Sending this status update from ping.fm to four networks at once!

Read more!

beautiful downtown vernon hills

That's where I am spending my spring break! And, I might add, the ten-day forecast calls for snow showers this weekend and a high temperature over break of 49 next Friday.

I wanna go to Florida!!!

That being said...

I shall now proceed to make your lives as miserable as mine will be for the next ten days. (I'm just kidding. I thought I'd say that, though, since I know you'll be thinking it.)

E3H:

• RW: You should all have your RW books. So read them! Each group selects its own pace and determines whether or not there will be posting over break. (If not, though, there must be lots of posting upon your return.) When you finish the first book, choose another!
• Shakespeare: We've now watched both Macbeth and Othello, two excellent examples of films made from Shakespearean tragedies, and two very different tragedies. (If you missed these films, I encourage you to rent and watch them. They were, respectively, the Roman Polanski 1979 Macbeth and the Oliver Parker 1997 Othello.)
• Read at least one of these plays over break. (Don't worry if you don't quite finish it, but do make a solid effort.) In doing so, you may wish to annotate...for yourself...if that helps you to understand things. The movie versions severely truncate the dialogue; it is critical that you actually read the play(s). Some of you will be reading one play; some the other. It is your option which.
  
• When you return, we will be engaging in large and small group--and individual and online--activities that seek to understand what Shakespearean tragedy is all about and how it differs from the Greek tragedy we've been studying. We'll draw from these two and from Romeo and Juliet as well in our discussions.

E2H:

• RW: You should each have a "beach reading" book selected; take it with you over break. I'd like everyone to post a review online about your book when you return. Use this as a model, but add some more depth the paragraphs in which you discuss your opinion of the book. This will be a graded RW assignment.
• Catcher in the Rye is due at the end of break. At that point we will begin discussing the book and you will begin your "journal" of Holden-style entries. Between now and then, I need to see the first example of your work on this project so I can provide feedback. You do not have any entries due over break, but you may use the time to get ahead. However, do not try to do this assignment before reading significantly into the book.
• Don't forget to ponder in what ways Holden might be a bananafish...

Drama:

• Monologue performances begin on the day we return. Be ready.
• I will be collecting scored scripts as you perform your monologue(s). If you wish to email me a scored script over break for initial feedback, feel free to do so.

Something for fun:



and a bit of March madness...



have a great break...


--kt

Read more!

the very long entry that ends with movie stars solving the financial crisis

E3H:

Othello... the story so far:

(We have arrived at Act Two, Scene Three. The film obviously cuts a lot of dialogue.)

At first we meet Roderigo (a young Venetian noble) and Iago (Othello's ensign, or trusted advisor), who are sneaking around the streets of Venice so that Iago can show Roderigo a secret rendezvous between Desdemona (the daughter of Brabantio, a Venetian lord) and Othello (a Moorish soldier who has become a general in the army of the Duke of Venice). Since Roderigo is in love with Desdemona, he is devastated to find her in the arms of the Moor, especially since Othello is black.

Iago, who secretly hates Othello because the Moor promoted Cassio to lieutenant instead of him, has decided to make Roderigo his dupe in order to exact some measure of revenge against both Othello and Cassio. He tells Roderigo, a very foolish man, to awaken Brabantio and tell him about the affair. Roderigo does this and Brabantio charges off into the Venetian night to find his daughter and Othello, intent on either killing the Moor or seeing him brought up on charges of using some kind of African witchcraft to enchant Desdemona. When he meets Othello, though, he discovers that the two have been married already and that the Moor has been sent for by the Duke, who is meeting in a late night emergency war council because of an imminent attack by the Turks.

Both Othello and Brabantio head to the Council, where Brabantio pleads with the Duke to punish the Moor for what he has done. Othello, however, eloquently explains that "the only witchcraft I have used" was the telling of the story of his life, which Desdemona eagerly listened to and which caused her to love him. All is settled, and peace is made among the Venetians, but Othello must go immediately to Cyprus to face the Turks. It is decided that Desdemona will be allowed to accompany him. Iago privately encourages Roderigo--who wants to hang himself with grief--instead to "put money in thy purse" so that, when Desdemona becomes sick of the Moor, "She must change for youth: when she is sated with his body, she will find the error of her choice." Once he has talked the idiot into this, and he is left alone onstage, he tells us, "Thus do I ever make my fool my purse," clearly revealing his duplicity.

In Cyprus, Othello dispatches the Turks easily and we find the war over by the time that Iago's vessel arrives with Desdemona. Cassio, as lieutenant, greets the ship, and when Iago witnesses him warmly welcoming Othello's bride he feels that he finally has the beginning of a trap: "With as little web as this will I ensnare as grate a fly as Cassio." He convinces Roderigo that Desdemona has, in fact, become tired of the Moor, and that now she has turned her attention to Cassio. Roderigo is very upset, almost reverting into suicidal whining again, but Iago has a plan: he tells Roderigo to wait in the Cyprian streets that night and then, when the opportunity arrives, to pick a fight with Cassio. Then, he conspires to get Cassio drunk, knowing that the lieutenant cannot handle wine...

More movie tomorrow...

For those who missed the ending of Macbeth:

The final battle between Macduff and Macbeth takes place in a lengthy, clunky fight. It goes back and forth until, almost accidentally, Macduff manages to drive his sword through the joints of Macbeth's armor, skewering his torso. The usurper staggers up the castle stairs, followed by his vanquisher. As he reaches the top, Macduff (who has pulled the sword from his victim) neatly slices off Macbeth's head, which tumbles to the ground below. (His body, in a gravity-defying but cinematically-pleasing feat, also tumbles, head over heels, down the stairs--90 degrees opposite of the direction it was facing at the time of the beheading.) Ross, who has managed to get away with everything Polanski had him do, gives the crown to Malcolm, declaring "Hail! King of Scotland!"

Then, Polanski adds a short coda in which we see Donalbain riding through the rain on horseback, apparently heading home from Ireland. He reaches the same craggy cliff where we have several times met the witches. He hears singing and, curious, stops. The last image of the film is Donalbain limping off in the direction of the witches' cave.

E2H: Having bought Catcher in the Rye, start reading it. As you do so, notice the way that Salinger uses various narrative techniques, such as slang terms, repeated expressions, unusual sentence structures, etc. to provide a unique and specific voice to the character of Holden Caulfield. In the journal exercise that you will be doing, you will try to use this kind of technique to create your own voice as if you were a character in a Holden-like book. Read a significant part of the book first; get used to the style before trying to do this. Then send me your first entry so I can give you feedback before writing any more.

Drama: Thursday: English teachers

and now, natalie portman and rashida jones solve the financial crisis:

NATALIE PORTMAN & RASHIDA JONES Speak Out from Natalie Portman

--kt

Read more!

what, you egg!

Young fry of treachery!

(I told you that those lines did not read well...)

E3H:

• Choose books for the RW project.
• Post groups online at Book Groups.
• Email choices to me.
• More movies tomorrow!
• If you miss tomorrow's class for the test (due tomorrow!), please read or view the part of Othello you've missed before Thursday or you'll be totally lost. I will post the end point on tomorrow's blog.

E2H:

• Buy Catcher in the Rye
• Be prepared to discuss all stories tomorrow.

Drama:

• Wednesday: parents
• Thursday: English teachers
• Friday: Other teacher

Sorry about the two gay-themed videos back to back. No agenda intended; I just happened to find a couple of fun things! (Of course, yesterday the Vermont senate did vote in favor of gay marriage, so maybe this is appropriate...)



--kt

Read more!

come monday

And then there were four days until spring break...

E3H: We will be watching movies this week. Be on time, as the films will begin promptly in order to have any hope at all of finishing both of them.

RW project: You must select one of the books from the Booklady's List (which she will try to put online this evening) in conjunction with one or two other E3H students. You will be reading this book and discussing it online; parameters will follow.

E2H: Continue any posting that remains on "Old Woman Magoun." Bring money to buy Catcher in the Rye. ($6.99) WW tomorrow!

Drama: Great job today; more impersonations tomorrow. Wednesday is Parent Impersonation day! (Thursday: Teacher Impersonation day!)



--kt

Read more!

E3H:

• Posting grade clarification: On the little tab sheet, the first number is your class period. The other numbers are, in order: Portrait Posts, Theban Posts, "Extra Credit" bonuses, Feb grade/Qtr Grade, and finally, if you were excused from the test, the grade you were excused with.
• Test clarification: there is no paper in the test folder; please supply your own.
• Monday: A visit from the Booklady!
• Then: we finish one play and start the other!
• Shakespeare movie boards are open, should you choose to post this weekend.

E2H:

• Read the rest of "Old Woman Magoun" (p 453)
• Discuss this story online (last posts before grades are due!!!)
• Monday: a visit from the Booklady!

Drama:

• This weekend: work on your monologues. Type up scripts (column/table format) and begin scoring.
• Monday: It's Spy Day!!! Be your classmate!!!

ever been tempted to Twitter? watch this...



j: attack of the vernal equinox
music: spring is late this year--lowen and navarro

--kt

Read more!

and on to friday we go!

I sort of like Thursdays. Every time we come to a Thursday, it means there is only one day left before the weekend, and I can usually manage that!

E3H: We are in Macbethland, but...

There will be a test on The Theban Plays, which will be available beginning tomorrow in the Testing Ctr. It is an essay test; bring your texts (including Anouilh). Several of you, based upon your posting grades, will be excused from this test. If you are among these, you should already have, in your mailbox at Groupwise, an email from me explaining how this specifically will affect you.

This test must be completed during a free period by Wednesday of next week. If you have no available free period, ask to be excused from class to take it.

To those who have poor posting grades (you know who you are):

In order to ameliorate your grade, you may do an extra credit essay comparing Anouilh's and Sophocles' versions of Antigone in any specific aspect. Create a clear and specific thesis--the more dynamic, unusual, and interesting, the better--and write a 2-3 page essay supporting it. Usual standards apply. Revision may be required before credit adheres. This essay may be emailed to me as late as the Sunday of spring break, with revision due later in the week. Note: the extra credit on this will be applied directly to your posting grade. This is not available to those already receiving top grades in that area.

E2H: Today's conversation was considerably better. The thing you all seem to have forgotten lately is the notion of taking risks. People have suddenly stopped talking unless they have fully formed ideas, and since no one ever does, we get utterly stagnated "conversations."

Tonight: write a 1-2 page essay about the story "The Moths." In this essay, focus on the narrator's spiritual awakening during her time staying with her grandmother (her Abuelita). This story can be described as a kind of "coming of age" piece in that her sullen, displaced existence ends up changed into something else by the unexpected events of this situation and she finally realizes who she is.

Drama: We shall finish our ritual scene presentations tomorrow. Also, if you have not yet selected monologues, you have essentially two choices:

1. Choose on your own and bring two copies with you tomorrow, or
2. Come in during a morning free period tomorrow to select one from my books.

--kt

Read more!

where'd the nice weather go?

March. In like a lion. Then it doesn't know what the bloody heck it is.

E3H: We're movie-watchin'.

E2H: Read "Girl" (673), "Barbie-Q" (270) and "The Moths" (1118); be prepared to discuss them as if you had actual scholarly thoughts going on!!!! The in-class conversations lately have left something to be desired.

Drama: Nice job today. Write about it in your journals. Pick monologues tomorrow during free periods; we're doing rituals in class...



j: "Hell is empty and all the devils are here"--Shakespeare
music: :The Devil Went Down to Georgia"--Charlie Daniels Band

--kt

Read more!

top o' th' mornin'

Some humorous St. Patty's Day toasts:

Irish Blessing
May the Good Lord take a liking to you... but not too soon!

Author Unknown
Saint Patrick was a gentleman
Who through strategy and stealth
Drove all the snakes from Ireland
Here's a drinkee to his health!
But not too many drinkees
Lest we lose ourselves and then...
Forget the good Saint Patrick
And see them snakes again!

Author Unknown
Anyone acquainted with Ireland knows that the morning of St. Patrick's Day consists of the night of the 17th of March flavored strongly with the morning of the 18th.

Daryl Stout
Why should you never iron a 4-leaf clover? You don't want to press your luck.

Irish Saying
There are only two kinds of people in the world, The Irish and those who wish they were.

Irish Saying
There are many good reasons for drinking,
One has just entered my head.
If a man doesn't drink when he's living,
How in the hell can he drink when he's dead?

Irish Saying
An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto one blade of grass to keep from falling off the earth.

Charles M. Madigan
St. Patrick -- one of the few saints whose feast day presents the opportunity to get determinedly whacked and make a fool of oneself all under the guise of acting Irish.

St. Patrick's Day Toast
Here’s to a long life and a merry one.
A quick death and an easy one
A pretty girl and an honest one
A cold beer – and another one!

Irish Toast
It is better to spend money like there's no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there's no money!

Irish Toast
May you die in bed at ninety-five years, shot by a jealous husband (or wife).

And now a word from our sponsor:

E3H: We will be starting Macbeth by Roman Polanski tomorrow.

E2H: We will be discussing all of our short stories tomorrow. (Post!!!)

Drama: More rituals tomorrow.

Here's the song o' the day in a truncated version, badly cut off:



To see the whole thing, go here.

j: the heart beats irish
music: blackbird--sharon shannon

--kt

Read more!

some place holders just stick

So on Friday I rushed out the door to meet some friends and go to a concert in Evanston (Holly Near, an old-school feminist folk singer), and I left what I called a "place-holder" on the blog, with the note that I hoped to get back later to do a real message.

All I can say is: good thing I did the place holder!

This was one of those weekends that got away from me. Too many issues...

Anyway, as the temp again climbs (and the crocuses bloom)...

E3H: we are beginning our Shakespeare unit tomorrow with Macbeth. You never purchased this book, but if you just happen to have a copy, bring it in. At this moment, you need not rush out to buy one, though.

By the way: if you submitted anything to YI and then made significant changes near the portfolio deadline, resubmit it! It could affect whether you are selected!

E2H: we are in our weekly workshops, but the story you are supposed to have read is "A Rose For Emily" (p. 404).

Drama: Ritual Scenes begin tomorrow!



j:pwnage
music: owner of a lonely heart--yes

--kt

Read more!

place holder

This is not the real post...at least I hope not. I'll try to do a better one tomorrow, but I want to get something down. So, in case I don't get back...

E3H: final posts!

E2H: short story posts! and...

read the following: A Rose For Emily (p. 404)

Drama: work on behavior scenes!

j: steal this thought
music: the thief--lucy kaplansky
silly 70's: star--stealer's wheel

--kt

Read more!

ok, powers that be...WARM UP already!!!

Seriously. 20's???? I mean, come on!!!

a haiku about the cold

with numb fingers, i
cling in desperation to
a frozen crocus

a limerick about the cold

there once was a man from the tropics
whose world view was somewhat myopic
where he now lived was cold
he could not be consoled
and would speak about no other topic

he hated the chill and the snow
but he knew how to save chicago
he'd get what he desired
though the project required
the whole a.f.l.c.i.o

he weathered political dramas
and dotted all i's, added commas;
he could not be outdone:
when those teamsters were done,
they'd moved the place to the bahamas!

oh, i wish...

E3H: to the boards for one final weekday time about anouilh!!

E2H: to the boards also: some questions to consider:

• what does the grandmother mean by "a good man?"
• why do they discuss Jesus?
• Why does the grandmother say "Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my children"?
• What do you make of the final dialogue between the Misfit and his henchman?
• Why does the Misfit think Jesus has "thrown everything off balance"?
• Has the grandmother's character changed by the story's end?
• What do you make of the use of violence in this story?

Drama: all journals due tomorrow; bring in notes to share on spy game; rituals ongoing...

and now...elmo and ricky gervais!



j: the debatable existence of evil
music: devil's in the details--lowen and navarro

--kt

Read more!

return to the freezer

Excuse me...have I mentioned that I hate the cold???????

E3H: to the boards! talk about the play! really!

E2H: to the boards! talk about the story! really! oh, and read "a good man is hard to find" (p.904)

drama: behavior scenes continued...and ritual scenes starting...and spy game ongoing...and have you done your don't bother me, i'm acting exercise yet?


and now, because we were talking about this stuff in fifth period...

"Lex Luthor Bailout" with Jon Hamm - watch more funny videos

j: leaping ahead
music: does the furutre look black--cheryl wheeler

--kt

Read more!

the world according to...

so i asked my drama class to do improvised scenes portraying "rituals in your life" and one guy suggested that his group could do "african war rituals"...right...because his life has been so full of african war rituals...

E3H: tonight your focus is on the anouilh antigone...we're putting the "fate" discussions aside for a bit and dealing with the play...

E2H: read "the things they carried" (tim o'brien, p.891) for tomorrow

Drama: behavior scenes due tomorrow!! ritual groups are:

1. haley, ellie, jimmy, marina
2. spencer, rohan, taylor, courtney
3. julia, madison, kyle, jenny, harrison

also: don't forget to do your don't bother me, i'm acting exercise in a public place...



j: it was back in the days when...
music: going back to harlan--emmylou harris

--kt

Read more!

CDT and other summertime dreams

I woke up this morning and I swear: it was still last night...

:-)

E3H: OK, people...89 posts in 9 days, more than half of which are from the sophomores? That is ridiculous! Unless you do want those February posting grades, this had better be the last time I note that no one is going online and doing the required assignments!!!

E2H: WW tomorrow: come with a new draft for conferencing!!

Drama: Behavior scenes are due Wednesday (note change).



j: 12R+19L+1
music: ixlandia--jonn serrie

--kt

Read more!

welcome to the 60's!

:-)

Hey mama hey mama,
Look around
Everybody's groovin' to a brand new sound
Hey mama hey mama,
Follow me
I know something's in you
That you wanna set free
So let so, go, go of the past now
Say hello to the love in your heart
Yes, 1 know that the world's spinning fast now
You gotta get yourself a brand new start
Hey mama, welcome to the 60's...

E3H: Online weekend: this is the time to discuss the connections between the two Theban plays by Sophocles as well as to begin discussing the specific differences between the versions of Antigone that we have read. I have also put some videos online; check them out. Monday is a Reading Workshop!

E2H: Monday we'll finish the scene work. Tuesday: Writing Workshop. Wednesday: short stories!

Drama:

• Behavior scenes due Tuesday
• Journals are hurting grades; do something about that!
• Final scene will perform Monday; please practice it over the weekend.
• Spy game is in full swing!
• Our next stop is the Group Ritual Scenes, as we began to discuss today. We saw one example; we'll see more on Monday. These will be performed the week after next.
  

j: rest home for broken dreams
music: boulevard of broken dreams--green day
silly 70's: in a broken dream--python lee jackson

--kt

Read more!

a warm wind blows...

I hear it. Outside my room, I hear it blow: a warm wind. I know it is warm because...because it has to be. I'm just so sick of the cold! So it's warm. And when I leave the school building tonight I will feel the breath of spring in the air.

(I'll keep telling myself that...)

E3H: online tonight, discuss what we discussed in class in the new topic under the Antigone board. Also finish reading the Anouilh play.

E2H: nice job today!!! tomorrow will be Monday's RW.

Drama: Good work on the Three Entrances improv. Your next solo improv (due Monday) will be a twin improvised scene called a "Behavior Scene": You will perform two fully fleshed out scenes that reveal (first) a typical behavior that you engage in in your daily life and (second) an atypical behavior that is presented as a version of the first scene as you would not engage in it.

Through these behavior scenes, you charge is to reveal some element of risk in your performance. It isn't group therapy, so you certainly don't need to take "risk" to the level of showing us cutting or things like that, and this is still high school, so don't show us a scene that reveals your afternoon excursions to a nudist colony. But some element of risk.

We'll discuss this more tomorrow.



j: the scorpion's sting
music: scorpion--lucy kaplansky

--kt

Read more!

the purpose of blogs

I think the purpose of blogs (or at least this one) is to provide useful (and perhaps a little bit silly and useless) information to my students. But what do I know? It had not been invented yet in 1899, so it clearly does not actually exist...

E3H: Read Anouilh's Antigone. And write about it on the boards...and about "Antigone and feminism" among other things...

E2H: Scene performances are tomorrow; books are due.

Drama: Some nice work today! The rest of the "three entrances" are due tomorrow along with the remaining duet (and trio) scenes. And don't forget: you're all spies!

someone brought up Star Wars today...so in case you have not seen the movie, here is what it is all about:



j: the purpose of ____
music: there is a reason--alison kraus

--kt

Read more!

rushing outa here

I have to run run run out of school today...first to a faculty meeting and then to a church meeting...so I am writing my blog entry early.

Day One Post-Portfolio: Do you know where your lost sleep is? :-)

I hope you've caught up. Pretty good discussions today, 3H-ers. Tonight, go online and discuss relationships in Antigone.

2H-ers: we're seeing Ned Vizzini tomorrow, so I think we'll discuss his thoughts somewhat during our class. Then I'll give you one more chance to practice and we'll do the scenes on Thursday and Friday. :-)

Drama: Spy Games! And...

Three Entrances: Prepare this for tomorrow--make three separate and distinct entrances into the classroom, under three different sets of circumstances. For each, we will need to see what just happened to you before the entrance, though you do not want to tell us.

and now a message from the daily show's rob riggle about safe driving:



and another one:



and one with Rachel Harris:



j: life in the snail lane
music: the world ain't slowin' down--ellis paul

--kt

Read more!

with apologies to tony the tiger: they're GREAT!

What a fine looking bunch of portfolios! And I have one right here with me at home as I write these words, waiting for me to finish typing this blog post so that I can read it.

Whose is it? you wonder...

Well, I won't spoil the surprise, but her initials are AZ...

:-)

E3H: post already!
E2H: WW tomorrow!
Drama: more scenes'n'stuff coming up!

And just a little more music for you today, courtesy of our friends at The Office:



--kt

Read more!