Author Archives: bsullivan35

About bsullivan35

I am an English teacher working with great students at an independent school in Ct.

How did The Last Lecture Inspire You?

Posted on September 13, 2019

While you may know that the word inspiration means to motivate or stimulate, the word inspiration derives from the root spiritus, which means breath. Part of the reason why we say “God bless you” to someone who sneezes, is that we … Continue reading →

Why #PBL for Students Today?

Posted on August 22, 2019

While this recent PBS documentary Cyber Work and the American Dream reports serious concerns about the future, there are some positive suggestions about how to get this current generation ready for their turbulent careers ahead of them. Students today must … Continue reading →

Posted in #PBL #StudentCentered, Metacognition, Project-Based Learning | Tagged PBS | Leave a comment

#Screenagers: Facilitating a #PBL Community Program

Posted on April 4, 2019

This project-based learning class began their journey with the challenge to identify and understand the most pressing issues for their generation. This is a truly student-centered approach, and I have not found many other examples of this type of ground … Continue reading →

Posted in #PBL #StudentCentered, Design Thinking, Digital Citizenship, Emotional Intelligence, PBL Public Program, Project-Based Learning | Tagged Screenagers | Leave a comment

Create a Compelling Argument

Posted on January 7, 2019

Let’s celebrate this great documentary on Willa Cather’s letters more. Again, we’ll review first the section around minute 19 where Cather receives the mentorship of Sarah Orne Jewett to find a quiet center in her life and compose literature. https://player.pbs.org/viralplayer/2365563628/ … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Learning, 21st Century Skills, American Literary Studies, AP Mindset, Uncategorized | Tagged Willa Cather | 15 Comments

Make a Connection to the Poetry

Posted on October 18, 2018

View the first thirty minutes of this Emily Dickinson documentary, Voice and Visions; then view the seven minute documentary on Walt Whitman. While you view each film, consider how each film helps you consider each poet in a new light. … Continue reading →

Posted in American Literary Studies, Design Thinking on HMK, English III Honors, Flipped Classroom, Homework | Tagged Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman | 14 Comments

Shakespeare Infographic Project

Posted on October 9, 2018

What is the best infographic that you have used before? How did it help? How was it a beautiful display of information? Why is it an effective medium? This infographic came from Neil Patel’s blog post, “Ten Infographics,” and we … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Shakespeare, English IV, Project Based Learning, Shakespeare | Tagged #PennPBL | Leave a comment

The Story of Your Life is Told Before You are Born

Posted on October 5, 2018

Let’s launch our unit on Shakespeare’s sonnets and Hamlet with background information from this critically acclaimed documentary, In Search of Shakespeare, by Michael Wood. We will have you view this for homework and submit your responses to the ten questions … Continue reading →

Posted in Shakespeare, Shakespeare Infographic Project, #PennPBL | Tagged Michael Wood | Leave a comment

Create a Compelling Argument

Posted on September 11, 2018

This is just to let you know that the technology department in the Crowsnest likes to connect literature to modern movies; enjoy this trailer from the interesting and entertaining teen movie, Easy A. Though by no means a rendition of Hawthorne’s … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Learning, American Literary Studies, Becoming an American Literary Critic, Best Practices for Blogging, Growth Mindset, Homework, Honors English III, Twitter, YouTube | Tagged Hawthorne | 14 Comments

Why Do You Think Solitude is Important in Today’s Culture?

Posted on September 6, 2018

The goal of this blog post is to begin a conversation during the first night of study hall tonight among students in all four of my classes about individuals’ reaction to this year’s community theme. This year’s theme of solitude … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Theme, Community Theme, Text, Reflective Assessment, TED Talks/TEDx Talks, YouTube | Tagged Solitude | 63 Comments

Reflect and Locate Chinua Achebe’s Post Colonial Novel, Things Fall Apart

Posted on September 4, 2018

Let’s enjoy this informative interview with Nigerian author Chinua Achebe that was recorded fifty years after the publication of his novel, Things Fall Apart. View this interview and take notes on a few items. First note what was Achebe’s first … Continue reading →