The books are in!  You can pick up your copy at the front desk of the B&N at 41st.  They will be under TSAS or Jesse Stallings.  Or I suppose you could just ask for the title…  We will begin discussing the novel on Monday, so try to get through the first chapter at least.  Do not skip the Introduction.  Eggers has some very interesting stuff to say, even before the story actually begins.

Your journal assignment over the weekend is to reflect on the novel.

Let me know what you think.

Also, if you read this and have a way to contact other members of the class, please spread the word.  Ask them to do the same.

I just spoke with B&N at 41st.  They tell me that Eggers’s Heartbreaking Work should be at the store by the 10th, which is Monday.   We will have a separate reading over the weekend and a discussion on Monday, so this shouldn’t be a problem.  I’ll let you know if they arrive before then.

I just spoke with B&N at 41st.  They tell me that Johnson’s Everything Bad is Good for You should be at the store by the 13th, which is a week from today.  I’ll let you know if they arrive sooner.  This is really a good thing as I think we all have plenty more to say on our current topic, right?

Tomorrow we’ll be discussing and analyzing our favorite songs.  Bring a copy to class (on a CD or in a music player) so the class can enjoy.  Because, after all, "what [is] a personality if [not] a drop-down menu, a collection of likes and dislikes?"

[Insert obligatory "please keep it clean" disclaimer here.]

will be fueled by our creations.

Today we discussed motivations, which led us to Freud’s pleasure principle. Here’s a clip from the board:

How’s the search coming? If you have a video that you’d like to share, post it in the comments section below. Here’s one from Gwyn that she posted under the previous header:

The video’s from Ted.com are always amazing, and this is no exception. The speaker contends (among many other things) that adults have learned to be frightened of being “wrong.” Has anyone seen Meet the Robinsons?

Our discussion tomorrow will be based on the articles and information we bring in. Remember, it is one thing to know something, but quite another to understand and use this understanding to create.

Here are a few more articles from you guys:

• The declining American high school graduation rate: Evidence, sources, and consequences
• Successful School Breaks the Rules

And one from another teacher:

• What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart?