We're getting right into our film trailer design challenge and the ideas are coming fast and furiously . . .
Friday and Monday, empathy interview we conducted empathy interviews for our users: other English classes & Digital Media
From there we jumped into our production teams (Groups of 1, 2, 3 or 4 -- 4?! I know, right?) and unpacked our empathy interviews AND started in on experimenting.
The trailers are due for screening the Thursday and Friday immediately following the Thanksgiving break.
Here's the blog post due THIS WEEK.
Film Trailer Production Post.
What is the working title of the film you are producing the trailer for?
What is the name of your production company (the name of your group or your solo effort)?
What is the WHOLE story of your film? Not just the trailer but the whole story of the film.
Post a storyboard of your trailer AND/OR a rough rapid fire prototype of your trailer.
The ideas I'm hearing sound great. REMEMBER the EMPATHY! As you are working up your ideas, are you keeping your audience in mind? Film studios and producers are constantly working to find a balance between artistic visions and audience tastes. They want to make money and they want to create new ideas. That's a challenge. Here's an interview with Sheri Candler, a marketing strategist who makes her living dealing with that balance.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Friday, November 18, 2016
AP Lit: Poetry & Empathy & Problem Solving
Gonna keep this one short and to the point because it really outlines the work you need to do between now and next class and then over the Turkey Day break.
I added a reading/analysis piece that I did not mention during class.
We're diving into our first collaborative design challenge:
HOW MIGHT WE USE POETRY to SOLVE a PROBLEM at MT BLUE CAMPUS?
How might we use poetry to solve a problem at Mt. Blue Campus?
We've got to use our observations of the climate and culture at Mt. Blue to help us in this work, but more importantly we need to get to understand the users of our potential solutions and see what problems they are perceiving.
ASSIGNMENT 1. Empathy Interviews. (Empathy PhasestInterview at least 3 Mt. Blue Campus students and/or staff.
Record/note answers to these five questions.
1. What day to day problems do you encounter?
2. How might these problems relate to a bigger problem you are seeing?
3. How do you deal with the problems you encounter?
4. How do others contribute to solving those problems?
5. How do the problems you encounter affect the atmosphere of the school?
DUE. Monday, November 21.
ASSIGNMENT 2. Sonnet Collection. Investigate a number sonnets from the collection at Poets.org.
Curate a collection of least three sonnets, spread out across at least three different generations/schools/eras/, that share a common thread. It may be subject matter. It may be rhetorical. It may be the placement or meaning of the volta. It may be any sort of common thread.
Document your process of identifying and then forming this collection. You may do so through an audio or video recording, written piece, sketchnote, any method you like, so long as you
a) document your process of curating your collection
b) explain your intentions for including each piece.
ASSIGNMENT 3. Synthesis Essay #2: Sketchnote & Introduction/Thesis Statement.
Just as last quarter, you are writing a multi-draft essay that discusses an observation, argument, or understanding you have developed from our class readings as well as any other literature, film, music, art, culture, and/or life experience to inform your argument.
For Monday, November 28, the Monday AFTER Turkey Day, complete a sketchnote that captures your intentions for your synthesis essay. Think of a this as a visual map or outline of your essay.
THEN, compose a working draft of your introduction and thesis statement and be prepared to workshop these in class.
HOW MIGHT WE USE POETRY to SOLVE a PROBLEM at MT BLUE CAMPUS?
How might we use poetry to solve a problem at Mt. Blue Campus?
We've got to use our observations of the climate and culture at Mt. Blue to help us in this work, but more importantly we need to get to understand the users of our potential solutions and see what problems they are perceiving.
ASSIGNMENT 1. Empathy Interviews. (Empathy PhasestInterview at least 3 Mt. Blue Campus students and/or staff.
Record/note answers to these five questions.
1. What day to day problems do you encounter?
2. How might these problems relate to a bigger problem you are seeing?
3. How do you deal with the problems you encounter?
4. How do others contribute to solving those problems?
5. How do the problems you encounter affect the atmosphere of the school?
DUE. Monday, November 21.
ASSIGNMENT 2. Sonnet Collection. Investigate a number sonnets from the collection at Poets.org.
Curate a collection of least three sonnets, spread out across at least three different generations/schools/eras/, that share a common thread. It may be subject matter. It may be rhetorical. It may be the placement or meaning of the volta. It may be any sort of common thread.
Document your process of identifying and then forming this collection. You may do so through an audio or video recording, written piece, sketchnote, any method you like, so long as you
a) document your process of curating your collection
b) explain your intentions for including each piece.
ASSIGNMENT 3. Synthesis Essay #2: Sketchnote & Introduction/Thesis Statement.
Just as last quarter, you are writing a multi-draft essay that discusses an observation, argument, or understanding you have developed from our class readings as well as any other literature, film, music, art, culture, and/or life experience to inform your argument.
For Monday, November 28, the Monday AFTER Turkey Day, complete a sketchnote that captures your intentions for your synthesis essay. Think of a this as a visual map or outline of your essay.
THEN, compose a working draft of your introduction and thesis statement and be prepared to workshop these in class.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
AP Lit: Sonnets & Sonnets & Sonnets . . .
Today we rocked some more Literary 3x3s, we learned about Jacques and Miles' literary design solutions, and we briefly wrangled with Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 "Shall I Compare Thee?"
We also learned about Miles' Death of a Salesman mirror, his prototype solution to help Willy Loman deal with reality.
And we learned about Jacques' The Stranger glasses to help Meursault adjust his vision to a less objectivist point of view.
Finally we tackled Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, "Shall I Compare Thee" and it turns out the answer is no, no you shall not.
We talked briefly about sonnet forms, something into which we will dive MUCH further next class.
SONNET Readings to Complete for Thursday:
Shakespeare's Sonnet 25
John Milton’s “When I Consider How my Light Is Spent”
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee”
Thomas Wyatt’s “Whoso List to Hunt, I Know Where Is an Hind”
Wilfred Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth”
Claude McKay’s “America,”
Molly Peacock’s “Altruism”
Choose two of the above to annotate & sketchnote.
Choose one of the above to create a Literary 3x3. (It may be one of the two you annotated and sketchnoted)
Put pictures of your sketchnotes & annotations in your AP Lit IN Folder.
BLOG Posts for This Week.
ANALYTICAL POST. Identify a thread streaking through two or more of the sonnets we read this week. Discuss the idea you've uncovered and how the sonnet form, with its structures, shape and design, helps the poets deliver this intentional meaning. In other words, why did the poets choose the sonnet to express these ideas?
CREATIVE POST. Two Images. One Question. Select one of the sonnets from this week. Create a three-slide presentation that consists of two images and a single question. The three slides should work together to capture the essence of the sonnet, the images functioning as metaphors/analogies for the ideas in the sonnet and the question being a core question the poet raises with the piece. Write or record an explanation of your your choices.
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| We ran our first Literary 3x3 battle as well, seeing how quickly we could create Dalloway from our decks, while stealing from others' decks as well. Grand fun. |
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| The Hours in 3x3 |
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| Calling Quietly Out/Watching Behind Windows/Cornered By Wanting |
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| Three Women Intertwined/Wrapped Within Strife/[?] Blooms Up -- The Hours |
We also learned about Miles' Death of a Salesman mirror, his prototype solution to help Willy Loman deal with reality.
And we learned about Jacques' The Stranger glasses to help Meursault adjust his vision to a less objectivist point of view.
Finally we tackled Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, "Shall I Compare Thee" and it turns out the answer is no, no you shall not.
We talked briefly about sonnet forms, something into which we will dive MUCH further next class.
SONNET Readings to Complete for Thursday:
Shakespeare's Sonnet 25
John Milton’s “When I Consider How my Light Is Spent”
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee”
Thomas Wyatt’s “Whoso List to Hunt, I Know Where Is an Hind”
Wilfred Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth”
Claude McKay’s “America,”
Molly Peacock’s “Altruism”
Choose two of the above to annotate & sketchnote.
Choose one of the above to create a Literary 3x3. (It may be one of the two you annotated and sketchnoted)
Put pictures of your sketchnotes & annotations in your AP Lit IN Folder.
BLOG Posts for This Week.
ANALYTICAL POST. Identify a thread streaking through two or more of the sonnets we read this week. Discuss the idea you've uncovered and how the sonnet form, with its structures, shape and design, helps the poets deliver this intentional meaning. In other words, why did the poets choose the sonnet to express these ideas?
CREATIVE POST. Two Images. One Question. Select one of the sonnets from this week. Create a three-slide presentation that consists of two images and a single question. The three slides should work together to capture the essence of the sonnet, the images functioning as metaphors/analogies for the ideas in the sonnet and the question being a core question the poet raises with the piece. Write or record an explanation of your your choices.
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Pop Culture: 10 Minutes to Film Festival & Making Movie Magic Happen Storyboards
10 MINUTES TO FILM FESTIVAL.
1. On the scrap paper you are given, you have 1 minute to make a list of things you enjoy.
2. Then you have 1 minute to make a list of causes you care about (i.e. animal shelters, cancer research, volunteer firefighting, etc.)
3. Take 1 minute to make connections between the items in your list of things you enjoy and the list of causes you care about.
4. You then have 7 minutes to choose three films you would show in a film festival based on a theme of your choice based on your two lists above.
What's a film festival? Take a look at any of these these examples:
http://www.sundance.org/pdf/film-guide/SFF14-FilmGuide.pdf
http://fantasticfest.com/
http://www.miff.org/
http://allsportslafilmfest.com/
http://www.festival-cannes.com/en.html
MAKING MOVIE MAGIC HAPPEN.
After recreating that scene to develop a sense of how it all “works” in a finished product, use your skills to tell the following story. Create a storyboard through still photography and turn it into a slideshow to place in your Pop Culture IN folders and share on your blogs.
Choose and recreate the camera angles to the best of your abilities from the following sources:
Great tool because it shows you examples from actual films
Several great examples of storyboarding at work
OUT OF CLASS WORK.
BLOG Post 1: Top 100 Film Scene Recreation.
Post your scene recreation on your blog.
Compose a written, audio or video explanation of your scene recreation in which you discuss:
* The original scene and why you chose it
* Challenges you encountered and how you overcame them and/or how you failed to overcome them
* What you learned about the challenges of filmmaking through this creative exercise
BLOG Post 2: Making Movie Magic Happen.
Post the storyboard/film on your blog.
Compose a written, audio or video explanation of your storyboard in which you discuss:
*Your intentions behind each shot in your storyboard -- even if they are are not as successful as you would have liked them to be
* Challenges you encountered and how you overcame them and/or how you failed to overcome them
* What you learned about the challenges of filmmaking through this creative exercise
AP Lit: Poetry Workshop w Meg Willing & Lit 3x3 & More
POETRY WORKSHOP.
Today we had a tremendous poetry workshop with poet/editor/designer Meg Willing, who also happens to be an alumna of THE Mt. Blue High School.
She showed us how to look at a poem through three lenses: poet, editor, and book designer. She used Marie Howe's "The Gate" as the centerpiece of this work.
We read the poem a number of times, she guided us through the poem through those lenses, and then we did some close readings.
This was followed by an exploration of rapid fire book designs for "The Gate." This was lot like our 8 Box experience -- this time we had nine boxes & three minutes, followed by three minutes to expand three ideas on index cards.
We ended with just a short amount of time to play with cutup poetry -- an idea to which we will most definitely be returning in the near future *cough* next week I think *cough*
LITERARY 3X3
Coming up on Thursday . . . Literary 3x3s done right. We got away from these during Q1 and no longer. They are powerful ways to move our thinking around and tackle analysis and we need to be doing them regularly and with great intent. So . . .
Bring Literary 3x3s for The Hours, Mrs Dalloway, and Shakespeare's "Fear No More."
Here are the parameters for Literary 3x3s
Today we had a tremendous poetry workshop with poet/editor/designer Meg Willing, who also happens to be an alumna of THE Mt. Blue High School.
She showed us how to look at a poem through three lenses: poet, editor, and book designer. She used Marie Howe's "The Gate" as the centerpiece of this work.
We read the poem a number of times, she guided us through the poem through those lenses, and then we did some close readings.
This was followed by an exploration of rapid fire book designs for "The Gate." This was lot like our 8 Box experience -- this time we had nine boxes & three minutes, followed by three minutes to expand three ideas on index cards.
We ended with just a short amount of time to play with cutup poetry -- an idea to which we will most definitely be returning in the near future *cough* next week I think *cough*
LITERARY 3X3
Coming up on Thursday . . . Literary 3x3s done right. We got away from these during Q1 and no longer. They are powerful ways to move our thinking around and tackle analysis and we need to be doing them regularly and with great intent. So . . .
Bring Literary 3x3s for The Hours, Mrs Dalloway, and Shakespeare's "Fear No More."
Here are the parameters for Literary 3x3s
- Criteria for an effective L3x3
- Three, Three-Word “Sentences”: loose grammar
- Powerful, Meaningful Diction: consider connotation vs denotation
- Every Word Counts: avoid prepositions and articles
- Upon forming the deck, lay out the L3x3s and then number the cards in a backside corner 1-9, so as to create an answer key. Put your initials in the lower right corner of the numbered side of the deck. On the word side of the cards, put the name of the text or abbreviation in lower left hand corner, creator in the lower right. This way you can mix up the decks and always get back to your starting position.
On Thursday, we have a short class, so we will be working with these Literary 3x3s and sharing projects.
Here's the blogging and reading for this week.
SHOW YOUR THINKING.
READ. How to Read Lit. "If It's Square, It's Sonnet"
BLOG POST. Written Analysis. Select a power quote (a key moment in Foster's chapter) that you believe captures the essence of the chapter. Defend your choice.
Due. Friday 11.11.16
BLOG POST. Reflection on Dallowinian Party. What did you take from it? What would you do the same? What might you do differently?
Due. Friday 11.11.16
READ. The Sonnets & Poetry Foundation Background on Sonnets -- Read all of the Highlighted Sonnets.
Read these in the service of your analytical blog post this week so you have some context for sonnets. Be familiar with all of them for Tuesday, 11.15.16 for our work that day.
- Sonnet XVIII: Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day? by William Shakespeare : The Poetry Foundation
- Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? by William Shakespeare : The Poetry Foundation
- Sonnet XXV: Let those who are in Favour with their Stars by William Shakespeare : The Poetry Foundation
- Sonnet : Glossary Term : Learning Lab : The Poetry Foundation
Read these in the service of your analytical blog post this week so you have some context for sonnets. Be familiar with all of them for Tuesday, 11.15.16 for our work that day.
Choose one to annotate and Literary 3x3 for next Tuesday. 11.15.16
Eng 9 4B Imagery
First we are going to get into groups of two (or groups of 3) and sit across from each other so you cannot see each other's screens. Pick one of the photos in the albumin the link below and spend 3 minutes describing it in a google doc.
Now I want you guys to play with thinglink, you can log in with your school email and say that you are a student. Upload a photo or use one of the ones they give you and do a few things:
1. Write a text tag
2. Add a link in a tag.
3. Put a photo into a tag.
4. See what else you can do.
When you finish yours share it with somebody else in the room (you do not have to share it virtually, just bring your laptop to them). Here is an example of what I made of my cat:
1. Write a text tag
2. Add a link in a tag.
3. Put a photo into a tag.
4. See what else you can do.
When you finish yours share it with somebody else in the room (you do not have to share it virtually, just bring your laptop to them). Here is an example of what I made of my cat:
Imagery means to use figurative language to represent objects, actions, and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses. This website can give you more information on imagery, and every other literary device you could ever need.
This is a bad example of imagery: We went fishing and we caught two bass and took care of them. We came back to swim and the lake looked the same as it always does.
And this is an excerpt from an essay by E.B. White called, Once More to the Lake. When you listen to this write down different things that he says on the senses graphic organizer that correlate to each sense.
"We caught two bass, hauling them in briskly as though they were mackerel, pulling them over the side of the boat in a businesslike manner without any landing net, and stunning them with a blow on the back of the head. When we got back for a swim before lunch, the lake was exactly where we had left it, the same number of inches from the dock, and there was only the merest suggestion of a breeze.... In the shallows, the dark, water-soaked sticks and twigs, smooth and old, were undulating in clusters on the bottom against the clean ribbed sand, and the track of the mussel was plain. A school of minnows swam by, each minnow with its small, individual shadow, doubling the attendance, so clear and sharp in the sunlight."
Here is also an audio version of the essay, this passage happens from 5:51 to 6:50 in this video.
This is a bad example of imagery: We went fishing and we caught two bass and took care of them. We came back to swim and the lake looked the same as it always does.
And this is an excerpt from an essay by E.B. White called, Once More to the Lake. When you listen to this write down different things that he says on the senses graphic organizer that correlate to each sense.
"We caught two bass, hauling them in briskly as though they were mackerel, pulling them over the side of the boat in a businesslike manner without any landing net, and stunning them with a blow on the back of the head. When we got back for a swim before lunch, the lake was exactly where we had left it, the same number of inches from the dock, and there was only the merest suggestion of a breeze.... In the shallows, the dark, water-soaked sticks and twigs, smooth and old, were undulating in clusters on the bottom against the clean ribbed sand, and the track of the mussel was plain. A school of minnows swam by, each minnow with its small, individual shadow, doubling the attendance, so clear and sharp in the sunlight."
Here is also an audio version of the essay, this passage happens from 5:51 to 6:50 in this video.
Now that you have heard a good example and a bad example of imagery take this and we will be doing the IMAGERY CHALLENGE! What you need to do is use really specific imagery and details to make your description of the picture you chose at the beginning of the class period really good; spend a solid 5 minutes on this at least. Once you finish you need to show your description to your partner and they will try to guess which picture you chose. If your partner doesn't guess correctly you need to improve the imagery in your description until they guess correctly.
Now that you have had practice using imagery which of your pieces of writing can you improve? How can you make sure that you include these skills when you write in the future?
Monday, November 7, 2016
Pop Culture: Movie Mash Ups & Movie Magic
Last week . . . and then again today with the other crew . . . we Movie Mashed Up to start the day
1. Take an index card. Number 1 - 6 down the left edge. Number 1 - 6 down the right edge.
2. Write down 12 movies you have seen. Collaborate with people at your table if you are having trouble coming up with twelve.
3. Look to the projector wall. I'll be using an online dice roller to help determine the mash up pairs. The first roll is the title on the left edge, the second roll the title on the right edge, and those two must be mashed up to create a new film. I'll roll for three pairs.
4. Use the rest of the space on the index card to doodle, sketchnote and work out the mash up title and a two sentence plot line for that mashed up film.
5. Check your email for a link to the form to submit your mash up title and plot, as well as the two film titles that inspired it.
After the mash ups, you had time to work on your AFI Top 100 scene recreations. Some folks used this time to turn in last minute/late/thank you for being so kind Mr. Ryder as to let us turn in work after the end of the quarter deadline was upon us work.
Next class you will be filming/storyboarding a scene based on a shot sequence provided to you.
This week. Two blog posts.
OUT OF CLASS WORK.
BLOG Post 1: Top 100 Film Scene Recreation.
Post your scene recreation on your blog.
Compose a written, audio or video explanation of your scene recreation in which you discuss:
* The original scene and why you chose it
* Challenges you encountered and how you overcame them and/or how you failed to overcome them
* What you learned about the challenges of filmmaking through this creative exercise
BLOG Post 2: Making Movie Magic Happen.
Post the storyboard/film on your blog.
Compose a written, audio or video explanation of your storyboard in which you discuss:
*Your intentions behind each shot in your storyboard -- even if they are are not as successful as you would have liked them to be
* Challenges you encountered and how you overcame them and/or how you failed to overcome them
* What you learned about the challenges of filmmaking through this creative exercise
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