June 1

JOURNAL TOPIC: [extra credit--last chance this year-- for everyone if you can agree on a song, hum it in unison, capture the video and post it to someone's course blog.  If you pull it off, email projectinfinity@gmail.com or log into project infinity to claim your credit.]

I just did a search on duckduckgo for "famous last lines of novels"-- and smiled at the first result, because you've read every book on the list! (quotes after the jump)  On this, the auspicious last day of your journal*, what are YOUR famous last words?

[*If you are not on campus today, please stop by to complete your journal on Monday 6.4]

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Finishing touches on presentations-- and remember to sign up for tech support and food!  (sign-up sheets are taped to the left side of the white board)

LIFEWORK:
1. Fine-tune your presentations with love.
2. Prepare your food with love.

See you next week.

May 31

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: Gorillas, Gorillaz, and Guerillas]

I sat down to write a topic just now about what I've read in your journals over the last week-- many of you have feelings about parting ways with friends, family and the community structure you've known for a long time-- but then I signed into blogger and noticed that the course blog now has >86,000 page views.  This reminded me of Howard Rheingold's book Virtual Community; the term is now common and defined by Wikipedia as, "A social network of individuals who interact through specific media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual interests or goals."  This year we've created a learning community that transcends traditional limitations and stereotypes, and I'm creating an alumni/"friends of the course" platform so that all of us can stay connected to whatever extent we choose.  Alumni networks are extremely common and effective for universities-- I found this job through a contact on the UCLA alumni network-- and a resource like this can be just as effective for you.  All you'll have to do is register for access to author talks, collegiate/professional forums, and...?  This is my question: what other features/benefits do you think this virtual community should include?  How do you imagine using such a tool to take some very important next steps in your lives?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Projects & fascinating conversation

HW/Mission/Coursework/DFTYRBD (Diversion From Things You'd Rather Be Doing):
If you feel like you're finished with your project, your project is probably mediocre.  Ask at least three of your colleagues for suggestions on how to make it better.  Summarize the conversation and post to your blog, however you choose to act on their advice.

help a friend with her research

International researcher and friend of the course Jasmin has asked each of us to take three minutes and complete her online survey, which you can find HERE.  Thanks!

wasting time is new divide in digital era

According to this article in yesterday's NY Times,


In the 1990s, the term “digital divide” emerged to describe technology’s haves and have-nots. It inspired many efforts to get the latest computing tools into the hands of all Americans, particularly low-income families.

Those efforts have indeed shrunk the divide. But they have created an unintended side effect, one that is surprising and troubling to researchers and policy makers and that the government now wants to fix.

As access to devices has spread, children in poorer families are spending considerably more time than children from more well-off families using their television and gadgets to watch shows and videos, play games and connect on social networking sites, studies show.

This growing time-wasting gap, policy makers and researchers say, is more a reflection of the ability of parents to monitor and limit how children use technology than of access to it. 

Thoughts?

May 30

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: by request]

For these last few days, your journal is actually YOUR JOURNAL.  Take notes on the conversation in your head.

"Those first few songs I wrote, I was just taking notes at a fantastic rock concert going on inside my head."
-Jim Morrison

***NOTE: Today I will be hosting orientation for next year's course in the room at lunch.  Anyone who wants to play is welcome.  If your group needs a place to meet please see me.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Schedule for the rest of this week & next

HW:
In education there are many words and phrases whose contexts and connotations have spoiled their use outside the classroom (e.g., it's hard to imagine a military or corporate leader asking a team member-- without sarcasm or irony-- why s/he was "tardy").    Tonight you probably have things to do on your project.  This is imaginative, innovative, next-level stuff: what can we call it besides "homework"?  Please offer your suggestion in a comment to this post.

a sophomoric approach to assessment

I just posted to the sophomore honors blog, and now some of them will be in a position to shower you with credit-enhancing tributes on the project infinity site.

May 29

JOURNAL TOPIC: 
The beginning of your last week of K-12 education is a natural time for reflection.  So, consider the person you were at the beginning of 10th grade and the beginning of this school year.  Are you the same person today?  What role has learning in general (and this course in specific) played in your growth over time?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Assessment
3. Thinking about final presentations

HW:
Keep calm and carry on.

trouble posting slideshow 2.0 from iMovie to blog

This question just in; if you have answers or suggestions please comment to this post.  Thanks!

So I have made my slideshow 2.0 on iMovie and it was really easy to make and it's a great program. But.... I cannot get it to upload on my blog. Help? I have tried exporting it but it keeps saying there is an error when I go to upload. 

Kaley

Per. 2

twitter hashtag for today's socratic seminar

Just in case you didn't have a device in class and want to contribute, I'm @prestonlearning on Twitter and the hashtag for today's seminar is #dpdiglitsem

May 25

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Purple Rain" by Prince]


This week the topic is (still) you. When you began this course of study you became the heroic protagonist of your own story, and now the story is what you're doing. Tell it.  Specifically, for today, how would you teach the next generation to use the Internet & open education resources to create the most value for themselves and others?  How would you explain to a traditionalist why this is a good thing and not a threat or something to be afraid of?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Socratic seminar

HW:
This weekend is the big push on your project.  Make it happen.

May 24

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Beyond Belief" by Elvis Costello; "Message in a Bottle" by The Police]

This week the topic is (still) you. When you began this course of study you became the heroic protagonist of your own story, and now the story is what you're doing. Tell it.  Specifically, for today, what new experiences and skills did you acquire in this course that will help you in the future?  What artifacts have you created that show what you've learned?  How does all this prepare you for whatever's next, and how does it show the value you represent to a network or a community?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Imagine/write/talk/think/build/AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE WHERE YOU WANT/NEED TO BE IN YOUR PROJECT TIMELINE

HW:
1. Prepare for tomorrow's Socratic seminar by finding and reading three online resources about digital literacy.
2. Read these quotes
3. Comment to this post with answers to the following questions: a) what is digital literacy? b) are you digitally literate? c) why should adults trust you to create your own educational paths without being afraid that you won't learn anything if you're not constantly tested to standards? and d) what is your vision of the digital future and your place in it?

60 seniors suspended for biking to school

Absurd.  So glad to hear that parents, board members, and common sense ultimately prevailed.

Story here.

May 23

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "My Old School" by Steely Dan; "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac]

This week the topic is (still) you. When you began this course of study you became the heroic protagonist of your own story, and now the story is what you're doing. Tell it.  Specifically, for today, what are you looking forward to after graduation and what will you miss?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Imagine/write/create/post/code/read/build/collaborate/question/reflect/revise

HW:
1. Continue #2
2. Post the rest of your working schedule to your blog.  Consider this a Hamlet-esque performative utterance; how/when will you be finished with this, what will the end product look like, and what will you be presenting during dead/finals weeks?

recording of today's talk with howard rheingold

Thanks to everyone who participated this morning.  Here is a link to the recording.

cwg leaders/members: stand and be documented

If you are leading/working with a group on a project, please come by Room 608 so the documentary team can get a few shots of you in action.  Thanks!

suggestion box for SMC chatters

Hey, whaddya think?  Please comment to this post.

May 22

JOURNAL TOPIC:
This week the topic is you. When you began this course of study you became the heroic protagonist of your own story, and now the story is what you're doing. Tell it.  Specifically, for today, why exactly are you doing the project you're doing?  Is it personally meaningful?  Are you doing it for career reasons, for relationship reasons, for personal reasons, or just because you are still a high school student being told what to do?

AGENDA:
[9:30-10:30 online conference with Howard Rheingold & Roy Christopher]
1. Journal
2. Group/individual project work

HW:
1. Post the following information to your blog:

• What you've done so far;
• What you still need to accomplish in the two weeks we have left;
• How your work will benefit you and others.
• PLEASE NOTE: failure to post will result in a status meeting Wednesday in class to determine whether you are capable of controlling your own destiny.

questions for howard and Roy

Howard & Roy both have experience, expertise, & tremendous insight; let's take full advantage! Please list your question(s) in a comment to this post.

Meemli sessions

If you are using meemli for your work and want to practice, there are two meet-up options today: 4:00 (with Jon leading) and 8:00 (with Rachel leading).

May 21

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "It Never Entered My Mind" by Miles Davis; "I Shall Be Released" by Bob Dylan]

This week the topic is you. When you began this course of study you became the heroic protagonist of your own story, and now the story is what you're doing. Tell it.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Progress reports
3. Assessment/evaluation
4. Next steps

HW:
1. Log onto the project infinity site HERE and join the leaderboard here (get the idea? You can't win if you don't play! [ugh, how lottery-ish]).
 2. Read this and post a question for Howard and/or Roy.

online conference may 22

We are scheduled for an online conference with Roy Christopher, Howard Rheingold and guests on Tuesday, May 22 9:30-10:30 A.M. If you need to ask another teacher for permission to attend, please print the form below.  Some things to think about:

• How can you use this conversation to help you in the work you're currently doing?  Have a look at their websites, think about the information and resources you need for your project(s), and prepare questions.
• What have you done this year since our November conversation with Roy that has changed your thinking about online media and your own habits of mind?
• What message(s) do you want Roy, Howard and other online leaders to take away from your experiences in learning, both in this course and elsewhere?

Looking forward to it!

royhoward522

May 18

JOURNAL TOPIC:
What types of people and experiences will you seek out in your first post-HS year?  Why?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Imagine/dream/envision/engineer/build/create/collaborate/question/realize

HW:
1. Continue #2
2. Check the blog this weekend, there will be more resource material and page/post for current groups-- I'm still compiling, so feel free to check the Member Blogs directly if you have a question about a project or person.

your thoughts?

Please respond to this article in a comment to this post.

keep your eye on the blog

That's it.  But seriously.  Keep your eye on the blog.

Meemli

Please comment to this post if you are using Meemli for your project.  In your comment please note whether you need an invitation, training, or would like to join a Meemli space with me over the weekend to practice. 

May 17

JOURNAL TOPIC:
(You know, Chad has continued diligently filing journal topics all year, and I just haven't found a way to incorporate his ideas-- until now.  Thanks Chad!)

Are you a person who says "why," or are you a person who says "why not"?  Explain.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Post to your blog if you haven't done so already
3. In service of your project(s): Collaborate/explore/innovate/create/build/read/write/think/learn

HW:
1. Continue #3

in the news

According to The Week, here are the 8 craziest prom stories of 2012 (so far).

Meanwhile, our habits and attention spans have led some U.S. communities to issue fines for texting while walking (I still can't decide which is my favorite: the guy who walked into a bear or the gal who walked into a mall fountain).

(Thanks, Dave Pell!)

May 16

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "9-5er's Anthem" by Aesop Rock and either "Worker's Song" by The Dropkick Murphys, "Working Class Hero" by John Lennon or "Working Man" by Rush.]

"But why, if you are so clever, do you lie here like a sack and have nothing to show for it?"
-Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime & Punishment

Most great ideas stay on the couch because, however brilliant they (or their creators) may be, every great idea requires planning and execution if it is to live anywhere in the world outside the mind. Consider Benjamin Franklin, who favored the proverb, "Failing to plan is planning to fail"-- we never would have heard of the guy if he settled for having great ideas instead of actually doing something about them.

With these thoughts in mind, use today's journal entry to describe the steps you're taking to learn/create/build/write the idea(s) you presented on Monday.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. How to plan
3. Work

HW:
1. Post your plan to your blog. Your plan includes:

• Your goal(s);
• Any materials/resources/information you require;
• Your timeline/production schedule, including work you've done so far; and
• How you will present your finished product to your colleagues.

for anyone with a decision-making disorder

is reddit more credible than wikipedia?

Read this to discover how the professor who fooled wikipedia got caught by reddit.

May 15

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Life in the Fast Lane" by The Eagles; "Ain't Wastin' Time No More" by The Allman Brothers]

People do things.  Sometimes it's because they're trying to reach a goal, sometimes it's because they're trying to improve their lives, sometimes it's because they love what they do-- and sometimes it's for no logical reason at all. 

Why do you do what you do?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Feedback on presentation and ideas about assessment
3. Do what you do

HW:
1. Keep doing what you do

2012 best places for new college grads

Looking a little further down the road,  here are the top 25 metro regions for college grads in 2012.

R.I.P. Kelli

Heard Kelli "passed away" last period. 

Also heard the learning community responded with a dance battle.

Wow.

thoughts from the hood

This weekend I went back to my old neighborhood for Mother's Day with the whole family.  On Saturday it was my job to get to the park before dawn and reserve picnic tables.  When the sun came up and players started organizing the games and calling "Next" I started thinking about all of the ways we communicate, negotiate and collaborate.  Cool.

May 14

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Today (Watch Me Shine)" by Everlast; "Today" by Smashing Pumpkins]

What would the world look like if schools were products of their students instead of the other way around?

AGENDA:
1. Journal (get your head back in the game)
2. Presentations

HW:
1. Read this article and this article, then comment to this post with the following information:
a)Explain how you intend to get the information you need without ruining yourself financially; b)Explain how you and others can add value to a community and get rewarded in the marketplace WHILE you're going to school; and
c)Advise younger students about what they can/should do in order to lessen their anxiety and improve their chances for success.

warning: graphic awesomeness

Looking forward to Jojo's and Brianna's ideas Monday!

crime and punishment

Please sign up with a comment to this post if you're interested in joining Kira, Rachel and me for a study of Crime & Punishment. We'll begin by taking a few minutes to discuss this on Monday.

test prep in China

May 11

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Take a moment to reflect on your exam yesterday (AP or in-class).  Describe how the experience enabled you to show what you've learned this year.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. The inmates take over the asylum

OPTIONS

• Senior scrapbook 2.0
• Gaming
• CWGs (no, not those: THESE)
• BQs
• Online conferences
• Literature
• Cause-related
• Orientation 
• College blogs

ASSESSMENT
("How can I show that I know what I know?")

HW: Prepare a presentation for your peers that explains how you will use the last month of this course to your greatest advantage.  Due Monday, May 14.

april kudos (belated)

Congratulations to the following students on their first choice college acceptances and scholarship wins!

A.J. Franklin (Coast Hills Scholarship)
Sarah Rayburn (Military Officers Association of America Scholarship; Cal Poly)
Jojo Relyea (City of Santa Maria Parks & Recreation Volunteer Award)
Chelsea Stevenson (Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce Scholarship; Colorado State)
Isaac De La Cruz (James Schillinger Memorial Student Athlete Scholarship)
Adriana Zamudio (Fresno State Cheerleading Squad)
Shannon Fahey (Santa Barbara County Cattlewomen Scholarship)
Sam Moon (Marian Hospital Scholarship; UCLA)
Alex McKinney (UC Berkeley)
Rebecca Patterson (CSUN)
Krissy Frias (Cal Poly)
Lizzie Level (Cal Poly)
Candace Rickman (Cal Poly)
Betzy Bras (Cal Poly)
Kaley Jorgensen (UCSB)
Kelli Carrillo (UCSB)
Jessica Parra (UCSB)
Marie Alvarado (UC Merced)
Nicole Montoya (CSU Stanislaus)
Jojo Relyea (SDSU)
Katie Enstad (SDSU)
Shannon Murray (SDSU)
Annais Acosta (Notre Dame de Namur)
Enrique Rico (Fresno State)
Chelsea Stevenson (Fresno State)
Jessica Manriquez (SF State)
Marisol Zepeda (SF State)
Paola Trujillo (SF State)
Kari Griego (SF State)

If I've missed anyone, or if you've done something amazing since I posted this, please let me/us know in class.

May 10

The hour is upon us: for those about to rock the AP exam, we salute you.

Today you can use your journal for reflection (it will help for tomorrow's topic if you jot down some exam memories while they're fresh) but there is no formal assignment, agenda, or HW today.

I look forward to meeting with students this afternoon to discuss the remaining month of the course.

If you see this after the exam: Congratulations!!!
(If you see this during the exam break, curious: did the "To be or not to be" thing happen?)
(If you see this during the exam itself, shame on you: put your phone away & get back to work.)

Dr. Preston

who do you want to be tomorrow?

Be this guy; Not this guy.

May 9

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Wet Dream" by Kip Addotta; "Fish Heads" by Barnes & Barnes; "Who Do You Want To Be Today" by Oingo Boingo]

Analyze the following quote. Identify at least two evident literary techniques, explain how Wilde's use of these techniques creates an overall sense of his purpose, theme and tone, and apply the idea to your own experience.

"It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it." -Oscar Wilde

AGENDA:
1. Journal (extended)
2. I understand you have a big day tomorrow. How can I help?

 HW: 1. The 3 Rs: Review, Rest, Review

learn by gaming

Following is a TEDx talk by John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts. Is he a revolutionary learning leader or opportunistic video game huckster? You make the call in a comment to this post.

senior information survey

If you haven't done so already, please print/complete/submit to Mrs. Dirkes ASAP.  Thanks!


SENIOR INFORMATION SURVEY 2012-1

poetic meter

This links to a tidy summary of poetic meter; compare with your notes on sonnets & iambic pentameter.

May 8

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Stand By Me" by John Lennon; "You've Got a Friend" by James Taylor; "Train in Vain" (Stand By Me)" by The Clash]

At the beginning of the year you took responsibility for someone else's success on the AP exam, and someone took responsibility for helping you.  What can you do in the last 48 hours to honor these commitments and ensure success?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. MC practice & discussion
3. Essays

HW:
1. Individual/partner prep

May 7

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Mind Games" by John Lennon; "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits]

Summarize what you learned in the process of looking at all those multiple choice and essay questions this weekend. Where did you do well (why?) and where did you struggle (why)? What from your experience can you share with the person next to you that will help him/her do a more effective job Thursday?

AGENDA:
1. Journal/check HW
2. Multiple choice: the good, the bad, and the ugly
3. A peek beyond the exam

HW:
1. Based on what you learned today, find 20 more multiple choice questions and see how you do. Bring the hard copy answers to class tomorrow (Tuesday 5/8).

tone

(With thanks to Dr./Mr./Mrs./Ms./Lt. Col. Sweeney of fallriverschools.org!) TONE Words Ap Language

teach your peers

Lots of people online finishing the HW. Extra credit for anyone who comments to this post with a helpful tip/strategy they discovered while answering multiple choice and/or essay questions. Time limit: 1 hour from post time.

failure is not an option

May 4

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Las Botas de Charro" by Vicente Fernandez; "March to Battle Across the Rio Grande" performed by The Chieftains & SJNMA Cadets; "Samba Pa Ti" by Carlos Santana]

As you probably know, Cinco de Mayo's origin, much like St. Crispin's Day's, is a celebration of freedom won by an outmanned group in battle. What an appropriate holiday for a weekend in which you'll attempt to prove your valor and win your freedom from AP essay prompts and multiple choice questions.

Use today's journal space as a place to describe your thinking about the test: your confidence level, your questions, and your plan for the final few days. Describe this in detail and be ready to adapt as you get new information in class today.  In John Wooden's famous Pyramid of Success, the term Competitive Greatness is defined as, "Being at your best when your best is needed; enjoyment of a difficult challenge."  Someday, when others hold their student-hood cheap, you will look back on this entry as the last performative utterance before a great conquest. 

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Lit terms quiz
3. Hate me today.  Love me when you get your AP exam score & final course grade.

HW:
1. Your personal cram-driven Koyaanisquatsi

reminder: final transcript requests

If you haven't yet returned the golden Final Transcript Request & Senior Information Survey, please make sure to bring it today. I'll be giving whatever I have to Mrs. Dirkes at close of business (end of 6th period). If you don't have it today please remember to turn it in to her directly ASAP. Thanks!

hello portland, maine

We've been discussing the pros and cons of Portland schools issuing laptops with content filters and we want to know what you think. If you live in Portland, Maine, and you have an opinion on the use of social media in learning, we'd like to hear from you. Please comment to this post. And if you'd like to know more about how we're using social media to learn, ask away. (And, just in case we ever make it to Portland, can you also include your favorite place to eat?) Thanks for visiting!

May 3

JOURNAL TOPIC: [Note: I won't be in class today, so the journal topic serves both as a mini "response-to-text" essay and a start to your group conversations about AP prep-- I will be grading your response and today's entry on your personal blog accordingly.  Note2: Period 2, you're not off the hook-- make sure this is in your journal when you turn it in tomorrow.]

Read the following excerpt from David Foster Wallace's Everything & More.  Analyze the text in terms of the basics--theme, tone, diction, and syntax--and see if you can apply any other technical elements you're covering in the lit terms.  Go down the list term by term and see what applies.  (You may cooperate in the process, but your writing should be all you.)

Abstraction has all kinds of problems and headaches built in, as we all know.  Part of the hazard is how we use nouns.  We think of nouns' meanings in terms of denotations.  Nouns stand for things-- man, desk, pen, David, head, aspirin.  A special kind of comedy results when there's confusion about what's a real noun, as in 'Who's on first?' or those Alice in Wonderland routines-- 'What can you see on the road?' 'Nothing.'  'What great eyesight!  What does nothing look like?'  The comedy tends to vanish, though, when the nouns denote abstractions, meaning general concepts divorced from particular instances.  Many of these abstraction-nouns come from root verbs.  'Motion' is a noun, and 'existence'; we use words like this all the time.  The confusion comes when we try to consider what exactly they mean.  It's like Boyer's point about integers.  What exactly do 'motion' and 'existence' denote?  We know that concrete particular things exist, and that sometimes they move.  Does motion per se exist?  In what way?  In what way do abstractions exist?

Of course, that last question is itself very abstract.  Now you can probably feel the headache starting.  There's a special sort of unease or impatience with stuff like this.  Like 'What exactly is existence?'  or 'What exactly do we mean when we talk about motion?'  the unease is very distinctive and sets in only at a certain level in the abstraction process-- because abstraction proceeds in levels, rather like exponents or dimensions.  Let's say 'man' meaning some particular man is Level One.  'Man' meaning the species is Level Two.  Something like 'humanity' or 'humanness' is Level Three; now we're talking about the abstract criteria for something qualifying as human.  And so forth.  Thinking this way can be dangerous, weird.  Thinking abstractly enough about anything... surely we've all had the experience of thinking about a word-- 'pen,' say-- and sort of saying the word over and over to ourselves until it ceases to denote; the very strangeness of calling something a pen begins to obtrude on the consciousness in a creepy way, like an epileptic aura.

AGENDA:
1. Journal (done well, the analysis should take most of the period)
2. Continue AP exam prep

HW:
1. Continue AP exam prep AND DON'T FORGET TO POST YOUR PROGRESS NOTES TO YOUR BLOG.
2. Study for tomorrow's lit terms quiz.  EVERY SINGLE TERM IS ELIGIBLE.
3. Share your peace of mind that you're ready for next week SO THAT I CAN STOP WRITING IN ALL CAPS.

double credit next five minutes

If you comment to this post-- AND complete either of the two course blog HW assignments in the next five minutes-- you will receive double credit.

May 1

JOURNAL TOPIC: ["Maggie May" by Rod Stewart; "You May Be Right" by Billy Joel]

"Hooray, hooray, the first of May..." "May I go to the bathroom?" So many of the most basic words in English have multiple meanings derived from etymologies all but lost in the mists of time. The word May implies spring, permission, and possibility/uncertainty. It's also a trap for casual writers who don't know the difference between may & might? Even pros can get confused.

Today you may write about May, or about your understanding of may, or about anything else you're wondering about as you prepare for the AP exam.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Lit terms quiz (61-90)
3. Study/finish writer's conferences

HW:
1. Continue AP prep
2. Study for lit terms quiz (91-120) on Friday 5.4

metonymy v. synecdoche

Not exactly Godzilla vs. Mothra, but you're going to need to remember the difference for today's lit terms quiz, so here is an additional explanation/reminder.

signs of the times

Some of you express surprise when I mention that classes around the country aren't using technology or preparing themselves for digital independence, or that adults are taking aggressive steps to prevent student access to social networking sites and services. Have a look at this news item (original coverage here). Is this a freedom worth fighting for? Should students have access to technology and social networking? Why? Are these tools important for a purpose? Or are they merely frivolous, dangerous toys that don't really have anything to do with school or learning? Please respond to this post with a comment by Friday.

meet kid koala

Study exercise for when you're sick of answering AP practice questions. (Helpful tip: if you're not sick of answering questions, you haven't answered enough questions.) How many literary terms/techniques you can apply to this performance? (Thanks, BoingBoing!)

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Whatever It Takes" by Tom Morello; "Fly Away From Here" by Aerosmith]
 {choose your own topic}

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. AP exam study/writer's conferences

HW: [see next post]

homework: literature as a conversation over time

Throughout the year we've been reminded by Shakespeare, Dickens, Plato, Sartre, and many others that some literature never gets old.  The passage of time makes it all the more poignant or insightful. Dickens' London is Occupy's Wall Street. "To be or not to be" will forever be the question.  The hero always embarks on the journey and fights for the forces of love and goodness and light.  And no matter when they were written, or by whom, or even for what purposes, certain texts flip a switch and SPEAK to us in a way that makes us certain that we are no longer alone in our thoughts.

Here is a powerful example.  Last month it was reported that 13 year-old author Jada Williams wrote an essay in response to The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and entered it in a contest. According to this account, "the schools' teachers and administrators were so offended by Williams' essay that they began a campaign of harassment—kicking her out of class and trying to suspend her—that ultimately forced her parents to withdraw her from the school."

Literature may be timeless but technology isn't. We have an opportunity to learn from this moment in ways our predecessors couldn't.  Let's begin a conversation about this online (we'll extend it in class). After you have carefully considered both the coverage of this situation and Ms. Williams' essay, please comment to this post and include the following information:

1. Given what you've learned about the AP Lit/Comp rubric and the evaluative standards we have established in class this year, please analyze Ms. Williams' essay as a response to literature. Begin with what Ms. Williams does well (which, I think you'll agree, is easy to do!) and then note where/how you think her work might be improved. (NOTE: if you find this difficult to do on video, pause it frequently or watch it once to take general thematic notes and go back a second time for details such as diction, syntax etc.)
2. Critique Ms. Williams' arguments. Are her premises true? Are her inferences valid? Does she accurately identify logical fallacies and/or use them herself?
3. Given your own experiences in K-12 education, to what extent does Ms. Williams have a point? Is her perspective unique to a particular race or demographic, or is it valid for students of all backgrounds in schools around the country/world? How would you advise policy leaders, teachers and parents to help young people get the best education possible? What lessons can you take away from Ms. Williams' work that will help you and others on the path to discovery?

 Good Education link here