The Hot Springs of Papallacta and More

 

This week has contained both exciting moments and dull ones.  Most of the weeknights I spend at my host family’s home—grading papers, creating lesson ideas, watching movies, or reading.  These nights are good for me, but somewhat dull—and are different than what I am used to.  On the other hand, I receive many opportunities in school and out, to see beautiful sights and enjoy the culture of Ecuador.  I went to the hot springs at Papallacta, which was an incredible and relaxing event.  We jumped from steaming hot pools to the freezing river and back; it felt wonderful!  The scenery at Papallacta was truly brilliant, as well.  We saw some of Colonial Quito, although it rained most of the time; we spent the evening drying up, and eating at the beautiful “El Mosaico” restaurant—which sits high above the colonial city.  The views from the balcony were amazing.  Tomorrow, I will play soccer at Colegio Menor with the other professors, in an inter-collegial tournament.  In general, other than last Sunday, when I spent about two hours trying to find wireless internet and was about to throw my computer through a window, I have been trying to accept the small discomforts and differences in this South-American country.  I do miss my true home and my loved ones, but there are so many positive aspects about my being here, so I try to focus on those. 

Welcome to Ecuador

My current workplace.

Learning and Teaching in South America

These two weeks in Ecuador have had their ups and downs with the ebb and flow of life and teaching a new group of kids in a new environment.  Outside of the school I have also been experiencing many different and exciting things.  I have lived abroad for a brief time before, and I believe that has helped me tremendously as I have met with the successes and challenges of this beautiful South American country.  Ecuador is incredible!  I have played soccer and street hockey between large peaks at Colegio Menor; I have hiked the bright green and majestic mountain of Ilalo; I have stood on the middle of our planet at La Mitad del Mundo; I have seen the third highest volcano in Ecuador, Cayambe, capped with snow and piercing the sky; I have walked the fast-paced and exhaust-filled streets of downtown Quito; I have eaten the delicious foods of Ecuador—which contain a flavor that is unmatched; my Spanish has improved by speaking with my host family, staff at the school, some of my students, taxi drivers, people in the street, and more; and I have learned something from every minute of all my experiences—whether good or bad.  Although I miss the United States sometimes—with its quick-fixes and familiarity—and although it is difficult to always understand a different culture and a different language, it is truly a gift to be here today.

Shakespeare in Popular Culture: Part Deux

While scanning Youtube for the countless references to William Shakespeare in our modern culture, I came across a video clip from Last Action Hero. I have seen this Schwarzenegger film a dozen times, but I almost forgot about its unique depiction of Hamlet, through the mind of the main character. The young film geek, Danny Madigan is sitting in his high school English classroom, drearily watching Laurence Olivier’s 1948 production of Hamlet. Danny looks bored to death while he stares at the black and white screen in the front of the classroom. When Hamlet is about to stab Claudius, Danny’s brow rises and he expresses an immediate interest. However, his interest wanes as quickly as it came when he sees Hamlet begin yet another soliloquy, instead of stabbing the unknowing Claudius. Danny is absolutely disgusted with the plot at this point, and says out loud to the screen: “Don’t talk, just do it.” He then begins to picture how the plot would go if his favorite actor, “Jack Slater” (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) starred as the woeful Hamlet. At once, we see the same scene redone by Slater, in a sort of mock preview of Hamlet. This Hamlet is not about giving soliloquies, but about action. He lights a cigar, then throws Claudius through a stained-glass window, and goes on a killing spree. Awesome!

So what is the significance of this clip? What is it saying about how Shakespeare’s plays affect young boys? Well, first of all it is obvious that this envisioned preview of a “cooler” Hamlet is purposefully over the top.  However, there is a certain appeal to this “B-Movie” version of a complex text by a prolific author. The ridiculous changes made to Hamlet allow for easy entertainment, and the plot gets wrapped up neatly. But the story is no longer a tragedy. The audience knows what the result will be with an action star like Jack Slater (Schwarzenegger) playing the role of Hamlet. All will be well in the end, and victory belongs to the biggest and strongest man rather than the most cunning.

On the other hand, it is evident that this particular scene demonstrates the stereotype that teenagers do not care for complex language and formal structure; in plain terms: “they just don’t get it.” In this case, “it” would be the battle the pitiful Hamlet is fighting with himself throughout his life, being unable or unwilling to do his father justice. The transformation of the original tragedy of Hamlet into a Hollywood style action film, in which the “good guy” wins, is a great example of dumbing-down Shakespeare. It also insinuates that all that adolescent boys desire in entertainment is blood and guts.

Finally, there is some truth to the way in which Danny Madigan reacts to Hamlet in his English class. Many high school students approach Shakespeare with a certain fear and a predetermined misunderstanding of Elizabethan English. William Shakespeare did not write scripts for action movies, he wrote plays. However, in the incredible language of the text, the great playwright allowed for much action. There is deceit, death, rape, murder, theft, conspiracy, and revenge. The plots are not as simple as the version of Hamlet through the eyes of Danny, but they are just as exciting when given the chance.

Shakespeare in Popular Culture

Well, I guess Shakespeare is accessible to anyone, including a jean company. However, at first glance, other than some of the lines, I did not understand the connection between this commercial for Levi’s “Anti-fit” jeans, and it’s referenced “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by the cunning linguist William Shakespeare. The lines are only slightly modified, but the actual scene is applied to a modern, urban situation.  The male actor in the commercial represents the asinine character “Bottom” from the play. In the original text, Bottom has just been transformed from the neck up by the trickster Robin, into an “ass,” or donkey, and rudely surprises his friends with his new appearance.  Similar to the Elizabethan script, “Bottom” remains extremely confident that he looks great.  However, the reaction by the men on the street is very different than the response of Bottom’s friends in the play.  In the commercial, he is treated with disrespect and hostility by the other men on the street because of his appearance.

The female actress in the commercial represents the Fairy Queen, “Titania,” from the play. In the Shakespearean text, Titania has just woken from her sleep after being anointed with a sort of love potion by her ex-lover Oberon. The actress in the Levi’s production is in a dry cleaners when she spots her love-at-first-sight “Bottom” walking down the dark street, standing up to the “thugs” that oppose him. The same thing takes place in Shakespeare’s play when Titania awakes to see Bottom, with the head of an ass, who becomes her undying love. Once again, the scene in the commercial is clearly different from the original play, but the implications are there. What the jean company appears to be demonstrating is that it is simply the male character’s shape and stature (because of his wonderful, sleek jeans) that the female becomes love-struck as soon as she lays her eyes on him.  The Levi’s “Anti-fit” jeans become the love potion that possesses the sweet Queen.  This is parallel with “A Midsummer Nights Dream,” but with a modern and interesting twist to sell a pair of pants. I think I may want a pair…maybe.

Wes

Video Clip Project-Why Using Clues and Past Knowledge Can Save Your Life (or at least your pride)

Pre-Note:

 This lesson and the assignment after it are a part of the current central theme: Pride and Hubris, which we are studying as a class through reading classical and contemporary literature and writing.  All I expect from the class in this lesson is participation during discussions, and for them to produce some thoughtful responses.  (The assessment will take place in the project after this lesson.)    

Procedure:

 

1.)    Take about 5 minutes to write in your journal about a time that you felt extremely embarrassed in front of a group of people.  If possible, write specifically about a time that you felt embarrassed for NOT knowing a certain word, fact, or piece of information those around you understood (i.e. playing trivial pursuit with your family, talking about a significant person with your friends, answering a question in class, or giving some sort of presentation).  Be honest!

2.)    Share my personal piece with the class, and open a brief discussion on their experiences with whoever is willing to share.  (About 5 minutes)

3.)    Tell the students:  “YOU ARE NOT ALONE!”  Watch the 0:36 second video clip on Youtube, and be grateful you have never experienced this embarrassment on a national scale.  (Have Youtube video projected onto big screen at the head of the class, and play for students after they are finished journaling.)  (Allow a couple minutes for video to go all the way through and for students to think about it for a few seconds before responding.)

4.)    Allow students to respond to the video (other than simply saying the former President is stupid).  What would have been a better response from President Bush, since he obviously didn’t know the answer to the question on tribal sovereignty?  Did his pride get in the way?  (5 minutes)

5.)    Now, bring up the topic of vocabulary.  Why is vocabulary important?  Is it possible for a human being to store every piece of vocabulary they come across in a given lifespan?  Is it possible to teach in a way that students can learn to crack “vocabulary codes” on their own, without knowing every word in the dictionary?  (Have about a 5 minute discussion, getting student feedback about what they think the answers to these questions are, citing from their own experience if possible.)

6.)    So, what can we do about words in which we do not know the exact meaning?  Well, we can use context clues; we can break the word down into pieces and examine those pieces.  What else?  (Let students answer for about 5 minutes, and document on white board what answers students come up with.)

7.)    So, let’s break down the words from the video example.  What two words do we have?  (Let the students respond.)  Write down the answers on the white board, as headings.  Ex:  Tribal          Sovereignty.

 

-So, we take the suffix-(al)—which means having to do with—in this case, having to do with a tribe= tribal.

-Then, we take the suffix of the second word-(y)—which means an act, or a state of being.  In this case we can guess that sovereignty is a state of being.

-Now, we know what a tribe is, and what tribes exist in the United States, since this is being asked to the President of the Unites States?  (Native Americans).

-Now, the dictionary has a few definitions of the word sovereign, but I would be willing to bet we’d be looking for an adjective, (a word that gives characteristics to a noun, and in this case the noun is tribal.)

-So, does anyone know, or want to take a wild guess at what this definition means?

            -Dictionary.com gives us the definition of the adjective:  adj.  Self-governing;

             independent: a sovereign state.

 

Take about 10 minutes or so to break down these words and entertain any student responses by writing them under each heading. Elaborate on the student responses, and what I personally deducted from the words used, and describe the process of using previous knowledge of subject matter and context to deduct the most likely definition of a word or phrase.

8.)     Now, watch the video one more time, having a delegate from the class (who the students have chosen to represent them) respond to the question posed by Mark Trahant, to George Bush.  Allow for other students to respond in the same way, as if they were the President, until the class is satisfied with their selected speaker’s answer to the inquiry on tribal sovereignty.  (About 10 minutes)

9.)    Wrap up with a statement about how important it is to learn how to dissect unknown words and phrases, using previous knowledge and context clues, and how this process is invaluable whether you are giving a class presentation on the history of William Shakespeare, or you are the President of the United States.  It works in all areas!!! 

 

Assign Student Video-Clip Project:

 

-Ask students to locate a short video clip of their own using Youtube, or another preferred video site.

-Have students pick a piece of literature that we have already covered during the current year in my Language Arts class, and find a parallel in one of these video clips. 

-Students can use any clip they deem necessary, as long as it is classroom appropriate (which we’ve already established), no longer than seven minutes, and they can draw a significant parallel between the video and a piece of literature.

-Students will post their final product to their weblog, on WordPress.Com, and turn in a three-page paper on why they chose a particular video, and how this video represents the selected piece of literature.  Why is it significant?  What can we learn from the video clip?  Does it emphasize the same message as the work of literature?

-The students will have three weeks to work on this project, and will receive both a process grade and a product grade.  (Note:  The students and I will come up with the rubric for both the process grade and the product grade on the first class meeting after the project has been assigned.)

Rationale:

 
This lesson plan is for a 10^th Grade English/Language Arts class.  This is done in a 50 minute time block.  It is part of an entire theme, centered on Pride and Hubris.  We will do this in-class assignment focusing specifically on vocabulary, as I have to incorporate that into each unit.  I prefer to teach grammar and vocabulary in the context of reading and writing.  This specific lesson allows students to see the real-world necessity of understanding language, and the skills needed to break down words or phrases that they may not understand at first glance, or first hearing.  I am beginning with the personal journal writing as a way to pull students into the subject matter, and what better way to do that than to have them share their own embarrassing experiences alongside their teacher.  From this, we view an example of an embarrassing experience on an international scale.  We can see how pride cometh before the fall, as we learn in many classical works from Ancient Greece, and others.  I want to give the students an opportunity to relate the moral lessons from classical and contemporary literature to everyday situations, on a large or small scale.  For example, even though President George W. Bush pretends to know something he doesn’t and looks ridiculous to the world, he doesn’t stab his own eyes out like the infamously prideful Oedipus Rex.  At the same time, both of these individuals have something in common.  I will definitely have to be prepared with the video paused on the screen, already loaded, and ready when I press play, with the sound at a level where all the students can hear it.  I will probably have to allow a few extra minutes to play the video over a couple of times, so the students can get the full effect, and break down the images and sounds.

 

Tenth-Grade Georgia Standards:

 

 ELA10RL5 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing. The student

a. Identifies and correctly uses idioms, cognates, words with literal and figurative meanings, and patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or functions.

 

b. Uses knowledge of mythology, the Bible, and other works often alluded to in literature to understand the meanings of new words.

 

c. Uses general dictionaries, specialized dictionaries, thesauruses, or related references as need to increase learning.

 

ELA10W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing. The student

 

a. Formulates clear research questions and utilizes appropriate research venues (i.e., library, electronic media, personal interview, survey) to locate and incorporate evidence from primary and secondary sources.

 

b. Uses supporting evidence from multiple sources to develop the main ideas within the body of a researched essay, a composition, or a technical document.

 

c. Synthesizes information from multiple sources and identifies complexities and discrepancies in the information and the different perspectives found in each medium (i.e., almanacs, microfiche, news sources, in-depth field studies, speeches, journals, technical documents).

 

d. Integrates quotations and citations into a written text while maintaining the flow of ideas.

 

e. Uses appropriate conventions for documentation in the text, notes, and bibliographies by adhering to an appropriate style manual such as the Modern Language Association

 

Handbook, The Chicago Manual of Style, Turabian, American Psychological Association, etc.

 

f. Designs and publishes documents, using aids such as advanced publishing software and graphic programs.

 

ELA10RL2 The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of theme in literary works and provides evidence from the works to support understanding. The student

 

a. Applies knowledge of the concept that the theme or meaning of a selection represents a universal view or comment on life or society and provides support from the text for the identified theme.

 

b. Evaluates the way an author’s choice of words advances the theme or purpose of the work.

 

c. Applies knowledge of the concept that a text can contain more than one theme.

 

d. Analyzes and compares texts that express a universal theme, and locates support in the text for the identified theme.

 

e. Compares and contrasts the presentation of a theme or topic across genres and explains how the selection of genre affects the delivery of universal ideas about life and society.

 

i. Archetypal Characters (i.e., hero, good mother, sage, trickster, etc.)

 

ii. Archetypal Patterns (i.e., journey of initiation, search for the father, etc.)

 

iii. Archetypal Symbols (i.e., colors, water, light/dark, etc.)

 

iv. Universal Connections (i.e., making choices, winning/losing, relationships, self and other, etc.)

 

Video for Lesson Plan:

 

 

 

 

      

 

Ghost Picture

Well, this was a very interesting picture I took while hiking alone next to Kennesaw Mountain, in Georgia. I was taking a few pictures of the railroad tracks, and the last few seconds of daylight on the horizon when I took the picture you see below. To be honest, there was ABSOLUTELY NOTHING there when I saw the “smoke,” or “fog,” or whatever the hell that was on my digital camera screen. There was nothing there before I snapped the photo, and nothing immediately after. I have no explanation for this, and I am not one to assume such things, but there wasn’t event a hint of anything right in front of me, (not to mention anywhere around me), when I took that picture. If anyone has any feedback of what it might be, please let me know. Based on the fact that this thing is definitely eerie, comes out of nowhere, and I was taking pictures in the midst of a civil war battleground, this actually might be a ghost. See for yourself!

Wes

Picasa Web Albums – wes – Kennesaw Moun… – DSC01238.JPG

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Dr. Tyson’s Presentation on School 2.0

Well, after viewing this video of amazing contributions by students at Mabry Middle School in Georgia, I must say that I am impressed with the message of meaningfulness in the classroom.  Like Dr. Tyson reiterates, these middle school students are working for something more than a grade; something more than just a pat on the back or a “good job.”  These students are producing quality videos for the world to see, on issues which carry international significance.  As I have learned in my study of Education, I know that if students are to really learn, grow, and produce their best work, they must be working for something more than just a grade.  Although grades can be tools for student assessment and improvement, they often do not provide an accurate measure of what each student is capable of.  Using technology in the classroom, connecting students together and to their environment, and distributing the product to the world, allows for true growth not only as students, but as individuals in an international society.

Wes

Ronaldinho, El Mejor Jugador en Futbol.

This is a reel of Ronaldinho’s top ten goals.  Nothing short of amazing.

Kovalchuk Highlights 06/07

Coming soon with Highlights from 07/08, in which he is even more unbelievable.

Wes

Solo Pic