Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The OFFICIAL Zac's Demo Thread




I'm challenging everyone to offer insightful, critical commentary on Zac's demo this morning. Here's the place to do it.

16 comments:

  1. What a marvelous presentation, but I understood about 25% of its entirety!!!!!! Now, though, I suppose it is OK to doubt and then form my own ideas about a piece of literature: much like we do with a piece of art. Duh!!!!!! Connections...... We don't always have to understand what the artist is telling us but to seek our own perspective. Anna and I really had a great time describing our ideas this morning.
    Zac, such an insightful presentation. I would have loved having you as my high school English teacher. I love how you combine the arts. The Fine Arts is meaningful when we put them together. Thanks for opening up my brain some more. Every day I wonder how I can grasp any more!!!!!!

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  2. I think art and poetry are difficult concepts to present. Zac did a very nice job. Poetry has always given me difficulties. He presented the aspects of the lesson in a fun way. He made it interesting and prompted me to think about meanings and messages. If asked, I could write quite a lot about what we examined today, and that's what it is all about-writing. Mission accomplished. Thanks for the tour!

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  3. In high school, I remember having a student teacher who spent 6 weeks analyzing MacBeth. At the time, it was incredibly frustrating because I hadn't been exposed to much literature of that sort. I think that what Zac is doing is so meaningful - even if the students don't realize it right now. As we sat at the wall and wrote I was a little surprised. I focused in on the same part that Zac made the tattoos from and as I wrote, I started very basic and then just let that lead me. My thoughts kept changing - and going a little deeper. I liked this - thanks Zac!

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  4. Zac, What a great way to get us thinking AND MOVING! The game was excellent and it took Don and I across campus (all block and a half)I turned to listen to other's thoughts and realized we were the only ones still talking about the temporary permanence of pillars.
    Great job!

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  5. It was probably good for everyone else that Brian and I ended up partners - we didn't have a clue what we were doing - but I'm so glad we went over to see it - got tons of stuff for my paper - some cook pictures too - thanks Mark - luckily I lost him but he wasn't lost when he went crawling under some building

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  6. Zach,
    If nothing else, I want to read Blake again-- in more depth and volume.

    You always stir my thoughts.

    Hold on to your confidence and your genuine love of literature, writing, students.

    Stay energetic and fresh. Those are the two words that best describe your lesson and your writings that you've shared.

    I'm gonna miss you comments in the reading groups.

    I wish you could teach a lesson to my students.

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  7. Although I hadn't studied the poet or the artist presented today, Zac gave us what I'm sure he give his students: patience and safety to explore. We don't have to have all of the answers, there is usually not a "right" answer, and the point of thoughtful exploration isn't necessarily to find an answer. A memorable lesson!

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  8. Forgot to mentioned the metaphor/poetry game. It was a blast and kept me focused on my way to the wall.

    You sparked an idea for my class. On day one I'm going to have students add a line to a poem that members of the freshmen class will write. That's well over 100 lines. We'll see what happens.

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  9. Yeah, I want to revisit Blake now too. Never thought I'd want to dust off that tome. I loved the metaphor game. What a brilliant way to make the trip educational.

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  10. Great lesson, Zach. I loved how you showed how specific content can be better learned together, instead of in isolation.

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  11. Their were many parts of the lesson that I loved. The walk over to the "AE wall" was very humorous. Mark and I laughed the majority of the way. Actually, I had tears at one point. Taking on the dynamics of the artistry and making out the verbage on our own then sharing was very unique. I love listening to what other people "saw." fillally the tattoo at the end was an added bonus. I can hear your students walking through the halls asking where they got the cool tat. It's their explanation that I would love to hear.

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  12. Thanks for the feedback.

    Ron, let me know how the poem turns out. Email it to us. I'm interested.

    You all rock.
    Zach

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  13. Zack, since you opened the door by saying "You all rock..."

    This is in relation to your reflective essay:

    And I found out a long time ago what a woman can do to your soul
    Ah, but she can`t take you anywhere
    You don`t already know how to go...

    Thinking about you and the lovely Sara...and your writing. It is all beautiful, in the way Norman Maclean uses that word in A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT. You are show casting in your writing and in your life. I am in awe.

    Now, in relation to your teaching demo...

    I get this feeling I may know you as a lover and a friend
    but this voice keeps whispering in my other ear, tells me I may never see you again

    Gotta love the Eagles. I'll let you figure out how that connects, kiddo :)

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  14. Thanks, Lynn.

    I still need to get you to the Village Bakery (where you can tell me how those lines connect... though I have the song in my head now).

    It's funny you should mention A River Runs Through It since my brother returned yesterday from out west and had a near death experience near LoLo (spelling) in Montana. He's fine and has an amazing story.

    Later, gater.

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  15. Zach, I am so glad your brother is still with you in this world. "One world at a time..." Was that Thoreau, or Cactus Ed Abbey maybe?

    Don't forget the promised e mail about the group coming to Casa in early August. I really would like to make that based on your stellar recommendation. Stuart's Opera House has been a bit off for me this year---I would share that with director Tim Peacock, but he is such a nice kid (and also he doesn't know me from Adam). And I say let's put the Village Bakery on for our next class together.

    Lynn
    PS proofreading previous post: shadow Sarah Zach

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  16. And I still need to get that Honeycutter's date to you. I think it is the 31st of this month. Yes, it is. I'll get you info.
    Take care.

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