Writing Across Cultures

In order to continue reading in a literature course like ours while you are out and I cannot always find what I want you to read online, I've reached out to the high school publishers Bedford, Freeman, & Worth who publish the Bedford Reader and work with the College Board, etc. You will need to create an account to access the ebook from an app called bookshelf. Follow the steps below for access: (try to do this by the end of the week, please!) 1. Create an account online from bookshelf.vitalsource.com. You can also download the Bookshelf app through Google Play for Android devices or from the App Store for iOS devices. 2. How to Create an Account: Click Create an account from the Sign In screen. 3. Provide your name, email, and security details. You can choose to receive updates via email regarding your account, product updates, and special offers. Select that you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, then click Create. 4. You are now logged in to your VitalS...

Some people are mistyping my email then wondering why I'm not receiving your work. Here, again, is my actual email: bradley.craddock@rcsdk12.org or 1299861@rcsd121.org NOT: bradley.craddock@rcsd121.org! No, no, NO! If I do not respond to an email within 24 hours during the week (Monday through Friday), please drop me a comment on our blog (this one) or one from our Google Classroom and I'll see what the problem might be.

Need a little motivation this morning? Take a look at this! Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and the concept of self-actualization and from the School of Life: Why Maslow's Hierarchy Matters School of Life: Stream of Consciousness . How to use Maslow & Stream of Consciousness in your writing: Consider your protagonists and characters in your stories.  Use Maslow's Hierarchy's different levels to represent the needs and motivation of your characters. Assign a different level to each character.  What is at stake for these characters? Answering this question should allow you to consider what conflicts the character most cares or thinks about.  It is likely your protagonist will need to "self actualize"--this is similar to Jung's idea that a hero is "called" to action. How will your protagonist reach his/her self actualization? Then develop your characters in your stories. Ratchet up what's at stake for your characters! Use psycho...

Please make sure you upload your writing portfolio to our Google Classroom!

You might have heard that there have been some strange issues with Zoom as of late. Here's an article to peruse before you use... "A Must for Millions, Zoom Has a Dark Side--And an FBI Warning"  (NPR, Shannon Bond, April 3)

Just in case you don't know how to set up or host a Zoom meeting or join one, here's the info you might need... You can use a Zoom meeting just as easily to workshop your writing during our school closure. You don't even need me to do it! Here's the info: How Do I Host A Video Meeting? Signing In Go to http://zoom.us and click on Sign In. You can use the "e-mail" and "password" that you have created, or use your Google (Gmail or Google App) or Facebook account to sign in with. Note: If you do not have a current Zoom account, please click on Sign Up Free to create a new one. 2. Hosting a Meeting If you do NOT have the Zoom app installed, go to zoom.us and select "Host a Meeting" to start the installation. If you DO have the App installed, see below (#3). Open your Zoom app on your desktop and click Sign In. Log in using the E-mail and password that you have created, or with Google(Gmail), Facebook, or Login with SSO...

That time has come again. Please prepare your writing portfolios for MP3. See previous blog posts for ideas/writing prompts. Also, just a reminder that many of you are not using your Google shared workshop folders to help your peers workshop. That's your choice, but remember that getting feedback from your writing drafts is just a matter of caring to place a draft in your shared workshop folder and checking occasionally to give feedback to any work that is placed there. Finally, please continue to learn about psychology and read The Life of Pi (or Alice in Wonderland)--see previous posts for details/links. Contact me with any issues/concerns as we continue our isolation period. 

Characters are key in a story. We all know that. But how do we develop and create complex, thinking characters who are able to keep our readers reading? Knowing some psychology can help. Today, let's take a look at how applying what we're learning in Writing Across Cultures can help you come up with good ideas for your writing, as well as helping you create interesting and psychologically developed characters. Let's start here: Psychology 101: Improve Your Writing (article/website) How to use psychology to write amazing stories (article) How to use psychology to Create Compelling Characters (article) How Writers Create Engaging Characters (article) On our classroom drive, I've uploaded some handy character design worksheets/templates that you can use to enrich and develop your characters in the stories you are writing for your portfolio or for those in Ms. Gamzon's Advanced Fiction course. For more Crash Course psychology, check out these interesting ...

As you read The Life of Pi , take a look at these resources to help you understand/appreciate the book: Math Antics: What is Pi? Freud on Sublimation East v. Western Philosophy Six Ideas from Eastern Philosophy Buddha & Ashoka: Crash Course Me or We? Cultural Differences Between East & West Islam: Crash Course Inside the Minds of Animals: TedX Also, for those of you reading Alice in Wonderland (see the previous post for details): How to Argue: Philosophical Reasoning (Crash Course)--this is an important video for Life of Pi too! As you read these books this week (next week, whenever...) take a look and consider the ideas in these videos to help you understand the literature, your own understanding of the world in which you live, and how you might apply some of these ideas into creative stories, poems, essays, or the like.  As always, if you have questions or need to contact me for any reason, please do so. I miss you guys! Stay healthy and safe! ...

As we continue our curriculum during the closure of our schools, please check in daily to your Google email accounts. Check this blog post regularly as well as your Google Classroom sites. Any required materials will be posted in both these places and I'll be in contact with you mainly through email.  Also, remember you should continue writing in your portfolio. You can drop drafts into the shared workshop folders we set up and give your friends/peers some feedback on their drafts.  If you brought it home, please continue reading The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. This should seem recognizable as an archetypal survival story. We'll apply some Freudian or psychological literary analysis to the book. More details will be posted next week.  If you didn't bring this book home with you, you can listen to an audiobook at this link . It's the best we can do... We left off at Freud, so please take a look at the following material:  EQ: What is Psychology ...

I will be contacting you through this blog site and our Google Classroom for updates or important new information regarding our course. In the meantime, please stay safe and calm. See the following message from our Superintendent... "After consultation with Monroe County Executive Adam Bello, Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mike Mendoza, and the Monroe County Superintendents, it was decided that all Monroe County Public Schools, including the Rochester City School District, will be closed to students beginning Monday, March 16 until further notice. This closing includes all school-related activities including sports and other extracurricular activities. [If you need any assistance or have questions/concerns or additional help, please call the Main Office at SOTA and we'll try to help!] While this situation remains fluid, RCSD will begin implementing supports for families, including meals for students, beginning Monday, March 16.  Please check the District’s  Updat...

This morning, please go to the library to pick up our next novel: The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. The characters you meet might change you... Myth Cycle Project Presentations If you can, please list your Youtube project/documentary URL link in the comment below this post. If you submitted your project as a Quicktime movie (another option) please submit it to our Google Classroom site for viewing. Egypt Norse Celtic India (Hindu) Africa (Akan (Ashanti))  Africa (Yoruba)   Africa (Bambara) Middle East (Mesopotamian/Babylonian/Assyrian) Middle East (Zoroastrian/Persian) North American Indian (Navajo)  North American Indian (Hopi & Pueblo) North American Inuit (Eskimo) Chinese Japanese Oceania Australia (Aborigine, Dreamtime) Story Ideas/Prompts: Using what you learned from the presentations, choose a god/story/creation myth or legend and retell it for a contemporary audience--or write an ode to one of the gods/goddesses of these stories--or place t...

Please use the time today to complete your myth documentary and work on the several portfolio pieces/drafts from this unit: Write a story using the survival archetype. Write a poem retelling or referencing a myth. Create a documentary on a myth cycle. Create and define your own pantheon. Create a religion or myths from this cycle. Write a modern fairy tale or myth (see models we discussed in class; handouts/readings; and Grendel ) Write about the significance or staying power or gender roles of a fairy tale or folk tale. Write a critical essay on the book Grendel (see discussion questions for ideas!) Write a story, play, or script using any variety of archetype. Write a story using Campbell's universal hero archetype. Use the psychology/philosophy of Klein, Erikson, Campbell, Jung, Galton or Kierkegaard, etc. to inspire a story/poem, script or essay. Rewrite/revise any previous MP1 or MP2 draft. Please note that the Webcam and Microphone are not disabled on your Ch...