JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Life is Life" by Noah and the Whale;
"Golden Slumbers/ Carry That Weight" by The Beatles] According to author Salman Rushdie,
"A poet's work is to name the
unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape
the world, and stop it from going to sleep." Do you agree? To what
extent does Bukowski accomplish these goals in "The Laughing Heart"?
-OR-
Choose your own topic.
AGENDA:
1. Journal/ read "The Laughing Heart" so you know what you're writing about
2. Catch up if you need to, email your blog URL if you haven't
3. Write your answers (on a piece of paper) to the five Hack to School questions, which you can read HERE
4. Review the "Right to Your Opinion" chapter and video, and get ready to talk essays in our next Zoom
Monday, August 31, 2020
WELCOME TO WEEK 3
Hi All,
I hope you had a restful weekend and you're ready to tackle Week 3.
At this point, you should have:
Here is what we'll be doing in Week 3:
Please be sure to check the daily agendas for the journal topics (and tunes :), and let me know if you need anything.
Best,
Dr. Preston
I hope you had a restful weekend and you're ready to tackle Week 3.
At this point, you should have:
- A blog where you can post your thoughts on course assignments and items of interest;
- A spiral notebook or composition book where you can write your daily journal entries;
- A routine for checking the course blog, completing your work, and entering "Did it" on the Google Sheet for your class period.
NOTE:
If
you don't have these three things by now, you are at risk of falling
dangerously behind in the course. If you need help or have a question,
please email or schedule a meeting with me. If you don't see a link to
your blog on the Member Blogs page, please email your URL right away.
I can't grade what I don't see.
Here is what we'll be doing in Week 3:
- Our daily journal
- Preparing for Hack to School Night (your video will be due on your blog by next Tuesday, September 8
- Our first essay (on "The Right to Your Opinion" - we will discuss the wonderful art of the essay and the prompt on Zoom this week, and you will have until 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time on Friday, September 4 to post the essay on your blog)
Please be sure to check the daily agendas for the journal topics (and tunes :), and let me know if you need anything.
Best,
Dr. Preston
Friday, August 28, 2020
hack to school night
(my t-shirt from OSCON)
To be clear: the word hack has been associated with definitions ("sharp cough, "cut with unskillful blows," & "illegal/unauthorized computer access," e.g.) that do not describe what we do.
We make connections and facilitate conversations that help people learn. We build, evaluate and modify things to make them work better.
You know how they say, "[So'n'so] just can't hack it?" Well, we can.
The old-school Back to School Night was invented as a cure for conversations like this one:
"Ay, mijo, how was your day?
Fine.
"What did you do?"
Nothing.
"Where did you go?"
Nowhere.
"Who were you with?"
No one.
"What did you learn?"
...
So, at Back-- er, Hack to School night, we are at it again. You are about to become the best spokesperson for your education and your life. You will connect with someone important to you. You will offer them the benefit of what you know and you will find a way to learn from them too. Lastly, you will share new ideas about technology and how you can use it to get ahead in life.
Here's how:
1. Think about the following questions and prepare answers to them;
2. Find an interested parent/guardian/sibling/relative/friend to interview you;
3. Set up a device to capture the interview in a video;
(NOTE 1: Ask them permission to show them in your video -- if it's not ok, choose an angle that doesn't show faces. That's for your comfort too.)
(NOTE 2: You can use any video platform you like, such as YouTube, Flip Grid, or Tik Tok -- and if you've never used video before, join us for Monday's zoom meeting to ask questions and get help.)
3. Have them ask you the questions, be suitably brilliant in your replies, and demand that they take notes so that you know they're paying attention;
4. Embed the video on your blog;
5. Congratulate yourself on your success.
Here are the questions:
(If you have any trouble answering these, email me and/or join us Monday to ask questions and get help.)
1. What has been the hardest part of starting school during the pandemic?
2. What have you enjoyed the most about starting school during the pandemic?
3. What are your goals in this course this year? What do you want to learn or get better at?
4. What's one habit you can start, stop, or improve to support your success?
5. What grade do you expect to earn on the semester report card?
august 28
JOURNAL TOPIC:
How do you handle it when you have a tech issue that prevents you from getting things done?
-OR-
Choose your own topic.
AGENDA:
Wrap up the week/ catch up on outstanding work
How do you handle it when you have a tech issue that prevents you from getting things done?
-OR-
Choose your own topic.
AGENDA:
Wrap up the week/ catch up on outstanding work
Thursday, August 27, 2020
august 27
JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tune: "What a Wonderful World" by Sam Cooke]
Do you see a difference between learning and being taught? How do you learn differently when you're doing it independently?
-OR-
Choose your own topic.
AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Zoom M-Z: Discuss journals, blogs, sheets, hack to school night
TO DOs:
3. Catch up on any unfinished work
4. Add some design to your blog
Do you see a difference between learning and being taught? How do you learn differently when you're doing it independently?
-OR-
Choose your own topic.
AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Zoom M-Z: Discuss journals, blogs, sheets, hack to school night
TO DOs:
3. Catch up on any unfinished work
4. Add some design to your blog
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
august 25
JOURNAL TOPIC [today's tune: Battle of Who Could Care Less" by Ben Folds Five]
Many of us use the word boring to describe anything we don't like or understand. How can a book be boring to one person and interesting to another? Describe something you really like and imagine how someone else might think it's boring. Use a specific example.
-OR-
Choose your own.
AGENDA
1. Journal
2. Answer questions & catch up on any missing work (NOTE: If you have not created or shared your blog, as of today you are late and in danger of falling behind. Let's get this done! I'm here if you need help.)
3. Discuss Whyte's "The Right to Your Opinion" and answer the following question in a paragraph (minimum) post on your blog: Are you entitled to your opinion?
4. Work on "Richard Cory"
5. HACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT
COMMENT:
To at least one post on the course blog besides, "Will This Blog See Tomorrow?"
POST:
Your paragraph about "The Right to Your Opinion" (title: MY OPINION IS THAT I AM NOT ENTITLED)
Many of us use the word boring to describe anything we don't like or understand. How can a book be boring to one person and interesting to another? Describe something you really like and imagine how someone else might think it's boring. Use a specific example.
-OR-
Choose your own.
AGENDA
1. Journal
2. Answer questions & catch up on any missing work (NOTE: If you have not created or shared your blog, as of today you are late and in danger of falling behind. Let's get this done! I'm here if you need help.)
3. Discuss Whyte's "The Right to Your Opinion" and answer the following question in a paragraph (minimum) post on your blog: Are you entitled to your opinion?
4. Work on "Richard Cory"
5. HACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT
COMMENT:
To at least one post on the course blog besides, "Will This Blog See Tomorrow?"
POST:
Your paragraph about "The Right to Your Opinion" (title: MY OPINION IS THAT I AM NOT ENTITLED)
Monday, August 24, 2020
about zoom meetings yesterday (august 24)
I hope everyone read yesterday's blog post about attendance.
Reminder: if you weren't on a zoom call with us yesterday, please read the course blog, write in your journal, enter "did it" on your period's Google Sheet, and let me know if you have any questions. See you later in the week.
Reminder: if you weren't on a zoom call with us yesterday, please read the course blog, write in your journal, enter "did it" on your period's Google Sheet, and let me know if you have any questions. See you later in the week.
zoom meeting for period 6 & 7 today (aug 24)
Not sure what's up with Zoom, but it's not showing Period 6 meeting on my menu, so I opened the Period 7 meeting early and you can meet us there: Meeting ID: 844 4261 5776
[UPDATE 24 AUG 20 1:57 P.M. No one joined the 1:40 meeting so I just ended it. Will be back on for the Period 7 meeting at 2:30.]
[UPDATE 24 AUG 20 1:57 P.M. No one joined the 1:40 meeting so I just ended it. Will be back on for the Period 7 meeting at 2:30.]
august 24
JOURNAL TOPIC:
A famous comedian once observed, "It seems like all the things I thought were good for me turned out to be bad for me, like red meat... and school." Describe something that you once thought of as a good idea and then changed your mind about once you learned more.
-OR-
Choose your own topic.
AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Blog audit
3. Preparing for Week 2
POST:
Write a brief paragraph about what you learned during Week 1. How was the experience similar or different in comparison to learning on campus? (title: PANDEMIC PEDAGOGY)
A famous comedian once observed, "It seems like all the things I thought were good for me turned out to be bad for me, like red meat... and school." Describe something that you once thought of as a good idea and then changed your mind about once you learned more.
-OR-
Choose your own topic.
AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Blog audit
3. Preparing for Week 2
POST:
Write a brief paragraph about what you learned during Week 1. How was the experience similar or different in comparison to learning on campus? (title: PANDEMIC PEDAGOGY)
500-year-old journal of mexican life during pandemic
Almost 500 years ago, "European colonization (of the Americas) shattered the old indigenous order through war, settlement and, most notably, disease."
An estimated 90% -- that is, nine out of every ten people -- lost their
lives, which is why some refer to that time as "The Great Dying."
During this time in Mexico, amid a series of pandemics, a group of scholars sealed themselves off in a convent and wrote the indigenous history of their people. You can read The Los Angeles Times article about their work here.
Beginning today, I encourage you to journal about your experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. I will continue to offer journal topics that relate to our shared reading, and I will also include a note that reminds you of this opportunity.
Writing things down is important. As we talked about last semester, people even see their food and their time use differently when they record the facts in writing. Don't be lazy -- your memory is unreliable. When you think about it, what can you remember about what you did every day last week? What your little sister said to make you smile, or what your family ate for dinner, or how you felt about what's going on? In a few short (months? years?) the coronavirus pandemic will be a story -- a history -- just like 9/11 or World War II. Unlike those events, however, for you this is not just history. This will be YOUR history.
Get a pen, right now, find a notebook or a piece of paper, and capture this moment so that your grandchildren don't have to rely on someone else's version to understand what these days are like.
During this time in Mexico, amid a series of pandemics, a group of scholars sealed themselves off in a convent and wrote the indigenous history of their people. You can read The Los Angeles Times article about their work here.
Beginning today, I encourage you to journal about your experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. I will continue to offer journal topics that relate to our shared reading, and I will also include a note that reminds you of this opportunity.
Writing things down is important. As we talked about last semester, people even see their food and their time use differently when they record the facts in writing. Don't be lazy -- your memory is unreliable. When you think about it, what can you remember about what you did every day last week? What your little sister said to make you smile, or what your family ate for dinner, or how you felt about what's going on? In a few short (months? years?) the coronavirus pandemic will be a story -- a history -- just like 9/11 or World War II. Unlike those events, however, for you this is not just history. This will be YOUR history.
Get a pen, right now, find a notebook or a piece of paper, and capture this moment so that your grandchildren don't have to rely on someone else's version to understand what these days are like.
attendance, presence, & GTD
Several students have emailed this morning to ask if we are having class on Zoom today. (All the Zoom info is now here.)
To answer that in a way that makes any kind of sense, it's important to remind ourselves what we're doing all this for in the first place.
Every student who has written me or talked with me so far has indicated that they want to learn new ideas and improve their writing, reading, and speaking skills.
To do that, we need to start GTD (Getting Things Done - this is the title of a great book on the subject and also nicer than the traditional GSD, which I probably shouldn't spell out on a family-style blog :)
I believe very strongly in supporting you as you get started. So, if you haven't created your course blog, or gotten a notebook and started your journal, or started typing "did it" as you complete tasks on your period's Google Sheet, you need to meet with me today during our scheduled time so that I can help you.
If you HAVE created your blog, started your journal, and typed "did it" for at least a few of the tasks on the sheet, and you feel pretty confident that you're off to a good start, today's online meeting is optional.
The word attendance goes back to the 14th century (!) and means, "the act of attending to one's duties." The word attend goes back to the same time and means, "to direct one's mind and energies."
I have no interest in demanding that you sit still on a Zoom meeting while others catch up, any more than I would demand you sit in a classroom while others catch up. I want you to work in a way that prepares you for success, and if you're off to a good start, I want you to continue.
Bottom Line: This is Week 2. If you have questions or need help getting started, please plan on being online during your class period. If you are GTD, I'll see you later in the week. You're always welcome to email or schedule a meeting if you think of something later.
To answer that in a way that makes any kind of sense, it's important to remind ourselves what we're doing all this for in the first place.
Every student who has written me or talked with me so far has indicated that they want to learn new ideas and improve their writing, reading, and speaking skills.
To do that, we need to start GTD (Getting Things Done - this is the title of a great book on the subject and also nicer than the traditional GSD, which I probably shouldn't spell out on a family-style blog :)
I believe very strongly in supporting you as you get started. So, if you haven't created your course blog, or gotten a notebook and started your journal, or started typing "did it" as you complete tasks on your period's Google Sheet, you need to meet with me today during our scheduled time so that I can help you.
If you HAVE created your blog, started your journal, and typed "did it" for at least a few of the tasks on the sheet, and you feel pretty confident that you're off to a good start, today's online meeting is optional.
The word attendance goes back to the 14th century (!) and means, "the act of attending to one's duties." The word attend goes back to the same time and means, "to direct one's mind and energies."
I have no interest in demanding that you sit still on a Zoom meeting while others catch up, any more than I would demand you sit in a classroom while others catch up. I want you to work in a way that prepares you for success, and if you're off to a good start, I want you to continue.
Bottom Line: This is Week 2. If you have questions or need help getting started, please plan on being online during your class period. If you are GTD, I'll see you later in the week. You're always welcome to email or schedule a meeting if you think of something later.
Saturday, August 22, 2020
recording of class from aug 21
Many of you weren't on the Zoom meeting yesterday (the dog thinks you should've been there - and he's not even my dog). Please make sure to watch the recording, and email me with any questions.
Friday, August 21, 2020
august 21
JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Si Tú No Estás Aquí" by Rosana]
Why is love such an important theme in music, poetry, short stories, novels, and movies? There are so many works of art dedicated to the topic, and yet, in real life there are so many bad breakup and divorce stories. Why are people so interested in love -- and so often, so bad at loving?
AGENDA:
Today is a work day. You all had an A on Monday. At this point, many of you don't. Please:
PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS:
Next week we will discuss and use what you've learned so far. We will have a Socratic seminar (topics: remix/creative commons; socratic method; right to your opinion; "Richard Cory"), we will discuss fair use on the internet, you will license your blogs, and we will get into some student-written literature. We will also explore the power of the question, and I will ask you to consider a Big Question you want to pursue this year. (If you'd like to learn about this ahead of time, you can see some former students' ideas HERE.) Have a great weekend! -dp
Why is love such an important theme in music, poetry, short stories, novels, and movies? There are so many works of art dedicated to the topic, and yet, in real life there are so many bad breakup and divorce stories. Why are people so interested in love -- and so often, so bad at loving?
AGENDA:
Today is a work day. You all had an A on Monday. At this point, many of you don't. Please:
- Finish any leftover journals for the week
- Make sure your name/blog URL info in "Member Blogs" page is accurate
- Make sure you've commented to course blog
- Make sure your blog has following posts:
- Welcome
- Response to "The Right to Your Opinion"
- If you've finished everything and you're satisfied/confident, you can spend some time designing your blog. Add features, graphics, and anything else that you think will make it more interesting and fun for your audience.
PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS:
Next week we will discuss and use what you've learned so far. We will have a Socratic seminar (topics: remix/creative commons; socratic method; right to your opinion; "Richard Cory"), we will discuss fair use on the internet, you will license your blogs, and we will get into some student-written literature. We will also explore the power of the question, and I will ask you to consider a Big Question you want to pursue this year. (If you'd like to learn about this ahead of time, you can see some former students' ideas HERE.) Have a great weekend! -dp
Thursday, August 20, 2020
studying
Studying. Ask most students and they'll make a face. But the reality is that studying ourselves and the world around us makes life more interesting, even more worth living.
Don't take my word for it. Watch these father and son gorillas study a caterpillar:
Don't take my word for it. Watch these father and son gorillas study a caterpillar:
about the check-in meetings you schedule
Hi, just a quick note about your check-in meetings.
I'm doing everything I possibly can to ensure that you are successful in this course. That includes making myself available to answer questions and help you get set up. I answer emails from multiple accounts, I host about 20 Zoom meetings a day, and I am refining things as I go along to make the experience as rewarding as I possibly can.
Right now it's 3:49 P.M. Someone scheduled a Zoom with me at 3:30, but they didn't show up. It was the 4th time that happened today.
I don't want to make any assumptions, but this messes up my day. Think about it: if I'm tying up my Zoom account, and not being productive while I sit and wait, it takes me away from 175 other students (and all of my other responsibilities).
If you scheduled a meeting with me in the last couple days, and you had a problem connecting, will you please comment to this post or send me an email and let me know what happened? If it's a technical problem, I want to resolve it so that you and everyone else has an easier time connecting with me. If it's a problem on your end, well, I want to help fix that too.
For now, if you schedule with me and we don't connect within 5 minutes of our scheduled appointment time, I will log off. Please email me or go back into Calendly to reschedule.
Mahalo.
I'm doing everything I possibly can to ensure that you are successful in this course. That includes making myself available to answer questions and help you get set up. I answer emails from multiple accounts, I host about 20 Zoom meetings a day, and I am refining things as I go along to make the experience as rewarding as I possibly can.
Right now it's 3:49 P.M. Someone scheduled a Zoom with me at 3:30, but they didn't show up. It was the 4th time that happened today.
I don't want to make any assumptions, but this messes up my day. Think about it: if I'm tying up my Zoom account, and not being productive while I sit and wait, it takes me away from 175 other students (and all of my other responsibilities).
If you scheduled a meeting with me in the last couple days, and you had a problem connecting, will you please comment to this post or send me an email and let me know what happened? If it's a technical problem, I want to resolve it so that you and everyone else has an easier time connecting with me. If it's a problem on your end, well, I want to help fix that too.
For now, if you schedule with me and we don't connect within 5 minutes of our scheduled appointment time, I will log off. Please email me or go back into Calendly to reschedule.
Mahalo.
president obama's speech at the democratic national convention
(Sometimes, you and I will blog about things that come up in the world, whether they are technically part of this course or not. Here is an example.)
This is a course in American literature. Last night, former president Barack Obama gave one of the most important speeches of our generation. I mean no offense to any teacher, but this is one of the greatest lessons in American constitutional history and democracy that you will ever get. Whatever you and your families believe about politics, I hope you will take active part in the upcoming election. Just because you're too young to vote doesn't mean you're too young to care.
This is a course in American literature. Last night, former president Barack Obama gave one of the most important speeches of our generation. I mean no offense to any teacher, but this is one of the greatest lessons in American constitutional history and democracy that you will ever get. Whatever you and your families believe about politics, I hope you will take active part in the upcoming election. Just because you're too young to vote doesn't mean you're too young to care.
about your journals
There are two ways to become a better writer:
You should have already started #2. Each day's agenda begins with a Journal Topic. When I teach in class, students start the period with a quiet moment (I'll introduce the "Minute of Mindfulness" next week) and then we play some music and write for about 10 minutes.
You have been given four journal topics (one each on the agendas for 8/17, 8/18, 8/19, and today). If you have already written something, hooray! Otherwise, you owe.
Questions you may have:
Where do I write my journal ideas?
You're going to need a spiral notebook or a composition book. I already posted about this in the 8/18 agenda, but now it's a thing. Please get a notebook. If you don't have one yet, don't let that stop you - write on paper until you get one. But get one, by Monday at the latest, so that your work doesn't pile up where it will do you no good.
If I'm writing in a notebook, how will you know what I write?
Have a look at your period's Sheet. I'll be updating this as we go, so that you have an additional reference that reminds you of what's expected. As you can see this week, the journal entries have been added as opportunities for you to type, "Did it." If you do, you get credit -- and, I will occasionally ask you to review a journal topic with me during a writer's conference. If you don't do the work, you won't improve and you won't get credit. If you type "Did it" and you don't have it, you will wish you did.
Since everything is online right now, why are we writing these on paper instead of typing them on a computer?
Two reasons. First, the act of writing engages different parts of your brain than the act of typing and staring at a screen. (Also, when you write, you can put your pen in your mouth when you stare off into the distance and think; this is awkward with a keyboard, laptop, tablet, or phone.) Second, this is your journal, a safe place to rage, grieve, throw a few f-bombs, or express yourself in other ways that you don't want splashed all over the internet.
How long do my journal entries have to be?
Someone once asked Abraham Lincoln how long a speech should be. President Lincoln replied, "As long as a woman's skirt: long enough to cover the basics, and short enough to keep things interesting." If you answer a journal prompt in one sentence, you're just teasing your reader. It might be the best sentence in the world, but that just makes things worse. It's as if you get a bite of the tastiest food ever, the kind of bite that makes you hunger for more, and then the chef says, "Hope you enjoyed it -- that's it." So aim for at least half a page, to give yourself the chance to describe details, or give examples, or use the kind of figurative language that helps readers form pictures in our minds.
Do I have to write on the Journal Topic, or can I choose what I want to write about?
Beginning tomorrow (Friday, August 21) you will have a choice. More on that in a separate post.
What's the point of this again?
Writing every day will make you a better writer. Also, there is nothing more intimidating to new writers than the blank page. There is no way to get this wrong, as long as you write, and when you look back in June on a notebook or two, filled with your thoughts, that didn't exist before you created them, you will never fear the blank page again.
- Read good writing.
- Write.
You should have already started #2. Each day's agenda begins with a Journal Topic. When I teach in class, students start the period with a quiet moment (I'll introduce the "Minute of Mindfulness" next week) and then we play some music and write for about 10 minutes.
You have been given four journal topics (one each on the agendas for 8/17, 8/18, 8/19, and today). If you have already written something, hooray! Otherwise, you owe.
Questions you may have:
Where do I write my journal ideas?
You're going to need a spiral notebook or a composition book. I already posted about this in the 8/18 agenda, but now it's a thing. Please get a notebook. If you don't have one yet, don't let that stop you - write on paper until you get one. But get one, by Monday at the latest, so that your work doesn't pile up where it will do you no good.
If I'm writing in a notebook, how will you know what I write?
Have a look at your period's Sheet. I'll be updating this as we go, so that you have an additional reference that reminds you of what's expected. As you can see this week, the journal entries have been added as opportunities for you to type, "Did it." If you do, you get credit -- and, I will occasionally ask you to review a journal topic with me during a writer's conference. If you don't do the work, you won't improve and you won't get credit. If you type "Did it" and you don't have it, you will wish you did.
Since everything is online right now, why are we writing these on paper instead of typing them on a computer?
Two reasons. First, the act of writing engages different parts of your brain than the act of typing and staring at a screen. (Also, when you write, you can put your pen in your mouth when you stare off into the distance and think; this is awkward with a keyboard, laptop, tablet, or phone.) Second, this is your journal, a safe place to rage, grieve, throw a few f-bombs, or express yourself in other ways that you don't want splashed all over the internet.
How long do my journal entries have to be?
Someone once asked Abraham Lincoln how long a speech should be. President Lincoln replied, "As long as a woman's skirt: long enough to cover the basics, and short enough to keep things interesting." If you answer a journal prompt in one sentence, you're just teasing your reader. It might be the best sentence in the world, but that just makes things worse. It's as if you get a bite of the tastiest food ever, the kind of bite that makes you hunger for more, and then the chef says, "Hope you enjoyed it -- that's it." So aim for at least half a page, to give yourself the chance to describe details, or give examples, or use the kind of figurative language that helps readers form pictures in our minds.
Do I have to write on the Journal Topic, or can I choose what I want to write about?
Beginning tomorrow (Friday, August 21) you will have a choice. More on that in a separate post.
What's the point of this again?
Writing every day will make you a better writer. Also, there is nothing more intimidating to new writers than the blank page. There is no way to get this wrong, as long as you write, and when you look back in June on a notebook or two, filled with your thoughts, that didn't exist before you created them, you will never fear the blank page again.
august 20
JOURNAL TOPIC: ("My Back Pages" by Bob Dylan/ covered by The Byrds)
Why is it that so many young people want to be older, and so many older people want to be young? How do you feel about your age? Be sure to explain your answer.
AGENDA:
1. Journal/ About your journals
2. CREATE YOUR BLOG
3. Review what we need to do by the end of Week 1
YOUR WORK:
1. Give yourself credit for jobs well-done on the Sheet
2. Post a welcome message (title: WELCOME!)
3. Read "Richard Cory"
4. Post a first impression of "The Right to Your Opinion"
Why is it that so many young people want to be older, and so many older people want to be young? How do you feel about your age? Be sure to explain your answer.
AGENDA:
1. Journal/ About your journals
2. CREATE YOUR BLOG
3. Review what we need to do by the end of Week 1
YOUR WORK:
1. Give yourself credit for jobs well-done on the Sheet
2. Post a welcome message (title: WELCOME!)
3. Read "Richard Cory"
4. Post a first impression of "The Right to Your Opinion"
CREATE YOUR BLOG
On Monday we talked about the fact that you will curate all of your work in this course on your own blog. The setup process is simple and takes less than five minutes, no matter how lousy your tablet or your connection. Every day counts right now - I don't want anyone to fall behind before we even get started.
This is Job #1 today. Please do this now. If you have questions or run into challenges, please send me an email, schedule a meeting, or ask me during today's Zoom call.
Here are the instructions from the Member Blogs post:
1. Go to blogger dot com and click on the buttons to sign in.
2. You can name your blog anything you like. I'm a fan of alliteration, e.g., "Isaiah's Ideas" or "Alicia's Academy" but this is your blog, so it's your choice. You can always change the name later if you get a better idea.
3. For the URL, please use this formula: [your first initial] [your last name] [smhs] [23]. For example, Jayleen Chavez would use the URL jchavezsmhs23.blogspot.com. All you need to do is type your first initial, your last name, and smhs23. Blogger will fill in the last part automatically.
4. Click "No thanks" if Blogger asks you about a domain name.
5. Click that orange button that says "Create Blog" and enjoy that sweet, sweet feeling of success.
6. Go to your blog online to double-check that the URL works and your blog is visible. You can do this either by typing in your URL, or by clicking "View Blog" on your Blogger dashboard (blue letters in the upper left corner of the screen).
7. Please copy/paste your URL and email it to me at dpreston.learning@gmail.com.
This is Job #1 today. Please do this now. If you have questions or run into challenges, please send me an email, schedule a meeting, or ask me during today's Zoom call.
Here are the instructions from the Member Blogs post:
1. Go to blogger dot com and click on the buttons to sign in.
2. You can name your blog anything you like. I'm a fan of alliteration, e.g., "Isaiah's Ideas" or "Alicia's Academy" but this is your blog, so it's your choice. You can always change the name later if you get a better idea.
3. For the URL, please use this formula: [your first initial] [your last name] [smhs] [23]. For example, Jayleen Chavez would use the URL jchavezsmhs23.blogspot.com. All you need to do is type your first initial, your last name, and smhs23. Blogger will fill in the last part automatically.
4. Click "No thanks" if Blogger asks you about a domain name.
5. Click that orange button that says "Create Blog" and enjoy that sweet, sweet feeling of success.
6. Go to your blog online to double-check that the URL works and your blog is visible. You can do this either by typing in your URL, or by clicking "View Blog" on your Blogger dashboard (blue letters in the upper left corner of the screen).
7. Please copy/paste your URL and email it to me at dpreston.learning@gmail.com.
august 19
JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: Fela Kuti's "Teacher Don't Teach Me No Nonsense"]
What makes a book interesting?
AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. The Right to Your Opinion (intro/ post a response on your blog)
3. Treasure Hunt
POST:
1. Welcome message on your blog
2. Your first impression/ response to "The Right to Your Opinion"(title: THE RIGHT TO MY OPINION)
What makes a book interesting?
AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. The Right to Your Opinion (intro/ post a response on your blog)
3. Treasure Hunt
POST:
1. Welcome message on your blog
2. Your first impression/ response to "The Right to Your Opinion"(title: THE RIGHT TO MY OPINION)
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
august 18
JOURNAL TOPIC:
Describe your most memorable moment from this class yesterday.
AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Recap of yesterday / Q & A
3. About "Richard Cory" and memorizing/reciting online
YOUR WORK:
1. Complete the tasks from yesterday and type "Did it" for each on the Google Sheet
2. ESPECIALLY THIS ONE:
Email Dr. Preston at dpreston.learning@gmail.com with:
a) confirmation of your name in the Member Blogs roster;
b)your class period; and
c) your blog's URL.
If you run into any challenges please email or schedule a meeting with me.
(Think about it. If you don't set up your blog, you won't be able to share your work, which means you won't get credit for doing anything in this course.)
2. Get a spiral notebook or a composition book that you can use as your journal.
3. Read "Richard Cory"
Describe your most memorable moment from this class yesterday.
AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Recap of yesterday / Q & A
3. About "Richard Cory" and memorizing/reciting online
YOUR WORK:
1. Complete the tasks from yesterday and type "Did it" for each on the Google Sheet
2. ESPECIALLY THIS ONE:
Email Dr. Preston at dpreston.learning@gmail.com with:
a) confirmation of your name in the Member Blogs roster;
b)your class period; and
c) your blog's URL.
If you run into any challenges please email or schedule a meeting with me.
(Think about it. If you don't set up your blog, you won't be able to share your work, which means you won't get credit for doing anything in this course.)
2. Get a spiral notebook or a composition book that you can use as your journal.
3. Read "Richard Cory"
reminders from day 1
Yesterday you were asked to visit the Google Sheet for your class, and type "Did it" once you accomplished four things:
1. Attended yesterday's Zoom meeting
2. Commented to the "Will this blog see tomorrow?" post
3. Completed the survey on the home page of the course blog
and
4. Created your blog and emailed the URL to me at dpreston.learning@gmail.com
Total, this should take about 15-20 minutes. TOPS.
Please don't fall behind. If you need help, please email or click the "Schedule a meeting with Dr. Preston" tab and we'll work on it together. I am going to review the videos from yesterday and count the people I can see, but that's not everyone. If I miss you, and if you don't complete #1 by 10:00 A.M. this morning, you will be counted absent for yesterday.
1. Attended yesterday's Zoom meeting
2. Commented to the "Will this blog see tomorrow?" post
3. Completed the survey on the home page of the course blog
and
4. Created your blog and emailed the URL to me at dpreston.learning@gmail.com
Total, this should take about 15-20 minutes. TOPS.
Please don't fall behind. If you need help, please email or click the "Schedule a meeting with Dr. Preston" tab and we'll work on it together. I am going to review the videos from yesterday and count the people I can see, but that's not everyone. If I miss you, and if you don't complete #1 by 10:00 A.M. this morning, you will be counted absent for yesterday.
Monday, August 17, 2020
day 1 zoom meetings
Thanks to everyone who participated in today's Zoom meetings! If you
missed your meeting, or if you want to review something. Special thanks to everyone who showed up for the period 7 meeting - due to the fact that it got cut short, please watch the period 6 meeting to catch up, and please book your meeting with me or send me an email so that I can answer any questions you may have.
links to sheets
zoomiquette
The word etiquette is defined as, "The practices and forms prescribed by social convention or by authority."
From the time we are little, we learn concepts of manners and politeness. We have choices around this; we can be rude, in which case we are known as rude, and we lose social capital in the form of relationships and opportunities. Observing social customs establishes us as people worthy of kindness and respect. People like to treat us in the ways we treat them.
Right now we are in new territory. We get the idea that we shouldn't track mud into the house or the classroom, but there isn't really a handbook for how we should conduct ourselves on Zoom. I'm interested in your ideas. If you have any suggestions for ways of participating that will make it easier for us to communicate as a group, please comment to this post. I'll update this with your ideas along the way.
To get the ball rolling, here are a couple suggestions:
From the time we are little, we learn concepts of manners and politeness. We have choices around this; we can be rude, in which case we are known as rude, and we lose social capital in the form of relationships and opportunities. Observing social customs establishes us as people worthy of kindness and respect. People like to treat us in the ways we treat them.
Right now we are in new territory. We get the idea that we shouldn't track mud into the house or the classroom, but there isn't really a handbook for how we should conduct ourselves on Zoom. I'm interested in your ideas. If you have any suggestions for ways of participating that will make it easier for us to communicate as a group, please comment to this post. I'll update this with your ideas along the way.
To get the ball rolling, here are a couple suggestions:
- Make a good decision about whether/how to use video. I think you should be in charge of whether your camera is on or off. A lot of our course is going to run on trust, and I'm not in the babysitting or surveillance business, so if you're playing poker with your stuffed animals while the camera is off, I'm going to assume that you are also going to get around to understanding what we're talking about and demonstrating that understanding on your course blog. If you do choose to join us on video, please make sure that you're proud of your appearance and whatever shows up in the background. Try not to light yourself like an interrogation suspect or a campfire ghost story teller. ***Most of our meetings will be recorded and embedded on this site, and you want to be proud of the you that the internet sees.***
- Mute your microphone. I want to hear from each and every single one of you. And, when you think about it, if there are 36 people in our class, and all of the microphones are on, we're actually listening to the background noises from 36 different sets of rooms. WOW! That's too much. So start with your microphone muted. You are welcome to chime in (yes, I mean you can interrupt me) at any point with a question or comment.
- Use the chat. Some teachers are threatened by students passing notes or making observations while the group is together. I happen to like it. 36 minds going at once is a powerful force, and if I'm on a roll, you may need to jot down your thought or question before you forget it. And, if you want to make fun of something you hear, go right ahead -- we all need a little humor these days. Just don't be offended when you read or hear my comeback.😝
- Be patient and kind. This is the most important thing on my list. All of us are operating with a large amount of weirdness these days, and that can create a lot of stress and anxiety. This first day of school is unlike any other, and my favorite thing about it is that we will be able to say we did it together.
Sunday, August 16, 2020
august 17
JOURNAL TOPIC: (today's tunes: "Move on Up" by Curtis Mayfield)
Hunter S. Thompson observed, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." How do you respond to challenges that arise from circumstances you didn't predict?
AGENDA:
1. To be an Open Source Learning network or not to be an Open Source Learning network?
2. Journal
3. "Richard Cory"
HW:
1. Memorize "Richard Cory"-- due in class Friday, August 17
2. Why "Richard Cory" now, when most World Literature courses start in chronological order with ? Because one year I taught this course, one of the funniest, most beloved people ever killed himself the day before school started. And I'm concerned-- between 2007 and 2015, teen suicide rates doubled for girls and went up 30% for boys. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, on average there are 123 suicides in America EVERY DAY. Please click the links & read the articles by the beginning of class tomorrow (Tuesday, August 14). Think about Richard Cory and come to class prepared to discuss how literature reflects the versions of ourselves that only we know.
Hunter S. Thompson observed, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." How do you respond to challenges that arise from circumstances you didn't predict?
AGENDA:
1. To be an Open Source Learning network or not to be an Open Source Learning network?
2. Journal
3. "Richard Cory"
HW:
1. Memorize "Richard Cory"-- due in class Friday, August 17
2. Why "Richard Cory" now, when most World Literature courses start in chronological order with ? Because one year I taught this course, one of the funniest, most beloved people ever killed himself the day before school started. And I'm concerned-- between 2007 and 2015, teen suicide rates doubled for girls and went up 30% for boys. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, on average there are 123 suicides in America EVERY DAY. Please click the links & read the articles by the beginning of class tomorrow (Tuesday, August 14). Think about Richard Cory and come to class prepared to discuss how literature reflects the versions of ourselves that only we know.
Q: I can't think of anything more important to learn than living. Can you?
A: Nope.
But it's a loaded topic. In order to learn how to live well, we'll
need to better understand our popular culture and economy, digital
technology, politics, and the environment. We also need to learn about
our own Mental Fitness, Physical Fitness, Cultural Fitness, Spiritual
Fitness (slow your roll -- it's not what you think), Civic Fitness, and
Technical Fitness.
will this blog see tomorrow?
It's an open question. Think about our first in-class/online discussion, ask
yourself what you really want out of this semester, and then comment to
this post with your decision and at least one reason for it. (NOTE:
As Benjamin Franklin famously observed, "We all hang together or we all
hang separately." We won't move forward unless all of us participate.)
I've created an approach to learning in which students use 2.0 tools to create their online identities, express themselves, and show the public what they can do.
I call the model Open-Source Learning and I define it with a mouthful: "A guided learning process that combines timeless best practices with today's tools in a way that empowers learners to create interdisciplinary paths of inquiry, communities of interest and critique, and a portfolio of knowledge capital that is directly transferable to the marketplace."
Students use Open-Source Learning to create a wild variety of personal goals, Big Questions, Collaborative Working Groups, and online portfolios of work that they can use for personal curiosity, self-improvement, or as a competitive advantage in applying for jobs, scholarships, and admission to colleges and universities. You can see a sample course blog here, some member blogs here, and sample masterpieces here and here.
Several members of the first Open Source Learning cohort made this video about the experience:
In an era when it seems like all you hear about school is how much it sucks, it's nice to see student achievement make positive waves. Check out this Open-Source Learning interview with students and Howard Rheingold, the man who literally wrote the book on The Virtual Community 20 years ago.
The defining characteristic of Open-Source Learning is that there is no chief; all of us are members of a network that is constantly evolving. Another key element is transparency. What we learn and how well we learn it, how we respond to setbacks, and even some of our favorite inspirations and habits of mind are right out there in public for everyone to see. Readers will rightly perceive what we curate as the best we have to offer.
And all this is Open. In thermodynamics, an open system exchanges substance, not just light and heat. To us, the important idea is that the network can change in composition and purpose. Every time you meet someone new and exchange ideas, you're not only enriching each other, you're changing your minds and contributing opportunities for others to do the same. In other words, you're learning and teaching* (*one of the most effective ways to learn).
We're not limited to one source for curriculum or instruction. We have a full slate of online conferences scheduled this year including authors, authorities on the Internet and social media, entrepreneurs, and others. A few years ago a mother/daughter team presented a lesson on class distinctions in Dickens & Dr. Seuss online. Ricky Luna invited a champion drummer to talk with students online about music and its connections to literature and life. If we read something that makes an impression we can reach out to the author. As you get the hang of this you'll come up with your own ideas. Testing them will give you a better sense of how to use the experience to your greatest advantage.
No one knows how learning actually works--what IS that little voice that tells you what you should've said 15 minutes after you should've said it? How does a subneuronal lightning storm somehow account for our experience of being conscious? We are not sure how to account for the individual experience and demonstration of learning. We are also not sure what exactly the individual should be learning about at a time when factoids are a search click away and the economy, the environment, and the future are all increasingly complex and uncertain.
Maybe this is why learning still seems magical. Maybe it shouldn't be. Maybe if we learned more about how we think we'd be better off. After all, how we think is a powerful influence on how we act. If you think of your blog work as a list of traditional school assignments/chores, you will treat it that way and it will show. Your friends will miss your posts and worry that you've moved to The House Beyond the Internet-- or that you're still at your place but trapped under something heavy. At any rate you'll be missing the whole point. This work should help you connect the dots between the interests that drive you, an academic course that derives its title from words hardly anyone uses in casual conversation, and practical tasks like applying for scholarships and college admissions. The general idea is for you to: do your best at something personally meaningful; learn about how you and others learn while you're in the act; and fine-tune your life accordingly. In addition to mastering the core curriculum, improving your own mind is the highest form of success in this course of study.
As you well know (Put that phone away or I'll confiscate it!), many people are worried about the use of technology in education. They are rightly concerned about safety, propriety, and focus: will learners benefit or will they put themselves at risk? The only way to conclusively prove that the benefits far outweigh the risks is to establish your identities and show yourselves great, both online and in meatspace. As we move forward you will learn how the Internet works, how you can be an effective online citizen, and how you can use 2.0 and 3.0 tools to achieve your personal and professional goals. You'll also learn a lot about writing and the habits of mind that make readers and writers successful communicators.
Because Open-Source Learning is a team sport, this is all your call. You have to decide if you want to pursue this new direction, or if you want to invent another possibility with or without digital and social media, or if you prefer the familiarity of the traditional approach. There is admittedly something comforting about the smell of an old book, even if it's a thirty-pound textbook that spent the summer in a pile of lost-and-found P.E. clothes. My perspective may be obvious but I'm just one voice. Please add yours with a comment below.
I've created an approach to learning in which students use 2.0 tools to create their online identities, express themselves, and show the public what they can do.
I call the model Open-Source Learning and I define it with a mouthful: "A guided learning process that combines timeless best practices with today's tools in a way that empowers learners to create interdisciplinary paths of inquiry, communities of interest and critique, and a portfolio of knowledge capital that is directly transferable to the marketplace."
Students use Open-Source Learning to create a wild variety of personal goals, Big Questions, Collaborative Working Groups, and online portfolios of work that they can use for personal curiosity, self-improvement, or as a competitive advantage in applying for jobs, scholarships, and admission to colleges and universities. You can see a sample course blog here, some member blogs here, and sample masterpieces here and here.
Several members of the first Open Source Learning cohort made this video about the experience:
In an era when it seems like all you hear about school is how much it sucks, it's nice to see student achievement make positive waves. Check out this Open-Source Learning interview with students and Howard Rheingold, the man who literally wrote the book on The Virtual Community 20 years ago.
The defining characteristic of Open-Source Learning is that there is no chief; all of us are members of a network that is constantly evolving. Another key element is transparency. What we learn and how well we learn it, how we respond to setbacks, and even some of our favorite inspirations and habits of mind are right out there in public for everyone to see. Readers will rightly perceive what we curate as the best we have to offer.
And all this is Open. In thermodynamics, an open system exchanges substance, not just light and heat. To us, the important idea is that the network can change in composition and purpose. Every time you meet someone new and exchange ideas, you're not only enriching each other, you're changing your minds and contributing opportunities for others to do the same. In other words, you're learning and teaching* (*one of the most effective ways to learn).
We're not limited to one source for curriculum or instruction. We have a full slate of online conferences scheduled this year including authors, authorities on the Internet and social media, entrepreneurs, and others. A few years ago a mother/daughter team presented a lesson on class distinctions in Dickens & Dr. Seuss online. Ricky Luna invited a champion drummer to talk with students online about music and its connections to literature and life. If we read something that makes an impression we can reach out to the author. As you get the hang of this you'll come up with your own ideas. Testing them will give you a better sense of how to use the experience to your greatest advantage.
No one knows how learning actually works--what IS that little voice that tells you what you should've said 15 minutes after you should've said it? How does a subneuronal lightning storm somehow account for our experience of being conscious? We are not sure how to account for the individual experience and demonstration of learning. We are also not sure what exactly the individual should be learning about at a time when factoids are a search click away and the economy, the environment, and the future are all increasingly complex and uncertain.
Maybe this is why learning still seems magical. Maybe it shouldn't be. Maybe if we learned more about how we think we'd be better off. After all, how we think is a powerful influence on how we act. If you think of your blog work as a list of traditional school assignments/chores, you will treat it that way and it will show. Your friends will miss your posts and worry that you've moved to The House Beyond the Internet-- or that you're still at your place but trapped under something heavy. At any rate you'll be missing the whole point. This work should help you connect the dots between the interests that drive you, an academic course that derives its title from words hardly anyone uses in casual conversation, and practical tasks like applying for scholarships and college admissions. The general idea is for you to: do your best at something personally meaningful; learn about how you and others learn while you're in the act; and fine-tune your life accordingly. In addition to mastering the core curriculum, improving your own mind is the highest form of success in this course of study.
As you well know (Put that phone away or I'll confiscate it!), many people are worried about the use of technology in education. They are rightly concerned about safety, propriety, and focus: will learners benefit or will they put themselves at risk? The only way to conclusively prove that the benefits far outweigh the risks is to establish your identities and show yourselves great, both online and in meatspace. As we move forward you will learn how the Internet works, how you can be an effective online citizen, and how you can use 2.0 and 3.0 tools to achieve your personal and professional goals. You'll also learn a lot about writing and the habits of mind that make readers and writers successful communicators.
Because Open-Source Learning is a team sport, this is all your call. You have to decide if you want to pursue this new direction, or if you want to invent another possibility with or without digital and social media, or if you prefer the familiarity of the traditional approach. There is admittedly something comforting about the smell of an old book, even if it's a thirty-pound textbook that spent the summer in a pile of lost-and-found P.E. clothes. My perspective may be obvious but I'm just one voice. Please add yours with a comment below.
Friday, August 14, 2020
zoom meetings on the first day of school
Hi All,
I look forward to meeting you on Monday! We will be meeting on Zoom by period on the school schedule. Please double-check your period's meeting time below, and click on the link (or scroll down to the next posts) to grab your invitation. Hope you enjoy what precious little remains of summer vacation.
Best,
Dr. Preston
SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 17
PERIOD 6: 1:40 P.M. - 2:20 P.M.
PERIOD 7: 2:30 P.M. - 3:10 P.M.
I look forward to meeting you on Monday! We will be meeting on Zoom by period on the school schedule. Please double-check your period's meeting time below, and click on the link (or scroll down to the next posts) to grab your invitation. Hope you enjoy what precious little remains of summer vacation.
Best,
Dr. Preston
SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 17
PERIOD 6: 1:40 P.M. - 2:20 P.M.
PERIOD 7: 2:30 P.M. - 3:10 P.M.
PERIOD 7 zoom invitation for monday august 17
David Preston is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Dr. Preston's Eng 3 period 7
Time: Aug 17, 2020 02:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84442615776?pwd=MW9weG5Xb0dUVFNYZGhyVVhYZlpKUT09
Meeting ID: 844 4261 5776
Passcode: 860326
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,84442615776#,,,,,,0#,,860326# US (San Jose)
+12532158782,,84442615776#,,,,,,0#,,860326# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 844 4261 5776
Passcode: 860326
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbWaiHCw0c
Topic: Dr. Preston's Eng 3 period 7
Time: Aug 17, 2020 02:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84442615776?pwd=MW9weG5Xb0dUVFNYZGhyVVhYZlpKUT09
Meeting ID: 844 4261 5776
Passcode: 860326
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,84442615776#,,,,,,0#,,860326# US (San Jose)
+12532158782,,84442615776#,,,,,,0#,,860326# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 844 4261 5776
Passcode: 860326
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbWaiHCw0c
PERIOD 6 zoom invitation for monday august 17
(***NOTE: The period doesn't start until 1:40, but Zoom schedules on the half hour. If you show up at 1:30 we can chat, and I'll begin the group conversation at 1:40.)
David Preston is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Dr. Preston's Eng 3 period 6
Time: Aug 17, 2020 01:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83847875816?pwd=VjRCVHZudTdzdnF6WldPMDR0Wmptdz09
Meeting ID: 838 4787 5816
Passcode: 017060
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,83847875816#,,,,,,0#,,017060# US (San Jose)
+12532158782,,83847875816#,,,,,,0#,,017060# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
Meeting ID: 838 4787 5816
Passcode: 017060
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/k7XlGTAZU
David Preston is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Dr. Preston's Eng 3 period 6
Time: Aug 17, 2020 01:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83847875816?pwd=VjRCVHZudTdzdnF6WldPMDR0Wmptdz09
Meeting ID: 838 4787 5816
Passcode: 017060
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,83847875816#,,,,,,0#,,017060# US (San Jose)
+12532158782,,83847875816#,,,,,,0#,,017060# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
Meeting ID: 838 4787 5816
Passcode: 017060
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/k7XlGTAZU
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
schedule your meeting with dr. preston
Hi! As the school year kicks off next week, things may get chaotic. I'd
like to reserve one quiet oasis of time with each of you so we can say
hello and I can answer any questions you may have. Your parents/guardians are welcome to join us. Please reserve your
spot on my calendar by clicking HERE. I look forward to meeting you!
Friday, August 7, 2020
member blogs
In our course you will create your own blog, which is where you will share your writing and ideas about our study and whatever else you're thinking about.
(Did you notice the link in that first sentence? Did you click on it? Did you learn something new?)
Our course is going to run a little differently than what you're used to and what you'll be doing on Canvas with your other teachers this year. Traditionally, the classroom is a closed system. The teacher is the authority figure and the source of the information that students receive:
This approach to education hasn't changed for centuries, even once schools began using computers:
But that isn't really the best way to learn on the internet, or in life. In the classroom, most of the time you have to sit still, be quiet, and keep your eyes on your own paper. Outside of the classroom, we communicate with each other and we experiment to figure things out. On the internet, we click links and look at videos to see how stuff works. We ask friends or we find people who seem to know what they're talking about. Those approaches look more like this:
The image below on the left may look like astronomy, but it's actually a map of the internet. The picture on the right is how a typical first week looks in my classroom.
Take a moment and check out the Member Blogs page tab. (For future reference, you can find the Member Blogs page on the web version of this blog in one of the tabs just underneath the title banner on the home page. If you're looking at the mobile version, use the drop down and scroll from HOME to MEMBER BLOGS.)
That page is where we will maintain a directory of your blogs throughout the year. You'll be able to see what other students -- er, members of our network (words are important/ see note at bottom) -- think and how they design their online space. You'll even be able to comment and pick up tips from each other. If someone does something you like, tell them so and ask them how they did it. If you're looking for an example or inspiration, you can see the Member Blogs page from a 2018-19 course here.
This blog and most student blogs are created on Blogger, which I recommend because it's quick to set up, it works well with gmail and all things Google, and it's easy to customize.
Here's how to do it:
1. Go to blogger dot com and click on the buttons to sign in.
2. You can name your blog anything you like. I'm a fan of alliteration, e.g., "Isaiah's Ideas" or "Alicia's Academy" but this is your blog, so it's your choice. You can always change the name later if you get a better idea.
3. For the URL, please use this formula: [your first initial] [your last name] [smhs] [23]. For example, Jayleen Chavez would use the URL jchavezsmhs23.blogspot.com. All you need to do is type your first initial, your last name, and smhs23. Blogger will fill in the last part automatically.
4. Click "No thanks" if Blogger asks you about a domain name.
5. Click that orange button that says "Create Blog" and enjoy that sweet, sweet feeling of success.
6. Go to your blog online to double-check that the URL works and your blog is visible. You can do this either by typing in your URL, or by clicking "View Blog" on your Blogger dashboard (blue letters in the upper left corner of the screen).
7. Please copy/paste your URL and email it to me at dpreston.learning@gmail.com.
In that email, please also include:
1. Your name as you'd like to be known in this course. Since we're not meeting in class yet, I had to make guesses based on what I saw in Aeries -- please find your name in the Members Blog and make sure it's correct.
2. The period number for the class you're enrolled in.
3. Anything else you'd like to ask or share.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Please also make a note of that email address. I check it much more often than my school email, and it's easier for me to use on multiple devices.
If you're new to this, or you need help, or if any of this makes you nervous, let's talk. We can do this together during the first week of school. If you have any questions or want to check in between now and then, I'd be happy to meet you this week! Feel free to email me anytime at dpreston.learning@gmail.com. If you'd like, we can even set up a Zoom call to introduce ourselves, and you are welcome to invite your parents/guardians too.
If you're already familiar with social media and blogging, and you feeling comfortable diving in (meaning you already curate online and you are confident in learning, using, and understanding a platform, including security/privacy), go right ahead. You can use Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr, or whatever platform you think will most effectively help you tell your learning story. If you're new to this, or you need help, or you're reluctant, you're not alone. Let's talk. You can ask me anything about this in class when we meet on Zoom, or, if you don't want to live in suspense until then, you can email me at dpreston.learning@gmail.com.
[*Every once in a while, an Open-Source Learning Network member asks me: "Why do you say 'members' and not 'students'? Because the choice to become an Open-Source Learning Network is democratic. On the first day of school, you will determine how this course will run. It will not be like any other first-day-of-school conversation you've ever had, unless you've learned with me before. If I forget to mention it when we meet, please remind me to explain "have to" v. "get to."]
(Did you notice the link in that first sentence? Did you click on it? Did you learn something new?)
Our course is going to run a little differently than what you're used to and what you'll be doing on Canvas with your other teachers this year. Traditionally, the classroom is a closed system. The teacher is the authority figure and the source of the information that students receive:
This approach to education hasn't changed for centuries, even once schools began using computers:
But that isn't really the best way to learn on the internet, or in life. In the classroom, most of the time you have to sit still, be quiet, and keep your eyes on your own paper. Outside of the classroom, we communicate with each other and we experiment to figure things out. On the internet, we click links and look at videos to see how stuff works. We ask friends or we find people who seem to know what they're talking about. Those approaches look more like this:
The image below on the left may look like astronomy, but it's actually a map of the internet. The picture on the right is how a typical first week looks in my classroom.
Take a moment and check out the Member Blogs page tab. (For future reference, you can find the Member Blogs page on the web version of this blog in one of the tabs just underneath the title banner on the home page. If you're looking at the mobile version, use the drop down and scroll from HOME to MEMBER BLOGS.)
That page is where we will maintain a directory of your blogs throughout the year. You'll be able to see what other students -- er, members of our network (words are important/ see note at bottom) -- think and how they design their online space. You'll even be able to comment and pick up tips from each other. If someone does something you like, tell them so and ask them how they did it. If you're looking for an example or inspiration, you can see the Member Blogs page from a 2018-19 course here.
This blog and most student blogs are created on Blogger, which I recommend because it's quick to set up, it works well with gmail and all things Google, and it's easy to customize.
Here's how to do it:
1. Go to blogger dot com and click on the buttons to sign in.
2. You can name your blog anything you like. I'm a fan of alliteration, e.g., "Isaiah's Ideas" or "Alicia's Academy" but this is your blog, so it's your choice. You can always change the name later if you get a better idea.
3. For the URL, please use this formula: [your first initial] [your last name] [smhs] [23]. For example, Jayleen Chavez would use the URL jchavezsmhs23.blogspot.com. All you need to do is type your first initial, your last name, and smhs23. Blogger will fill in the last part automatically.
4. Click "No thanks" if Blogger asks you about a domain name.
5. Click that orange button that says "Create Blog" and enjoy that sweet, sweet feeling of success.
6. Go to your blog online to double-check that the URL works and your blog is visible. You can do this either by typing in your URL, or by clicking "View Blog" on your Blogger dashboard (blue letters in the upper left corner of the screen).
7. Please copy/paste your URL and email it to me at dpreston.learning@gmail.com.
In that email, please also include:
1. Your name as you'd like to be known in this course. Since we're not meeting in class yet, I had to make guesses based on what I saw in Aeries -- please find your name in the Members Blog and make sure it's correct.
2. The period number for the class you're enrolled in.
3. Anything else you'd like to ask or share.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Please also make a note of that email address. I check it much more often than my school email, and it's easier for me to use on multiple devices.
If you're new to this, or you need help, or if any of this makes you nervous, let's talk. We can do this together during the first week of school. If you have any questions or want to check in between now and then, I'd be happy to meet you this week! Feel free to email me anytime at dpreston.learning@gmail.com. If you'd like, we can even set up a Zoom call to introduce ourselves, and you are welcome to invite your parents/guardians too.
If you're already familiar with social media and blogging, and you feeling comfortable diving in (meaning you already curate online and you are confident in learning, using, and understanding a platform, including security/privacy), go right ahead. You can use Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr, or whatever platform you think will most effectively help you tell your learning story. If you're new to this, or you need help, or you're reluctant, you're not alone. Let's talk. You can ask me anything about this in class when we meet on Zoom, or, if you don't want to live in suspense until then, you can email me at dpreston.learning@gmail.com.
[*Every once in a while, an Open-Source Learning Network member asks me: "Why do you say 'members' and not 'students'? Because the choice to become an Open-Source Learning Network is democratic. On the first day of school, you will determine how this course will run. It will not be like any other first-day-of-school conversation you've ever had, unless you've learned with me before. If I forget to mention it when we meet, please remind me to explain "have to" v. "get to."]
the right tool for the job
In the words of Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish philosopher whose work influenced prominent writers and thinkers from Charles Dickens to Ralph Waldo Emerson:
It's easy to mistake the use of the internet in learning as a simple way to make the same ol' same ol' seem a little more entertaining. What we're doing now goes way beyond that. Today you have the ability to use multiple media in ways that most effectively communicate your ideas and your sense of self. As you select from a rapidly expanding online toolbox, keep in mind that every tool we use has a form, a function, a capacity to be interpreted (and sometimes hacked) by users, and even a "DNA" instilled by its creators that influences the way it's perceived and adopted.
Technology doesn't necessarily mean electronics. If you ask any serious writer, s/he will tell you that the action on a keyboard, the balance of a pen, or the texture of paper can make just as much difference as processing speed. And there are those times when nothing does the job like a simple, classic, well-made tool. Here is a picture of me holding a 2 million year-old Acheulean Paleolithic bifacial hand axe-- the longest used tool in human history. It fit my hand perfectly, right down to the indentations for thumb and fingers, like it was custom-made for me-- an especially rare experience for a lefty.
Apart from the perfect feel/form/function, there is something about an enduring classic that doesn't hold true for the phone you buy today that will be non-state-of-the-art in a few months. This is about more than craft, art, or even quality: this sort of attention to detail is the product of loving care. It's the difference between home-cooked and store-bought. For real practitioners of anything worthwhile, tools aren't just about techne, they are extensions of our humanity. Ask anyone who plays their music on a turntable, develops their own photographs, or sends handwritten letters.
And if all that didn't convince you to re-examine the tools you use and why, sometimes, even a 39-second commercial is the right tool for the persuasive job:
Man is a tool-using animal. Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all.
It's easy to mistake the use of the internet in learning as a simple way to make the same ol' same ol' seem a little more entertaining. What we're doing now goes way beyond that. Today you have the ability to use multiple media in ways that most effectively communicate your ideas and your sense of self. As you select from a rapidly expanding online toolbox, keep in mind that every tool we use has a form, a function, a capacity to be interpreted (and sometimes hacked) by users, and even a "DNA" instilled by its creators that influences the way it's perceived and adopted.
Technology doesn't necessarily mean electronics. If you ask any serious writer, s/he will tell you that the action on a keyboard, the balance of a pen, or the texture of paper can make just as much difference as processing speed. And there are those times when nothing does the job like a simple, classic, well-made tool. Here is a picture of me holding a 2 million year-old Acheulean Paleolithic bifacial hand axe-- the longest used tool in human history. It fit my hand perfectly, right down to the indentations for thumb and fingers, like it was custom-made for me-- an especially rare experience for a lefty.
Apart from the perfect feel/form/function, there is something about an enduring classic that doesn't hold true for the phone you buy today that will be non-state-of-the-art in a few months. This is about more than craft, art, or even quality: this sort of attention to detail is the product of loving care. It's the difference between home-cooked and store-bought. For real practitioners of anything worthwhile, tools aren't just about techne, they are extensions of our humanity. Ask anyone who plays their music on a turntable, develops their own photographs, or sends handwritten letters.
And if all that didn't convince you to re-examine the tools you use and why, sometimes, even a 39-second commercial is the right tool for the persuasive job:
create your blog
What do you use the internet for? To shop? Game? Connect on social media platforms
like FaceBook, YouTube, Instagram or Snapchat? If you've used the internet for
school, you're probably operating in a "walled garden"
like OneDrive on
the school-issued tablets. Most
of you haven't yet learned digital branding or security. That's not
your fault, but it can become your problem if you don't understand who owns
or uses the content you create. The problem
with walled gardens is that you don't own your work, and no one outside
the garden-- like employers, college admissions officers, and
scholarship judges-- can see your work, any more than they can walk into
your classroom and see how well you take a test or answer a question.
Spoiler: if you're not telling your own story online, you can bet that someone else is. It's time to learn how to present yourself in the way you want to be seen, so that your work creates value and opportunities for you. In the old days, you'd write an essay that one person would see, mark up, and return to you privately. Now you can write online and get feedback that will actually help you, while your progress and your ideas impress everyone who sees it.
In this course you will create an online presence.
See the Member Blogs page tab just below the title image? That is where we will maintain a directory of everyone's blog. (You can get an idea from last year's classes here.) If you're already familiar with social media and blogging, and you feeling comfortable diving in, go ahead and use Blogger, WordPress, Postach.io, Tumblr, or whatever platform you think will most effectively help you tell your learning story. If you're new to this, or you need help, or if any of this makes you nervous, let's talk. We can do this during the first week of school, or if you don't want to live in suspense you can email me anytime at dpreston.learning@gmail.com.
Spoiler: if you're not telling your own story online, you can bet that someone else is. It's time to learn how to present yourself in the way you want to be seen, so that your work creates value and opportunities for you. In the old days, you'd write an essay that one person would see, mark up, and return to you privately. Now you can write online and get feedback that will actually help you, while your progress and your ideas impress everyone who sees it.
In this course you will create an online presence.
See the Member Blogs page tab just below the title image? That is where we will maintain a directory of everyone's blog. (You can get an idea from last year's classes here.) If you're already familiar with social media and blogging, and you feeling comfortable diving in, go ahead and use Blogger, WordPress, Postach.io, Tumblr, or whatever platform you think will most effectively help you tell your learning story. If you're new to this, or you need help, or if any of this makes you nervous, let's talk. We can do this during the first week of school, or if you don't want to live in suspense you can email me anytime at dpreston.learning@gmail.com.
hello & welcome
Welcome!
Hi,
I'm looking forward to kicking off the 2020-21 school year with Santa Maria High School students. Since we don't have the opportunity for an orientation or a summer prep plan, I'm starting the course blog now. SMHS students - and anyone else who wants to learn along with us - can visit anytime. Everything you need for the course will be right here. As we get rolling, we will also use this space and other online media for collaborating, sharing information, finding scholarships, posting multimedia projects, and anything else we dream up and/or find useful.
Please bookmark this URL and follow the blog so that you can receive updates automatically. If you don't know your way around blogs or the Internet, have no fear-- we will be dedicating time to this, and you also probably have friends/relatives who can help.*
(*Working with each other to do a task and achieve shared goals is the definition of collaboration. Collaboration is not cheating. We learn better when we learn together, and we will be doing most of our learning together this year. I hate writing this next part because it feels so high school teacher-y, but I want to avoid any misunderstanding-- so... Please Note: Some tasks will require you to demonstrate your individual mastery of close reading, concept and skill mastery, and organizing your own thoughts and expressing them in writing. Don't even think about cheating when you know it's cheating -- it's embarrassingly easy to spot, especially online.)
In time I hope every single person who participates in this course connects with a personally meaningful interest, finds people & resources to support that interest, and takes charge of his/her own learning journey. For now, please feel free to post any questions or comments here or email me at dpreston.learning@gmail.com. Sapere aude. I look forward to meeting you!
Best,
Dr. Preston
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