Leadership Links

In our discussion of leadership, I thought it would be fitting to check out some web resources that will facilitate your understanding. Please recognize that these leadership sites are not the sole source. You may keep an open mind, but please be critical as well. Leadership types can differ based on philosophical viewpoints and the particular area of leadership in which you are involved. In short, while there are commonly shared leadership characteristics, there is no one-size-fits-all leadership style.

(Read this piece for sure)


(This is the handout I gave to you)

Here is another good site. Pay close attention to "Leadership Reflections" and "Leadership Skills."

(A Really Thorough Site)

SENIOR YEAR!

As you already know, it's senior year. Please make sure you are applying for scholarships! We have already discussed the budget within California. While federal aid has increased, the cost of attendance has also gone up. Please fill in the gaps by applying for additional scholarships :).

In addition to this, we are strengthening our critical thinking skills. This semester has provided opportunities to watch Stossel's videos on controversial topics, discussion of controversial topics, and analysis of critical current affairs in the United States and abroad. Being mindful of these concepts, we are closing out the semester with current events presentations and discussions. If you do not have a copy, here is a digital copy of the Current Event form. Please feel free to use it. Also, here is an additional link to question stems based on Bloom's Taxonomy. This hierarchy will help you to create higher-level questions. Keep in mind that Synthesis and Evaluation types of questions are the higher level questions. These are the types of questions you should be developing for your second question.

Have a good one!

College Powerpoint

On My Way to College:
The Summer Term College Research Project



Senior year has arrived, and with it has come the opportunity to take a serious look at your future college and university options. Searching for a college requires an understanding of the academic programs offered, but it also demands a need to look inwardly. Some might argue that “fit” is one of the most important factors for students’ success at the university.

Understanding the choices that await you in the future, I have created this research project to allow you the time to practice searching for the colleges that fit your individual tastes. During your senior year, you will have to apply to four CSU’s (California State University) and four UC’s (University of California). This assignment will give you the practice of researching one school so that you will know what to consider when you are searching for other schools.

Task:
Your job is to serve as a recruiter for the non-California university of your choice. You will be responsible for putting together a PowerPoint for the university’s admissions department. Part of this job requires that you know the essential foundations of the university as well as random trivia that might interest someone who desires to attend the school. Please make sure the academics and social dynamics outweigh the trivia and random facts. Below is a list of guidelines that should assist you with constructing your PowerPoint presentation.

Musts:
• A title slide
• Beautiful designs
• Graphics
• Appropriate spelling, mechanics, and conventions
• Original material (borrow ideas from the site, but don’t copy and paste everything into the PowerPoint…do not copy word-for-word!)
• Knowledge of all the majors offered

• A copy of the mission statement (this is the only thing that can be copied word-for-word)
• A works-cited page of all the university links you used (copy the links into a word document as you go)
• Knowledge of costs (meal plans, tuition, cost of living)
• Information about the town/region
• Ethnic and gender demographics
• School’s strengths



Suggestions:
• Things to do in town or on campus/hangout spots
• Number of clubs/organizations available (list a few)
• Popular sports available
• The feel of the campus
• Famous people who attended the school
• Awards the school has received
• Upcoming events or annual events that are held on campus
• Programs/Departments that connect to other schools
• Historic moments on campus
• What separates the campus from all other campuses

**Final Presentation is Due Monday, September 20, 2010 for returning students. Presentations will be due Thursday, October 14, 2010 for new students.

Scholarships

This is the Voice of San Diego Scholarship flyer. Please apply!
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/app/pdf/VOSD%20Essay%20Contest.pdf

This is the Nordstrom Scholarship link
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=211996&p=respscholarship

Please check with Ms. Robinson or Mr. Navickas for all other scholarship updates.

Airline Article

Read the article connected to the following link and complete a rhetorical precis for it.

http://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=USTRE6310E120100402

Websites about the Individual Vs. the Community

Here are some of the links that connect to our discussion of the individual vs. the community:

1.http://atheistethicist.blogspot.com/2009/01/individual-vs-community.html
2.http://www.cincinnatifriends.org/groups/Woolman/Individual%20vs%20Community.pdf
3.http://www.boloji.com/opinion/0062.htm
4.http://discover-your-mind.co.uk/7a-individual%20and%20community.htm
5.http://lutheransurrealism.blogspot.com/2009/07/poets-rights-vs-community-rights.html
6.http://freedomkeys.com/collectivism.htm
7.http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/759501/the_individual_versus_the_masses.html?cat=9
8.http://smu.edu/fsl/GreekLeadership/classfiles/ind_vs_comm.pdf.pdf

Individual Vs. Community 1

Read the posting that is connected to the link below. After reading, decide whether or not you agree with the author. In short, what do you think the individual's role in the community should look like?

http://koios.vox.com/library/post/the-individual-vs-the-community.html

Final HAL 1 Extra Credit: Due February 3, 2010

(WORTH 20 POINTS)
Our recent conversations about the American Dream and our close analysis of the Sherman Alexie text (he is a guy), have led me to consider ways that perception plays an important role in our society. As a matter of fact, I might venture to say that perception plays an equally vital role in the world. A misguided perception of a person's motives can end a relationship; a flawed perception of another country can cause a war.

Being mindful of the multilayered nature of perception and its power, read and analyze the following texts (beware of the grammatical errors within one of the texts):

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2627795/your_perception_is_your_reality_pg3.html?cat=5

http://www.unlimitedchoice.org/blog/meditations/perception-vs-reality/

After reading the pieces (they're both blogs on a different sites), respond in our blogspot posting with the following:

1. Approximately 100 words about a time when perception caused conflict for you and/or someone else you know.
2. Another 100 word response that connects your experience to some of the major ideas presented in both readings.

Extra Credit 2: Due Friday, December 11th by 9am

1. Read the article of the link below:
http://www.jhunewsletter.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=3ac66193-a48e-49fc-b8fd-281f25361092

2. In 200-300 words, discuss what your opinion is. Make sure you cite the reading from the above link and at least two other sources we have read this year. Be sure to consider whether or not you fully agree with the author. Some questions to consider (these are not the only questions):

• Even though our poor are not as impoverished as other countries, does it mean the American Dream is still thriving?
• Is the American Dream available to everyone?
• Do you agree with the author of the above opinion article? Disagree? Agree with reservations? Disagree with reservations?
• What solutions do you propose?
  

3. Make sure you pay attention to grammar, punctuation, and appropriate citing procedures.

Extra Credit 1: Due Friday, December 11th by 9am

1. Read the article of the link below:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-sullivan7-2009nov07,0,5025811.story

2. In 200-300 words, discuss what your opinion is. Make sure you cite the opinion article (at least twice) and any other sources you might research to support your opinion (hint: if you use an outside resource, it might strengthen your grade).

3. Make sure you pay attention to grammar, punctuation, and appropriate citing procedures.

Homework Due 10/20/09 (considered on-time up until midnight)

Hello students:
I'm hoping that these blog posts, in conjunction with your classroom reading and discussions, are allowing you to obtain a better picture of the ways that the United States still has issues of slavery and oppression today. Below is the homework that is due Tuesday night:

1. Read the last two sections of the following link: http://www.asian-nation.org/racism.shtml.Those sections are entitled "The Formation of Solidarity," and "The Definition of Cruel and Unusual Punishment."

2. Respond to both pieces in one post of 100 words, just as you did with the previous postings. Consider your thoughts, feelings, opinions, similarities to the Gaines text, connections to discussions, and parallels to other topics we've mentioned in the past.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
I know some of you have been bummed about missing tutorials for two weeks. Fear not! Tutorials will return the week of the 26th. In fact, we will hold them on the 26th and 28th as well as twice the following week. Project presentations will be pushed to the final week as well :).

Also, this upcoming week (the 19th-23rd) will go as follows:
Monday: Reading Gaines and projects in the lab
Tuesday: Reading Gaines and current events
Wednesday: Reading Gaines & Projects
Thursday: Reading Gaines & Current Events
Friday: Finish Gaines & Current Events

Due Friday, October 16, 2009

Hello, folks.
Mrs. Noyes came into my 3rd period class yesterday and encouraged us to read a poem. It is posted below. I want you to do a tad bit more reading than you have done with the other two blog posts, but you can finish the reading and writing within 30 minutes. Directions are also included below.

1. Read the poem below.
2. Read the sections of the following link entitled "Ethnic Competition Leads to Violence" and "License to Commit Murder=$3,700": http://www.asian-nation.org/racism.shtml
3. In 100 words or more connect the poem to the Gaines text we are reading in class and the text about injustice against Asian Americans.
4. You're awesome!


Poem:

"If We Must Die"

If we must die, let it not be like hogs

Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,

While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,

Making their mock at our accursed lot.

If we must die, O let us nobly die

So that our precious blood may not be shed

In vain; then even the monsters we defy

Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!

O kinsmen! We must meet the common foe!

Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,

And for their thousand blows deal one death blow!

What though before us lies the open grave?

Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack,

Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!

Source: Claude McKay, “If We Must Die,” in Harlem Shadows: The Poems of Claude McKay (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., 1922). Taken from http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5130/

Reading Due 10/14/09 (I fixed the link)

1. Read the article by clicking on the following link:
http://ahmedismailibrahim.wordpress.com/2007/04/29/racism-against-hispanics-among-us-army-lines/

2. Respond to the article in about 100 words. Some things to consider: Was the commanding officer over-reacting? Was the officer racist? Was the army racist? What do you propose the army should do? How would you respond if you were one of the soldiers? What do you think this situation says about the state of society?
* Keep in mind that you do not have to respond to all of these questions; they are just small prompting questions that will help you consider your response.

Homework 10/06/09

Directions:

1. Click on the following link:

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/article/Mexico/Mexican-American-Discrimination/1072

2. Post a 100-word response that discusses your viewpoint and connections to other topics you've read about this year and in the past.

Homework for 10/05/09

Class, we are discussing different types of contemporary slavery. As a result, we will be reading articles that address types of discrimination and oppression that various groups are experiencing in the United States. The link below leads to an article about oppression of Hispanic/Latino people in the United States.

Directions:
1. Click on the following link: http://newsbusters.org/node/17442/print
2. Copy the whole article and paste it into a word document (if possible)
3. Print the article
4. Read it tonight for homework and annotate
5. When annotating, ask questions about the meaning, relate ideas to the MAIN IDEA, underline/highlight key words and words you don't know, write in definitions of new words, and make connections to slavery.

Frederick Douglass 4: Chapters 9-11

Tons of important things happen in chapters 9-11. Douglass experiences freedom of the mind and then he begins freedom from slavery. In the first paragraph, discuss either Douglass' freedom of mind or literal freedom (or both). In the second paragraph, discuss a time when you felt completely free and compare that to Douglass' experience.

Frederick Douglass 3: Chapters 5-8

I know I'm completely behind on these. I have had quite an eventful summer. Here is the posting for chapters 5-8. This is also two paragraphs. In the first paragraph, I want you to summarize Douglass' literacy experience. Discuss the who, what, when, where, and why in order to fully cover this. In the second paragraph, compare his experience to a time in your life when you "broke the rules" for all the "right reasons."

Frederick Douglass 2

Ladies and Gentlemen:
I apologize for not getting the post up this past week. I have had my mind in a million places. If you already posted your own version of chapters 3 and 4, that's okay. The format of this post is different than the last one, but because I was slacking, you're off the hook if you posted already. Also, the timeline for the 3rd post (chapters 5-8) will be slightly different. Because I am behind, I won't be looking for responses for the 3rd assignment until August 2nd. If you post before then, that is fine, though. Just make sure that you don't post until the actual post for that particular assignment is online. I'll have put it up later this week. Here's another thing: please, please, do not exceed 250 words. I seriously do not want you to do more than 250 words or less than 200.

Douglass 2 (Chapters 3 & 4):
In your own words, compare and contrast the master, Colonel Lloyd, and the overseer, Mr. Gore. Make sure to use specific examples from the text to support your comparison of these two men.

*Remember the master is the typically the owner of the plantation, and the overseer is like the master's assistant or the manager of the plantation.

Frederick Douglass 1

Chapters 1 and 2: Introduction to Life on the Plantation

In the first two chapters, Douglass discusses his early life on the plantation. He talks about his birthplace and primary years, his relationship (or lack of a relationship) with his parents, the types of slave masters and overseers (the people in charge of making sure the slaves are on their job), some of the punishments, and the role of music/singing on the plantation. Summarize an idea from one of the first two chapters. Find a quote that you think represents this concept or idea. Connect that idea to present-day society or to your life.

Example: [Topic: Dogs (note: there is no specific mention of dogs in the first two chapters)].
In Chapter 1 of Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass mentions how his dog is an important part of his early development. His dog was the only individual who supported him in his quest to obtain freedom. In the middle of the chapter, he mentions, "Pluto was more than just a dog; he was a member of the family, a fellow soldier in the fight for freedom" (9). Douglass' words show the power of his relationship with his pet, and they give an example of the importance of pets in a society.

I think I share a similar sentiment with Mr. Douglass. My pet fish, Beto, seemed to be the only one who understood my problems. True, he could not speak English, but his flapping, swimming, and attentiveness were enough to make me feel validated and appreciated. I believe pets play a similar role in society. They are the glue that keeps our country together, because just like Beto, they have the ability to see into the hearts of people and provide us with hope. In Douglass' Text, Pluto was able to inspire him to make significant changes in his thinking, and I think that if we made those connections to pets today, the world would be a better place. (212 words).
--Robert Robinson

WELCOME TO THE AVIDHALSPOT

Hello students:
This blogspot will be our communication for the summer reading and for any other important summer communication. Please make sure you check it at least every two weeks, so that you can see the discussion prompt and prove that you've been here.

If you have a hotmail.com, aim, google, or similar account, please subscribe to this account so you will have access to this blogspot.

Have a great summer!