Friday, June 6, 2014

this is it

It was great to see everyone this morning!  So many sharply dressed success stories, so many proud families.  The bleachers are full of parents, grandparents, and little ones carrying flowers and stuffed animals. People who don't normally wear socks are wearing ties. The opening strains of "Pomp & Circumstance" are calling to those still looking for parking spots.  Time for the last official post to the 2013-2014 course blog.* (*Please feel free to join the fun over at the 2014-2015 course blog or at opensourcelearning.net, which will launch over the summer.) 



I am proud to be a member of this community.  You have all accomplished a great deal this year, in so many different ways, and I hope you're proud too.  Thank you for all your contributions to this learning experience.  I wish each and every single one of you great success, and I look forward to following your adventures online and in person.   


Sapere Aude.
Dr. Preston



class of 2014 grad lounge is open


Wednesday, June 4, 2014

608 grad lounge

The room will be open from 8-10:30 (when you have to report at the gym).  If you want to nab an early parking spot or just hang with friends/family over coffee/tea/donuts, come on by.

opensourcelearning.net

I am starting a website where members/observers of any Open Source Learning network can exchange ideas, experiences and opportunities, no matter where they are or what they're learning/doing.

The URL is opensourcelearning.net.  There's nothing there yet, which is why I'm posting this:

If you know anything about WordPress and/or would like to help me create a minimal "future home of" page that includes an email sign-up and a forum where conversations can begin, please stop by and let's launch it.  If I'm left to my own devices it'll take a little longer; either way, I will send an invitation email blast when it's up. 

no one said "have a great summer" like thoreau

kudos: final edition

Congratulations to the following students-- and everyone this year!-- on their college admissions, scholarship wins, and amazing accomplishments.  I'm honored to have been a part of this network and I look forward to hearing about your future exploits.

Miranda Nillo (Henry Mayo Scholarship $5k; Marine Honor; Filipino Seniors $250; AVU Scholarship)
Bianca & Ashley (their comic strip is getting fan mail!)
Lesther Valenzuela (Filipino American Scholarship; Filipino Seniors $250; NAACP Scholarship)
Mia Levy (PTSA Scholarship)
Ian Steller (President's Award; SMEEAA Scholarship)
Rachel Shedd (Ian Hassett Memorial Art Scholarship)
Taylor Duguran (Scholar Athlete Award)
Jacob Caldwell (United States Marine Corps)
Bailey Wineman (Y.O.Y.O. Scholarship $500)
Jenna Noce (RHS Booster Scholarship)
Paige Logan (SFSB $3k; Union Scholarship $2500; Cal Soap $1k)
Hannah Savaso (RHS Booster Scholarship; PTSA Scholarship; Henry Mayo Scholarship; Newhall Foundation Scholarship; Ivy Pergosen Scholarship; Ben Paine Scholarship)
Michaila Bohard (Swim/Math RHS $1k)

If I missed anyone, or if you've done something amazing since I posted this, please let me/us know in class or comment below.

june 4 & 5: final

AGENDA:

1. Final exam
2. Fuel
3. Reflection: individual/group
4. Inspiration: program
5. Celebration: acknowledgments

learning without a ceiling

Over Memorial Day weekend my daughter and I joined the (1st Annual?) Steller Family Science Expedition in Yosemite National Park.  Melissa Steller, her father Mark, family friend Josh, 26 colleagues in learning, and a talented, dedicated team of NatureBridge educators created an experience I'll never forget.  Since the trip was Melissa's masterpiece I didn't want to post about it before she gave her presentation.  Now that she has, here are a few images and observations as we close the year. 


We aim high.




But sometimes it's hard to see the forest for the trees.



Especially when you're stuck in a box.

 [Photo courtesy of Camillia Lanham/Santa Maria Sun]


In the moment she proposed her Masterpiece Project I began to see Melissa differently.  Yosemite has been her passion since her Dad started taking her there when she was about my daughter's age.  Mark and I share some important values-- Sunday morning pancakes are rituals in both our homes -- and we both said yes to Melissa without hesitating.




That was the last major decision Mark and I made.  Melissa handled every aspect of fundraising, logistics, communication, budgeting, and paperwork--she did everything except carry our bags.  Her enthusiasm and professionalism made an immediate impression on NatureBridge, the organization she contracted with to provide accommodations and our education/activity program.

  
The fact that a teenager did this was considered newsworthy.  Literally.  Central Coast NBC affiliate KSBY-TV featured the story on the evening news and The Santa Maria Times reported on it here.

Melissa's Masterpiece originated with Yosemite and engineering, but the value she wanted to share through the expedition was that simply spending time in Yosemite can transform a person.  She went to great lengths to prove the point.  Even though she is saving for college, Melissa and her father trusted our community enough to pay the contract in full and up front.  We reciprocated by contributing our shares, following Melissa's instructions, and eventually following her into the woods.





 
Educators/chaperones/teenagers--> human beings--> members of a network--> teammates.  NatureBridge's Deeps and Christina collaborated with us in many of the same ways we have practiced working together this year.  Instead of a rigid, one-size fits all approach, they offered us choices.  They were open to input and they asked for direct feedback.



We hiked in two groups.  I was one of Deeps' Peeps-- we took until the last day to name the group because the name had to be right and none of the earlier suggestions fit.  Deeps is a masterful facilitator, an expert naturalist & squirrel mimic, and a wise storyteller who knows an impressive range of poop jokes and has: won a buffalo wings eating contest in Montreal; walked the Mount Kailash Kora with his parents, where he underwent a shamanistic treatment that totally confused him but made his back feel better; won a poker tournament in New Zealand; and placed second in an NBA Jam video game tournament.  During the time I spent with him he also put Rooster Sauce on nearly every food source that wasn't a perfectly melted marshmallow.

 
Deeps' Peeps quickly established a language all our own (I'll never think of "email" or "download" the same way again) and we engaged in semi-spontaneous random acts of kindness like the rainbow tunnel.


("Free Hugs" is Josh, our other chaperone.  He's an old family friend of the Stellers and it was great to meet him.  I got a free hug and it was outstanding.)


Not being in the classroom meant I got to participate.  I watched in amazement as Deeps' Peeps grew into a closely-knit team.  For a blazing 1.2 seconds of pure Awesome, this group outperformed any other I've ever seen.




In between shared triumphs we sat quietly with our own thoughts.



We looked at things differently.  As Edmond would later report in his Masterpiece on thought, perspective, & writing a novel: "The way you look at things changes the way you think about them."




We used technology purposefully, to see and share better.




We learned from each other and we taught each other (whether we knew it at the moment or not).




We hiked nine miles round trip to North Dome, where someone asked if we were hungry for lunch. Jacob replied without turning his head: "What do you wanna eat for when you can feast on this delicious view?"




As great as it is, the view of Yosemite--and our world in general-- is even better when we answer its call and begin to see ourselves as part of it.



So, back to the forest and the trees.  Spoiler: this isn't really about the forest or the trees.


It's about how the people in the forest--and the desert, and the city, and the semi-rural coastal community, and anywhere else we find ourselves--are connected in a larger ecosystem, and how being mindful of this leads us to become more humble, grateful, invigorated, fulfilled, successful stewards of our selves, our relationships, our shared future, and a home that provides the rich life we so often take for granted. 



It's also about open-minded discovery.  I didn't know this ant was edible until Deeps told us.  Then I ate it.



The very first document I shared with you was a memo that attempted to frame this course of study as a Campbell-esque Hero's Journey.  It's the one thing I've done about the same way every year since I started teaching high school courses 10 years ago.  The reason I'm thinking about it now isn't actually the hero's journey.  It's what Campbell said about the whole point of the hero's journey and our existence in general:

“The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe to match your nature with Nature.”
Joseph Campbell



To preserve this value in our culture, Deeps ("Deeps! Deeps! Deeps!") reminded us that it's not enough to have experiences.  We must tell our stories.  Telling a story in a way that make sense requires reflection, analysis, and evaluation (a.k.a. learning).  Deeps' comments reminded me of our early conversations about the value of documenting your thinking for a wider audience.  The paper assignments you once turned in were read by one person, graded, and then crumpled in a binder or backpack, forgotten to history.  The blog posts you write today create value for you and everyone who sees and shares your work online.  This goes way beyond literature (as those who hacked their blogs to include personal interests like physics have clearly demonstrated :).  Although Yosemite is an amazing place to connect with these ideas, this story is also not just about one national park.  Relatives, friends, employers, policy makers, and the public should know that students can create their own interdisciplinary paths of inquiry, that it's essential to learn in nature, and that a single teenager can change lives by connecting an entire community with our natural heritage in a way that teaches us something about ourselves, our learning journeys, and the world around us.



Mindful action brings dreams into reality.  Melissa dreamed that she could share what she sees in Yosemite; after initial attempts failed last year she found a way to succeed.  Achieving her goal required action, determination and resilience.  More than 100 years earlier, on April 23, 1910, Teddy Roosevelt (pictured below in Yosemite with John Muir) gave a speech entitled "Citizenship In A  Republic" at the Sorbonne in Paris, in which he said:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. 

 
Whatever shape your Masterpiece took this semester, learn from the experience.  Take the risk.  Put your idea out there.  Fail.  Climb a rock.  Remember that there is glory in the attempt.  the gods will offer you chances. / know them. / take them.  Find the edge.  Be in nature.  Ask your question.  Make yourself constructively uncomfortable.  Be kind to someone who doesn't know you and can't/won't ever repay you.  Go out into the world and give it your all.  Strive valiantly and spend yourself in a worthy cause.  Make your life--this day--a Masterpiece.  And tell your story. 

You can always take a nap on the way home.

 

Thank you for a terrific year.

Dr. Preston

Monday, June 2, 2014

an open question

On the way to class this morning I read this:


There are two reasonable answers to this question.

(1) Right now.  School's composition changes every day.  Each person who is hired or enrolls, each person who retires or graduates, each absence or "tardy"-- each person who isn't looking and bumps into you just when-- each of these changes in our networks of conversations has a ripple effect.  Each of you has a very specific impact on the conversations you join.  Your absence has an effect too.  As we've talked about throughout the year, the members of a network change its purpose, its topic/s of conversation, its working process, and the outcomes it achieves.

(2) Never.  It has been said that institutions don't change; people do.  You have grown a great deal this year, and this place is better because you walked its halls.  Keep doing what works.  When you are confronted by elements of the institution you can't change, use what you've learned this year to find, analyze, evaluate, collaborate on, and apply the best information humanity has to offer.  Education institutions should work for you; when they don't, hack them to create better learning experiences for you and your peers.


Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

june 2

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "School's Out" by Alice Cooper]

You've been waiting for this week for a long time.  What does it signify to you now?  How will you use what you learned in this course as you take your next steps?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Turn in essays/journals/notes
3. Leftover presentations: (p.3 Melissa & Lisa; p.4 Connor; others...?) 
4. Plan the finale
  • F&B
  • "best of" nominations
  • program
  • logistics

Finals Week Schedule:

Period 3: Wednesday 6/4 10:50-12:40

Period 4: Thursday 6/5 8:30-10:20

Period 5: Thursday 6/5 10:50-12:40

Graduation: Friday 6/6 11:30

Saturday, May 31, 2014

open source learning survey

By now you should have received an invitation via the email address you provided yesterday, but just in case here is the link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RHSclassof2014

If you have any questions please email dpreston.learning@gmail.com.

Thanks & see you Monday!

masterpiece academy question & archive

For the last two weeks the Masterpiece Academy has been your showcase.  As you reflect on this experience, and your overall experience in this course throughout the year, please address the following questions in a traditional MLA-style essay.  Then post about it to your blog in any medium (music, pictures, video, animation, [?]) that brings your thesis to life.  (You may embed the original paper if you can't think of a better way to communicate.)

Please Note: Everything on the traditional paper assignment counts.  Please proofread and/or ask a friend or relative to help with organization, flow, and mechanics (capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar, MLA style, e.g.)


Masterpiece Academy Question

Montaigne ended his essay "Of The Education of Children" this way:

To return to my subject, there is nothing like alluring the appetite and affections; otherwise you make nothing but so many asses laden with books; by dint of the lash, you give them their pocketful of learning to keep; whereas, to do well you should not only lodge it with them, but make them espouse it. (1580)

The word espouse originally meant "to marry" and took on connotations like "embrace," "love," and "advocate."  Have you espoused learning?  Explain your growth in this course via a narrative that portrays you as the dynamic protagonist in your own bildungsroman.  Please include the following elements.

ELEMENT 1: You have been treated as colleagues and you have been given a great deal of choice in this course; this represents a high level of trust.  Did you and the others deserve it?  Earn it?  Honor it? 

ELEMENT 2: Fiction has been called "the lie that tells the truth."  Which works, authors, or characters rang true enough to make you feel like they described parts of you and/or your journey? (Please mention at least three.  It makes them sad when we forget them.)

ELEMENT 3: Have you re/connected with a passion that drives you?  If so, how will you continue your learning?  If not, how will you proceed?

ELEMENT 4: [Something about literature or this course that made you laugh out loud.]

ELEMENT 5: [A unifying theme that runs through a minimum of five (5) presentations; a quality of the content, or the speakers, or their communication techniques that strikes you as something important that we have in common.]  Please illustrate/support your point with specific examples from the presentations.

ELEMENT 6: Evaluate whether you completed the hero's journey.  Are you a hero?  To what extent did you respond to the call of adventure?  Did you find a mentor, conquer a challenge, and return enlightened?

ELEMENT 7: For old time's sake, sneak in a literary technique.  Don't make a big deal out of it.  I'll know it's there.



Masterpiece Academy Archive

To save you some search & scroll time, here are brief remembrances and artifacts from your presentations in chronological order.  I'm doing these in a hurry, so thanks to those who corrected in class yesterday.  Please comment to any post that contains omissions or errors.

Masterpiece Academy Day 1 (Wednesday, May 21)
Masterpiece Academy Day 2 (Thursday, May 22)
Masterpiece Academy Day 3 ((Friday, May 23)
Masterpiece Academy Day 4 (Tuesday, May 27)
Masterpiece Academy Day 5 (Wednesday, May 28)
Masterpiece Academy Day 6 (Thursday, May 29)
Masterpiece Academy Day 7 (Friday, May 30)

Friday, May 30, 2014

masterpiece academy day 7

Notes from Friday, May 30
(I'll be adding to this shortly. :)

Anytime Miranda shows one of her videos it's a special occasion-- this one brought her audience to tears.  See more of her videos and pictures at M.A.N. Creations.

 

Teanna showed us how a sport can become a life philosophy.  Check out her softball tumblr here.  (Hailey had the quote of the day. :)




Hemingway wrote, "The world breaks everyone, and in the broken places we become stronger."  Hayley & Michaila took this literally and turned their injuries into interests in physical therapy.




Jason's approach to wrestling is bound to give Haley and Michaila business. You can see a video of his season here.




One thing I've been struck by this year is how much we learn--about core content, about ourselves and each other, and about things right in front of us--when we're outdoors. Marisol illustrated this in her presentation about hiking.

Danny showed us how the child's mind goes pro. Important lessons for learning.



The drum circle is one of the oldest forms of community media. Sam and Ricky are ushering in the modern era. 

Thursday, May 29, 2014

request for response: "gun rights" = absurd excuse for tragic disaster

(I originally posted this on the Expository Composition course blog, but it relates to all of us.  You are welcome-- not obligated-- to participate in the discussion if you choose.)

Normally I refrain from offering opinions about politics and policy.  After all, I am in the business of helping you develop the skills to find, analyze, evaluate, and act on information in order to make up your own minds.

However, once in a while democracy demands that we stand and be counted.  The recent tragedy in Isla Vista could have and should have been avoided.  Apart from whatever fueled this young man's decision-making process, there is simply no reason for a college student to have guns in a dorm room or an apartment.  Just four days after last week's killings another UCSB student accidentally fired a handgun through a wall and the apartment next door.  He was in possession of seven weapons and over 1000 rounds of ammunition.

According to Richard Martinez, a Santa Maria attorney and father of one of the murder victims (his son Christopher graduated from San Luis Obispo High School), shootings such as this-- once considered shocking-- have become the new normal because of "craven politicians and the N.R.A."  The author of the article entitled "Christopher Michael-Martinez's Father Gets It Right" agrees, going on to say that every other country that had this problem (note the past tense) went on to enact laws that made everyone safer.  We, the United States of America, have not.

Your thoughts?  Please read the article and comment to this post.  (And, Please Note: This is not merely an exercise in rhetoric or expository composition.  Members of our own community lost friends and relatives in this tragedy.  Be mindful and base your arguments on facts and clear reasoning.)

masterpiece academy day 6

Notes from Thursday, May 29

The first presentation of the day honored the tradition of the senior project "scrapbook" approach. Taylor, Hannah, Meghan, and Kylie (who will actually present to period 5 on Friday :) presented The Adventures of Us, a tumblr blog. The Prezi below that shows how they integrated where they are, where they've been, and where they're headed in their learning journeys.

Here's the video they embedded in the prezi:



Hayley collaborated with peers-as-focus-group to envision the perfect high school:


Colter reminded us to GO OUTSIDE (this is especially relevant as I finish this post to the tune of, "Daddy can we ride bikes NOW?)



Nakesha & Danny are Students Hacking Life:



Breanna, Eli, and Whitney implored us to Seize the Day:

{Hey, can one of you email me the vid or upload to Dropbox/YouTube & share?}


Zach shared his career goals in physical therapy-- and he did it from memory since the prezi wouldn't load.  Thanks to the magic of asynchronous curation, here it is:




In fifth period, Erica brought us into the world of the campesino.  Her presentation was powerful, moving, and important.  Thank you, Erica.





may 30

JOURNAL TOPIC:
After you see today's presentations, create a meaningful connection between them and write about it.

3
Michaila/Hayley
Jason
Lisa

4
Miranda
Teanna
Marisol
Ashley
Chase
Dani

5
Kylie
Sam/Ricky
Kevin
Vanessa

masterpiece academy day 3

Notes from Friday, May 23

Back in September, just as Daniel and I started talking, the bell rang and interrupted us.  This happened at least once a week throughout the year.  School's stop/start schedule makes it hard to develop and deeply consider ideas.  Daniel is an associative thinker who connects the dots in a way that brings Debussy to mind: "The music is the space between the notes." Daniel's masterpiece is the thinking between the factual knowledge that connects ideas and disciplines for personal use and the greater good.



Learning creates new neuronal connections and may actually be the best way to stave off depression.* (*Note: Learning in this context does NOT mean "being taught"-- it means seeking out information and actively engaging in order to make sense of it.)  However, because media depends on dramatic conflict to attract viewers (and $), it can be difficult to find information that doesn't focus on negative aspects of events and culture.  That's where Serena and Jenna come in.  Check out their Happy Place Project.




Kelsey summed up her passion, her experience, and her ongoing learning journey in one phrase: she is decreasing world suck.



Cameron showed us the world through the lens of his camera.  He spoke so well that it occurred to me (for the very first time) that the right word can be worth a thousand pictures.




Jacob and Kristen both want to become teachers.  The way they are questioning and investigating the institution of school bodes well for the next generation of learners.







may 29

JOURNAL TOPIC:

After you see today's presentations, create a meaningful connection between them and write about it.

AGENDA:

3
Danny
Colter
Zach


4
Taylor, Meghan, Hannah, Kylie
Hayley


5
Erica
Nakesha
 

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

epic fails

You will succeed if you are prepared to fail.  Often.  In public.  Splat.  Success depends on resilience.  Just imagine if these people had just given up and walked away.


masterpiece academy day 2

Notes from Thursday, May 22

Allyson took us back to our roots-- er, genes, with a glimpse into genetics through her descriptions of U. of Michigan lab experience and her plans for Princeton. (Don't miss Sam Berns' TED talk.)



Jose took us inside the RHS football program and described how he's developing a tradition of excellence based on honor and discipline. He's onto some very important values of motivation, community and teamwork, and whether he coaches or not it's pretty likely he's going to find himself in the business of winning.


Maddi showed us how art-- mural-making, specifically-- simultaneously reflects and inspires creativity. Maddi, please make that YouTube video public so we can see it again! :)


Elisia decided to master animation and blow our minds with what she learned how to do in a couple months:


Javier and Izamar shared inlocopolitico and reminded us all that participating in a representative democracy doesn't happen unless we know what the %#@!! we're talking about.


masterpiece academy day 4

Notes from Tuesday, May 27

Edmond began the day by reminding me of something we had talked about in Yosemite. In the middle of a Sequoia grove we asked each other how individuals and systems can improve. After a day's thought he suggested that one doesn't happen without the other. Once I saw his masterpiece I gained a deeper appreciation for his perspective.



Lindsey, Miki, Amara, Min, & Jake collaborated on Destructive Therapy, which is part therapy, part chemistry, part physics, part golf, and all cathartis. (Nothing but fruit was harmed in the making of this masterpiece.)
 




Kristian taught us about computer design and showed a few examples of his work.  He's building the skills that will help him become a residential architect.




Lesther hit it out of the park twice this week.  The first time was in Yosemite, when he went super-philosophical and took us from the campfire to the stars before bringing everyone back to Earth with a story that--if you're one of the lucky ones--he'll tell you someday.   The second time was his masterpiece.  Lesther is known for his video and technical expertise, among other things, but he asked me to turn the screen off so he could write one word on the board: Compassion.  He proceeded to make the world a better place.

[Update: Lesther took video of his own presentation!  Here it is, unedited.]




Maria began her masterpiece exploration in language and culture, and quickly became fascinated with the role of religion in shaping understanding, identity, and relationships.  This topic has sparked a great deal of interest since; the room is open at lunch for discussion.




Kendall tied the day's conversations together with a presentation about passion.  This was the concept that began the masterpiece conversation, and it proved to be a worthy topic in its own right.  Kendall's passion for teaching and helping children will inspire the next generation.

masterpiece academy day 5

Notes from Wednesday, May 28

Jasmine, Rudy, and Lauren taught us how three very different interests could be woven into one masterpiece.  Find one of them to discover what happened with the rap battle and what may happen this summer.

Ian reported for Shane and Mia about how the three of them created Warrior Nation.




Vanessa explained why she loves baking: "It's the smiles on the children's faces."  She plans to open a bakery and specialize in cupcakes. (I'd like a dozen, please. -Ed.)




Rachel and Becky shifted gears.  Their previous collaboration focused on mediated images that influence how we feel about ourselves.  Rather than continue the focus on how others influence us, Rachel and Becky investigated how we influence the world by pursuing our passions.  Rachel addressed this from the perspective of an award-winning visual artist, and Becky described her experiences as a ballet dancer and choreographer.  Check out their video:



Sam pulled off something remarkable.  A social media ninja, Sam is extremely quiet in class.  Watching her colleagues' masterpieces inspired her to live what she tells others:  She actually made herself the masterpiece in real time.  Instead of focusing on a career goal, or an academic subject, she decided to talk to her classmates.  For the first time.  Ask her about it.

Annette and Bailey smashed the last great American stereotype.  They stood right up front in an English class with no apparent external reward in sight and said without a trace of irony: "We have a passion for reading and writing."  To share it they created http://inbetweenersunited.tumblr.com/





Miranda created Mind | Matter, a site/e-zine/window on culture.



Kylie gave us a preview of coming attractions for theadventuresofusproject.tumblr.com


may 28

JOURNAL TOPIC:

After you see today's presentations, create a meaningful connection between the three and write about it.

AGENDA:
3
Sam
Rachel/Becky
Jasmine/Rudy/Lauren

4
Sarah/Rachel
Bailey/Annette
Eli/Whitney(!) & Breanna
Mia/Ian/Shane

5
Lissette
Miranda
Kylie

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

may 27

JOURNAL TOPIC:

After you see today's presentations, create a meaningful connection between the three and write about it.

AGENDA:

3
Edmond
Jake/Miki
Maira

4
Vanessa
Lesther
Min/Amara
Kristian

5
Maria
Lindsey
Kendall

Friday, May 23, 2014

may 23

JOURNAL TOPIC: After you see today's presentations, create a meaningful connection between the three and write about it.

AGENDA:
1. Masterpiece Academy

3
Daniel

4
Serena/Jenna
Kelsey
Cameron

5
Jacob/Kristen

welcome to the unclass

This just in from Alfredo:


I agree with Alfredo, and I wish that some of our best conversations weren't disrupted by bells.  So, 608 is open to anyone who wants to extend formal presentations and/or have informal conversations with presenters to answer questions and keep exploring.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

may 22

JOURNAL TOPIC:
After you see today's presentations, create a meaningful connection between the three and write about it. (Alternate: write about Andrew's song: tone, mood, & how you think it should end.)

AGENDA:
1. Contribute notes to Andrew's tune
2. Masterpiece Academy

3
Allyson
Jose

4
Maddi
Elisia
Connor

5
Javier/Izamar
HW:  (extra credit, whatever that means)

Please comment to Andrew's blog post about his song with your ideas.  *Bonus* if you're willing to collaborate with him to finish the piece.

masterpiece academy day 1

Notes from Wednesday, May 21

Thanks to Ashley and Bianca for an enlightening look at how comics can convey meaning; check out their comics blog here and their prezi below.




Caroline and Micaela introduced us to Classy U, a terrific lifestyle resource for college students (that may have a business future with sponsors... :)



Amanda took us with her on a learning tour through Europe, which reminded me of T.S. Eliot's observation: "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."