October Already !?

Week 6 - can't believe time got away from me and I've neglected this blog until now.  We've already plowed through our first novel, written an essay, held some great class discussions and are headed on a field trip.  No wonder it's taken me a few weeks to get back into the routine.  We're beginning The Great Gatsby so I'm pulling out materials from last year, scouring the internet for new stuff, and anticipating our viewing of at least two of the three films - Leo being the latest.  This year's group of seniors is quite a mix of academic all-stars and apathetic bodies but I'm doing the best I can thus far to keep up their enthusiasm and mine.  We'll see how it goes.

Farewell.  Adios.  Arrivederci.  Chow.  Aloha.

No matter how you say it, goodbyes can be difficult. And my seniors in the Class of 2013 are realizing that  as they deliver their farewell speeches.  No matter how adult and grown up they think they are, these teenagers are facing an exciting, frightening, uncertain time and it can be tough leaving the most stable place they've known.

As they reminisce about their younger years and pay tribute to their friends and teachers, it is always fascinating to me to see that no matter how many times I've heard these type of speeches through the years there are always those that surprise me.  Some are very sincere in ways I would never have guessed they could be.  Some disclose personal histories that are insightful and bittersweet.  Still others stay true to their classroom persona and deliver the most random, ridiculous, often disrespectful stories just to get the last laugh.  But whatever their approach, it is a time of reflection and closure that is useful to these soon-to-be-alumni.

I wish them all luck as they prepare to leave these familiar faces and spaces in search of the adult life.  There are soldiers, scholars, mothers, dreamers, and doers in this group and I hope they all find their personal happiness.

Relevance

A couple of former students visited me last week, via Twitter and in person, and I'm happy to report that Orwell's novel 1984 is used on the campuses of MSU and SVSU.  So that alone assures me of it's relevance!

News Stories Related to Orwell

As I'm putting together the last few weeks of material for my seniors, an upcoming assignment has them accessing a blog, "Pedablogical,"and looking at some news stories relevant to Orwell and Big Brother. The original post is from March 2011 so I've updated the list a bit, stealing story links and perusing the web to find my own.  So below is a list of some very recent news stories focusing on the use of technology in the name of safety and conveneince.  You be the judge...

1.  Behind the Webcam's Watchful Eye  Online proctoring at universities is becoming more and more prevalent. 

2.  Tracking devices in school badges  Schools in New Mexico insert RIFD chips into student ID badges that can track location of students at any time.

3.  Seattle Clothing Store Runs Without People Shop with your smartphone and robots!

4.  Texas School Requires Locator Chips A judge ruled that a school can require students to wear locator chips while on campus, though one refused.

4.  Computers That See and Watch Over You  Machines are getting more and more advanced in observing and interpreting human behavior.

5.  Birthplace of Big Brother Allows Citizen Surveillance Britain is pushing legislation to allow the goverment to monitor all citizens' online activity.

Convenience or Sacrifice?

Sometimes I hate my gadgets.  As I look at my desk just now, there is the large desktop computer screen, iPad, smartphone, and flatscreen TV surrounding me.  And while I am blessed to have the use of such tools and have come to rely on them, I am annoyed at the same time.  Seems I cannot get away from notifications, calendar alerts, messages, and the glare of red and blue blinking indicator lights.  And my students are all the more obsessed with their screens.  So as we've finished 1984, I came across a slideshow about how technology may be contributing to laziness and lack of social skills, things we've discussed in the past few weeks during class.  It's interesting to see how our daily lives have become dependent on personal devices and information from outside sources in the name of convenience and personal preferences - but at what expense?

How Technology Makes Us Lazy