roles

Alondra: design & build
Allison: design
Mari: design
Bruno: video
Jose R: video

[others...?]

video game trailer

time magazine GOAT games

Read the full text here:

http://time.com/4458554/best-video-games-all-time/

Choose any five games that have descriptions.  Read each description and take notes on 3-5 qualities that made the game so good.  We will use our notes to identify patterns and compare with our ideas.

february 28

JOURNAL TOPIC:
In five years, what (if anything) will you remember about this class?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Online/offline strategy
3. Comparing our ideas with the experts
4. Individual/group work
5. Discussion
6. Read/Read 180

oh MAN did we have some great ideas yesterday!

... and I almost posted pictures of the board here, until I realized we have to keep that part of the conversation offline.
#spycraft

I'm stoked about the direction you took this.
#onward

february 27

JOURNAL TOPIC:
How did Eckels change the course of history?  What was different when he returned to his own time?  What is the impact of your decisions and actions?  Do the things you say or do change the course of history?  Why/why not?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Review "Sound of Thunder"
3. Discussion/ game theory and the choices we make
4. Designing and building
5. Read/Read 180

sound of thunder questions

1. What company does Eckels visit?
2. What are the penalties for disobeying instructions?
3. About what is Eckels thankful?
4. What did some people want to do if Deutscher had won the election and why?
5. What does the man behind the desk tell Eckels happened last year that makes Eckels think about going on the safari?
6. Who is the Safari Leader?
7. How many people besides Eckels are on the trip? Name them.
8. What does Travis tell Eckels is the best way to kill a dinosaur?
9. When the hunters arrive at their destination, what does Travis tell them hasn’t happened yet in history? 10. How many years did the men travel?
11. What is the antigravity metal path and why must the men stay on it?
12. What happened to the machine and the men’s clothes before they made their journey?
13. Why do the men wear oxygen helmets?
14. What is unique about the dinosaurs that the men can shoot?
15. What is a paradox?
16. What does Eckels jokingly pretend to do?

17. How does the reader know Eckels is afraid?

18. What does Eckels say when he sees the size of the dinosaur? 19. How do the men know which dinosaurs they can shoot?
20. Where was Eckels on his way to when he stepped off the path?
21. What do Billings and Kramer do after the dinosaur is dead?
22. What does Lesperance offer Billings and Kramer that they turn down?
23. What does Travis tell Eckels they are going to do to him?
24. What does Travis make Eckels do in order to go back with them?
25. What does Eckels notice about the sign on their return? 26. What does Eckels find on the bottom of his boots?
27. What does Eckels learn about the election?
28. What is the reader to infer that Travis does to Eckels?

february 26

JOURNAL TOPIC:
What do good stories and good games have in common?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. A good story
3. Read/Read 180

student rhetoric in real time

At the beginning of this semester we watched Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. give a speech, which we analyzed in terms of ethos, pathos, and logos-- the three elements that Aristotle said were essential to demonstrating an argument in such a way that we believe it.  We talked about how we intuitively observe speakers all the time, and what elements of their presentations lead us to be impressed, persuaded, bored, or offended.

The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida has sparked a national debate about gun control and safety, particularly on school campuses.  Please take a few minutes to watch the following speech from Emma Gonzalez, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.  Then comment to this post with your evaluation of her ethos, pathos, and logos.  Do you trust her character?  Do you feel an emotional sense of empathy or sympathy for her and/or her perspective?  Is her argument clear, truthful, and well-reasoned?  Use what you remember from our conversations (including verbal, paraverbal, and nonverbal communication) to point out evidence from her talk that supports your positions.

Here is the link to a video of Ms. Gonzalez's speech.

february 23

JOURNAL TOPIC:
They say time flies when you're having fun.  Well, I'm curious about something.  Most of you tell me that you don't have much fun at school.  But here we are: it's late February and in the blink of an eye it will be summer.  Why does the time still go so fast?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Analyze Emma Gonzalez's speech and comment on the last post
3. Grades

february 22

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Describe a game you played as a little kid.  What was interesting about it then?  Do you still think it's interesting now? Why/why not?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Gods and games
3. How to read nonfiction
4. Read
5. Read 180

an open question

There are always so many things competing for our attention.  Usually, it takes less than a day or two for even the biggest news to disappear as the next wave of headlines takes over.

But this week is different.  The mass shooting in Parkland, Florida is still being discussed in national mainstream media.  Students and families and educators around the country are sending a powerful message: NO MORE.

Here at Santa Maria High School we've had our own moment to consider the issue.  We talked about it in class yesterday.  Then Estefany shared this item on her blog, and it got me to thinking: what's next?  Will we forget?  Laugh it off?  Do something that will create meaningful change?

The honest answer is, I don't know.  That three word phrase -- I don't know -- is the beginning of all learning.  Sharing it with you in this way is the heart of Open Source Learning.  I would really appreciate it if you'd comment to this post with your ideas about how we can connect with others who care about this issue and contribute to a national movement that absolutely, positively has to succeed.

Thanks for reading.  I look forward to reading your ideas and/or discussing in class.

*UPDATE: You can read what the Parkland students are doing about this issue HERE.

february 21

JOURNAL TOPIC:
What's your favorite animal?  Why?  What about it appeals to you?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Return papers/ review blogs & edit
3. Read
4. Read 180

february 20

JOURNAL TOPIC:
How can you use your connection to the Internet to get what you need, meet the people you want, and achieve your goals?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Discussion/ tone and mood in the news
3. Post to your blog about something that you believe to be extremely positive about your experience of learning in this community (title: WHAT GOES RIGHT AT MY SCHOOL / first sentences: "It seems like when something bad happens at school the media makes a big deal out of it and everyone gets upset.  But every day, something happens at school that helps me, and I never hear anyone talking about that side of things.  For example...")
4. Read 180
5. Read

yesterday, today and tomorrow

Yesterday I woke up thinking we'd probably be talking about immigration.  Then the social media thing, and the media coverage, and the fear, and the parents taking their children out of school. 

Now it's a sunny, quiet Saturday morning.  This is a perfect moment to reflect and ask myself what we can learn from moments like this.

There's a longer blog post cooking in my head, but for our purposes I want to bookmark a few ideas so we can come back to them after the weekend:

• The vast majority of people on our campus do the right thing almost all the time, even when no one is looking;
• This is not a very dramatic story, so the evening news doesn't often scream: "This just in!  Everything went right at Santa Maria High School today, and young people learned stuff!"
• There is something truly beautiful about community, and maybe moments like this can bring us back in closer touch with our needs for trust and hope;
• I subscribe to the idea that tomorrow is promised to no one (remembering the idea helps me make the most of today), but going to school should never feel like a risk or a potential threat to our safety;
• This sort of thing has happened before (see below, which I originally posted for a class at Righetti HS on November 20, 2014);
• A question for all of us to consider: How can we use our growing understanding of rhetoric and communication to tell a different, better story that sets the tone we want to see in our community?

I look forward to thinking out loud with you about these ideas.  In the meantime, please feel free to comment. Mahalo. -dp
_____________________________________________________

(From 2014)

Sometimes life is our literature.  Yesterday, this happened:

So, today we'll be creating space for any discussion that needs discussing, and we will be integrating our ideas about reality with our ideas about poetry.

For starters: an exercise in Remix and "the medium is the message."  Watching the news visual with each of today's tunes: "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen & "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones

JOURNAL TOPIC:
As author Salman Rushdie put it, "A poet's work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep."  Write a poem about yesterday's events, or what you think it says about our culture and the people in it, or anything else that fulfills Rushdie's description of the poet's work.

academic awards

Congratulations to the Saints who won academic awards Fall Semester!

2018_02_20_08_29_46 by dpreston1441 on Scribd

love dating abuse boundaries and support

I received this poster recently and I think it's worth considering on your own, privately, rather than on a wall or a classroom door.  Many of us know someone who is dealing with serious relationship issues.  This is a legitimate problem for adults too (consider the #MeToo movement).  I hope that if you or someone you know is dealing with any kind of unhealthy relationship pressure, you'll get the support you need.

february 16

JOURNAL TOPIC:
What's on your mind today?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Discussion

february 15

***ELPAC testing***

february 14

***ELPAC TESTING***

candy or not candy?

After talking with students who were eating chocolate and cookies at 9:30 in the morning, and after watching students eat bags of crap all day long, it occurs to me that some basic nutritional investigation might be in order.  I hope you can figure out what's good for you.  If you can't, I hope someone loves you enough to smack that bag of Hot Cheetos out of your hand.  In the meantime:

february 13

JOURNAL TOPIC:
The human body is such an amazing design.  Evolution.  Wow.  But whether you believe that Mother Nature, or God, or selective adaptation from primordial ooze is responsible, why do we have such weird quirks?  Why is pain necessary?  Or fever?  Or phlegm?  Why couldn't we just have a red light or buzzer that goes off and says "Er, hey, you should probably get some rest"?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Today we work at play: Meet the 5PH1NX
3. Read 180
4. Read
5. Finish any work on "Love & War"

February 9

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Choose your own!

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Finish R book to p. 183
3. Read 180
4. Read

february 8

JOURNAL TOPIC:
How would you explain Romeo & Juliet (the story we've been reading in class) as a game?  Who are the players, what are they trying to achieve, and how do they hack the rules in order to level up?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. I have an idea about the game that I think will make things easier-- want to hear it?
3. Read 180
4. Read
5. Finish "Love & War"
6. Game instructions for tomorrow

february 7

JOURNAL TOPIC:
What would you do if a goldfish grew to the size of a Volkswagon and started eating your friends?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Read 180
3. Read
4. Finish "Love & War" section in R-book

february 6

JOURNAL TOPIC:

Describe a time when you got so interested in a school assignment that you forgot it was for credit.  If you haven't had this experience, describe a time when you got so "into" what you were doing that you lost track of time.  If you haven't had that experience either, think back on your childhood and describe the last awesomely creative thing you did that was so cool it still puts a smile on your face.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. READ 180
3. R Book work
4. Read

february 5

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Why do people use the word "game" when they are talking about serious topics like love and war?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Read 180
3. "Love & War"

be kind always

Usually when I walk into class on a Monday I find something left behind.  Maybe it's a book, or a jacket.  Maybe I didn't see it on Friday, or someone used the room over the weekend.

This morning I walked in and put a couple books away.  Then I noticed a pink sticky note on the desk right under the projector.  I don't know where it came from, whose it was, or why it was there, but I think it's a powerful reminder and worth sharing here:

february 2

***

YOU HAVE A MAJOR PROJECT DUE TODAY

PLEASE REMEMBER TO POST IT ON YOUR BLOG

***

JOURNAL TOPIC:

Describe one thing you did successfully in class this week.

AGENDA: 

1. Journal

2. Status/ project reporting

3. Planning based on #2

4. Building a game from your short story

5. Read/ Read 180