Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Happy New Year

Hi Everyone,
I hope you and your families have enjoyed your time away from school.

Welcome to the next chapter of our adventure.

Originally I had planned on assigning work throughout the break as a way to sustain our momentum.  At the same time, however, I was also aware that (most of) you had done a lot of work and I wanted to avoid burn out, so I decided to give all of us a proper break.  (For the record, no one objected. :)

Now it's time to revisit what we accomplished in the fall and figure out how best to build toward achieving our goals in the spring.  Over the next few days I will post steps for you to take so that you're prepared for the first day.  These are assignments that will be evaluated not just by me, but by your entire learning network (which you will build

The first step is to figure out what you want to accomplish.

I'll go first. My goals for the spring semester are as follows:
  1. To help every member of our learning community accomplish his/her goals;
  2. To help every member of our learning community pass the AP English Literature and Composition exam
In order to accomplish my goals, I will obviously need to know more about your goals.  So, as the first steps in this process, please do the following:
  1. Comment to this post with a brief (1-2 sentence) description of what you want to accomplish by participating in this course over the next six months. (NOTE: This should be about your personal passion, not a Hallmark-y "I want an A" or "I'll try real hard" nod to the assignment.)
  2. Post a longer description to your course blog under the title, "What's In This For Me?"
  3. Write yourself an accompanying email here for delivery in one year.  Ultimately, the future you will have the best idea as to whether or not you have truly succeeded.
Please get back in the habit of checking this space, I will be posting next steps in the next 1-2 days.

Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year,
Dr. Preston

[UPDATE: Thank you to Josh, Dulce and Michelle for getting the ball rolling.  Their answers helped me see how I can make the idea of a "goal" more specific.  Think back on all of the threads we began last semester (Collaborative Working Groups, Big Questions, traditional academic study, Open Source Learning technology, gamification) and literally ask yourselves, "What IS in this for me?"  Some of you want to create entrepreneurial ventures.  Some of you want to explore a question or an idea through original research.  Some of you want to game and continue growing our AP learning network through technology and shared experiences.  Some of you want to keep your focus narrow and get a 5 on the AP exam.  Whatever your priorities, this is the first chance to articulate what YOU want out of this process so that we can design your experience together.  You may work with others or you may see this as your personal journey, but if you wait and rely on an authority figure or colleagues to tell you what to do, you will fail.  I will post more about next steps- i.e., how we can go about this- in the next day or two.  My reason for posting this first is to get feedback from you about what it is that interests you most so I can plan accordingly.  For now, the key is for you to wave the magic wand and imagine an experience that enables everyone to pass the AP exam and emerge from this course- and HS- with a project of tangible value in the world.  When Josh wrote that he wanted to improve his writing, I imagined what form that might take: A book?  A script?  Your senior project begins now.  If you have questions or want to bounce ideas around, please feel free to use the comments and/or email.  The idea here is to give you the opportunity to start the conversation without rubric-style limitations, but if you need structure/help I'm here.) 

46 comments:

  1. I would like to improve my writing. I find it very difficult to get my ideas organized on written on paper even with the aid of a pre-write.

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    1. Thanks for jumping in, Josh! What form would a brilliant outcome take? Would you like to complete a novel, a script, a ...? I'm going to add to the post in order to give you and others some suggestions to work from. By the time you walk in June there will be no doubt as to whether or not we have succeeded.

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    2. I feel like a script wouldn't fit the task in question as it wouldn't push me to get a better score on the AP exam. A novel ? Maybe. How about we get all the students to contribute towards a single novel. (Class Project?) The challenge being for it to make sense and at the same time having a great plot/dynamic characters.

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    3. And make it required to participate, just not a set amount. Anywhere from one paragraph to several pages. Etherpad?

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  2. I would like to improve my communication skills. I know what I am thinking and I have all the right ideas I just don't know how to get it across properly.

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    1. Dulce, reading this is like watching an all-star athlete talk about all the weaknesses she needs to improve on in the off-season. It's inspiring to see a talented individual be so driven to get even better, and I look forward to the process. As I mentioned in my reply to Josh (above), I'm going to add to the post-- check it out and let me know what you think.

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    2. Thanks Dr.Preston! Also I believe whether it's an all-star athlete or just a student like myself, we must all come to the realization that we are not perfect and the only way to better your skills is by putting the effort into the work. Denying there is a problem makes us lazy, however accepting our weaknesses can only make us stronger~! By the way Happy New Year! (:

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  3. It would be nice if I could improve my writing and learn other ways to use technology while I'm on the go. I already learned I could write an essay anywhere I am at, and I want to see what else I could use my cellphone for.

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  4. There isn't much I'm striving for in the world of english at the moment, what I hope for in the next 6months is for this class to re-inspire me. Where I'm at right now isn't anywhere close to wishing for academic achievement just change.

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  5. My goal from the beginning has and always will be to advance my writing in, really, any way I can. It is my passion and pursued profession :).

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  6. My goal.... it's simple really. I want to advance the tools I already have to make it where I am prepared to obtain my true desired achievements in life. And no I don't mean finishing high school. I mean starting my future. College...career...family. I am tired of "knowing better", this time I want to know for me. And make positive that I advance these tools in any way possible.

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  7. I want to gain some DIRECTION!
    Mrs. Paulus once told me and a few other seniors that our class was like a hurricane, and I asked, "But not me, right?" She laughed in that way that makes me cringe and said, "Beka, you were the biggest hurricane of them all."
    So, I feel like I've got a lot of "wind" in my sails, I'm just not sure which way to go. I'm trying to figure out what my next step is.

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  8. I want to gain confidence in the classroom and in life by evolving into a more accomplished writer and communicator. I hope to fulfill this goal by lots of practice. To put a little twist on the old adage, PERFECT practice make perfect.

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  9. My goal, truthfully, is survival. I know where I want to go with my life and this class is offering me a challenge to which I must face to continue. I want to advance onto college but first I must conquer this class.

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  11. Well I've done a lot in this class so continuing my efforts in the same momentum would be a goal of mine. Also, my goal is to avoid senioritis.... -.-

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  12. I'd like to become a better writer and become more confident with my work.

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  13. This will be a challenge but it is something I must do. I will use the tech stuff that I have learned through the course so far with the new things about tech that I will learn this semester to teach my parents the ways that technology works in today’s world and how it can make a difference in the way they do certain things.

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  14. I think my goal in this class is to make use of as many tools as I can on the Internet and hopefully finish the year out strong; and avoid senioritis.

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  15. My goal for the spring semester is to put forth more effort in what I do and in my performance in this class. I know how to achieve the A by completing the basics, but now I hope to add some substance to my work in this class and plan be more on top of my game.

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  16. My goal is to get better at my writing skills because I have a very hard time putting my thoughts onto paper

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  17. My goal for next semester is to interpret homework assignments and projects in a way that makes it a better learning experience for me by making it something I love doing. Also, senioritis will be a hard addiction to overcome, but next semester hopefully it will fade away.

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  18. My goal for next semester is to improve my writing skills. Like always, writing is still my weakest subject. Also, I remembered when I was doing the practice AP test in the beginning of Fall Semester. I find it very difficult to analyze those poetry in a short time.

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  19. I would like to learn more about subjects I'm genuinely interested in. Mainly technology, but it depends on the circumstances.

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  20. My goal for next semester is to improve my writing skills, so I can pass the AP Exam.

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  21. Over the next six months I want to further develop my writing style that I realized last fall and to create some sort of something with the 2013 class -whether that be collaboration in the raw or project infinity revisited to hellp the next years Preston's class. (sorry for the crappy grammar I didn't know how else to put it)

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  22. My goal for this semester is to gain even more knowledge of literature through improving my writing skills and to pass the AP exam. Also to work even further on Open Source Learning and use all the technology available to my advantage. I also would like to spin this class to my advantage therefore wanting to do some more with communications with this class. Maybe reaching out more to other networks and creating a bigger network to collaborate or even organizing things in class to help us all understand our class more.

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  23. I have had certain goals since I entered this class from day one. First that I will past the AP Exam with a 4 or better. That I continue to maintain my straight A record. That hasn't changed in my mind. What has changed is how I might achieve this goal, because in the past three years I would work alone to make my desires a reality. My passion is to work on what we will be tested in the AP Exam, everything else is just extra that can help in the future during college or my career. I will make my goals on the certainty of ratio of success, I can do this much at least.

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  24. I want to achieve a higher level of writing for essays and practical use. The AP test is the main priority of course but I would like to understand computers more and learn more about the Internet.

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  25. Over the next six months, I would like to become more consistent with my participation in collaborative working groups. I have not been active in the few I joined (I completely missed the first entry for "Dead Writer's Society", unfortunately), and I would like to remedy that. Of course, I'd like to get a 5 on the AP exam as well.

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  26. I would like to prove that I have improved from the fall semester, and approach the spring semester with a new state of mind. Not only would I like to do well in the class, but do good for the class as well.

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  27. I would like to focus on this next semester and what is ahead for me. I want to be well-prepared for the AP exam and I want to be in the mindset of this course not only for me but for my fellow classmates as well.

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  28. I feel like I need to improve on being focused. I need to pay more attention and try my hardest. I know it's cliche but it's true I slacked off this last fall semester and I need to get my act together.

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  29. My goal is to maintain the drive and focus I started with at the beginning of this school year. Even though this is our senior year and it's our last semester I'd like to finish strong. I feel like communicating is one of my weaknesses so I'd love to improve on that as well.

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  30. Honestly, English has never really been 'my' subject. I find reading enjoyable, but writing as basically the bane of my existence. So this semester I want to use the technology around me and find that spark to hopefully keep me fully focused and excited about the assignments we do.

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  31. I have accomplished my goal for fall semester, which was to pass with flying colors. But my main goal, ever sense the beginning of the school year was to improve on my writing skills. I get so lost at times in trying to put my ideas together. I feel like I have so much and I want to share it all that it just ends up being all over the place.

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  32. I want to be able to express myself quickly and have a more distinct voice. There are so many words and the right ones never come when I need them. Also, I want to finish strong and help where I can.

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  33. I would like to work on my wording choice and writing skills this semester. These will help me not only in English but in other areas of education as well. I'd also like to work on using criticism more to improve my work.

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  34. I want to get to a higher platform of significance with my collaborative groups.

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  35. I will work harder on the assignments we are supposed to post to our blogs as the work I was required to turn in was significantly superior to the work on my blog last semester.

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  36. I want to stay focused and work harder on each assignment. I would also like to improve on writing essays and writing skills/word choices in general. Mainly keeping up with my work, NO LATE WORK. Trying to avoid senioritis...

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  38. I want to finish all of my homework at a reasonable hour, or at least when I'm not tired. I also want to step back from any work that I do and think, "That's the best that I could do, and I feel amazing. . . even if now I want to sleep forever."

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  39. I feel that saying 'I want to improve my writing skills' would be too cliche. True, I want to get better at writing, but what I REALLY want to do is master the tools of art on the computer by helping me bring my own quirky characters to life. :) Nothing would make me happier.

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  40. I would want to gain confidence in this classroom and improve my writing skills. For the writing skills I would like to have the capacity to write an essay in a more flowy and catchy way.

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  41. My Goal is to become more organized because I often lose things and have a very hard time finding things when I need to.

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