Summer Project 09 - An initial statement of purposes

I've invited Gavin, Ali Jo, Yu-Xi, Chloe, Andy Lu, Kate, and Dinorah to work with me ove the summer to explore important ideas, make small adventures, and prepare for next year's courses. I believe this project will help us in the following ways:

1. Continue momentum from this last year of a deeper understanding of the world and our place in it.
2. Deepen our sense of teamwork in the coming year and beyond.
3. Continue developing our thinking, writing, reading skills instead of letting them go mostly fallow over break.
4. Prepare for a truly outstanding class next year - both with student-influenced curriculum and perhaps also chunks of student-led lessons.
5. Allow participants to claim an actually meaningful honor/experience for college applications and recommendations.

I acknowledge that this format - invitation only participation - feels unusual. But, based on my experience, its justified and might work well. I picked people who fit the following criteria:
1. Really smart 2. Motivated and consistent 3. Creative &/or Critical 4. High thougthfulness to drama ratio 5. Could exercise leadership next year 6. Likely to enjoy taking part and to make taking part enjoyable.

In preparation for the meeting please post a blog that addresses some or all of the following questions. You can use your old blog, or post a link to a new blog on your old blog.

1. What ideas or feelings do you find yourself focusing on these days?

2. Its weird that school deeply structures your life for 9.5 months - from 7am-3:10pm you're dealing with school and beyond that, with homework and projects. Then all of a sudden you're in summer vacation and have no institutional structure. How does the contrast feel to you? Does family/capitalist-labor/etc conquer the area that the school has temporarily abdicated, leaving you no freer than before or do you have more freedom? Have you been enjoying your time? Are there aspects of school that you miss? Are there aspects of school that you're particularly glad to have a break from? How are you filling/wasting/enjoying the extra time you now have?

3. How many hours a week would you be willing to put towards reading an easyish novel that we were all reading? How many hours a week would you be willing to put towards reading a hardish essay that we were all reading? How many combined?

4. What is a small - 2-7 hour long - adventure that you'd enjoy doing with the rest of us? For instance - make a short film, go to Rockaway Beach, walk on the Appalachian Trail. see a strange movie?

5. Will you be able to meet in the City for the whole summer or do you have a planned excursion for part of the summer - if so, when?

6. What else would you be interested to address or read other peoples' thoughts on?

7. Post some comments on other peoples' blogs that respond to the above points.