It is way easier (much faster) to skim through the RSS feeds for headlines, rather than going to the website itself.
This captures it perfectly.
I've 63 subscribed feeds, about 55 of which I review daily. Skimming for relevant headlines and then opening those pages in new tabs has become a central part of how I, and others I've introduced the feature to over the years, find and read articles on the web. I've curated a wide range of sources through LiveBookmarks and RSS, and this Firefox feature has been the most efficient way for me to find items of interest. I might also add that I'm using, by today's bleeding-edge standards, antiquated hardware, as I'm sure not an insignificant number of users do, and the RSS feature helps to facilitate web browsing.
(And, I saw the headline for this story through my RSS feed for Slashdot.)
1. Slackware on floppies (first installed on a 386dx!)
2. Redhat, briefly
3. Slackware
4. Debian, (potato)
5. Slackware
6. Ubuntu, briefly
7. Slackware
And though not Linux, FreeBSD all the while too!
In the Coda to the novel Bradbury says, “There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches.”
Fahrenheit 451 is less about book censorship and more about the suppression and destruction of free thought. Fire in the novel symbolizes both its inevitable destruction and eventual rebirth, as it might exist in a world full of minority opinions at odds with those of a majority.
Books, in the world of the novel, have become scapegoats of unhappiness for a majority of people; consequently these books must be annihilated to keep the people content, dare I say pacified--see the scene with Mildred and her friends when Montag reads Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach" to them, for example.
In addition, these books aid the populace to think on its own, making the totalitarian government’s power more difficult to maintain.
Finally, Beatty tells Montag that the “real beauty” of fire is that “it destroys responsibility and consequences." Not only do books make the population uneasy, but also the “responsibility and consequences” of using the knowledge found in these volumes is too complex an onus for Montag's society to bear. The masses cannot think of solutions to its problems and instead throws accountability into their furnaces.
So yes, on some superficial level, a novel about book burning does touch upon censorship. But what makes Bradbury's work so great is that there is so much more at work below the censorship surface.
(Also: There's an high school English teacher on Slashdot? How do you not spend all your nights weeping?)
Ha!
The tears ran dry a decade ago my friend. As torturous as some posts here are, they are Shakespearean compared to some of the dreck that I read daily (AP notwithstanding).
So I started spewing what English teachers love. I used words like "juxtaposition" and "antithesis" and compared the rose to some other random symbolic object in the book. It was pure, unadulterated, Grade A, premium All-American BS.
I got an A on the paper.
If you were in the high school class that I teach, you wouldn't have fared so well: I snuff out that "premium All-American BS" as fast as possible. At my school, our "Top 10" students usually include some of the best writers on campus who are generally used to breezing through their English classes with ease--until they reach me. By the time they finish my class and graduate, they (they intelligent ones, anyway) learn that Addressing essay prompts Accurately earns A's and that Filling papers with Fluff earns F's.
Good teachers won't be fooled by vacuous writing, and the best won't pretend in order to boost a student's self-esteem.
True technical mastery is the ability to deploy the elements of language in ways that are incisive and surprising and exactly correct for whatever purpose the writer has in mind. This requires knowledge, but it also requires talent.
you have to give examples in his writing. Fortunately, this is trivial to do. He wasn't a constantly great stylist, but he has moments of real greatness. (And yes, I know I should really be writing about Tolkien's prose here, but poetry is so much easier to go into depth about.)
Nice explication, and to help out, I'll supply the prose:
And far away, as Frodo put on the RIng and claimed it for his own, even in Sammath Naur the very heart of his realm, the Power in Barad-Dûr was shaken, and the Tower trembled from its foundations to its proud and bitter crown. The Dark Lord was suddenly aware of him, and his Eye piercing all shadows looked across the plain to the door that he had made; and the magnitude of his own folly was revealed to him in a blinding flash, and all the devices of his enemies were at last laid bare. Then his wrath blazed in consuming flame, but his fear rose like a vast black smoke to choke him. For he knew his deadly peril and the thread upon which his doom now hung.
From all his policies and webs of fear and treachery, from all his stratagems and wars his mind shook free; and throughout his realm a tremor ran, his slaves quailed, and his armies halted, and his captains suddenly steerless, bereft of will, wavered and despaired. For they were forgotten. The whole mind and purpose of the Power that wielded them was now bent with overwhelming force upon the Mountain. At his summons, wheeling with a rending cry, in a last desperate race there flew, faster than the winds, the Nazgûl, the Ringwraiths, and with a storm of wings they hurtled southwards to Mount Doom.
The Return of the King, second edition, 1955, p. 223
Though many here malign his style, Tolkien's prose here is purposeful and effective. Note that Sauron's recognition and ensuing panic are reflected rhetorically in the cadence of the sentences, aided by polysendeton, parallelism, and a combination of varying sentence lengths--telegraphic, medium, and long. Syntactically purposeful, the prose also includes a smattering of lyricism reminiscent of the epics he attempts to emulate.
Form married to function is a touchstone of quality prose.
I wish I had mod points. Catchy metaphors aside, what you say is interestingly prophetic, and given the lack of moderation so far, it is difficult for many to view as a valid point.
Christopher Tolkien is his father's literary executor, and as such he may have explicitly received permission from his father to do this. If I may quote liberally from the Wikipedia entry:
The literary estate will often consist mainly of the copyright and other intellectual property rights of published works . . . It may well also include: original manuscripts of published work, which potentially have a market value; unpublished work in a finished state or partially completed
The position of literary executor has more to it than the simple monetary aspect, though. Appointment to such a position, perhaps informally, is often a matter of the author's choice during his or her lifetime. . . What is to be managed is not just a portfolio of intellectual property, but a posthumous reputation. Wishes of the deceased author may have been clearly expressed, but are not always respected
.
I think the GeorgeLucasitis endemic to this site has tainted the Slashdot groupthink on this issue. While I haven't had a chance yet to search for details, I'm sure Mr. Tolkien keeps his father's vision close to heart and true.
Many people have already mentioned it, but it bears repeating. You absolutely cannot go wrong with Strunk (and White's) Elements of Style. It's short, easy to read, and informative. Following the advice in Strunk's book will be a great help for anyone wishing to improve his prose.
My own experiences, personal and professional, speak to this truth. When I was a student, I had a solid understanding (or at least I thought I did) of English grammar, and when I began studying the Spanish language, I discovered two things: I understood Spanish grammar easily, and I found that this understanding led to a deeper understanding of my native English grammar. Professionally, my students have taught me quite a bit about how kids learn grammar as well.
The problem as I've witnessed it so far is that students (at least my native English-speakers) have an innate understanding of syntax and grammar, but it's all oral. When it comes time for my freshmen and sophomores to focus on written syntax and grammar, many of them falter because they are unable to see and to use the connections between their oral and written understanding of grammar. Part of this problem may be the result of not having had any grammar instruction while in elementary school, or so little of it and so early on in their education that most students forget it because it hasn't been reinforced through the intermediate grades.
When these students reach middle school or high school and begin (sometimes for the first time) their study of a foreign language, they learn both oral and written aspects of that language concurrently, and thus it is a bit easier to see some of the explicit connections between the two modes.
My students that struggle with English grammar are the same students that struggle with the grammars of other languages, according to my colleagues in the Spanish and French departments. Those students don't "get" Spanish grammar because they don't have a solid understanding of English grammar. For those students who possess at least middling understanding of English grammar, the reinforcement they receive in their study of Spanish, for example, strengthens their knowledge and use of written and oral English.
Keep in mind that I've not completely researched this yet, but this is what I've observed in my own classroom and in speaking with other teachers.
Now, for a tangential rant:
Some research shows that isolated instruction in English grammar (parts of speech drills) does little to improve student writing. Unfortunately, much of what I've read from the NCTE shows that they infer from this research that students shouldn't receive any explicit grammar instruction. You can read more about their grammar policies here. Most reasonable people agree that grammar instruction is only effective when taught in the context a student's own writing. One instructor whose work I've found useful and, as a consequence, have implemented in my own classroom, is Ed Vavra's K.I.S.S. grammar, whose objective is to teach grammar by focusing on syntax.
This issue of improving student writing (and grammar's role in it) doesn't seem like it should be so complex, but it is (at least here in California).
I don't know how correct it is, but I like to use a math analogy: can we expect a student to understand the subtleties of calculus and higher maths if he doesn't understand such basic terms as "add," "subtract," "multiply," or "divide"? How can students improve their writing without understanding the grammatical and syntactical foundations of their language?
When I moved into the dorms as an undergrad, I had a 16 Mhz 386 with a 2400 baud modem. Of all the technologies I was exposed to in the university, Gopher was cool because navigating it was somewhat manageable through my poor dial-up connection.
I finally upgraded that modem to a 28.8 in 1997. I got some mileage out of that 2400 baud, thanks in part to Gopher and lynx.
I use the 10.0.0.0 network on all my machines from home. I tend to keep the numlock turned on, and I can type, for example, the IP address 10.0.0.42 on my keypad much faster than, say, 192.168.0.42.
. . . in most texts I've read, sarcasm is indeed considered a type of irony. The distinguishing difference, is that irony is marked by its subtlty, whereas sarcasm describes language that is much more harsh and meant to wound. Irony proper doesn't exist merely to wound, but sarcasm does.
I like the framework you have here--it sounds very interesting.
This is where things get weird now: Do you teach, by any chance, at Eagle Hill? I ask because I had a student recently leave my school (in California) for Eagle Hill. Your description, "boarding school for students who have a learning disability" sounds just like the place he described to me. He was a great kid, and one of those that I had established a real, meaningful connection with. If this is the same school, it's great to hear he has the option of taking a class like yours.
I have some general questions for you, and then I'll offer a humble hodge-podge of suggestions.
Is it a semester-length class or a year-long course? In my own lesson planning, length of the class greatly limits how much actual reading material I can cover. If the class is only one semester long, I might suggest choosing several short stories coupled with one to three novels. If the class will run the full year, then you will have greater leeway in choosing a wider variety of novels and authors.
As for the curriculum itself, to what degree must you include a writing component? You may want to consider, in addition to a literary analysis essay, some kind of research paper that explores one or more aspects of the "sciences" you'll be reading about. Even something as simple as a reading journal/log that allows the students to informally explore thematic connections among the works themselves, or between the works and real life, could be valuable. Tracking current events in scientific fields related to the reading might interest you as well. Of course, the actual works you choose ultimately depend on the make-up of your class. Are you teaching seniors, juniors, sophomores, or freshmen, or some combination of them all? While something like Huxley's Brave New World, for example, is a valid choice for a sci-fi class, I don't know if it would be the best choice (in terms of themes, readability, etc.) for a class full of 9th graders. I know the majority of the ninth graders I teach currently would have a difficult time reading that particular book. I digress.
Now for the literature itself: I mentioned short stories earlier, and there are several very good pieces that could work for you. Almost anything by Bradbury or Asimov would be suitable, in addition to many other good authors. Your choice of novels is almost boundless. Clarke is good, especially Childhood's End if you need to include a shorter novel. Herbert's Dune would be an excellent choice, depending on the focus of your class, as it allows exploration and discussion of many subjects and themes beyond just the science itself (which is quite good in its own right). Le Guin, Chrichton, Card, Stephenson (Snow Crash), to name a few, might also make good choices.
Take a look at this NCTE link that addresses this very question for more suggestions.
I really want to continue discussing this topic, but I have to get back to grading a batch of essays. If you will be including Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, let me know because I have several resources, links, and related lesson plans I can share with you.
I'm champing at the bit waiting for my school to allow such a class, so I envy your position.
Best of luck to you, and I would enjoy hearing how this class works out for you.
I agree. I remember when reading FOTR for the first time I became terribly disappointed in Gandalf's death. I couldn't recall, at that point in time, reading any other book where such a cool character was offed so early in the story. Upon reading The Two Towers, I was overjoyed with Gandalf's return.
It's too bad that people unfamiliar with the novel will see the preview and not be able to experience the excitement and awe of Gandalf's return in the actual movie.
and haven't had to upgrade since. My main desktop machine is a Celeron 366, 256 MB RAM, GeForce DDR 32MB, with a 7200 RPM hdd. I really don't have any complaints about speed or web page rendering.
Photoshop bogs down, naturally, when I'm editing large photo files, but beyond that I'm happy with what my machine can do (and with how fast it can do it).
I have to agree with the parent. My first computer was a 16 Mhz 386sx (1991). That lasted me from my senior year in high school through my third year in college. At that point, I upgraded to a 40 Mhz 386dx(1994). After I finished college, when Pentiums were still the new kids on the block, I upgraded to a 66 Mhz 486dx2 (1996?). When the Pentium II rolled out, I got my first 100 Mhz Pentium machine. I've been using my current machine for almost 3 years now: A 366 Mhz Celeron w/ 256 MB RAM. It does what I need when I need it done.
# Disregard regulations requiring censorware and other programs designed to block access to certain sites. Have the teachers monitor their useage, not just deciding to "lock out" a wide range of sites with "unethical or immoral content"*
This would be nice, but so many laws exist now that require schools to have such content-filtering software in place. In many cases, schools cannot receive 'technology" funding unless they're already using these filters.
Here's a gem, plus a few classics . . .
on
Dystopic Novels?
·
· Score: 1
Though it's not strictly dystopian like 1984 and Brave New World, you might like Earth Abides, by George R. Stewart. Published in 1949, this novel chronicles the physical, philosophical, and emotional journies of a single man as he copes with a post-apocalyptic world. Quite a good book; n.b. much of the novel is set in San Francisco.
You can read brief reviews here and here, and of course, from here.
Hidden Fortress has a princess in it. The two clown-like scavengers that tag along with the general, according to Lucas, were part of his inspiration for R2-D2 and C-3PO.
That's about where the ostensible similarities to Star Wars end.
Slashdot Mirror
It is way easier (much faster) to skim through the RSS feeds for headlines, rather than going to the website itself.
This captures it perfectly.
I've 63 subscribed feeds, about 55 of which I review daily. Skimming for relevant headlines and then opening those pages in new tabs has become a central part of how I, and others I've introduced the feature to over the years, find and read articles on the web. I've curated a wide range of sources through LiveBookmarks and RSS, and this Firefox feature has been the most efficient way for me to find items of interest. I might also add that I'm using, by today's bleeding-edge standards, antiquated hardware, as I'm sure not an insignificant number of users do, and the RSS feature helps to facilitate web browsing.
(And, I saw the headline for this story through my RSS feed for Slashdot.)
1. Slackware on floppies (first installed on a 386dx!)
2. Redhat, briefly
3. Slackware
4. Debian, (potato)
5. Slackware
6. Ubuntu, briefly
7. Slackware
And though not Linux, FreeBSD all the while too!
In the Coda to the novel Bradbury says, “There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches.”
Fahrenheit 451 is less about book censorship and more about the suppression and destruction of free thought. Fire in the novel symbolizes both its inevitable destruction and eventual rebirth, as it might exist in a world full of minority opinions at odds with those of a majority.
Books, in the world of the novel, have become scapegoats of unhappiness for a majority of people; consequently these books must be annihilated to keep the people content, dare I say pacified--see the scene with Mildred and her friends when Montag reads Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach" to them, for example.
In addition, these books aid the populace to think on its own, making the totalitarian government’s power more difficult to maintain.
Finally, Beatty tells Montag that the “real beauty” of fire is that “it destroys responsibility and consequences." Not only do books make the population uneasy, but also the “responsibility and consequences” of using the knowledge found in these volumes is too complex an onus for Montag's society to bear. The masses cannot think of solutions to its problems and instead throws accountability into their furnaces.
So yes, on some superficial level, a novel about book burning does touch upon censorship. But what makes Bradbury's work so great is that there is so much more at work below the censorship surface.
(Also: There's an high school English teacher on Slashdot? How do you not spend all your nights weeping?)
Ha!
The tears ran dry a decade ago my friend. As torturous as some posts here are, they are Shakespearean compared to some of the dreck that I read daily (AP notwithstanding).
So I started spewing what English teachers love. I used words like "juxtaposition" and "antithesis" and compared the rose to some other random symbolic object in the book. It was pure, unadulterated, Grade A, premium All-American BS.
I got an A on the paper.
If you were in the high school class that I teach, you wouldn't have fared so well: I snuff out that "premium All-American BS" as fast as possible. At my school, our "Top 10" students usually include some of the best writers on campus who are generally used to breezing through their English classes with ease--until they reach me. By the time they finish my class and graduate, they (they intelligent ones, anyway) learn that Addressing essay prompts Accurately earns A's and that Filling papers with Fluff earns F's.
Good teachers won't be fooled by vacuous writing, and the best won't pretend in order to boost a student's self-esteem.
This is another superb example of the subtlety and effectiveness of Tolkien's prose.
True technical mastery is the ability to deploy the elements of language in ways that are incisive and surprising and exactly correct for whatever purpose the writer has in mind. This requires knowledge, but it also requires talent.
you have to give examples in his writing. Fortunately, this is trivial to do. He wasn't a constantly great stylist, but he has moments of real greatness. (And yes, I know I should really be writing about Tolkien's prose here, but poetry is so much easier to go into depth about.)
Nice explication, and to help out, I'll supply the prose:
And far away, as Frodo put on the RIng and claimed it for his own, even in Sammath Naur the very heart of his realm, the Power in Barad-Dûr was shaken, and the Tower trembled from its foundations to its proud and bitter crown. The Dark Lord was suddenly aware of him, and his Eye piercing all shadows looked across the plain to the door that he had made; and the magnitude of his own folly was revealed to him in a blinding flash, and all the devices of his enemies were at last laid bare. Then his wrath blazed in consuming flame, but his fear rose like a vast black smoke to choke him. For he knew his deadly peril and the thread upon which his doom now hung.
From all his policies and webs of fear and treachery, from all his stratagems and wars his mind shook free; and throughout his realm a tremor ran, his slaves quailed, and his armies halted, and his captains suddenly steerless, bereft of will, wavered and despaired. For they were forgotten. The whole mind and purpose of the Power that wielded them was now bent with overwhelming force upon the Mountain. At his summons, wheeling with a rending cry, in a last desperate race there flew, faster than the winds, the Nazgûl, the Ringwraiths, and with a storm of wings they hurtled southwards to Mount Doom.
The Return of the King, second edition, 1955, p. 223
Though many here malign his style, Tolkien's prose here is purposeful and effective. Note that Sauron's recognition and ensuing panic are reflected rhetorically in the cadence of the sentences, aided by polysendeton, parallelism, and a combination of varying sentence lengths--telegraphic, medium, and long. Syntactically purposeful, the prose also includes a smattering of lyricism reminiscent of the epics he attempts to emulate.
Form married to function is a touchstone of quality prose.
I wish I had mod points. Catchy metaphors aside, what you say is interestingly prophetic, and given the lack of moderation so far, it is difficult for many to view as a valid point.
- The literary estate will often consist mainly of the copyright and other intellectual property rights of published works . . . It may well also include: original manuscripts of published work, which potentially have a market value; unpublished work in a finished state or partially completed
- The position of literary executor has more to it than the simple monetary aspect, though. Appointment to such a position, perhaps informally, is often a matter of the author's choice during his or her lifetime. . . What is to be managed is not just a portfolio of intellectual property, but a posthumous reputation. Wishes of the deceased author may have been clearly expressed, but are not always respected
.I think the GeorgeLucasitis endemic to this site has tainted the Slashdot groupthink on this issue. While I haven't had a chance yet to search for details, I'm sure Mr. Tolkien keeps his father's vision close to heart and true.
Many people have already mentioned it, but it bears repeating. You absolutely cannot go wrong with Strunk (and White's) Elements of Style. It's short, easy to read, and informative. Following the advice in Strunk's book will be a great help for anyone wishing to improve his prose.
you, sir, are correct.
My own experiences, personal and professional, speak to this truth. When I was a student, I had a solid understanding (or at least I thought I did) of English grammar, and when I began studying the Spanish language, I discovered two things: I understood Spanish grammar easily, and I found that this understanding led to a deeper understanding of my native English grammar. Professionally, my students have taught me quite a bit about how kids learn grammar as well.
The problem as I've witnessed it so far is that students (at least my native English-speakers) have an innate understanding of syntax and grammar, but it's all oral. When it comes time for my freshmen and sophomores to focus on written syntax and grammar, many of them falter because they are unable to see and to use the connections between their oral and written understanding of grammar. Part of this problem may be the result of not having had any grammar instruction while in elementary school, or so little of it and so early on in their education that most students forget it because it hasn't been reinforced through the intermediate grades.
When these students reach middle school or high school and begin (sometimes for the first time) their study of a foreign language, they learn both oral and written aspects of that language concurrently, and thus it is a bit easier to see some of the explicit connections between the two modes.
My students that struggle with English grammar are the same students that struggle with the grammars of other languages, according to my colleagues in the Spanish and French departments. Those students don't "get" Spanish grammar because they don't have a solid understanding of English grammar. For those students who possess at least middling understanding of English grammar, the reinforcement they receive in their study of Spanish, for example, strengthens their knowledge and use of written and oral English.
Keep in mind that I've not completely researched this yet, but this is what I've observed in my own classroom and in speaking with other teachers.
Now, for a tangential rant:
Some research shows that isolated instruction in English grammar (parts of speech drills) does little to improve student writing. Unfortunately, much of what I've read from the NCTE shows that they infer from this research that students shouldn't receive any explicit grammar instruction. You can read more about their grammar policies here. Most reasonable people agree that grammar instruction is only effective when taught in the context a student's own writing. One instructor whose work I've found useful and, as a consequence, have implemented in my own classroom, is Ed Vavra's K.I.S.S. grammar, whose objective is to teach grammar by focusing on syntax.
This issue of improving student writing (and grammar's role in it) doesn't seem like it should be so complex, but it is (at least here in California).
I don't know how correct it is, but I like to use a math analogy: can we expect a student to understand the subtleties of calculus and higher maths if he doesn't understand such basic terms as "add," "subtract," "multiply," or "divide"? How can students improve their writing without understanding the grammatical and syntactical foundations of their language?
When I moved into the dorms as an undergrad, I had a 16 Mhz 386 with a 2400 baud modem. Of all the technologies I was exposed to in the university, Gopher was cool because navigating it was somewhat manageable through my poor dial-up connection.
I finally upgraded that modem to a 28.8 in 1997. I got some mileage out of that 2400 baud, thanks in part to Gopher and lynx.
real geeks would diagram that sentence! ;-)
I use the 10.0.0.0 network on all my machines from home. I tend to keep the numlock turned on, and I can type, for example, the IP address 10.0.0.42 on my keypad much faster than, say, 192.168.0.42.
. . . in most texts I've read, sarcasm is indeed considered a type of irony. The distinguishing difference, is that irony is marked by its subtlty, whereas sarcasm describes language that is much more harsh and meant to wound. Irony proper doesn't exist merely to wound, but sarcasm does.
Thanks for the response to my response!
I like the framework you have here--it sounds very interesting.
This is where things get weird now: Do you teach, by any chance, at Eagle Hill? I ask because I had a student recently leave my school (in California) for Eagle Hill. Your description, "boarding school for students who have a learning disability" sounds just like the place he described to me. He was a great kid, and one of those that I had established a real, meaningful connection with. If this is the same school, it's great to hear he has the option of taking a class like yours.
Is it a semester-length class or a year-long course? In my own lesson planning, length of the class greatly limits how much actual reading material I can cover. If the class is only one semester long, I might suggest choosing several short stories coupled with one to three novels. If the class will run the full year, then you will have greater leeway in choosing a wider variety of novels and authors.
As for the curriculum itself, to what degree must you include a writing component? You may want to consider, in addition to a literary analysis essay, some kind of research paper that explores one or more aspects of the "sciences" you'll be reading about. Even something as simple as a reading journal/log that allows the students to informally explore thematic connections among the works themselves, or between the works and real life, could be valuable. Tracking current events in scientific fields related to the reading might interest you as well. Of course, the actual works you choose ultimately depend on the make-up of your class. Are you teaching seniors, juniors, sophomores, or freshmen, or some combination of them all? While something like Huxley's Brave New World, for example, is a valid choice for a sci-fi class, I don't know if it would be the best choice (in terms of themes, readability, etc.) for a class full of 9th graders. I know the majority of the ninth graders I teach currently would have a difficult time reading that particular book. I digress.
Now for the literature itself: I mentioned short stories earlier, and there are several very good pieces that could work for you. Almost anything by Bradbury or Asimov would be suitable, in addition to many other good authors. Your choice of novels is almost boundless. Clarke is good, especially Childhood's End if you need to include a shorter novel. Herbert's Dune would be an excellent choice, depending on the focus of your class, as it allows exploration and discussion of many subjects and themes beyond just the science itself (which is quite good in its own right). Le Guin, Chrichton, Card, Stephenson (Snow Crash), to name a few, might also make good choices.
Take a look at this NCTE link that addresses this very question for more suggestions.
I really want to continue discussing this topic, but I have to get back to grading a batch of essays. If you will be including Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, let me know because I have several resources, links, and related lesson plans I can share with you.
I'm champing at the bit waiting for my school to allow such a class, so I envy your position.
Best of luck to you, and I would enjoy hearing how this class works out for you.
JB
It's too bad that people unfamiliar with the novel will see the preview and not be able to experience the excitement and awe of Gandalf's return in the actual movie.
Photoshop bogs down, naturally, when I'm editing large photo files, but beyond that I'm happy with what my machine can do (and with how fast it can do it).
I have to agree with the parent. My first computer was a 16 Mhz 386sx (1991). That lasted me from my senior year in high school through my third year in college. At that point, I upgraded to a 40 Mhz 386dx(1994). After I finished college, when Pentiums were still the new kids on the block, I upgraded to a 66 Mhz 486dx2 (1996?). When the Pentium II rolled out, I got my first 100 Mhz Pentium machine. I've been using my current machine for almost 3 years now: A 366 Mhz Celeron w/ 256 MB RAM. It does what I need when I need it done.
Finally, someone with some sense.
Please mod up the parent post.
This week's editions of the San Jose Mercury News have been carrying the story of one of its own reporters who jumped into teaching for a year.
The chronicle begins here, continues here, here, here, and here.
And people wonder why some teachers don't have time to learn new technology?
---Me, A SysAdmin-turned teacher
This would be nice, but so many laws exist now that require schools to have such content-filtering software in place. In many cases, schools cannot receive 'technology" funding unless they're already using these filters.
You can read brief reviews here and here, and of course, from here.
There are also:
That's about where the ostensible similarities to Star Wars end.