Mr. Ayers' School Blog

Atomic Cafe

2009-03-18T08:40:00.001-05:00

If you missed any part of the film, watch this. When we come back, you'll be responsible for having seen all of Atomic Cafe, and having taken notes.

Test

2009-03-03T19:14:00.001-06:00

Blog Requirements for Monday, February 9

2009-02-05T08:47:00.002-06:00

AP Lang: 15 posts since Jan. 1, totaling 6000 words

Perspectives: 15 posts total, totaling 3750 words

Perspectives Assignment, 12/10: Blogging

2008-12-10T05:36:00.003-06:00

Today, there are a few things you should try to get accomplished on your blog:

Write your first post, in which you introduce your blog. Basically, you want to address the questions, What are you going to do on this blog? and What should readers expect in the future? (Find another way to phrase it besides, "I am going to..." and "Readers should expect...")
Find some other blogs and websites that have to do with your topic, and link them, just like you linked the "Kennedy Blogs" site along the side.
Read some things on these other sites, and try to find something that can be a jumping off point for your next post. If you can, begin to write it now.

The assignment right now looks like it's going to be 750 words per week. Since you got snow-dayed out of your other time in the lab, I'll say 500 by next Monday, in at least two posts (that's two new posts, not counting what we wrote last week).

Perspectives One-Page Assignment, 12/8

2008-12-08T08:36:00.006-06:00

Choose a picture from among the following:

Hopper, "Nighthawks"

Picasso, "Guernica"

Homer, "Breezing Up"

Caillebotte, "Rue de Paris"

Van Gogh, "Cafe Terrace at Night"

If you missed the powerpoints for these, a version of them can be found here. The first was "How Pictures Work," and the other was "Mann and Rockwell." Make sure you're clicking on the links at the bottom--the ones that show dates with them--instead of the ones at the top.

Also, if you missed one or both powerpoints, make sure you get notes from a friend you trust.

AP Lang Readings for 10/11

2008-11-03T07:57:00.003-06:00

All of the following are from Patterns of Exposition. Make sure you have a Reading Notebook entry for all except the notes:

Notes on "Using Example" (p. 67)
Rooney, "In and of Ourselves We Trust" (71)
Buckley, "Why Don't We Complain?" (75)
Ehrenreich, "What I've Learned from Men" (83)
Buczynski, "Iron Bonding" (98)

All of these are due on Monday, November 11.

AP Reading Assignments, 10/30 - 11/3

2008-10-29T07:39:00.002-05:00

For Thursday, October 30
"Explaining with the Help of Description" (Patterns of Exposition, p. 393) --> Notes, no RN Entry
G. Simpson, "The War Room at Bellevue" (PE, 403) --> RN Entry

For Friday, October 31
E. B. White, "Once More to the Lake" (PE, 424) --> RN Entry
Pay close attention to this one. Read it twice, carefully.

More on History of Interracial Marriage

2008-10-22T11:49:00.004-05:00

Here, Gallup provides data from 1958 to 2007.

And here's a website dedicated to Loving Day, named 1967 Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia, which ruled that restricting interracial marriage was unconstitutional.

And here's a quote from the proposed constitutional amendment that would have prohibited interracial marriage:

"That intermarriage between negroes or persons of color and Caucasians or any other character of persons within the United States or any territory under their jurisdiction, is forever prohibited; and the term 'negro or person of color,' as here employed, shall be held to mean any and all persons of African descent or having any trace of African or negro blood. "Congressional Record, 62nd Congress, 3rd session, Dec. 11, 1912. Vol 49, p. 502

Perspectives: In-Class Writing

2008-10-22T09:07:00.005-05:00

As the opening title comes on screen in part two of Beyond the Color Line, we have a group of several children in Chicago. They're all talking to the camera at once, but we can clearly hear one boy repeating that although he had lived in one of the Robert Taylor homes, "Now I live in a house." We get a glimpse of several public housing communities in Chicago, and what the surrounding communities are like. One young man in particular discusses the dilemma of working a low-wage job clear across town, or earning far more by selling drugs. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the Harvard professor conducting the interviews, tells us that he's not sure he could've made it if he'd grown up in such a community, because of "the sheer weight of poverty."

In a short essay of at least four good paragraphs, address how some of the following would affect the way a person might think about him/herself:

where a person lives

who raised the person

what the person's parents/guardians do for a living

what job the person holds

what the neighborhood looks like

the presence of drugs in the home or neighborhood

the presence of violence in the home or neighborhood

Make it 1-1/2 spaces, Times New Roman, 12-point.

Assignment: AP Lang & Comp

2008-10-16T11:56:00.004-05:00

I've mentioned before, I think, that Andrew Sullivan is my favorite blogger. In the tradition of some of the Orwell-inspired "Why I Write" essays, Sullivan has written an essay in the new Atlantic Monthly entitled "Why I Blog." On his blog today, he had this to say about the essay:

If you feel me working up to another celebration of Montaigne, you're not wrong.
One other thing. The essay is a defense and celebration of blogging - but not as a replacement for long-form writing or in-depth journalism. In fact, I think blogging makes the long, deep take more important in our ADD culture.

Please read it and write a notebook entry.

Perspectives: Blog Assignment #3

2008-10-16T08:18:00.004-05:00

It's time to start thinking about what kind of blog you want to create. There will be more specifics later, but here are some guidelines:

It's best to choose between 1-4 topics that you're really interested in, topics that you enjoy thinking about and talking about with others, even if you've never written or read about them.
The topics don't have to be related to one another. If you want to write about fashion, politics, and the latest installment of the Twilight series, go for it.
Topics might seem very specific and idiosyncratic. There are no bad topics. Except...
Remember that this is a school assignment, so we have to follow similar rules of conduct online to those we would follow in the classroom. So if the topic isn't appropriate for school, best to leave it out.
You can sometimes write about things in your life, but you'll want to avoid specifics when possible. Remember that other people will be able to access your blog and read your posts, and although you won't be posting under your real name, I'll have a list of who's who, others at Kennedy can probably figure out which blog belongs to which student.

So your job today is to begin thinking about what you'd be interested in writing about. What do you like to do and think about when you have free time? What interests might you follow into a career? What blogs did you find at the beginning of the term, that you might use as a model for your own blog?

The Assignment: By the time you come in tomorrow, write at least one good paragraph apiece on three topics you might like to write about. For each, explain what sorts of things you would talk about in your posts. This should be typed and 1-1/2 spaced.

Test!!!

2008-09-29T08:44:00.001-05:00

Perspectives people, remember: the test over This Boy's Life will be TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30.

Perspectives Assignment

2008-09-21T22:32:00.000-05:00

Hi again, folks. Remember me? I should only be gone one more day, because this is my last day of comprehensive exams. However, I still have this horrible virus-thing, and I've lost my voice... So I'm not promising anything just yet.

Here's the drill: We talked a while back about audience, purpose, composition, and context. I want you to write a 3-5 paragraph essay that addresses the first three of these in 'This Boy's Life.' Talk about who this is aimed at, and what you think Wolff wants to accomplish. Remember that both of those are CLAIMS. For EVIDENCE, you need to look at the composition--the writing. At the very least you can talk about what happens in the book. But if you want better than an average grade, talk about HOW the book is written as well.

Hand it in to your friendly sub. Do your best. I'll be back soon...

Assignment: Blog Review #2

2008-09-17T20:39:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone,

I'm still battling whatever virus this is, and I'm starting to take my comprehensive exams anyway, so think good thoughts for me.

In the meantime, here's the deal: I want another blog review out of you. Make sure you title it "Blog Review #2" and include your name, the date, and the hour of your class in the upper right. Down below the title, make absolutely sure you include the name (or names) of the blogger (or bloggers), the title of the blog, and the url (the address you type in).

Hopefully, since this is the second time you've worked through this list of questions, you'll have a little extra time. Oh, one other thing: this time it has to be a blog that I have not linked to.

Otherwise, the instructions are the same as last week. Plus, if you're not sure you did the right thing last week, I've posted an example.

Sample Blog Review: Andrew Sullivan

2008-09-11T11:34:00.004-05:00

"The Daily Dish"
Andrew Sullivan
andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com

Andrew Sullivan is an editor for the Atlantic Monthly, and has been blogging since the summer of 2000. On his blog, The Daily Dish, he writes about politics, religion, current events, pop culture, and sometimes (though less often these days) about gay rights issues. Sullivan is Harvard-educated, Catholic, gay (and married, as of early 2008), and politically conservative (the libertarian kind). His most recent book, The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How to Get It Back, was about the influence of religion on political conservatism. He updates his blog daily, often twenty or thirty times in a day.

His online work for the Atlantic seems designed primarily to provoke strong opinions. Sullivan won't just write about the events of the day, he tells you what he thinks about them. He sometimes gets into heated exchanges with other writers, both on and offline. As much as anything, I think, it's this strong set of opinions that keep readers--both those who agree and those who disagree--to come back and read more.

The Daily Dish is easy to navigate. The stories are on the left, while links--including those to his archives and biography, and a number of other websites and blogs--are on the right. He links to blogs of all political leanings, even those he consistently disagrees with. He includes photos and YouTube videos, but probably only about 10% of the time. Regular features include "The View from Your Window," in which readers e-mail photographs from their homes around the world, and "Mental Health Break," where Sullivan posts some random, often ridiculous YouTube video.

I read Sullivan regularly, because I consider him a smart guy with a lot of interesting things to say. He writes about topics that interest me, and I find his writing voice sharp and often funny. The Daily Dish is linked to my own blog.

Assignment: Blog Review

2008-09-11T06:48:00.003-05:00

Over the past couple of weeks, you've been looking for blogs that suit your interests. Today, you're going to write about a couple of these blogs. Here's what I want to know about each of them:

Purpose. What reason does the blogger seem to have for continuing to update the blog, and what reason does the reader have for continuing to visit it? What topics are the focus of the blog?
Point of view. Describe the author's perspective. What credibility does s/he seem to have on this topic? What attitude does the author take toward his/her topic, and toward his/her audience?
Quality of presentation. How easy is it to navigate the site? What kind of content is included? How much does the blogger rely on content found elsewhere on the Internet? How often is other media (images, video, audio) included?
What about this blog appeals to you? Why is this one of the blogs you'd be interested in reading on a regular basis?

Write about one blog at a time, providing the title, blogger's name, and url (the web address). Provide the above information in a clear format, single-spaced.

Perspectives Assignment, 9/10

2008-09-10T12:04:00.002-05:00

Read This Boy's Life through page 91.

AP Assignment

2008-09-08T09:58:00.003-05:00

AP students: please read chapter two of Patterns of Exposition (excluding the essay in that chapter), and Donald Murray's "Why I Write." Do a RN (reading notebook) entry on Murray's essay.

A Couple More Blogs

2008-09-04T11:53:00.003-05:00

Ta-Nehisi Coates blogs for the Atlantic about rap and hip-hop, as well as politics.

Two cake-related blogs: Yes, cake. Or rather, cake and cupcakes.

Six More Blogs, Suggested by Students

2008-09-04T09:47:00.004-05:00

A motorcycle blog.

A science and technology blog.

An entertainment blog.

An electoral map blog.

A fake blog, written by the character Dwight, from NBC's The Office.

And another cat blog. (This should not be interpreted as advocating websites dedicated to cats.)

More Blogs of Interest

2008-09-04T07:27:00.005-05:00

FiveThirtyEight -- Dedicated to electoral projections and political polls; very interesting stuff.

The Cool Hunter -- It's hard to pin down the focus of this one... design, architecture, culture. Very, you know, cool.

Tifaux -- Blog about TV. I just found it... strikes me as potentially pretty funny.

Stereogum -- Music blog.

Matt Taibbi -- (Student Pick) Blog by a columnist for Rolling Stone. Politics, liberal slant.

Laura Freberg -- (Student Pick) Blog by a psychology professor about... psychology.

Tattoo Blog -- (Student Pick) A blog dedicated to photos of, and commentary about, tattoos.

Lick of the Day -- (Student Pick) That's "lick," as in, "riff." This blogger provides, as he says it, "a new guitar lick every day."

The Movie Blog -- (Student Pick) Pretty self-explanatory.

One student suggested a blog debating religion, but it seemed a little too combative to link. But it's obviously a topic that interests people, so I went looking for some with moderated views. Here are a few blogs (in no particular order) about religion, philosophy, and ethics, from different points of view -- David Kuo on BeliefNet, Planet Humanism, ThinkBuddha, Ijtema.net, Virtual Philosopher, and Civil Religion.

And what would the Internet be without cute pictures of furry animals? (Answer: one-third as big.)

"Tangled Web"

2008-09-03T07:47:00.003-05:00

Kelsey Beltramea, former AP Language and Perspectives student, has the cover story in the current Student Press Law Center magazine. The SPLC is, according to its website, "an advocate for student free-press rights," and is located in Washington, D.C.

This is a big deal. Congratulations, Kelsey!

Assignment

2008-09-02T12:03:00.002-05:00

Perspectives, for 9/2: Read through p. 17 of This Boy's Life, take notes on what we know about the characters, including Roy.

A Few Blogs of Note

2008-08-28T12:06:00.002-05:00

Here are a few blogs you might check out, if you're interested in these topics...

Reality TV

Hawkeye Sports

Energy Conservation

Politics (liberal perspective)

Politics (conservative perspective)

ASSIGNMENT: Write a Letter

2008-08-28T08:25:00.002-05:00

You already know all the interesting stuff about you. But I don't.

So I'd like you to write me a letter introducing yourself. The more I know, the better chance there is that I can make this class work for you.

Tell me any important stuff you think I should know. You could tell me about previous LA experiences, what you do outside of school, your hobbies, interests, jobs, plans for the future... anything at all. Be as formal or informal as you wish, but don't abandon common sense. It is a school assignment, after all.

Please do type it, rather than handwriting it. Easier for me to read.

This letter is due on Tuesday, September 2.

Looking for Blogs

2008-08-28T08:05:00.003-05:00

On Thursday, I asked all students to make a list of 5-10 topics of interest, and then to go find blogs related to those topics. I want you all to get a sense of what blogs are like, how they work, and to find at least a few that you enjoy reading. Some suggestions:

I'd start with Google, Yahoo, or some other search engine, and type in a few key words related to your topic. Be sure to include the word "blog," so you don't just get any old website or news article related to the topic. You want blogs.
Blogs often have a set of links down one side or the other, sometimes called "blogroll." Even if you don't like a particular blog, you can use that blog to find other blogs on the same topic.
Hopefully, you'll be able to find a couple you enjoy reading. If you do, write down the titles and authors (or "bloggers"), so you can find them again later, or copy and paste the URL (the address) into a Word document.

Hip-hop and copyright law

2008-08-20T18:19:00.002-05:00

The blogger One Drop argues why the two don't fit together well. Here's a Slate article on the same topic.

Come Get Your Stuff!

2008-06-09T12:05:00.003-05:00

Hey AP folks,

It's Monday morning. If you stop down by our room (103), you'll find boxes of your stuff. I'm leaving it out there this afternoon, and it should still be there tomorrow morning. After that, it should be delivered to my office when they put things back together. If I don't see you, have a great summer!

Mr. Ayers

Radio Essays

2008-05-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of examples. Click on Tom_Alex.

For the Seniors

2008-05-21T18:03:00.001-05:00

Third hour will understand.

Postmodernism and Music

2008-05-08T10:33:00.004-05:00

Perspectives students: Please watch, if you weren't in class to see them.

Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy" (Live, 2006 MTV Video Music Awards)

Gorillaz (Live)

DJ Danger Mouse, "The Grey Album"

An Essay Contest

2008-05-02T07:01:00.001-05:00

Check it out.

http://www.confessionsofawordnerd.com/essay_contest.php

Photo Essays

2008-05-01T07:43:00.002-05:00

Here are a few examples of photo essays available from Slate.com. For many of these, you need to click wherever it says, "To view a slideshow, click here":

Matisse and Picasso

"Wars: Middle East"

"The Art of War"

An Essay on Gardening

"A Brief History of the Bikini"

"Men without Tights" (about superhero comics)

What Is Postmodernism?

2008-04-23T07:13:00.002-05:00

Here's a short video that explains postmodernism surprisingly well. Extra credit to the student who tipped me off to it?

Hyperreality

2008-04-21T12:02:00.001-05:00

Perspectives people: please also read this. It's a nice, relatively short, clear guide to hyperreality. You may need to enlarge the text size (under "view" in most browsers); I don't know why it's in such a small font.

~ Ayers

AP Test Prep

2008-04-16T07:58:00.001-05:00

You'll notice there is now a link off to the side of this page, so you can always find the Iowa AP Academy Online.

The Sun Also Rises in HD

2008-04-15T07:52:00.000-05:00

Perspectives people: please read these.

New York Times story

Engadget HD (blog)

About this Blog

2008-03-05T10:40:00.000-06:00

The purpose of this blog is to provide students, parents and guardians, and other interested parties with a tool to keep track of assignments and due dates for AP Language and Composition and Perspectives in Literature and Composition. As time permits, I will update the blog with links along the side, providing additional tools for completing assignments.