November 22

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Thank You" by Led Zeppelin; "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" by Sly & The Family Stone]

Thanksgiving is the holiday that makes me proudest to be American. I like that our country dedicates a long [3/4/5 day] weekend (and lots of stuffing!) to the idea of giving thanks. I'm especially excited about the holiday this year because I'm especially grateful. For all your work so far, for your professionalism and patience, for your open-mindedness and willingness to adapt, for your occasional outbursts of brilliance and humor, for your amazingly creative Big Questions, and most especially for your ongoing effort, thanks. Write about whatever you want.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Big Question conferences

HW:
(I know, I know: I swear I'm not trying to ruin your weekend [or mine], but now there are only TEN school days until finals week!)
1. Read Jean Paul Sartre's "No Exit" and answer questions/ask questions/post comments here
2. Create a post for your blog entitled "Thinking Outside the Box" in which you compare how Plato & Sartre describe the limitations of our thinking and imply solutions to the problem. Invite ten people to read/comment.
3. Search for yourself online and create a file of everything you discover. We'll review together and discuss this in the context of privacy next week.
4. Check your blog for my comment on your Big Question, and then find ten additional resources you think will help. On Monday I will give the formal paper assignment, and the more you've done the less you'll have to do.
5. Choose one of the literature terms and develop a multi-media explanation/lesson that everyone in class can use. (You can use my post on Allusion as a sample.) Post your choice of term as a comment to this thread-- anyone can choose whatever they like, but if we duplicate I'll be doling out the rest as assignments next week. Hoping we can nail the whole list by the end of the weekend-- and since I haven't counted the number of terms I'm offering extra credit for each additional term you explicate in an original, memorable way.
6. If you are around and interested on Sunday (11.27) evening starting at 8:00 P.M., I will be testing three new platforms for us to share information via whiteboard, chat and live video conference. Participation is not mandatory, but we are going to use these over winter break for some of the AP meat-and-potatoes work we have in front of us, and the mentors among us will eventually assume admin. privileges and teach with these tools, so I think it will be time well spent (and I will also give a healthy dose of extra credit to those of you who are willing to play).