After watching the film "Dead Poets' Society," we listed many reasons for liking/enjoying the film; however, we also read Roger Eberts' review that made many complaints against the film. So what do we think? Is it a good film or a bad film?
Let's have a debate!
DPS Argument: "Is "The Dead Poets' Society" a good film?
Proposition (yes it is a good film)
Opposition (no it is not a good film.
Judge - record arguments
- document BEST arguments here
- Choose a winner based on the strongest argument
Vocabulary for MBFGW
While we watch the film, I would like us to use TodaysMeet to have back channel discussions.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Wednesday 9/9
Today we talked about Participation (using Amy Cuddy's TEDTalk--see the link to the right).
We also discussed WYR, sorting your arguments into Logos, Ethos and Pathos.
The majority of the class we used to talk about Barthelme's "The School." Here the questions we used for group discussion.
We also discussed WYR, sorting your arguments into Logos, Ethos and Pathos.
The majority of the class we used to talk about Barthelme's "The School." Here the questions we used for group discussion.
1) List all the creatures that die
in/around the school. Do you notice any pattern?
2) How do you react when you arrive at the
line “We weren’t even supposed to have a puppy”? What expectations has
Barthelme established by this point?
3) What kind of relationship does the
narrator/teacher have with his students? How do you know this?
4) Barthelme uses some strange language,
often repeating words and phrases. What effect does this have? What kind of
narrator are we dealing with?
(Clue: look at the beginning of the story. Edgar might say "We wanted the students to understand how root systems of trees work, so we had them plant trees." But he says it in a very different way. What is different about the way he "speaks"? Why do you think Barthelme chooses this language?)
(Clue: look at the beginning of the story. Edgar might say "We wanted the students to understand how root systems of trees work, so we had them plant trees." But he says it in a very different way. What is different about the way he "speaks"? Why do you think Barthelme chooses this language?)
5) At the end of the story, when the
students seek affirmation from Edgar, how does Edgar respond? Is he able to
comfort them?
6) Why do the students ask Edgar to make
love to Helen?
7) The text closes with the lines “the
gerbil walked in.” But gerbils don’t “walk” (they crawl or scurry). It is
usually only humans that walk. Why do you think the gerbil is given this human
characteristic?
8) Why do you think the students cheer
when they see the gerbil “walk” in at the end of the story?
9) Edgar tells the
students “life is that which affirms life.” Why do you think he says this?
Monday, September 7, 2015
Tuesday, 9/8
Today, we reviewed the film "The Dead Poets' Society."
Mostly, we liked the film. Here is a list of things we like about it:
- It is moving
- It promotes the following values: freedom, rebellion, loyalty
- it is an Underdog narrative
As I said yesterday, the purpose of Art (meaning literature, film, painting, etc.) is to make us think. It is to its benefit that the film raises these questions:
- What is "success"?
- What is a good use of time?
- At what point should we break the rules?
- Is life without a dream worthwhile?
- What is the best kind of education?
Then we looked at Roger Eberts' review of the film (see the link to the right). Ebert does not like the film and we examined his reasons for this.
* While we ran out of time to finish this discussion, we will return to this on Wednesday. Be ready.
After lunch, we worked on and performed our skits that we started yesterday based on Siddhartha characters and plot structure.
Assignment:
Class Reflection #5 (on Figment).
Reading Resposne (on Figment): please find a section (2-5 sentences) from Barthelme's "The School" that you find meaningful. Explain why it you find it meaningful.
Mostly, we liked the film. Here is a list of things we like about it:
- It is moving
- It promotes the following values: freedom, rebellion, loyalty
- it is an Underdog narrative
As I said yesterday, the purpose of Art (meaning literature, film, painting, etc.) is to make us think. It is to its benefit that the film raises these questions:
- What is "success"?
- What is a good use of time?
- At what point should we break the rules?
- Is life without a dream worthwhile?
- What is the best kind of education?
Then we looked at Roger Eberts' review of the film (see the link to the right). Ebert does not like the film and we examined his reasons for this.
* While we ran out of time to finish this discussion, we will return to this on Wednesday. Be ready.
After lunch, we worked on and performed our skits that we started yesterday based on Siddhartha characters and plot structure.
Assignment:
Class Reflection #5 (on Figment).
Reading Resposne (on Figment): please find a section (2-5 sentences) from Barthelme's "The School" that you find meaningful. Explain why it you find it meaningful.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Monday 9/7
Today we talked about the structure of Siddhartha:
1) Identify goal. Begin quest for goal. [Enlightenment]
2) Strategy 1[denial of worldly experience]
3) Realization that strategy 1 fails
4) Strategy 2 [indulgence]
5) Realization that Strategy 2 fails
6) Strategy 3 [moderation]
7) Success [acheives enlightenment]
We used this prezi to talk about the characters in Siddhartha.
We talked about the characters in Siddhartha:
- Govinda (Siddhartha's helper/measures Siddhartha's success)
also represents failed Strategy 1
- Gotama (also Gautama and the Buddha) - Realization that Strategy 1 will not work
- Kamala - Represents failed strategy 2: indulegence/pleasure
- the ferryman - Represents successful strategy 3: moderation
- Siddhartha's son - rejects Siddhartha. Siddhartha accepts rejection.
Assignment:
Complete DPS
Write (on Figment): Reading Response #4
Class Reflection #4 (on Figment)
1) Identify goal. Begin quest for goal. [Enlightenment]
2) Strategy 1[denial of worldly experience]
3) Realization that strategy 1 fails
4) Strategy 2 [indulgence]
5) Realization that Strategy 2 fails
6) Strategy 3 [moderation]
7) Success [acheives enlightenment]
We used this prezi to talk about the characters in Siddhartha.
We talked about the characters in Siddhartha:
- Govinda (Siddhartha's helper/measures Siddhartha's success)
also represents failed Strategy 1
- Gotama (also Gautama and the Buddha) - Realization that Strategy 1 will not work
- Kamala - Represents failed strategy 2: indulegence/pleasure
- the ferryman - Represents successful strategy 3: moderation
- Siddhartha's son - rejects Siddhartha. Siddhartha accepts rejection.
Assignment:
Complete DPS
Write (on Figment): Reading Response #4
Class Reflection #4 (on Figment)
Friday, September 4, 2015
Friday, 9/4
Today, we reviewed Siddhartha's philosophy toward education, prioritizing self-teaching through experience rather than passive learning.
We also talked about the different genres of biography, philosophical doctrine, and quest narrative (see the prezi), and decided that Siddhartha could easily be all three types of stories (and perhaps more).
We then watched the first half of "The Dead Poet's Society" using TodaysMeet and I asked you to think about how education works in that film. Is it like Siddhartha's idea of education?
I also asked you to think about who wanted things that were against the rules.
- we said that Neil wants to be an actor, against the rule of his father
- Knox wants Chris, against the rule of her current, boorish boyfriend
- who else wants things that are against the rules.
Think about this over the weekend.
Assignment:
While we will not be reading all of Siddhartha, it is important to understand the whole plot. So please read the plot summary here and write your reading response on Figment.
Also give me a class reflection of Figment.And have a great weekend!
We also talked about the different genres of biography, philosophical doctrine, and quest narrative (see the prezi), and decided that Siddhartha could easily be all three types of stories (and perhaps more).
We then watched the first half of "The Dead Poet's Society" using TodaysMeet and I asked you to think about how education works in that film. Is it like Siddhartha's idea of education?
I also asked you to think about who wanted things that were against the rules.
- we said that Neil wants to be an actor, against the rule of his father
- Knox wants Chris, against the rule of her current, boorish boyfriend
- who else wants things that are against the rules.
Think about this over the weekend.
Assignment:
While we will not be reading all of Siddhartha, it is important to understand the whole plot. So please read the plot summary here and write your reading response on Figment.
Also give me a class reflection of Figment.And have a great weekend!
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Vocabulary words for Barthelme's "The School"
Euphemism for death
“kicked
off”
“belly-up”
Explicable - explainable, able to be explained
Conscientious - with care and awareness
Sabotage - to purposefully destroy or disrupt
Direct/directly - immediate
Extraordinary - above the ordinary, or wonderufl
Mortality - the ability to die
Excavate/excavating
Fatal/fatally - relating to death
Grapple/grappled - struggle
Intrude/intruder - invade
Fundamental - necessary
Datum - data point
Taken-for-granted - unappreciated
Mundane/mundanity - dull, ordinary
Transcend/transcended - to rise above
Monday, August 31, 2015
Some Notes that Might be Helpful with your reading
Siddhartha – the protagonist who seeks Enlightenment
Govinda – Siddhartha’s friend/sidekick, also seeking
enlightenment
Gautama – (the Buddha, The Sublime One, the Venerable One) a
revered leader who has achieved enlightenment and helps others who seek it
Samanas--an order of monks, seeking enlightenment
This story takes place in India, a nation that follows Hinduism
Consider this question: what is the difference beween Teaching and Knowledge?
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