News
APELCers and freshmen, I wanted to post some final notes and thoughts for the fall semester, but because of problems I experienced posting to the site, obviously I was unable to do so. I asked APELCers to watch Digital Nation over the break, which you can watch at FRONTLINE, but since I’m only able to post so late, you needn’t view it for Monday. Watch over the next week if you would; it’s broken into smaller chapters, so you can take it in pieces.
Look forward to working with a new page at Schoology. Here’re the individual class links so you can bookmark your page:
I’ll try to score some time in the liberry next week so we can enroll in and get acquainted with the site, which will probably come to you more intuitively than it will me since I’m not a Facebooker and most of you are. This could be a boon to class or a huge mistake and management issue. We’ll see.
I’ll keep a blog at Posterous, a new Mr. Girard Online, that’ll mirror the blog at Schoology (maybe—it depends on how ambitious I’m feeling).
I hope you had a fine holiday, and I’ll look forward to seeing you on Monday when we’ll commence the spring semester. And you’ll get to meet Ms. Harris, our student-teacher.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, we completed our reading of The Odyssey today. It was a long time with our beaks stuck in the textbook; just be grateful we didn’t attempt the entire epic.
We saw the hero (?) Odysseus take back what the gods and monsters, the sea, the suitors, and time tried to take from him. We then talked over some the main ideas and details that informed our inferences about the same. You had time then to begin your last bit of homework for the semester; see your class page for details.
I’ll look forward to meeting you on Monday.
Have a fine weekend.
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, we spent the first half of class Thursday and Friday revisiting clauses, phrases, and syntactic (and lexical) categories, and playing with others’ and our own words in a mimicking exercise. We completed the second half of our time together in the liberry where you continued to draft you narrative arguments, which, as you well know, are due on Monday.
I’ve encouraged you last week to pay attention to issues surrounding WikiLeaks, too significant a news item since the most recent dump of documents to not be paying attention to. Here’s more:
- “Wikileaks Reveals U.S. Tax Dollars Fund Child Sex Slavery in Afghanistan”
- “The 24-hour Athenian democracy”
- “Silencing WikiLeaks A Free Speech Challenge For U.S.”
- “Web Attackers Find a Cause in WikiLeaks”
Have a fine weekend. It’ll all be over soon.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, we have nearly completed our reading of portions of The Odyssey. Today and yesterday, second and seventh period spent time with Odysseus and Telemachus as they infiltrated the suitors’ ranks, and Laertes’ son demonstrated his ownership of his bow. We’ll see how Odysseus dispatches the bums and wins his kingdom and home back next class.
We took some time, too, to talk over grades and approaches to work. This was an important discussion as I laid out several considerations for next semester as they pertain to your success in English 9. Some of you wrote down my prescriptions, but I’ll post them again at the end of next week.
See you next time, kids.
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, Tuesday and Wednesday we processed the Vowell text and discussed elements you might mimic to use in your own writing before we headed to the liberry for the penultimate day of in-class drafting of your narrative arguments.
I mentioned two stories in class, both from Weekend Edition Sunday on NPR, that I’ve linked here as you begin to consider your research topics for next semester. Remember, you’ll be narrowing in on some distinctly American cultural text:
I’ll define the assignment more over the break, and I’ll share it with you when we get back. After finals, I’d recommend you read the description of the Morning Edition series “Present at the Creation” at NPR, then read and listen to some of the stories about the American icons, indices, and symbols in the archive.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, we began with conventions errors corrections today and moved to the final portions of our epic poem as Odysseus returns home to Ithaca to reclaim his throne and queen. We’ll complete the story this week and we’ll discuss and prepare for the final as we close the fall out.
I’ll look forward to seeing you next class.
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, you spent today responding to your peers’ late narrative argument drafts, but before I shared with you a visual text I came across over the weekend. Crafted originally as a cameo, the powerful image below was designed by British abolitionist Josiah Wedgwood, and I argued the similarities between it and the Douglass text.
Here’s the list again of English teachers or other options you might consider as we close the fall and move to the next semester:
- Junior English Ms. Caples, Mr. Kaufmann, Ms. Minor, Mr. Morin, Ms. Reynolds
- Senior English Ms. Bonar, Mr. Erickson
- College Writing Mr. Smythe
- PCC, Gold Program, online options
Remember, I don’t want students to leave, but I do urge those who are dubious about their commitment to APELC to think carefully about next spring because it’s gonna get harder.
See you Tuesday and Wednesday.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, today and yesterday we talked over your reading of “The Sirens” and “Scylla and Charybdis” and reviewed your study guide and graphic organizer over the same. You had time to begin your After Reading questions related to the reading, and I was able to monitor and guide your work. Those that didn’t finish in class may complete the work at home for turn in on Monday.
Have a fine weekend, and drive carefully to and have fun in Tempe, those you who’re attending the state championship game tomorrow.
Go Dorados!
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, we did little the first half of fourth period Thursday, as only five students had completed the reading. Third and fifth periods had fantastic discussions of the Manning piece, and we touched upon a variety of issues including the roles of touch and playful violence among loved ones. I appreciated students’ willingness to share, and I mentioned a brief article about father-son touch which I said I’d link to here: “I Blow-dry My Son’s Hair”.
I’ll review and post the list of English class options for juniors and seniors who don’t want to remain in APELC next semester, for whatever reason.
Attend the homework details on the class page.
See you Monday.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, we completed reading about Odysseus’s encounter with the Sirens and Scylla and Charybdis. We discussed certain instances of repetition we read in the poem and observed their roles as place markers for those bards reciting The Odyssey to audiences since the text didn’t exist in bound texts. You had time to complete the study guide questions related to the excerpts, which we’ll discuss next class when we’ll also go over the graphic organizer attached to the reading.
I’ll see you on Thursday and Friday, kids.
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, yesterday and today we talked over the Douglass text, more in fourth period on Tuesday than in third and fifth on Wednesday because of our wacky schedule. We met in the liberry for the last two thirds of class on Tuesday and for the entire period on Wednesday where students drafted their narrative arguments and I conferred with others over their free-response revisions. You do have a reading for homework; please attend the details on your class page.
I decided after fifth period on Monday to post the “damn” words I proscribed from student papers here on out. This should help those that find them too numerous to remember. The words are
- Aspect
- Factor
- Efficient
- Kids (this was the word I couldn’t read)
- Hooks
- Uses
- Vivid
- Paints
- Choppy
This list will continue to grow, and, of course, there’re other phrases I’ve mentioned in class that remain forever banned from your papers, and I’ll remind you as needed.
If you’re not following the news about WikiLeaks, you really should do what you can to educate yourself about this most important development in foreign relations. You can start with these:
- “State’s Secrets” at the New York Times (see also “The War Logs” about the organization’s first major document dump to attract worldwide attention)
- “WikiLeaks: A Reminder Of The Pentagon Papers” from Morning Edition
- “The Inner Workings Of WikiLeaks” from All Things Considered
Also, as Hanukkah begins tonight, here’re two more fun pieces from NPR:
- “Tracing Hanukkah’s U.S. Roots … To Cincinnati?” from Morning Edition
- “No Gelt, No Glory: A Dreidel Champion Is Crowned” from All Things Considered
We’ll see each other next class, boys and girls.
Link Fixed
APELCers, I’ve repaired the link to the document I asked you to print, review, and bring to next class.
See you Tuesday and Wednesday.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to post notes from our last block before the long weekend, but on that Tuesday and Wednesday, we completed the excerpt of our text describing Odysseus’s time with Circe and the attendant study guide and graphic organizer. We also continued to view and discuss the documentary we’ve been using to inform our reading of The Odyssey.
Today we began with conventions error-correction and continued our epic poem. This week we’ll read of Odysseus’s and his remaining crew’s encounters with the sirens and Scylla and Charybdis.
Finally, below is the list of items CDO’s Sign Language Club is collecting for our armed forces personnel is serving in war zones this season. Of course, participation is voluntary, and if you choose to donate, you’ll receive no extra or make-up credit, but it’d be groovy if any freshman so inclined could bring in just two of the following by Monday, December 13:
- White socks (men’s and women’s with no markings)
- Light blankets and character-themed sheets
- Energy drinks and beef jerky
- Snacks like cookies, chips, and candy in sturdy packages
- Hand sanitizer, moist hand wipes, and medical gloves
- Sports magazines and Frisbees
- Flash drives
- Letters (none of your own personal information)
- NO PORK OR PRODUCTS AND NO COFFEE
All of these items can be purchased for cheap at Walmart, and if you’re feeling more generous, you also might try these services: Any Soldier and Treat Any Soldier.
More next time, kids.
APELC Class Notes
I’m sorry I wasn’t able to post notes before the long weekend, APELCers, but I’ll mention here what we did last the last Tuesday and Wednesday block before the holiday in addition to today’s activities. On the former two days, we tackled the Nye and Quindlen texts the first half of class and met in the liberry for the second half of class where you worked on your narrative argument drafts and I conferred with writers over their free-response revisions. Today, Monday, students that were prepared to do so responded to their peers’ preliminary narrative argument drafts and I continued to confer with students about their revisions.
Here’s the list of items CDO’s Sign Language Club is requesting for our armed forces personnel is serving this winter. As I explained, you’re obviously not obligated to bring items in, and participation, if you choose to donate, isn’t for credit, but it’d be neat if each APELCer could bring in just two of the following by Monday, December 13:
- White socks (men’s and women’s with no markings)
- Light blankets and character-themed sheets
- Energy drinks and beef jerky
- Snacks like cookies, chips, and candy in sturdy packages
- Hand sanitizer, moist hand wipes, and medical gloves
- Sports magazines and Frisbees
- Flash drives
- Letters (none of your own personal information)
- NO PORK OR PRODUCTS AND NO COFFEE
All of these items can be found relatively cheaply at Walmart. If you’re feeling even more generous this “giving season”, you also might try these services: Any Soldier and Treat Any Soldier.
Finally, the extra-credit note review is due before the end of this week (and please don’t wait until Friday to get your work in).
A VISIT. At the end of Wednesday, I was honored with a visit from Jordan Neerhoff, 2010 CDO grad, former student-body vice president, and one of the best and naturally gifted thinkers and writers I’ve worked with in my career. He’s currently attending the University of San Diego, and during our brief catch-up he humorously mentioned the frustration his peers expressed over the conduct of a political science class in which he’s enrolled, in particular, because they often leave class somewhat confused, thinking the professor’s a jerk. Jordan explained that his peers weren’t familiar with the Socratic method (and implicitly, though Jordan didn’t mention it specifically, divergent questioning) the professor uses to effect discussion. I do enjoy such despatches from former students.
Thanks, Jordan, and all the best to you.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, I presented you with a quiz over our last reading before we began conventions error corrections practice. After we tackled the corrections as a class, we began the next section of The Odyssey, which relates part of Odysseus’s interaction with Circe. We’ll complete this next class, and I hope we’ll have some time to experience more of the documentary on the historicity of the epic poem.
I’ll see you next class.
APELC Class Notes
Juniors and seniors, we tackled a photograph first and tried to infer sensory information from the analysis, what smells, sounds, tastes, and tactile sensations the image suggested, and we tried also to define the difference between a “house” and a “home”.
We moved on to the Ascher piece and discussed the issue of and our reactions to and interactions with people who are homeless. Many of you shared great ideas and asked great questions: What are the reasons for homelessness? Why do we assume most homeless are addicted to alcohol or drugs? How best, if at all, should we help those who have no homes? I suggested a re-examination of the Will piece from several weeks ago, when most agreed that to measure success failure must also exist, that to have winners, we must also have losers, and I took the idea to its logical conclusion as it perhaps relates to this piece: Isn’t it necessary for there to exist people with no home or means, so that others may? Really, don’t the homeless provide us a service in their indigence by reminding us how good we really have it? Things got quite heated in fourth when it was suggested that, very basically, we must avoid competition to ensure equality for all. (That’s a very rough sketch; the participants in fourth period’s discussion should feel free to correct me if I’ve misstated the controversy.)
You do have homework, and you’ll to access streaming media on the Intertubes to complete it. Check your class page for details.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, we began class today and yesterday with conventions error corrections practice, and then we moved to next excerpt, “The Cyclops”, from The Odyssey. The language is difficult, but we moved swiftly as I narrated the story mostly by myself and stopped frequently to clarify the action of scene. You completed study guides and a graphic organizer on dialogue and what Odysseus’s dialogue reveals about his character. Then we went over the homework for Monday before we watched a portion of History’s Clash of the Gods: “Odysseus: Curse of the Sea” episode “Odysseus: Curse of the Sea”. This took us to the end of class.
Have a nice weekend, and I’ll see you Monday.
APELC Class Notes
Juniors and seniors, yesterday and today we worked with the White text and discussed a bit the nature of time. These are the same links to posted to interesting resources on time last year over this same discussion which you might find interesting:
- “Time” at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- “Time for philosophers” and “The philosophy of the quantum spook”, both at The Philosopher’s Zone
- “A Brief History of Infinity: Space and the Universe” at BBC Documentaries
In third period we talked in circles about determinism and free will. These are heady concepts, but worth your time and mental energy.
We spent the second half of the block in the liberry where you continued to draft your narrative arguments, and I conferred with students over their free-responses.
You have homework; details, as always, are on you class page.
I’ll see you next week.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmen, yesterday and today we began a new set of sentences for corrections and we reviewed your reading of the first excerpt of The Odyssey. I had you read it on Monday and complete the handout, but I understand the sub didn’t deliver the instructions as I directed, so the review was warranted. I mentioned in particular your need to pay attention to certain figurative language as we read (and which I’ll point out as we go) including metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, and euphemism. There’s certainly more we could attend, but these’ll be more than sufficient. You turned in the completed study guides from this and last class (the one over the Greek gods).
We’ll continue the story next class.
See you then.
APELC Class Notes
Juniors and seniors, we met in the liberry today and yesterday to begin drafting your narrative arguments and to talk over your most recent free-responses. You signed up for conferences which we’ll begin next class.
Out.