Journal Blog #4: Write an Introduction.

We have been looking at different ways to write an Introduction. Some may start with a quotations or a shocking statistic. Others might ask a question (and hopefully a good one). Others may tell a story (or otherwise called an anecdote) to bring the reader into the world of the topic: "a steamy evening at the beginning of the rainy season...".

When we think about Michael Jordan, we think of one of the greatest sports leaders of all time. Even after Shaq or Kobe or LeBron, Jordan still stands out as the model everyone looks to. He was a high flyer. He was quick and fast and smart. More than that, he was a winner. A good introduction tells us the background (who is he?), some context (when? where? what? why? how?), and takes the reader to a particular point, a thesis statement.

Think about Michael Jordan. Write your best introduction, and I will review the best ones in class.

Remember to include your ID# and Section # in your post. Aj. M

Journal Blog #3: How leaders make us better or worse?

When we think of leaders, we tend to automatically think of the great ones: Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Michael Jordan, Mother Theresa, Aug San Suu Kyi, and Nelson Mandela.Whether we're thinking of politics, religion, or sports, there are great leaders that inspire us in profound ways that make us dream of our potential.

However, there are also incredibly effective leaders who have been able to inspire masses of people to do bad things, horrible things... things we wouldn't do if it were not for their misguided leadership. Such leaders would be people like Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, and Osama Bin Laden. While we may look at some leaders like this with fear and hatred, we cannot deny that they somehow captured the imaginations of people who would follow them and their vision.

In this journal blog, reflect on why we, as human beings, need to have a leader. And also consider how a leader can inspire us to even do unethical and horrible things that we would not think to do before. Does our ability to do good or bad depend on those leaders that are available to us? I wonder what draws us to certain kinds of models that may put us on the right or the wrong path.

Include your Section # and ID # in your post. Aj. M

Journal Blog #2: When have you needed to be a leader?

Some of us work much our lives to move up the ladder to achieve a position of leadership. It is our ambition to become more important and to have more status... more power. This can be in the context of work, in sport, in politics, and even in family. We have ideas for the future and we want people to follow us.

Yet, sometimes we are put into a position of leadership in other ways... sometimes by accident or against our will. We may unexpectedly be asked by others about what to do next, and it is up to us to figure that out for them. We are now in a time in this country where there appears to be no leader or leadership. A Prime Minister has been kicked out, people are confused about what to do next, and some people want the job and others do not.

I have always wanted to be a teacher. When my teachers asked me in primary school what I wanted to be, I said that I wanted to be a teacher. In this profession, I am asked to lead. This can be uncomfortable at times because sometimes others don't want to follow, so it is my work to convince them that the way I'm showing them is good for them. I know how to teach (I think) because I have observed so many teachers in my life. This is how I know what to do. But I also know what to do because of my students. They show me how to teach also. They show me when I'm doing the right thing by the expressions on their faces and by the work they produce, and they show me when I'm doing the wrong thing by the same way. Leadership is a constant education.

In this journal blog, explain when you have needed to be a leader and how you knew what to do in that role. Remember to include your Section # and ID # in your post. Aj. M