LA event 11/1

If any of you are passionate about climate change and/or in Los Angeles tomorrow...

progress report evaluation

It's (already) that time again!  This is our last progress report before the final push for the semester report card.  In a perfect world, grades wouldn't matter except as an indicator of what we know and what we have yet to learn.  In this world, grades are currency and they are emphasized so heavily that some people get confused about the purpose of learning in school. 

However you think about grades, I want to make sure we share an understanding of where you are excelling in this course and where you need support in order to improve.  If you were in class yesterday, thank you for answering the evaluation questions.  If you weren't in class, or if you didn't finish, please answer the questions (below) on paper and give them to me today (Thursday, October 31) so that we have time to talk in case there is a wide gap between my evaluation and yours.  -Mahalo.

october 31

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes:  "What's He Building in There?" by Tom Waits; "Halloween (Michael Myers) Theme" by John Carpenter; "This is Halloween" by Marilyn Manson]

Since today begins Dia de los Muertos, three options (one for each death, or each face plus a bonus):
1. What role does fear (of death, of loss, of discovery) play in books and movies?  What role does it play in your own life and decision-making process?
2. What masks do people wear in everyday life, i.e., how/why/when do we intentionally adopt personae that serve purposes other than reflecting who we are with integrity?
3. As you think about the first tune of the day, what is it about what the storyteller DOESN'T say that creates suspense?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Why stories are more memorable than lectures
3. Continue "The Road Not Taken" -- must be posted or recited by tomorrow (Friday)

bullying article

The Greater Good magazine is a publication of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley.  It's mission is to "turn scientific research into stories, tips, and tools for a happier life and a more compassionate society."

This morning I ran across this article in The Greater Good about ways to prevent bullying.  Each nonfiction article I find is an excellent opportunity to analyze the effectiveness of ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos, and sometimes it also gives me the chance to ask about your experience as students.  After all, it's one thing for adults to make educated guesses about bullying, but sometimes their policies feel like the parent standing outside the back to school dressing room with clothes you wouldn't be caught dead in.

Please read the article. Then, in a comment to this post, analyze the roles that ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos play in expressing the argument and persuading the reader.  Lastly, please reflect on your lived experience and comment on whether you think the article is credible and true.  Mahalo.

october 30

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Emerson's transcendentalist contemporary (there's a mouthful!) Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "Men have become the tools of their tools."  What do you think he meant?  Do you agree?  Why/why not?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Cake Wednesday: the cover letter
3. "The Road Not Taken" recitals
4. ethos pathos logos kairos/ table conversations
5. Meet Ralph

HW:
1. Progress report week: self-assess your portfolio
2. If you haven't yet posted your poetry recital video, this is an excellent time.  More live performances tomorrow.

how to get a world-class education for free on the internet

I remember seeing this story last year and just ran across it again-- you can learn the best information from the best resources without paying a dime.  So what are you waiting for?  You can see the whole story with all of the links HERE.

what i'm reading (late october)

Sometimes students ask me what I'm reading.  For the last few years it's mostly been nonfiction; there are so many things I want to understand about the world.  Apart from what I find on my own, I love it when a person I respect recommends a book about something I think I already understand.  This challenges me to keep an open mind; when I start reading I consider a familiar topic from a completely new perspective.  That's the case with The Oxygen Advantage.  It's a book about how breathing more effectively can help with everything from stress to performance to weight loss.  I'm only a couple chapters in, and I haven't yet cross-referenced the research (which I will, because (a) I'm a curious geek, and (b) I'm not about to take one stranger's word about something as important as breathing), but so far the ideas are consistent with what I remember from biology and I'm already seeing positive results from the few practices I have tested for myself.  This isn't an endorsement yet, but the book is definitely thought-provoking.

This past weekend I did pick up a novel, and the action moved so quickly that I plowed through it in a few hours.  Zero Sum Game was perfect timing: my daughter's in fifth grade, and already she's had three teachers in a row who have basically done everything they can to make math less interesting, so she's not as excited about it as she used to be, which is a damn shame.  I was thinking about this a couple weeks ago when I read a review of a book written by a young woman about a protagonist -- also a young woman -- who is an assassin with mad skills, including an insanely keen grasp of math that allows her to think and do things that you and I can't.  Add an international plot, mind control, logic, and lots of suspense and explosions in LA and the surrounding desert, and I was hooked.  It's nowhere near age appropriate for my kiddo, but I'll save it for her just in case. :)

*If you follow the links for the book titles, you'll notice they lead to Powell's instead of Amazon.  This is because Powell's is one of the world's greatest independent bookstores (which you can visit in Portland, OR) and I want to support them instead of an industry-eating, ICE-supporting monopoly.  In this society and economy it's important to support the businesses you believe in.

updated pedestrian essay final (for now) draft

I practice what I preach about writing as a process.  This weekend "The Pedestrian" essay I wrote started to bug me.  I realized that I didn't like the way it ended.  Check out the new conclusion and let me know what you think in a comment to this post.

_________

Every day it happens.  Every day I walk on campus, and every day I say hello to someone, and every day they stare straight ahead into the distance like I don’t even exist.  That’s when I notice the little white pieces of plastic stuck in their ears, and I realize that, even though we’re standing right next to each other, we’re on opposite shores of a technology ocean.  They’re listening to music, or staring at some stupid video on Instagram, or scrolling through endless messages searching for a sign of love or friendship or just maybe something that will help them forget that if they don’t hurry up some teacher will count them tardy.

It wasn’t always this way.  Phones and screens didn’t always dominate our lives or make us feel alone even in the middle of a crowd.  People were more important.  The simple pleasures of life were more important. 

Ray Bradbury knew the value of this.  He saw the early trends of how we adapted to televisions and cars, and he worried about what might happen if tools and toys continued to isolate us.  He 

note re last friday's tests

My first impression is that students who completed the test did fairly well.  I'm going to take papers home over the next couple days and return them by the end of the week.  If you were absent or need to discuss it for any reason, please see me today. -Mahalo

october 29

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Describe an important decision you had to make.  How did you do it?  What information did you need, and how did you get it?  What determined the direction you eventually took?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
3. Selecting a literary work on self-determination
4. Opening Socratic seminar: ethos, pathos, logos, kairos

HW:
Memorize "The Road Not Taken" for recital in class tomorrow (Wednesday, 10/30)

october 28

I had big plans for us today.

But I won’t be back until tomorrow.

So please take full advantage of 40 minutes

To write in your journal about a topic of your choice

And when you’ve filled the pages with your voice

Tackle a blog post that you didn’t finish, or forgot,

Or one of those poems / videos that’s been haunting you,

Or your résumé, or a literature analysis,

And build your portfolio.

See you tomorrow.

october 25

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Remember that fortune you won yesterday? Easy come, easy go. Due to a computer error, 24,999,999 other people also won. That means your winnings total $2 (actually, more like $1.35 after taxes). How do you react? What thoughts and feelings do you experience? How will your plans change?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Vocab/"Art of Hosting" test
3. Work on your "Pedestrian" essay (if you have time after you're done with the test)

REMEMBER:
1. Please make sure your essay is published on your blog by Sunday (10/26) evening at 8:00 PDT.

POST:
As you read the article on the ethics of self-driving cars, what elements of ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos jump out at you?  How do these elements make the article and the arguments within it more effective?  Do any of these elements take away from the arguments or make you question them?  (title: ANCIENT RHETORIC IN MODERN TIMES)

my pedestrian essay (installment 3)

Alright, I'm done.  (For now, until I think of something better or something to fix.)  Thanks for reading.  I hope something here inspires you to use a new writing strategy in order to create value and understanding for your readers.

Every day it happens.  Every day I walk on campus, and every day I say hello to someone, and every day they stare straight ahead into the distance like I don’t even exist.  That’s when I notice the little white pieces of plastic stuck in their ears, and I realize that, even though we’re 

my pedestrian essay (installment 2)

I'm continuing this in a separate post thanks to students who reminded me that when I create a new post (instead of adding to an existing one), followers are notified.  I've republished the first part so you don't have to go back and forth, and there is a note that shows where INSTALLMENT TWO begins.  Click on Read More to see.  Enjoy. -dp

my pedestrian essay

(First: the title of this post is an homage to Leonard Mead.  If you have any idea what I mean, or if you have questions about the words "homage" or "pedestrian" that will help you understand what I mean, please comment to this post.  Yes, I will shower you with laurels and extra credit.)

Today I'm writing the essay along with you.

Here is the first installment, which I wrote just before 2nd period.  I will add paragraphs throughout the day and finish no later than the end of 6th period.  We will discuss in class.  Please feel free to use the ideas you read and discuss to improve your essay.
__________________________________

Every day it happens.  Every day I walk on campus, and every day I say hello to someone, and every day they stare straight ahead into the distance like I don’t even exist.  That’s when I notice the little white pieces of plastic stuck in their ears, and I realize that, even though we’re standing right next to each other, we’re on opposite shores of a technology ocean.  They’re listening to music, or staring at some stupid video on Instagram, or scrolling through endless messages searching for a sign of love or friendship or just maybe something that will help them forget that if they don’t hurry up some teacher will count them tardy.

It wasn’t always this way.  Phones and screens didn’t always dominate or make us feel alone even in the middle of a crowd.  People were more important.  The simple pleasures of life were more important. 

Ray Bradbury knew this and he worried about what might happen if tools and toys continued to isolate it.  He didn’t live to see the rise of the smart phone, but he did see people isolate themselves in metal boxes (cars) instead of taking buses, trains, or subways together, and he saw how people retreated from their own neighborhoods to shelter in the dark in front of their televisions.

Bradbury didn’t want that life.  He didn’t drive.  In the evenings, he walked the streets near his house.  That’s a healthy thing—pick up any magazine that emphasizes self-improvement, or sports, or creativity, or business success, and you’re likely to find an article about how taking a walk can help you physically, mentally, and even spiritually.  The only thing weird about walking is the fact that so many of us don’t do it when we don’t have somewhere to go.

But our communities are no longer built for walking.  Everything is so spread out, and the connecting tissues aren’t sidewalks but streets wide enough to make you feel lucky to get to the other side without getting killed on the way.  Traffic deaths are down, but bicyclist and pedestrian deaths are up.  I used to ride hundreds of miles on my road bike every month, and it’s been in the garage for years because I’m terrified of drivers who are distracted by their screens in their speeding metal boxes.

Some people wonder why anyone would go for a walk.  One night, when Bradbury was enjoying an evening stroll, the police rolled up and asked him what he was doing.  Bradbury said, “I’m putting one foot in front of the other.”  The officer didn’t like that reply and the conversation became intense.

It can be intimidating to face a person in authority who confronts us, especially when we feel like we’re right we are powerless to call out the injustice.  I imagine that Bradbury felt afraid, frustrated, and angry.  When he got home, I picture him shaking with rage as the numbness wore off and the adrenaline kicked in.

That’s when he sat down and wrote “The Pedestrian.”

When you read “The Pedestrian” you come away with a lot of ideas.  This is a major accomplishment, because the plot itself couldn’t be simpler: a guy goes for a walk and gets questioned by a police car, which arrests him and drives off.  If you’re taking an English class I suppose you could analyze this in terms of exposition (8:00 P.M. a cold November evening in 

october 24

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Today is your day! You find a lottery ticket-- THE lottery ticket. After Dr. Preston cashes it for you (you're too young and smart to play the lottery), you have $50 million. What will you do with it?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Writing with me
3. Proofreading and revising your essay
4. (Finally!) Ethos, Pathos, Logos, & Kairos 

POST:
Use what you've learned about ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos to analyze the article "The Ethical Challenges Self-Driving Cars Will Face Every Day"

existential accountability

A couple weeks ago, someone (Elio?) asked me during class about the meaning of life.  There is a case to be made that this is the most important thing anyone can ever study, and I intended to return the topic, but the niggling details of school, PSAT, curriculum, etc. are a constant distraction.  In order to make space for a conversation we can wrap our heads around in a 50 minute period (or two, or...) I'd like to ask a few questions here to get the ball rolling.  Please comment with your thoughts.

1. Why is this such an important question?
2. Why is it so difficult for so many to answer?
3. Do you have any initial thoughts on the topic?

Also, to the person who originally asked me this question: Please email me or find me before/during/after class.  I want to make sure we provide some meaningful insight for you.  Also, I'm thinking we can set this up as a Socratic seminar, and I sure could use a co-facilitator.   

Mahalo.

october 23

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Why is it legal for businesses to put up all sorts of ugly signs, but graffiti is illegal?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Cake Wednesday: turn in list of references; write your cover letter
3. Discuss the Fall Semester Application Portfolio
4. Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Kairos/ definitions & analytical application
5. Finish draft of your essay and proofread for submission (on your blog or on paper) by the beginning of class tomorrow (if we don't have time in class this will be HW)

how can a star be older than the universe?

This just in from space(.com) -- astronomers have identified and dated a star that somehow appears to be more than TWO BILLION years older than the universe.  (full article HERE.)

I don't know how this is possible, but I suspect the answer is related to this observation from Cassius in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar:

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars, but in ourselves..."

If you have any idea what he meant, or if you have any specialized background in astrophysics, please comment to this post and help us understand. 

october 22

JOURNAL TOPIC:
What does it mean to "step over the line"?  (If this phrase isn't familiar to you, look it up.)  How do we know where the line is?  Is it different for different people or different situations?  What effect does stepping over the line have on conversations and relationships?

AGENDA*:
1. Journal
2. Discussion: "The Pedestrian" and tone, character, and plot
3. Discussion: Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Kairos
4. Dissection: "The Art of Hosting Good Conversations Online"
5. Dissection: "The Ethical Challenges Self-Driving Cars Will Face Every Day"



*It's unlikely that we'll be able to cover each of these in equal measure in 50 minutes, so please comment to this post and indicate what you'd like to prioritize.  

POST:
1. Pre-write your essay. (title: LET ME WALK YOU THROUGH THE PEDESTRIAN)
2. Explain how ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos can be applied by using an example of getting something you want from your parents (title: ANATOMY OF A PERSUASIVE ARGUMENT)

october 21

JOURNAL TOPIC:[today's tunes: "Hazy Shade of Winter" by Simon & Garfunkel or The Bangles]
Some people are extremely sensitive to the conditions of the season.  They may feel more energetic and even anxious during the spring and summer, and they respond to the lower light, the earlier sunset, and the cooler weather of fall and winter by feeling depressed, sleepier, or having less energy.  This has become known as Seasonal Affective Disorder.  This isn't true for many people-- some of my friends and relatives love autumn.  They get to wear their sweaters for the first time in months, they love watching football, and they celebrate making warm meals like soup.  I have mixed feelings-- I can't help but think that in nature, fall is when things die.  Either way, I can't deny there's a difference.  In California we still have some warm days (known as Indian summer), but the change is undeniable.  The sun is setting and it's dusk in the canyon as I write this, and it's not even 6:30.

Do you notice a change in the season?  Does it seem like it's time for Halloween and Thanksgiving?  How do you feel about fall?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Revisit "The Art of Hosting Good Conversations Online"

3. "The Pedestrian"

POST:
1. Describe why Ray Bradbury wrote "The Pedestrian."  Explain how what happened in his life contributed to the tone, character, and plot of the story.  (title: SO THIS GUY GOES FOR A WALK)
2. Describe an event in your life that could you turn into a short story.  (title: STORY OF MY LIFE)

HW: Please have a look at the Fall Semester Application Portfolio and be ready with any comments or questions when we discuss in class on Wednesday.

vocabulary test

PART I
Please write the following words and their definitions on your paper.  If you describe an example, you will receive additional credit.

1. Technology
2. Meme
3. Virus
4. Viral
5. URL
6. World Wide Web
7. 2.0
8. Open source
9. Blog
10. Website
11. Internet

PART II
Once you see the notes from yesterday's conversation on the screen, please choose three points.  For each point, please (a) describe why it is important and (b) provide an example.

boy what an appropriate meme

Guess what I just saw on the internet*.



(*After I created it.)

october 18

JOURNAL TOPIC:
How did you do on the test?  Was your performance the result of your effort, the difficulty of the concepts, or something else?  What can you improve for next time?

AGENDA:
1. Test
2. Journal
3. How to approach "The Art of..."
4. Ethos/Pathos/Logos
5. A quick word about References (for next Wednesday)
6. Plan for next week

October 17

[***UPDATE 17 OCT 8:17 A.M. // Due to yesterday's PSAT we will be discussing "The Art of Hosting Good Conversations Online" today-- you can consider this agenda a preview of coming attractions for Friday, October 18.  I'm leaving this up today so that you can choose where you want to devote your journal writing focus and reading, depending on your pace and independent work.]

[***UPDATE 17 OCT 9:26 A.M. // After working with 2nd period, I realized that I didn't include the vocab/"Art of Hosting..." quiz in my thinking for tomorrow (Fri 10/18) -- we will start with that and the journal, and then we'll see how we're doing on time.  We may have to kick the "Pedestrian" can down the road until Monday.]

[***UPDATE 17 OCT 11:39 A.M. // Due to the fact that AP exam registration is this week, we will make this the priority today.  I will work with you all to adjust the rest of our schedule accordingly.]

JOURNAL TOPIC:
If you go online and look at pictures of New York City or London, you'll see people walking everywhere.  Why don't more people walk in Santa Maria?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. "The Pedestrian"

POST:
1. Describe why Ray Bradbury wrote "The Pedestrian."  Explain how what happened in his life contributed to the tone, character, and plot of the story.  (title: SO THIS GUY GOES FOR A WALK)
2. Describe an event in your life that could you turn into a short story.  (title: STORY OF MY LIFE)

all science fiction begins with science

It's hard to get my attention these days.  There are so many headlines, and sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by the quantity and enormity of the issues that I just skim through and get back to work.

But today I read an article that began this way:

"It is bright yellow, can creep along at a speed of up to 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) per hour, can solve problems even though it doesn't have a brain and can heal itself if it is cut in two.

 

Meet the "blob," an unusual organism which will go on display Saturday at the Paris Zoological Park, as part of a first-of-its-kind exhibition intended to showcase its rare abilities.

 

The slime mold, which is known officially as physarum polycephalum (or "the many headed slime") is neither a plant, an animal or a fungus. It doesn't have two sexes -- male and female -- it has 720. And it can also split into different organisms and then fuse back together, according to a press release from the Zoological Park.

 

Whoa.  You can read the rest HERE. 

october 16

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Describe a time you thought of just the right thing to say to someone-- after the conversation was already over.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Discuss 10/14 journal & main points of "The Art..."
3. Vocab Q & A
4. (Slight) Cake Wednesday: Create your list of references

POST:
Teach your blog readers three things about how to have a good online conversation. (title: HOW TO GET ALONG ONLINE)

HW:
Spend 15-30 minutes studying vocab.  #48HoursToGlory

nice

You know the feeling.  You've been out for a couple days, you're scrambling to catch up, you get to class, you take a deep breath, and you look around to see what you've missed.  This is what I read on the board first thing when I arrived.  What a great way to start the day.  To the author: Thank You.

october 15

JOURNAL TOPIC:
When we're little kids we find all sorts of opportunities for creativity and fun.  Why do so many of us do less of this as we get older?  What do you do for fun?

AGENDA:
***AP REGISTRATION PROCESS***
1. Journal
2. Discuss 10/14 journal topic and how to create connection through online conversations
3. Ratify vocabulary list (ALERT: test on Friday)
4. Preview of coming attractions

READING:

(At bat) "The Art of Hosting Good Conversations Online" by Howard Rheingold
(On deck) "The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury

HW:
Review and study vocab (*plan on at least 15 minutes a night this week-- unless you want to get an A on Friday's test, in which case you should plan on 30 minutes a night.)

october 14

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Use at least five vocabulary words from our list to write about the following topic:

The internet has become more interactive, but it has also become more isolated.  We can contribute to websites (like this one), but more and more people only "hang out" with others who share their opinions and politics.  How do you think this is affecting our society?

(Note: You don't have to have all the answers to the actual question-- we will discuss this further on Tuesday as we discuss search terms and begin reading a new story.  What's important for today is that you get some practice using the vocabulary words based on their correct definitions and forms.  Speaking of which, is the Google doc complete and accurate yet?  As I write this on Sunday just after 12:30 P.M., it's not even close...)

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Edit vocab list
3. Finish last week's posts on your blog
4. Work on Literature Analysis #2 (due Friday 10/18)

open-source vocabulary

Hi Gang,
We are up and running!  If you didn't receive an email invitation, it's because I don't have your address, so please sign the list for Ms. Anderson and/or send me an email [dpreston.learning@gmail.com] so I can invite you to play.
Have fun,
Dr. Preston

P.S. Reminder: the definitions I put up are incomplete, inaccurate, and some of them are downright absurd.  Please edit them to make them complete and correct.  Mahalo. 

october 11

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Dragons.  Unicorns.  Why do mythical animals appeal to so many people when we tell, read, watch, and listen to stories?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Finish defining and discussing our vocab list (& note that I added "technology" to the list):

meme
virus
viral
blog
wiki
URL
website
www
Internet
2.0
open source
technology

(NOTE: I left the email lists in my desk, so I just asked Ms. Anderson to send them-- as soon as I get them I'll share/invite everyone to help edit the online document.)

3. Catch up on anything you're missing-- especially the "Fox in Sox" post and the poems!!! 

ap registration

Hi Everyone,
This year's AP registration is a new process and I'm learning along with everyone else.  Today I sent Liz's form up to the office, and I just received a note back from Dr. Martinez indicating that I should submit everyone's at once I've registered you online.  Dr. Martinez also mentioned that teachers will be receiving an email with further instructions.

So, for now, please hang on to your registration forms.  I know some of you have more than one AP teacher, so once I get the email next week we will figure out how to get your paperwork submitted and make sure you're registered for the test by next Friday's (10/18) deadline.

Mahalo.

dread and desire: how fear can help us get what we want

After I posted that item on rock climbing, I found this article called, "This is My Brain on Rock Climbing" -- and I was really interested to know how our brains can tease us with fear in order to bring us into a state of focus and flow.  Check it out; we can discuss it in terms of performance and success next week.

october 10

JOURNAL TOPIC:

Please write about something important to you.  If you can't think of something, think of a person who is important to you, and write about something you think is important to him/her.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Discuss the vocab terms that you posted with a friend.  Do you have the same understanding of the terms?  Did you represent them differently?

POST at least two things you learned from the conversation (title: SAME WORDS DIFFERENT PEOPLE)

3. Read "The Art of Hosting Good Conversations Online"

POST a summary of the main points (title: THE ART OF HOSTING GOOD CONVERSATIONS ONLINE)

risk and reward

Sometimes learners develop skills that make the rest of us gawk in wonder.  I just ran across this article about a Swiss climber.  The post contains a video -- don't watch it if you're afraid of heights!

october 9

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Write your own obituary.  What will people say about you and your life when you're gone?

-OR-

Choose your own topic.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Collect résumés for final round of edits
3. Your Time Investment Portfolio
4. Searching for scholarships

POST:
Today we talked about your future, and how your actions in the present will influence what is yet to come.  What time investments are you making today that help you right now (by relieving stress, or giving you a sense of success, pleasure, etc.) and what time investments are you making that will help you achieve your future goals?  (title: THE VALUE OF MY TIME)

résumé reminder

[UPDATE 08OCT 12:22/ Thanks to Odalys for reminding me that I still have them from last week -- please disregard this post, I'll be returning them to you and giving you until next Wednesday to update. -dp]

Hi All,
Tomorrow (Wednesday 10/9) will be our last formal round of editing for your résumés.  Please bring your most recent/updated hard copy for suggestions, questions, and perfection!  After a brief check-in I will collect these, edit, and return to you on Friday.
Mahalo,
Dr. Preston

october 8

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Imagine that you are sitting at home one evening when you see a big spider walk across the floor in front of you. Do you ignore it, take it outside, smash it, or do something else? What information do you consider before you decide? Explain.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Tech Tuesday/ How We Read (POST: your notes and your impressions/ title: HOW I READ)
3. Finish vocab (see below)

*Since I was out yesterday, and our Wednesdays are promised to life beyond high school, please  define and post about the following terms.  Learning vocabulary the old-fashioned way involved copying the dictionary definition, using the words in sentences, and memorizing them.  If that helps you, do it!  Since you're doing this on your blog, you do have more options, so please also consider using images, memes, videos, animations, music, etc. etc.  Have fun!  (title for your post: VOCABULARY WE NEED)

meme
virus
viral
blog
wiki
URL
website
www
Internet
2.0
open source 

october 7

JOURNAL TOPIC:

How do you meet people and build relationships?  Offline? (Through school/classes, extracurricular activities, community organizations...)  Online? (Through general social media like Instagram, FB, Snapchat, or forums of interest, or...)

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Vocab
3. Independent work

POST:
1. Define and write sentences for your ten favorite vocab words from our list (or create graphics, or a vid, or post something else to your blog to show you know what they mean and/or why they're important)-- title: MEET MY NEW VOCABULARY

october 4

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Eat the Rich" by Aerosmith]
If you could have dinner with anyone (living or dead, real or fictional), who would you choose? Why? What would you talk about? Describe in detail.

AGENDA:
*Minute of Mindfulness*
1. Journal
2. Freedom Friday: tie up loose ends and finish your posts for the week

POST:
How are you going to start fundraising for your life after high school?  (title: INVESTING IN ME)

october 3

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Save it for Later" by The English Beat; "Procrastination" by The Damned]

Why do people procrastinate? How does it affect your life? What can you do about it?

AGENDA:
*Minute of Mindfulness*
1. Journal
2. Reach out to a mentor
3. Writers' conferences (continued)
4. Work on posts

POSTS:
1. (Please see October 1 & 2)
2. Post your letter to a mentor (title: LETTER TO A MENTOR DRAFT 1)

your isp and search engine

Yesterday we talked about internet browsers and search engines.  Down the road, we'll also discuss ISPs.  Today I ran across this Q & A with the founder of duckduckgo.  You can read the full piece HERE.

school lunch application

FYI.

calling all future enterprisers

october 2

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Words" by the Bee Gees]

Use five of our vocabulary words describe your experience in this class.  How are you adapting to a new way of learning?  Is it different for you when Dr. Preston isn't here or bugging you about an assignment?  How?  Why does the teacher, or the internet, or more responsibility matter (or not) to your learning experience?


AGENDA:
*Minute of Mindfulness*

1. Journal

2. Résumé work
3. Writers' conferences (continued)
4. Work on your posts for the week

POSTS:
1. Please post Literature Analysis #2 by Friday, October 18