Mrs. Tyler's Movies and Music

Julian Treasure: 5 ways to listen better

2012-01-07T08:41:00.000-08:00

Michael Wesch - What Killed Their Souls

2011-11-12T18:54:00.001-08:00

Michael Wesch: What killed their souls? from Palomar5 on Vimeo.

Wesch early on mentions his admiration for Neil Postman. Postman needs to be read more widely ... again: "We are, after all, talking about achieving a high degree of freedom from the intellectual and social constraints of one's tribe. For example, it is generally assumed that people of other tribes have been victimized by indoctrination from which our tribe has remained free. Our own outlook seems 'natural' to us, and we wonder that other men can perversely persist in believing nonsense. Yet, it is undoubtedly true that, for most people, the acceptance of a particular doctrine is largely attributable to the accident of birth....Each of us whether from the American tribe, Russian tribe, or Hopi tribe, is born into a symbolic environment as well as a physical one. We become accustomed very early to a 'natural' way of talking, and being talked to, about 'truth'. Quite arbitrarily, one's perception of what is 'true' or real is shaped by the symbols and symbol-manipulating institutions of his tribe. Most men, in time, learn to respond with favor and obedience to a set of verbal abstractions which they feel provides them with an ideological identity. One word for this, of course, is 'prejudice'. None of us is free of it, but it is the sign of a competent 'crap detector' that he is not completely captivated by the arbitrary abstractions of the community in which he happened to grow up." from Teaching as a Subversive Activity by Neil Postman

The Perfect Accompaniment to Zombie Haiku

2011-11-03T16:23:00.001-07:00

"Dissembling Abigail"

2011-10-13T19:11:00.001-07:00

Interesting Character Analysishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?playnext=1&index=0&feature=PlayList&v=oLeTIzESlhY&list=PL9AA37DF32BB64856

HOSA PSA

2011-10-02T08:01:00.001-07:00

Obama - A More Perfect Union

2011-08-19T06:00:00.001-07:00

Ronald Reagan - We Believe (Americans)

2011-08-09T22:37:00.001-07:00

Try Something New for Thirty Days

2011-08-02T22:23:00.000-07:00

English Language History in Ten Minutes

2011-07-27T11:08:00.001-07:00

WARNING - These short movies contain a lot of profanity and sexual innuendo. Proceed with caution.

Jimpressions

2011-07-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't this be fun to use with Shakespeare? Especially if you are doing Shakespeare "out loud."

Choices - Spin

2011-04-26T13:22:00.001-07:00

Friday’s video and writing prompt was this short film, “Spin,” from Double Edge Films’ Jamin Winans. Featuring a DJ with two turntables and a time machine, I would label its genre magical realism: realistic with supernatural elements.

Have you ever wished you could go back in time and change something that you said or did or didn’t say or do? What was it?

This video has no dialogue at all, only music. If you had to write the script, what would the characters — especially the main character, Scratch — say?

Lady Macbeth - Then and Now

2011-03-21T09:59:00.001-07:00

A Haunting in Denmark -- Beowulf Imaginative Reconstruction

2011-03-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Phil Zimbardo and the Heroic Imagination Project: TED Blog exclusive video

2011-02-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

Phil Zimbardo and the Heroic Imagination Project: TED Blog exclusive video

The Man in the Water

2011-01-07T14:46:00.001-08:00

Please be aware that at one point in this video some pretty foul language is used. I edited it out in class, so use caution.

Harlem Renaissance

2010-12-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

Download Harlem Renaissance video

Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world

2010-11-23T17:12:00.000-08:00

Carol Jago referred to this talk in her presidency address at the NCTE 2010 National Convention.

The Great Gatsby

2010-11-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

KarmaTube: Carry On

2010-11-18T20:31:00.000-08:00

KarmaTube: Carry On

The Gatsby Rap - Daisy's Lullaby

2010-11-18T17:12:00.001-08:00

Random Act of Culture

2010-11-18T16:49:00.000-08:00

Theme Movies

2010-11-01T09:00:00.001-07:00

Patrick Stewart and Ian Merrill Peakes on playing Macbeth

2010-10-07T20:34:00.001-07:00

Watch the full episode. See more Great Performances.

Lost Generation - Palindrome

2010-09-17T22:15:00.001-07:00

Famous Failures

2010-09-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

No Excuses

2010-09-13T20:31:00.001-07:00

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

2010-09-12T18:02:00.000-07:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

William Kamkwamba

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

Death Crawl

2010-09-11T22:09:00.001-07:00

Ironman

2010-09-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

Validation

2010-09-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

"Validation" is a fable about the magic of free parking. Starring TJ Thyne & Vicki Davis. Writer/Director/Composer - Kurt Kuenne. Winner - Best Narrative Short, Cleveland Int'l Film Festival, Winner - Jury Award, Gen Art Chicago Film Festival, Winner - Audience Award, Hawaii Int'l Film Festival, Winner - Best Short Comedy, Breckenridge Festival of Film, Winner - Crystal Heart Award, Best Short Film & Audience Award, Heartland Film Festival, Winner - Christopher & Dana Reeve Audience Award, Williamstown Film Festival, Winner - Best Comedy, Dam Short Film Festival, Winner - Best Short Film, Sedona Int'l Film Festival.

Stand By Me | Playing For Change | Song Around the World

2010-09-09T21:40:00.001-07:00

From the award-winning documentary, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music", comes the first of many "songs around the world" being released independently. Featured is a cover of the Ben E. King classic by musicians around the world adding their part to the song as it travelled the globe.

Blind Man - PSA

2010-09-09T07:23:00.001-07:00

A hard-hitting PSA on issues such as human rights violations, war, global poverty, racism and starvation.

The Majestic Plastic Bag - a Mockumentary

2010-09-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

Narrated by Academy Award-winner Jeremy Irons, this "mockumentary" video, hammers home the stark reality of California's plastic bag pollution situation.

Chimanda Ngozi Adichie

2010-09-03T14:05:00.001-07:00

Marshmallow Challenge

2010-08-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

marshmallowchallenge.com

Nightmare at School

2010-08-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

Go here to watch it full screen.

BBC Poetry Season - Zephaniah and students perform "The British"

2010-08-10T20:24:00.001-07:00

The British

Take some Picts, Celts and Silures
And let them settle,
Then overrun them with Roman conquerors.

Remove the Romans after approximately 400 years
Add lots of Norman French to some
Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Vikings, then stir vigorously.

Mix some hot Chileans, cool Jamaicans, Dominicans,
Trinidadians and Bajans with some Ethiopians, Chinese,
Vietnamese and Sudanese.

Then take a blend of Somalians, Sri Lankans, Nigerians
And Pakistanis,
Combine with some Guyanese
And turn up the heat.

Sprinkle some fresh Indians, Malaysians, Bosnians,
Iraqis and Bangladeshis together with some
Afghans, Spanish, Turkish, Kurdish, Japanese
And Palestinians
Then add to the melting pot.

Leave the ingredients to simmer.

As they mix and blend allow their languages to flourish
Binding them together with English.

Allow time to be cool.

Add some unity, understanding, and respect for the future,
Serve with justice
And enjoy.

Note: All the ingredients are equally important. Treating one ingredient better than another will leave a bitter unpleasant taste.

Warning: An unequal spread of justice will damage the people and cause pain. Give justice and equality to all.

Benjamin Zephaniah

The King Blues vs Byron - BBC Poetry Season

2010-08-10T20:21:00.001-07:00

We'll go no more a-roving
George Gordon Byron, Lord Byron

SO, we'll go no more a-roving
So late into the night,
Though the heart be still as loving,
And the moon be still as bright.

For the sword outwears its sheath,
And the soul wears out the breast,
And the heart must pause to breathe,
And love itself have rest.

Though the night was made for loving,
And the day returns too soon,
Yet we'll go no more a-roving
By the light of the moon.

Geri's Game

2010-08-10T20:12:00.001-07:00

I recently watched a very clever Pixar short film entitled Geri's Game. It occurred to me that it might fun to use these shorts to revive the rusty analytical skills students haven't used in awhile. Some of the shorts are laden with conflicts, themes, symbols, imagery, character motivation, dialogue and satire. It seems like a fun first day activity that could get them thinking about "reading" the world around them and the importance of that skill. Plus, it revives the literary terms they buried last May.

New Spice | Study like a scholar, scholar

2010-07-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

Digital Dossier

2010-07-12T15:56:00.001-07:00

An idea for having students create their own idea of what their digital dossier looks like.

Alan Sitomer: Technology and Project-Based Learning in an Urban Environment - English Companion Ning

2010-07-12T05:59:00.001-07:00

Alan's TED-style video introduction

We Feel Fine - Jonathan Harris

2010-06-13T20:05:00.001-07:00

YouTube - Jessica's "Daily Affirmation"

2010-05-30T16:56:00.001-07:00

An idea for the first of the year.

AAAWWUBBIS

2010-05-16T08:21:00.001-07:00

AAAWWUBBIS on Prezi

Thanks to Andy Esquivel!

Little Things are Big | Facing History and Ourselves

2010-05-15T22:19:00.001-07:00

I'm thinking of using this article as part of a Socratic Seminar with The Importance of Being Earnest.

Ninja Poetry

2010-05-09T19:56:00.001-07:00

Sample PSA

2010-04-22T12:10:00.001-07:00

YouTube - Unraku School: Monster Shakespeare

2010-04-11T13:06:00.001-07:00

Hook Line and Sinker

2010-04-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

Every good teacher knows about the ‘hook’. You need to catch their attention, get them thinking about the concept you plan to teach with something . . . interesting. The hook is the appetizer, tantalizing the taste buds. It’s the mood music.

Sometimes I forget about the ‘hook’ and just start plowing, but it’s a mistake to ignore the power of a good hook. A good hook hosts the seeds of the concept you want to teach, and, if carefully chosen, it will be sufficiently memorable as to be forever linked with the concept, thus helping student to learn and remember their learning. The hook is memorable when it presents information in an intriguing, funny, shocking, or just plain entertaining way.

Last week I found the quintessential hook for a lesson I was going to teach about reading dense, nonfiction text. We’re in the midst of a set of lessons on identifying the important ideas in texts for writing a summary: a skill that has extended value. My goals with these lessons are threefold: to improve basic reading comprehension, help students learn how to take good notes, and fend off the misguided temptation to plagiarize.

Reading difficult or complex nonfiction text can be pretty scary business, so I was excited to help my students gain the insight and develop the strategies they will need to read thick stuff with confidence. Here is what I did:

I gave each student a piece of paper and asked them to write their names at the top. Then, I told them that they were going to watch a video and then use our summarizing skills to write a summary of the content of the video. No prob. Then I told them that we’d only watch about two minutes of the video, and that they’d have a chance to retell what they learned to a partner prior to writing the summary. Double no prob.

So? Get your paper and pencil out. For real. Here’s the video.

At 50 seconds, I noticed 36 pairs of eyes widening, and most students were no longer breathing properly.

At 1 minute 30 seconds, I saw at least 30 jaws drop, and several students were mouthing gibberish sounds repeatedly.

By the time I stopped the video at the 2 minute-mark, most students had realized that I could not be serious about this exercise. We all had a good laugh and I posed the question, “What type of person would be able to understand this video without a problem?”

Students suggested physicists, their mechanics maybe, hopefully the guys at Chrysler.

Then I asked students, “What would you do if you absolutely HAD to understand this stuff?”

Barney (not his real name) said, pointing to the screen, “Call that guy.”

“OK. What if you couldn’t call that guy – or any other guy?”

The ideas started pouring in and I recorded them on chart paper:

- watch the video in smaller bits

- use a dictionary to find the meanings of unfamiliar words

- watch the video bits several times using the newly identified word meanings

- use the visual information in the video

- paraphrase the bits of video that we are beginning to understand at this point

- take notes on the bits of video we are beginning to understand

- ask questions to identify gaps in our understanding

- then phone that guy

Yes! All of the strategies that we’d need when reading complex nonfiction just made sense given the context of this video. Great hook, indeed! It was fun. It mirrored the main idea of the lesson. It made us laugh. It will be remembered.

During the next few minutes I read from a fairly complex piece of text explaining the concept of ecology. I used a think aloud to show students how I use the strategies for deciphering complex nonfiction text: slowing my pace, rereading, paraphrasing, using syntax and semantic knowledge to unlock the meaning of unfamiliar words, questioning, notetaking, etc. I jotted down the key words in the piece, and then used these words to write a brief summary. I then asked my students to work with a partner to do as I did with another short bit of text on symbiotic relationships between species.

Ah! It was wonderful. The hook set the stage and made the lesson memorable. The modeling fell perfectly into place after students themselves identified the strategies needed.

Next week, we’ll review this little video when we learn about satire (and checking our sources). I think they will forgive me.

The Sex Trade of Cambodian Children

2010-03-23T06:05:00.001-07:00

A quick modern connection, which comes from Sheridan Blau, to works like A Modest Proposal asks simply whether in a post-Holocaust, post-Rwanda, world and so on--whether we can read works like Modest Proposal as satire any longer when they have such literal versions as a consequence of genocide. There was a show on ABC about Cambodia and the total moral vacuum there in the wake of the Killing Fields. They just have, from what they showed, no moral sensibility. People were selling children unapologetically and openly on the streets for any number of services, but most terribly, child slavery and prostitution.

The Onion Report: Baby Skull Jewelry May Be Linked To Violence

2010-03-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

This, of course, is The Onion's satirical response to the "Blood Diamond" controversy.
Report: Baby Skull Jewelry May Be Linked To Violence

The Colbert Nation - Dogs

2010-03-22T23:05:00.001-07:00

Colbert Satire based on a news story about a study speculating that all modern dogs are originally descended from Middle Eastern wolves.

SNL Video Clip | Amy Poehler=Hillary Clinton, Tina Fey=Sarah Palin

2010-03-22T23:04:00.001-07:00

Vlogging

2010-03-20T16:01:00.001-07:00

Mrs. Bunner's English Project - English Companion Ning

2010-03-05T20:15:00.001-08:00

Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do?

2010-03-01T08:29:00.001-08:00

Gordon Gekko "Greed is Good"

2010-02-26T09:25:00.001-08:00

Digital Footprint - Safety and Sense Online

2009-12-28T21:32:00.001-08:00

Teamwork

2009-12-28T21:31:00.001-08:00

I'm Yours

2009-12-16T21:11:00.001-08:00

This is just for the fun of it!

Philip Zimbardo prescribes a healthy take on time

2009-12-15T21:30:00.001-08:00

High School Musical 4 on Vimeo

2009-12-15T14:01:00.001-08:00

more about "High School Musical 4 on Vimeo", posted with vodpod

Twilight Years on Vimeo

2009-12-15T13:29:00.001-08:00

more about "Twilight Years on Vimeo", posted with vodpod

The Danger of a Single Story: Chimamanda Adichie

2009-12-15T12:30:00.001-08:00

Radiohead-Fake Plastic Trees

2009-12-13T18:08:00.001-08:00

more about "Radiohead-Fake Plastic Trees", posted with vodpod

Poetry by Billy Collins - English Companion

2009-12-11T16:09:00.001-08:00

more about "Poetry by Billy Collins - English Com...", posted with vodpod

9 By Shane Acker

2009-12-11T07:51:00.001-08:00

more about "9 By Shane Acker", posted with vodpod

Studio 5 Overcome the Overwhelm: Tips to Simplify Christmas

2009-12-08T22:30:00.001-08:00

more about "Studio 5 Overcome the Overwhelm: Tips...", posted with vodpod

Sesame Street - Pre-School Musical (full version)

2009-12-07T19:05:00.001-08:00

more about "Sesame Street - Pre-School Musical (f...", posted with vodpod

Satire - English Companion

2009-12-06T16:31:00.001-08:00

NCTE Resources - English Companion

2009-11-24T21:11:00.001-08:00

Transcendentalism Unit Ideas - English Companion

2009-11-24T06:45:00.001-08:00

Inspiring Authors

2009-11-14T09:30:00.001-08:00

Famous authors talk about what it is that inspires and helps them to write.

Looking For Richard - Al Pacino

2009-11-14T08:52:00.001-08:00

In the Rough

2009-11-10T22:07:00.001-08:00

When teaching my class about conflict, I showed this video which illustrates three types of conflict (character vs. character, self, and nature). They enjoyed it; hope you will as well. (According to the students it also contained many of our -ject root words for the week such as eject, reject, dejected, and projectile).

North Hollywood High Macbeth Trailer

2009-11-06T18:34:00.001-08:00

Simpsons's Spoof of Harry Potter

2009-11-05T21:04:00.001-08:00

Link:

Macbeth, the "Supernatural Horror Thriller"

2009-11-05T09:10:00.001-08:00

These pretzels are making me thirsty.

2009-10-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

Big Fish - Gothic

2009-10-26T12:38:00.001-07:00

Ira Glass on Storytelling #2

2009-10-25T17:04:00.001-07:00

Nonviolence music video

2009-10-12T18:36:00.001-07:00

Ghandi's Speech on Nonviolence (Movie Version)

2009-10-12T18:28:00.001-07:00

Gandhi's Philosophy

2009-10-12T18:25:00.001-07:00

Gandhi- The Philosophy of Nonviolence

2009-10-12T18:23:00.003-07:00

Dr. King on the Nonviolence Movement

2009-10-12T18:23:00.001-07:00

Dr. King: Nonviolence is the Most Powerful Weapon

2009-10-12T18:22:00.001-07:00

The Fun Theory - English Companion

2009-10-12T07:47:00.001-07:00

Tim Hawkins - Things you don't say to your wife

2009-10-11T16:46:00.001-07:00

Tim Hawkins- Imagine

2009-10-11T16:42:00.001-07:00

60 Second Recap | The Crucible | 10: In Conclusion

2009-10-11T15:24:00.001-07:00

Let’s face it: Some pretty twisted stuff happens in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible. False accusations, people pressed to death with stones. We could go on but we prefer to focus on redemption. Yes, there is some in The Crucible. Watch and see for yourself.

60 Second Recap | The Crucible | 9: Motifs

2009-10-11T15:22:00.001-07:00

You’re young, you’re a girl, and you live in 1692 Salem. What do you do? Keep your mouth shut, of course … or cry “Witch!” This Recap has the scoop on a 17th-Century version of empowerment, courtesy Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Hint: It’s pretty messed up.

60 Second Recap | The Crucible | 8: Theme 2

2009-10-11T15:19:00.001-07:00

If you think Adam and Eve had the monopoly on guilt, think again. John Proctor, the protagonist in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, may not have ruined it for the entire human race, but he does have the blood of a town on his hands. Find out how Proctor deals (or doesn’t) with his guilt—and all in just 60 seconds.

60 Second Recap | The Crucible | 7: Theme 1

2009-10-11T15:18:00.001-07:00

Normally when you think of hysteria you think of, what? Teenyboppers and some ridiculous boy band? Not once you’ve read The Crucible by Arthur Miller, you won’t. Press play to learn more.

60 Second Recap | The Crucible | 6: Context

2009-10-11T15:16:00.001-07:00

So all that crazy witch-hunting and accusing and whatnot would never happen today, right? Wrong. Just fifty years ago, Arthur Miller himself was accused of … well, not witchcraft, exactly. But in one minute, you’ll know why the government was after Miller—and how his experience influenced his writing of The Crucible.

60 Second Recap | The Crucible | 5: John Proctor

2009-10-11T15:14:00.001-07:00

The Crucible’s John Proctor made a mistake. A big one. Or maybe he just made a mistake with the wrong girl. Either way, John Proctor’s mistake didn’t just get him in trouble. It eventually spiraled his whole town into hysteria and accusation. You can find out more about Arthur Miller’s troubled main character when you check out this Recap.

College Admission Essays: William and Mary - English Companion

2009-10-11T14:59:00.001-07:00

A great video that helps students understand the audience and purpose of a college admission essay.

Jerome Murat

2009-10-11T14:16:00.001-07:00

60 Second Recap | The Great Gatsby | 10: In Conclusion

2009-10-11T13:43:00.001-07:00

Just about any writing teacher will tell you to “Write what you know.” In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote what he knew: The excess and corruption of his time. It’s impossible to read Gatsby as something other than a cautionary tale. In short, Fitzgerald seems to say to his readers, “Do what I say, not what I did.”