May 3: The Alchemist Assignment: Our Personal Legends

May 3

Read to the following blog and corresponding comments and post your comments/reactions on this page.

http://concretekax.blogspot.com/2010/10/alchemist-and-louis-lamour.html

You must include the following in your responses:

1. What is your initial reaction to this post?
2. What are Kaechele's contentions regarding The Alchemist and current education trends.
3. What is your personal response to his allegations/blog entry? (See other students' posts) 

I. Read through following quotes by Robert Fulghum: 

• My convictions have validity for me because I have experimented with the compounds of ideas of others in the laboratory of my mind. And I've tested the results in the living out of my life. At twenty-one, I had drawn an abstract map based on the evidence of others. At sixty, I have accumulated a practical guide grounded in my own experience. At twenty-one, I could discuss transportation theory with authority. At sixty, I know which bus to catch to go where, what the fare is, and how to get back home again. It is not my bus, but I know how to use it. Words I Wish I Wrote (1997)

• Fences have nothing to do with it. The grass is greenest where it is watered. When crossing over fences, carry water with you and tend the grass wherever you may be. It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It (1988)

• There’s another thing not everyone figures out right away: It’s almost impossible to go through life all alone. We need to find our support group — family, friends, companion, therapy gatherings, team, church or whatever. The kindergarten admonition applies as long as we live: “When you go out into the world, hold hands and stick together.” It’s dangerous out there — lonely, too. Everyone needs someone. Some assembly is always required. All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things (1988)                              

• To insist on one's place in the scheme of things and to live up to that place.
  To empower others in their reaching for some place in the scheme of things.                                   To do these things is to make fairy tales come true. Uh-Oh: Some Observations from Both Sides of the Refrigerator Door (2001)     

May 1 continued: The Alchemist Day 5

May 1 Continued....

I. The Bucket List-Film Continued

      Introduction to Ethical Foundations of mind, body, soul

"The Universe conspires to be your personal legend....." -Randy Pausch

II. Review the quotes listed on The Alchemist Project Beginning page. You will choose one of these quotes or the Four Pillars of Alchemy to direct the Theme of your project as you venture out in the discovery of your Personal Journey. 

III. Your final for this course will be to create a project that acknowledges your Personal Journey. You may tie your project to The Alchemist, but it is not required. Your project is about you, and what the travels of Santiago have done to inspire or provoke you to consider your future. See future blog dates for submission dates.

Project Goal: To find yourselves....... 

The Alchemist Project: Bucket List Connection

"It doesn't matter what you say you believe - it only matters what you do." ― Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

For this project, some "soul searching" is in order. Each person has a Raison d'etre-a purpose in life, but there is no guarantee we will live the life we were meant to live and fulfill the role we were meant to complete. 

People who age well emotionally, physically, and mentally found ways to guide the younger generations as mentors, coaches and consultants. The Bucket List is about the Act of Meaning and Purpose. When you provide emotional empowerment or some gift of your experience to another, it is spiritual alchemy. It is a transfer of energy from one being to another who may or may not be aware he or she needs it at the time. From this special place we offer the value of our experience and no longer look for a reward. 

                                  Driving Question: 

What do you plan to do with your ONE precious and meaningful life?

Incorporate your Pillar, Bucket List, Blog Responses/Reactions, and quotes that determine your Personal Legend.  You may be creative with fonts and add a few images. Please submit on GC by May 7th. 

This is it.....

April 29 and May 1: The Alchemist Day 4

April 29 and May 1

I. Discussion of Bucket List. 

Film: The Bucket List

HW: Complete Novel by May 7th. Complete response sheet for novel and submit when you have finished the novel.

April 25: The Alchemist Day 3

April 25

I. Journal Entry #2: (15 minutes)

Baz Luhrmann

Metaphorical Quiz #2

II. Four Pillars of Alchemy: An Interview with Paulo Coehlo.  (20 minutes)                  Four Pillars of AlchemyIn an interview, Paulo Coelho talks about "Four Pillars of Alchemy– four important "tips" for finding one's Personal Legend: 

1.One must believe in "The Soul of the World." The ancient Latin term for this concept is "anima mundi." In short, this idea suggests that everything in the world is interconnected; that is, what one does affects everything else, from the smallest grain of sand to the largest whale, and vice versa. Writers and thinkers such as Plato, Walt Whitman and Khalil Ghibran have attempted to illustrate this interconnectedness in their works.

2.One must listen to the voice of the heart. Coelho suggests that sometimes we must follow our feeling sand intuitions, even if we do not fully understand them. Through feeling one gains wisdom.

3.One must be faithful to one's dreams, for they both test and reward us. In other words, the path to achieving one's Personal Legend may not be an easy one, but we must endure the tests in order to gain the rewards.

4.One must "surrender oneself to the universe." Coelho suggests that we must allow ourselves to be open to recognizing and learning from omens and signs which come our way 

Which Pillar do you feel you connect with the most? Create your responses. Discussion and Share out. 

III. Respond to the following passage in a blog comment. What is your initial reaction? What do you make of this passage? What will you take away from it? 

Brian Tracy states that “all successful men and women are 

big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal 

in every respect, and then they work every day toward their 

distant vision, that goal or purpose.” 

People often don’t appreciate being called dreamers. In-fact, it’s almost an insult to call someone a dreamer these days. It’s associated with having your head in the clouds and not being realistic. A dreamer is a person who is not afraid to challenge society’s norms and not afraid to tread their own path rather than following the well-trodden path. A dreamer is someone who is always willing to take a chance and always asks why before doing something that others are doing blindly. A dreamer is a person who has a great futuristic picture which they work to achieve at all costs. Dreamers are world changers.Dreamers chart their own course and destiny. Dreamers are always striving to be the person they were meant to be and are not afraid to be different. I believe every one of us is born unique in every way, but over the years we work very hard to become like everyone else.Motivation to achieve success - Don't follow the crowd

Society’s commonsense tells us that that is the way to go. Unfortunately, commonsense is not always good-sense. It’s

just common. If you are a dreamer you cannot afford to work on society’s assumptions and standards. You have to be unique.

(25 minutes) 

 “The poorest man in the world is the man without a dream. The most 

frustrated man in the world is the man with a dream that never becomes reality.”-Myles Munroe 

IV. Bucket List Assignment. Bucket List 101

HW: Read pages 105-127. Bucket List Due Next Class.  

April 23: An Introduction to Your Personal Journey Cont.

April 23

I. Denzel Washington Speech

II. Take the following quiz to find out your 'spirit animal': http://www.spiritanimal.info/spirit-animal-quiz/

III. Read this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/opinion/27brooks.html?_r=0

David Brooks. Take 10-15 minutes to read and annotate this article. Respond to the  following questions: post as comments on blog

1. How does Brooks examine "the purpose of education?"

2. How does the idea from the book "Thinking Institutionally negate this idea?" 

3. With the new knowledge of "Institutional Thinking"-create a list of people in public life that you admire. Follow the guidelines set by Brooks. (Something to consider as we continue our study of The Alchemist)

4. The final statements of the article create a reader response.....what is the point?     

(Responding to these may be tough. However, you must remember the purpose of this novel is to assist you in figuring out not what you want to do but what you are meant to do.) (15-20 minutes)

HW: Have up to page 127 read. Select Five Quotes-Interpret, Analyze, Connect. 

April 19: An Introduction to Your Personal Journey

                                        April 19

WE WILL DO THE QUIZ ON TUESDAY. PLEASE CONTINUE TO STEP II. 

I: Metaphorical Journey Quiz #1

Metaphorical Journey Quiz #1

1.     Journey stage #1: You are on standing on a hill, looking over a valley.

Describe what you see.

2.     Journey stage #2: You descend into the valley, and come upon a road – describe it

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     Journey stage #3: You travel the road, and are joined by an animal. Identify the animal; then, describe where that animal is in relation to you

Journey stage #4: You come to an obstacle – describe it; then, explain how you pass it

Journey stage #5: You encounter a body of water – describe it; then, describe how you “interact”, if at all, with it

III. Read Paulo Coehlo's Blog and Introduction to the novel. http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2009/06/22/workshop-the-alchemist/

HW: Read pages 48-104,  Complete Journal Entry 1. (20 minutes) 

April 19 Setting Up Your Blog Response Accounts

April 19

Technology Component For The Alchemist

1. You must create an account on Google. 
2. English 1010 Blog
3. Make sure you can access the website and add a comment. Please test this below. 

April 19: The Alchemist Day 1

April 19

This novel will evoke a response from you. Maybe not right away, but it will. This response will adversely be something that you remember for the final days of your high school career and beyond. The questions raised within this unit are meant to assist you in seeking out who you really are. Allow your mind to wander. Take risks. Start a Bucket List. Enjoy......

Mike Rowe of "Dirty Jobs" (20 minutes)

It not enough to simply read The Alchemist. The purpose of finishing our year together with this novel is to engage you in your quest for your journey or personal legend. 

I. Watch the Video from Mike Rowe (link above). When you are finished, please respond to feedback as a comment on the blog. 

Video Feedback: What advice or insights does Mike Rowe offer?  Why is "following your passion" the worst advice he ever received? What impact has this video made on you? Respond on the blog. (15 minutes) 

II. Read The Alchemist: Part One: Pages 
3-48.  

III. Research The Philosopher's Stone/The Elixir of Life/Soul of the World 
Provide a 3-4 sentence summary for each of these topics. Write them out for submission in the box.