AVA Today-Academy of Visual Arts

Courtesy of New York City Public Library

Walter Dean Myers writes books and stories that deal with urban life. He mostly writes about teens and young adults dealing with situations that seem unique to life in and around New York City. Our classes have recently read his vignette, The Baddest Dog in Harlem. Our focus when reading this story was setting. Mr. Myers depicts the setting on 145th St. in Harlem quite vividly and we were able to visualize the events in the piece based on his descriptive language.

The story has an interesting plot twist, a switch at the climax. The author introduces a further, more tragic climax just when we think we have reached the peak of action. The death of a little, innocent boy in Harlem at the hands of the NYPD is a heartbreaking event. These types of incidents, unfortunately, are not too unusual in real life. Please read the following statement and leave your comment.

• This kind of incident could only happen in neighborhoods like Harlem.

Do you agree or disagree with this statement. Explain WHY and give an example of some evidence you have for your opinion.

“The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one ninth of it being above water.” (Ernest Hemingway)

A story is a telling of events that says something about life.

You go through life experiencing events. In the moment, you’re not sure what those events mean. The meaning of an event might not come to you until a week, a month, or even a year later.

In a story, however, you experience events and get meaning from them as they happen…this happens through the emotion you feel while hearing/reading/watching a story. Your feeling is coupled with thought.

Most stories since the beginning of storytelling have had:

• A character (we are all the protagonists of our life stories)
• A setting (all stories are affected by the places and times in which they happen)
• Conflict and plot: the character has a problem, or problem(s), and things happen as a result.

How long do you think a story has to be, at minimum?

A famous American author named Ernest Hemingway,  wrote a story in six words…

“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

Why is this a story?
Who are the characters? (parents? baby?)
Setting?
Conflict? (Death? Sickness?)
A great story always brings up questions and only suggests the answers, so that readers can come up with their own…what are some questions that this story brings up?

What might this story say about life? What feeling or emotion do you get from it?

Students in Mr. Kannan and Ms.Vigneri’s freshman English classes have explored the six word story and have discovered just what constitutes a story. Everyone has had the opportunity to summarize and interpret several six word stories. Now students have written their own and we have some wonderful six word stories to share here. Please read our wonderful stories and leave your comments!

Photo: By Leila Haddouche, via Flickr Creative Commons)

Summer vacation is coming to a screeching halt and the first day of school is fast upon us. This seems like a good time to reflect back and to look forward. The first day of school is always a bit like New Year’s Day for many of us. We make some promises to ourselves and to others and we hope that we can keep them. I often think about what  makes these resolutions stick. More often than not, the resolutions quickly get forgotten and we fall into the same old patterns. Often these patterns are ineffective and have not been working so well for us. So, how do we change that so that we can start the year off right and keep ourselves on track as the school year progresses?

I find that resolutions are easier to keep when they have three essential elements:

1. The resolutions are realistic and attainable. In other words don’t shoot for perfect attendance and 100% grades in all classes. Shoot for something that will improve upon your present performance but not seek perfection.
2. The resolutions are well supported by family, friends and teachers. In other words, look for people around you who can lend a hand to help you achieve your goals. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
3. YOU are willing to make mistakes. The path to success is not smooth or straight. There are bumps in the road. Be willing to fail and be willing to jump right back into the game when you do.

NOW, let’s hear from you.

• What are some things that you would like to do this school year that will help you succeed in school?
• What are some things that YOU will do to help you succeed?
• What are some things that get in the way of success?

Welcome Back to school and let’s work together to make this a great 2010-2011 school year!

Picture courtesy of www.unitedwarveterans.org

At any time during the weekend, take the time to go to a local monument or memorial. While you are there, place a flower or leave a note saying thanks, and take a moment of quiet, reflection, rememberance or prayer.One suggestion is to check out the NYC Department of Parks & Recreations list of War Memorials in New York City.

Hold a personal moment of remembrance

Many of us take Memorial Day Weekend to enjoy quality time with our families and friends. Why not take just a few minutes to remember those who made these moments possible? At any time during the weekend (May 28-31), gather everyone together. Find a flag and a flower. Share some readings about Memorial Day, talk about why it is important, and what it means to you.

We encourage you to show your appreciation and support for those who served and sacrificed — and their families — not just on Memorial Day, but every day of the year!

In Mr.Liebow’s Graphic Design class at the High School of Graphic Communication Arts, seniors started to use a program called Blender. Mr. Liebow told us that advanced level seniors are the ones who are able to use that program. Some design skills which they learned at Graphics High School are necessary. Also, he told us that some knowledge of web design, Photoshop and basic design skills are important for working with Blender.   Blender is a down loadable program from the internet that allows students to make 3-D objects. To learn about this program Dezires, Micely, and Rosanel, three students from Graphic High School, interviewed four seniors from Mr.Liebow’s class. During the interview we asked the students to describe and tell us how they felt about the program. All of the students agreed that the program was fun and a great experience. One of the students involved in this project, Dennis, said

“If you like comic books or animated things you will pretty much like Blender.”

Using Blender, students created objects that they thought were fun and simple, such as Emely Rodriguez who chose to create three girls from a famous T.V. show known as “The Powerpuff Girls”.  Another student by the the name of Andrew Guzman  decided to create the school mascot, a little devil.

The students gave us much needed advice about the program such as;the fact that the program is very tricky, time consuming, and powerful. They told us that with patience and time you could produce a very promising piece of art work. They recommended that anyone interested in the program should at least have some understanding of Adobe Photoshop. They also informed us that if you don’t take your time and you make a mistake, you’ll end up having to start ALL over again.

Please look at the students work and leave a comment.What are some things that you really like about the work? What did you find interesting about it? What questions do you have about the work or the process? Would you like to try it yourself?

We hope you try the program and; Thanks for Reading!