Senior Current Issues / 2012 update – Semester #2
In order to better organize yourselves for graduation and second semester in this course I’ve laid out guidelines and deadlines for second semester. Please take note and plan accordingly.
1 – Flip-iT movies
The question with the Flip assignments is text depth and procrastination. I am concerned that some people are going lite on their Flip write ups. Most of the movies are good – but many of you are blowing off the text portion of the assignment. A minimum will length would force people to be a little more thoughtful in the write ups. Consequently, I averaged out three of the medium sized Flip iT A’s for MP#1 (this year and 2010) – to come up with the required minimum length of 1200 words for the entire piece. Remember Flip it #3 is due during Marking Period #4. Final Flip due last Marking Period. Each will count as a CA. Final Result: new required minimum word count for Flip-iT – 1200 words. Flip-iT #3 due MP#4. Flip-iT #4 due MP#6. We may add one more for MP#5.
2 – College Scholarships
I think we’ve gotten off to a good start. The every other week 30 point update should keep us moving in the right direction. The rest is up to you. Make sure to keep your updates current on the scholarship board and to be working towards agreed upon goals. Final Result: No change…Full steam ahead.
3 – Independent Study – Civil Rights and MLK
I think we’ve gotten off to a good start here as well. Nathalie for sure. I welcome anybody to join us in this study. For foreign students it is required in leu of the Scholarship Board – for everybody substantial extra credit. I am however requiring those participating to do the following…Final Result: we will meet on Fridays opposite Scholarship Fridays – 1- type notes and have them ready to go drawing off of Google docs. I would suggest that you go to and use Google Docs as your guideline. 2 – Have either a separate notebook or a space reserved in your SCI notebook for this study. 3 – Be ready to talk! I will grade you according to depth of your verbal contributions.
4 – AFRICAN study
Exploring Africa will run Marking Periods #4, #5, #6. MP #4 – Fishline Timelines will constitute the Project Grade. They must be up and hanging and explained to Mr. Wood by Wednesday of the last week of the Marking Period. MP#5 – African Artwork Powerpoint to be presented near the end of the Marking Period…date to be decided at a later time. The artwork can be dance, visual (movie or photo or paint or drawing), music, story, anything really – it should have some connection to your country of choice although it need not be limited to your country. Make sure to clear the topic thru Mr. Wood. Be thinking of art topic through MP #4. Final Result: We will present Timelines during final week of MP#4, the African Artwork during the final week of MP #5. Final MP#6 African extra will be a podcast that we link together into a continental podcast that I will use in my other classes. Meanwhile we will continue with Africa News Weekly which will count for MP#5 Common Assessment and the Africa Map Test which will serve as a MP#4 Common Assessment.
5 – Independent Movies
We need to pick up the pace. One of my goals in this course is to participate in the study of Independent movies. Final Result: With that in mind we will watch two in MP#4 – Babel and Hotel Rwanda. In MP#5 – We will watch Last King of Scotland. All three movies deal in some manner with continent of Africa. I would also like to show the movie Incendies which is fictional account of current events in the Middle East.
6 – Ongoing News
I intend to bring forth a couple of issue topics to look at in the second semester. These will be injected into the curriculum to break up our run on Africa and Scholarships. Final Result: TBA.
7 – College Talk
We will begin to do some College Talk Podcasts. This should be a good introduction into next year. Final Result: Stay tuned.
8 – All Star Game
Final Result: This is particularly significant and must be a priority in the second semester. It’s importance goes beyond the class – and all involved me included need to be organized and communicating.
The bottom line goal for this course is that you are headed for graduation head up – looking straight ahead – that you take that diploma drop it in the paper shredder where it belongs and get moving on the next step. Don’t be crawling to that finish line…if you do you’ll find yourself hanging out at the powerlines next Fall waiting for the opening kick off. Not a pretty place to be…particularly after you’ve graduated.
