hack to school learner-led conference script

Here are the questions:

1. What is the purpose of this course?
2. Describe something interesting that you have learned, read, and/or written during this course so far.
3. What is the easiest experience you've had so far?
4. What is the most challenging experience you've had so far?
5. What are your goals for the next grading period?  For the semester? For the year?
6. What is a Socratic Seminar?

family/community/mentorship

Whether you and/or your families can make it to Hack to School Night or not, everyone you know is an extension of our learning network. Any time they want to learn something from us or share an expertise with us they are welcome.

This concept may be new to you because high school traditionally emphasizes subject-by-subject specialization in closed classrooms.  However, this practice is the norm in a world where collaboration and interdependence are essential factors for success.  For example, my daughter's elementary school just sent home this notice:

See you tonight!

august 31

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "These Dreams of You" by Van Morrison; "Laverne & Shirley (Making Our Dreams Come True)"/TV Theme by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox; "Street of Dreams" by Sarah Vaughan).

Edgar Allan Poe wrote, "All that I see or seem/Is but a dream within a dream."  Can you prove you're not dreaming right now?  How?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Vocab debrief
3. Satire/work

HW:
1. Prep for Big Friday (satire, literature analysis, vocab)
2. Update your online portfolio (make-up work, refinement)

august 30

JOURNAL TOPIC: ["My Friends Always Ask Me" by Mary Lane; "Ask Me Now" by Thelonious Monk]

Does language merely describe reality or does it create a sense of reality? Do speakers of different languages just use different words to describe the same things, or do they actually think and see the world differently because of the language they use? Explain your answer.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. The language of satire
3. Hack to School Night
3. Vocab (if time)

HW:
1. Satire
2. Literature Analysis

hack to school night

(my t-shirt from OSCON)
 
To be clear: the word hack has been associated with definitions ("sharp cough, "cut with unskillful blows," & "illegal/unauthorized computer access," e.g.) that do not describe what we do.

We make connections and facilitate conversations that help people learn.   We build, evaluate and modify things to make them work better.

You know how they say, "[So'n'so] just can't hack it?" Well, we can.

So, at Back-- er, Hack to School night, we are at it again. Get here whenever you can. Bring whoever you want. Offer them the benefit of what you know and find a way to learn from them too. Share new ideas about technology and how you can use it to get ahead in life.

Here is the program:
1. Learner-led conference (see below)
2. Periodic "Intro to Digital Life" presentations
3. Sign-ups for "friend of the course" events and "digital drop-in" nights

Here is the process:
1. Think about these questions and your answers to them;
2. Bring an interested adult to Hack to School Night;
3. Have them ask you these questions, be suitably brilliant in your replies, and demand that they take notes so that you know they're paying attention;
4. Turn in their notes to me, get your extra credit, listen to me brag about you briefly;
5. Go home and finish your homework.

Here are the questions:

student led conference script

vocabulary #2

Definitions & sentences due tomorrow (post to your blog or turn in hard copy).  Quiz on Friday, 9/.2

intercede
hackneyed
approbation
innuendo
coalition
elicit
hiatus
assuage
decadence
expostulate
simulate
jaded
umbrage
prerogative
lurid
transcend
provincial
petulant
unctuous
meritorious

august 29

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: radio silence]

What song do you sing when there's nothing on the radio? What thoughts do you think when it's quiet and you have the chance to think about whatever you want?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Head to the library and check out books
3. Work on this week's schtuff (if there's time)

HW (a.k.a. "this week's schtuff):
1. Satire (due Friday, 9/2)
2. Literature Analysis #1 (due Friday, 9/2)
3. Post definitions and sentences for vocab list #2 (quiz Friday, 9/2)