Humanities 2BG: Taking a Breath.

Today we took a moment to pause and revisit some of the ideas we've explored thus far in Humanities.  It's good to do this now and again, especially when it's unbearably hot in the room.  Cooler days will pave the way for new ideas.

Personal Flags.

We started by examining our personal flags and sharing the intentional symbolism behind several of them.  There was also some time provided to dig out design kits and revise/complete flags.

(As I write this, I'm very aware of this royal "we" I'm using when I write these blog posts from time to time.  It wasn't Mr. Brackett and me.  It was you folks.)

Guidelines & Expectations.

Afterwards, we discussed the Guidelines & Expectations in more detail with time for questions and clarifications.

Tomorrow, we will have our first day with laptops.

Out of Class Work.

Complete.

Guidelines & Expectations Information Sheet.

Due ASAP.

Design Kits.

If Possible, ASAP.

AP Lit: Less/More, Book Projects and Feedback

Less/More Hashtag Activity.

Today we'll start with this video from Amy Burvall.

As you watch, jot down the less/mores that speak to you.  Then create your own.

We're doing this activity to build a sense of community in the room and also to interact with the thoughts of the underclassmen classes participating in a more involved version of this activity.  

Then we'll take a few minutes to create our own and tweet/Instagram/Periscope them out.

Guidelines & Expectations.

Finally, the big activity of the day will be exploring Guidelines & Expectations. 

Here's a video of the Guidelines  & Expectations as well.  It's a bit hard to see but . . . it's there.

Summer Book Project.

We'll share our book projects and provide feedback to one another through post-it notes.  This will in turn lead to mapping our feedback based on most effective to least effective.  We will be working on increasing the effectiveness of our feedback.  

The feedback from both classes; less effective feedback on the left, more effective on the right; notice that both classes have very similar distribution.  Goal for next round of feedback?
Flip that distribution.

Out of Class Work.

Read & Annotate.  How to Read Lit Like a Professor "Introduction"

Due 9.10.15 

Start looking for Quarter 1 Indie Book Project title.

Project Due.  1st Class of 2nd Quarter. 

Humanities 2BG: Less & More, Guidelines & Expectations

Collect.

We want to make sure we get your flags today.  And we also want to make sure folks have their design kits all bagged up and ready to roll.

Less/More Hashtag Activity.

Today we'll start with this video from Amy Burvall.

As you watch, you'll jot down the less/mores that speak to you.  After a think-pair-share, you and a partner will put a couple on Post-Its and we'll see which connected most.

We're doing this activity so I can get a sense of your abilities to watch a video for information, think about it, discuss it, and create something new from it.  

Then we'll take a few minutes to create our own and tweet/Instagram/Periscope them out.

Thirty Circles.

We are participating in a bit of an experiment with other students and thinkers in western Maine.  It's the thirty circles doodle experiment.  You'll have three minutes to fill all of the circles.

We're doing this activity so I can see how well you process visually.  We are going to be using sketching and doodling all year to help us understand complex ideas and develop rad skills.

Guidelines & Expectations.

Finally, the big activity of the day will be exploring Guidelines & Expectations.  We'll be using a notice/wish/wonder tool to help us better understand the handout you'll receive in class.

Here's a video of the Guidelines  & Expectations as well.  It's a bit hard to see but . . . it's there.

We're doing this to better understand what you will be doing in class this year and also for me to start assessing your reading and thinking skills.

Out of Class Work.

Please get the information sheet from the guidelines and expectations completed this week.

Due Friday 9.11.15

Complete your personal flag if you have not yet.

Due Friday 9.11.15 

Eng 9: Less/More, Thirty Circle & Guidelines & Expectations

Less/More Hashtag Activity.

Today we'll start with this video from Amy Burvall.

As you watch, you'll jot down the less/mores that speak to you.  After a think-pair-share, you and a partner will put a couple on Post-Its and we'll see which connected most.

We're doing this activity so I can get a sense of your abilities to watch a video for information, think about it, discuss it, and create something new from it.  

Then we'll take a few minutes to create our own and tweet/Instagram/Periscope them out.

Thirty Circles.

We are participating in a bit of an experiment with other students and thinkers in western Maine.  It's the thirty circles doodle experiment.  You'll have three minutes to fill all of the circles.

We're doing this activity so I can see how well you process visually.  We are going to be using sketching and doodling all year to help us understand complex ideas and develop rad skills.

Guidelines & Expectations.

Finally, the big activity of the day will be exploring Guidelines & Expectations.  We'll be using a notice/wish/wonder tool to help us better understand the handout you'll receive in class.

Here's a video of the Guidelines  & Expectations as well.  It's a bit hard to see but . . . it's there.

We're doing this to better understand what you will be doing in class this year and also for me to start assessing your reading and thinking skills.

All Classes: Guidelines & Expectations 2015

If  you prefer a video you have to squint to watch . . .

Everyone will also receive a hard copy and will be emailed a digital copy once laptops roll out.

Humanities 2BG: Shelves of Inspiration and Artifacts

In today's class, we opened with a quick review of names and attendance.  (I think Mr. Brackett and I performed admirably, if I do say so myself.)

The focus of our day was a discovery of the inspiration shelf in the back of the room.  Mr. Brackett and I have populated the shelf with items that inspire us as thinkers, creators, makers, teachers, people, problem solvers.  Each item is there for a reason.

We distributed a graphic organizer (Notice/Wish/Wonder) to help you explore and uncover the meaning behind those objects.

After being given time to complete the organizers, Mr. Brackett explained the cuneiform artifact and I explained both the Superman lunchbox and the Stanford d.School bookmark.

We ended with some quick takeaways on the day, etched on sticky notes and plopped in the front of the room.

Pop Culture 3B: HMW LEGO Pop Culture?

We opened our first day of class with a request for design kits.

And then we wasted no time answering the question: How Might We LEGO Pop Culture?

We took about half an hour to explore possibilities of both literal and representational ways of showing our current understanding of pop culture, even before a single lesson occurs.  

It was a fantastic display of creativity, observation, commentary and critical thinking.

And some video with commentary and explanation.

We ended the day with a debrief on the nature of pop culture -- the importance of the now -- and how pop culture is forever evolving and changing, building upon the past by recollecting it and growing into the future .  We did this by way of Charles Dickens and Victor Hugo, the Gutenberg press and MTV's The Real World and a handful of other examples.

Big thanks to Mr. Tierney for the LEGO inspiration.