Learning is Change

Cores 1+3:

1. Discuss-on: How can words save your life?
2. Re-introduce vocabulary books for full life-saving effect.
3. Play Vocabulary Basketball with specific life saving sentences.
• Get into three/four teams.
• I will ask you questions about a vocabulary word about synonyms, antonyms, definitions, or parts of speech. You must answer the question and give a sentence that uses the word in life saving situation. For example, “Something within your heart valves is amiss; I must give you CPR now.”

Core 2:

• When I was in late middle school and early high school, my friend Susie and I would e-mail back and forth our most profound ideas, claiming that with each e-mail we were becoming more intelligent and enlightened. Well, at the end of every e-mail we developed this habit of asking each other questions that had only one answer. It was yet another way of being intellectually elitist. We said things like (these are actual quotations from an e-mail sent on February 1, 1998):

• What could be more brutal?
• what could be more refreshing?
• what could be more devastating?
• what could be more absolute?
• what could be more fabulous?
• what could be more exciting?
• what could be more brilliant what could be more clueless?
• what could be more discriminating?
• what could be more opportunistic?
• what could be more sad?
• what could be more amazing?

The answer to these questions was always nothing because what we were talking about were things like truth, change, tradition, hope, and love. As we get ready to go on our second exploration through change, I would like us to take this approach. I would like you to think about change and tradition and ask yourself what both of these are like. Ask yourself, “What could be more…” See which adjectives apply to which abstract concepts.

• Once you have your list of “What could be more…” questions, I would like you to brainstorm what kinds of change and what kinds of tradition you are talking about in each question.
• You can now begin thinking about how tradition and change interact with one another.

• What causes people to change away from tradition?
• What causes people to fear change away from tradition?
• Do tradition and change always have to be at odds?
• What are the absolute truths about change and tradition?

• Fill out the Tradition and Change handout with examples from your own life.

Core 4:

1. Introduce Brainstorming: We are going to use a lot of paper and markers and ideas today. Today is going to be about producing the most ideas. We will worry about the best ideas later. You see, volume has its advantages sometimes. When you produce ideas voluminously, there is this thing that happens in your mind. You stop seeing boundaries and you start making connections. When you are constantly worried about getting a right answer, it is hard to see what isn’t obvious. We need to be able to say things that are divergent, that are connected but not not the same. Get into groups of four or five. Make sure that you are with people who you can work well with and not those who will distract you.

• Brainstorm ideas about change and white down ALL responses.
• What ideas come to mind when you think about change?
• What kinds of things change? What is it about them that changes?
• How do you know when something has changed? What evidence do you look for to determine whether a change has occurred?
• Categorize the ideas that were written down, putting them into groups and giving each group a title.
• How could you categorize these ideas into groups?
• What could you call each group? Why?
• Do all of your changes fall into groups? Might some of them belong in more than one group?
• Is there a different way you might categorize your ideas? What other categories might you use?
• What are some of the characteristics of change, based on the ideas you have written?
• Brainstorm a list of things that do not change.
• What are some things that do not change? What are some things that always seem the same or always happen the same way?
• What evidence or proof do you have that these things do not change?
• How might you group the things that do not change? What can you call each of these groups?
• How are the groups of things that do not change similar to or different from the groups of things that do change?
• Think about the following ideas whether they show change: routines or habits, rules and regulations, table manners, laws, customs of cultures. Explain your answers. If they show change, where would they fit into your categories of changes? If they do not, where would they fit into your categories of things that do not change?
• Make generalizations about change.
• A generalization is something that is always or almost always true. What generalizations can you make about change? Use your examples and categories to guide your thinking, and write several statements that are generalizations about change.

• The Five Generalizations/Truths of change.
• Change is linked to time.
• How is change linked to time?
• Are all changes linked to time in the same way?
• How do some of the changes you listed relate to time?
  
• Change may be positive or negative.
• What is progress?
• Does change always represent progress?
• How might a change be thought of as both positive and negative?
  
• Change may be perceived as orderly or random.
• Can we predict change?
• Select specific changes from your list, and describe which aspects of them can be predicted and which are unpredictable.
• Even when we know a change will take place, can we always predict exactly how things will turn out?
• Change is everywhere.
• Does change apply to all areas of our world?
• What are some specific changes which are universal, or happen everywhere, and some specific changes that may apply to only a small area at a given time?
  
• Change may happen naturally or be caused by people.
• What causes change?
• What influence do people have over changes in nature?
• What influence does nature have over the changes people intended?

• Complete the Change handout.

I was at home sick today.

Here are the sub plans that I left.

I was sick today.

Here are the lesson plans that I left for my substitute.

You can also find the link to my example for a “Buliding Comment” here.

When I read this piece for the fourth and fifth time, I really got it.

SoccerLover did a great job picking something that I could really connect to. She picked a representation of life through books that I find tantalizingly fulfilling. It did leave me with a few questions, though.

• What do I think about it?
• What does it mean to me?
• Do I think this metaphor for a book is accurate or could I come up with a better one?

Ultimately, I decided to take the challenge that I thought that this post represented.

You read A Book.

Its words are an inviting whisper, a nearly unspoken calling of laughter and thought. This playful friend beckons you to get lost, without a worry for finding your way back. It is Pan and his flute. It is the harmless apple in the Garden. It is a million possibilities that never really narrow down because they always reach the furthest recesses of your mind. It is the beautiful dancer that hypnotizes you until you forget that you are watching anything, you are such a part of the moment. It is the playmate that leaves you at the bottom of the gorge, with only your wits as defense. It is the bug that crawls in your ear just before you sleep and won’t let you forget that it is there, for the buzzing. It is a hopeless cause of remembrance on every page, the whole of yourself mirrored back to you, disfigured yet satisfying.

ELT:

1. Write-Ons:
   • Why do you think that people act differently online then they do in real life?
   • How can we create a safe environment for everyone on our blogs?
   • What are the inherent risks of posting to a blog once a week?
2. Explore the Discovery Blogging Rules websites looking for the following:
   • Creating a blogging environment without fear (of insult, of reprisal, of dishonesty).
   • Creating a scholastic blogging environment.
   • Creating a blogging environment based upon protection (of personal information, of identity, of unique thoughts).
   • Creating a creative, non-restrictive, tolerant, and sensitive blogging environment.
3. Write down aprox. 5 Blogging rules in your category that you think should be a part of the Discovery Blogging Rules.

Cores 1-4:

1. Why do we memorialize some events and not others? How does society choose the things it collectively remembers?
2. Getting more out of your blog:
• Personal Connection World Events:
• 9/11 – Remembering
• Writing Ideas on 9/11
• Comments and Change on 9/11
• Commenting Back (Or Commenting on Comments)
• Continue the discussion either on their blog or on yours. This produces a conversation about your writing. It also enriches the community through true collaboration.
3. Go to the library and work on your next Weekly Authentic or continue commenting discussions.

Cores 1-4:

1. Introduce the process of commenting. (Model using Commenting Like a King or Queen.)
2. Introduce Bloglines (optional account to set up using How-To)
3. Go to the library and read and comment on your own core class first using the grazr navigator.
• Guiding questions:
• How/Why do you think this post is important?
• How/Why do you think this post is entertaining?
• How/Why do you think this post is authentic?
• How/Why do you think this post is unique?
• How/Why do you think this post is honest/true?
• How/Why do you think this post is revealing (of the author, of the reader, of the character of life)?
• How/Why do you think this post is connection maker?
• How do you think this post can be expanded, changed, and made better?

ELT:

1. Write-Ons:
   • Why do you think that people act differently online then they do in real life?
   • How can we create a safe environment for everyone on our blogs?
   • What are the inherent risks of posting to a blog once a week?
2. Explore the Discovery Blogging Rules websites looking for the following:
   • Creating a blogging environment without fear (of insult, of reprisal, of dishonesty).
   • Creating a scholastic blogging environment.
   • Creating a blogging environment based upon protection (of personal information, of identity, of unique thoughts).
   • Creating a creative, non-restrictive, tolerant, and sensitive blogging environment.
3. Write down aprox. 5 Blogging rules in your category that you think should be a part of the Discovery Blogging Rules.

Core 1+3:

1. Write-On: If you were to split your personality into two equal sides, what aspects of yourself would be on each side.
2. Read “The Dichotomous Middle Schooler Part I”
• Discuss which dichotomies are the hardest to deal with.
• Find strategies for living with our own dichotomies of grades and parental pressure.
3. Student presentations of more “Good Parts.”

Core 2:

1. Discuss-On: With 2-3 other people, discuss your answers to “How can you change/question tradition when everyone else seems to buy into it?”
2. Go over front side of “The Lottery” Handout.
3. Discussion Questions:
• What are the reasons for continuing such a heinous tradition?
• Why are people reluctant to change? (Why was Old Man Warner so reluctant?)
• What insight can this story give us into our own societal traditions?
4. Student presentations of more “Good Parts.”

Core 4:

1. Reflect-On: How did writing within Robert Frost’s style inform your understanding of his original poem (the theme, the idea of dichotomous change, the rhythm, etc.)?
2. Share with at least 2 other students your rendition of a dichotomous change poem.
3. Share with the class the most imitative piece you heard and/or the most unique.
4. Discussion Questions:
• How does reading and understanding this poem affect the way that we should think and act in this class?
5. Student presentations of more “Good Parts.”

ELT:

1. Write-Ons:
   • Why do you think that people act differently online then they do in real life?
   • How can we create a safe environment for everyone on our blogs?
   • What are the inherent risks of posting to a blog once a week?
2. Explore the Discovery Blogging Rules websites looking for the following:
   • Creating a blogging environment without fear (of insult, of reprisal, of dishonesty).
   • Creating a scholastic blogging environment.
   • Creating a blogging environment based upon protection (of personal information, of identity, of unique thoughts).
   • Creating a creative, non-restrictive, tolerant, and sensitive blogging environment.
3. Write down aprox. 5 Blogging rules in your category that you think should be a part of the Discovery Blogging Rules.

Core 1+3:

1. Write-On: What do grades mean to you?
2. Take a look at your writing assessments:
   • Grade according to the six-trait rubric in your planner.
   • Compare your six-trait grades with mine.
   • Writing Question: If there is a difference, why do you think that we assessed the same paper differently?
   • Take one of the traits that we both think could be an area for improvement (Lower than your other scores or 3.5 and below). Writing Question: Why did you struggle (at least comparatively) with that particular aspect of writing for this piece?
   • How do you believe you will approach your writing differently

Core 2:

1. Write-On: Every tradition presents a dichotomous choice: to change or not to change. Which traditions are beneficial and should stay the same, and which are detrimental and should be changed.
2. Read The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
   • Answer questions on theme and change (from handout).
   • Discuss the nature of this tradition, change, and dichotomous choice.
3. On the back of the handout, answer the following question:
   • How can you change/question tradition when everyone else seems to buy into it?

Core 4:

1. Write-On: What is the most difficult dichotomous choice (only two options) you have had to make in your life?
2. Read The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
   • Answer questions on theme and change (from handout).
   • Discuss poetry analysis, dichotomous choice, and change.
3. On the back of the handout, write a parallel poem about a major dichotomous change in your life.