of several situations, and it’s reflective of how some things really just come down to luck. There are no right choices, but players must learn to be resourceful and optimize their situation in order to increase their chances of survival.



Due to formatting limitations, use the link below for better reference:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17oPspcyW0R8cLcqV1W9Lvx2p2VzlnFfMffCQsJnYXoM/edit?usp=sharing


(Sample Card)
(Sample Card)

Advanced Essay #3: You Are Who You Remember

Posted by William Huang in English 3 · Block · E Band on
​Introduction

I wrote this essay to explore the way our memory affects our identity, a relationship that is almost obvious but rarely discussed. My essay does a good job of implementing quotes from outside sources, but could have better flow and deeper analysis.

Advanced Essay

History is a man-made record of the universe. It is a way for people to remember and carry on the knowledge of those before them and things they discover in their own life times. As a species, we have the extraordinary ability to not only learn through our own experiences, but also to learn from the lives of others. History however, is often told in the very general sense. It is a broad overview of past events, where only the ideas and overarching themes of an event or a time period are taken note of. It is often about “what happened?” rather than “who were affected?” Very rarely are the specifications and fine details of the lives of those who lived in a time period well documented. Personal accounts and diaries are by far the best resources we have to understand a person’s life. Just as historical documentation is a way of recording things that happened, a person’s memory is also a way of remembrance—only on a more personal level.

Our memory is our personal record. This record makes us who we are, and is the sole basis of our concept of identity. Susan Krauss Whitbourne writes in an article that “You are able to have a sense of identity because you know that you are the same person you were yesterday and will undoubtedly be the same person tomorrow” (Whitbourne). Our memory is the foundation of our identity as our experiences, or the ones we remember, shape who we are as people. People learn from past mistakes and adjust accordingly for future occurrences. People also learn to empathize with certain groups based on previous experiences with them or of them. Memory, however, is also volatile and ever changing, meaning one’s identity isn’t always the same. Whitbourne states that “the content of your self-defining memories may vary according to your age and current life concerns.” According to psychologist Jefferson Singer, older adults tend to come up with more general memories and feel more positively about their self-defining memories, even if the memories were of events that were negative in nature. Whitbourne explains that “older adults have found ways to make sense out of their life stories. They convert memories of troubling events into stories of redemption in which they make peace with their past struggles.” When people reflect on their memories, sometimes it is hard for there to be consistency in the recollection of events. Our attitudes toward certain events may change over time, as it gives people the chance to accept them.

Memory isn’t permanent either. As such, our identities are not permanent and can change. In an article written by Alan Lightman for the New York Times, he writes about a trip back to his childhood home after the passing of his second parent. Upon arrival, he comments that, “The house isn’t here. There’s a hole in space where the house used to be...Something is terribly wrong. I feel as if I’m not in my body any longer. My body is a distant, cold moon” (Lightman). In that moment, Lightman was in a state of confusion and disbelief. He feels disconnected from reality, as if he were no longer in his own shoes. He states that “Some careless god has cut the ribbon of my life...The piece that was the past has slipped away into black eternity, or perhaps into nothingness. Until this moment, I was sure that the past was still present...” (Lightman). This home, the place of his childhood, the “meals of fried chicken and mashed potatoes,” the “cops and robber games with my brothers,” and the “evenings watching TV” all seemed to have vanished out of thin air. These memories that he held on to, years after living on his own, this essential piece of his identity, felt like it never existed, just like the house that once stood there.

In an article written by Liz Frontino, a student from Bryn Mawr College, she defines memory as “the ability of humans to recall and conjure long-ago specific events from our lives” (Frontino). According to her, things like Amnesia and Alzheimer’s give perspective on memory’s importance, as the loss of memory is linked to the loss of identity. She claims that “Those suffering from amnesia are at a loss of identity, having no memories to draw back on” (Frontino) The disease only affects long term memory, but the effect of this is that “Those suffering from Alzheimer’s have to be told about their interests, hobbies, and favorite people. They are not aware of who they are as individuals because they do not have the memories of their life to draw back on” (Frontino). The loss of memory is directly associated with the loss of self and identity, and belonging.

Memory is the very framework of a person’s identity. It is a record of our experiences, our beliefs, and the story of how we became we who are today. It is our memory that tells us how to respond in different situations and how to behave around people. While it is volatile and everchanging, the loss of memory can very destructive to our sense of self. Without memory, we would not know who we are.

Works Cited

Lightman, Alan. “Opinion | The Ghost House of My Childhood.” The New York Times, The New 
York Times, 22 Aug. 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/08/23/opinion/the-ghost-house-of-my-childhood.html?_r=0.

Whitbourne, Susan Krauss. “What Your Most Vivid Memories Say About You.” Psychology
Today, Sussex Publishers, 20 Nov. 2012, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201211/what-your-most-vivid-memories-say-about-you.
“Who am I? An Examination of Memory and Identity.” Who am I? An Examination of Memory 
and Identity | Serendip Studio, serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/lfrontino/who-am-i-examination-memory-and-identity. 

Advanced Essay #2: "Thanks"

Posted by William Huang in English 3 · Block · E Band on

Introduction: The goal of my paper is to explain how obstacles in life, whether that be your background or something that comes up during your life, can actually bring about a better version of yourself. In my essay, I talk about how being an English learner didn't discourage me from the learning the language, but instead, encouraged me to work harder. I am proud of my use of descriptive language and implementation of quotes, but I did go slightly over the word limit. Next time around, I will try to be more concise.

 

Wendy was behind the wheel and Shihong was in the passenger seat. Jeffrey, Lina, and I sat in the back as the car drove through the suburbs of South Jersey. It was a glistening day, and the azure blue sky was sprinkled with puffy clouds like cotton balls. To each side, we were surrounded by forest thick enough where we couldn’t see where it ended.


Wendy began talking. She was the wife of the boss at the Chinese restaurant that my parents worked at. While most of the employees couldn’t even form complete sentences in English, she stood out as the “special Asian” as she was a fluent speaker and even attended college in the United States. She had this aura of condescending arrogance, always looking down on the others at the restaurant. She was very proud of her literacy, and made sure to let others know. In Mother Tongue by Amy Tan, she talks about her mom’s broken English and how people “did not take her seriously” because of it (Tan). Wendy would always talk down on the employees, including my parents, and she knew they couldn’t understand her insults anyway.


“William. Do you have an accent? I think I remember you having an accent. Say thanks,” she said. The request was very unexpected, but I did as I was told.


“Thanks,” I said.


“Say it again,” she replied, with a hint of excitement in her voice.


“Thanks,” I said again, this time with less confidence.


“I think I can still hear an “s,” actually. It sounds like you’re saying sanks. You definitely have an accent.”


I noticed a strange smirk on her face through the rear view mirror, as if she felt like she achieved something through that exchange. It was either anger or disappointment that I felt. Maybe it was both. “There was no way I was saying it wrong,” I thought.  Thanks, thanks, thanks, I kept repeating in my head. “Could I really still have an accent?” I was in denial. In Mother Tongue, Amy also brings up this idea that her mother’s inadequate English “had an effect on limiting my possibilities in life as well” (Tan). Like Amy, I felt that my parents’ shortcomings in the dominant literacy of America also made life more difficult for me.


My parents are both Chinese immigrants who dropped out of school at a young age to attain financial stability. I was born in the US, but when I was only a couple of months old, I was sent to China to live with my grandparents for about 4 years. Back in China, I spoke Fuzhounese with my family, and learned Mandarin in the local pre-school.


When I came back to America, I couldn’t speak any English. Having parents who were  illiterate in English didn’t help either. Not having parents that are English literate meant that I never had help from them for homework. It meant that at a very young age, I had to learn do things on my own, like write checks for the bills, apply for health insurance, set up doctor’s appointments, and fill out all paperwork sent home from school.


In my early years of schooling, I struggled to understand what my teachers were saying, I struggled whenever I tried to read, and I struggled to communicate with my English speaking friends. I couldn’t relate with experiences many other kids had, like having pets or traveling, because I never had those experiences myself. I’ve spent countless nights staying up late, reading books at half the pace of other kids, rereading the same paragraphs to understand the material. In Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie, he mentions that when he was teaching himself English, he “read with equal parts joy and desperation” (Alexie). Despite our shared disadvantaged backgrounds, we knew that English was the best tool we had to success. I was afraid that I may end up like my parents, not knowing English and working backbreaking, low paying jobs.


While most people will find illiteracy as disadvantage, it can potentially create a more ideal circumstance for success in literacy. This disadvantage gave me more reason to work hard. I felt the need to have neat handwriting, good desk organization,  and good grades. The standards I set for myself are higher than many friends of mine who are Native English speakers. The work ethic I’ve developed became the reason why my academic career since has been so much more successful. I’ve had many responsibilities that kids my age don’t, and have experience doing many things that most people my age didn’t. Not being proficient in the dominant literacy became an incentive for me to improve myself. Although English is still not my strong point, what I have gained through learning it has made me a better reader of the world.

 

                                              Works Cited

Baca, Jimmy Santiago. A Place to Stand: the Making of a Poet. Grove Press, 2001.

Tan, Amy. “Mother Tongue.” Google Drive, "https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8Cvq7ioloJpZGNkYTM0ZjUtNDczZC00NWE2LWEyMTQtMjgzZDRhYTAzNTBi/view"

Alexie, Sherman. “Superman and Me”.


Advanced Essay #1: Then To Now

Posted by William Huang in English 3 · Block · E Band on


Introduction:



Then To Now is a story about growing up and making sacrifices. Human nature dictates that people tend to stay with what is known, because they are more familiar and comfortable with the subjects. The purpose of this essay is to show the reader that they are not alone when it comes to making difficult decisions in life. However, these difficult decisions are the most impactful ones, and those who choose to venture into places that few have gone end up accomplishing things that a few have done. I’m proud the scenes I chose and how I made connections between two seemingly unrelated stories. Some areas of improvement are including more description in my scenes and also have more reflection throughout the piece.


Advanced Essay:


The acceptance results were in, and it was time to pick a high school. Everyone else seemed to have chosen their picks, and the deadline was the end of the day. I remember it was a chilly fall day, only weeks into my 8th grade year. 7th grade me feared the prospect of making this decision, but I convinced myself that one year was a long way to go. But before I knew it, there was nowhere left to hide.

The day started with Mr. O’s math class. We all shuffled into class with our belongings, and settled in our seats. As I went to turn in my homework, my friend Xu stopped me and asked if I had chosen my high school. I lied and sat down. When the lesson was over, Mr. O gave us independent work time, and that was when he received a phone call from our school counselor. He then turned to look at me, and signaled me to go to him. “What’s holding you up from deciding on your school?” he asked. I thought for a moment. “I’m just stuck between Central and SLA,” I told him. I knew most of my friends were going to Central High School. I didn’t want to be separated from them, but at the same time, I didn’t feel like just following the crowd. “Here’s my two-cents,” Mr. O began, “Think about like this: If you go to Central, you will be around this same group of people you have always been with for four more years, and will remain relatively the same. But if you go to SLA, you will be forced to meet new people and learn, grow, and change.”

I took his words to heart. On the outside, Mr. O may just be a math teacher, but he often shared his life experiences with us and taught us how to be better people. I had the utmost respect for him, and his words were the final push I needed to make up my mind. This engagement with him reminded me of  immigration stories my parents told me when I was younger.

I would be in my room, laying in bed while they sat beside me. My parents were born on poor farms in rural China. In that place and time, everyone had to be self-dependent: people grew their own food, built their own houses, and made their own clothes. The country was poor and they were at the bottom of the social class. My dad told me his strife: how he started taking care of my uncles when he was only 5, had two shirts to wear every year, and even a single bite of meat was rare during meals. When my dad was 25, he decided to immigrate to the US for financial stability to support his family and to provide more opportunities for his children. The Chinese government did not allow immigration to the US, which forced him to risk his life making arrangements with criminal organizations to be smuggled into the US, carrying a debt of $30,000.

It took me many years to make the connection between these two seemingly unrelated episodes of my life. But in many ways, they are two versions of one story—a story of delayed gratification where you make short term sacrifices to reap long term rewards. Just like my dad, I had to make a tough decision in a high pressure situation, and the choice we made would dramatically impact our lives thereafter. I had to choose between staying in my comfort zone where I would continue to be with my friends, or I could venture alone into uncertainty. My dad had to choose between staying with my family back in China, forever having his bloodline chained to poverty and being uneducated, or travel into a land of an unknown language and culture. In the end, I chose SLA. My dad, despite all risks and the idea of traveling so far away from everything he has known and grew up with, made the decision to immigrate. Had I not decided to go to SLA, I would have never realized who my real friends are, never made all the great friends I have today, and never came out of my comfort zone. I would forever remain that introverted boy who would always head straight home after school and play videogames on his own. Had my dad decided not to immigrate to the US, I would not be who I am today. I would never have understood the value of education, the struggles of my family lineage, or been born in a country with far more opportunities and freedom. As the saying goes, “Like father, like son,” we were able to lift ourselves out of our comfort zones to see the long term rewards that a short term sacrifice would bring, and we have never looked back since. Life is not about where you are, but where you take yourself, and if you never venture into the unknown, you will never get more than what you already have.


E2 U4 El Arte Callejero

Posted by William Huang in Spanish 2 · Manuel · B Band on

Me llamo Guillermo. Soy un chico de quince años. Vivo en el centro de la ciudad. Mi barrio es más o menos. Vivo aquí por once años. Pienso mi barrio es muy sucio. Unos imágenes pienso que son vasos de plásticos y bolsas de plásticos tirado en el suelo. No me gusta nada. Me gusta donde vivo. Aunque está sucio, está lleno de vida y los lugares son fáciles de llegar. A causa de toda la basura, quiero hacer mi barrio limpiador. Además, un tema importante para mi comunidad es la amenaza de la renovación urbana. La mayoría de gentes que vive mi barrio son asiatico. Cada año durante Año Nuevo Chino, siempre hay una celebración grande.

Quiero pintar mi mural en la pared del edificio de Verizon en mi barrio. Mi barrio es la Barrio Chino, en el centro de la ciudad, Filadelfia. Las culturas representadas son mayoría asiática, incluso personas de Birmano, Japonés, Coreano y Vietnamita ascendencia, pero principalmente Chino. Cada año durante Año Nuevo Chino, siempre hay una celebración grande. Los inmigrantes Cantonés vinieron a Filadelfia en el 1800s, lo que llevó al comienzo de Barrio Chino de Filadelfia. Durante varios períodos de renovación urbana, comenzando en los 1960s, las porciones de Barrio Chino fueron destruidas para la construcción de la Vine Street Expressway y la Pennsylvania Convention Center. El problema nuestra comunidad enfrentamos hoy son calles sucias. No obstante, a la gente no le importa.

Mi mural es muy sencillo, pero tiene muchos mensajes. Hay muchos colores, como blanco, rojo, negro, amarillo, y azul. Es una combinación de la bandera Americana y la palabra China que significa “bendición.” La palabra en realidad se voltea boca abajo porque en Chino, las palabras “al revés” y “llegado” son homónimos.Rojo y amarillo son colores muy importante en la cultura de China, según lo representado en su bandera. Rojo, blanca, y azul son obviamente los colores de la bandera Americana. Las trece rayas blancas y rojas permanecen intactas, pero la caja de estrellas se reemplaza por la palabra china “bendición.” Los dos símbolos son imágenes que son bien conocidos en sus cultivos respectivos. Este diseño está destinado a simbolizar el matrimonio de los dos culturas y cómo ha creado una nueva identidad.

Para mi, esta pieza de arte público hace un gran trabajo representando a la comunidad circundante. La gente de ascendencia asiática ha estado aquí por muchos siglos, y se han convertido en una parte integral de la cultura Americana. Muchos asiáticos han emigrado a América en busca de oportunidades y una vida mejor. Cuando la gente ve este mural, se supone que piensan que “las bendiciones han llegado a América”, un símbolo de esperanza y prosperidad perpetua. Este mural está destinado a simbolizar un futuro en el cual los dos culturas pueden vivir en armonía.

Tarea: Foto

Posted by William Huang in Spanish 2 · Manuel · B Band on
Mural Space
Mural Space

Mi barrio es la barrio chino, en centro de la ciudad, Filadelfia. Culturas representadas son mayoría asiática, incluso Birmano, japonés, coreano y vietnamita, pero principalmente chino. Cada año en Año Nuevo Chino, siempre hay una celebración grande. Inmigrantes católicos movido a Filadelfia en el 1800s, lo que llevó a el comienzo de barrio chino de Filadelfia. Durante varios períodos de renovación urbana, comenzando en los 1960s, las porciones de Chinatown fueron destruidas para la construcción de la Vine Street Expressway y la Pennsylvania Convention Center. La problema es sucio calles y a la gente no le importa.

History of Chinatown por Arturo Ho

Posted by William Huang in Spanish 2 · Manuel · B Band on
HistoryOfChinatown
HistoryOfChinatown
​Ubcado en: 10th and Vine Street

3 cosas que este mural revela sobre la comunidad:
  • La comunidad es un cuerpo unificado
  • La comunidad lucha para qué es justo
  • La historia de la comunidad
2 objetos, imagenes, frases o palabras encontrados en el mural
  • "Casas no carreteras"
  • Inmigrantes chinos
1 razon que es significativo para esta comunidad:
  • El mural representa el trabajo duro y el sufrimiento de los inmigrantes chinos no sólo en esta ciudad pero en América.
TAGS: E4U3

Farewell

Posted by William Huang in English 2 · Pahomov · C Band on
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o0Yq6DH8vk
​
Dear Reader, 

I’ve lived all my life wondering what it is that I’m living for. There was this interesting question that a teacher asked us many years ago: Would you die for those you love or would you live for them? I thought about it. I had a liking for such philosophical things, but I knew that the question didn’t apply to me. I never had anyone to love.

My parents died before I could remember. In my mother’s will, I went to live with my aunt. She was like the generic evil stepmother in the fairytales I read as a kid — mean, controlling, and unloving. I was told to do all of the house chores, and I did them willingly. I was thankful for the life she had given me, but she never seemed to be satisfied. She never married and had no kids. I always thought that that might be the reason why she treated me so. But I think we had something in common — we never learned to love. 

I grew up not having any friends. But it’s not like I’ve never tried. I’ve tried to change my life. I’ve tried to make friends. I’ve tried to be more outgoing. But in the end, all efforts were futile. I never had the courage to talk to people. I was always afraid that I might accidently say something that will make them hate me forever. I was afraid to be alone, but my efforts to prevent that only resulted in more solitude. Even in those rare instances where I do get the courage, I find myself not having any topics of discussion. I haven’t had enough experiences in my life. I don’t have anything interesting to talk about. I don’t have any worthwhile stories to share. 

I’ve never been the kind of person who wants to be the center of attention. But it’s different when no one pays attention to you. It’s different when no one ever acknowledges your existence. I just want someone to tell me that I matter. I want to have something to live for. It’s not something to boost my ego, but simply a sign of affirmation that I’m real. I go through everyday as if I were just a spectator, as if this life is something that I’m not actually living, but simply observing from the first person. 

When I was young, I thought about all the possibilities, all the different things I could be when I grew up. I was hopeful. But as I grew up, as I began to understand more about the reality of the world, all those dreams and aspirations seemed less and less plausible and became more and more distant. I work as a janitor at Phiph Middle School three blocks down the street. It’s nothing flashy. Being a janitor is rather stigmatic by society’s standards. But it’s fitting. Think about it. It’s a job where you are secluded from human interaction and left every day observing the doings of other people. No one ever talks to their janitor. People know they exist, but have absolutely no interest in who they are. They’re just there to clean up everyday when classes are over. It’s the one thing in my life that shows that I have purpose, but I was too replaceable. Anyone could’ve done what I did. 

It’s kind of depressing to think that when coming to the end of my life, I feel so empty. Maybe I was never meant to be around people. I have nobody. I hate my job. I hate my parents for leaving  me alone in this world. I hate my life. I struggle to find a reason to continue. On the bright side, at least I have nothing to live for. No one is waiting for me tomorrow morning to have breakfast together. No one is expecting me to see my face in the morning. I have no responsibilities. I have no fear. No one will be hurt if I go. 

Farewell, 

Stewart 

E1 U5 - Mi Familia, Mi Canción, Mi Verdad

Posted by William Huang in Spanish 1 - Manuel - E on

Music provided by Orion


Lyrics:


Esta es la canción de mi familia…


Yo soy William Huang,

Soy de la intersección de una encrucijada.

El niño de una familia inmigrante,

Soy un hijo Americano,

Analitíco y misterioso,

Como un búho que mira.


Veo mi verdad

Saboreo el calor de familia

Huelo la cocina de mi padre.

Oigo mis padres preguntan, "¿Qué tiempo hace hoy?".

Toco el pelo marrónes de mi papá.


Cuento las estrellas en el cielo nocturno con el campo.

Canto el idioma de la lluvia con las nubes.  

Escucho la música de mis abuelos.

Duermo con las experiencias que me forman.


Somos cruzados,

Siguiendo una vida mejor.

Somos productos de un nuevo mundo.

Hablamos chino:

La lengua de historia y innovación.

No somos Americanos. Vivimos en America.

No somos chino. China está en nosotros, pero tenemos ahora un nuevo establecimiento.


Somos la nueva generación.

Recuerdos desde mi infancia,

Nunca lo olvido.

La llevo siempre conmigo.


William's Song

U2 #8 - William Huang

Posted by William Huang in Technology - Freshman - Hull - b1 on
​In class, we've watched two TV shows produced by Frontline--Digital Nation and Growing Up Online. 

Digital Nation was a film that discussed how we as a nation have transitioned to depend on the internet. The film emphasized how the nation has become more reliant on the internet as a whole. Growing Up Online focused on several examples of how kids in the new generation use the internet. It focused more on individuals. Both films discussed the advantages and dangers of such a technology.

The most memorable thing from either film was when that kid, whose name I do not recall, killed himself. It was utterly shocking. He was bullied in school and wanted his dad to teach him how to fight. His dad didn't want him to start fights, but encouraged him to defend himself. Eventually, he learned how to fight, which seemed like the tide turning moment, but even then, he still took his life.

I think it's important to watch shows like these because it teaches people what such a technology can do. While it can be beneficial in many forms, there are even more ways it can destroy you. I think the topics discussed and the kids in the show are easily relatable to the general public. People don't often stop to think about what they're doing online, and shows like these can make them more reflective of their internet activities.

To keep my future family safe online, I will set fairly strict restrictions. Although this may be frowned upon, is it better for the long run.

It is important to talk to your family about internet safety because anyone can be a victim to its dangers. Unlike physical sports, which often go hand-in-hand with accidental injuries, people don't think about getting harmed when they're online, something people typically look at as a form of recreation. Because of this, many people can be taken by surprise.

For parents that don't know how to keep their children safe online, I would recommend to just take away that privilege from them. The only way to prevent it definitely, at least at home, is to not give the option for it. 
InternetSafetySeniors
InternetSafetySeniors

Slide Revision - William Huang

Posted by William Huang in Technology - Freshman - Hull - b1 on

From the critique of my slide, I've made a couple changes. The first thing I did was remove my name. It was deemed unnecessary and gave me more room to add things. From that, I made the font size of "Going Beyond" larger and moved it upwards to where my name used to be. I was also told that the font was very basic, so I changed one word from Arial to Kaushan Script to spice it up, while still making it easily legible. With those edits, I was left with a lot of empty space in the lower left hand corner, so I added an arrow that is parallel to the railing of the staircase. The detour represents the obstacles that you will face in life, and the "cutting through" of the words symbolize "Going Beyond".

William Huang (2)

Media Fluency: "Me Magazine" Slide - William Huang

Posted by William Huang in Technology - Freshman - Hull - b1 on
William Huang
From a single glance, my slide seems very basic. It has my name, two words, and some rectangles with lines. Allow me to explain their significance.

Going beyond is something I live by in life. There is no point in living a life that many have already lived. That is the basis and core of my slide. The color choice is to show contrast: it is easy to see the image portrayed, even with its simple design. There really isn't a lot of things going on. This is an intended design choice, because you don't want to be bombarded with details.

The picture is of a staircase. The steps to the staircase becomes lighter and lighter as you go up, symbolizing that not many people are able to achieve higher greatness, therefore, the "cleaner" steps. Additionally, the higher you go, the bar of the railing becomes thinner. This represents how the higher you go, the more risky and unstable things can be, until you finally reach the top, where the railing stops. In my life, I wish to be somewhere higher on the stairs. I don't want to be in the ocean of people crowded at the bottom. 

"There are three kinds of people in this world: people who make it happen, people who watch what happens, and people who wondered what happened." - Tommy Lasorda

Who Am I Online? - William Huang

Posted by William Huang on
Part 1 - Group Work (answer these bolded questions in this Canvas assignment)

1. Google yourself.

     a. What did you find?

I found a bunch of doctors and some actual comments I wrote in YouTube videos in the past.

     b. If you didn't find anything, who did  you find that has your same name?

I did find some things, although most of them weren't about me. Like said, I found several doctors who shared the same name, along with a couple of comments I posted on YouTube videos in the past.

     c. If you did find yourself, what kinds of things did you find?

I only found some comments I posted on YouTube the past.

     d. Why does that matter?

It really does not matter. However, what I say in these comments will leave a permanent mark in CyberSpace.

2. Partner up with someone Google each other

    a. Create a 5 word impression of each other - If you can't find the your partner online, then describe the person that does show up when you type in their name. (*remember EMPLOYERS DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE, HOW OLD YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU LIFE)

I did not find OUR David Roberts, but I did find someone who blogs about energy and politics on Twitter with the same name.

-Guy who blogs about energy-

3. Share your 5 word impression with each other. 

    a. Does this impression match what you think your online presence should say about you? Explain in two sentences why or why not.

No, this impression does not match what I think my online presence should say about me. For the most part, I'm not even on the internet. I have no interest in medicine and I don't plan on going into such a field.

    b. What are the 5 words your partner used to describe you from the Google search of your name?

-Asians with degrees in medicine-

A Day In Technology Class (Reflection) - William Huang

Posted by William Huang in Technology - Freshman - Hull - b1 on
​In class, we watched a video about a boy by the name of Jack. Throughout the video, Jack gets bullied by what seemed like his classmates. During each of those instances, we are give the choice to press an "eye" emoji, which turns the bad situation into an alternate, positive one. Then, we did an activity on Canvas where we checked what our online profile was like.

In reference to the topic of bullying, this video brings to my mind just how scary and lonely it can be to get bullied.

Online, I almost do not exist. After the search, all I found were some comments I posted on YouTube a while back, and a blocked-off Facebook page that might by mine.

There really isn't much on the internet for people to perceive me by, considering how limited my appearance is. 

The goal of internet trolls is to make other people's day miserable. Not exactly, but they find joy in doing so.

The positive aspect of online anonymity is that people won't be able to identify who you are. At the same time, the negative aspect of online anonymity is that you won't be able to identify other people either. This way, if you happen to ever by preyed upon, you would never know who the person on the other side is -- the person who is doing it.
VICTORY ALAS
VICTORY ALAS

Home Network, Huang

Posted by William Huang in Technology - Freshman - Hull - b1 on
https://www.lucidchart.com/documents/edit/8cc8eab6-66d5-473a-88b2-ba64859d0fe9?=
My Local Area Network consists of a wired PC, two wireless laptops, four wireless smartphones, and a wireless printer.

One thing I learned that I found interesting was the difference between the World Wide Web and the Internet, which I use interchangeably.

I would tell other people that an ISP is very much like a Carrier that provides phone service, but instead provides internet connection. Having internet connection is also very costly, something that is often overlooked.
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