ACE & Guided Study: College Research Project

Lets talk Colleges.

Research Project time folks, lets start thinking about what various colleges offer to students, what the costs are and what kind of programs are available for students to participate in. Check out the rubric below (we will be talking about this in class) and let me know if you have any questions. If you have lost the hard copy rubric I gave you in class, you can download the PDF here. (Adobe Reader required)

ACE Students: This project is due 9/30/11

Presentations will be on 10/3/11

Great Books: Anthem by Ayn Rand

This week we are starting Anthem by Ayn Rand, a classic example of dystopian literature and a perfect first novel for this class. During this unit we will be looking at the following literary terms: Motif, Symbolism, Theme, Point of View. We will also discuss utpoias and dystopias, as well as the concepts of collectivism, and individualism.

The entire novella is available online and I've included a copy of it below.

Great Books: Dueling Authors

This week....

DUELING AUTHORS

Two Books Enter...One Book Leaves.

 
In the first week of class I asked for suggestions of possible "Great Books" to use in class. Unfortunately there were so many wonderful suggestions there was no way for them all to be incorporated into the class. So, this week is your opportunity to make your favorite book or author shine, while laying the smack down on your classmates.

Are you up for the challenge?

After selecting your favorite book/author, consider the following elements of great literature:

1. Great Characters
2. Great Plot
3. Great Language

To prepare for your battle of the books, gather the following information about your chosen champion:

1. Basic information: Setting: time/place, characters, ect.
2. Summary of Plot: Conflict, 3-5 Main Events, Resolution
3. Main Character: Description & changes
4. Example of Language: One quote showcasing the power of your author's writing
   

Once you have gathered all this information you should be ready for our Literary Thunderdome! Whose author will reign supreme?

Great Books: Nine Billion Names of God

This week we are reading The Nine Billion Names of God by Arthur C. Clarke.

Arthur C. Clarke, prolific science fiction writer is responsible for such classic works like: The Fountains of Paradise and 2001: A Spave Odyssey. Clarke continues to be an essential figurehead of the sci fi genre and was a firm believer in the power of science fiction, saying:

One of the biggest roles of science fiction is to prepare people to accept the future without pain and to encourage a flexibility of mind.

For more about Arthur C. Clarke check out the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation.

Do what you love.

As a teacher I always want my students to reach for the stars and push-push-push themselves to be their best. As my students get closer and closer to graduation, the subjects of future schooling and potential career paths are a part of a constant conversation.

Below is an interesting infographic from Salary Tutor comparing salary to job satisfaction. I'm posting it here to remind us, that no matter how much money you would like to make in the future, in the end, you should do what you love.

Click for a larger version.

Great Books: Billy Collins

This week we are reading former poet laureate, Billy Collins.

About Billy Collins from poets.org

His work has been featured in the Pushcart Prize anthology and has been chosen several times for the annual Best American Poetry series. Collins has edited Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry (Random House, 2003), an anthology of contemporary poems for use in schools and was a guest editor for the 2006 edition of The Best American Poetry.

About Collins, the poet Stephen Dunn has said, "We seem to always know where we are in a Billy Collins poem, but not necessarily where he is going. I love to arrive with him at his arrivals. He doesn't hide things from us, as I think lesser poets do. He allows us to overhear, clearly, what he himself has discovered."

In 2001, Collins was named U.S. Poet Laureate. His other honors and awards include fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Guggenheim Foundation. In 1992, he was chosen by the New York Public Library to serve as "Literary Lion".

We will be reading a small selection of his work including:

• Introduction to Poetry
• Fishing on the Suqyehanna in July
• Forgetfullness
• Some Days
• Litany
• The First Night
• The Golden Years
• Workshop

You can also find Billy Collins all over Youtube.com, with recorded readings and some very interesting animated poetry. I've included some of these videos below.

ACE: Finding your Internship

The ACE program is all about allowing students opportunities to get real-world, hands on experience and receive academic credit for it. We have a lot of work to do in order to find mentorships and internships that will be a great fit.

What can you do to help this process? Get ready!

1. Consult my yellow ACE handbook for career area's you are interested in and make sure I have a list.
2. Check out the internship description and requirements are before you make a decision. Think about the people in your life, is there anyone you know who might be able to give you a hand in landing that dream position?
3. Do research online, we need to keep our options open.
4. Finish your ACE application and get that turned in ASAP!
5. Work on your resume and cover letter, these are hugely important to the process and you need to have them ready when potential mentors ask for them.
6. Make some phone calls yourself. I understand you may feel nervous doing this, but most of what I am doing now is calling around just to see if internships are available. Often they are not, but it never hurts to ask and the more ground we cover the better it is for everyone. Remember, the sooner we get an internship set up, the sooner you can get out of class and get to work!
• Consider this scripts for phone calls:
• Hello my name is ____________________________ and I am from Atrisco Heritage Academy HS. I was interested in an internship at your business/company/firm. Can you please let me know if there are any internships available? Or who would I need to talk to in order to set one up?
• If available ask: What would I need to do to apply? Is there a formal application? An Interview? What are the requirements? What would the internship entail?
• Write down who you call, when, and who you spoke to. Also don't forget to write down everything they told you (even if it was bad news!)