November 3, 2015 - Tuesday

Class Work

Remember the amazing technology gizmo or gadget that you selected? You may use it or you may select another for this activity. Your task is to find a work of art, that included photography, sculpture, painting, drawing, or even a computerized work. Try to avoid works where you cannot identify the artist.
This is what you need to answer:

1. What is the title of the work? How does the title help you to understand the message? What is the message?
2. What is the most obvious image in the work. To where is your eye drawn?
3. Look at the colors. Are they symbolic? Would the message be different if the colors were different? Explain.
4. Study the shading and shadowing. How do these elements impact the overall message?
5. Who is the artist? When was the work created? Is the artist's message about a specific event in history? What was going on in the world when the work was created? Is the art universal - speaks to people of all times and in all places, or is it limited to the audience for whom it was created.
6. How does the work relate to us in 21st century America?
7. How is the art different from or similar to the object you selected?

Let's look at one together:

Supposed I selected the iPhone watch as my technology focus. I might go looking for pictures of clocks or watches. This is what I might find:

https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-006&ei=utf-8&fr=ytff1-yff25&p=melting%20clocks%20salvador%20dali&type=

or

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Disintegration_of_the_Persistence_of_Memory#/media/File:DisintegrationofPersistence.jpg

Get your thoughts on paper before you go searching for what "experts" say.
Once done, look up the information about the artist. For example: http://www.authenticsociety.com/about/ThePersistenceOfMemory_Dali

Your task today is to research and be able to answer the questions related to art. On Thursday, you will be presenting your "art" and information to the class.
Create a PowerPoint slide of the art so that the class can view it as you tell us what you think and what you found. (15 points for the art slide/35 points for the answers to the seven questions.)
 In addition, post the answers to the art questions. You may do this in slide or sentence format. Post on CANVAS!

The remaining time is yours!

Class Work

1. "I Can't Think" in-class writing - Quick Write - 15 minutes - take a few minute to review the article.

Essay topic: Do you agree or disagree with Beagley? Is society on information overload, or are we the most fortunate society to have existed since the beginning of time?

2. Group Activity

A. "Why Reality TV is Good for Us" by James Poniewozik: http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,421047,00.html
B. "When Reality TV Gets Too Real" by Jeremy W. Peters: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/business/media/08reality.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
C. "The Whole World Is Watching" by Thomas I. Friedman: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/opinion/27friedman.html
D. "YouTube This!" by Joe Queenan: http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jul/08/opinion/op-queenan8 (This article slams article "C".)
E. "Why the Internet Will Fail"  by Clifford Stoll: http://threewordchant.com/2010/02/24/why-the-internet-will-fail-from-1995/
F. Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation by Dan Tapscott:
http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/jan98/feat_6/digital.html
OR
http://www.consulttci.com/Book_reviews/growing_up_digital.htm

Join one of these groups. Do the following:
1. Read the article.
2. Discuss the article.
3. Identify the thesis - what's the point of the essay?
4. Identify the key reasons why the author believes this point is true.
5. Explain why the author is or is not correct. Share an example or two from your life.

Your group will share what you discovered with the class. You have 30 minutes to read, discuss, and prepare to share.

Homework: Read all articles. Write a two-three sentence summary of each. Then, write a one-page reflection on the article that you agree OR disagree with the most. Explain your point of view and provide an example from life to support your brief argument.

October 27, 2015 - Tuesday

Class Work

What "gadget" did you research? What did you discover about its history?

What are the dangers of technology? How real is too real? Are video games good for children?

Today we will explore.

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury - video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVlWeA3RhcQ


Short Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSoigRHHNLM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px7ihSd9bXM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYQuOX-NQIY

Class Activity
"I Can't Think" by Sharon Begley
http://www.sharonlbegley.com/the-science-of-making-decisions

Read the entire article for homework.

Homework
Read the "I Can't Think" article and be ready to discuss and write in class on Thursday. Have an example ready from your life or from the news.

October 22, 2015 - Thursday

Class Work

1. We will finish the presentations. Please take out your "quiz" notes and continue. Keep your fingers crossed! We need the equipment to work - GO TECHNOLOGY!
2. App discussion - Share your app remarks with several others in the class. List your app on the board. Let's see which was most popular!
3. Did you realize that there is no future in Back to the Future?
4. "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury - as we read this, keep track of the futuristic inventions that are just the norm today.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzbtlcAsIeTnTlNmSnhOV010bHM/edit?pli=1 (Story)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzhlU8rXgHc Story read by Leonard Nimoy

5. Homework: Look around your home. Take an inventory of the technology there. Pick one item to study.

• Who invented the item?
• What caused a need for the item?
• What did it look like originally?
• What does it look like now?
• How much does it cost?
• How has the item changed/evolved in your life time?
• Are there any dangers associated with the item?
• Have some fun, what do you think the item will be like in the future? Think about size, cost, and function.
• If you do not see a future for your item, what will replace it? Why won't it be needed? (Think about land-line phones.)
• In 20 years, will you still own/need one? Explain.

Write this in paragraph form. The "history" part needs to be researched. Credit your sources.

October 20, 2015 - Tuesday

Class Work

Today is presentation day! You are the star. Be sure you have your homonym/twins/triplets presentation posted on CANVAS or otherwise ready to go.

At the end of each presentation, you will take the quiz! (handout provided)

If time permits, we will complete an in-class writing.

Topic: Favorite App! What is your favorite app? How much time do you spend using it? What makes it so wonderful? What do you have to do to use it? In other words, what are the instructions? How dos this app improve your life, or does it?

Finally, convince readers that they should download the app and start using it!

If we do not have time to complete this in class, finish it for homework.

October 15, 2015 - Thursday

Reminders:
1. The final copy of your health/food persuasive essay is due Tuesday. Post in CANVAS.
2. Presentations on the "twins/triplets" words will be given on Tuesday. Be sure to post your visual by the beginning of class on Tuesday. If you are making a paper poster, please take a picture of it and post the picture in CANVAS. (See the October 13 blog post for instructions.)
3. Your two quiz sentences are due today. Sample sentences may be found at http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

Class Work

1. Work on your presentation. I need the questions to test our knowledge of the homonyms you will teach us. I need a paper copy. I will compile the questions.
2. Work on your visual for the presentation. Show me your progress.

*******************************************
New unit . . .
Have we been invaded by technology? Are we prisoners or are we the most fortunate generation to ever live.

1. Groups of four . . . Create a list of all of the technology available to us in America 2015.
2. Look back at the list. Which items are beneficial? Which items are dangerous? Which items are both?
3. How dependent are you on technology? What technology have  you used in the last 24 hours?
4. How much has technology changed in your life time?

Readings: Read the articles and answer the questions. Post your responses in CANVAS by Tuesday, October 20, 2015.
A. "The Whole World Is Watching" by Thomas L. Friedman http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/opinion/27friedman.html?_r=0
Questions:
1. How does Friedman choose to begin his article? Is the introduction effective?
2. Is our world more transparent than the world of our great grandparents? Explain.
3. What is a "digital fingerprint"? Is a digital fingerprint a blessing or a curse in your life?
4. Google yourself. Who are you in cyberspace? How much information is "out there" about you? What might a future employer think about the information?
5. Has your privacy been invaded or are you safer because of technology?

B. "When the Patient Is a Googler" by Scott Haig
http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1681838,00.html
Questions:
1. What reasons does Haig give to explain why he does not want googlers as patients?
2. I a paragraph or two, agree or disagree with Haig. Should patients research their symptoms on the Internet before seeking medical advice? What are the dangers? What are the advantages?

October 13, 2015 - Tuesday

Class Work

1. Peer editing activity:

Your draft should have posted to CANVAS. If it did not, let me know.

We will use the paper copy today. Your paper will be read by three others. (See peer editing sheet - handout)

Homework: Revise your draft. Post the final copy in CANVAS by Tuesday, October 20, 2015.

2. Taking care of writing "twins" . . .

• You will adopt one of these often confused set of look-alikes. (Draw a slip out of the box.)
• Look up the difference between the two or among the three.
• Find or draw illustrations to identify each.
• Show the "definition" of each.
• Use each correctly in a sentence.
• Create two questions to use as a quiz to "test" the class. Give these to me on Thursday, October 15, 2015.
• Show on PowerPoint, Prezi, or on a poster.
• We will share on Tuesday - that means that you will have some of the class time to work on the presentation on Thursday.

Topics:

A. Fewer/less

B. Number/amount

C. Between/among

D. Each other/ one another

E. all ready/already

F. their/there/they're

G. hear/hear

H. affect/effect

I. compare to/ compare with

J. farther/ further

K. infer/imply

L. passed/past

M. if/weather

N. maybe/may be

O. each other/one another

P. it's/ its

Q. than/then

R. Maybe/may be

S. affect/effect

T. peace/piece

U. vain/vane/vein

V. who/which/that

W. whose/who's

X. your/you're/yore

Y. to/too/two

Z. ware/wear/where