Tuesday, February 2nd

Objectives
Evaluate the role of solitude and nature in creating a life worth living

Starter #14

• Are you afraid of being alone? Why or why not?
• When you think of solitude, what memories, feelings, personal experiences come to mind? 

Class Biz

1. Don't forget about the honors expo tonight!!  5:30, Steaming Bean. Be there.
   
2. Coffee shop for class Friday?
   
3. Do you guys want "the man who quit money" to come speak to our class before LINK?

Agenda
Review yesterday's reading and key ideas that stood out

Turkle TED Talk:  Connected But Alone TED Talk 

1. (Give students transcript)  
2. Watch TED Talk (20 minutes)
3. During talk, write down one idea/phrase/word,/concept that stands out to you
4. After talk, write down one question you would like to ask this researcher, or that this talk sparked for you.
5. With your partner, share your idea/phrase/word/concept, and talk about them.  Notice similarities and differences.
6. What was the thesis of this talk?  What, ultimately, is she trying to say about our use of technology?

Class Discussion on Turkle's TED Talk 

1. Share your questions: discuss them as  class
2. “…our little devices, those little devices in our pockets, are so psychologically powerful that they don’t only change what we do, they change who we are.”  What does she mean?  Do you agree or disagree?  Why?  Dig deep!
3. She talks in this TED Talk about the following question:  “What’s wrong with having a conversation?”  How would you answer this question?  Why do you think that people are more comfortable with other modes of conversation?  Do you see this in your own life?
4. “We’re lonely, but we’re afraid of intimacy.”  True?  Untrue?  In what ways?
5. Turkle lists three fantasies she believes are perpetuated by technology.  Which of these do you think you have bought into the most?  Why is this fantasy attractive?  What are the dangers of believing these things?:
   1. That we will never have to be alone
   2. That we will always be heard
   3. That we can put our attention wherever we want it to be

  6. If your identity is created through connections via social media and technology, what happens to your identity if those connections are taken away?  Is there a problem in having an identity so shaped by these forces, or is this just a new way of being, no better or worse than other ways, just different?

A different perspective from Turkle's TED Talk: "Technology Made Us Humans": 

1. Do you agree with the narrator in the Shots of Awe video we watched today that, "Technology is the real skin of our species?" Why or why not?
2. Are there fundamental differences between technological tools like an ax to chop wood and technological devices like smartphones? If so what are those differences especially in terms of the ways the two types of tools shape/help/impact us?

2nd period: Lit Circle Meeting #5

• 10 minutes to review your notes (SILENTLY) or add to your reaction as needed
• 30 minutes: Group discussion
• 20 minutes: Time to read

INTO THE WILD GROUPS-- Focus on Ch. 15 (pages 147-8, 150, 155-6) and the similarities and differences between Chris and Jon Krakauer.

• Create a Venn Diagram and map out the sims/diffs 
• Then analyze the quote by David B. on page 145 and how it applies to Chris and Jon.