Enactments

"People tend to replicate things they enjoy. Boredom inhibits learning. Enjoyment fosters creativity, a natural high." Csikszentmihalyi, Flow, 1990.

Watch these enactments on The Odyssey and answer the following questions:

1) Did the students seem to learn/comprehend the material as evidenced through their enactment?
2) Did they seem to be enjoying the learning experience, i.e. having "fun"?
3) Which video did you enjoy the most, and why?
4) As a future teacher, what did you learn from watching these videos?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RExpvv2zJo4
http://youtube.com/watch?v=chl3DZ8Ys2w
http://youtube.com/watch?v=965zTvxTcwI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9xnHKrNIu-s
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YNnftI6bbnE
http://youtube.com/watch?v=C9E7uWzNYWY
and another one on "Gift of the Magi"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBT7GhiceWI

Toxic Lies--The Betrayal of Heroes

Have you ever been betrayed by someone you trusted? a best friend, teammate, colleague, fellow worker, even relative? How did you feel? What do you do about it? In some cases, how can you pick up the pieces of your life and go on? This is a topic that touches us all, at one time or other, in so many ways.

So what? On a more global scale, watch the following video and think how you might ask your students to respond. Challenge: weave these components into a powerful lesson.

It is a short video about the environmental catastrophe created by the aftermath of the collapse of the Twin Towers and Building 7. And about those who are now suffering tremendously as a result of Toxic Lies told to them about the air quality at Ground Zero.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GFPBWj_G9Zc

War and the world today

As this year's election heats up, the topic of the war in Iran will become even more prominant and controversial. Challenge your students to think deeply about their stand on this issue and not just parrot back what the media or a popular candidate espouses.

Read the link provided to Wildfred Owen's classic poem, "Dulce Est Decorum Est." http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owen1.html Then respond to the following:

What does it mean to you to be patriotic? Should you be willing to die for your country? If you aren't, does that mean you aren't patriotic?

Voicethread.com

This is a really easy site to use for creating pod casts. Check out the "mash up" on Catcher In the Rye #69839 that was created this week and the podcast for "Love Poem" by Nims #68404 that currently is on page 16. Then post a response--or even better--create a voice thread yourself and tell us to go look at it!