Leap Day

Today, Jennie and Che from the Child Development Institute came through and reviewed mental health illnesses. They answered questions and dispelled myths. They provided information to create a more complete picture of the issues we have discussed in class. I hope most of you found their presentation helpful, and remember to continue the dialogue beyond the classroom. This is an important issue, a human issue, a personal issue, not just a school issue.

If you have any thoughts or comments in response to their presentation/discussion, or just on the mental health unit in general, please feel free to leave them here.

Hasta la proxima.

The Second

I really enjoyed today. The discussions were great. We talked about originality and shared examples of original ideas. I think Tyler's idea from 8.6 took the prize - a possible money maker in the future. We discussed plagiarism and how to avoid it by using MLA formatting.

Each student now has a sheet that outlines how to use MLA. Please keep it. Keep it. It will be of use moving forward into this new unit.

More videos have been completed and watched in 8.8. They all deserve Oscar's nominations for Best Plasticine Stop Motion Drama Under 30 Seconds. Tonight, I will complete two more soundtracks. Groups who finished their Stop Motion Plasticine Extravaganza investigated Pablo Picasso's Guernica. We explored some of its more secretive images. Our next class, we will review these images again, together. We will discuss the artwork and its effectiveness in dealing with the issue of war, and then create artworks of our own that deal with a current or historical issue of importance. Think abstract and collage.

Tomorrow our two guest speakers arrive.

And all is well.

The First

You asked for it, now here it is. I will do my best to keep assignments and activities posted and up-to-date. As of now, we are at the tail end of our mental health unit. Two student group presentations remain: one in 8.8 and one in 8.7.

We have two guests speakers coming in on Wednesday from the Child Development Institute who will review the ideas we have discussed over the last couple of weeks - mental health issues. Their names are Jennie and Che.

Going forward, our next unit will focus on current issues and essay writing. We will be learning how to reference using MLA format. We will have an organized debate, then a lesson on thesis construction.

Let the good times roll.