Articles written by Joyce D. Sinclair

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About me - Joyce D. Sinclair

Hi! So, here's a little about me in convenient list form:

* I live in Chicago.
* I have a husband, a 4-yr old daughter and a 10-mo old baby boy.
* I speak English and Japanese, have a basic knowledge of Portuguese and Spanish and am studying French.
* I graduated

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Education > High School Humanities How Internet communication destroys writing standards among teens: 1 of 47
I used to grade the essay portion of standardized tests from various states and from various grade levels (from grades 5, 7, 9, 11). I couldn't believe how many students wrote their essays as if it were an e-mail, complete with slang and text-speak. (Text-speak is the term used for the abbreviations used in text messaging and... More..
Arts & Humanities > Children's Literature Best children's books: 1 of 44
Children's literature is often glanced over as a genre; it seems that it's not taken as seriously as adult literature. But try to publish a children's book, and you'll soon find out how competitive the market can be. Children's literature is broken up into different categories: nursery rhymes, poems, and jump rope songs; baby... More..
Entertainment > TV Genres & Trends Has the trend toward Reality TV improved the quality of television shows?: 2 of 87
Reality TV, a term that entered our vernacular around 2000 to describe shows where people are in unscripted situations, has roots that go back as far as 1948 with Candid Camera. Game shows, variety shows and home videos shows have been around for decades, but are not necessarily considered "reality TV."With the introduction o... More..
Other What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?: 12 of 352
My mother and I didn't have such an open relationship when it came to telling me about the birds and the bees. So, when I started my period for the first time in the seventh grade, it was a horrifying thing. I was really naive and only went on the little information she gave me, coupled next to whatever little I gained from t... More..
Food & Drink > Food & Drink (Other) Why food is the ultimate gift: 2 of 58
I saw in the church bulletin last week a notice for a moving party. And at the bottom it specifically said, NO GIFTS WE'RE MOVING. At first, it seemed kind of odd. Who doesn't like gifts? But then it hit me about the moving part (because we just moved last year). It is kind of hard to pack to move when everyone comes out... More..
Arts & Humanities > American Literature Book reviews: The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown: 1 of 23
Thought to be one of the most controversial books of the century thus far, and pushing it to best-selling status, The Da Vinci Code has sparked many conversations and debates around the world. I'm not sure if this was what author Dan Brown expected when he wrote this book, but it certainly has made a place for itself in liter... More..
Education > High School Humanities How does one define illiteracy?: 1 of 22
Literacy is one of the defining categories of how education is treated in a country or area. It is a direct byproduct of the economic status and the political stability of a nation. Third-world countries who are struggling politically and economically tend to have lower literacy rates. (In these countries, there is often a wi... More..
Education > Secondary School Issues Should high school students be required to volunteer in community service projects?: 3 of 55
As a junior in my high school, we were required to do 6-8 community volunteer projects called service learning. Every "homeroom" class came up with an idea of where we could go in the community and do volunteer work once a month. My class chose to go to the local FFA (Future Farmers of America) center and do a general cleanup... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Elections Archives US elections 2008: Hillary loses lead to Obama: 1 of 17
This year's presidential election is one of the most publicized and probably one of the most important elections in contemporary history. Our election continues to make the front pages of many overseas newspapers, such as France's "Le Monde," Spain's "El Pais" and "The Times" in the UK. The world waits with bated breath for t... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: The top 10 things you want to do in your life: 17 of 287
It seemed like whenever I used to get together for family reunions, conversations would always seem like dj vu: "Oh, it's so good to see you!" followed by, "How's school? What are you planning on doing with your life?" I was always at a quandary as to what to say. It's such a loaded question. If I told them what I really want... More..