Know Thyself

In a continuing effort to understand the teen age mind, the following questions should give food for thought about who you are and what is important to you as a human. Therefore, I encourage you to think about each questions before you write an answer in response.

1) What would you like your epitaph to say?

2) How would you want people to remember you if you were to die today?

3) If you could take only one possession into the future with you what would it be?

4) Who stands out as the one person you would like to get to know in this lifetime?

5) What is a positive personality trait that you know you possess?

6) Name a personality trait you would rather not possess.

Thank you for being honest. We are who we are. The only thing constant in this life is change itself.

Paper Clips

The most recent documentary shown in class was a film called PaperClips. The story is about a middle school project that was designed to bring the realities of the holocaust into focus for the students. This story went beyond the collection of paper clips! Offer your opinion on the film and its content, making sure to include what was emotionally moving about the film and what you thought about the overall context. Please add specific examples to support your opinion.

We Are Moving buy Where?

The alternative education program has been told that our lease is up at the Orono Senior Center. We are exploring our options for a new site for our program. We welcome suggestions from our blog visitors. Do you think the site should be on Orono High School campus or away from the campus? How many students should be allowed to attend?

A Valentine Poem

Get creative and write a short poem about someone you love, admire, respect, or all of the above. Looking forward to your contributions!

Good Will

Please respond to the following questions regarding the film

1) Why is Will so protective of his obvious intelligence?

2) What are the social roles Will plays?

3) How is it that Shawn is able to reach Will when no other professional can?

4) If you were offered a rewrite of the ending what would you change?

5) What do you suppose happens to Will's friends?

6) Why, in your opinion was the movie titled as it was?

7) Can someone's intelligence get in the way of being socially accepted and why? Site some examples from your own experiences with others.

8) Rate the movie A - F

9) Choose a scene from the film that you believe brought the directors point into focus

10) What actors, in your opinion, played their parts the best?

Too old to Drive??

Recently a 78 year old man drove the wrong way on Rte 295. After traveling for a few miles he hit a vehicle head on and was killed. The driver of the other car was hospitalized with serious injuries. The question that was raised by this event was : Should there be an age limit for driving in the state of maine? Please respond with your opinion.

Hunger Games Review

Since we are all at different stages of the Hunger Games, you can respond to the following prompts at your convenience. Everyone must be logged in and responded by January 24th. Some have alot of reading to do some have a little. Please respond to the following:

A) What was the moral dilemma expressed in this novel?
B) Who was your favorite character and why?
C) Did you find the book an enjoyable read? Please support your opinion.
D) If you the license to shcnge anything in the story, what would it be and why?
E) Show your creativity by writing an alternative ending?
F) Will you view this book as a movie? Overall rating for the book?

Film Critique

In keeping with policy, it is time once again to make suggestions for the next film to be reviewed. Please create a wish list ( 2 choices per student) of films that have a social message. The film can be from any genre including drama, comedy, satire, etc. As always, you will be asked to post your analysis on the blog. Please list below:

Rain Man More then Autism

By now, certainly, you have formed an opinion concerning the movie Rainman. Please take some time to respond to the following questions:

A) What was the director's overall purpose ( excluding the obvious) of the story of Raymond and his brother Charlie?
B) Given what you know about the disorder of autism, was the portrayal an accurate depiction of someone who suffers from this disorder? Be specific.
C) What about the story line did you like and also dislike?
D) Give the film an overall grade for our film critique class. Justify your grade.

IN THE NEWS

Recently a little girl was abducted from her bedroom in Waterville. This story has become national news. If you have no information please find what you out what you can from the newspaper @ BDN.com. Opinions have been rampant regarding this story. What is yours? Please share for grading purposes.

Congrats Brandy!

One of our own, Brandy Duperry, has recently been certified as a hospice volunteer. We here at alternative eduction are very proud of her accomplishments and the empathy she shows towards her fellow man. Way to go Brandy!

Autism - A 21st century label

In film critique we are viewing Rainman, a story concerning an autistic man with "savant". This disorder has recently drawn much attention. It has been reported that 1 in 160 children are diagnosed with autism. This is a significant increase from years past. What do you believe to be the reason for the increase in at the amount of people diagnosed with this disorder?

Cyber Spy

The bangor daily news recently ran an article on a John Bapst student who was charged with stalking another student through his internet connection. Have you ever had this experience or know someone who has ( no names please )? What is your take on this case?

30 day challenge

With the New Year upon us, it can be a good time to reevaluate some things in you life.

30 day challenge-TED talk

Please watch this short clip and respond about the one thing that you would want to do (or not do) for your 30 day challenge.

Gnome EXCITED about ASL!

Happy Holidays

Use as a group at the Alternative Education Program, would like to wish all you in the community a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

A MUST SEE

If you have strong opinions concerning the death penalty you must check out " The Life of David Gale" with Kevin Spacey.

What Next?

With the end of the war in Iraq, american servicemen will be returning and entering the work force. With the economy struggling do you think we face more problems? Please share your thoughts.

SCHOOL DAZE

In your opinion do public schools today prepare students for post secondary education?

New Year

What are 5 things that you want to accomplish in 2012? Please expand your response to at least a sentence.

Taken from Perfect a novel by Ellen Hopkins

Please respond to the following excerpt:

Cara Sierra Sykes

Perfect?

How

do you define a word without

concrete meaning? To each

his own, the saying goes, so

why

push to attain an ideal

state of being that no two

random people will agree is

where

you want to be? Faultless.

Finished. Incomparable. People

can never be these, and anyway,

when

did creating a flawless facade

become a more vital goal

than learning to love the person

who

lives inside your skin?

The outside belongs to others.

Only you should decide for you—

what

is perfect.

The Hunger Games

After the upcoming holiday break, we will be reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins as a group. We are looking forward to analyzing this book together as we have heard only positive reviews.

Opinion - Women in Our Society

In the news this morning there is an article concerning violent attacks on women in this society. We would invite you to read the article and formulate an opinion on what can be done to lower the statistics shown in the article? Please read the article and respond.

Health Career Development

Today we will be visited by the Career Center who will be conducting a presentation on health careers which may be available to our graduating seniors. The presentation will begin promptly at 12 noon.

Christmas Wish

If you could have ANYTHING for your Christmas wish what would it be? Be specific and descriptive.

Movie of the week

Sudzy Laundry has chosen the film Pulp Fiction for us to view in our film critique class. We will be looking at plot, scene review, director choice, and overall film rating.

Welcome To Birch Street

I would like to welcome you our blog. The students at Orono Alternative Education will be using this sight in a variety of ways. We are in hopes that others will comment on our posts and help us to develop a site that serves our purposes as well as our community. Thanks

Mindfulness at Birch Street

A new experience is soon being added to the Birch Street Experience. It is called Mindfulness and it involves taking an honest look at ourselves and how we function on a day to day basis. The instruction will be presented over a four week period with a qualified teacher from the cooperative extension. We are all really looking forward to it.

Mr. Mike and ASL

Mr. Mike McDonald has agreed to teach us american sign language in a course designed to help us get “out of the box” a little and experience the world of the deaf. To date we are practicing the alphabet and learning some basic signs of communication. We are in hopes that this will eventually be a skill we can add to our resumes. Thanks Mike for your time and patience!

Kindergarten Fall Festival

Orono Alternative Education is visiting Asa c. Adams school on October 28th to help kindergartners decorate and paint pumpkins. The kids will be able to bring their pumpkins home for the fall holiday. Just another community service to give back to the community!

Alternative Ed. Engages in Yoga

The alternative ed. program will be introduced to basic yoga techniques provided by yoga instructor Kelly Ilseman during a workshop format Monday – Oct. 24th and Thursday Oct. 26th for the benefit of its current student population. More workshops will be planned based on the student involvement displayed for this activity.

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