Blog Archives

Monday, February 1st

1/31/2016

ABSENT LAST FRIDAY?!

Please see Friday's DP and make-up everything listed under 6th period! (Student work is displayed in the hallway to the right of Dan Thurber's classroom door. Add yours to the mix.)

Be sure to email me your artist statement and any other electronic work related to your STS mini-project

Starter #9
1. Read "Ink on Paper"
2. How do you typically take notes? Why do you prefer this method?
3. Does this article change the way you think about taking notes in any way?
4. Why annotate? Why not (if you don’t)?

Class Biz
Review Senior Project Deadlines and Expectations
This week's schedule and benchmarks

Agenda
1. Exemplar Critique Protocol
*Open the above link, follow the instructions. Choose ONE of the student examples based on the discipline of your own research question. (If your question is more humanities-based, choose Molly's. If it is more sciency, choose Tony's)

Student Example Option #1: Molly B., Educational Philosophy, Education and Standardized Testing
Student Example Option #2: Tony W., Neuroscience and Music Theory, Music and the Brain

2. Deep Reading Lesson/Assignment Overview_
1. Pair/share: What does it mean to deeply read something? What does this process look like?
2. Individually, read the "Deep Reading" assignment handout
3. Ask Ashley/Lori questions you have about it
4. A note on Matt’s feedback: Students hate this at first (and in the middle), but it’s been one of the most influential pieces in shaping their arguments, questions, and conclusions!
5. Need more examples for how to deep read? Watch Matt Hughes' screencast, "Deeply reading an academic text" embedded on the Senior Project page on my DP.

3. Database Access Video

Go to the Senior Project page on my DP
Scroll down to the first youtube videos embedded on this page, entitled "Remote Access to Library Catalog)
Watch it
(THIS IS WHY YOU NEEDED YOUR LIBRARY CARD BY TODAY!)

4. WORK TIME: Find Sources!

Aim for 3 articles from academic journals (EBSCO host) that relate to your research question.
Begin reading! Get as deep into the readings as you can today.

Friday, January 29th

1/28/2016

5th period: Guest Speaker from Dharma Center

6th period
Mini-Project Due

Mount and hang mini-projects and artist statements on hallway wall

Gallery Walk

Take 10 minutes, and stroll around the room. Make note of projects you saw that you think were particularly successful/thought provoking
Starter #8! Respond to one of the projects. What does it make you think? Feel? What strikes you about it?

Take this Independent Work Survey
During the course of your Senior Thesis and project, you will have more independent work time than you have yet experienced, both in class and in your time outside of the classroom. With this great freedom comes correspondingly higher responsibility, and a higher potential for failure if you can’t regulate your own work habits. We’ve developed this survey to help you reflect on your work habits, and identify areas where you’re going to need to focus in order to be successful in this endeavor.

Survey Review

Review survey results
With a partner
1. Share your biggest difficulty, and develop a potential strategy to overcome it
2. Share your biggest strength, and why you think this is a strength

Go over Senior Project Deadlines and Expectations

Thursday, 1/28

1/28/2016

Starter #7-- Tomorrow we have a guest speaker from the Dharma center coming to talk about meditation as a Buddhist practice. To that end, answer these questions:

What experience (if any) do you have with meditation?
Why would one meditate? What benefits do you think they are seeking?
What is the relationship between meditation and solitude?

Agenda
1. If you didn't yesterday get critique on your STS project
2. Write your artist statement (See this document for guidelines: STS creative project)
3. Refine your project
4. Begin SP research!!

Tomorrow your STS project is due @ the beginning of class!

Wednesday, January 27th

1/27/2016

Starter
Read over the guidelines for SPAM #1 (see Senior Project page for the handout)
Compose an email to your SPA to set up SPAM #1 (CC me on the email!)

Meeting must happen by February 8th. I'd recommend scheduling it for sometime later next week.

Have a friend proofread it
Send it
Once done, work on your STS mini-project draft

HOMEWORK

Get a Durango Public Library card before February 1. Bring it to class!
Solitude Mini-Project Due at the start of class on Friday.

Agenda
5th period:
2. Work on STS creative project (be ready at the beginning of 6th period for peer critique)

6th period: Peer Critique + Refinement
(Tomorrow you'll need to write your artist statement in class. Final product and artist statement are due B.O.C On Friday)

CRITIQUE GUIDELINES
1. Trade projects (ideally in groups of 3)
2. Explain your project to the critiquers
3. Talk about:

What is the main idea/message the artist seems to be trying to express in the piece?
How does it connect to class concepts/texts?
What's the best thing about this project?
What feedback does your group have for refinement? (How could it be more beautiful? How could it better represent the idea(s) you're trying to express? Does it need to be tied more clearly to one of the texts we read?)

Tuesday, January 26th

1/26/2016

Starter #6
What is your idea for your STS creative project and how will it meet the rubric's expectations? Remember, you have to PRODUCE something

Class Biz
How many people can walk with their smartphones? 2 min. youtube video
Senior Project Page-- for all resources re: Senior Project

Agenda
Critique STS creative project ideas

In groups of 3-4, share your project idea
Discuss what you like about the idea
Discuss ideas for refinement/suggestions to make the project even better (or fit the rubric expectations if the current idea doesn't seem to)

Project work time

Finish Senior Project Conferences

Friday, January 22nd

1/22/2016

ASHLEY'S SENIOR PROJECT NOTES FROM THIS WEEK's CONFERENCES

Starter (NO NUMBER)

Read over the list of seminar questions I provided you and circle ones that stand out to you that you want to ask.
Organize the classroom into seminar shape

Agenda
1. Seminar
2. Brainstorm ideas for final STS creative project and figure out if you need to get any materials for your project over the weekend....
3. While all y'all brainstorm and plan, I'll conference with remaining students on Senior Project.

Thursday, 1/22

1/21/2016

Starter #5: LAST journal on No Tech Challenge

What was a moment/event during this challenge where you most noticed the presence or absence of technology and its influence on your well-being or your attention to your surroundings, etc..?
What will you take away from this experiment (or this unit of study) for your future tech use? First, reflect on the most significant takeaways from this experiment-- what have you noticed as being the most important way being more aware of your tech use and limiting it has influenced you and your relationships, etc..? Then, think about what boundaries if any you'd like to put in place with how you use your computer, phone, video games, etc...

Seminar Coaching
If you did not get through "Self Reliance" and "Solitude" with your group yesterday, please continue identifying the main ideas of each paragraph in groups of 2-3.

Seminar Prep
Once done with seminar coaching, you have the rest of class to work on seminar prep.
Seminar is tomorrow, 5th period.

Senior Project Check-ins
I will conference with you individually while the class works on seminar prep.

Wednesday, January 20th

1/20/2016

Starter #4: Journal on No Tech Challenge + Into the Wild reaction

For the first 15 minutes of class, please journal on Day 2 of your no tech challenge AND Into the Wild. Here are some prompts to consider:

What do you miss the most?
How do you find yourself filling your time?
Are you finding this rewarding? Frustrating? Both? Why?
What differences are you noticing so far in yourself, your attention, your sense of boredom, etc...?
If you're doing baseline-- again record your cell phone/gaming/computer usage and reflect on the amount of time you are spending with tech and its influence on you and your relationships.

Journal on your reactions to Into the Wild
Some questions to consider:

Are you inspired by Chris McCandless's actions? What about parts of his character? Why/why not? Be specific. In other words, To what extent does McCandless’s ideas/actions serve as a guide for how you want to live your own life? Which ideas resonate with you? Which do you reject?
Chris McCandless: Heroic, Foolish or Selfish?
What did he seem to learn about what he (WE?) need to be happy?
What questions did this film spark for you?

Agenda
Discuss the no tech challenge

Ashley's advice for stellar seminar prep

Tomorrow morning or tonight, review your paragraph summaries so the readings are fresh in your mind
In addition to required seminar prep, for each essential question jot down the page/paragraph # for the examples from the readings you think help answer that question
Work to make connections between the texts, film and the readings from our technology readings.

5th period: Seminar coaching on "Self-Reliance" and "Solitude"

Go paragraph by paragraph and make sure you understand the basic idea. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Summarize the main idea for each paragraph/page in as few of words as possible in the margins or on a sticky note.
Brainstorm 2-3 AWESOME seminar questions and give them to Ashley on a sticky note

6th period: We'll be spending all of 6th period looking at examples of research questions, practicing and then refining your own research questions!

***The following students need to take this survey on your senior project question, etc...NOW

Brittan
Shane
Anish
Sonya
Dan

Tuesday, January 19th

1/19/2016

Starter #4- No Tech Challenge Journal
For the first 15 minutes of class, please journal on Day 1 of your no tech challenge. Here are some prompts to consider:

What do you miss the most?
How do you find yourself filling your time?
Are you finding this rewarding? Frustrating? Both? Why?
What differences are you noticing so far in yourself, your attention, your sense of boredom, etc...?

Class Biz

Senior Project Check-ins are happening Wednesday, Thursday AND Friday this week. The stuff we assigned you at POLS should be largely done in time for your check-ins
No Tech Challenge Guidelines (Choose your "challenge status" and begin it on Monday!
Did you take the google doc survey on senior project updates? If not, do so ASAP
You should all know that our week has been a little bit restructured due to the length of Into the Wild. Here’s the quick overview:

Tuesday: Into the Wild, Journal, Guest speaker
Wednesday: Seminar Coaching (readings must be read and annotated), Journal, Senior Project Check Ins
Thursday: Seminar Work Time, Journal, Senior Project Check In
Friday: Seminar (seminar prep due), Senior Project Check In

Agenda
Guest Speaker-- Andy Gingerich to talk about the Amish and their views on technology and simplicity

Starter #4- No Tech Challenge Reflection (see above)

Finish Into the Wild

[Time pending] Journal on your reactions to the film.
Some questions to consider:

Are you inspired by Chris McCandless's actions? What about parts of his character? Why/why not? Be specific. In other words, To what extent does McCandless’s ideas/actions serve as a guide for how you want to live your own life? Which ideas resonate with you? Which do you reject?
Chris McCandless: Heroic, Foolish or Selfish?
What did he seem to learn about what he (WE?) need to be happy?
What questions did this film spark for you?

Friday, January 15th

1/15/2016

Class Biz:

BRING WARM LAYERS FOR Wednesday's CLASS! I'd recommend you bring a blanket and/or sleeping pad. We are going to go OUTSIDE to journal and respond to the film and other readings from our Solitude unit.
No Tech Challenge Guidelines (Choose your "challenge status" and begin it on Monday!)
Schedule of "Solitude" readings:

By B.O.C Tuesday, 1/19: Reading #2 ("Self-Reliance" and #3 "Solitude")
By B.O.C. Wednesday, 1/20: Reading #4 ("Pine Forest")
SEMINAR: Thursday, 1/21 (Seminar prep due B.O.C)

AGENDA
Watch Into the Wild

Thursday, 1/14

1/14/2016

Starter
Please take this quick survey about your senior project research question and project idea to help us keep track more easily of everyone's ideas and to pair you up with advisors more efficiently.

Class Biz

Senior Project Calendar: You need to plan on attending all your other classes through March, but NOT in April.
AHS advisors will be announced on January 26
- If you have an outside advisor, that’s fine, but you’ll also have an in school advisor. We can talk about what this looks like for SPAM meetings when they start.
REMEMBER: Check ins for Senior Project are happening next week! The stuff we assigned you at POLS should be largely done by then.

Homework reminder

By B.O.C Tuesday, 1/19: Reading #2 ("Self-Reliance" and #3 "Solitude")
By B.O.C. Wednesday, 1/20: Reading #4 ("Pine Forest")
SEMINAR: Thursday, 1/21 (Seminar prep due B.O.C)

Agenda
Transcendentalism Powerpoint

Review seminar prep guidelines (See my diagram on the board if you need help organizing her seminar prep):

Annotate all the texts! Mark ‘em up!
In addition, what is the thesis for each of the three seminar texts? What’s the main argument being made?
Write a TEA paragraph for each essential question, pulling from all the seminar texts (you may use “The End of Solitude” too) for evidence
Write 2-3 seminar questions. These could be questions you don’t know the answer to, or questions that you think would spark a healthy discussion.

"End of Solitude" Coaching

Get into groups of 4 -ish
What's the overall main argument/thesis?
Share your favorite lines, and why you liked them.
Go through paragraph by paragraph and summarize the main ideas. This is your chance to clear up any confusion.
Write them down in as short of hand as possible (while still keeping the clarity and essence of the ideas)-- I recommend 1-2 sticky notes per page.
Share seminar questions, come up with two really good ones as a group, give them to Ashley on a post it.
When you're done, compare your notes with Ashley's.

Time to read Text #2: "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Again, this is a challenging reading and will require attention, patience, and a dictionary. Take your time, persevere and write down any questions or confusions about language/meaning to better serve you in seminar coaching..

Wednesday, January 13th

1/13/2016

Starter #3: Respond to the above quote.

What does “refilling” mean?
Discuss the extent to which this quote applies to you. Questions to consider: Does this quote resonate with you? Why or why not? Do people energize you or drain you? What group situations/settings/dynamics might make you seek alone time, if at all?

Class Biz

Homework/Cal for the rest of the week
Get a library card by January 29th!
Pass out the "Solitude" unit readings and go over the CHANGE in seminar prep guidelines: SCRATCH OUT a. and b. and add "ANNOTATE" to the instructions.
Schedule of "Solitude" readings

By B.O.C Thursday : Reading #1 + Journal Response (In your starter docs)
By E.O.C Thursday, 1/14: Reading #2
By B.O.C Tuesday, 1/19: Reading #3
By B.O.C. Wednesday, 1/20: Reading #4
SEMINAR: Thursday, 1/21 (Seminar prep due B.O.C)

Solitude Unit Essential Questions

To what extent have our technological advancements and changes in societal structures exacerbated feelings of loneliness and prevent opportunities for solitude?
To what extent is it important to be self-reliant?
What obstacles prevent us from cultivating self-reliance and solitude?
What main claims from Emerson and Thoreau about self-reliance vs. conformity and solitude v. society apply to the ways in which we interact and “connect” in today’s world?
What are the benefits of solitude and self-reflection? Time in nature?
To what extent do Thoreau, Emerson and McCandless’s ideas serve as a guide for how you want to live your own life? Which ideas resonate with you? Which do you reject?

Agenda

This Week's Essential Questions 4 Corners

Social media, computers, and smartphones prevent opportunities for solitude.
You should try to fit in with the society and culture around you.
It is important to be self-reliant.
Non-conformity is admirable.
Time in nature has no bearing on one's well-being.
I dislike being alone for extended periods of time.

Super Quick overview of the Romantics/Romanticism

Read Reading #1: “The End of Solitude” (6 pages) Warning: This article is quite difficult, and may have terms/references you don’t understand! Look them up. For a challenge, try the unmodified article here: http://chronicle.com/article/The-End-of-Solitude/3708

Identify the main argument of this essay
Choose a line/passage/idea that stands out to you- mark it with a star.
Jot down your clarifying questions/confusions. This is key for seminar coaching later!
Write one question that this article sparked that would generate good discussion
Journal entry responding to an idea or a specific line in the text. Make sure you reference what you are responding to! Write for at least 10 minutes.

HOMEWORK: DUE THURSDAY

Finish reading and working "The End of Solitude"
Finish journal entry on "The End of Solitude" (Complete this IN YOUR STARTER DOC)

Whole Class Wrap-Up (If time)

Idleness is to Boredom as Solitude is to Loneliness: What does this mean in the context of the article?
P. 4, Paragraph 1: Author says people in their 20's have no time or desire for solitude. Is this true in your experience?
P. 6, paragraphs 2 and 3: What does he mean here?
Page 7, last paragraph: What is his point about saying gregarious means "part of the herd". What is the bigger claim he is making?

Thursday, January 14th

1/13/2016

Starter
Please take this survey to help your senior teachers track all of your Senior Project ideas!

Class Biz

Agenda
Transcendentalism/Romantics powerpoint

Go over seminar prep guidelines (Here is the link to seminar readings and guidelines):

Find three sentences (from any of the seminar articles) that stand out to you. They could be sentences that move you, that ring with truth, that make you angry, that you totally disagree with.
Write a paragraph response to each of the sentences. Pick it apart, react to it, respond. OR Draw a picture in response to each of the sentences OR Some combination of the above
In addition, what is the thesis for each of the three seminar texts? What’s the main argument being made?
Write a TEA paragraph for each essential question, pulling from all the seminar texts (you may use “The End of Solitude” too) for evidence
Write 2-3 seminar questions. These could be questions you don’t know the answer to, or questions that you think would spark a healthy discussion.

Essential Questions

To what extent have our technological advancements and changes in societal structures exacerbated feelings of loneliness and prevent opportunities for solitude?
To what extent is it important to be self-reliant?
What obstacles prevent us from cultivating self-reliance and solitude?
What main claims from Emerson and Thoreau about self-reliance vs. conformity and solitude v. society apply to the ways in which we interact and “connect” in today’s world?
What are the benefits of solitude and self-reflection? Time in nature?
To what extent do Thoreau, Emerson and McCandless’s ideas serve as a guide for how you want to live your own life? Which ideas resonate with you? Which do you reject?

Read “Self-Reliance” by Emerson and complete seminar prep relevant to this essay

Tuesday, January 12

1/12/2016

STARTER:

Turn in your seminar prep notes (2 minutes)
Review the readings and your seminar prep, gather resources (5 minutes)
Group 1: Move the front tables and organize a circle of chairs and be ready to seminar by 12:20

Agenda
1. Seminar
(Seminar Groups)

2. Watch TED Talk called "Stillness" and discuss it

Monday, January 11th

1/6/2016

Starter #2: Sharing Social Media Smorgasbord work from last Tuesday

Put your social media response on your desk.
Gallery walk! Go look at or read 3-5 responses.
Write a paragraph in response to one you looked at. You could include...
- What was it?
- What's your reaction?
- What does it make you think?
- How does it connect to other texts/ideas/discussions?
Turn in any hand-written work (i.e. your illustrations, etc...)

Class Biz:

Seminar is tomorrow
Here are the seminar groups
Missing google doc of starters (and Social Media Smorgasbord from: Summer, Brittan, Keenan, Shane, Devin, Dan, Tia, Charles)

AGENDA
Seminar Prep: For EACH the three following articles, please do the following in a new document. Title the doc “Technology Seminar Prep_YourName” and share it with me BEFORE class tomorrow.

Read and annotate the article (make sure to look up any vocab...ironically, you can use your phone for this)
Find three sentences that stand out to you. They could be sentences that move you, that ring with truth, that make you angry, that you totally disagree with.
Write a paragraph response to ONE of the sentences you picked. Pick it apart, react to it, respond.
OR Draw a picture in response to each of the sentences OR Some combination of the above
In addition, what is the thesis here? What’s the main argument being made?
Write 2-3 seminar questions. These could be questions you don’t know the answer to, or questions that you think would spark a healthy discussion.

The Articles

Seminar Text 1: “How Not To Be Alone”
Seminar Text 2: “Am I Still Here?”
Seminar Text 3: "Seeing Social Media more as a Portal than a Pitfall"

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