"Great Books for Great Teacher" Reflection

Literacy Project Reflection

My Project:

            The purpose of my project was to create awareness to the literacy gap between young men and women and give boys suggestions on what to read.  To do this, I chose to use a poster campaign to get my message across to my peers at U of D Jesuit.  This project was to inspire boys to pick up a book and see that if others could do it, they could too.  The slogan “Good Books from Great Teachers” was meant to point out how some popular teachers have great reading suggestions for their students to enjoy.

Display

            The posters are uniform in their overall format.  The slogan at the top, a column devoted to both teachers with their favorite books and a

uthors, a picture of one of the book covers from each teacher, and a reading tip at the bottom.

The poster on the far left focuses on Señor Diehl and Mrs. Foerg.  Each teacher listed five of their favorite books and there is also a picture of one of the books they chose on each side of their poster.  At the bottom there is also a reading tip for Señor Diehl.

The poster in the middle highlights Mr. Davidson and Mr. Slaughter.  Three of their favorite books are listed along with a picture of the cover of one.  Attached at the bottom is also two reading tips from Mr. Hill.

The last poster depicts some descriptions of the favorite novels of Mr. Hill and Mrs. Godwin.  Along with a picture of a book title for both, Mr. Hill also included some of his favorite authors and one of his reading tips can be seen at the bottom.

Why I Chose This? --Design

I wanted my posters to look this way because the mix of words and pictures is not overwhelming and I think they are put together very well.  The uniformity of the posters adds an overall level of neatness to the project, and the different columns help to sort all the different information.  When thinking about what I wanted to display on my posters I thought back to where I often go when looking for a recommendation on reading.  The teachers around school always have great ideas, so I thought putting all their input together comprehensively would be a benefit for the entire student body.  The picture of each teacher catches the eye of students in the hall, and makes them wonder what it is the poster is about.  By putting the teachers’ favorite literature directly underneath with more pictures, the attention level of the audience never slips away.  Finally, the quick, short quote at the bottom can be seen from a simple glance, and it will be an easy thing to remember in the future.

Why I Chose This? --Location

Posting the posters took a bit of thought as to not only where they would get the most exposure, but also where they would be seen by the most receptive audience.  I chose five locations total throughout the school that the different posters rotated through.  This included: the new wing hallway, the main staircase on the 2^nd, the main staircase on the 3^rd, outside the library, and outside the door of the teacher involved.  The new wing hallway is a very busy point throughout the day, and is also the location of some offices so my thinking was that these posters would be seen over and over again by many students.  Repetition was also the key to the posters on the main staircase.  After seeing a poster over and over again, people are bound to at least read it once if not more.  Outside the library is rather self-explanatory.  Lots of traffic and of course a place full of books, many of the recommendations even on the shelves.  Lastly, outside the teacher’s door was in my opinion the most productive position for the posters.  Whether students were walking into or out of class they could see their teacher and ask them questions about their responses on the poster.  This creates discussion, which realistically is all that I can hope for when it comes to the overall campaign.

Why I Chose This? –Decision making and Success

            The main choices I was forced to make during the project were how many posters, which locations, and which teachers.  After evaluating all sorts of different factors as seen above on the posters themselves, I chose the teachers based on personal experience and peer recommendation.  It’s clear which teachers are well liked by students, and those are the ones I chose to be a part of this project.  Overall, the response to the decisions I made was overall very positive.  If I did it over again, I would check with some younger students to see if there were any different teachers they would have like to have seen.

Reflection

            My literacy project “Great Books from Great Teachers” seemed to have tremendous success.  The end product for the posters was exactly what I envisioned, and I think they did exactly what they were supposed to by catching the attention of students.  Although it is of course extremely difficult to influence the entire student body, I am confident that I was able to make an impact on some of the students.  The only real challenge I faced came from teachers not responding to emails about their favorite books.  There was originally supposed to be ten teachers, but I think the six who ended up a part of the final product helped it to come together nicely.  Overall, I think the project would be marked as a success and I plan to leave the posters up for the next week in order to continue reaching an array of students.  “Great Books for Great Teachers” was a hit and I am very proud of how it all went.

"Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" Review

A Not So Ordinary Bookstore

                                                     

The massive shelves of an old bookstore clash with the surrounding city of technology and development give this enjoyable novel its start.  Sloan’s Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore follows the main character Clay Jannon who lives in the ever advancing city of San Francisco.  Clay is young and smart but facing unemployment after his web design job at a start-up bagel company goes south.  In a desperate search for some money, Clay comes across the bookstore that bears the name of its owner, Mr. Penumbra.  Clay takes on the job of the night clerk in the lonely bookstore that receives almost no business, but still manages to keep its doors open around the clock.  The bookstore itself is unlike anything Clay has ever seen; the tall, narrow building is stacked full of books, however none of them seem to be current or follow any sort of pattern.  The oddest part of the store is the section of books Clay calls, “the waybacklist,” that are rented out by members of a club that visits the store.  Clay originally keeps his eyes off the books, but when his roommate Mat comes to visit they crack open a book to find not a story but a code.  This development causes Clay to focus on one sole purpose: cracking the code.  Along the way, Clay is met by many challenges but also love, renewed friendship, and knowledge.  Clay must find the meaning within the books to help unlock the mystery of the bookstore, Penumbra, and life itself.

The themes in the novel revolve around relationships between characters and contain a positive message that resonates well with the audience.  The main theme traced throughout the book is how friendship affects one’s life and also how eternal life is always present.   Although these concepts may not appear directly related on the surface, the historical figure Griffo Gerritszoon lives on forever through the typeface that he creates during his time spent with his mentor Aldus Manitius.  Although the novel follows the reading group, The Unbroken Spine, who is devoted to unlocking the words of Manutius from centuries ago, it is actually Griffo who holds the key to immortality that they all seek.  Griffo notes how important Aldus has been in supporting him in his endeavors, indirectly stressing that “there is not immortality that is not built on friendship and work with care” (288).  The relationship between the two characters is the key to unlocking the theme hidden within the text of Sloan.  Instead of a special way to make someone live forever hidden in the story of Manutius, the bond between the two men illustrates that although man cannot live forever, friendship and strangely enough font, can last a lifetime.  The relationship between these two highlights good morals, which helps create a positive perspective that resonates well with readers.  By developing these themes of friendship, Sloan creates an enjoyable story where readers are able to relate the ideas to their own lives, which adds significance to the storyline. The relationship between characters that invokes positivity into the story helps the novel to reach a greater audience.

The setting of the story creates a mental image that makes the book a better read.  Setting is an important aspect that often can make or break a story, and in the case of Sloan’s novel, setting places the book a cut above the rest.  Various locations play a role throughout, but Mr. Penumbra’s Bookstore is by far the most iconic.  Clay describes getting books off of its shelves, “look straight ahead, not up or down; you keep your eyes focused about a foot in front of your face and you let the books zoom by in a blur or colorful spines” (11).  This brief, yet descriptive insight into the store depicts the detail that Sloan uses constantly in regards to setting.  The level of intrigue rises greatly when this is the case, and is why this book is transformed from something good into something great.  The massive shelves and blur of color that are described create a clear mental image of a bizarre bookstore that sticks for the entire story.  A clear mental image aids better understanding, and more importantly, leads to more enjoyment for the person reading the book.  A book that is fun to read, and easy to understand because of its descriptions, make this a book many people will enjoy.  For this reason, the detailed setting Sloan illustrates, is the reason the book is such a page-turner.

The end plot created by Sloan is logical, and it must be for the novel to be read from a realistic point of view.  Throughout the story, the plot follows a course of realistic events that could easily happen in everyday life.  The end of the novel continues this trend, which dismays Kat who says, ‘“it’s not good enough…he was so talented, and yet he still died”’ (278).  The death of Gerritszoon, the one who is thought to have the key to escape it, is the only logical way for Sloan to wrap up the story, present his argument on eternal life, and not turn towards the fantasy genre.  Unlocking a key to a true human immortality would have given nothing more to the novel as a whole, and it would instead require an entire new plot to track what this development would mean.  The story falls in a realistic fiction genre, and the death of Griffo is the only way to keep the story from completely changing directions.  Although this choice made by Sloan could be taken as boring, without the realization that no immortality exists, Sloan would not have been able to present the main themes and arguments that he develops.  As a result, the end plot is a necessary wrap-up that helps maintain the realistic tone of the novel.

Robin Sloan does an excellent job in his work, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, creating memorable moments, exciting characters, and an intriguing plot that keeps the pages turning.  This story is the perfect mix of reality and fiction, its fiction helping to create the aspects of the story that help it to be so interesting.  This is a book that should be read by all people, it can be enjoyed by young and old alike because the themes that it presents will ring true for every age group.  Readers will enjoy this rather easy read, and how it keeps a positive tone in each situation throughout.  Bottom line: Sloan’s novel is a must-read for every age and every stage, worth the praise placed upon it and sure to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

This I Believe

Audio recording software >>

Ryan Cullen

This I Believe

I am not the cause of the demise.  I am not the reason race divides.  I am not the reason for the riots.  I am not the reason fires burn with no one to quell them, crimes occur with no one to stop them.  I am not the reason for bankruptcy, for mayoral scandals, for incompetent leadership. I am not the reason for the fall of Detroit. 

            However, I do believe I am the reason for the comeback.  I am the reason the city’s population grows faster than ever before.  I am the reason business after business decides to call this place home.  I am the reason a school can thrive for over a century when nothing else can.  I am the reason people believe.  I am the reason I believe.

            This new generation that has grown around the city of Detroit is above all else exciting.  In many cases, it is those who grow up outside the tough environment of the inner city itself who are most motivated for change.  A group who is proud to be part of the D.  A group that does not want to drive away and never look back, but instead live in this community for the rest of their lives. This group is where I associate myself, and although there may not be any great reason or calling, I feel a powerful bond towards it. 

The bubble that is Grosse Pointe would probably not be the expected venue, nor the city of Detroit the expected topic of a 16-year-old giving his perspective on what in life he truly believes.  I am not writing about the city because I find it to be an easy topic, I’m not writing about it because I think it’s the model of the perfect city.  I am writing about Detroit because I believe in us.  I believe in this generation that is tired of hearing how crappy their city is.  I hate the gaze I get when I describe where I go to school.  But here’s the interesting thing, I also relish it.  I think to myself about how cool it is, how great of an opportunity I have, how I’m proud of not only my school but my city.  I do not want to simply agree and talk about the bad neighborhood, the poverty, the crime, but instead I find myself saying, “this idiot doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”  Sure there’s plenty of things wrong, but there damn sure are a lot of things right with this city, and I want to make a lot more of them.

            I know that I cannot change all that has happened to this city, much of it bad.  It is apparent to me that dwelling on the past is what made Detroit truly fall behind.   Whether this be human rights that divided people 50 years ago, or the unfair characterizations of a community on the comeback today.  For Detroit to prosper, I believe in the power of myself and I believe in the power of my classmates, my fellow preppy Grosse Pointers and the citizens of Detroit themselves.  I believe in the power of each individual to be part of the change.  I don’t care about their background, their social status, their religion, whether they’re gay, straight, black, purple, orange, or white, I care about change.  I believe in change.  I believe in my generation. I believe in I.  I believe in Detroit.