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Up Front Opinions: Which "Grit" is the Truest--1969 or 2010?

I first read the novel True Grit when I was about 11 years old. I first saw the original movie version at about the same time, and I’ve been a fan of both ever since. Charles Portis’s novel is an under-appreciated American classic, overwhelmed perhaps by John Wayne’s iconic portrayal of Rooster Cogburn in the 1969 film. Whenever I’ve been asked, “What’s your favorite movie?” my answer has… Continue

Added by Gary Anderson on January 31, 2011 at 4:00pm — 1 Comment

Last Week on Twitter ...



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Added by Gary Anderson on October 18, 2010 at 9:24am — 2 Comments

UP FRONT OPINIONS: Why Do Some Students Get a Bonus for Earning D's?



I know that students keep getting the message that taking accelerated/Advanced Placement classes is a great idea. Is this really true? What are the advantages of taking accelerated…

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Added by Gary Anderson on June 1, 2010 at 9:30am — 17 Comments

UP FRONT OPINIONS: Writers Week XVI--"Now What?"



We've just completed five sizzling days of celebrating writing at our school. We heard from over one hundred student, faculty, and professional writers who shared, inspired, instructed, and made us laugh and cry. "Laugh and cry" may be a cliche, but it's also true.



Now what? Loung Ung, author of First They Killed My Father, challenged us with that question during her presentation: "I'm grateful…

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Added by Gary Anderson on March 3, 2010 at 11:30pm — 2 Comments

UP FRONT OPINIONS: What We Read in 2009



For what it's worth, here are the books I read in 2009:



Bill Bryson: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

Gene Deweese: Star Trek #55: Renegade

Kelly Gallagher: Readicide

Cristina Henriquez: The World in Half

Hugh Howard: The Painter's Chair

Fred Kaplan: Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer

Katharine Kuh: My Love Affair with Modern Art

Greg Kot:… Continue

Added by Gary Anderson on January 5, 2010 at 7:58pm — 12 Comments

UP FRONT OPINIONS: Hello from Philadelphia

Wednesday, November 18, 2009



I haven't exactly given up, but my plan to touch the Liberty Bell will not be easily achieved.



After arriving at the hotel a little after ten, Mr. Romano and I went for a walk toward Philadelphia's historic district in search of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Those sites are about six blocks from our hotel. Along the way, we noticed that many things here are named Liberty This or Liberty… Continue

Added by Gary Anderson on November 18, 2009 at 11:30pm — 4 Comments

UP FRONT OPINIONS: My Biggest Surprise of The School Year (So Far)



Our school has a huge number of students with very active reading lives! I thought that most students only read books when they were required to do so for school, and a certain amount of that reading was “enhanced” by SparkNotes. It’s not true. We have many, many, many, many Fremdites who enjoy reading, talking to each other about books, and hunting for their next good book to read.



Why did I have this misconception? Several years ago… Continue

Added by Gary Anderson on September 30, 2009 at 9:00am — 15 Comments

UP FRONT OPINIONS: Why Was Michael Jackson Such a Big Deal?





When I was a kid, The Jackson Five with Michael front and center was the epitome of pop. I clearly remember when Alpha-Bits cereal featured Jackson Five records on the back--great pop songs like "I Want You Back," "ABC" (perfect for Alpha-Bits, the most educational cereal ever), "I'll Be There." You could cut them out with scissors,… Continue

Added by Gary Anderson on June 26, 2009 at 9:30am — 20 Comments

UP FRONT OPINIONS: The Extra Credit Epidemic

After reading an article from the New York Times regarding expectations college students have about grades, I became very interested in how extra credit is used at Fremd.



For my own classes, I almost never allow extra credit. The only circumstance where it's allowed is if a student is failing but close to passing… Continue

Added by Gary Anderson on May 5, 2009 at 12:30pm — 31 Comments

UP FRONT OPINIONS: What Your Teacher Really Thinks of Ernest Hemingway

My opinions about Ernest Hemingway separate fairly neatly into three domains: style, story, and substance. Let's take them one at a time, even though it's probably not a great critical approach to deconstruct them so separately.



I greatly admire what has come to be called the Hemingway style, that choppy, minimalist approach that is so different from the other American and world authors that came before him. Hemingway changed the way… Continue

Added by Gary Anderson on April 15, 2009 at 8:00am — 1 Comment

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What's up fellow ningers?! :D Happy New Year! Somehow I ended up on the Ning this morning. Don't know if Mr.Anderson and Mr.McCusker remember our American Studies class from 09-10. Great times. It do…

What's up fellow ningers?! :D Happy New Year! Somehow I ended up on the Ning this morning. Don't know if Mr.Anderson and Mr.McCusker remember our American Studies class from 09-10. Great times. It doesn't seem like this Ning has continued on over the years. What happened?See More
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The Civil War in 4 Minutes!

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Justyna Chlopecka posted a blog post

9/11 Skylines and Turnstiles

I'm not usually someone who writes a lot , not publicly anyway but I do love to express my self through art, usually visual art but most of the time the art I make is influenced by something . In this case it's a song a written by one of my favorite musicians as a response to the feeling of horror and disbelief as he watched the Twin Towers in New York go from icons to ruins on 9/11/01. The song is sad,…See More
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