september 30*

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel; "You Talk Too Much" by Run D.M.C.; "Words I Never Said" by Lupe Fiasco]

Talking is supposed to be good for us, so why don't we want to talk about those things that other people think we should talk about?  And why won't they stop bugging us about it?  What have you left unsaid because you felt like you couldn't say it out loud?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Constructing Vocabulary #7
3. Value of Life: Steve Jobs v. Hamlet (UPDATE/TO BE OR NOT TO BE DELAY)
3. Describing the value of a life without sounding like a Hallmark greeting card

HW:
1. Value your life in a blog post entitled MY VALUE (POSTPONED)
2. Promote your candidates for Vocabulary #7 in a comment to this post
3. Reminder: Literature Analysis #2 due this Friday (October 4)

word salad

When do words not necessarily mean what we think they're supposed to mean? When they're on food labels.

September 27*

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Meaning of Life" by Monty Python; "Sunshine On My Shoulders" by John Denver]

Describe a time you figured something out.  Did you do anything you can repeat the next time you're confronted with a mystery/challenge?  Why does figuring something out make you happy?


AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Vocab test/correct

HW:
1. Read Steve Jobs' commencement speech on p. 86/88 in the "Value of Life" section (after the jump) and write a response on your course blog (title: DEAR STEVE)
2. Read Hamlet's soliloquy on p. 4/6 in the "Value of Life" section (after the jump) and write a brief explanation of the differences between his speech and Jobs' (title: TO ACT OR NOT TO ACT)

science-supported happiness

We like Happy, and our culture skews toward believing things that are supported by science, so here are

10 Simple Things You Can Do Today That Will Make You Happier, Backed By Science

And, since meditation may be less familiar than exercising or going outside, here is some more on the topic from Fast Company magazine. (And yes, there's an app for that.) 

nanowrimo meeting today at lunch

This just in from Connor: today at lunch there will be a meeting for National Novel Writing Month authors.  See you in Room 608.

September 26*

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Ballad of a Thin Man" by Bob Dylan; "Land of Confusion" by Genesis]

Oysters make pearls as a way to protect themselves from foreign substances.  Essentially, an irritant gets inside the oyster's shell, and the oyster covers it in layers of the same material that makes up its shell.  Sometimes I wonder if emotions that we experience as irritating serve the same function for us.  How can feelings like confusion, bewilderment, and even frustration be HELPFUL in life and lead us to create a beautiful/valuable result?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Discuss "Value of Life" posts and next steps
3. Vocab review/study

HW: 1. vocab vocab vocab

book club with ucla students?

I just received the following email from Abby Kuhlman (RHS '13). After a brief exchange we agreed that talking with respected peers was crucial to understanding this book and making the overall experience so valuable. She is willing to recruit her fellow Bruins to host a similar experience (via online conferences) for students in my classes. I am willing to give literary analysis credit. If you're interested in reading Pedro & Me and discussing it-- and life-- with UCLA students, please sign up in a comment to this post. I will share a link to this post with Abby.

lausd students hack ipads

What are your thoughts on this?

meet the fitness gurus

Last week Kapule and Elias announced plans to create a fitness blog.  This week they're delivering the goods.

Behold: The Fitness Gurus

Louis C.K. on cell phones

Video & transcript (after the jump) courtesy of
http://teamcoco.com/video/louis-ck-springsteen-cell-phone)

September 25*

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Song for a Future Generation" by The B-52s; "Future Shock" by Curtis Mayfield; "We Ride (I See The Fuure)" by Mary J. Blige]

If you knew that there would be no more new children, and humanity would die out with this generation, would it influence your decision-making or life philosophy? How?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Time Out
3. Thanks to Dustin our agenda has been hacked!-- Socratic Seminar

HW:
1. Review the unit on "The Value of Life" (below), and in a post to your blog (entitled THE VALUE OF CHOICE) briefly describe: (a) what ideas you most want to focus on in this curriculum, and (b) what skills you most want to acquire by the end of this topical study.
erwc9 mod4 the value of life -

September 24*

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Dodo" by Genesis; "Do the Evolution" by Pearl Jam]

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

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. "Into the Wild" presentation
3. Evolution & adaptation
4. Have the time of your life

HW:
1. Read "The Importance of the Afterlife. Seriously."
2. Create Netvibes dashboard, set as browser launch page, and describe in a post to your blog

11 terrifying childcare inventions from early 20th century

As this Popular Science post suggests, gadgets don't always mean genius.  Makes me wonder what the 3013 article on "11 dumb learning tools from the early 21st century" will look like.

September 23*

JOURNAL TOPIC:

What does it mean to do your best?  How do you know when you've done your best?  Have you done your best in this course so far this year?  How do you know?


AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Evaluative introspection
3. Vocab: 4 + 5 = 6

HW:
1. Post definitions & sentences for VOCAB #6
2. Read your Literature Analysis

vocabulary: fall #6

 adroit
 amicable
 averse
 belligerent
 benevolent
 cursory
 duplicity
 extol
 feasible
 grimace
 holocaust
 impervious
 impetus
 jeopardy
 meticulous
 nostalgia
 quintessence
 retrogress
 scrutinize
 tepid
accede
 brandish
 comprise
 deft
 destitute
 explicit
 extirpate
 inopportune
 ironic
 musty
 officious
 ominous
 pinnacle
 premeditated
 rampant
 solace
 stately
 supple
 suppress
 venal

this just in from mrs dirkes re hancock and college boot camp

September 20

JOURNAL TOPIC:

Why do people doodle?  (Use as many vocabulary words as you can, and underline each for credit.)


AGENDA:
1. Journal/collect application packets
2. OSL chat: Amanda Lyons

HW:
1. Read Lit Analysis #2 book

open source learning chats: amanda lyons

Tomorrow we're in for a treat.  Visual learning expert Amanda Lyons will join us to discuss how drawing, doodling and thinking visually can accelerate our understanding, cognitive development, and chances for world peace (*I added that part but to hear her talk and watch her work, you start to think that it may just be possible).  You can see Amanda's website here and her notes from a previous conversations here.  She does this all the time.  In fact, just yesterday after we Skyped Amanda sent me this:

Bring your markers...

letters of recommendation

Here are some tips for requesting letters of recommendation:

• Identify people in your life who can vouch for your talents, accomplishments, and quality of character.  Don't ask friends or relatives; good candidates include employers/supervisors, teachers, coaches, and clergy.
• Ask those people for letters of recommendation politely, respectfully, and at least a week in advance.
• Before you ask, consider whether they prefer a request in writing or in conversation, and be mindful of what you're asking-- do you want a general letter you can use for everything (useful if you don't want to bug them again), or do you want a letter that is addressed to an individual/organization for a specific purpose?
• Follow up on your initial request by thanking them in advance, clarifying when you will plan to pick up the letter, and sending a copy of your resume so they don't have to invent the whole thing from scratch.
• If you want/need multiple originals, ask.
• Also ask if you can list the person (and his/her contact information) as a reference.
• Send a handwritten note in an envelope to say Thank You.  No matter what the outcome of your application, send an additional Thank You to let them know.

If you don't yet have at least two letters you can turn in for review tomorrow, please provide a status report that describes:

• Who you've asked and why;
• How you asked;
• What the response was;
• When you expect to receive letters;
• Your next steps.

Good luck!  This isn't a comprehensive list and there are many other strategies that people employ with success-- feel free to comment with your experiences and suggestions.

21 ways supermarkets control your mind

There are two kinds of learners.  Those who think this course is ruining every experience including grocery shopping, and those who think the first group is spending too much money on junk food.

September 19

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Cliffs of Dover" by Eric Johnson; "Moon Dreams" by Miles Davis; "La Traviata-Prelude" by Verdi]

Describe your favorite music--to a deaf person.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Group presentations/status

HW:
1. Vocab quiz tomorrow
2. REMINDER: application packet (resume + personal statement/s + >2 letters of recommendation) due tomorrow (Friday 9.20)
3. Begin Literature Analysis #2

the erwc binder

The ERWC binder, in its entirety, after the jump:

can binders help us learn?

They can when we share them!  Looking forward to ERWC presentations tomorrow.  Here are the basic questions you need to address:

1.     Summarize the section your group read.

2.     Recommend highlights from the material for us to study and explain why. 

3.     Recommend curriculum hacks and explain why your approaches/resources are more effective.

collaborative working group: fitness blog

This just in from Kapule & Elias: "We are creating a blog about health and fitness. The main goal for the blog is to give people advice on how to lose weight, how to diet, foods that should be eaten/foods that shouldn't be eaten, how-to videos and more."

[UPDATE 09:31A: Another group also launched a venture today around health and wellness.]

September 18*

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Freedom of Choice" by Devo; "Freewill" by Rush]

Choose your own topic. 


AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Choices

HW:
1. In a post to your course blog entitled FREEDOM OF CHOICE, explain the pros and cons of being responsible for your own decision-making.  What opportunities does this present?  How can it make things easier, and how can it make them harder?  Ultimately, what do you prefer-- making choices or having them made for you?  Why?

categories of time allocation

Here are some excerpts from Time for Success that will help with your TIP:

SELLING TIME
When you go to work or school, you agree to allocate a specific amount of time to activities determined by your involvement with an organization.  In return, the organization to which you allocate your time agrees to compensate you with a specific amount of money.

literature analysis #2 sign-up

Please comment to this post with the book and author you chose.  Mahalo.

collaborative working group: they walk among us

You see them in the halls, blinking blearily, sensitive to the direct sunlight.  They suck your stories, transforming your wardrobe into symbols and your conversations into dialogue.  I'm not talking about zombies; I'm talking about novelists.

Some of our students are taking on the boldest challenge of all: writing a novel in a single month.  The first collaborative working group is forming for National Novel Writing Month, and you're invited.  Declare your interest in a comment to this post or contact ringleader Connor directly.

September 17*

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Hello, I Love You," "Love Her Madly" & "Love Me Two Times" by The Doors]

What do you love enough to sacrifice for it?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Vocab
3. Applied TIP
4. Applied mindfulness tools: dashboards and lists

HW:
1. Begin reading book for Literature Analysis #2
2. NOTE: application packet (resume, personal statement,  >2 letters of rec) due Friday 9.20

screen shot solutions

How are you taking your screen shots, saving them, and emailing them as attachments?  (I use Skitch.)  Describe the tools/commands you're using in a comment below.

open source learning chats: jerry michalski

Over the course of the year we'll be chatting with experts and thought leaders in a variety of fields. As we get better at tech and presentation formats, we will polish our presentation and share the "Open Source Learning Chats" channel on YouTube. In the meantime, here is the chat we had on Friday with Jerry Michalski:

personal statement resource

From Mrs. Dirkes:

writingACollegeAdmissionEssay

vocabulary: fall #5

 adroit
 amicable
 averse
 belligerent
 benevolent
 cursory
 duplicity
 extol
 feasible
 grimace
 holocaust
 impervious
 impetus
 jeopardy
 meticulous
 nostalgia
 quintessence
 retrogress
 scrutinize
 tepid

september 16*

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "The Homecoming Queen's Got A Gun" by Julie Brown; "Delicious" by Jim Backus & Friend; & (by request per Tiana) "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana]

Texts in all media are often read differently by different readers. What is funny to one person can be offensive to another. One reader "gets the message" while another wonders, "What's the point?" How does the author of your literature analysis book use techniques such as figurative language, parody, satire, and allusion to encourage the reader to interpret the text?  Think of an example from anything you've read and describe how it can be interpreted in more than one way.  Is this more or less effective than coming right out and telling the reader everything s/he needs to know?  Explain your answer.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Status: personal statement & letters of recommendation
3. Big Questions, SMART goals, and Collaborative Working Groups
4. Applied mindfulness tools: dashboards and lists

HW:
1. Post definitions and sentences/narrative for VOCABULARY #5
2. Update TIP (if you haven't already) for tomorrow (Tuesday)
3. Write your DECLARATION OF LEARNING INDEPENDENCE and post to your blog 
4. Read this article and post a one-paragraph response on your blog (title: NO CHILD LEFT UNTABLETED)-- include any vocab candidates (unfamiliar words or familiar words used in unfamiliar ways)
5. Lit analysis #2 due Friday, October 4

jerry's ted talk: what if we trusted you?

Here's is the talk Jerry mentioned today:

september 13*

JOURNAL: [today's tunes: "People In Your Neighborhood" by Sesame Street; "Why Can't We Be Friends" by War]

If you could ask any living person any question/s that would help you develop your talent or seize the opportunity of your dreams, who would you talk to and what would you say?


AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Jerry Michalski (periods 3, 4)
3. Vocab quiz 

HW:
1. Choose a book for Literature Analysis #2 and begin reading
2. If you haven't already, ask 5-7 people to write you a letter of recommendation

introducing jerry michalski

On Fridays we will host online conversations with a variety of thought leaders to discuss topics ranging from literature to Internet culture to science to [?].  In the past we've been fortunate to spend time with folks like Cory Doctorow, Bryan Alexander, and Howard Rheingold, and this year we have a great slate as well.  As our network expands and you meet people who can add value to our learning experience, please introduce us.  One of our best chats last year was with J.P. Bouvet, who we met through Ricky Luna.

Today we'll be joined by Jerry Michalski, the leader of REX (the Relationship Economy eXpedition).  Jerry is a connector, curator, and catalyst who has an amazing network and a unique ability to put people and ideas together in ways that create meaning and action.   Every time I talk with Jerry I come away with new things to read and think about.

I will begin the conversation by asking Jerry about his perspective on Internet culture, the relationship economy, and his own career path/expertise.  I know he has a couple collaborative projects that may present opportunities for students, so I'll ask him about that too.  Then the floor is yours.  Please have a look at his bio and feel free to ask him anything you like: college, career, Silicon Valley, what kind of tree would he be...

(NOTE: We will attempt to rotate the presentations so everyone can participate live, but we are at the mercy of our speakers' schedules.  We're going to experiment with Google On Air and we'll record each chat, which will be posted/linked after the fact.)

online resources for erwc

Got a lot of interesting resources today re: Expository Composition and the CSU system.  Below are a few links-- feel free to have a look around.  If you find something that you think is valuable/helpful for us to know about or use, please comment to this post and/or bring it up in class.  Thanks!

http://www.csub.edu/english/composition/
http://www.csub.edu/eap-riap/
http://www.csuenglishsuccess.org/eshome
http://writing.csusuccess.org/community (login name: JohnToo  password: johndoe)

see mrs. dirkes re common app

Hey y'all, Mrs. Dirkes has asked that anyone using the Common App please see her.  Do it.  Mahalo.

September 12*

JOURNAL TOPIC:

Yesterday you were asked to envision your ideal Time Investment Portfolio.  Today your work is up to you.  What aspects of self-direction do you find appealing, and what do you find difficult or intimidating?  How does it feel to be the author of your own life/learning story? 

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Independent/collaborative work: vocabulary, literature analysis, TIP, [?]

HW:
1. Reminder: vocab quiz Friday
2. Reminder: literature analysis #1 due by Friday

September 11*

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "We Ride (I See the Future)" by Mary J. Blige; "Future Shock" by Curtis Mayfield; "Better Things" by The Kinks]

What is your view of the future? What do you think the world and/or your life will be like in 5 years? 20? 50?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Cottle's circles test: past, present & future
3. TIP discussion & feedback

HW:
1. Continue TIP
2. Reminder: vocab
3. Reminder: Literature Analysis

nomination forms: elks and chamber scholarships

These just in from Mrs. Dirkes:


nomination sm chamber


Nomination Form ELKS

n3

Naviance Ninjas Needed.  As you know, the school is doing away with the 6-year plan folders and going online.  If you are interested in testing the system early (and getting a head start on your college/scholarship search in the process), please see Dr. Preston.

September 10*

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Time" by Pink Floyd; "Time" by The Alan Parsons Project]

When you say something is "valuable" what exactly do you mean? Do you define value in terms of money, emotion, scarcity, what the marketplace thinks, or do you have a different standard? What is the value of your work in school? What is the value of this moment, or the thinking/writing you're doing right now?

AGENDA:

1. Journal

2. How to have the time of your life

HW:

1. Start your Time Investment Portfolio

2. Reminder: vocab

3. Reminder: Literature Analysis

September 9*

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Chidori No Kyoku" by Satomi Saeki & Alcvin Takegawa Ramos]

Most of the time your attention is focused outward: on classes, sports, jobs, other people, and the 101 things you have to do in order to get through the day. For a moment, see if you can forget all that. Let your mind grow quiet. Listen to yourself breathe and consider this definition of mindfulness: "focusing one's complete attention on the present moment." Today, rather than responding to a specific topic, simply write down the information that occurs to you right now. This may include thoughts, feelings, sounds/sights, memories-- or even just sensations of how your fingers feel on the pen or how your toes feel in your shoes.  Please be sure to record your stress level when you begin writing and when you finish (on a scale from 1-10, 1 being least stressed and 10 being most stressed).

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Status: return work, college/scholarship portfolio notes, preview of coming attractions
3. Vocabulary #4

HW:
1. Post definitions & sentences/narratives for VOCAB #4
2. Reminder: Literature Analysis #1 due Friday (9.13)

vocabulary: fall #4

 accede
 brandish
 comprise
 deft
 destitute
 explicit
 extirpate
 inopportune
 ironic
 musty
 officious
 ominous
 pinnacle
 premeditated
 rampant
 solace
 stately
 supple
 suppress
 venal

social media and college search

According to this "comprehensive national study on the use of social media among college-bound high school students in the fall of 2008,"

Growth in the Use of Social Media in the College Search Process has Increased Substantially in the Last Four Years, But It Is Far From Universal

fostering entrepreneurial thinking in today's classrooms

Time to start building brand YOU.

how not to teach

Every once in a while a story like this leaves me at a loss for words. 

September 6*

JOURNAL TOPIC:

 Write an outlandish fake absence excuse using as many of this week's vocabulary words as you can.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Vocab quiz/correct
3. Discuss & work on Literature Analysis #1

HW:
1. Work on Literature Analysis #1 (due Friday, 9.13)

literature analysis: (way to) get 'er done!

Thanks Tiana for this morning's update! You can find the questions for Literature Analysis #1 on the newly-created Literature Analysis page.

erwc principles

Today I'm sitting in a training for Expository Reading and Writing Course. The speaker just explained the history and what the designers intended. According to the last Powerpoint slide, these are the principles of the course: 1. The integration of interactive reading and writing processes; 2. A rhetorical approach that fosters critical thinking and engagement through a relentless focus on the text; 3. Materials and themese that engage student interest; 4. Classroom activities designed to model and foster successful practices of fluent readers and writers; 5. Research-based methodologies with a consistent relationship between theory and practice; 6. Built-in flexibility to allow teachers to respond to varied students' needs and instructional contexts; and 7. Alignment with California's Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy. I especially dig #2; that's why we read "The Right to Your Opinion" and started choosing our own texts above/beyond the curricular units (like the one on Obesity). But I'm posting this to ask you all: How are we doing so far? Is the course doing these things so far? Can you begin to envision how your experience in this course can help you become a more effective reader and writer? Feel free to comment to this post. We'll also spend some time discussing this next week when we talk about organization, time management, and how to use Collaborative Working Groups & Big Questions as we move forward.

ian m hassett foundation art scholarships & fundraiser

Today I received an email from Mrs. Stephanie Hassett, whose son Ian attended RHS and passed away from cancer in 2012 at the age of 19.  Mrs. Hassett wrote:

Our son, Ian, was a gifted musician and artist.  Our world was forever changed when he died from cancer in 2012 at the age of 19.  Before he died, we talked to Ian about setting up an art scholarship in his memory at his high school (Righetti) and he loved the idea.  Music was his solace but art was his passion and he wanted to share his passion with other students.  Today, the simple idea of beginning an art scholarship has grown and blossomed into more than we could have imagined and we aren’t done dreaming yet!

We formed the Ian M Hassett Foundation to encourage emerging artists to continue to pursue their passion for art.  Through the Foundation we award $2,000 a year to talented, local artists with plans to support and encourage more artists through Foundation supported gallery shows and an Artist Exchange allowing students to obtain otherwise costly supplies.  Our upcoming fundraiser, Form Over Function, to be held on October 5, 2013, will help enable us to continue on this mission.

For more information please click on the logo.

September 5*

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Imagine that you are waking up from a deep sleep. When you open your eyes, you realize that you are still in the sixth grade- your entire memory of high school was just a dream! Based on your "dream" what you would you do differently as you move forward? Explain your answer.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Literature Analysis #1 comment intervention & work
3. vocab vocab vocab

HW:
1. Vocab vocab vocab
2. Lit Analysis #1

September 4*

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye; The Long Black Veil" by Johnny Cash; "Cheating On You" by Franz Ferdinand]

In addition to Antigone and Oedipus Rex, Sophocles also wrote, "I would prefer even to fail with honor than to win by cheating." What is your philosophy on this point? [*Use all the vocab words you can without forcing the issue.]

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Literature analysis status
3. Vocab
4. Decisions, decisions

HW:
1. Study/practice vocab
2. Find a scholarship worth applying for and report on the scholarship (or the temporary futility of your search) in a blog post entitled WILL STUDY FOR FOOD.  In the post, explain what you need scholarship $ for and how much you hope/intend to earn.  If you haven't yet, this is a good time to start analyzing costs of school and living in order to determine where to set your fundraising bar. (NOTE: If you are not attending college next year, please post a brief description of what you will be doing and what if anything you are doing to prepare.)

condolences

Sorry to hear that Kenny Alvarez, a 2009 graduate of Delta HS, was killed during combat operations in Afghanistan.  Kenny was 23.  Today he comes home to Santa Maria.  You can read more here.

September 3*

***I'm out today but available via the usual e-channels. Please treat the sub as an honored guest. *** 

JOURNAL TOPIC:
What in your life would you miss most if it were gone? This may be a person, an opportunity, a possession, a pet, or even an idea-- like your freedom. Explain your answer.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Figure out who still needs to comment to lit analysis post and get 'er done
3. Vocabulary #3: definitions & sentences

HW:
1. Post definitions and sentences/narrative for vocab #3 -- it's a short week, so study...
2. Start/continue reading in your literature analysis book

vocabulary: fall #3

 accomplice
 annihilate
 arbitrary
 brazen
 catalyst
 exodus
 facilitate
 incorrigible
 latent
 militant
 morose
 opaque
 paramount
 prattle
 rebut
 reprimand
 servitude
 slapdash
 stagnant
 succumb