Author Archives: Dr. Ayers

If You Were Gone…

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Dr. Ayers

In class today we read and discussed “Finding Prosperity by Feeding Monkeys,” by Harold Taw (Bedford Reader, p. 110) — Here’s the NPR audio, if you’re interested. I also assigned the intros to Narration (pp. 81-89) and Description (pp. 137-143) for … Continue reading →

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Panning for Gold

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Dr. Ayers

Brian Jay Stanley on writing: The secret of writing is not so much vision or inspiration but the mundane ability to stop tinkering when we realize we’ve written something worth keeping. By an unmysterious formula, one accumulates good sentences by … Continue reading →

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The Power of Metaphor

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Dr. Ayers

There’s an interesting study just out about how different metaphors affect our interpretations of stories. Here’s the story from Psychology Today blogger David DiSalvo: First, the researchers asked 482 students to read one of two reports about crime in the … Continue reading →

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Iowa City Test Prep Wrapup

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Dr. Ayers

On Saturday, ten dedicated AP Lang & Comp students drove down to the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City. We spent a few hours taking a practice test at the Iowa Memorial Union, so everyone could get used to … Continue reading →

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Saturday Test Prep Session

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Dr. Ayers

We will be at the Iowa Memorial Union from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. There’s a big, open, study area on the main floor. You should be able to find us. There’s a parking ramp across the street. If that’s … Continue reading →

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The Straw Man

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Dr. Ayers

Without necessarily endorsing the politics behind it, I thought I’d share this blog post by Jonathan Chait at the New Republic. Chait argues that MSNBC commentator Joe Scarborough is guilty of using a straw man in a recent editorial. Reading … Continue reading →

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AP Test Prep Schedule

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Dr. Ayers

Today, we begin our AP Language & Composition Test Prep sessions. The complete schedule, as previously announced in class and through e-mails to parents, looks like this: Wednesday, March 30 (3-5 pm, rm 64C) Thursday, April 7 (3-5 pm, rm 64C) … Continue reading →

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Reading Notebook Assignmets for Monday

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Dr. Ayers

You should write a notebook entry on Anthony Bourdain’s episode of No Reservations that we saw. Please address these questions: * According to the show, what does Paris, and more specifically food in Paris, mean? * How does the show … Continue reading →

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Frank Deford on ACL Injuries

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Dr. Ayers

Here’s the Frank Deford story we listened to in class.

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Food and Science

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Dr. Ayers

Required Reading (1 NB entry apiece, please, by Jan. 24) Eric Schlosser, “Why the Fries Taste Good,” from Fast Food Nation (preview through Google Books). Monsanto, Inc.’s official response to Food, Inc. Brendan Koerner, “Red Menace,” from Wired Magazine (2010). … Continue reading →

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