Quality Project Reflections

Here are some general topics to make sure you cover in your reflections. In addition, all of you need to have a written introduction that elaborates on the reasons why you chose this project.

For the reflection:

*Describe the process you went through for the past six weeks.

*What were the successes and frustrations? How did you deal with them?

*What makes your project quality? Think about our discussions of the classical and romantic elements of quality. Discuss both and how they apply to your project.

*What's next for you? What doors have been opened? What interests have you found?

Character Study/Mental Model Essay...and some other stuff

This is the last essay, and I'm trying to give you plenty of class time to work on it. Here are some things to think about using as an outline:
* Articulate what you don't understand about your subject.
* Describe physical characteristics symbolic of what's interesting/perplexing about your subject.
* What do others say or think about your subject?
* What is your subject's voice?
* What is the universal theme that your interest in your subject reveals?

Other Stuff:
The deadline for missing work was yesterday. If you've completed posts, you need to send me an email so I know to check your blog.
Don't forget the four posts for cycle 26.

Freshman Performance Project

As you know from class, your going to be staging a performance of a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream. In order to create a believable interpretation, the project will have several required steps, as well as a few creative options. The idea behind the project is that a play is meant to be performed, and the only way to really understand the themes and characters is to become them from the inside out. That's what you're going to do.

Step One: Brainstorm your ideas for characters, scenes, and how you might put them together and perform them (you already did this on your blogs).

Step Two: Find others that are interested in working with you. Or don't, you can perform solo if you like.

Step Three: Write a one page interpretation of your scene. More specifically, you will analyze the minimum 15 lines that you'll memorize, adapting the scene for performance, and figuring out how you're going to play the character, including their mood, tone, motivations, frustrations, all based on the language. The one-pager is due next Wednesday, C-day the 16th.

Step Four: With your groups, if you're working with a group, decide on a performance option. Here they are:
1. You can put on a live performance for the class. This means creating props,
costumes, and learning how to stage (move actors around the stage).
2. Radio show. These were before your time and mine. But they're really cool.
Think the audio version of the play but with more sound effects. This option
will mean really knowing how to inflect every word and how to use effects to
create meaning. The final product will be a podcast.
3. You can film and edit an iMovie. Before you choose this option, there are
several things to consider. First, you will have to make arrangements with
ITV to check-out equipment, unless you have your own. And it's a busy time of
year for video equipment. Also, we will need to meet and discuss sound,
lighting, and composition. These will make the biggest impact on the quality
of your movie.

Step Five: You will create a neat, organized, well-planned storyboard, analog or digital. The storyboard is also due C-day the 16th.

Step Six: Rehearse and create any materials.

Step Seven: Performances will be next cycle, day 3 and 4. That'll be Friday the 18th and Monday the 22nd.

Flat World Reflection Questions

On your blog, respond to the following questions. We will discuss and podcast in class.

1. What did you like best about the project and why?
2. What did you like least and why?
3. What was something surprising that you learned about the other students (from other schools)?
4. How do you think the project affected your writing?
5. Describe the most challenging aspect of the project.
6. Offer some advice to future participants.
7. Other comments.

Freshman Homework

We don't meet again until next Tuesday. So here's the work you need to prepare:
1. Finish your Shakespeare wikispace page. We'll be looking at them as a class next week.
2. Finish reading Act II, maybe even start reading Act III. Write another character analysis post after reading.
3. Prepare a few notes for a Flat World debrief/reflection session that I'm going to podcast.

Freshman, Here's Today's Activity

Follow this link to the Freshman corner of my class wikispace. Read every word, follow the links, rearrange yourselves into the assigned groups, and get to work.

Composition Readings

Here's something I just read that made me think of composition class. It's kind of an anti-how-to or maybe a character sketch of self. Read it (or not).

Deadline For All Work

If you're planning to make up missing work, revise essays, or deal with any other back-work issue, it needs to happen before:

MAY 14th

A Couple of Things...Sophomores

Free Choice Books -
It's a good idea to use your blog to keep track of characters, themes, plot, essential questions, and connections you make as your read. On day 3 of cycle 27, you will be responsible for discussing these elements of your book with the rest of the class. To have all of this information on your blog will make this an easy task. Otherwise, you might come up short in the detail department.

Quality Project Rubrics -
We've been discussing the Universal Standards/Sophomore Rubric all semester. For the Quality Project, it will look similar with a few modifications to apply to the nature of the project. Here's the rubric:

CREATIVITY – It is original and inspiring. The creator put a lot of thought and planning into the piece, and it possesses aspects that distinguish it from others of its kind.
__________

AESTHETICS – It is well made and pleasing to the eye, demonstrating excellence and superiority. It is executed well and will not easily fall apart or lose its value.
__________

TIME AND EFFORT – There is a clear, organized and defined thought process. The final project looks professional and finished. Also, the amount of time, effort, and dedication is readily apparent and documented.
__________

PRESENTATION – It is clear, organized, compelling, and the process of its creation is explained. Overall, it captures the audience’s attention.

...and don't forget about the reflection, which will be graded separately.

Cycle 25 - Everybody

Okay, the final month is here. And each class is on their respective "plan" for the remaining 4 cycles. Be sure you're consulting the calendars I created for you often. Sophs, it's quality project all cycle, and "Stuckness" in class; Freshman, bring A Midsummer Night's Dream and get ready to do some performing; Composition, this cycle we write our nature essays.

Cycle 24 - Composition

Public Interest essays are finished. They were a different kind of essay, involving background research, control of writing for more pages, and subtle presentation of big questions and ideas that people care about. Our next essay will slow us down and allow some meditation on the natural world. In addition, we'll read some quintessential naturalist writing.

The Plan:
Day 1 - Evaluations, Muir essay.
HW - One blog post or 2 pages in journal.

Day 2 - Muir essay.
HW - One blog post or 2 pages in journal.

Day 3 - Finish essay if needed, assorted short nature pieces, brainstorm essay.
HW - One blog post or 2 pages in journal.

Day 4 - Computer lab time to draft.
HW - One blog post or 2 pages in journal.

Cycle 24 - Freshman

This cycle marks the end of our work with The Woman Warrior,culminating in an essay/project with a few options.This essay is your chance to display what you've learned about reading critically and writing thoughtfully, and most importantly what you've learned about who you are and your voice. We've also completed stories for 1001 Flat World Project, the first ever in the world! Now we wait for the winners.

The Plan:
Day 1 - Final Woman Warrior discussion, essay/project directions and brainstorm.
HW - Rough draft of essay.

Day 2 - Peer feedback groups for essay.
HW - Work on essay/project.

Day 3 - Computer lab time to work on essay, individual conferences about presentation.
HW - Continue work on essay/project.

Day 4 - Final essay/project work day.
HW - Presentations next class.

Cycle 24 - Sophomores

This cycle marks the end of our work with The Poisonwood Bible,culminating in an essay with a few options.This essay is your chance to display what you've learned about reading critically and writing thoughtfully. This cycle we also begin work on Quality Projects. Be sure you check the calendar handout I gave you in class often for checkpoints,work days, and due dates. The rest of the semester will be mostly self-directed.

The Plan:
Day 1 - Quintessence, project proposals, examples of Quality projects, PB paper assignment.
HW - Rough draft of PB paper. (You should be finished reading).

Day 2 - Peer feedback groups for PB paper.
HW - Work on paper.

Day 3 - Final draft of paper due, discuss, start working on Quality project, plan work day.
HW - Bring materials for work day.

Day 4 - First project work day.
HW - Quality Project, get free choice book.

Cycle 23 - Freshman

This cycle we will be making the final revisions on Flat World stories. The only thing left to do next week is edit them for conventions, which we will do amongst ourselves. Then, our volunteer editors will convene and decide on award-winning stories. We are also finishing The Woman Warrior and will wrap up discussion of the story next week too. Then, get ready to get dramatic with some Shakespeare to finish the semester.

Plan and Homework
Day 1 - Computer lab, working on new draft after sentence fluency feedback.
HW - Story, finish The Woman Warrior if you haven't yet.

Day 2 - Computer lab, working on new draft.
HW - Story. Print 2 copies to bring to class.

Day 3 - Line editing for conventions in story.
HW - Final revision/editing.

Day 4 - Finish story, discuss The Woman Warrior.
HW - Submit final story.

Cycle 23 - Sophomores

This cycle we will come very close to finishing The Poisonwood Bible. Your load will be lightened to give your more time to read. And our attention will shift from literature to Quality Projects. Start thinking about where your essential questions have taken you and what you might want to spend the quarter exploring in your project. Also, review and exercise critical thinking strategies; they will be an important part of your project.

Plan and Homework
Day 1 - "Bel And The Serpent" quiz.
HW - Read "Exodus."

Day 2 - Reading day in class.
HW - Read "Exodus."

Day 3 - Literature circle meeting and class discussion.
HW - Post response to discussion, and keep reading.

Day 4 - Introduction to Quality Project and Quintessence.
HW - Quintessence.

Cycle 23 - Composition

This cycle we're working on Public Interest essays. We've read several model essays that approach public issues in different ways: comedy, satire, point of view shift, and analysis. Your challenge is to much a structure and voice to your topic, and not to write a journalistic piece but keep your essay entertaining, personal, and insightful. And for the rest of the semester, on a week like this when we're working on an essay, you don't need to be posting to your blog. One thing at a time. Instead, this cycle's grade will be based on revisions of Public Interest essay.

Plan and Homework
Day 1 - Computer lab time to work on draft on wikispace.
HW - Print three drafts for elbowing.

Day 2 - 12:30 class, you're still in the computer lab this day and don't need your three drafts until day 3. 10:30 class you will be elbowing today.
HW - Make revisions according to feedback. Bring 3 drafts for elbowing (both classes).

Day 3 - Elbowing
HW - 10:30, final draft due next class. 12:30, elbowing session 2 next class, bring 3 revised drafts.

Day 4 - 10:30 essays due. 12:30, elbowing.
HW - Final drafts. Back to posting for 10:30.

Sentence Fluency For Freshman

Here are the questions to use for feedback on the Flat World Project this week:
1. Highlight the beginnings of sentences. Are there too many "th" words? Suggest different sentence structures.
2. What is your favorite moment based on how the essay sounds? Why? (this works for podcasted stories or for required read-aloud.)
3. Do the pace and style of sentences match the content of the story? Discuss specific examples.
4. Are there repetition of words and/or the same kinds of sentences? Is there a strategic reason or can it be deleted?

Also visit this link for Mr. B's sentence fluency exercise.

Welcome to 4th Quarter - Cycle 22 - Composition

Our essay topics are becoming more complex and are moving away from being exclusively personal explorations. This cycle we're exploring a public interest issue. Again, we'll be using the wikispace as a way to collaborate and get feedback. We'll also take a look at a full-length example essay. And don't forget about our digital photography sentence work.

A Few Important Changes
1. Label all your posts with cycle number. And add a side bar element for "labels."
2. A few weeks ago, I set up a blog reading schedule. But it was too confusing for me. So the new plan is that I'll read your blogs at the end of each cycle. So for both classes, your posts are due F-days by midnight.
3. Continue to pay attention to the quality of your blogging. They are an especially good place to start exploring public interest topics. Do some web research, start linking and commenting.

Day 1 - Discuss 3 short public interest examples, sentence work
HW: Make sure you have topics posted on wiki, respond to two classmates' ideas, post

Day 2 - "Getting In"
HW: Post

Day 3 - "Getting In"
HW: Post

Day 4 - Work on public interest draft
HW: Post, prepare for elbowing on Day 1 of next cycle

Welcome to 4th Quarter - Cycle 22 - Freshman

Soon, we'll be finishing The Woman Warrior, revisiting our essential questions, completing the 1001 Flat World Writing Project, and switching gears for some Shakespeare.

A Few Important Changes
1. Label all your posts with cycle number. And add a side bar element for "labels."
2. A few weeks ago, I set up a blog reading/Flat World checking schedule. But it was too confusing for me. So the new plan is that I'll read your blogs/story revisions at the end of each cycle. So your posts need to be completed each cycle by F-day midnight.
3. Continue to pay attention to the quality of your blogging, feedback, and creative writing.

In Class:
Day 1 - "At The Western Palace" quiz, silent reading time
HW: Critical response to passage on blog

Day 2 - Flat World work, podcast story
HW: Flat World feedback (see wiki for schedule)

Day 3 - Flat World work, podcast story
HW: Story revision

Day 4 - "A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe" reading in class, discussion, lit circle meeting (new group)
HW: Lit circle post

Welcome to 4th Quarter - Cycle 22 - Sophomores

Soon, we'll be finishing The Poisonwood Bible, revisiting our essential questions, and starting independent quality projects. For the next two cycles, you will continue to use your weblog as a commonplace book and reading response journal.

A Few Important Changes
1. Label all your posts with cycle number. And add a side bar element for "labels."
2. A few weeks ago, I set up a blog reading schedule. But it was too confusing for me. So the new plan is that I'll read your blogs at the end of each cycle. So 11:30, your posts are due E-days by midnight; 1:30, your posts are due F-days by midnight.
3. Continue to pay attention to the quality of your blogging. Go back to the critical thinking standards and wheel and make those moves in your writing/thinking.

In Class:
Day 1 - "Judges" quiz, silent reading time.
HW: Critical response to passage

Day 2 - SAT practice essay.
HW: Word process (on blog) and print essay, then bring to class.

Day 3 - SAT scoring panels activity
HW: Commonplace post

Day 4 - Lit. Circle meeting for "Bel and the Serpent."
HW: Lit circle post

Daily Bookmarks: Technology and Independence

Psychology Today: Mood Tools: High-Tech Tethers

The ubiquity of cell phones has dramatically increased the number of "grooming calls," nonessential expressions of concern, support, and love...



Watson'sComment: After spending some time at all grade levels in our school, one of the questions that keeps coming up is: how does technology change the way we (students) interact? This article addresses the questions from a few angles. Read on.

Inspirational

Spring break is almost here. And here's a poem that I love.

How To Be A Poet
(to remind myself)

Make a place to sit down.
Sit down. Be quiet.
You must depend upon
affection, reading, knowledge,
skill - more of each
than you have - inspiration,
work, growing older, patience,
for patience joins time
to eternity. Any readers
who like your work,
doubt their judgment.

Breathe with unconditional breath
the unconditioned air.
Shun electric wire.
Communicate slowly. Live
a three-dimensional life;
stay away from screens.
Stay away form anything
that obscures the place it is in.
There are no unsacred places;
there are only sacred places
and desecrated places.

Accept what comes from silence.
Make the best you can of it.
Of the little words that come
out of the silence, like prayers
prayed back to the one who prays,
make a poem that does not disturb
the silence from which it came.

Wendell Berry, Given

Cycle 21

The last cycle of the quarter is here! In the next few weeks, sophs and frosh, we'll be finishing our novels and looking ahead to final projects. Juniors and seniors, we'll continue to improve and innovate in our writing with fresh topics and model essays, as well as interesting, I hope, activities that will help you think about composing sentences and paragraphs in different ways. Oh, and that spring break thing too.

Cycle Theme: Recharge

SAT Vocab: paucity and appropriate (verb)

Freshman
In Class
Day 1 - "Shaman" quiz and discussion.
Day 2 - (After break) Flat World. CLCC.
Day 3 - Flat World. CLCC.
Day 4 - "At The Western Palace" quiz and discussion.

HW:
Over break, read "At The Western Palace."
When we get back, feedback for voice and sentence fluency, and a new revision. Denver and Seoul are going to take a break with us.


Sophomores
In Class:
Day 1 - "Revelation" quiz and discussion.
Day 2 - Film: Mosquito Coast.
Day 3 - cont.
Day 4 - Lit Circles

HW:
Over break, read "Judges."
Before break, a post comparing film to PB and anything else you find relevant.
After break, a commonplace post and a lit circle post.


Composition
In Class:
Day 1 - Sentence/Grammar Work.
Day 2 - Posting photos and writing sentences on wiki.
Day 3 - More work with sentences.
Day 4 - New essay, new topic

HW:
Over break, non-required writing and reading.
After break, posts due.

Blogging By Example

Check out these composition bloggers.

James is exploring the politics of blogging and school, while exercising the power of hyperlinks.

Linda is asking questions and reflecting on her service experiences.

Daniel is challenging his own assumptions and experimenting with point of view shifts.

Kate is showing us that presenting posts in different visual configurations can be quite effective.

Mr. Watson's Reading Habits

Here's my blog reading/grading schedule.

A - Composition 12:30
B - English I 2:30
C - Composition 10:30
E - English II 1:30
F - English II 11:30

Don't Miss This Game

Date: Friday, March 30, 2007
Time: 7:00pm - 8:45pm
Location: Pool

Tickets are $5 and t-shirts are $10. Both teams will include students and faculty (watch out for Mr. W representing). The meat club will also be selling food. All proceeds go to Sara Simmons (Mr. Johnson's wife) and their two children for educational and every day purposes. This is just a small way for our community to have fun while giving back to a family that has given us so much.

Tickets will be sold in the week before the game (possibly earlier) and at the door.
If you're interested in playing in the game, please contact Sasha Fuller.
If you're interested in helping us run/organize the game, please contact Lani Maher.

Cycle 20

We've been busy! And we've experimented with the use of a lot of new technology. So this cycle, we're not going to introduce anything new. Instead, we're going to reflect on where we've been and continue to do what we're doing. We'll do some more podcasting as a supplement to writing in all classes (frosh-seniors). I'm also going to ask you to consider what 'self' you've created on your blog and whether or not you're satisfied with that self. With the exception of my composition classes, we'll be moving deeper into our core novels. Lastly, don't forget that the end of the quarter is right around the corner. So make sure you're caught up with EVERYTHING!

Cycle Theme: Raising the bar.

SAT Vocab: penchant and pragmatic (add to your sidebar, make notecards, use in posts and class)

Sophomores
In-Class:
Day 1 - Class discussion led by lit. circle groups, new group and role
assignments.
Day 2 - Walk activity. Examples in sidebar.
Day 3 - Lit. circle time, center-of-gravity quotes.
Day 4 - In computer lab for reflective blog work. ("Revelations" quiz next A-day)
On Blog:
2 Lit. Circle Posts
2 Comments on other blogs
Blog revision and assessment (we'll discuss)


Freshman
In-Class:
Day 1 - In computer lab for Flat World Story Work - Organization.
Day 2 - In computer lab for Flat World Podcasting.
Day 3 - Lit. circle meeting.
Day 4 - "Shaman" quiz. Class discussion.
On Blog/FlatWorldWiki:
Feedback for two writers in row below your row posted by Thursday midnight.
New draft by next Tuesday (these are new deadlines)
Post a Hawaii ghost story on your blog.
1 Lit. circle work post.


Composition
In-Class:
Day 1 - Elbowing Day 2.
Day 2 - In computer lab for time to revise/give feedback using Wiki.
Day 3 - Finish King essay.
Day 4 - Defining Moment Essay due. Grammar work.
On Blog:
Leave 5 comments
4 Entries (Revise/delete after class discussion).

Extra: Mr. Burell and I are looking for some students to Skype with us and some of his students over the weekend. We'll talk about blogging and record our conversation as a podcast. Talk to me if interested.

Protect Your Podomatic - ATTN: Sophomores

Podomatic has a friend service that we're not going to use. So any requests for friends need to be denied. Thanks.

Check Your Email!

I sent an email to several of you about following the class blogging policy. It's a big deal so check you email and see if I sent you one. And I'd like everybody to go into their settings and make sure you've unchecked the box that makes you searchable.

Flat World Out Loud - Attn: Freshman

Our classmates around the world have begun podcasting revisions of their stories. Now you can listen to the authors read their work aloud and give feedback. What if you could record your feedback out loud? Mr. B links to Jessica Y as a great example of how podcasting and reading aloud can improve writing. Give it a listen and get ready to podcast your stories.

Attention Graphic Artists

I'd like to create a logo to use on my blogs, wikis, podcasts, etc. Would any of you artists out there be willing to help me. If so, let me know.

Humanity Labotomy

Cycle 19

Okay, now that we've had a chance to sink our proverbial teeth into our blogs, I think I move a better sense of how to continue to use them effectively. So I've rearranged things a little because one of the biggest benefits of the blogs is that it allows us to see our in-class time differently. I'm going to try to explore and take advantage of that. Instead of cycle sheets, I'm going to write a post at the beginning of each cycle. Like this. It'll have a description of where we've been and where we're going, a list of things we're going to do in-class, including any activities for which you need to prepare specific work or feedback, and a list of homework to be completed on your blog. Unless a specific piece of work needs to be ready for a specific day of class, you can complete the blog postings in any order you see fit. Each post should be completed between each class meeting and should represent 20-30 minutes of blogging. It's easy to tell how long it took you. We're also going to engage in a cross-grade level, cross-class vocabulary development exercise. This cycle, everybody needs to look up these two words, use them in at least 2 of your posts (each word twice) and try to use them in class discussions. Also add them, with definitions, as a permanent list on your sidebars. The words are:
contumacious and impute

Sophomores:
In Class:
Day 1 - SAT writing and assessing
Day 2 - Literature 8's meeting and work
Day 3 - Literature 8's meeting and work
Day 4 - PB quiz and Lit. 8's class discussion

Blog:
1 post analyzing your SAT essay after class discussion.
2 posts worth of PB literature 8 work.
1 or more commonplace posts.
Maintain correspondence with partner schools.
Special note to sophs: I'm bringing my headset for TIB podcasting today after school.

Freshman:
In Class:
Day 1 - Reflection on 1001 project, what to do next: organization.
Day 2 - Literature 8's meeting and work: White Tigers
Day 3 - Literature 8's meeting and work.
Day 4 - WT quiz and class discussion.

Blog/1001 wiki:
Post feedback to partners in Seoul and Denver by Thursday midnight.
New draft of story by Sunday midnight.
2 posts worth of literature 8 work.

Composition:
In Class:
Day 1: A video, take a look at some of our blogs, how the notebook requirement will change, debrief on our use of the wiki as writing workshop, start reading a new essay, return essays?
Day 2: Elbow revised draft (be sure you bring three).
Day 3: Elbow #2
Day 4: Grammar work, but not what you expect.

Blog/Wiki:
Requirement change: 5 pages in notebook and 4 blog posts each cycle. Try to follow themes in your writing. In other words, carry on a conversation, explore it from different angles and points of view.

Here's My Practice SAT Essay

The media does not determine what's important and worth value in our culture; at the same time, they do. What I mean is this is a false question because technology has changed the face of the media. Increasingly, we are our own media. We have places to publish and broadcast our own original work, opinions, and news. In addition, we have the tools to critique what we all the "mainstream" media. We are able to hold them much more accountable than ever before.

Recently, The New Yorker published an essay about Google's current project of creating the world's loargest digital library. The implication is that anyone with internet access has the ability to access any information they deem valuable. Access changes everything. And the ability to publish freely makes the amount of and diversity of media content grow exponentially. People have a choice. They can decide what's worth valuing and consuming. The question becomes who does and doesn't have access.

Currently, my class is reading The Poisonwood Bible in which a family goes to the Congo in the 1960's on a Baptist mission. They realize that Congo is diametrically opposed to the world they live in, and what works in America doesn't work there. In a very general sense, they (admittedly, in their own way and with a religious bias) are trying to help. One problem is that Congo is only covered during the 1960's by major news broadcasting organizations. Now, with the advent of what we'll call hyperlocal media, more information is available, awareness is global, and there are resources to try to help in appropriate ways that make sense within Congolese culture, or at least there are ongoing attempts. Moreover, with a people-controlled virtual spotlight, leaders are hopefully held more accountable as are Americans.

What we are beginning to realize is that the technologies available now are redefining terms, like media, that we've grown accustomed to. Logically, once our literacy changes, the way we communicate, negotiate, and live will change. It's not a question of us or them defining culture. We are them. The lines have disappeared. It's time to examine what we value. And who has access.

What We Did Yesterday

We were lucky to have Marco Torres present and run workshops for the faculty yesterday. Follow this link and explore his sites. Comment on this post about what you think.

Literature Circles With A Twist

I guess that makes them literature figure-eights. :) As we read our respective novels in freshman and sophomore English, we'll be using literature circles to discuss and extract ideas from the texts. Traditionally, I'd assign you groups, assign you roles, and assign you a reading and meeting schedule. I'll still assign you groups, but they will change after we read each chunk of the book. I'm going to give you a list of role options from which your group will decide who does what. And you will post and comment on each other's work on your blogs. This will allow you class time to discuss and determine what direction your explorations will go. Eventually, we'll use our wikispace to develop an extensive, original, Poisonwood Bible and Woman Warrior resource publications. For now, here's the list of possible roles:

Moderator (Bring questions)
Lexicographer (Vocabulary)
New Critic (Identify key passages)
Character Analyst (What do we know about the characters?)
Biographical Critic (What do we know/learn about the author?)
Psychological Critic (Analyze motivations)
Director (for drama) (Give instructions to actors for key passages)
Engineer (Identify physical and/or logical structures)
Historian (Information and inferences about history)
Anthropologist (Information and Inferences about culture)
Narratologist (Identify authorial strategies)
Stylist (Sentence-level strategies)
Feminist (What is stated/implied about the role of women?)
Devil's Advocate (Identify and attack weaknesses)
Cinematographer (How would this work as a movie?)
Philosopher King (What are the themes/big ideas?)
Musician (Where is this language most pleasing to the ear?)
Egotist (What's in this for me?)
Artist (How would this translate into a picture?)

Watch This And Weigh In

This video has been going around the education blogosphere. Your friends in the English department watched it yesterday. What do you think?

It's Interim Time

Just a quick reminder that interims are coming up. I'm turning them on the 26th, a week from yesterday. If you have missing work, expect an interim.

Freshman Friday Follow-Up

Friday, we discussed the six methods of characterization and used Maxine's aunt in "No Name Woman" as our example of how to identify each of the methods. In class, your group is working on a visual based on the six quotes your group decided to use. On your blog, you starting to develop a family story that will become your contribution to 1001 Flat World Writing Project. For your first post, you should be trying to put together a story that somehow reveals your culture and how it plays a part in making you who you are. For now, it's probably mostly true; as the story develops, it'll take on more fantastic elements. Woman Warrior will surely inspire this. You should be revisiting your post and trying to add methods of characterization and Smiley-Face Tricks to bring your story alive. Everybody should have a draft to work with posted on their blog by Wednesday.

Composition - What To Do

Welcome to the blogosphere composition students. Last week, you had a chance to learn how to use our Composition Corner wikispace and set up your own blog.

How we'll use the wiki:
This space will be a virtual writers' workshop. You will post ideas, drafts, and feedback. We might also decide to use the space in other ways. Remember, it's a community space, not a place for you to post whimsically.

How we'll use the blogs:
You already have your notebook. Now you have a virtual notebook. You can complete the 10 pages of writing per cycle requirement on your blog, in your notebook, or a little of both. The advantages to the blog are a real sense of audience, an opportunity to follow ideas in depth over several posts, and others can help you by sending comments.

What to do this weekend:
Post something from your Defining Moment draft to the wiki. Then, give somebody else's draft some feedback. You might also help to organize our pages. And get started on your blog by polishing and posting some work from your notebook.

Getting Back On Track - Sophomores

Well, I'm designating this cycle to just getting everybody, including me, back on track. So here are the tasks you should accomplish by the end of next week.

1. Post your "This I Believe" podcast. Now, some of you have had some trouble for various reasons. The process should be a lot easier next time around. Here's are the tricks: be sure to set you iTunes iPod setting to "manage music manually." This will allow you to move voice memos back and forth without restrictions. Also, before you can upload your podcast to podomatic (make sure you have an account started), you need to export the file to iTunes. After it's in podomatic, it's easy to embed the URL in your blog. (This will probably be our last podcast session in the lab, but if you need to you can come use an iPod in my office or record with Audacity).

2. Read the first section of The Poisonwood Bible.(up to page 10). Then compose and post a similarly descriptive passage based on a place you know well, maybe at home or on campus. A picture on your post would be nice too.

3. Reflect on all your posts up to this point. Then revisit you essential questions. Write a post in which you discuss what you now know regarding your questions. Do you need to explore further? Have your questions changed?

4. Explore some of our online collaborators (links in the sidebar) and leave some thoughtful comments. Remember to "leave the door open" for more thinking.

Once we accomplish these four tasks, we will be moving forward with the novel. Our work will include collaborative literature circles, artwork, and creative writing. I'm also excited to show you a place where other sophomores, outside just our classes, are collaborating and sharing PB work.

The Life Aquatic

As most of you know, I wasn't at school yesterday or today since I was on the Rapture boat trip. I didn't know the best way to get in contact with all of you, so I just decided to write a quick post. I've really been relying on Mr. Kandell to take care of you, and it's comforting to know he's there. Please extend to him your and my appreciation for his help. I might or might not be at school tomorrow. Some of you have been emailing with questions about blogs and assignments. Please continue to leave me messages, and I'll do my best to send a timely reply. All you need to do is support each other. As far as work goes, just write a commonplace post each day. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that although I'm not there, I'm here for you. Aloha.

Garageband - Some Basic Instructions

Today, we're in the computer lab editing the material we've recorded for "This I Believe" podcasts. Since everybody will move at different speeds, I'm posting some quick instructions that everybody will need to follow to get started.

1. Plug the iPod into your computer via USB. When you do this iTunes will open and ask if you want to transfer voice memos. Answer yes. Then it'll ask you if you want to sync the iPod to the computer. Answer no.
2. Now open Garageband and start a new project, be sure to pick podcast.
3. On the right, your multimedia browser will open. From there, you can import your voice memos as podcast tracks. Off you go.

Tips:
Move your mouse around and see what the controls do.
Under edit, you're going to use the split function a lot, check it out.
Look around and find the loops you can import for sound effects and music.
Listen to other podcasts for good ideas.

Welcome Freshman - What About Blogs?

The sophomores have been working in our blogosphere since the beginning of the semester. Now it's your turn! The blogs are different than our Moodle page. I think you'll find that they're more personal and have a much wider audience. We'll talk more about it in class today, but here's a quick set of guidelines:

What About Blogs?

How we’ll use them:
We’re going to use blogs as virtual notebooks. You will post daily assignments, free writes, reading responses, and many other forms of work on your blog. In addition to text-based work, you’ll eventually learn how to use multimedia on your blogs, things like pictures, podcasts, videos, etc.

The difference between our Moodle and your blogs:
Moodle can't be seen by anybody other than members of our class. We can post assignment instructions, drop files, develop wikis, amongst other things. Your blog is published material. Once you post it, people will read it. So think of it more as a place to post ideas to which you want people to comment, as well as more fine-tuned pieces of writing. More specifically, your blog will loosely document your exploration of our essential questions: Who Am I? How can my use of language help to develop self and voice?

What a blog’s not:
A blog is not a myspace. This means that when you write, you need to write correctly and academically. Try to avoid using abbreviations and slang. You should try to cultivate your voice. Be descriptive, specific, and yourself. Some assignments will be more formal than others.

What not to do:
Make sure you don’t post any pictures of yourself and/or use your last name in any of your published materials.

Where to go for great examples:
Start by clicking on the sophomore links from this page
Check out Mrs. Watsons' students' pages.
And, for some more inspiration, check out Mr. Burrell's class blogs.

WikiSpace Update

Okay, I've set the page to accept any new members. So you should be able to join without problems. It would be a good idea to read the tutorials and learn as much as you can about how to edit the page. Explore the following: how to add new pages within our space, how to add hyperlinks, how to add pictures, how to use the toolbars, etc. We'll share what we learned in class next time.

Quality

Mr. Kandell led you through an introductory exploration of quality in art, writing, thinking, and other aspects of the world. You also had a chance to revisit how these universal standards for quality translate into our Sophomore Rubric and will later lead to your Quality Projects. Our next move is going to be to use and develop our wikispace to further explore, collaborate, and generate a collective understanding and explication of what quality means to us. So, click on the link for our wiki, join as an editor, then add some content to the page. Here are some suggestions for contributions:
-Summarize yesterday's discussion.
-Develop a rubric for a quality blog post.
-Develop a rubric for a quality world citizen.
-Post an example of something you see as quality and explain the criteria.
-Work on the wiki's design, theme, style, look.
-What else?

Thousand And One Flat World Tales

We've been talking about the possibilities of Web 2.0. And you know I've been working to find other schools around the world with which we can collaborate. Check out this writing project wiki. Basically, it's a worldwide writing workshop. Let's not do anything just yet, but take some time to explore the pages and think about what we might contribute. I've got some ideas brewing; I want to here yours when I get back from SoCal.

A Discussion Emerging

ab imo pectore: This I Believe...

Quote: My favorite piece was The Right to Be Fully American, by Yasir Billoo. Yasir is a Pakistani Muslim who immigrated here. It made me really think about the "politics" of our culture

Invitation: Eddie, John, and Colton are sharing some interesting thoughts about what culture means in Hawaii and what racism means here. Go read and join in.

It's Not Easy Being Green

We've been doing a lot of thinking about our social responsibilities. Here's something that's going on right here, and all of us can contribute and be a part of a campus-wide, collective consciousness. Follow this link, join, read, and contribute.

Opportunities to Write

There are several writing opportunities coming up. They include:
Windward Arts Council 2007 Teen Arts Achievement Award
Polyphony H.S. Student-Run National Literary Magazine
The Claudia Ann Seaman Poetry Award
Dalai Lama Visit to Maui - Peace Essay
I'm here to support you if you choose to write for any of these...and I guess I could give you a little extra credit for submissions.

Art

Last night, I was browsing our blogs and came across some graffiti that Alessi has on his page. I left him a comment about how the graffiti reminded me of two people, one from when I was in high school, the other a Costa Rican artist, Juan Carlos, that used graffiti to bring together a downtrodden community. His gallery/studio is located on a quiet curve on the southwestern section of the road that circumnavigates Lake Arenal. My wife and I stopped there for coffee and a meal and left with a new friend and some of his art. Here it is.

Student Voices

Check out the video I posted to Watsoncommon. You can comment on my post or write about it on your own blog. Make sure you link to the video.

Snap Preview - A Cool Tool For Weblogs

Snap

Quote from the site: What is Snap Preview Anywhere? Snap Preview Anywhere enables anyone visiting your site to get a glimpse of what other sites you're linking to, without having to leave your site.

What I think: This is an aesthetically pleasing and efficient tool for weblogs. And it's free. I added it to my class page and my watsoncommon blog. I'm finding it very useful in avoiding clicking on links that I'm not really interested in. It provides a visual description in addition to the textual description. Try it.

This I Believe

We've read a couple essays and watched a short film that explore the question: To what degree are we responsible for taking care of others in our world? Now, you are going to start thinking about what you believe. Be sure to continue to read your classmates' posts about what they believe and how they're processing the pieces we've been analyzing. Next week, we're going to work on these statements and eventually create podcasts of them. NPR has done a series based on this idea called "This I Believe." Go to their site, listen to at least three that interest you, then write a post about them: what they said, what you think about what they said, and how it changes what you've been thinking lately. Be sure to try to link to the podcasts in your post.

A Commonplace Example

http://timtimestwo.blogspot.com/2007/01/reflection-on-week-of-rehearsals-with.html

Here's a great example of a commonplace post by Elise. She meditates on the following quote, which appears on a poster during her band rehearsal.



"Music speaks what cannot be expressed,

soothes the mind and gives it rest,

heals the heart and makes it whole,

flows from heaven to the soul."



P.S. I'm using a tool called Diigo to write this post. It allows me to be on a website, highlight something from the page, then click a "blog this" button that allows you to write about the website and pushes it directly to your blog page. I'm testing it. So far, pretty useful.

4 Generations

Today, Mr. Schauble forwarded this video-blog to the English department. I thought it fit right in with what we've been discussing in class and on our blogs. Please watch it, then create a new post discussing your reactions and ideas, and consider the short film juxtaposed with The Singer Solution To World Poverty.

The Singer Solution To World Poverty

Today in class we pieced together an essay by Peter Singer about what he thinks our role in the world should be (pretty much directly addressing both our essential questions). The activity in class focused mostly on identifying the way Singer uses critical thinking/universal standards to construct a convincing argument.
Tonight, on your blog, discuss your personal reaction to Singer's essay. Try to employ the same organized thinking, consult the handout on how to organize an essay response, and include at least one direct quote from Singer's essay. Then, browse classmates' (could be from my other soph. class too) pages and comment on one of their responses. If there's already a comment there, find a page without one.
Extra Challenge: Cruise the web for other blogs and/or websites that address these issues in any way, post the hyperlink and include a brief description of the site/blog. Also, make sure you've added a link list to your sidebar with all your classmates' blogs.

See What Other Students Are Doing

Since using online publishing and collaborative tools is new to us. Here is a one-stop resource with links to other student and teacher blogs. Click around and see what others are doing.

Welcome Sophomores

Welcome sophomores to our blogosphere. Please visit a post from my online commonplace book, describing some of the ethics and considerations of blogging. Here's another link to one of my older posts describing how to keep a commonplace. In your first few posts, you should try to articulate essential questions, as well as comment on the poems we read in class. Most importantly, start to pay attention to what's around and keep track of what you observe and ask questions about on your blog. Once you're set up, send me an email with your blog address.

Extra challenges: See if you can figure out how to add page elements, like counters, lists, and links. Also try to make hyperlinks within your posts.