Can you find St. Lucia on a map? What else do you know about this Caribbean island nation with about 180,000 people?
‘Wild’ Ice Skating
Elaine Glusac, the Times Frugal Traveler columnist, chronicled her adventures last year wild skating — outdoor skating on naturally formed ice — on the pristine frozen lakes of southern Alaska, with 10-story glaciers looming above her.
She writes of the terror and magic of skating on “unblemished patches of ice so precisely reflective of a nearby mountain that the lake looked as if it had been surfaced by a Zamboni.”
Does that sound (and look) fun? Scary? Magical? Would you want to wild skate in Alaska or elsewhere?
What outdoor thrills do you enjoy most? Hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, snowboarding or camping? What excites you about this activity? What tips would you give to novices about how to get the most out of the experience?
Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn about the challenges and thrills of wild skating.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Word of the Day: forsake
The word forsake has appeared in 26 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on May 22 in the Opinion essay “The Most Common Graduation Advice Tends to Backfire” by Sapna Cheryan and Therese Anne Mortejo:
But what strikes us, based on this and other research, is that for many young people, passions seem to be based in large part on internalized societal expectations about what is appropriate for their gender rather than complete and accurate information about what, say, studying computer science is really like.
Consider that most U.S. high school students do not take a single computer science, engineering or physics class. And girls are even less likely to take these classes than boys. That means that many girls who forsake these courses are doing so without ever trying them. Even when girls take these classes, research shows that they often encounter negative stereotypes about their abilities and interests — whereas giving girls positive experiences in these fields can increase their interest.
Daily Word Challenge
Can you correctly use the word forsake in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
If you want a better idea of how forsake can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.
If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.
What is a domain name, and why do you need one now!
If you’re thinking about creating an online presence, whether it’s for your personal blog, small business, or even a Facebook page, one of the first things you should consider is getting yourself a domain name. It’s not only going to make things easier for you, but it will also help you share your content and give your website a more professional look. In this post, I’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about domains so you can get one with ease!
This is the second post of a 12-part series I have planned for this year. My goal is to help you improve your online presence, whether you have a small personal blog or a well-known business website. So, stay tuned for some awesome tips that will make your online presence shine!
Previous post from this series:
How to Start Planning – Improve Your Website And Get Organized
What is a domain name?
When you create a website or a blog, it’s always better to attach a domain to it. A domain is like a fancy address that can even be added to your social media account.
If you don’t get a domain first, your website or blog will have a long, temporary address. For example, if you create a blog on the blogger platform, it will always have an address like:
www.BlogName.blogspot.com
Since the blog name you want may be already taken, you may end with a really long address, which is hard to remember and doesn’t look good. By getting a custom domain, you can replace it with, for example:
www.BlogName.com
If you’re having trouble finding a domain name for your website because the name you want is already taken, don’t worry! You can try using different domain endings, also known as Top-Level Domains (TLDs). The most popular TLD is .com, which is usually used for commercial websites.
But did you know that each country has its own specific TLD, like .mx for Mexico or .it for Italy? Pretty cool, right? This information can be super helpful when you’re trying to come up with a unique domain name for your website.
Why you should get one?
The main reasons why you should get a domain are:
How to get a domain + domain costs
Great question! So you’re wondering how to get a domain, huh? Don’t worry, it’s really easy! If you already have a hosting service, you can usually purchase a domain from the same provider. But if you’re just looking for a domain, I’d recommend Bluehost (with my link, you can even get it for a better price).
When purchasing hosting, be cautious of prices. Often, you’ll be offered a free domain or a domain for as little as $1. However, this is not a one-time payment and you’ll need to renew your domain each year. In the second year, you’ll be charged the full price, so it’s important to check renewal prices before accepting a free domain offer. Just to give you an idea, the current renewal cost for a .com domain on Bluehost is $22.
If you are just starting and do not have hosting or domain, make sure to check: How to Start a Blog or Website
I really hope that this short guide was helpful for you in understanding what a domain name is and how to get one. If you still have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at any time via email or by posting your queries in the comments section below. I’m always here to help you out!
Ice Cream
Do you love ice cream? Do you prefer classic flavors or more fresh and novel ones?
The Times reports that chocolate chip ice cream, once a year-round staple, has fallen out of favor, with consumers flocking to more fanciful flavors like banana pudding, German Chocolate Cake, Dr Pepper Float and Cinnamon Twist.
Do you like old-school ice cream flavors like chocolate chip or are you bored by them? What are your go-to flavors these days? Have your ice cream tastes changed over the years? What’s your all-time favorite?
Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more about which flavors are in and which are out.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
How The Hidden Genius Project Nurtures Black Male Youth in Tech & Beyond
There are tons of organizations working hard to address the racial gap in tech and make the industry more diverse by empowering people from underrepresented groups with the skills they need to lead lucrative and fulfilling careers. To commemorate Black History and Futures Month, we sat down with one organization to learn more about what empowering communities of color looks like in practice. Introducing: The Hidden Genius Project.
The Hidden Genius Project is a national organization that equips Black male high school students with technical skills and mentorship opportunities so they can work towards successful careers in tech and beyond. “We mentor Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills to transform their lives and communities,” says Craig Tinsley, a Product Manager turned Innovation Educator at The Hidden Genius Project. The nonprofit was founded in Oakland in 2012 and now has programming sites in Richmond, CA, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, and their newest location in Baltimore launching this spring.
The Hidden Genius Project has several initiatives, including single-day catalyst programs, community events, and a 15-month Intensive Immersion Program where cohorts of Black male students are mentored and taught foundational coding skills by alumni. “That’s the beauty of our work,” says Denzel Russell, The Hidden Genius Project’s Communications Director. “Our Geniuses continue to come back and support the work that we’ve done because they found a place where they can love, support, and uplift each other.”
Ahead, Craig and Denzel share how they train Black youth to succeed in tech, the challenges and obstacles that hinder them from pursuing careers in the field, some of the organization’s greatest accomplishments, and more.
Learn something new for free
What unique challenges or obstacles do young Black men face when trying to get into tech?
Craig: “A lot of times in the home, we don’t have a lot of family support within technology. Access to technology in early and continuing education, especially for generations past, has been relatively limited in large scale across the United States. So, I think having the focus on technology as a career path isn’t the first thing that comes up for a lot of young people.
The other part is the educational systems of the United States struggling to meet young Black men where they are and [not] understanding their interests and ambitions, the complexities of the backgrounds they come from, and their psychological makeup. We want to provide a foundational kind of playground for these young men to start to tap into different aspects of technology; not just programming, but also understanding how it all fits together and how many different ways they can innovate to bring about new technologies and add our culture and way of being to the technological landscape.”
How do you bring Black boys into the tech space? What skills do you teach them, and what does your training look like?
Craig: “What’s most important for us is establishing brotherhood amongst each of our cohorts. That’s a really huge thing, because we know that it takes a village to raise a child; but networking is also one of the main ways that you can move through your career more effectively. As we established these cohorts and the curriculum around them, we wanted to make sure that our Geniuses could collaborate amongst themselves, and that they’re encouraged to do so within and outside of this program.
We approach a lot of our education from the Ubuntu standpoint of, ‘I am because we are and therefore we are because I am.’ I believe that having a mindset of collaborative education and co-ownership of the space that we provide gives [our Geniuses] a lot more confidence and assertiveness in learning about technology and the different leadership aspects that we bring to the table.
A lot of that leadership is helping them understand the importance that they play in their generation, as well as in the larger community of Black culture, America, and the world. We want to make sure they know they’re global citizens, and that it’s important for them to have a keen focus on their future so they can look for and capitalize on the opportunities that can help them excel.
As far as technology, we teach the principles of programming, software development, and software development life cycles. We teach Python, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. We also teach game development with C#, and we’re constantly looking at the bleeding edges of technology to find the best places to plug in curriculum so that [our Geniuses] are current with the movements of the industry.”
With the rise of AI and a very competitive job market, how are you helping prepare your cohorts for today’s tech world?
Denzel: “The Hidden Genius Project has been around since 2012. Obviously, technologies change year over year, and one of our values is innovation through focus and iteration — we understand that we must continuously change and evolve our curriculum to ensure it’s aligned with emerging technology trends such as artificial intelligence.
We offer a rich set of holistic services, and we’re here to mentor and support our Geniuses through the lens of technology and entrepreneurship. When Black boys and young men join our Immersion Programs, they can pick a lane — creating their own websites, apps, or entire business models from scratch. And now, we’ve created an opportunity for them to create their own AI projects and products, like chatbots, which is really cool.”
What are The Hidden Genius Project’s greatest accomplishments?
Craig: “From an organic standpoint, I’d say our greatest accomplishment is that our Geniuses graduate from our Intensive Immersion Program with their heads held high and knowing that they are capable, they are loved, and they have a community behind them. And we also have a very high percentage of graduates that end up going to computer science programs in different colleges, some of which are HBCUs.”
Denzel: “Our Immersion Program is 15 months — two seven-week summers and a whole school year — so every summer we have a cohort that’s starting the program, and one that’s finishing the program. And at all of our sites, we see mentorship between outgoing Geniuses and those who are just starting. Then they become alumni who have an opportunity to come back and support the organization as youth educators which is a beautiful thing.”
What advice do you have for young Black people who want to get into software development?
Craig: “I would say think about how you want to show up in technology. Do you want to be a creative? Do you want to play the leadership or CEO role and figure out how you can utilize tech to be more efficient and manage different things? Hop on Google and find out what different technologies are out there; jump on ChatGPT and look into the different options. Start a conversation with your friends about technology and spread that conversation into your families and communities. And really start to explore the different opportunities — what kind of world can be created with the technologies that you’re interested in?
I’d also say do a small project, whether it’s a quick little HTML website or a Python ‘Hello, World.’ Find the smallest thing to start with, and then work your way up from there. Just keep pushing forward and understand that this is a lifelong journey.”
Denzel: “Seek out organizations, communities, and resources in your area. There are so many other great organizations doing really amazing work that can help support your interests. You can also lean on The Hidden Genius Project. If you’re trying to find what your path is or need help and don’t know who to talk to — let us be that resource for you. Hopefully, we can connect you with somebody that can support you in your path and/or at least point you in the right direction.
I also want to say to all Black boys, young men, and youth of color: You’re capable, and you’re brilliant. Don’t let people dim your light; let it shine bright. I just think it’s so important to really empower and uplift our young people.”
Conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
Ice Cream Flavors
Do you love ice cream? Do you prefer classic flavors or more fresh and novel ones?
The Times reports that chocolate chip ice cream, once a year-round staple, has fallen out of favor, with consumers flocking to more fanciful flavors like banana pudding, German Chocolate Cake, Dr Pepper Float and Cinnamon Twist.
Do you like old-school ice cream flavors like chocolate chip or are you bored by them? What are your go-to flavors these days? Have your ice cream tastes changed over the years?
Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more about which flavors are in and which are out.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Behind the Build: Take Courses on Your Mobile Device
There’s a pretty good chance that right now you’re reading our blog on a mobile device like your phone or tablet — statistics show that over half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices. Next time you’re looking for something to scroll, head over to Codecademy. We recently updated our platform so that now you can work on our courses and paths from any mobile device.
Irene Robb, Front-End Software Engineer at Codecademy, was the technical lead who helped bring our learning environment (the interactive platform you see when taking courses) to mobile. She collaborated with a couple other engineers, a Product Manager, a Product Designer, and an Engineering Manager for this two-month project. The goal was to “allow users to learn on our website from anywhere,” Irene says.
Learn something new for free
We know that learners are busy and may not have time to sit down at a computer to learn to code. With the improved mobile experience, you can access the code editor, lessons, and everything else you need to learn on the go. (Good to know: This is separate from our Codecademy Go app, which is meant for reviewing practice packs and doing flashcard drills.)
These updates aren’t solely about convenience, they also improve accessibility, explains Jerimie Lee, Senior Product Designer at Codecademy who worked on the mobile learning environment. Making sure that our course material is viewable on devices of all sizes helps folks who use screen magnification, or those who simply use smaller laptop screens, he says. Read on to learn how Irene, Jerimie, and the rest of our technical team made our learning environment mobile-friendly in a web browser of any size.
The project: Allow users to learn on our website on any mobile device anywhere.
- Write a proof of concept validating the feasibility or potential of the idea
- Re-design components layouts to accommodate a smaller screen
- Turn plans into tickets and complete them
Investigation and roadmapping
Jerimie: “Neil Daftary [Engineering Manager], Dónal Ó Dubhthaigh [Product Manager], and I wanted to improve our learners’ ability to continue learning from anywhere. We spent some time last year putting together a case for this work, citing how many learners already try to access our content on mobile devices and requests from learners to enable this capability.
I’ve previously worked on a project that expanded a point-of-sale system’s ability to be able to take payments via mobile devices to great success and hope that this will have a similar impact for our learners.”
Irene: “I assigned myself the original ticket to start the investigations into the technical work for this. This project seemed right in my wheelhouse since it was primarily front-end. As a Front-end Engineer, I do a lot of responsive web design, so it’s similar to other stuff I have worked on in that aspect.
The planning process for me as the technical lead involved taking Jerimie’s amazing designs and making a document and proof of concept on how this could be accomplished. I created a step-by-step process for accomplishing things in order in the document. Then, I created tickets based on those steps and marked specific tickets as able to be worked on simultaneously. Staying focused to meet deadlines involved a lot of watching for scope creep and identifying what are blocking and non-blocking bugs.”
Implementation
Irene: “The simplest way to describe how we did this technically is that we created new components layouts using as much existing code as possible for project and lesson content items that will show when the user’s screen is small. A typical day for me as an engineer consisted of completing tickets and discussing with the team if any problems come up. Also, reviewing other people’s work.”
Troubleshooting
Irene: “The most challenging part of the project for me was making sure that we were not breaking any of the existing learning environment code. There is a lot of moving parts, code, and different teams that work in the learning environment.
My biggest a-ha moment was finally getting my proof of concept to work. Although proof of concept is a ‘hacky’ way of proving something would work, it was still exciting to see it happen for the first time. The most rewarding was seeing the product go out to users! I’m very excited for more people to try it out and hear back from users.”
One of the great things about being an engineer is that you are always learning.
Irene Robb
Front-End Software Engineer at Codecademy
Ship
Irene: “It felt awesome seeing the mobile learning environment for the first time. It was a huge effort and project, and I was so happy to see it finally launch. We’ve gotten lots of great feedback so far from my peers; I think everyone is really excited for this to finally go out.”
Jerimie: “I can’t wait to hear feedback from our learners about how they’re using this and how we can continue to make it easier to learn these skills on the go.”
Retrospective
Irene: “There’s a lot that I learned on this project — one of the great things about being an engineer is that you are always learning. But if I had to pick one thing, I would say I learned how to better take a huge complex problem and break it down into smaller more manageable tasks.”
Snaps
Irene: “Big snaps to Jerimie Lee for designs, and to the engineers who worked on this and also helped test and review: Alex Onate, Sylvana Santos, Julie Jones, and Neil Daftary. And also, Dónal Ó Dubhthaigh!”
Our Platform Upgrades Make Learning to Code Easier & More Intuitive
A common refrain we hear from our learners is how satisfying it is to start coding from day one of your Codecademy journey. We know that the best way to learn how to code is by actually coding — that’s why our learning environment (the interactive platform you see in courses and paths) has a built-in code editor that you can access right in your web browser.
The first time you submit code in our interactive development environment is a milestone, and it can give you momentum to continue progressing through a course, learning a new skill, or planning your next career move. Of course, sometimes you get stuck. Solving problems is just part of the learning process, even though not understanding why your code isn’t working can feel frustrating.
We’ve recently added some new features to the learning environment that’ll help you learn faster, resolve errors swiftly, grasp confusing concepts, and code like a professional developer. It’s still the same learning environment you know and love, just with some AI-powered assistance and industry-standard tweaks. Read on to learn about the tools and resources you can start using today.
New ways to get unstuck
Get on-the-spot guidance tailored to your immediate needs with new AI-powered code explanation. Highlight a piece of the code you’re writing, click the “Explain Code” button, and we’ll generate a concise and quick explanation of the selected code.
For example, say you’re on a lesson in Learn HTML, and come across the element
We’ve also added AI-generated error explanations that break down the why behind your mistakes. It’s one thing to successfully guess your way out of an error message, but it’s another to really understand what caused it in the first place and how you can correct it going forward. With error explanation, you can spend less time spinning your wheels (or, ahem, cursing under your breath at your computer) and more time progressing through the lessons in a course or path.
Outside of our interactive courses and paths, we’re weaving in extra AI guidance in places where you write code on your own or answer open-ended questions. You’ll find AI-powered hints and assistance as you work through select practice projects. We won’t give away the entire code solution for you (that’d defeat the whole point of doing projects solo) but we’ll give quick clues that tell you if you’re on the right track or nudge you toward the next step to take.
In our interview prep courses, there are some questions where you have to write out a free response as opposed to selecting a multiple-choice answer or filling in a blank. If you’re working on the Data Analyst Interview Prep or Data Scientist Interview Prep skill paths, for example, now you can request feedback on what you write for your free response answers. This feedback is AI-generated and will tell you how close your response is to correct, so you can practice being put on the spot in a technical interview.
Good to know: You need Codecademy Pro or Plus to try out these new features. If you have a Basic membership, you can upgrade your plan or start a free seven-day trial to join.
Keep courses and resources at your fingertips
Balancing the demands of everyday life with the goal of learning to code is tough, especially when it comes to finding dedicated time to sit down at the computer and focus. With the improved mobile-friendly version of our interactive platform, you can seamlessly access our coursework and complete exercises — no monitor or keyboard required.
Instead of mindlessly scrolling your phone or tablet when you have some downtime, now you can work on coding courses and paths right on your mobile device. (We also have a mobile app called Codecademy Go, which is great for practicing and reviewing concepts outside of your browser.) Remember: You don’t need to commit a ton of time each day to learning to code. You can turn moments of idle time into valuable opportunities for skill development and progress. Curious how other learners get things done? Read more about the clever ways that folks in our community build time in their schedules to learn.
Speaking of desktop setups, if you’re someone who always has Docs open while you work on a course or path, we’ve made it even easier to reference our open-contribution documentation. Now you can just hover over terms in courses and paths to see the definition on screen or jump to the corresponding Doc to read a more detailed explanation. It’s great for when you need to refresh your memory on a term you’ve already learned, but you don’t want to interrupt your flow state as you learn.
Got a trick that helps you understand certain coding concepts? You can also add your own info to Docs to help other learners. Check out the guide to learn how to contribute.
Write code faster with autocomplete
We recently added code autocomplete to our HTML, CSS, and JavaScript courses (more courses will be added). When you turn on this feature, you can automatically complete the code of known variables, attributes, methods, and tags while you’re typing in the code editor.
This might sound like cheating or cutting corners, but even experienced devs use autocomplete and other shortcuts to code more efficiently. “Autocomplete is a basic need for developers,” according to Chirag Makkar, Senior Software Engineer at Codecademy who worked on this feature. Our version of autocomplete is designed to mimic the code editors and integrated development environments (IDEs) that you’ll use in the real world. So, you’ll have a more realistic coding experience as you pick up syntax and skills. And if you want to turn off autocomplete to test your knowledge of syntax, you have the option to do that as well.
Start working with the tools of the trade now
Making the leap from self-taught coding to being part of a tech team is a major milestone. If you’re in a new technical role and experiencing impostor syndrome, keep in mind that every dev has faced a similar learning curve. Throughout your tech career, there’s always going to be a new language or application to master, because technology is an ever-evolving field.
One concrete way that you can overcome feelings of self-doubt as you launch your tech career is to familiarize yourself with the tools commonly used by professional developers in the field. In addition to your organization’s tech stack, technical teams might have go-to version control systems, IDEs, and other essential software. Luckily for learners like you, we have many of these tools built into our courses and paths.
For example, Jupyter Notebook, the industry-standard tool that Data Scientists use to develop data science code and visualizations, is integrated into our learning environment. When you take courses like Getting Started with Python for Data Science and Introduction to Big Data with PySpark, you’ll learn how to use Jupyter Notebooks in addition to key Python skills. By becoming proficient in these tools, you not only enhance your technical skills and resume, but also gain confidence in your ability to contribute effectively within a team.
Another skill that’s necessary in the programming world? Prompt engineering. In select prompt engineering courses, you now have access to a chatbot powered by GPT 3.5 that you can use to practice writing, testing, and refining your prompts without leaving our platform. You can acquire practical skills in prompt engineering to bolster your AI expertise.
Discover how our newly added features can accelerate your learning and elevate your coding skills to professional levels. Upgrade to Pro or start a free trial to experience the difference!
How Important Is It to You to Keep Mementos From Your Life?
Do you know anyone who saves things that are meant to commemorate events and serve as reminders of special moments? Are you such a person?
What do you do with things like birthday cards, photographs, newspaper clippings, wristbands from music festivals, programs from plays or sporting events, bib numbers from races and so on? If you keep some or all of these sorts of mementos, why do you hold onto them? How long do you think you’ll do so?
In the guest essay “The Deep Joy of Squirreling It All Away,” Margaret Renkl writes about the things she’s held on to over the years, which she rediscovered while cleaning out her office:
What to do with the stack of holiday cards? Whole families of children grew up between one end of that stack and the other. What to do with the graduation pictures, the wedding invitations, the birth announcements, the funeral programs? Why did I save so many copies of the lyrics to “I’ll Fly Away”?
It was a little overwhelming. I considered asking to borrow the backhoe from the construction site next door.
Then I began to read the letters. A birthday card from my father-in-law, written in a shaky hand: “Thank you for all you do for me.”
A prayer card from my godmother.
A thank-you note for a poundcake. When my friend’s father died unexpectedly, my mother told me to bake a poundcake, slip it into the kitchen and leave it by the coffeepot. Friends will be dropping by, she said, and the family will need something to offer them.
Now she is gone, too, and so are my father-in-law and my godmother.
I read the letters I’d saved from former teachers, also gone now, and from former students, now grown up. So many letters from people whose handwriting I still recognize across the decades. I hardly know my own children’s handwriting, so rarely do they write to me by hand, but I would know my favorite professor’s penmanship from across the room.
As the hours unfolded, I felt my exasperation give over to joy. This small, messy life of mine, this one brief, brief life has unfolded in such interlocking connection to so many other lives! It’s impossible to know where the connections began, impossible to imagine that they could ever end. In time, the backhoes and the masonry drills will come for this house, too, but in the meantime it holds all the reminders — now packed away into boxes beneath my desk and in the bottom of my closet — of so many people I love.
I come from a long line of savers. I am the caretaker of photos going back to the early 20th century. I have my grandmother’s christening gown and wedding dress. I still have my grandfather’s love letters to my grandmother and my father’s love notes to my mother. Without the help of these treasures, I could not have written my first book.
Nevertheless, I find myself feeling in the dark for a moral to this story of what I have lost and what I have saved, this tale of weary petulance transformed into gratitude. Why am I saving Christmas cards printed with pictures of other people’s children? Or finger paintings by my own children, who will never want to reclaim them? These are fair questions.
Students, read the entire essay and then tell us:
Do you hold on to the sorts of things Ms. Renkl names in her essay? Does anyone you know have this habit?
How do you store or display your keepsakes? Do you make collages or fill scrapbooks? Is there a designated box or folder that you use or, like Ms. Renkl, do you have piles of mementos in your room?
If you don’t tend to set things aside for sentimental reasons, does the essay cause you to question yourself? Have you ever lost or thrown out a card, photo or any other object associated with an event or a person that you wish you still had? What was it?
The essay is about holding on to objects made of paper or fabric, but what about things that are digital? Do you think of your camera roll or social media accounts as future archives of your current life? Do you curate them as such? Do you create digital albums of photos, screenshots, text messages and so on?
Ms. Renkl writes that she comes “from a long line of savers.” Do you? Are there any special photos, letters, objects or other mementos that have been saved in your family over generations? If so, what do these items mean to you? If not, is there anything you wish your relatives had kept so you could see them now?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
