Mar. 1 - 5, 2010: Short Stories

Fri. Mar. 5/10

- I will be away today. The J219 lab is booked.
- Use this opportunity to review all the learning modules on the Interactive Short Story Unit (use headphones). This will help you with the plot diagram question and the terminology matching section.
- Use remaining time to prepare three paragraphs discussing any five terms and how they relate to any three stories from Inside Stories II.

Thurs. Mar. 4/10
- "Forgiveness in Families" was written by Canadian author Alice Munro (see Still Perfecting Her Craft). Munro is considered one of the world's best short story writers.
- Munro won the prestigious Man Booker Prize this year. It is the biggest international award for short story writing.
- Read the story on p. 93 and complete notes on the terms from the blue handout.

Short Story Elements Fjc

View more presentations from Schoodic.

Wed. Mar. 3/10

Today, we're reading "North End Faust" by Ed Kleiman
The title of the short story "North End Faust" contains a double allusion. These two allusions relate to the main character's place of residence in Winnipeg and to his faustian behavior as a university psychology professor. See the definition of faustian.

Tues. Mar. 2/10

"The Metaphor" is a short story written by Nova Scotian writer Budge Wilson. Wilson has been in the news recently for writing the prequel to Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. Before Green Gables was published in February 2008. In a YouTube video, Wilson explains how it felt to take on such a formidable writing task.

Mon. Mar. 1/10

- Today, we're reading the classic gothic horror, The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. Chicago Public Radio has produced a stories of stage version.
- Watch Edgar Allan Poe's biography.
Here is a film production of the story starring Vincent Price.

Feb. 22 - 26, 2010 Media Literacy / Short Stories

Thurs. Feb. 25 - Fri. Feb. 26, 2010 Freedom to Read Week

- I will be away at a conference on these days.
- On Thursday, you'll be reading "House" (Inside Stories II p. 20).
- Read the story and complete terminology notes according to the long sheet instructions.
- On Friday, you'll be reading "God is Not a Fish Inspector" (Inside Stories II p. 42)
- Read the story and complete terminology notes according to the long sheet instructions.

Wed. Feb. 24, 2010

- Review the short story plot diagram activity.
- Read Harrison Bergeron. Complete terminology notes according to the long sheet instructions.
"Harrison Bergeron" was written by American author Kurt Vonnegut. In this YouTube clip, Vonnegut offers advice for short story writers. After reading "Harrison Bergeron," do you think that Vonnegut has followed his own advice?

Tues. Feb. 23, 2010

Today, we'll start our short stories unit.
"Ashes for the Wind" was written by Colombian journalist and author Hernando Téllez. Although Téllez wrote this story around 1945, the problems of Colombia's internally displaced persons (IDPs) persist today.

This Refugees International YouTube clip, produced in 2008, outlines the scope of the IDP problem in Colombia.

An April 2008 news agency report provides another view on Colombia's IDP crisis.
In 2009, LinkTV produced a documentary, Stories That Kill, about the state of journalism and freedom of expression in Colombia.

Mon. Feb. 22, 2010

Review the Fundamental Freedoms (section 2) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:

Fundamental Freedoms

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

a) freedom of conscience and religion;

b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and

d) freedom of association.

Freedom of the press is an important cornerstone of a democracy. In some societies, information access is much more restrictive than it is in Canada.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics have caused some concerns surrounding freedom of the press, freedom of expression, and police surveillance. As an example, American journalist Amy Goodman was alarmed by her treatment at the border as she arrived in Canada. See the video clip:


Find out where Canada currently ranks on the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index. Where did Canada rank in 2002?

View the following videos:
Report on the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index


Learn about the most dangerous country for journalists.


Internet censorship in China


Blogging and its impact on traditional news media

Feb. 15 - 18, 2010 Media and Advertising

Wed. Feb. 17 / Thurs. Feb. 18, 2010 Overdue Work: Animoto Project; Blog Paragraph Good Copy; Remix Paragraph Rough Copy

- We are in the J219 Lab today.
You should:
- Email your Animoto Project for marking
- Hand in a double-spaced typed copy of your Blog paragraph (include full name & block)
- Hand in the rough copy of your Remix paragraph (see previous post for topic ideas).

Continue work on the Paragraph Captioning Assignment:
- Select a video from any country available through Wikimedia Commons (at least 1 minute long).
- Write a creative paragraph about your own fictional adventure in this country / location.
(Winning a trip to ______ has been an amazing / unforgettable / disappointing experience)
- Follow the instructions on the handout to save the video (.ogg) file to your desktop.
- Set up a DotSub account
- Upload your video (Click Post a New Video ).
- Caption your video with your creative paragraph. To caption:

• Click on the My Videos tab
• Click the title of your uploaded video to open the project access window
  
• Click on the Transcribe Video link (lower right side). Then caption the video with your paragraph.

- When you've finished these, get started on the Scams to Avoid crossword puzzle. Use the booklet to find answers.

Tues. Feb. 16/10 - Advertising Media
- Review the online ad examples from yesterday's posting.
- Working alone/with partner/or in a small group to develop one or more marketing concepts (ideas) to sell one product to the gender not typically targeted. See product examples:

• Sample Female products: diet beverage, detergent, air freshener, body lotion.
• Sample Male products: beer, tools, fishing gear, motorcycle.

- Select one of these products (or your own idea) and list marketing concepts, sketches, and / or a logo that could help market this product to the opposite gender. Consider new media options in your discussions. Collect your rough ideas on a large piece of blank paper.
- You will complete a self-evaluation on your creative process worth 10 completion marks.

Mon. Feb. 15/10 - Advertising Media
- Read the booklet "Scams to Avoid" and start work on the crossword puzzle. (10 mark completion assignment)
- View the Doc Zone documentary "The Selling Game."
- Here are several examples of how social media is influencing product marketing strategies:
1. This 2010 Pepsi ad promotes the Pepsi Refresh Project, which is putting millions of dollars into community projects instead of television advertising.

2. Samsung has produced a series of Vancouver 2010 viral ads like this one.

3. Steve Nash has been producing popular viral ads for Nike and Vitamin Water. Ads like these are getting a lot of buzz in the marketing media.

Fri. Feb. 12, 2010 Due Today: Animoto Project; Blog Paragraph Good Copy; Remix Paragraph Rough Copy

- We are in the J219 Lab today.
You should:
- Email your Animoto Project for marking
- Hand in a double-spaced typed copy of your Blog paragraph (include full name & block)
- Hand in the rough copy of your Remix paragraph (see previous post for topic ideas).
Continue work on the Paragraph Captioning Assignment:
- Select a video from any country available through Wikimedia Commons (at least 1 minute long).
- Write a creative paragraph about your own fictional adventure in this country / location.
(Winning a trip to ______ has been an amazing / unforgettable / disappointing experience)
- Follow the instructions on the handout to save the video (.ogg) file to your desktop.
- Set up a DotSub account
- Upload your video (Click Post a New Video ).
- Caption your video with your creative paragraph. To caption:

• Click on the My Videos tab
• Click the title of your uploaded video to open the project access window
  
• Click on the Transcribe Video link (lower right side). Then caption the video with your paragraph.

Feb. 8- 12, 2010: Media, Participatory Culture and You

Thurs. Feb. 11, 2010
- Complete and hand in the rough copy of your second paragraph assignment on a topic related to the documentary film "Rip: A Remix Manifesto."
Some topic suggestions:

• Remixing content is a legitimate form of creativity.
• Remixing content is intellectual property theft.
• The documentary film,"Rip: A Remix Manifesto," explores the new media revolution and its impact on copyright.
• The 21st century has been marked by the clash of remix and copyright cultures.
• Write a review (or rating) of the documentary.
  

Wed. Feb. 10, 2010

• Peer Editing - Today you'll learn to peer edit paragraphs written by the other English 10 class.
  

• Start the rough copy of your paragraph about the documentary film, RIP: A Remix Manifesto. Any related topic idea is fine. (eg. Rate the video for its educational value)

Tues. Feb. 9, 2010

• We're in the J219 computer lab today.
• Finish your Animoto project and email it for marking (email is written on lab white board).
• The next lab assignment is a creative paragraph writing/video captioning assignment.
• Topic sentence: Winning a trip to _____________ was an amazing / unforgettable / disappointing experience.
  
• STEP 1: select a video (1 minute or longer) from Wikimedia Commons. Save the video file (.ogg) to your desktop. Copy the URL of the video to your paragraph write-up.
  
• STEP 2: write a creative paragraph using your version of the topic sentence above. Print and hand in the your paragraph for peer editing in class on Wednesday.
  

Mon. Feb. 8, 2010

• Today, we'll finish watching the documentary film Rip: A Remix Manifesto
• You will write a paragraph on a topic related to this film. See the study guide for review.
  
• This film was made by a British Columbian, and is available on YouTube
• Creative Commons Licensing (some rights reserved) is now a popular alternative to copyright (all rights reserved). Many content sharing sites, such as Flickr, provide Creative Commons Licensing options.