Blog Archives

Tuesday, December 15th: DAY 2 POL Prep

12/15/2015

0 Comments

Do you feel like this kid right now?

Don't worry! Soon you'll have passed your POL and be like this kid.

Or like these guys!

8:25-9:25: Interviewing Tips and Practice

How to handle Q and A coaching (15 minutes): Teacher-led role play
- When answering a question, you can….
  - Ask for more time
  - Be quiet for a few moments
  - Ask for clarification
  - Give specific examples
  - Take the question and run with it
    - I.E. What have you read recently that you enjoyed? “Oh, I don’t like reading very much”. Wrong answer. Make something up! You’ve read several things in Humanities but just don’t say ‘for class, I had to read…”.
Time to individually brainstorm answers to the questions (30 minutes)
Speed dating round practicing questions and answers (15 minutes)

9:25-9:45: BREAK

9:45-11:15: Work Time (Parts 5 and 6 of the Planning Packet)

11:15-12:00 LUNCH

12:00-1:30: Rehearse/Peer Critique

Go over instructions for peer critique

In groups of 4-5 take turns presenting your POL and responding to questions from the panel (PANELIST QUESTION BANK)
Peer critiquers: Use the rubric to provide Positive, Specific and Meaningful feedback

1:30-1:45: BREAK

1:45-2:15 Refinement or attend George's POL!

2:15-3:15: Advisory (continue working if you need)

0 Comments

POL Prep: Monday, December 14th

12/14/2015

0 Comments

POL Prep Resources

POL Planning Packet (must be filled out by you and submitted to the teacher in whose room you are spending these two days)
POL Task Statement
POL Panelist Question Bank
POL Rubric

TODAY'S AGENDA
8:15-9:45

CLASS Biz

See the whiteboard's Announcements
Ashley's Journal from walking the trail

POL Prep
1. A Case of the Monday's and Office Space: "Interview with the Bob's" Scene
2. Go over the agenda for today and tomorrow
3. Review POL Expectations

Be sure to highlight Strengths AND areas of growth
Directly address the question “How do you make this place better?’
Don't say your weakness is procrastination! Automatic 1 in the content category of the rubrc
Be creative!
Q and A from students about guidelines

4. Critique Past Student Examples
A. Critique Tristan's using the ruric: Tristan's Rap (recording) Tristan's rap (lyrics)

Individually fill out the rubric
Small group share out
Whole class discussion

B. Check out a few more examples and informally chat about the quality of the example according to the rubric

Marley: Video and Brochure
Sarah L.
Brandon Navratil
Ethan-- painting 1, painting 2

5. Academic and Cultural Strengths

Example of a thoughtful comments: "I appreciate the insightful comments you contribute during small group discussions and seminar"; "You are a talented artist and always give helpful critique on my art projects for Humanities exhibitions"; "Your writing skills are through the roof and I'm impressed by how strong of a poet you are"; "You always have a positive thing to say to someone to brighten their day"; "You are non-judgmental and that helps make other students feel comfortable at Animas". "I appreciate the ways in which you provide a different perspective for us in our discussions"
Write your name on top of a paper
Pass your paper around and highlight strengths in that person in both the academic and cultural/social sense

9:45-10:00 BREAK

10:00-10:45
Thinking Outside the Box On Ways to Contribute Discussion

Video #1 Danny Macaskill-- Kinesthetic Learner, opening our minds to what is possible on a bike (5 minutes)
Video #2: Sir Ken Robinson: "Life is your talent discovered" (figure out what you're talented at, we need all types!)
Reading #1: Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
Reading #2: Roles People Play in Groups

Discussion Questions:
A. How do these ideas/readings challenge traditional models of education and notions of "success" in school?
B. How does this content inform your understanding of your own intellectual and cultural strengths AND areas for growth? Decide which of Gardner's Intelligences you think you most possess and which you need to work on strengthening AND which of the "roles" from reading #2 that most correspond to you and which you think it would be helpful to you to improve. WHY?
C. What are other ways NOT discussed in these readings that you can contribute to culture? (peer critiquing? unique perspectives/backgrounds?) For example, if you are a hardworking student who focuses exclusively on academics and is not in any clubs, etc... is that a positive contribution? Why/why not?
D. How can you or others bring these ideas INTO POLs?

10:45-11:30: Open Brainstorm time: Complete pages 2 and 4 of the PLANNING PACKET
GOAL: Coming out of this you should be able to identify at least 3 key strengths in your academic and cultural contributions and LINK/COLLEGE at Animas and SUPER SPECIFIC pieces of evidence to support each strength as well as 3 areas for refinement AND ideas for how you'll present your POL.

11:30-12:10 LUNCH

12:10- 1:10: Work Time

Coming out of this you must have a draft of your deliverable (What is your POL content and HOW will you deliver the message? i.e. powerpoint, song, rap, extended metaphor, act, etc..)
Email your supervising teacher your draft (ticket out the door)
Complete Steps 2 and 4 of the planning packet (pages 3 and 5)
Create a draft or outline of HOW you'll deliver your presentation.

1:10-1:20 Share-out: What types of evidence can you use? (be specific); What are creative ideas for presenting your POL? Make a list on the whiteboard.

1:20-2:15 Work time to the end of the day (fill out planning packet)

0 Comments

Friday, 12/11

12/11/2015

0 Comments

DP Update and Reflection Day!!

Goal:
Reflect on your learning experience so that you better understand yourself as a learner, demonstrate critical thinking not just on WHAT you're studying but WHY you're studying it, and so that you can help Ashley refine the process for future students.

Starter: Take the end of project/exhibition reflection survey posted above or linked HERE

Class Biz

Don't Forget to Email me your Final Op-Ed Draft!
Take a photo of your art piece for your DP
Place your art piece in the corner of the room by the filing cabinets
Submit your op-ed to a newspaper for publication! Honors, this is required: instructions and links for submitting op-eds
Today's wonky schedule for viewing Most Likely to Succeed

Agenda
1. Debrief exhibition as a class

2. Example of an A+ DP Reflection + Review DP Update/Reflection guidelines

How do you reference the rubric for the writing growth paragraph?
Who needs a refresher on how to link your drafts to your DP?
If you want to do a video recording of your reflection, you may do so, but the depth of reflection needs to be high quality! Each response should be the equivalent of a full paragraph of writing. You'll need to record it and find a way to link it to your DP.

3. Work Time Priorities and Resources

Final DP Update and Project Reflection (due Monday, B.O.C)
Op-ed and Part 2 Rubrics
POL brainstorm

POL Resources

0 Comments

Thursday, 12/10

12/10/2015

0 Comments

Starter #54
Write your spiel for exhibition

Class Biz

Reminder: Don't park in front of DJ's and please ask your family to purchase beverages if possible!
Expo is 5:30-7
Be there 10 minutes early to set up your own stuff
If you are helping with set-up be there at 5
POL schedule

Agenda
1. Conflict Resolution and Speed dating for exhibition prep

2. Work Time: Must complete today by the end of class

Print your op-ed
Staple it to construction paper and turn into the turn-in box
Email Ashley your final op-ed as well
Mount your photoshopped poster to a firmer background (if this applies to you)
Take a photo of your art piece to put on your DP (if this applies to you)
Bring your art piece to exhibition AND bring it back to school tomorrow!

Resources

check-list for exhibition prep

0 Comments

Wednesday, 12/9

12/9/2015

0 Comments

Goals:

Articulate WHY why we're doing this exhibition
Get dialed for our exhibition

Starter #53: FREE WRITE!!

Agenda:
1. MPJ exhibition article in The Herald

What are your reactions to the comments?

Why are we doing this exhibition? (What do I want you and community members to take away from this experience? Why would I choose to hold it in a coffee house?)

2. Class Biz

Who needs an easel at Durango Joes?
Posters for printing on the plotter-- emailed to me by 7:45 am tomorrow (that's a change)
Time of exhibition and requirements for dress, what you bring, etc...
Friday party!
Any questions about exhibition prep?

3. Work time options

check-list for exhibition prep

Final DP Update and Project Reflection
Op-ed and Part 2 Rubrics
POL brainstorm

0 Comments

Tuesday, 12/8

12/8/2015

0 Comments

Starter #52

What is the purpose of POLs?
What questions do you have about POLs?
What have been memorable student POL's in the past? What made them stand out as particularly good or bad?

Class Biz
Isabel, Reed and Thane-- chat with me about what you missed yesterday

Agenda
1. Go over starter responses
2. Go over POL Guidelines

*Note: We will be devoting ALL of Monday and Tuesday of next week to guiding you guys through a structured POL planning process with lots of work time. You can get started brainstorming and drafting ideas, but we will be teaching you a few things that you'll need to integrate into your POL, so keep that in mind.

3. Work Time

0 Comments

Monday 12/7

12/7/2015

0 Comments

Today's Goal: Plan your work time goals for the week and execute them!

Starter #51
Respond to the following quote:

"I always wanted a happy ending... Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity." - Gilda Radner

Some questions to spur your response:

What does Gilda mean by "delicious ambiguity"?
Do you agree with her words here? Why or why not?
Are you someone who tends to want structure, control, certainty? Does not knowing what's going to happen next or not being able to plan cause you anxiety? Do you like to make a lot of lists? Do you get oddly excited about crossing things of your to do list? What are the pros/cons of that?
What would be an alternative way of being? What are the pros/cons of that way?

Class Biz

Send this facebook invite to your friends and family! Promote or expo!
A note about parking and purchasing products at our exhibition
Sign-up for class party contributions
If you signed up for an exhibition prep role, meet with me during work time today!

Agenda
1. Go over Project Reflection and DP Update guidelines

2. Determine your priorities for work time and estimate how long your political campaign project piece will take you to work on by filling out the second page of this checklist for exhibition prep

3. Work Time

Achieve your objectives based on the starter checklist and goal setting sheet!

0 Comments

Friday, 12/4

12/4/2015

0 Comments

Starter #50: FREE WRITE!!! Let those creative juices flow!

Need some prompts? Just let yourself journal non-stop about any one of these questions:

What keeps you awake at night?
What is a memory that remains really vivid in your mind?
What is a particularly interesting, odd, enlightening, or humorous encounter you have had with a stranger or acquaintance in your life?
What is something you are pondering in your life right now?
What was your favorite place to be/go as a child?

Agenda
1. Evaluate this example works cited page (go to page 3)
Part 1: Basic Observations:

What do you notice about the order in which the citations are listed?
What do you notice about the formatting?

Part 2: Evaluate the credibility of the sources:

Which one(s) seem to be the most credible? Why?
Which one do you have some doubt about its credibility? Why?
Which source seems like it would be the most biased? Why?
What perspective does this student seem to be omitting? Why type of source would you recommend he/she seek out to balance the types of sources cited here?

2. Work Time

0 Comments

Thursday, 12/3

12/3/2015

0 Comments

Starter #48
React to the following quote. What is "the rat race". What does the quote mean to you? Are you caught up in a "rat race"? If so, which one? Why? How can you get out of it? Should you?

"The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat."
—Lily Tomlin

Class Biz
Honors lunch meeting today
Submit your refined op-ed to the Quill if you would like!!

Agenda

Go over starter responses
Mini Lesson: Common errors in your op-ed articles with student examples

Read through the common errors and talk to your neighbor about which are relevant to your own op-ed.
Read through the student examples and identify one example you think as particularly strong AND helpful for your own writing.

How to cite the U.S. Constitution: U.S. Constitution. Amend. XII, Sec. 3.
Work Time (if you didn't submit the project proposal yesterday, it is due and late!)

0 Comments

Wednesday, 12/2

12/2/2015

0 Comments

Starter #48:
Review the article we read yesterday ("I don't want to be Right") and journal on any of the following seminar discussion questions for the next 10 minutes:

Describe the research question Professor Brendan Nyhan sought to answer with his 2014 Vaccine study
What do the results from this study reveal about people and their beliefs?
Why do you think people's ideologies are so tied up to their identity and self-worth?
What beliefs do you hold that when challenged make you defensive and might be tied to your identity?
How does this affect your perspective on our Morality and Politics of Justice Project (your own political issue opinion, trying to persuade other people, our coffee house exhibition, etc...)
How might this article affect how you seek information and form opinions in the future?
How does this article relate to our starter quote? If you are always seeking truth, do you never take a stand? Are you therefore identity-less?

Agenda
1. Seminar on "I don't want to be right"
2. Work time:

Did you complete the project proposal?
Work on your project!
Research and refine op-ed

0 Comments

<<Previous

Daily Blog

Tuesday, December 15th: DAY 2 POL Prep

POL Prep: Monday, December 14th

Friday, 12/11

Thursday, 12/10

Wednesday, 12/9

Tuesday, 12/8

Monday 12/7

Friday, 12/4

Thursday, 12/3

Wednesday, 12/2

Archives

Categories

Ashley Carruth