what do U think?

Welcome, parents!

2007-05-03T21:01:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Web 2.0! Technology changes so fast and keeping up with the changes can be a challenge. In thinking back on the technologies that you are familiar with, and the new technologies that are available, what do you think is the most important development in technology and why? Is there any technology that you miss, or have difficulty with, or feel proud that you mastered? I, for one, have never been able to master the television remote once it had to go through a cable box and an audio feed, and my best technological accomplishment this year was starting to blog and wiki. The next thing I want to learn is Photoshop. Feel free to post anonymously or use your first name and last initial, or you can sign on as yourkid's mom (or dad). (Comments will not be published until Sunday evening, May 6. If you comment before then, your comments will be held in moderation.)

Hard Lesson Learned

2007-05-01T11:38:00.000-05:00

Jack realized that he had to take responsibility for his mistakes. What does Jack's story tell readers about second chances? Do you think everyone deserves a second chance? Why or why not?

Nature vs. Nurture

2007-05-01T11:36:00.000-05:00

How do you think Jack's environment affected the choices he made? Do you think Jack was destined to end up in prison? Or do you think his circumstances put him there?

Jack's Hole

2007-05-01T11:35:00.000-05:00

Why are stories like Jack's important?

The Blame Game

2007-04-17T14:13:00.000-05:00

When Jack was thinking about the people in his life, he said, "I burned them all on a bonfire of blmae." What does this expression show about Jack's feelings at the time?

I'm sorry....really.

2007-04-17T14:11:00.000-05:00

Throughout the book we have questioned Jack's sincerity and his honesty with himself. In the ship's log he discussed that he wasn't really sorry and Hamilton said that if anything, Jack would only be sorry if he were caught. How do you think the trial might have ended differently if Jack had shown real remorse in the courtroom for what he had done?

"Honest" Jack

2007-03-26T10:38:00.000-05:00

Gantos said that he was convinced that he wasn't doing anything wrong, but that he was afraid of the punishment. Does this seem like a contradiction to you? If Jack really believed he wasn't doing anything wrong, why would he be worried about the punishment?

Who's Sorry Now?

2007-03-26T10:36:00.000-05:00

Jack wrote that the only thing he was afraid of was being caught. How do you think the world would be different if there were no consequences?

Excuses, Excuses...or..."it was an accident"

2007-03-19T10:41:00.000-05:00

Jack believed he had a good reason for becoming involved in crime. Have you ever had a good reason for doing something wrong? Was the outcome worth it? (Note: remember this is being read by many...be careful with any incriminating details ;-)

Name That Classic

2007-03-19T10:36:00.000-05:00

The concensus seems to be that although Red Badge of Courage is a classic, it was not a book that many of you enjoyed reading. The reasons you gave are accurate, but does that mean that the classics should not be read? What is a classic book? The accepted definition is that a classic is a book that has stood the test of time and is still widely read many, many years after first being published. It is usually a book that contains a universal truth. What is your definition of a classic book? What books are you reading or that are being written today that will be considered classics 100 years from now? And...will students 100 years from now have the same complaints about your nominated books that you have about Red Badge?

The Red Badge of Courage

2007-03-13T10:30:00.000-05:00

Gantos sat in front of Stephen Crane's house in Jacksonville, Florida reading The Red Badge of Courage. He says this about Red Badge:

"...it was so good I couldn't figure out why I hadn't read it earlier. Henry's convictions impressed me. His desire to fight. His fear of being a coward. His renewed battle courage."

Agree or disagree with Gantos's statement that The Red Badge of Courage is a good book. Give reasons for your opinion.

On the Road Again

2007-03-12T18:52:00.000-05:00

Gantos fantasizes about the open road that Jack Kerouac describes in On the Road. Poet Walt Whitman writes "Strong and content, I travel the open road." Country singer Willie Nelson is known for his song, "On the Road Again." What is it about the open road that is so appealing and alluring to Gantos? What does it symbolize?

Creating Your Future

2007-03-12T18:42:00.000-05:00

Gantos describes wanting the pearl and creating his own future as a writer yet he seems to not have a plan to achieve it. If you could create your own future, what would it be?

Censorship by way of theft is wrong

2007-03-06T11:28:00.000-05:00

To follow through on our Censorship/Banned Books unit, read this commentary from the March 5 edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The columnist is discussing the theft of books from school libraries in Miami as a means of censoring. A group, the Concerned Cuban Parents, disagrees with certain library books that they feel "painted an inaccurately rosy picture of life in Cuba" and they have been checking out the books but not returning them. Comment on this effort to censor and how the rights of parents may or may not be interferring with the position of academic freedom and the First Amendment.

Decisions....decisions

2007-03-05T12:22:00.000-05:00

Gantos describes his decision to try marijuana. He writes: "...I was convinced I would be a vegetable if I smoked. Yet, I went to the apartment. Why? For the same deadhead reason people climb mountains - it was there and I wanted to try it." Do you think the fact that Gantos "felt adrift" inside and his "barren interior landscape" contributed to his decision? What was he looking for? Please comment and include your reason for your interpretation.

Hole in My Life

2007-02-18T22:51:00.000-05:00

In his autobiography, Jack Gantos writes:

"I felt adrift inside, as if I had a compulsion not to be myself. I especially had that feeling when I read books. I seemed to become the main character, as if I had abandoned myself and allowed some other person to step right in and take me over. It was a great ride becoming a fictional character for a day or a week..."

Think about books you have read over the years. What characters have you become? What characters have you abandoned yourself to? What characters have taken you over?