happy new year!

Hi All,
As we count down the last few hours of this year/decade, I want to wish you and your loved ones all the best for 2020 and beyond.  Take some time for mindfulness and reflection, celebrate (safely ;), and remember to collect those emails and post your word cloud!
Best,
Dr. Preston

your email to 10 people

In case you need a suggestion for how to word your email:

Hi ____,
I’m doing a writing project and I’d like to ask your help.  Can you think of a time when I was at my best? If you can remember, can you please write me a quick story about it and describe a couple things about me that you think of as strengths or good qualities? Just a few sentences will do, I really appreciate it!
Thanks and Happy Holidays,


Also: if you are connecting with someone who doesn’t use email, feel free to text and then retype their answer into the document you use for your word cloud.  You can also talk with a person and write / type what they say.

Have fun and enjoy the break!

Happy Holidays,
Dr. Preston

for the win(ter break): idea 1

Before you read the idea below, here's a conversation between an Imaginary Student (IM) and me.  Obviously, the IM is a stereotype, and clearly nothing like the happy, energized, diligent, ferocious, successful thinkers in our class.  Still.  Read on.

Me: Please complete the following exercise by midnight on New Year's Eve.  It's better than making all those resolutions you're not going to keep, it will give you a new way to visualize ideas, and it will even help you brainstorm for when you start writing your Personal Statement for college applications.

IM: (Nodding, says out loud) "Sure. Will do." (Thinks: No way.  It's my break.  I want to chill.  Maybe watch Netflix.  Play Fortnite.  Stare at a wall. Pretty much anything except schoolwork.)

Me: I'm listening to what you're thinking, and I'm hearing a need for rest.  Am I getting that right?

IM: (Shocked.) Yeah.

Me: What exactly are you taking a break from?

IM: It's just all this work, you know, doing the journals every day, doing the blog, math, science, history... yeah.

Me: You know I love it when people end sentences that way.

IM: Um... yeah.

Me: Seriously, I'm curious: What does it do for you to take a break?  Does it make you feel better?  Do you use the time to meditate, or set a goal or an intention to come back strong?  Are you feeling a need to take a break from all that work because it feels like it's never enough?  Like, somehow, you're never enough?

IM: I'ma [sic] tell you the truth.  All this work sucks and I don't like getting judged.  Teachers just think bad [sic] of me.

Me: Well, I don't, but I definitely hear you.  What if you could get some feedback about your best self?  What if the only comments you got over break were about your strengths and your victories?

IM: (Shrugs.)

Me: Really?  I thought you wanted to feel like a success for a change.

IM: That's true.  I do.

Me: And getting positive feedback from people is a part of that?

IM: Yeah.

Me: So if I can guarantee that's what you'll get, and I guarantee that you'll feel better once you do this, are you in?

IM: I don't see how you can guarantee me anything, but whatever. Yeah. Sure. Fine. If you can guarantee me all that, I'm in.

Me: Alright. It's a lock. Here's what you do.
 
1. Email at least 10 people you know.  (Note: It's important to do this in writing.  You can do this in Spanish, English, or whatever language your correspondents prefer.)

2. Ask them to describe a time you were successful and/or did something wonderful.

3. Copy and paste each response into a single word document.  (If the emails are in more than one language, you can use an online translator like use Google translate or https://www.spanishdict.com/ to create a document with all the words in one language.  If you want, you can even do one version in English & one in Spanish.)

4. Copy the entire text from the document (all the email responses together) onto your clipboard.

5. Go to https://www.wordclouds.com/ and create a word cloud. When you get to the website, click on Wizard-- it will tell you exactly what to do.  Basically, you're going to paste the document into the window on their website and it will generate something that looks like this:

 (For this one I copied/pasted the entire story of "The Pedestrian")

(For this one I copied/pasted this blog post.)

6. As you can see, the word cloud creates a visual representation of which words appear most frequently in the text.  "Mead" is big because it shows up most often.  You may see some interesting patterns about you when you do this.  Once you have created your word cloud, take a screen shot of it.

7. Create a post for your blog in which you:

• Describe what you did (steps 1-6)
• Describe the top 3-5 strengths that your tribe reflected to you
• Embed the word web

***PLEASE MAKE SURE TO POST THIS ON YOUR BLOG THIS YEAR -- NO LATER THAN MIDNIGHT, DECEMBER 31.  MAHALO.***

people + learning + food = happiness

What a fun way to reflect on our learning!  Thanks for all the learning today and a great semester overall.  

Wishing you and your loved ones Happy Holidays.  

All the best, Dr. Preston

december 17

JOURNAL TOPIC:
If you want to write, write.

AGENDA:
1. Journal (optional)
2. Share
3. Return portfolios and vocab finals
4. Grades
5. Reflect & celebrate a full fall semester
6. Preview of coming attractions

big mouth

" Isaac Johnson, 14, of Bloomington, Minnesota, has the world's largest mouth gape. Johnson's 3.67 inch pie hole was recently confirmed to be .21 inches large larger than the gape of the previous record holder, a German fellow named Bernd Schmidt.

According to Guinness World Records, Johnson "can fit objects like a baseball and the bottom of a 20 oz soda bottle into his gape."

You can read the rest of the story and watch this kid fit his face around various objects in a video HERE.  (Thanks BoingBoing!)

december 16

JOURNAL TOPIC: (*Note: Today's journal is optional and will be considered extra credit.  If you need the time to thoughtfully complete your self-assessment or finish your essay, that's the priority.)
 
What do you think or say when someone makes fun of your lunch?

AGENDA:
1. Self-assessment
2. Journal* (*please see above)
3. FCLE sign-ups
4. Finish revising your essay (if needed) and publish final draft

last self-assessment of 2019

Tomorrow in class I will ask you -- for the last time this semester -- to evaluate your learning and your performance in our course.  I will take this into consideration, along with your journal, your blog, your vocabulary final, your portfolio, your literature analyses, and your class participation, which includes your comments to your colleagues' blogs.

Since this is your last opportunity to contribute to my understanding of your performance this semester, I am posting the questions ahead of time so that you have the chance to reflect.  Please feel free to write your answers ahead of time.  I will collect these during the period tomorrow. 

FINAL SELF-ASSESSMENT FALL 2019

1. Please describe a skill that you improved during the semester.  Provide a blog post or a journal entry that you feel shows your improvement.

2. Please describe your work habits as they relate to this course.  Did you diligently complete your work?  Did you procrastinate?  Do you now have routines and strategies that support your ability to do your best?  Please explain.

3. Please describe a risk you took or a mistake you made that helped you learn.

4. Please indicate what letter grade you earned for the semester, and please explain how you arrived at this conclusion.

5. Please set a goal for next semester.  What grade do you intend to earn in this course in the Spring?  Why?  What does this represent to you?  What are you willing to sacrifice in order to achieve this goal?

friendly reminder

We're all on writing deadlines this weekend, so from one author to another, I hope your essay is going well!  Please remember to publish your Draft before you come to school tomorrow so that it's easy to access and your revised/ready-for-me version is up before you leave class.  Onward!

fall semester final exam essay prompt

Please respond to the following in a post on your blog (title: MY LEARNING FALL AND RISE).  Be sure to include all of the elements.  It will help you to do a pre-write; it will most certainly help you to proofread, and to ask people who care about you to proofread.  (You can also ask people to read it when you feel it's complete, and to make comments-- this is the one post I will also comment on.)

Many people have described this semester as a "roller coaster."  I love the imagery.  Life certainly presents ups and downs, challenges and triumphs.  We met four months ago yesterday.  In that time, we all have experienced moments that made us feel like failures and moments that made us feel successful.  Please describe your experience as a learner in this course, using the following structure:

•  Build your story of your learning journey according to the plot structure we learned
• Exposition (describe yourself as you entered the class on August 12)
• Inciting Incident (how you met me that first day when I described our options, asked you to decide how the course would run, and walked out of the room)
• Rising Action (your initial experiences with the journals, blogs, memorizing poetry and posting videos, whatever else you remember as a new challenge in your learning life)
• Climax (The point when you felt the most tension, when you wondered if you would be able to persevere-- and when you turned the corner.  Describe how you dealt with this and what you learned.)
• Falling Action (How you built routines and/or made up and completed the work that contributed to your success)
• Resolution (How you are different now as a learner than when you started the class in August.) 
• Your story must include the following elements:
• A description of you as a learner when you entered the class
• A description of you as a learner now, and how your experiences in this course helped you change over the last four months
• References to and/or quotes from at least three things we've read (please feel free to consult the tabs on the course blog to refresh your memory on the poems, the stories, and the essays we read together)
• How you wrote your favorite blog post and your favorite journal entry (what was your thought process, and how did doing things differently enable you to write more effectively/successfully?)
• Something in your experience of this course that made you smile (I like Alfred Mercier's idea that, "What we learn with pleasure we never forget," and I have to read a lot of these on Monday, so tell me about a memorable moment when you learned something while having fun.)
• Please post the "ready to read, Dr. Preston" version of this on your blog no later than 3:00 P.M. Pacific Standard Time on Monday, December 16.  Mahalo.

december 13

JOURNAL TOPIC:
What did you learn from your interview and from watching others that you will remember for the next time you have to interview for a job or for a scholarship?  How will these memories help you?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Interview/s & audience participation (REMINDER: The audience participation responsibilities outlined in class 11.19.  If you weren't there, please ask a friend. Whether or not you are interviewing today, and whether or not your period even has an interview scheduled, you have a job to do.  Do it.)

TODAY'S INTERVIEWS:
(Note: We are jam-packed today, so interviews will begin promptly after the bell begins the period.  This should give you ample time to settle in, write in your journal, and prepare your résumé, references, and cover letter.)

Jonessallin
Dana
Erika
Tanya 

it's the most wonderful(ly busy) time of the year

Today I'm doing 26 interviews (including a couple at lunch).  I have piles of papers to grade and another essay is coming up.  I'm not complaining-- I totally brought this on myself and I do it every year-- but right now we all need to carry our own water.  What does that mean and why am I posting this?  Ordinarily, I have what seems like endless time and patience.  But this week and next I'm pressed for time and there's only so much of me to go around.  So if you are a person who was absent for any reason, or if you know that you are missing work, it is your responsibility to track down the information you need and/or ask a friend or me for help.  At this point, the probability that I'm going to find you and remind/nag you to get your work done is nearing zero.  If you need something, I'm in the room every day at lunch and available via email.  Welcome to the home stretch!

december 12

JOURNAL TOPIC:
If you could interview one person (living, dead, or in the future), who would it be?  Why?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Interview/s & audience participation (REMINDER: The audience participation responsibilities outlined in class 11.19.  If you weren't there, please ask a friend. Whether or not you are interviewing today, and whether or not your period even has an interview scheduled, you have a job to do.  Do it.)

TODAY'S INTERVIEWS:
(Note: We are jam-packed today, so interviews will begin promptly after the bell begins the period.  This should give you ample time to settle in, write in your journal, and prepare your résumé, references, and cover letter.)

Miriam L
Miriam J
Angela
Dayan
Heliodoro 

december 11

JOURNAL TOPIC:
(please do this AFTER the exam; if you don't have time in class please do this at home)

How well did you do on the Vocabulary Final?  Why did you do as well as you did?  Why didn't you do better?

AGENDA:

1. Vocabulary Final

2. Journal

opportunity for (even more!) credit

Ordinarily, I don't really cover politics in my English courses (unless there is a linguistic lesson to be learned/ original here) until we get to rhetoric and public speaking.  However, today's news is historically big, and I want to know what you understand about reading an important nonfiction text.  So, if you'd like to receive more credit, please summarize the following document in 3-5 sentences in a comment to this post.

use your words

I often wonder about the usefulness of assigning lists of vocabulary words.  Do you use the words you learn?  If you don't, how will you develop a sense of when it's better to call something sentient (which suggests a quality of awareness, consciousness, and even sensitivity) than simply alive?  Or when reply would be a better choice than answer?

During tomorrow's final, in addition to writing or identifying the proper definitions of the lit and tech terms, you will be asked to use vocabulary words in sentences that make grammatical and logical sense.

Good news!  You can practice here.  Gain credit for the final by writing sentences that use vocabulary words.  You will receive the equivalent of one point on the exam for each word you use correctly (yes, that means if you use three words in the same sentence, you will earn three points-- but be mindful, because if you use the words gratuitously and they're incorrect, you will lose credit).

More good news!  We all need a network of support and critique, so please read the sentences that your colleagues write -- if you make a suggestion or correction that helps them improve, you will receive credit for that too.

december 10

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp)" by Allan Sherman]
Write a letter to your parents using as many of the vocabulary words (for tomorrow's final) as you can.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Interview/s & audience participation (REMINDER: The audience participation responsibilities outlined in class 11.19.  If you weren't there, please ask a friend. Whether or not you are interviewing today, and whether or not your period even has an interview scheduled, you have a job to do.  Do it.)
3. (if time) Study for vocab final and/or prep for your interview

TODAY'S INTERVIEWS:
(Note: Interviews will begin promptly at 15 minutes after the bell begins the period.  This should give you ample time to settle in, write in your journal, and prepare your résumé, references, and cover letter.) 

Isaac
Emma
Jennifer
Elizabeth

vocabulary final in 48 hours

Are you ready? 

Here's an opportunity for you: predict your letter grade* accurately** in a comment to this post, and I will forgive three wrong answers on your exam.

*Grades will be calculated according to traditional percentages (100-90% = A, 89-80 = B, 79-70 = C)
**You may not predict anything less than a C

december 9

JOURNAL TOPIC:
We know that dinosaurs and other sentient species lived on Earth a long time ago and then became extinct. Can you imagine a time when humans are extinct? What might cause this, and what might take our place? Describe in detail.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Interview/s & audience participation (REMINDER: The audience participation responsibilities outlined in class 11.19.  If you weren't there, please ask a friend. Whether or not you are interviewing today, and whether or not your period even has an interview scheduled, you have a job to do.  Do it.)
3. (if time) Study for vocab final and/or prep for your interview

TODAY'S INTERVIEWS:
(Note: Interviews will begin promptly at 15 minutes after the bell begins the period.  This should give you ample time to settle in, write in your journal, and prepare your résumé, references, and cover letter.)


Jimena
Juan
Pedro
Elva* (*Elva is out sick today, is anyone else ready/willing to interview today?) 

call for additional interview questions

Today, out of the blue, I asked a new interview question: "If you could be any ingredient in a salad, what ingredient would you be?"  Giselle answered brilliantly: "I don't like salads, so I would be a crouton." 

(Huh. Just after I started writing this, I realized I was actually doing a version of yesterday's journal topic.)

The moment caused me to realize that I'm getting bored with these interview questions.  So, I'm calling for suggestions-- what else do you think I should ask?  Please comment to this post with your ideas.

note from 2013 student

You know how every once in a while I'll mention that it sometimes takes a while to appreciate what we're learning in the moment.  Don't take my word for it.  I get messages like this all the time, and I thought you might like to see another student's perspective for yourself-- 6 years after the last class she took in high school.

december 6

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Hatred (A Duet)" by The Kinks]
Think of someone for whom you feel nothing but enmity. Now imagine that tomorrow morning you wake up to discover that you and this person are two heads on the same body. Describe your day.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Interview/s & audience participation (REMINDER: The audience participation responsibilities outlined in class 11.19.  If you weren't there, please ask a friend. Whether or not you are interviewing today, and whether or not your period even has an interview scheduled, you have a job to do.  Do it.)
3. (if time) Study for vocab final and/or prep for your interview

TODAY'S INTERVIEWS:
(Note: Interviews will begin promptly at 15 minutes after the bell begins the period.  This should give you ample time to settle in, write in your journal, and prepare your résumé, references, and cover letter.)

Cece (famous last words)
Yazmin
Jeff
Rubi
Giselle
Jimena

...and we all make mistakes

Just after I wrote and published that last post, at the beginning of Period 2 I asked Flor if she was ready for her interview.  Her eyes got wide and she said, "I'm going tomorrow."  I was surprised, so I double-checked today's post, and her name was up under "TODAY'S INTERVIEWS."

You know how this moment usually goes.  When a teacher and a student remember something differently, especially when it's an issue relating to an assignment or a due date, the teacher usually wins-- whether it's fair or not.

But I don't work that way, so I looked back at the original calendar post:

The last thing to check was the comment section for that post, to see if Flor was one of those wonderful people who commented and selected her date.  Guess what I found:

Flor DID select December 6 in the first place!  I entered the date incorrectly in the calendar.

There are a few lessons to be learned here: 1) We really can treat confusion and/or disagreement as an opportunity to search for the truth; 2) Taking the opportunity to post and comment is a way to make your ideas known for the record; and 3) Our learning community is a place where trust, reason, and facts matter more than taking sides.

an open letter to anyone tempted to give up

Today.  This moment.  Right now.  You have a chance to be great.  To be honest.  To be kind.  To do your job.  To tell yourself a different story about yourself.

I am perfectly well aware that some of you have a story that goes something like, "I always tell myself I'm going to do better at the beginning of a semester, and then..."

I care very much about you and the quality of your life, so I'm going to take this moment to be honest.

Knock it off.

Your honesty is welcome too.  If you are dealing with difficult circumstances, or feelings related to anxiety or depression, this is an opportunity to be honest with a teacher.  Communicate.  Get some support.  Take responsibility for the outcome, and begin to take responsibility for your life.  I will honor your trust and I will listen.  I understand family and illness and all sorts of emergent adversity, and I understand stress, and I will work with you to figure out a solution.

But I have had several conversations like this one

and I believe that every single one of you is better than that.  If you haven't yet met an adult who cares enough to tell you directly: "Sorry, that's not good enough-- you have to do better," well, hello. 

If you are dealing with a real obstacle, please communicate with me so that we can collaborate.  If your only adversaries are your bad habits and laziness and self-talk and screen time, then this moment is a great opportunity to stop the binge-and-beat-yourself-up cycle.  Create a turning point that you'll tell your kids about someday.  Stop feeling sorry for yourself, get off the mat, and do your job.  This isn't about a grade in a high school English class.  This is about pushing past your limitations, realizing the world owes you nothing, and deciding to live your life in a more honorable way.

As a person who cares about you and your families, I will accept nothing less.

december 5

JOURNAL TOPIC:
We describe characters all the time.  Whenever we relate a story about something that happened with other people to a person who wasn't there, we portray the other people as characters in that story.  Sometimes we describe them directly ("he's six feet tall" or "she was really angry"), and sometimes we describe them indirectly, in terms of what they said, or did, or how others reply to them.  It's one thing to write, "Robert had an insatiable appetite" and it's another to write, "Sally watched Robert eat-- and eat, and eat, and eat, until she thought she herself might actually throw up."  Think of something that happened to you over the weekend in the presence of other people.  Write a paragraph about it.  Then, choose one character and analyze your own work: did you describe this person directly or indirectly?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Interview/s & audience participation (REMINDER: The audience participation responsibilities outlined in class 11.19.  If you weren't there, please ask a friend. Whether or not you are interviewing today, and whether or not your period even has an interview scheduled, you have a job to do.  Do it.)
3. (if time) Study for vocab final and/or prep for your interview

TODAY'S INTERVIEWS: 
(Note: We have six interviews today, so we will begin promptly 5 minutes after the bell begins the period.  That's why I am posting this now, at 10:15 A.M. on 12/4, so you can get a head start on your journal.)

Leo
Citlalli
Deanna
Yenifer
Cece
Yazmin

preview of spring attractions

One extremely valuable component of Open-Source Learning as I've defined it is the ability to connect with experts wherever we find them.  For all the wonderful information we can get at school, there is a lot out there we need to know in areas where teachers don't necessarily specialize.

When a student of mine wanted to learn to fly an airplane, we needed to find him a mentor.  That may sound like an exotic topic, but the same principle applies when we talk about managing finances, dealing with death, writing a novel, cutting hair, physical training, or anything else you're interested in.

To help support everyone as you pursue your Big Questions, I will be hosting in-class Skype conversations with experts in different fields.  These are men and women who are at the top of their game and care about helping young people meet their potential, and I'm excited to introduce you.

The first will be Cory Doctorow on January 24.  Cory is an extremely talented science fiction writer and he has forgotten more about online technology and culture than I'll ever know, especially when it comes to copyright law and fair use.  You can read more about Cory HERE; I'm telling you about this now so you can think of questions you'd like to ask him.  Better yet, you can read some of his books over the break (check out the list HERE-- you can also get a free download of his novel Walkaway on his website HERE) and talk to him about those too.  He's brilliant, and I guarantee you our conversation will be time well spent.  I'm still using a writing technique I learned from Cory when he talked to a class of mine at Righetti in 2013.

Our second guest (sometime in February) will be Bobby Maximus.  I met Bobby a few months ago when I was researching physical fitness-- school is great for participating in organized sports, but generally it doesn't really address our needs for information when it comes to nutrition, sustainable exercise or workout plans, sleep, or a general sense of physical fitness.

I mean this in the best way: Bobby is a beast.  You can see for yourself on his website HERE.  After being bullied in school and walking onto the wrestling team, he's become a UFC fighter, a Canadian and World Champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  He's also worked as a police officer and a teacher.  I reached out to Bobby after reading his book and doing some of his recommended workouts.  Yesterday afternoon, I spent nearly an hour talking with Bobby on the phone about training, the mind-body connection, and education.  We agreed that parents in teachers should lead by example.  I can't really call myself a leader in learning unless I'm learning myself.  That's one of the reasons I'm going to Bobby's gym in Utah in January for three days to train with him.  Please take a look at Bobby's blog and get your questions ready. 

something is

happening.

december 4

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "My Hero" by the Foo Fighters; "Heroes" by David Bowie]

Heroes are essential to humanity. Every culture throughout history has chronicled their exploits. Today their role is viewed as more important than ever; heroes inspire us to think differently, act differently, and ultimately become better, even slightly heroic versions of ourselves. Even though everyone gets the general idea of a hero, the specific people we admire are as individual as we are. They may have impressive personalities, intellects or physical attributes; they may be ordinary people who do extraordinary things; they may be public or private. They may even be our friends and relatives.

Write a letter to someone you consider to be a hero. Affirm this person's role in your life.  Explain to this person why his/her influence is uncanny, and how this makes you see him/her as a hero.  Tell this person how s/he has moved or inspired you.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Interview/s & audience participation (REMINDER: The audience participation responsibilities outlined in class 11.19.  If you weren't there, please ask a friend. Whether or not you are interviewing today, and whether or not your period even has an interview scheduled, you have a job to do.  Do it.)
3. (if time) Study for vocab final and/or prep for your interview

TODAY'S INTERVIEWS:
(Note: Interviews will begin promptly at 15 minutes after the bell begins the period.  This should give you ample time to settle in, write in your journal, and prepare your résumé, references, and cover letter.)


Odalys
Destiny
Marina
Lilly

december 3

JOURNAL TOPIC:
What influences you more, your relationship with yourself or your relationship with others?  Why?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Interview/s & audience participation (REMINDER: The audience participation responsibilities outlined in class 11.19.  If you weren't there, please ask a friend. Whether or not you are interviewing today, and whether or not your period even has an interview scheduled, you have a job to do.  Do it.)
3. (if time) Study for vocab final and/or prep for your interview

TODAY'S INTERVIEWS:
(Note: Interviews will begin promptly at 15 minutes after the bell begins the period.  This should give you ample time to settle in, write in your journal, and prepare your résumé, references, and cover letter.)

Vivecca
Alyssa
Clarisse
Jocelyn

december 2

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Dr. Seuss once wrote, "How did it get so late so soon?  December is here before it's June.  My goodness how the time has flewn. [sic]  How did it get so late so soon?"

Here we are.  It's December.  In the blink of an eye, we'll be on Winter Break, and then-- but, wait.  Let's slow things down for a moment.  One of the things I love about reading is how the author's ideas sometimes connect with what I'm thinking, or feeling, or experiencing.  Sometimes connecting the dots takes a little effort, but the effort is always worthwhile, because whatever I'm reading becomes more meaningful in those moments.

So, here is today's journal question: what idea/s from any of our readings can you apply to real life?  What have the authors or characters done or said that make you think about yourself, people you know, or the bigger issues we all deal with in 2019?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Interview/s & audience participation (REMINDER: The audience participation responsibilities outlined in class 11.19.  If you weren't there, please ask a friend. Whether or not you are interviewing today, and whether or not your period even has an interview scheduled, you have a job to do.  Do it.)
3. Vocabulary Final preview

TODAY'S INTERVIEWS
Adriana
Luis

POST:
1. Your comment to today's interviewees' blogs (if applicable)
2. How did you sustain your memory and your learning momentum last week? Specifically, describe how you addressed the "list of living well" we talked about in class the day before the break? [title: MY BRAIN ON THANKSGIVING BREAK]

(copied from November 22 post)
OVER THE BREAK:
1. Make sure your application portfolio is the best it can be
2. Make sure that your five blog posts and journal entries are the best they can be
3. Make sure that your blog is up to date and awesome
4. Read a book and do a literature analysis to spark your thinking, change your life, and pad your grade
5. Think about your Big Question
6. Check the course blog once in a while for final exam tips/previews
7. (Best for Last) Enjoy your friends, family, food, and everything in life worth being thankful for