Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Pop Culture: Curation Rubric & #flight307pc project

Pop Culture Curation Rubric



Pop Culture: Curation & Comedy Culture Projects

Today we'll share our comedy projects & discuss what we learned from exploring comedy culture. We'll also add more to our collection of pop culture resources, look at criteria/expectations for maintaining our collection, and discuss the social media projects due at the end of this week. Below check out the Symbaloo I set up to act as our home base for our curating work. All of our agreed upon feeds will be here as well as a link to the Pinterest board and our #flight307pc tagboard.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Humanities: To Kill a Mockingbird Continues

Monday we continued watching To Kill a Mockingbird as we uncover another way of looking a culture -- this time through the lens of filmmaking.

To Kill a Mockingbird is an interesting example because it is widely considered one of the best films ever made, it portrays the Depression era south of the 1930s BUT was made in the Civil Rights Era 1960s.  It is a film that could have been made in color, but was made in black and white.  It is a film that could have focused on several of the subplots of the original novel, but focuses on only a few.

Last week we examined the opening credits and made predictions about the symbolic meaning within.


Friday we examined a single frame and the meaning conveyed in that single frame.



On Tuesday, we will be finishing the film.  We will likely start by revisiting our predictions about the credits  and seeing how those surfaced in what we've watched of the film thus far.

Where's all of this going?  We'll be doing a final project around the eight components of culture as they relate to our individual cultural identities.  And we'll be practicing that knowledge by identifying how the components of culture surface in Of Mice & Men and To Kill a Mockingbird.

ASSESSMENTS.

Blog.  No Req'd Blog Posts This Week.  Complete Missing Req'd Posts.  Remember, best collection of evidence
ASAP.

Revise. Theme Song Essays & Complete Revision Submission Form.
ASAP.

Complete.  Romeo & Juliet Projects.
ASAP.

Complete.  To Kill a Mockingbird trailer foreshadowing Graphic Organizer.   Of Mice & Men foreshadowing Graphic Organizer.
ASAP.

AP Lit: Poetry as Design: Design Thinking Challenge: DISCOVERY Continues

Monday, we continued our work with our poetry as design challenge: DISCOVERY.

Where we are at so far:

How might we increase . . . 

Period 3B. Connectedness

Period 4G. Happiness

at Mt. Blue Campus through our understanding of poetry and design?


We have been ideating/brainstorming around possible installation features and experiences as well as starting to look at the sonnet form.


Today, 3B came up with four strong experiential installation features:

  • hide-a-poem/find-a-poem (find parts of a poem around the building)
  • suggest-aiku  (suggestion box that receives only haiku)
  • poet-trees (metaphorical & literal trees built of poetry)
  • poet scale (to which poet do you most align?)
There were others as well; these four simply emerged as the strongest contenders from our 8 Box into Storyboards ideating protocol.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we will determine how best to practice empathy and identify user needs this week.  We will also start populating the DEEP board with this project so we can see who is working on what elements of the installation and making certain we hold ourselves accountable for the process.  (Tuesday, Period 4G will also be doing a fast paced version of 8 Box & Storyboard.)

In the meantime . . . 


ASSESSMENTS.

Blog.  NO REQ'D BLOGGING!  Fill in any req'd posts you might be missing. 

Read & Close Read.  Sonnet work for Wednesday/Thursday

Sonnet Work:
Read: "The Sonnet" chapter in "How to Read Lit" and annotate. 
Read: you’ve got a pile of poetry to read and it’s gonna be great.  We will be examining the sonnet form and discussing why it endures. There are  poems you need to read on the “Sonnet” page.  (The English, Petrarchan and Italian examples)  There are two Shakespearean sonnets you need to read as well,  ”Let Those Who Are in Favour”and “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?”  
Annotate/sketchnote three of the above sonnets.  (Suggest SCOUT and CRAPify lenses.) Your choice.  


Poetry as Design Challenge.

a.  Design an original poem (must employ at least 7 poetic devices) and one page self-analysis

b.  Design an interpretation of a poem (visual, audio, dramatic) and one page self-analysis (identifies poetic devices at play in poem)

c.  Collaborate with classmates on interactive poetry infused installations to increase happiness/connectedness at Mt. Blue Campus.

d.  Portfolio of collected poetry for use in interactive installations and accompanying SCOUT & CRAPify analysis for three of those pieces.

Due.  Installations & interactives.  Wed April 14.   Portfolio, SCOUT/CRAPify, and self-analysis due Fri. April 16.  Documenting of design process.  Fri.  April 16.


Looking ahead.

Indie Book Projects.  
Due End of Week After April Break.

Watchman installation.
Due end of May.

Final Synthesis.
Final due at end of class in May.







Monday, March 23, 2015

Pop Culture. How Might We Curate Our Content: Discover/Empathy Phase

Today we will continue our design challenge: How Might We Curate Our Content for Pop Culture?

Thursday was all about the Empathy phase, finding out what we liked and didn't like.  What inspired us and what bugged us about apps and organizational tools.

Today we go back to Discover phase and start playing around with the tools we brainstormed initially.

Those Post-Its are on the carts toward the back of the room.  We can use them to help guide the searching and discovery today.

In the Google Drive shared with you is a shared Google doc.  Go digging.  Play and explore. And then share your findings with the rest of the class on that Google doc.  Add more lines to explore more tools.

At the bottom, make recommendations for action.  Based on the above, what should we use?  What should we incorporate into our work?

Next class, we figure out how to make them all work together and move into experiment phase of our design challenge.

ASSESSMENT

Blog: 3+ Posts.
Req'd Post:  Explore Brain Pickings, Studio 360,  Monkey SeeBoing Boing, and 99 Percent Invisible.  These are all dynamic places full of content related to pop culture and more -- often much much more.  You'll find videos, audio, articles, photos, all sorts of neat things.

Curate a collection of three items from across any combination of those sources.  Consider exploring an interest or passion of yours, or perhaps an angle we've been talking about in class (comedy, social media)  Provide a brief summary of the content of each and finally explain why you selected these three.  ALSO consider how you can use this work to set you up for your Social Media Product due next Thursday.

Blog. Due Friday.  March 27.

Comedy Culture Product.
Due.  Today.

Social Media Culture Product.
What Impact Does Social Media
Due.  Next Thursday, April 2.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Humanities: Foreshadowing & Symbolism: Of Mice & Men and To Kill a Mockingbird

LNG.

Today we'll start as we do every Monday with an LNG.

FORESHADOWING.  OF MICE & MEN.

From there, we'll discuss the results of your foreshadowing work from Friday, connecting the dots between Steinbeck's first chapter of Of Mice & Men and what follows in the rest of the novel.

Remember, Steinbeck was a designer.  He wanted his users to have very specific reactions to his worked with intention.

In fact, take a look at these 6 tips on writing from the man himself.   How do these tips help us better understand what he intended to do with Of Mice & Men?  How can you see them reflected in the novel he wrote?

FORESHADOWING & SYMBOLISM.  TO KILL a MOCKINGBIRD.

We are going to study the film To Kill a Mockingbird at the end of this week.  To help us, we are going to tune up our symbolism lens, as well as our photography and videography skills.

Today we will watch just the first three minutes of the film.  Just like a Of Mice & Men, the opening tells us a great deal about the end.  We will be making predictions of what we believe this film will be about, what will happen, and what sorts of symbolism we will encounter.  How can we do this?  Because we've uncovered Speak and Of Mice & Men.  We can do this.  We're ready for the challenge of making some evidence & pattern-based predictions.

The clip is the Humanities OUT folder.

You'll need to grab screencaps from the film and put them in the graphic organizer I've placed there as well.

ASSESSMENTS.

Blog.  3+ Posts
Req'd Post.  Foreshadowing with Pictures.  Tell a 3 to 5 picture story in images that uses at least one instance of foreshadowing in the first image.  How can you hint at what will happen in the end by hinting in the first image?  You may take photos or draw this story.  Explain your thinking at the end.
Due.  Friday, Mar 27.  Last Req'd Post of the Quarter.

Of Mice & Men Foreshadowing Graphic Organizer.
Due.  Today.  Mar 23.

To Kill a Mockingbird Foreshadowing Graphic Organizer.
Due.  Tuesday.  Mar 24.

Romeo & Juliet Projects.  Due ASAP.

Theme Song Essay Revisions.  Due ASAP.  


AP Lit: The Ultimate Joycean Story & Test Prep

TEST PREP.  MULTIPLE CHOICE.  MARVELL.

We'll start the day with some test prep.  Rather than an on demand, however, it will be the first of our multiple choice.

I've shared with you the reading and the questions.  It's a poem by Andrew Marvell.   Refrain from reading it until class, if you can resist.  Want a print copy? Print one off when we get to class and it's all yours.  Whatever works for you.

I'll be sending the questions along in a Google form as well for you to respond -- it'll let us look at the data afterward.

JOYCEAN 3X3.

Next.  We'll be trying to figure the one word Joyce believed captured Dublin at the time of his writing.  We'll try to uncover this using our literary 3x3s.

Bust out all of your Dubliners decks.  Give yourself plenty of space to work.  Lay them out.

Then start remixing.  Shuffling.  Trading.  See what sorts of stories reveal themselves to you.  Develop an original 3x3 and quickly note the story you see revealed.  You might sketchnote it.  You might audio record it.  At any rate . . . capture that story.

Then, find a partner.  Combine your decks.  Repeat the process.  Create a story together.  Capture that story.

You now have three stories that have revealed themselves to you and your partner (1 from each of you solo, 1 collaboration.)

Revisit your decks together.  Identify trends.  Consider Joyce's stories.  Your original stories. See if you can narrow your own decks down to one three-word-line to capture all of the stories.  Use the words from your decks to create that three-word line.

As a class, lay out those three-word lines together.

Identify the trends.  Distill.  Narrow.  Just like the NCAA tourney.

What's the one word?  Check it against the stories.  Does it work?

Capture all of this work.  Document.  Put it up on your blogs.


ASSESSMENTS.

Blog: 3+ Posts
Req'd Post: In How to Read Lit, Read both "Geography Matters" & "Season."  Then, using your ingenuity & creative spirits, create a 3 to 5 image photo essay (a sequence of images unified by intention) of where you live that you believe reflects the ideas present in Foster's work.  Explain your thinking.
Due.  Friday.  March 27.   Last Blog Post of Q3.

Complete.  Frankliners.
Due.  Today.  March 23.

Submit. Q3 Indie Book Project Self Assessments.  Get them in ASAP so I can assess your work from the beginning of the Quarter!

Complete.  Revisions.  Blog Posts.
Due ASAP.  Quarter closes April 3.

Design.  Q4 Indie Book Projects.
Due Thursday & Friday Before April Vacation.  April16 & 17.




Thursday, March 19, 2015

Humanities: Cultural Identity as Art

Today, we'll start with a Kahoot! to help us with Roots 10.  Remember Kahoot!?  Yup.

That'll be the quick jump start to the day and then we'll get into the culture wagon.

HMW express our cultural identities through art?

8BOX.

Finish the 8Box you started yesterday with the 8 components of culture (language, government, art, history, economics, daily activities, religion, social groups).  Sketchnote your identity into the respective boxes.  5 min. to finish off this pre-thinking DISCOVERY work.

STATIONS.  You have 4 stations today to flow through.  We will run four rotations HOWEVER you do not need to cycle to all 4.  You simply have to create 3 individual pieces of art.  They might all be poems.  They might all be sculptures.  Why 3?  Good question.  Why do you think I want you to create 3 rapid fire pieces of art?

Absolute Requirement:  Show your work.  Screenshots and photos of your process.  I'll be running a timer every five minutes.  At the bell, you must document your work.

Consider this EXPERIMENT phase.

THIS IS YOUR REQUIRED BLOG POST FOR THE WEEK.  Done all in class.  Today.

STATION 1.  MUSIC.

Using the digital tools available to you, aka GARAGE BAND create a piece of music to represent a component of your cultural identity.  Consider how you might express that through the title as well as the sound.  You may explore using a visualizer or laying it down as a soundtrack over other images.

STATION 2. 3D Art.

LEGO. K'nex. Jenga blocks.  Use the resources here at this table to create 3D art that reflects a component of your cultural identity.  Consider how color, shape, texture can all be used.

Some great LEGO art


Some great Jenga art here. 


STATION 3. 2D Art.

Use the materials available at this station to create 2D art.  Consider the medium you use to do your drawing as well as the surface.  You may also choose to create digital 2D art and you may use the iPad to create something on Paper.


STATION 4.  Poetry.  Blackout Style.

You'll be using excerpts from Of Mice & Men to create blackout poetry.  Need some examples?  Check out the master of the form, Austin Kleon here.



Finally.  With 10 minutes to go in class, you will document your four pieces of art.  Use the tools available to take not just captures of your art, but see if you can create interest with what you make.

I'll be creating alongside you today, so you'll have my examples to work from.

ASSESSMENT.

BLOG. 3+ Posts.
Req'd Post.  SHOW YOUR WORK. PRODUCTION phase. Cultural identity.  Post images of your four art pieces as well as documentation of your creative process.
Due. Friday Mar 20.

REVISE.  Theme Song Essays.
Must also submit a revision submission form so we know what you've changed.

Due. Friday Mar 20.  (We will take them any time before end of the quarter; if you get them in you will have time to revise AGAIN.)

COMPLETE.  Romeo & Juliet PROJECTs.
Well past teacher pace.
Due ASAP.




Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Brit Lit CPI: No Red Ink and Storytelling

Today you'll be in Ms. Boisselle's capable hands.

You'll start with using NoRedInk.com  There you will find a new pre-quiz.  Take it.

You will also find three new assignments.  If you score less than a 90% on the pre-quiz?  Complete them.

After this, you will be sketchnoting and/or infographic creating.   Your topic?  According to the sources provided,  and others you might look up on your own, what are the vital components of effective storytelling?  

Here's one such source.

Here's the link to the others.  There are many and I don't recommend going through them in order. 

Your sketchnote and/or infographic should include at least three components and no more than six.   The intention there is to really focus on what is key -- rather than every piece of advice out there.

If you want to create an infographic, I recommend using http://piktochart.com/ to do your work.

This is due today in class.

When you complete it, you have the rest of the class to finish your Portland Tale which is due on Thursday.

HOMEWORK.

BLOG.
Req'd Post. 5 Card Flickr.  Go Here.  Use this website and the 5 Card Flickr process to create a 5 Card Flickr about a story from your life that relates one of these emotions: joy, fear, anger, sadness

COMPOSE. Portland Tale.
Due. Thursday, Mar 12.


AP Lit: Eveline & Boarding House Literary 3x3s and Modest Proposal Workshop

Hey folks,

I'm presenting at SXSWEDU right now -- almost spot on accurate as I'll have just finished my presentation when you come to class.

Here's what you'll be doing with Ms. Boisselle.

Start with Literary 3x3s.  Use cards from the cabinet and create your decks for both Eveline and The Boarding House.

Line up a set of seven desks. Each of you gets a desk.

Start with "Eveline."  Lay out your 3x3 on your desk.


Circulate and read one another's 3x3s and use post-its to notice trends and outliers you are seeing across the 3x3s.  Use another table or desk to collect those post-its.

Then affinity map those post-it notes by arranging, organizing and displaying them in a way that reveal the patterns, structures, ideas happening in Joyce's text.

After you make one arrangement and discuss it, do a second arrangement in half as much time.

Repeat the process with "The Boarding House," but using only half as much time as you did before -- ratchet up the intensity and see what that may help you see.

Store your literary 3x3s with your other decks.

Then, Ms. Boisselle will run a writing workshop over your modest proposals.  Follow her lead.

HOMEWORK.

BLOG. 3+ Posts
Req'd Post. Read How to Read Lit like a Prof: . . . Or the Bible
Show how Foster's thinking applies to any two of the works you've read this year prior to Joyce; use whatever medium you prefer for this work.  Why two?  After reading Foster's chapter, you'll see that one connection has been made and we know that patterns emerge once we have three.

COMPOSE. Modest Proposal.
1st Submission.  Due Thursday, 3.12

READ & LITERARY 3x3.  Joyce's "Araby" and "Clay."
Due. Thursday, 3.12


Sunday, March 8, 2015

AP Lit 4G: On Demanding & Scoring

Monday in AP Lit, you will be completing an on-demand on an excerpt from "Belinda" and then scoring yourselves using the anchor packet available.  Prove the accuracy of your score by pointing to the anchor samples.  Use any materials in the room available to you to document this thinking.

The prompt materials are all available from the sub.


HOMEWORK.

BLOG.  3+ Posts.
Req'd Post.  TBA (Likely connecting with a student in another state -- more coming early this week.  Do not stress about this.)

DESIGN.  Modest Proposal.
1st Submission.  Due Friday.  Mar 13.

Pop Culture: Cognitive Surplus & Social Media

Start your Monday right with this.



Then look at some others

http://www.lolcats.com/

http://icanhas.cheezburger.com/lolcats

Careful, now.  Don't get sucked into the lure of the LOLcats for too long.

Because what you need to watch now is Clay Shirky discussing his big idea:  cognitive surplus.  And to demonstrate your understanding of his thinking, you need to answer the questions at the TED Ed.

GO HERE.   Complete Watch, Think and Dig Deeper.  Ignore "And Finally. .. ."  because we are not exploring Fahrenheit 451.  






HOMEWORK.

BLOG.  3+ Posts.
Req'd Post: You have the opportunity to use the cognitive surplus of the world to make a lasting change.  What do you do?  What problem might you solve?  What happiness might you bring?  What else might you do with it?  Play a tremendous game of what if and see what your imagination brings you.

Also, create a LOLcat to illustrate that big idea of yours.
Due. Friday.  March 13.

DESIGN.  Comedy Culture product.
Answer one or more of the following questions through your product.

How does society affect comedy?
How does comedy affect society?
How do you affect comedy?
How does comedy affect you?

Due.  Thursday.  March 19.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Pop Culture: SNL & Comedy Culture

Saturday Night Live has had a tremendous impact on comedy culture over the past 40 years.  More importantly, however, has been the impact on pop culture in general.

Today you will be rotating through a variety of experiences to develop an understanding of just how much influence Saturday Night Live has on our sources of entertainment today, as well as the world around us.

Station One.  SNL Over the Decades.  Trends & Takeaways.
Watch the clips in the Padlet below.  Then, on the next Padlet below, post some of the trends and observations you can make about these clips as a collection.  Think of the Padlet as covered in sticky notes.  Move things around.  Write in fragments and ideas.  And you might also use images instead of words to represent your thinking.






Station 2.  SNL Sketchnoting & Mapping.  You'll sit down with me and we'll try and create something of a web between the comedy and entertainment you enjoy and SNL.  It will be a little bit of a test of my skills and hopefully a fun conversation as well.  Plus, I can spare you a lecture.  

Station 3.  SNL & Its Impact Beyond SNL.  You have a graphic organizer and some research to complete here.

Station 4.  What Makes You Laugh on SNL?  Go the SNL website and go digging.  Look for topics, performers of interest to you.  

Share at least one sketch/video that you find funny/hilarious/mindblowing on the Padlet below.





We'll then talk about our Comedy Culture project, the due dates, and what it could possibly look like based what you've just encountered.

HOMEWORK.
Blog: 3+ Posts.
Req'd Blog Post:  Do a more thorough exploration of Saturday Night Live using the resources available to you: NBC.com and Yahoo.com both have solid collections.  If you have Hulu Plus or access to it?  You have all 40 years and nearly every sketch from those years.

1.  Pick a sketch you believe fully represents a successful example of the comedy theory we've been exploring and explain how so.  You may choose the benign violation theory as well.

2. Pick a sketch you believe completely fails the comedy theory and explain how so.

Due. Fri. Mar 6.

Humanities: Theme Song Essay Rubric