Technophobic? Sorry About That

I love how some people are so concerned about civil liberties, privacy rights, and individuality while posting everything about themselves on FaceBook, MySpace (so middle school, I know), flickr, Twitter, etc.  Many people are afraid of technology.  I understand that fear, while I also embrace as much technology as I can afford.  But we have to accept how much the computer and internet has permeated our society, to the point of it becoming required for eevrday activities.  I'll show you an episode of Dilbert (VERY short-lived cartoon from many years ago) taht talks about this issue.  Confront your fear(s) and accept what must be done - doing much of your work on a computer.  Follow my Google Calendar, the Moodle, the blog, and turn in your essay to turnitin.  I am trying to streamline everything as much as possible - and the more I work on it, the more Google and Moodle will become interconnected for my classroom.  I'll post more later...

MSECCH3QUE

So, you have some homework this weekend. Read Ch. 3 BEFORE Monday. We'll have a quiz on it on Thursday, followed by a Unit Exam (Chs. 1, 2, and 3) on Monday Oct 5. I have added a "next 5 days" calendar to the blog - look to the right. Skype should be working now. Send me a request to be added to my school account - lakerromo. Lastly - fix up your Moodle profile. Add your picture, change your name so it reads as you like to be called in class, and add a post to the latest forum. I have placed you into class-specific groups now - too difficult to manage as one large group. 

I uploaded the Constitution (columned, 10 pages), the outline dissection (4 pages), the Ch. 2 powerpoint, the Ch. 3 Handouts (vocab and reasoning), and the weekly Forum (at least one post by Sunday).  Portal Grades SHOULD be up to date.  Some people are MISSING things.  Get that cleared up with me tomorrow - NOT DURING CLASS (unless I invite queries).  I will also allow anyone to recite the Preamble in class (last 15 slots are 5 a day M, T, and W of next week before you lose points).   If you EVER miss a quiz or test, you have 1 week to make it up - before school, during lunch, or after school.  I am working on an online version (timed, of course), but it won't be available until Q2.  It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to make arrangements - I do not track you down.  After 1 week, it becomes a MISSING ZERO, with no opportunity to make it up.

Lastly, Hooper will be visiting class next Tuesday to talk about the CloseUp trip to DC and the POlitical Forums held after school one Thursday every month - you have to attend 2 by January if you want an A, or 1 for a B.  If your schedule does not allow it, I will provide you with thrilling C-SPAN coverage of Washington Journal.  You will have to watch 4 hours and write a report.  My advice - figure out a way to attend at least 1, but you need 2 for the A.

Ch. 2 Test - Study!!!

There are 30 Multiple Choice questions and 3 short answer (maximum of 3 lines or sentences).  You will have 25-30 minutes to complete the test - You may use your notes, including the Constitution dissection and Ch. 2 vocab sheet.  But do not forget that the quiz is TIMED.  The sooner everyone arrives and gets settled, the sooner you may begin.  You should pick up a test booklet, clicker, AND answer sheet.  Write yuor answres on the little sheet AND enter them using the clicker.  You will use the back for the short answer questions.  I will collect ALL answer sheets at the top of each hour (9, 10, 11) - NO extensions.  You SHOULD be able to finish within 20 minutes - if you know your stuff.  We will go over the test immediately afterwards, so you'll know what you got right and wrong.  On Friday, we'll go over the Constitution Dissection so you have everything you may need.  You MUST have Ch. 3 read BEFORE Monday - hint, hint.  If you are struggling with teh Dissection, maybe go here.  Imagine what you can find on the interweb.  I'm off to get my MacBook.  Toodles...


UPDATE:  No MacBook for Romo yet.  Maybe next week...Until then, check out what my first Mac was like (and check out those specs...40 MB HD and 2 MB RAM):



Maybe I'll dig mine out of the basement and show you what I had "back in my day" as a freshman at Brown in the Fall of 1991.

How Low Can You Go?

I have opened the portal to your grades now - and wow - they are scattered with many more Consonants, Disappointments, and Fudge...that is to be expected since the only thing really there is the first quiz.  And that was a difficult one for many since you had no idea what you were facing.  There were five choices instead of the usual four - get used to it because that is the AP method.  There were also some very specific questions from detailed parts of the textbook.  We need to make the path clear, yet also clearly delineate between the As and the Bs...even the Bs and the Consonants.  So study up on the next chapter (2:  The Constitution) and shoot me an email within 24 hours telling me which President did NOT swear on the Bible...

But before you do that, watch below and make a comment about who you think messed up...and does/did it really matter? (only watch the first couple of minutes):

Learning Again

So we began the Constitution Dissection today.  Well, many of you started and progressed nicely.  Unfortunately, some of you used much of your time for chitchat.  That is fine with me - so long as you accept that more time will have to spent outside of class to get it done...

Which should be fine considering how hard the flu has been hitting lately. It will only get worse, too.  But I have anticipated this and planned accordingly.  There are five "Uh Oh" lessons banked in case I am gone or we get a nasty outbreak with many absences.  But it also means that those "mental health" days seniors are so keen to take will become more detrimental to your grade.  I'm going to start having more daily activities that must be completed BEFORE the tardy bell rings.  Missing a couple each quarter will not hurt, but more than that and your grade will suffer.

Lastly - you'll have to memorize the Preamble for class.  Every day until the end of the quarter, five people will be given the opportunity to prove their memory skills.  First come, first served.  After next Wednesday, you will lose points for every day that passes until you get it right.  This might help you...

Peace? At What Cost?

So Monday is the International Day of Peace. I guess I have to put away the beating stick for one day. Seriously, teachers used to be allowed to physically beat their students for not completing their lessons. Ah,m those must have been the days. Now we follow the carrot method - if you have no idea what I am referring to, think.

Which leads me to my next request...I need you to THINK. Don't just react out of fear or consequence...train your brain to make instant considerations and partial judgments. You will be amazed by how much more quickly you'll not only be able to process, but also analyze, synthesize, and categorize information much more quickly. THINK about how much you practice for your team, band, club, etc. Eventually, your movements become not only more fluid but your reaction times decrease as movements are committed to memory.

Your brain works the same way. Do you really have to think of 1+1 to get 2? No - it's committed to your memory. I know it scares you and may come across as time-consuming - even wasteful...but if you give me an honest 3 hours a week of homework (reading...learning...studying), you will do just fine in this class. Do it for all your classes, and you will improve your brain tremendously. If you are interested in not only passing with a C - which is average, and OK - but maybe achieving more and proving it, an additional hour or two a week may be necessary.

Until tomorrow...a classic that should stick in your brain due to repetition: