Narrative

I changed the topic from "personal narrative" to plain old "narrative" because I want you to take poetic license and generate a work of fiction that illustrates your best creativity.  I will maintain that the best short stories are those that reflect personal experience, one that many other people have yet to endure.  Or perhaps, a deep criticism that many people don't contemplate as in "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," one of my favorite short stories.  Today, I challenge you to consider your graphic organizers as a mere springboard of thought, and type up to two pages that engage the reader with your created protagonist.  Make the reader feel like he/she is part of the conflict by sparing no details.  Don't just merely tell me what is going on, but make me feel what is going on through sharing the same experiences as the protagonist.

I don't need to be present to check your work ethic.  Make a timed-goal to write for whatever reasonable and challenging time allotment you create and stick to it.

Time

Everyone has twenty-four hours in a day, yet the old cliche, "There's never enough time," always finds its way into day-to-day life.  Do you think life is too fast? Too chalk full of responsibilities that inhibit one from enjoying life?

I challenge you to find an article that indicates sleep is an overrated necessity.  Football players get home around eleven.  Elementary kids have practice until eight o'clock.  Musical participants pull all-nighters.  I suppose the bottom line questions are as follows: Do we do too much?  Should we slow down and choose fewer activities?

Browse online for ideas and write your thoughts in a developed blog.

Does Money Equal Happiness?

I'm giving you a lot of latitude with today's topic, "Money."  In one way shape or form, think about how money affects your life, your future, your social clique.  I'll offer a few things to think about to get you started:

According to http://www.finaid.org/loans/, the average student loan debt for a four-year degree is just under $30,000.  But wait, calculate an average of seven percent interest on a ten-year loan and you're talking about repaying $41,799.05 at $348.33/month.  Can you make the monthly payments?

I'm curious to hear how money (or lack there of) affects your high school social life or even extra curricular activities.  Now obviously you can spare me the details, but are there activities that are just not possible because of financial constraints?

Is working a minimal-wage job during high school worth the time?

Okay, how much money do you need right now to meet your "wish list"?  How long would you be content?

Anything else?

What Works: Cultivating presence - Busted Halo

What Works: Cultivating presence - Busted Halo


Part of the reason I moved to Alaska is summed up in this article. Think about the idea of taking a step back and, to honor the metaphor, watch the river from afar. There's something to be said about observing many ideas, entertaining them, but not becoming consumed with any one thought. I'd like to hear what you think!

Re: Chelsy: A daily dose of West A

Chelsy: A daily dose of West A: West Allegheny High School seemed like a good place to be. Lately it seems like we aren't unable to do anything without being under constant...

Chelsy's post stood out, and I'd thought I should share her blog as one to emulate. However, the real power of blogging is not only to put oneself out there but also respond and generate an ongoing conversation in order to "make sense" of a particular situation.

 I'd like to provide a teacher perspective on how she and other students in general feel scrutinized.  Personally, I think the entire community should become more involved with teenagers’ lives, including teachers.  Knowing what kids are doing is, well, parents’ and teachers’ responsibility, no?  There must be common ground for students to acknowledge that an appropriate level of observation is acceptable and in fact necessary.  I love seeing the excitement from the student section during football games.  Should I turn a blind eye, however, if I suspect foul behavior?  Many times, I feel like I can be more of a teacher outside of school in that the lessons learned aren’t for a measly grade, but life.  Thoughts?

Journaling - I mean blogging - I mean blojouring, I mean...

So it's been a few days since we've commenced operation blogger and I have to say that despite a few setbacks and tribulations, we are having success.  I'm excited to see everyone take ownership for his/her blog and make it unique: themes, pictures, and of course creative posts.  Don't think for a minute that you don't have a story to share because we all do.  Sometimes we just don't feel like we have the appropriate forum, but I digress.

There are loads of resources to help get you underway, but the most important aspect to consider is simply, "What's on your mind?"  Check out http://www.ehow.com/how_5112040_journal-effectively.html from eHow for a list of commonly used questions to consider.  Your goal should include writing for 10-15 minutes of uninterrupted word-vomit.

Don't:
-Worry about editing
-Hesitate to go off topic
-Confine yourself to the rules of grammar
-Allow distractions (including iPods) to deter you from writing

Do:
-Dig deep and put to words everything that comes to mind
-Go back and reread after fifteen minutes and ask, "Is there anything else?"
-Generate a list of questions to consider in the future

So, let's get this underway.  In addition to to the questions from eHow, please "comment" on this blog with further suggestions for your peers.  Perhaps, we can collectively agree upon an issue that's plaguing West A and generate an on-going conversation.

Are you having trouble "Following" other blogs?

Technology is one of those "it's-awesome-when-it-works-but-is-frustrating-when-it-doesn't" tools. In fact, many teachers completely steer away from tech because of fear of it failing.  Well, technology isn’t perfect, but show me a perfect alternative and I’ll be sure to listen.

 After reading some blogs about blogger issues, I’ve learned that www.blogger.com has known internet browsing problems, particularly with logging-in.  The workaround is to delete all internet cookies and clear the cache.  While your web browser is open on blogger, sign out if you haven’t already. Click Tools: Internet Options: Delete (browsing history).  Before signing in, ensure that the check box “Stay signed in” is NOT marked.  You should be able to view other blogs and see a “Follow” button at the top of the screen.

Best of luck!

Mr. Denk