8-4 Pilot

8-4 Pilot from Andrei Tsvirinko on Vimeo.

8-4 Pilot Rough Cut

Untitled from Andrei Tsvirinko on Vimeo.

Watch this video. You will see the issue is pacing. It needs to move faster. Jan's part is not bad, because there are many shots, and the very end, when he finishes and leaves is the best, because a lot happens in two shots: we go from him pulling out the flashdrive to running; that looks good. I also like some of the shots of Jan. The Fitz part we can work on. Mind you, this is a rough cut, and much can be done in editing to help it, but the filming does need to be faster paced.

Compare-and-Contrast Timed Write

We are about half way done with the second grading period, and nearing the second benchmark for the semester. This unit's benchmark is a compare-and-contrast essay. In preparation for that benchmark, which will take up most of next week, students wrote a timed-write today comparing any two characters or ideas that we have discussed so far in our unit, "Rules vs. Relationships." The remainder of the time was spent finishing a poster for The Pigman that we had started on Tuesday.

Tomorrow, we will finish up the story, "Unfinished Business," and students will be typing their Timed-Writes.

There is no new homework for tomorrow.

And We're Back!

Dear Reader,

As a means of communication and interaction that extends beyond the walls of my classroom, I started a blog last year to keep students and parents up to date on what is happening in the classroom, as well as post any thoughts or remarks I had that perhaps were not fitting for some reason during class. I have been slow in starting it up again this year, but I think I am finally up to the task. My goal is to post daily the activities that occur in my English 1 class as well as the homework or other upcoming notices that need to be mentioned. I will also use this forum to express my thoughts and ideas on various issues that we discuss in class or that pertain to education and what I am learning. I strongly encourage you to use this resource to stay connected with what is happening in the classroom and use it as a means to communicate with me about any issues that arise. Thanks for stopping by. I hope this proves to be a useful online resource for you.

16 Blocks: Rules vs. Relationships

Currently, we are exploring the theme of "Passages" as a means to learn and experience life. A key quote that we are looking at is, "Things do not change; we do." We think and read and write about this theme, we are looking particularly at the nature of rules and how they influence our relationships. Along side the reading and writing, we are also watching the film "16 Blocks" which deals with the same issues. Because of the shorter schedule, today was spent mostly on watching the film and discussing how the characters change.

One thing that I have noticed in many films that move us and have the power to draw us to something bigger than ourselves is what I call "The Ultimate Decision." I watched another film over the weekend where this was clear, and then I noticed it twice in this film as well. The ultimate decision is actually very simple: me or you. It is a decision between what is best and easiest and most convenient for me opposed to what is best and most helpful for someone else. In this film, both of the main characters have to make this choice. Detective Mosley has to decide between taking the easy way out of a situation by siding with his crooked cop friends or to help a criminal get to court and testify against his friends. And then Eddie, the petty criminal, must choose between saving his own life and taking the easy road by escaping from danger or to go back and help Mosley and finally prove to him that "people change." What strikes me about this feature in the film is how rare we actually see it in real life. It is interesting how such a sacrificial move does indeed draw out our sympathies and drives us to tears even, at times, but how rarely we witness or are willing to make the same move. It shows to me that we as humans have some innate understanding that we are not to live merely for ourselves, that giving of ourselves for the well being of another is heroic and right and admirable. I just hope that movies like this would drive us to really consider our own lives and help us see where we are overly focused on selfish gain instead of sacrificing our convenience and ease to simply brighten another's day.

The Art of Giving

Classes have officially ended for the year.  Students seem relieved.  Just a few meager finals and the holiday is officially on.  What could be better?

I have heard it said: "You either love money and use people or you love people and use money."  It is really that simple.  As we near the busiest and spendiest few days of the year, may we be those who use money to love people, not the other way around.

In English 1 today, we read "The Gift of the Magi."  I like this story because in it two people foolishly sell their most-prized possessions in order to give the other something significant.  But they highlight most dramatically the true spirit of giving.  It is not giving if you don't have to give up anything, if you just give from your excess.  True giving happens when we give up what is most valuable to us for the sake of another, precisely because the one to whom we give is more valuable than the thing sacrificed.  In that case, there is no sacrifice.  I had students remember their favorite gifts and many mentioned that the best part of Christmas is opening presents.  One student even said that his tradition is going to his grandmother's house and "collecting" his presents.  We are too accustomed to collecting so-called presents from others, always receiving, always taking.  Too few of us practice any sort of giving, fewer still seek out opportunities to give thoughtfully and sacrificially, giving up the most valued possessions for the sake of another.

The economy is crumbling.  And while people continue to spend excessively on Christmas presents, sinking further into debt, few have learned the art of giving.  It doesn't take much to give.  And it definitely need not cost a fortune.  But it does take sacrifice.  It takes letting go of my stuff and what I want.  It takes allowing the strangely counter-intuitive thought that perhaps there is someone out there more valuable than me and my stuff.  Now that's hard.  But, in the midst of shopping lines and traffic jams, if we learn to see that the spirit of Christmas is anything but decorated trees and big toys, we just might find that giving is not only an art but also an inexpressible joy.

Enjoy the holiday.  Enjoy the time off.  And give a little.