Hey guys,
Happy return from break!! It's time to get focused. Please write a comment below with a 2 paragraph response to your reading of Act 1, Scene 2 in A Raisin in the Sun. You may get out your Annotation Guides and any notes you took while reading to use in your response, but may not open your book. Just checking to see who read, and what you're thinking of the Younger family so far!
Love,
Ms. Lauren
Monday, April 13, 2015
Saturday, April 11, 2015
writing that dream down (BAL Blog Post #9)
I have been a bad teacher this spring break, in that I haven't done that much work. One of the most difficult things about my job sometimes is that the work continues to pile up, but this stretch off I need to attend to the other facets of my personality: myself as a human, myself as a mother, myself as a wife. Do you ever find it difficult to juggle the responsibilities you have? This is one thing I think about as I get older -- how many selves am I? How do people learn to balance all of the different demands that life has for them? I hope that I figure out the answers to these questions someday.
I have never pretended to be perfect: I am as imperfect as they come. But even though I feel that I mess up on a daily basis, I am still deserving of happiness. What "the dream" is has shifted over the course of my life. I wanted to be successful, as in have my writing published and my expenses covered by a benefactor when I was younger. Then my focus shifted to activism, to feminist and womanist thought, to queer politics and riot grrrl, zines and emo rock, then back to hip-hop and consumerism. I was challenged by a college friend to finally realize my dream of becoming a teacher in 2007. That's a fun story, ask me sometime.
I never wanted to get married or have kids. I thought that teaching would be enough fulfillment, that I would have my students, colleagues, family and chosen family to guide me through the ups and downs of life. I was upset that others looked upon my life as "incomplete" if I chose not to marry or bear children. However, life had secrets in store and I am often a passenger in fate's vehicle.
I never wanted to be an adult - do adult things like buy cars or houses. I wanted to travel the world (and still do) with few possessions, learn language and art forms, drums and dances of cultures on peaks and in valleys of remote world-corners. Suddenly, I am thinking of interest rates and retirement funds, saving for a down payment, things I never thought I'd see myself go for. Have I fundamentally changed over time, or have my dreams changed?
Just yesterday I was talking about buying property with a barn, so that we can have livestock and host parties, so that my DJ retirement plan can come to fruition as my husband caters his astounding food in a farm-to-table venue. Where did this dream come from? This is far from my original desire to live in a brownstone in Brooklyn and publish words about the Q train for volumes of best-selling chapbooks.
What happens when the dream shifts? When you're not who you thought you were, or you want something different from what you swore on before? Do your dreams stay the same when you change? Tell me your dreams. Tell me your diamonds.
I have never pretended to be perfect: I am as imperfect as they come. But even though I feel that I mess up on a daily basis, I am still deserving of happiness. What "the dream" is has shifted over the course of my life. I wanted to be successful, as in have my writing published and my expenses covered by a benefactor when I was younger. Then my focus shifted to activism, to feminist and womanist thought, to queer politics and riot grrrl, zines and emo rock, then back to hip-hop and consumerism. I was challenged by a college friend to finally realize my dream of becoming a teacher in 2007. That's a fun story, ask me sometime.
I never wanted to get married or have kids. I thought that teaching would be enough fulfillment, that I would have my students, colleagues, family and chosen family to guide me through the ups and downs of life. I was upset that others looked upon my life as "incomplete" if I chose not to marry or bear children. However, life had secrets in store and I am often a passenger in fate's vehicle.
I never wanted to be an adult - do adult things like buy cars or houses. I wanted to travel the world (and still do) with few possessions, learn language and art forms, drums and dances of cultures on peaks and in valleys of remote world-corners. Suddenly, I am thinking of interest rates and retirement funds, saving for a down payment, things I never thought I'd see myself go for. Have I fundamentally changed over time, or have my dreams changed?
Just yesterday I was talking about buying property with a barn, so that we can have livestock and host parties, so that my DJ retirement plan can come to fruition as my husband caters his astounding food in a farm-to-table venue. Where did this dream come from? This is far from my original desire to live in a brownstone in Brooklyn and publish words about the Q train for volumes of best-selling chapbooks.
What happens when the dream shifts? When you're not who you thought you were, or you want something different from what you swore on before? Do your dreams stay the same when you change? Tell me your dreams. Tell me your diamonds.
Monday, March 30, 2015
when dreams fade... (BAL Blog Post #8)
Hi everyone,
My babies are really sick, so I'm at home taking care of them today - but there's lots of work to do, let's stay focused on the prize! Email me if you have questions or concerns, I'll be back tomorrow, inchallah. :) -Ms. Lauren
---
Where do we go when our dreams drop? When being sidetracked on the way to your future becomes your future? What happens to the dreams we let die? What happens to the air around us when we let a dream go? Does an old dream stay glimmering in the air, or does it fade to black? Tell me about your dreams, what they are, where they will take you, what landscapes you will discover in your life in the form of a poem. Talk about dreams being realized, or being deferred. Here's my poem to get you thinking: http://ipg.icsmich.org/poems/1724 Happy National Poetry Month, friends! Write to your heart's content on the IPG poetry website! http://ipg.icsmich.org
I've been thinking in languages that I don't speak, and trying to expand my vocabulary in new ways this spring. But, I also always think back to what has come before, to how history has connected to the present and shaped the present like a sculptor and her clay. While the idea of redlining, or segregating people to certain neighborhoods through mortgage restrictions or denials, is no longer a practice in the United States -- I also know that when I travel uptown and pass 86th street, the white people all get off the train. There are certain areas of the city where the impacts of redlining are very clear and evident -- where you can SEE the boundaries of neighborhoods based on who gets on or gets off the train. What has your train experience been with regard to redlining? In which neighborhoods is this most obvious or evident to you? In which neighborhoods is it more subtle?
As we begin reading this text, I want you to think about your ideas of family -- what defines family to you? Is blood thicker than water? Why or why not? Must we always prioritize our family over ourselves? I'm excited for you guys to get to know the Younger family, and learn about their story. Also, if you're looking for some new/old music to brighten up your spring, here you are. You can respond to these songs/videos for extra credit to boost your grade (on paper, emailing me your responses or as a comment on the blog) You're welcome, in advance.
What are your favorite songs about
dreams, that induce a dream-like state, or are generally dreamy?
Let the warm air and the rain wash over us as we head into spring. Good riddance, winter - it's been real, but we need the sun.
Cheers,
Ms. Lauren
My babies are really sick, so I'm at home taking care of them today - but there's lots of work to do, let's stay focused on the prize! Email me if you have questions or concerns, I'll be back tomorrow, inchallah. :) -Ms. Lauren
---
Where do we go when our dreams drop? When being sidetracked on the way to your future becomes your future? What happens to the dreams we let die? What happens to the air around us when we let a dream go? Does an old dream stay glimmering in the air, or does it fade to black? Tell me about your dreams, what they are, where they will take you, what landscapes you will discover in your life in the form of a poem. Talk about dreams being realized, or being deferred. Here's my poem to get you thinking: http://ipg.icsmich.org/poems/1724 Happy National Poetry Month, friends! Write to your heart's content on the IPG poetry website! http://ipg.icsmich.org
I've been thinking in languages that I don't speak, and trying to expand my vocabulary in new ways this spring. But, I also always think back to what has come before, to how history has connected to the present and shaped the present like a sculptor and her clay. While the idea of redlining, or segregating people to certain neighborhoods through mortgage restrictions or denials, is no longer a practice in the United States -- I also know that when I travel uptown and pass 86th street, the white people all get off the train. There are certain areas of the city where the impacts of redlining are very clear and evident -- where you can SEE the boundaries of neighborhoods based on who gets on or gets off the train. What has your train experience been with regard to redlining? In which neighborhoods is this most obvious or evident to you? In which neighborhoods is it more subtle?
As we begin reading this text, I want you to think about your ideas of family -- what defines family to you? Is blood thicker than water? Why or why not? Must we always prioritize our family over ourselves? I'm excited for you guys to get to know the Younger family, and learn about their story. Also, if you're looking for some new/old music to brighten up your spring, here you are. You can respond to these songs/videos for extra credit to boost your grade (on paper, emailing me your responses or as a comment on the blog) You're welcome, in advance.
Dreamy Spring Playlist 2015
You can respond to these songs in addition to
free-writes, for extra credit or to make up for missing work. Lyrics for most of
these songs are available on www.genius.com A ½ page
response will earn you 5 points.
Kendrick
Lamar – “Blacker the Berry” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6e_fenSrFM
2pac
– “Keep Ya Head Up” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M84wmglfso
Notorious B.I.G. – “Juicy” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfybXcVBQSI
(Subtitulado
Español)
Drake
– “Successful” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfyIZxzfTpo
Common
Sense – “I Used to Love H.E.R.” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C99iG4HoO1c
Stromae
– “Papaoutai” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiKj0Z_Xnjc (French, Eng sub)
Jaded
Incorporated – “I Ran” - https://soundcloud.com/jadedinc
Flock
of Seagulls – “I Ran” (Original) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpfWORQWhU
The
Cure – “Love Song” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXCKLJGLENs
Depeche
Mode – “Enjoy the Silence” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0AKJMGxwpE
REM
– “Losing My Religion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwtdhWltSIg
Nirvana
– “Smells like Teen Spirit” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIsynkL_sU4
(espanol)
Squarepusher
– “Port Rhombus” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSnhXGVTdbk
Coldcut
– “Timber “- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-wl7Xk5FoY
The
Beatles – “Yesterday” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S09F5MejfBE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3RdqTCv_iw
(subtitulado Espanol)
Eugene
the Dream – Spongebob Trap Mix - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzMJk8nGpoc
Proof/J
Dilla -
“Life”- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4MfApWb69g
Frank
Ocean – “Swim Good” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmN9rZW0HGo
Let the warm air and the rain wash over us as we head into spring. Good riddance, winter - it's been real, but we need the sun.
Cheers,
Ms. Lauren
Saturday, March 21, 2015
The Beatles and Dreaming (BAL Blog Post #7)
What do you know about old music? Before the time when you were born. Tell me what you know about music from the 60's, what you know about jazz, what you know about early 90's hip-hop. This weekend, I am going all the way back to music that blew life into me when I was just a kid - that still means something to me today. I go through phases with music. These days, I have kids, so it's less Mobb Deep and more Bob Marley, less Outkast and more Beatles. I challenge you to listen to something that is not on the radio, find out who Kanye sampled and go listen to the original Motown song.
March is ending and with it comes the promise of spring, though the irony of snow on the first supposed day of blooming isn't lost on me. It's been a heavy year, and a long winter. I find myself lost between the covers sometimes, dreaming of things that I can't change. Or can I? I am always incredibly self-critical, so I was sending doubts into the universe, and received this response today:
We're beginning a new book this week (really, next week because of the overnight trip and disrupted schedule this week) and it's one I've taught before and love so much. It is a play by Lorraine Hansberry titled "A Raisin in the Sun", and the first thing that we will talk about is a poem (you'll see it below). What do you think about the poem? How does it connect to what we've already learned and studied? What do you think this play might be about, which is titled after a line in this poem? It's about to be April, aka National Poetry Month... so even though we're reading a play, we will be poeming all throughout this month. Get ready for good reads and words galore - and please don't forget to post any poems you write on the IPG Site! http://ipg.icsmich.org
Harlem
March is ending and with it comes the promise of spring, though the irony of snow on the first supposed day of blooming isn't lost on me. It's been a heavy year, and a long winter. I find myself lost between the covers sometimes, dreaming of things that I can't change. Or can I? I am always incredibly self-critical, so I was sending doubts into the universe, and received this response today:
The first thing I wanted to tell Joshua was that his place in society as a man of color is at the top - and anyone who tells him differently isn't worth his time. I cried, because it is the small moments like this that make life worth it. I will never be paid what I'm worth, but I chose this profession because I was hoping to have an impact on just one person. Affirmation that I have done this is beautiful. But, I am far from done growing, and I have much work to do to become a better educator. Joshua himself is an amazing thinker and I didn't make him that way, he was born with ideas. I do not see my role as an educator to give you thoughts - it's to extract your thinking from your brain. I'm curious, at this point in the year, what's one lasting impression that you will take from this class?
We're beginning a new book this week (really, next week because of the overnight trip and disrupted schedule this week) and it's one I've taught before and love so much. It is a play by Lorraine Hansberry titled "A Raisin in the Sun", and the first thing that we will talk about is a poem (you'll see it below). What do you think about the poem? How does it connect to what we've already learned and studied? What do you think this play might be about, which is titled after a line in this poem? It's about to be April, aka National Poetry Month... so even though we're reading a play, we will be poeming all throughout this month. Get ready for good reads and words galore - and please don't forget to post any poems you write on the IPG Site! http://ipg.icsmich.org
Harlem
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the
sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like
rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar
over—
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or
does it explode?
Sunday, March 1, 2015
redefining Envy and rethinking speeches (BAL Blog Post #6)
I'm in my feelings today, as it snows again and I'm wishing that I could magically transport myself to a cemetery in the north Bronx, where he is buried. I've been looking back through photos and writing from 2012, which was an epic year for me - I got married, had a child, moved back to Detroit with my new family and lost both a student and my uncle within a few months. On Friday, I brought copies of the zine you'll read in class on Monday to his aunt and reconnected with many of my former students over the weekend - our school family is alive, even if the Banana Kelly that we know and love no longer exists.
I still fully believe, as I say in the introduction, that you can keep people's memories alive by telling them. Storytelling is extremely important to our lives, and to our histories: we each have our story and we need to tell it. So when people's lives get cut short, I feel a responsibility to tell their story in addition to my own. Their story becomes a part of mine. Envy, your story will keep being told.
Have you ever lost or been separated from someone? How did you cope with the task of missing them?
Also, we're beginning our campaign and election process this week and I'm incredibly excited about the writing and action that will come out of this. I want you to survey one another and figure out some suggestions for improving our class - there is much room for improvement. How can we do the notebook grading procedure better? How should progress reports function? How can we be updating Engrade weekly so that you have much more consistent access to your grades? Figure out some key issues that you want to tackle as you run (or help your candidate run), and we'll brainstorm about how to solve some of the issues in this class, so that we can improve its function for you.
So, a speech is one way to show your fellow classmates who you are and why you're running for this position, but the best speeches are NOT just informational, but also lyrical. You remember the poetry of speeches more than the information, so as you're writing, make sure the facts are there (who you are, what position you're running for, why you'd be good at this role, issues that are important to you), but your constituents will remember HOW you read the speech and how you can CONNECT with them. I invite you to re-think your speech and really work on your informational AND persuasive techniques simultaneously. We'll look at a few models of speeches that have been informational in nature, but creative in approach. What do you think makes a good speech?
Let's have a great week, and may the best folks win (but may we all write like the wind)!
xo,
Ms Lauren
(here's the link to the powerful speeches for Wednesday's homework: http://www.englishtrackers.com/english-blog/10-famous-speeches-in-english-and-what-you-can-learn-from-them/)
I still fully believe, as I say in the introduction, that you can keep people's memories alive by telling them. Storytelling is extremely important to our lives, and to our histories: we each have our story and we need to tell it. So when people's lives get cut short, I feel a responsibility to tell their story in addition to my own. Their story becomes a part of mine. Envy, your story will keep being told.
Have you ever lost or been separated from someone? How did you cope with the task of missing them?
Also, we're beginning our campaign and election process this week and I'm incredibly excited about the writing and action that will come out of this. I want you to survey one another and figure out some suggestions for improving our class - there is much room for improvement. How can we do the notebook grading procedure better? How should progress reports function? How can we be updating Engrade weekly so that you have much more consistent access to your grades? Figure out some key issues that you want to tackle as you run (or help your candidate run), and we'll brainstorm about how to solve some of the issues in this class, so that we can improve its function for you.
So, a speech is one way to show your fellow classmates who you are and why you're running for this position, but the best speeches are NOT just informational, but also lyrical. You remember the poetry of speeches more than the information, so as you're writing, make sure the facts are there (who you are, what position you're running for, why you'd be good at this role, issues that are important to you), but your constituents will remember HOW you read the speech and how you can CONNECT with them. I invite you to re-think your speech and really work on your informational AND persuasive techniques simultaneously. We'll look at a few models of speeches that have been informational in nature, but creative in approach. What do you think makes a good speech?
Let's have a great week, and may the best folks win (but may we all write like the wind)!
xo,
Ms Lauren
(here's the link to the powerful speeches for Wednesday's homework: http://www.englishtrackers.com/english-blog/10-famous-speeches-in-english-and-what-you-can-learn-from-them/)
Sunday, February 22, 2015
on returning (BAL Blog Post #5)
i am not ready to return, but life happens, even when you're not prepared. as i spend precious hours with both kids asleep planning (instead of sleeping), i know that everything is going to be okay. i have memorized the curve of her cheeks, her smile will be illuminated throughout my day, his curls and his curiosity will follow me back to work. they will be well-loved and taken care of, and i will go back to my routine of splitting my time between my separate selves: NY/NJ, work/home, personal/professional, teacher/mother, listener/writer, feminist/wife. i live my life in transit between two halves, and i have made a career out of tight-rope walking between identities.
we are reading a really difficult piece this week - and i want to start by telling you that, because it will be rough at first. there will be words you don't understand, dictionaries to consult, annotations may be mostly questions, there will be things we have to stop and discuss. however, i think it's worth it to read this piece, because it sets a historical framework to what we're experiencing today - from stop and frisk, to the racial tension with police in NYC, in Ferguson, in Detroit, Chicago and Baltimore, from school-to-prison pipeline to stereotypes about race and culture.
i am stepping back a bit in history because i am also searching for answers. as i comb the news and see race-related stories of violence and prejudice almost everyday, as i see the inequality that still exists in our society, i often wonder if slavery is really over. has it ever been over? do we know what a world could look like without people trying to gain power over one another? i often think about laws as necessary to keep peace and order, but as i re-read this essay, i've been wondering, what if the laws are the problem, and not a solution to the problem? it seems like the laws keep changing, but the inequality that exists in our society remains the same. does changing the law ever change how people think or act? or do we change how we act by our own choices? or something in between? again, i have more questions than i do answers.
here are the questions we will think about as we read (PRE-READ the questions, remember PUKE?) this excerpt from Michelle Alexander's book, The New Jim Crow.
1. Can legislature (or laws) change how people act? Why or why not?
2. What were the purpose of Jim Crow laws? How were they different from slavery?
3. What were "black codes"? How were they used after slavery was over?
4. What are two examples of positive achievements of the Reconstruction Era?
5. Is this essay an example of informational writing? Why or why not?
i'm curious to know how your thinking has changed in these few months since we've been examining literature and current events in America. your response below can address question #1, or you can also respond with your prior knowledge or inference about what Jim Crow laws are, or you can choose another topic for your response. we will also be looking at adopting a government structure in our 2nd semester classroom, so you can also tell me what you think about that! how do you think the government should function in our classroom?
i may not be ready, but here i am! are you ready for what's next in ELA?
xo
Ms. Lauren
we are reading a really difficult piece this week - and i want to start by telling you that, because it will be rough at first. there will be words you don't understand, dictionaries to consult, annotations may be mostly questions, there will be things we have to stop and discuss. however, i think it's worth it to read this piece, because it sets a historical framework to what we're experiencing today - from stop and frisk, to the racial tension with police in NYC, in Ferguson, in Detroit, Chicago and Baltimore, from school-to-prison pipeline to stereotypes about race and culture.
i am stepping back a bit in history because i am also searching for answers. as i comb the news and see race-related stories of violence and prejudice almost everyday, as i see the inequality that still exists in our society, i often wonder if slavery is really over. has it ever been over? do we know what a world could look like without people trying to gain power over one another? i often think about laws as necessary to keep peace and order, but as i re-read this essay, i've been wondering, what if the laws are the problem, and not a solution to the problem? it seems like the laws keep changing, but the inequality that exists in our society remains the same. does changing the law ever change how people think or act? or do we change how we act by our own choices? or something in between? again, i have more questions than i do answers.
here are the questions we will think about as we read (PRE-READ the questions, remember PUKE?) this excerpt from Michelle Alexander's book, The New Jim Crow.
1. Can legislature (or laws) change how people act? Why or why not?
2. What were the purpose of Jim Crow laws? How were they different from slavery?
3. What were "black codes"? How were they used after slavery was over?
4. What are two examples of positive achievements of the Reconstruction Era?
5. Is this essay an example of informational writing? Why or why not?
i'm curious to know how your thinking has changed in these few months since we've been examining literature and current events in America. your response below can address question #1, or you can also respond with your prior knowledge or inference about what Jim Crow laws are, or you can choose another topic for your response. we will also be looking at adopting a government structure in our 2nd semester classroom, so you can also tell me what you think about that! how do you think the government should function in our classroom?
i may not be ready, but here i am! are you ready for what's next in ELA?
xo
Ms. Lauren
Saturday, February 7, 2015
february forever (Blog Post #4)
hi everyone.
happy bday j-dilla.
your music continues to grow and shape new realities, as we celebrate your life and work. (and check out the symbolism and imagery of the pharcyde's "runnin'" prod by Dilla)
february is a month that is built for poetry in some ways, and information in others. it's my husband's birthday, jdilla (my favorite producer)'s bday, there is much to celebrate, especially this year! but i have traditionally always been depressed in february - i used to say that february was my nemesis because i suffer from seasonal affected disorder. i think that all of humankind has this diagnosis and that we are healthier when we are in temperate climates and eat fresh foods. i have lost a few close friends in february, so it is a time of extreme joy and reopening wounds.
yet i love the winter, even when the wind bites my face in half and pushes my numbness around like salt on the sidewalk. it pulls poetry out of me, because there is a harshness to winter that electrifies my keyboard. i feel inspired, which is why it's a month for poems. i have a love hate relationship with the news, because i crave the knowledge of "what's happening" in the world, but will read an article and only double the number of questions on my tongue. i read and then i think about it - who wrote that? what were they trying to say? do i really understand the message? what are their goals and motivations? did they get paid to write that? by whom?
we all assess the quality of our information all the time - without realizing. as we move in our new unit, from the fiction of ghosts in 124 to the real streets of the bronx, detroit, chicago and oakland, ferguson and brooklyn, gaza and los angeles... we are going to be looking at information. the power it holds, who holds the power, whose information looks differently and why. we will review some of the most pertinent news that has happened in my absence, so let's start there. What's one news story that really impacted you in December and January? Maybe something you wanted to talk about it class, or did discuss with Ms. R, Ms. Cotton or Ms. Overton? (boko haram killings in Nigeria, charlie hebdo in Paris, anti-police protests and police shunning the mayor in NYC, State of the Union address, free community college, ISIS and Jordan, what else?)
so, when we read something - we're used to annotating, then talking about it, then writing about it. one thing that we're going to be adding in this unit is the idea of questioning what we read. we read in order to understand - the 5Ws, the "gist" of the story, the theme, conflict, character -- but we also read in order to ask questions. "is it true or untrue? do we agree with this?" is the beginning, but then we also interpret what we read, and decide what WE think about the information we have received. this is why i like informational writing - because there is no NEUTRAL, but its purpose is to put the facts out there, and let people form their responses. one goal i have for this unit is going to be to evaluate the source of our information, to determine if it is reliable (can we trust it? how do we know?) what's one of your goals for this unit, as we read, question and study informational writing?
hopefully, what you'll find is that we'll end up asking a lot more questions than we answer, and that's okay. the poetry website is open, if you feel inspired (and are looking to start the semester off strong): international poetry guild (you can write an anti-love poem, or a love poem to a strange audience) we'll also be reading and listening to all new information, and figuring out what we think about all of it. will we fall in love with the truths that february brings?
i look forward to seeing you soon. i miss you guys!
xo
ms. lauren
happy bday j-dilla.
your music continues to grow and shape new realities, as we celebrate your life and work. (and check out the symbolism and imagery of the pharcyde's "runnin'" prod by Dilla)
february is a month that is built for poetry in some ways, and information in others. it's my husband's birthday, jdilla (my favorite producer)'s bday, there is much to celebrate, especially this year! but i have traditionally always been depressed in february - i used to say that february was my nemesis because i suffer from seasonal affected disorder. i think that all of humankind has this diagnosis and that we are healthier when we are in temperate climates and eat fresh foods. i have lost a few close friends in february, so it is a time of extreme joy and reopening wounds.
yet i love the winter, even when the wind bites my face in half and pushes my numbness around like salt on the sidewalk. it pulls poetry out of me, because there is a harshness to winter that electrifies my keyboard. i feel inspired, which is why it's a month for poems. i have a love hate relationship with the news, because i crave the knowledge of "what's happening" in the world, but will read an article and only double the number of questions on my tongue. i read and then i think about it - who wrote that? what were they trying to say? do i really understand the message? what are their goals and motivations? did they get paid to write that? by whom?
we all assess the quality of our information all the time - without realizing. as we move in our new unit, from the fiction of ghosts in 124 to the real streets of the bronx, detroit, chicago and oakland, ferguson and brooklyn, gaza and los angeles... we are going to be looking at information. the power it holds, who holds the power, whose information looks differently and why. we will review some of the most pertinent news that has happened in my absence, so let's start there. What's one news story that really impacted you in December and January? Maybe something you wanted to talk about it class, or did discuss with Ms. R, Ms. Cotton or Ms. Overton? (boko haram killings in Nigeria, charlie hebdo in Paris, anti-police protests and police shunning the mayor in NYC, State of the Union address, free community college, ISIS and Jordan, what else?)
so, when we read something - we're used to annotating, then talking about it, then writing about it. one thing that we're going to be adding in this unit is the idea of questioning what we read. we read in order to understand - the 5Ws, the "gist" of the story, the theme, conflict, character -- but we also read in order to ask questions. "is it true or untrue? do we agree with this?" is the beginning, but then we also interpret what we read, and decide what WE think about the information we have received. this is why i like informational writing - because there is no NEUTRAL, but its purpose is to put the facts out there, and let people form their responses. one goal i have for this unit is going to be to evaluate the source of our information, to determine if it is reliable (can we trust it? how do we know?) what's one of your goals for this unit, as we read, question and study informational writing?
hopefully, what you'll find is that we'll end up asking a lot more questions than we answer, and that's okay. the poetry website is open, if you feel inspired (and are looking to start the semester off strong): international poetry guild (you can write an anti-love poem, or a love poem to a strange audience) we'll also be reading and listening to all new information, and figuring out what we think about all of it. will we fall in love with the truths that february brings?
i look forward to seeing you soon. i miss you guys!
xo
ms. lauren
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