Monday, December 3, 2012

Emerson and Self Reliance

Please respond, individually, to the following prompts. These are extra points so you must be reflective and thoughtful. I expect at least a solid papragraph. When you are finished, please ask a question(s). As you are writing, make sure to use specifics from the text to back up your responses and to keep questioning, challenging other people's thinking. I would like your relfection to talk not only about the text, but its application to contemporary society.

Please write your favorite quote (or aphorism) from the essay "Self Reliance" and analyze its significance. (What intrigues you about Emerson's perspective of living? How do you embrace or challenge this notion? ) You can write more than one if you wish.

Also, if you accept the challenge, I would like you to discuss what you agree with and resist when it comes to Daniel Suelo's way of living (see article-"Moab Man...")? How might his life teach us about how we live today and what we focus on and consume ourselves with?

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

A Virtuous Life


READ THIS FIRST:
For this blog response, I would like you to speak some truth! You MUST first answer my questions; be thorough, show depth and use Franklin's text to support your assertions. I would like you to write a critical question at the end of your response. I expect you to respond to at least one other person's post and question.
Do not give me just one sentence...write with some heart and conviction. Write what is real to you.

1. What virtue on Franklin's list do you think is most important? What virtue do you think people need to improve upon?
2. How do we learn what it means to live "right"?  
3. What virtues must you attain to live a "good" life? Do you practice these?
4. What drives you to improve (if you seek this idea)? Will we ever be satisfied?

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Act 4 Discussion Thread

Today we are going to have a discussion thread based on Act 4 of The Crucible. I want you to respond to at least 2 others, make comments, using textual support, and I always want you to end with a question-intepretative or critical.
I do not want one word responses; I expect formal writing and intelligent thought showing your discerning observations and analysis. Please keep in mind the ideological statements and central questions as a means of helping you to analyze further. Fluency and conventions matter.

To start, please answer the following 3 questions; you must use textual support to back your response:

1. Who is to blame for what happened? Can the people of Salem's actions be excused by the cultural hysteria, or is it the individual's fault? Find evidence to support both sides.

2. As you read this act, what spoke to you the most or evoked the most emotion?

3. How does individual judgment play a role in this Act? Find one example and relay its significance.

When you finish, make sure you ask questions and begin responding to others. Textual support is mandatory!

Friday, August 17, 2012

Your Learning


Please repsond to ALL of the following questions/statements-make sure to label your answers accordingly: (Please make sure to proofread and use complete sentences)
1) What is your role as a learner?  To what extent do you value learning?

For the next questions put your top 2-3 ideas:
2) What constitutes a "good" student? Hence, what do you expect of yourself and your classmates as students and learners?
3) What do you expect of a good, quality teacher? Thus, what do you expect of me?
4) What does this class need to do/have in order for a productive, fun, learning environment to exist? What does that look like?