An archived stack of papers: August 2007
How Was It For You?
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 29
- 2007
Day one, so much possibility and educational energy. Now it’s over. This is as anticlimactic as the day after your birthday.
Some Questions
What went well? Did you do anything this year that you keep telling yourself you should do?
Working with songs in English 3 gave a nice way to start... read more
Emo On The News
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 28
- 2007
How would our students define “emo”? Would most of our students identify themselves as emo? Is emo in or out? Several months ago, someone posted a video clip of a news report on emo culture. A bunch of middle-age, photogenic news reporters give the viewing audience a view of a lifestyle that’s all over our high... read more
Goldberg Physics
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 27
- 2007
In my sophomore year, a partner and I had to predict how far away from the table a steel bearing would land after it rushed down a balsa wood ramp. You need to be able to do this if you want a steel bearing to be the first in a sequence of events that will end up, say, knocking a glass of water on your face so you wake up in the morning.
... read more
Sudoku Logic
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 26
- 2007
I know, I arrived late on this scene. Only last summer, I caught the Sudoku virus. It’s totally under control now, but for a while I couldn’t go to bed unless I’d worked through whatever Sudoku I was on. Actually, I still can’t leave a puzzle half finished, but I don’t spend time solving five or more of them each day.
Explain Your Thinking
... read more
Visuals: Handout Considerations 3
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 25
- 2007
In a recent post, Dan shows a handout that’s all too familiar. Would that type of worksheet become any better if the formatting was consistent? If font, alignment, and spacing weren’t so horribly off, would that bad worksheet become good? It’ll take more than that, won’t it?
Fixin’ What Needs... read more
I Swear
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 24
- 2007
How do you feel about censorship? Is it good or is it bad? Under what circumstances?
See, I’m against censorship as a general policy. Education wins over ignorance. I make a concerted effort not to censor my views on things in my personal life. I don’t want to read anything abridged and I never want to listen to the “clean” version of any album. If it’s not... read more
Personal Ads
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 23
- 2007
I gave you beer yesterday and now it’s time to learn how to make fun of people in an educational way. Not much progress on the censorship front involving Fight Club, one of my favorite books and movies. That entry is practically writing itself, though. On with the show.
When Words Matter Most
Just two days ago, my girlfriend came up with an idea that initially spawned... read more
Beer Geometry
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 22
- 2007
I’ve got both a video involving beer and a way to make fun of people, each with legitimate uses in your classroom. Stick with me. Meanwhile, I’m trying to justify censoring two lines from an excerpt of Fight Club so I can use it during the first week. If I am personally jazzed about something, there’s a greater chance my students will be. The opposite is also true. I’m... read more
Half Nelson And Planning
In a stack of papers called Personal.
- Aug
- 18
- 2007
I finally watched Half Nelson the other day. 2 stars out of 5. The script needs some serious revision to be worth any kind of emotional investment or to live up to the Academy-Award-nomination hype.
As hard as they both tried, even ... read more