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Sustainable Classroom Essay Prep

8/31/2018

Starter 7- Seminar prep/review/goalsThink back to all of the topics/sources we’ve consumed in this mini-study. What idea/concept/quote/ has stood out the MOST to you or resonated the most with you? Explain why. What idea/concept/quote has resonated the least with you, or you disagreed most with?

Tech Article Review
Use the handout to review articles in a small group and prepare for the in-class essay

Quick synthesis of seminar

Go over questions about the essay
Clarify understanding of how sustainability relates to classroom culture
Any confusions about the thesis statements/main ideas?

Time to Brainstorm

What do YOU think are the most compelling practices for creating a sustainable classroom culture that emerged from the various sources, as well as from your own experience. Write down everything that most resonates with you-- make a list or a mind map (see the whiteboard example).
Now, go through and narrow the list down to the top 3-4 ideas. More than 4 is probably too many to write about in your essay. 2 is probably too few, unless you can go really in-depth on those two.
Now, link evidence to those ideas. See the requirements below again to make sure you’ve got all your bases covered!
Halfway through brainstorm time, we’ll pause and look at some student examples for how people are organizing their ideas (linear outlines? Tables? Visual diagrams? No CLUE?)

General Essay Requirements:

750-1000 words
Cites evidence (parenthetically) from at least two texts and one other resource from class
Brings in personal experience as well as texts and outside evidence
Typed and spell-checked/proofread
Graded on the Writing Rubric

Additional Honors Requirements:

Cites evidence (parenthetically) from at least four texts and two other resources from class
Graded on the Honors Writing Rubric

In Class Essay Tips and Tricks:

Come in with a thesis and evidence already chosen
Keep an eye on time- finished and imperfect is better than unfinished with 2 perfect paragraphs
Focus more on argumentation and critical thinking than grammar and spelling
Leave yourself 10-15 minutes at the end to proofread and edit

HOMEWORK:
Be ready for the in-class essay on Tuesday!

Sustainable Classroom Mini-Project

8/30/2018

Honors Survey- Please take this if you plan on doing Honors this year! (come on...you know you want to...)

Starter 6- Broken Window Theory
(note...not the most visually stunning video, but a clear and accurate presentation!)

What is the Broken Window Theory? What does it say about what influences behavior?
How could it apply to other contexts...like our classroom?

Tech Seminar Prep
Continue reading and taking notes the required articles and the optional article(s).

Listen to Podcast: How Can We Pay Better Attention To Our Attention?
Make sure you write down the THESIS statement!

HOMEWORK: By the start of class tomorrow, you should have the following things completed:

All required articles read
Optional articles read (1 for non-honors, 4 (one for each topic) for honors)
Thesis statements written down for all required articles, optional articles, and podcasts

Sustainable Classroom Mini-Project

8/29/2018

Starter 5- Brene Brown- Vulnerability (TED Talk)
Watch the TED Talk called "The Power of Vulnerability" by Brene Brown and answer these questions:

What is the MAIN POINT (or thesis) of her talk?
What is the relationship between shame and vulnerability?
How does this talk and the topic of vulnerability in particular, relate to yesterday's starter TED Talk on the learning v. performance zone?

Afterwards, we'll discuss your thoughts on how this connects to our mini-study's essential question.

Tech Study/Read and Annotate
Again, I suggest starting with the required articles!

End class with Podcast: Has Constant Stimulation Replaced Boredom?
As you listen, take notes on 3-5 main ideas from this TED Talk that you think might be useful in answering our central question of how to create a sustainable classroom environment!

Optional Personal Challenge/Reflection Activities

Take the Digital Distraction Test: Honest check-in! Share results with self, partner or whole class. Lori will reveal her fatal tech flaws too!
Personal Addiction Check-in: Place your phone on your desk, keep track, for 30 minutes, of how often you want to pick it up/look at it. Each time you feel the urge, make a tally mark on a scratch of paper. Pay attention to your focus/distractedness/attention/anxiety during this time as well. Maybe try putting your phone in another classroom for 30 minutes and see if it changes things for you?

HOMEWORK- Read and take notes for 30 minutes. Build those good habits now!

Highly Cynical Seminar

8/28/2018

Honors Survey- Please take this if you plan on doing Honors this year!

Starter 4- How to get better at the things you care about

What are the differences between the learning and performance zone?
When you are at school, do you feel like you are generally in the learning or performance zone? Why?
What do we need to do in our classroom to allow you to spend time in the learning zone? What kinds of skills do you want to get better at this year?

SEMINAR on "Habits of Highly Cynical People"
Seminar Style:

2 circles with extra chairs in the middle
We’ll switch every 10-15 minutes
Feel free to jump into chairs in the middle at any point- for 30 seconds or the whole seminar, it doesn’t matter
Note-taking is highly encouraged! You'll be able to use these notes for next week's in class essay.
Credit/no credit (learning zone!). Must speak at least once, and be listening attentively to get credit.

Seminar Synthesis
Take 10 minutes. In your notes, jot down your main takeaways from this seminar. Think especially on: How can this article help us to create or envision a sustainable classroom?

Intro to Technology in the classroom mini-study

Open the above linked document and SAVE a copy!
Highlight the instructions
Make a note of the deadline wherever you keep track of your assignments.
Skim through the readings-- highlight the required ones in RED and look at the descriptions of the optional ones.
Note: Audio ones have transcripts you can read if you'd prefer to read along.....
What questions or clarifications do you have about the assignment?
If you want to PRINT these to read and annotate, I highly encourage you to do so!

End of class: We'll listen to Episode 1 from the Attention, Please TED Radio hour Podcast: "How is our attention packaged and sold as a commodity?"

This is part of our "In Search of a Sustainable Classroom" mini-study
Take notes on this podcast to help you answer our essential question for this unit: What makes for the most sustainable classroom culture and environment? Some questions to consider include......

In what ways does this podcast argue our attention is a commodity?
What are the consequences of that?
What are the implications for your own personal, intellectual well-being?
What are the implications for our societal well-being?
What are the implications for our CLASS well-being or for any classroom's well-being?

HOMEWORK: Spend 30 minutes reading and taking notes from the technology articles in the document linked above. I suggest you focus on the REQUIRED articles first!

Highly Cynical Coaching and Prewrite

8/27/2018

Starter 3- Motivation (David Pink: RSA Animate)
Watch the RSA Animate called "Drive: The Surprising Truth about what Motivates Us".

Take notes on what the THREE things are that most motivate people as explained in this video.
Afterwards, reflect on an experience in your academic or professional lives when you were most (or least) motivated. To what extent were these three motivating forces at play in that experience?

Weekly words of inspiration:
“In Africa there is a concept known as 'ubuntu' - the profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others; that if we are to accomplish anything in this world it will in equal measure be due to the work and achievement of others.” -Nelson Mandela

Highly Cynical Coaching
Get in the group I assign you. Take notes if you think that will be helpful to you.

Summarize the main point of this article. What, in one sentence, is it saying?
Go paragraph by paragraph. Pay special attention to paragraphs 3-7, 20, 23
1. Summarize main idea
2. Answer questions/clarify meaning
3. You may want to write a quick summary on your document or a separate piece of paper
Have your group write two thought-provoking seminar questions on an index card and give them to me.

Seminar Prewrite
Answer at least two of the questions below. Must be typed!

What is Solnit’s definition of a naïve cynic? What are the two types (see paragraphs 8 and 11), and what characterizes their thinking?
To what extent are you a naïve cynic? How much of what Solnit describes rings true to you about yourself? Explain.
In paragraph 6, Solnit makes a number of points about complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity. To what extent are you comfortable with complexity and uncertainty? Give a concrete example.
In paragraph 7, Solnit offers a number of criticisms of naïve cynicism. What is the most important/cutting critique she offers in this paragraph? Why?
In paragraph 20, Solnit says, “Accommodating change and uncertainty requires a looser sense of self…” What does she mean by this?
To what extent is cynicism useful? Harmful?
What kind of thinking habits do we need to cultivate to move beyond naïve cynicism?
How does this article connect to your education? To your goals this year in Humanities?

HW: Finish seminar prewrite if you didn’t finish in class. DUE: Tuesday, 8/28. PRINT BEFORE CLASS!

Creating a Sustainable Classroom

8/24/2018

Bear’s Ears Intro- ASHLEY'S ROOM!!!

Ashley tells her story of Bears Ears, and how it has inspired this project
At the end of the Bears Ears story, split back to classrooms for starters

BACK TO OWN CLASSROOMS

Starter 2

When was a time when you had to lean on a community for support? What kind of support did you need? What made you trust that community? Tell your story!
When was a time that you were a part of a dysfunctional community, or when your community let you down? What happened? Tell this story.

Intro Activity- Share Stories

2 minutes to tell story
1 minute to ask a question and get it answered

Introduce “In Search of a Sustainable Classroom” mini-project
Will go over the goals and structure of the first few weeks.

The Habits of Highly Cynical People
Read and annotate this article—it will be the basis for a Socratic seminar that is connected to our critical thinking goals for the course this year. Make sure to mark:

Places where you are confused
Important or beautiful sentences/ideas
Vocab (look it up!)
Questions you have
HINT…you’re probably going to want to look up a definition of cynicism!

HW:

Finish reading and annotating HoHCP. Due on Monday, 8/27.
Get all required class supplies. Due on Monday, 8/27.
Bears Ears Forms. Due on Friday, 8/31

Welcome and Intro to Sustainability

8/23/2018

Starter 1
“It's not only moving that creates new starting points. Sometimes all it takes is a subtle shift in perspective, an opening of the mind, an intentional pause and reset, or a new route to start to see new options and new possibilities.” -Kristin Armstrong

How open do you feel like you are right now, at the start of your senior year to new possibilities and learning?
What is one thing you think you need to shift your perspective on, or open to, or reset, in order to have a more inspired and productive senior year?

Syllabus

Read it!
Write down a list of the 5 most important things from it
Write any questions you have (about the syllabus, this class, or me!) on the board at the front, and I will answer them.

Personal Core Values

Follow directions on handout
Share one of our core values (what is it, where does it come from)
In your small group, share your values, talk about where they come from, why you have them
As a group, discuss:
1. Which of your values is MOST DIFFICULT to live in a consistent way?
2. Which of your values do think is most used/present in school? Why?
3. Which of your values do you think is most used/present in your life outside of school? Why?
TRANSITION: Project is built on values- going to be returning to your core values many times this semester!
EXTENSION 1: Create a quick poster of your values with a motto/slogan based on your values, symbol, the value, and a brief (1-2 sentence) explanation of what that value means to YOU, and why it is important. Hang ‘em up!
EXTENSION 2: Take this online quiz. Are the core values identified here different? Do any of them speak to you more than the ones you initially developed? Why?
EXTENSION 3: Journal on what your core values are, which ones you express most at school and why, and which ones you want to try to bring out more, and how you might do that.

Intro to Sustainability Project- Lecture + Notes (45 min)

Take notes! Remember, this is good practice. Pull out main ideas, summarize, arrange on the page.
If you were absent, the slideshow is linked on the documents page!

HW: Get all class supplies by Monday at the latest. Don’t forget the comp book!

Sustainable Classroom Essay Prep

Sustainable Classroom Mini-Project

Sustainable Classroom Mini-Project

Highly Cynical Seminar

Highly Cynical Coaching and Prewrite

Creating a Sustainable Classroom

Welcome and Intro to Sustainability

Lori's Blog

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