The 8th grade class I’ve been working with on Othello has finished their video project, and it is now available for public viewing. Enjoy!

The students watched last year’s Cymbeline video before we began the project, so they could think about what they’d like to do as they read Othello. I’m really happy with the way it turned out. Feel free to share this video with anyone you think would be interested.

From The Taming of the Shrew:

Where’s the cook? is supper ready, the house trimmed, rushes strewed, cobwebs swept; the serving-men in their new fustian, their white stockings, and every officer his wedding-garment on? Be the jacks fair within, the jills fair without, the carpets laid, and every thing in order?

Shift around the letters, and it becomes:

The wry new Jib-Jab video sketch, featuring President Obama, is rife with insightful humor. We elected this shrewder president on his refreshing superhero identity charge. Now, his nerves of steel must contend with many divergent dire tasks.

Watch it here. Pirates! Ka-chow!

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Remember that Karl Fisch video “Did You Know?” that I posted in March 2007? Well, DeLisa just sent me the 3.0 version, and I think it’s worth a repost, not only because of the snazzy new visual design, but also to note the updates over the past two years.

One of the interesting changes is that, while both videos end with the question of what it all means, only the original goes on to answer the question – “Shift happens.” The newer video discards the lame pun, and leaves it to the viewer to decide what it all means. And so, here’s what it all means to me.

School should be about questions, not about answers. School should be about learning how to think, instead of learning what to think. Students should be working collaboratively on projects. They should be experiencing history, and making it. They should be using technology to break boundaries. And we as teachers should realize how much we have to learn from them.

What does it all mean? It means that to be good teachers, we have to teach students how to be good learners. How well are we doing that?

Via One Little Fish comes a very funny, very timely video:

More information about the project here. The video has received over 1 million hits, spreading awareness about an important issue, and making a powerful statement about activism in the information age.

My organization just held an event today that had 7th grade students giving persuasive PowerPoint presentations on current events issues ranging from gun control to the death penalty. I served as emcee, and had a lot of fun riling up the students about speaking out on issues and taking an active part in their democracy.

Perhaps for the next round we should consider using video. I’m already planning a project with students to create Public Service Announcements about environmental issues. Creating current events PSAs in social studies class seems like the logical next step. I’ll keep you posted.

UPDATE: In the post, I said that the video has received over 1 million hits. Actually, the video topped 1 million views on its first day.

I’ve always been a fan of both Rahm Emanuel and The West Wing, but only just learned, via The Media Dude, that Rahm was the model for the fictional Josh Lyman.

Josh Lyman, of course, becomes Chief of Staff for Matt Santos, as life continues to imitate art…

I was impressed by McCain’s gracious concession speech. Typically, during these speeches, the conceding candidate’s supporters boo the winner, affording the candidate the opportunity to be portrayed as a healer by urging post-election unity. In this speech, there was some of that, but it was kept to a minimum. And when John McCain said that America had come a long way as evidenced by the election of an African American as president, the audience applauded and cheered. In my entire life, I’ve never seen a crowd applaud the opponent during a concession speech.

Obama’s speech was beautiful, as we knew it would be, but more than anything else, it was the willingness of the Republican crowd to drop the partisan rancor to acknowledge a landmark moment in American history that filled me with hope for the future of our country.

I’ve been watching reruns of The West Wing on Bravo. Lately, they’ve been showing episodes from the last two seasons. I am a huge fan of the show, but only have the first four seasons (the Sorkin years) on DVD, so this is a big treat for me. In some cases, I’m seeing episodes that I probably haven’t seen since they first ran.

The show is about the fictional Jed Bartlet presidency. The last two seasons focus largely on the primaries and general election to appoint Bartlet’s successor as president. After a tough primary battle, the candidates are the newcomer, charismatic Democrat Matthew Santos (Jimmy Smits), and the veteran, moderate Republican Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda). It’s a race that uncannily mirrors the current presidential contest. Watching the fictional campaigns and their behind-the-scenes strategizing was enough fun the first time around, but watching them during this election season really makes you feel like you’re sitting on the front lines.

These shows were made years ago, so they can’t really be about Obama and McCain. Or can they? My cousin, Boywonderesq, pointed me towards a New York Times article that outlines how the current Democratic nominee was, to no small degree, the model for his fictional counterpart. The article describes other similarities between the two campaigns that nobody could have predicted.

As might be expected, there are considerable differences between the two scenarios as well. First of all, Obama is way ahead in the polls, and has been for some time. The Matt Santos campaign was well behind for most of the campaign. Also, Vinick is forced to compromise on some of his issues, but refuses to pander on issues where he feels strongly. John McCain’s Straight Talk Express has been off the rails for over a year now.

I’ve always liked and respected Senator McCain. He was a national hero. He was a bipartisan leader. And, yes, he was a maverick. More than anything else, watching these reruns of The West Wing gave me a glimpse into something I feel cheated out of: the chance to see that McCain, my McCain, run for president. Instead, the desire to win and the stress of the campaign trail has made him seem like little more than a snarling, pandering, rambling shell of his former self.

Senator McCain was on Saturday Night Live last night. He was relaxed, amiable, and even funny. One thing seemed clear to me: he knows it’s over, and that he’s lost. There was the old John McCain, ready to reach across the aisle one last time and have a good laugh at his own expense.

I doubt Obama will follow the example of Matt Santos and offer McCain Secretary of State. But I must admit that episode seemed a little less silly than it did when it first aired.