http://images.townnews.com/nctimes.com/content/articles/2008/04/13/news/inland/escondido/d18b2bae9e5196d18825742a000269431.jpgI would like your feedback on the RenFair prep thus far. This is the first one, so it is somewhat made up as we go along. Will it/should it be the First Annual or Last Ever? We won't make a final determination until afterward, but what has worked well and what would you change thus far? Any ideas for between now and 4/23? Post them here so we can discuss your thoughts (and so I can give you another blog response grade).
23 comments:
ummm so I just noticed this and was wondering when it was due...
yeah i agree with Matt's "ummm". When is this due?
The Renaissance fair seems to be coming along nicely. Both the acting and writing groups are making good use of their time, and the organization for the fair seems good. It looks like the fair will be a great success when it rolls out and definitely preferable to sitting around in a study hall. It is a little disappointing that the whole junior and senior class can't be at the fair at the same time, and that we are limited to 5-6 classes, but if we want to do this in years to come, it needs to work the first time in a more manageable form. I think that, based off how well we perform on the fair, we should consider it becoming an annual event. If it has enough success, we can even do other time periods, it doesn’t have to stay as a renaissance exclusive. An idea that Kieran and I had for the play was already introduced (Satan in the bathrobe), but it isn’t my only one. I was thinking that if we could get an exhibit on torture devices, or even just the technology they had back in those times, it would make people appreciate human ingenuity (because most of those things were very creative, although deadly as well).
I feel that the Renaissance Fair is going pretty well so far. Both classes did a good job of working together in order to get the script of the play done on time, which I felt was a huge accomplishment. I thought that it was a good idea to split the script up into different acts to work on instead of just working on the whole play together as one big group. By splitting it up the way that we did more people were able to get involved in the writing processes, which was nice. Also we did a good job of brining it all together and after the read through making changes to it as a group. The other group that was working on the organization of the play seemed to also be very productive. They seem to really have a good idea of how they want the fair to be go, which is very good.
So far I have really enjoyed working on the Renaissance Fair because it is different then anything else I have done in school thus far. Never before have I had the opportunity to write a play or work on organizing a fair for different classes to attend. While it is somewhat of a challenge it is also exciting.
As for having another Renaissance Fair next year, I think that it really depends on how it turns out in the end. As of now I feel that it would be a great idea to do every year. It could become something that the student body could look forward to if it is a lot of fun, and also something that both the AP Euro class and the Brit Lit class could have fun preparing. If when we have the fair it turns out not so great, or we don’t get good feed back, then it probably should be the last one unless major changes are made. The only thing that I would change as of now for next year is that more classes should be able to attend. I feel that if more people were able to be involved it would be an even bigger success. Also maybe we could look into having some type of outside entertainment, such as Baba Brinkman. I feel that this would make the fair even better.
I think that the Renaissance Faire was a very good idea in general, but I think that the planning could be modified in the future to make a much more successful Faire. First, I think that the extravagance of the Faire should be decided and kept to before actual preparations begin; at first, it seemed like the Faire was going to be held at a much larger scale, with many more people and a lot more going on. The decisions to hold certain events may have been effected if the size of the Faire was known beforehand. The play itself began as an event that could last an hour or more, and though it was a good idea to shorten it as the average student at Cheshire High would not be interested in a lengthy play about Henry XIII, I think the miscommunication about the play hindered the planning about other activities. Second, I think that the Faire should be more entertaining for the general audience. The play was improved so it would be entertaining to most of its attendees, but everything else should have taken this into account as well. Some type of sports tournament would better keep the attention of the students, even if it was a tournament with one of the sports that will be going on anyway. The chess game seems like a good idea, but I’m not sure if after the initial run many people will be willing to play. Checkers is much more simple and would be more appealing to the average student. The days spent planning the Faire could be used much more successfully if the planning group worked as a whole rather than in separate smaller groups because people would be more motivated to participate. It really depends how successful the Faire is this year if it should be held again in the future. Even if it is not entirely successfully, there is much room for improvement and could be very successful if tried again.
Though the Renaissance Faire, was an interesting idea, I think that it takes far too much time out of class. Instead of learning more about other periods of history, we are focusing our attention on only one specific time period, and only in a general sense. We don’t even spend that much time on the actual history of the era – we have spent more time focusing on playwriting and the construction of sets, not anything particularly applicable to history. The time taken out of class has also caused us to be very behind. This particularly affects the students who opted to take the AP test - being so far behind puts them at an obvious disadvantage for the exam. The timing of the Renaissance Faire also negatively impacts students taking the AP exam - it occurs in late April, when students should be studying, not preparing for a Renaissance Faire. Given the consequences of the Faire, it almost seems like you are actively discouraging students from taking the exam.
That being said, the Renaissance Faire is a nice idea, one that makes history fun for students. I wouldn’t rule another one out for next year, if it took up less class time, and perhaps occurred after AP exams. If more classes were involved, with each doing less, perhaps the Faire would require less time to be wasted from class. Also, doing a play is very time consuming. If you were to do one again, I would suggest doing a less involving activity, or perhaps having classes split up into smaller groups and having each group work on a small activity. That way, you could continue the Faire without taking too much time from class.
The Renaissance Faire has been a very exciting and extensive production that seems as if it will be a great success. Although we are still continuing the preparation for this event, I believe that it will be able to be completed without any issues. This project has been very refreshing and has allowed our classes to learn about such an important time period without being in a boring classroom. It has also allowed us to demonstrate how creative we all can be by writing the play, creating the sets, envisioning the set ups, scheduling the events, etc. Therefore, I believe that this Renaissance Faire should be continued for many generations to come and should be opened up to even more classes. One suggestion that I have is to hold the Faire around the school and to open it up to all of the other classes. By featuring this event on the senior walk it is limiting the amount of students that we can accommodate and it would be more helpful for us to spread out the stations so that the entire school could benefit from this learning experience. However, this faire has been a terrific idea that has greatly benefited both our AP Euro class as well as many of the other British Literature classes.
The objective of the Renaissance Faire is to bring history back alive, to show and entertain people about life in the medieval ages. I like the fact the students from History and British Literature are able to create an event together. It’s inspiring to see a small idea gradually grow into a completed creation.
Of course, there are a few kinks that should be worked out. Students are split into groups—the writers and the actors/technical staff. I feel like there is a link that is lacking, like the two groups are doing different things. Also, there is something to be changed within the writers group. We were also split into groups and that was both a good idea. Good, because we were able to get a plot and write it out. Bad, because the plot was not consistent since the script was written by people with different voices. We could have done better with more time.
We’re just starting the set now and the Renaissance Faire is getting closer. Added with the Spring Break, we have almost no time. Scheduling should have been planned out beforehand. We should have come up with a set idea as a whole group instead deciding now what color we should use, what perspective should be shone. I feel like this lack of organization will affect the presentation of the Renaissance Faire.
Have we considered the possibility of participation in the Renaissance Faire to be optional? I know some are not so enthusiastic about doing this event. So if they’re not, it’s not use to have them involved in the process. Will it be possible in the future, to gather help from outside the History and British literature class? I know that it’s best to have people who are familiar with the time period, but this event is also supposed to be a learning experience, right?
Despite being a class that is supposed to be more rigorous than other courses and more geared toward students working independently, I still feel that this class is no longer an A.P class. I looked forward to learning history in detail from start to finish, but I feel like we have drifted away from this because of the Renaissance Faire. The event incorporates a large amount of history, true, but we’ve moved past the Renaissance in history. Next year, maybe if time between history and this planning event was better organized, the students won’t feel like they’re losing touch with history’s greatest details. I’m not taking the May exam for this class but I know some others who are, and they’re greatly worried and slightly angry that they’re not getting the full effect of an A.P. class.
However, I’m sure that if we succeed in this First Annual Renaissance Faire, the rising juniors and senior students will look forward to this event and will take European History or British Literature just to participate.
I feel that we are doing a fine job preparing for the Renaissance Faire, given that this is the first time anyone is doing so. Our initial plans were quite ambitious, and the longer we planned the more we came to realize that they were a bit too lofty given our constraints. I feel that this realization set the entire tone for our preparations; because this was the first time the Faire is being planned, we needed to figure out what we were capable of along the way. We had no groundwork to build off of, and to be entirely honest, it frequently showed in our plans. Much of what we have done has been met by some sort of obstacle, and our original image of the Faire has been ground down again and again. Because we had no true plan, there was frequent miscommunication between groups. The majority of our time was thus spent trying to convey information and determine just where we stood at the present time, which cut back greatly upon the time we could actually use to move forward with creating what was needed for the Faire. It seemed we often had time to spare but could not move forward, either because our plans were not complete or we did not possess the material needed. I feel that if we planned more efficiently, we would have been able to go through with more of our original intentions. However, that being said, being the first time anyone has done this in our school, this is above all a learning experience, and given the inexperience of all working on this project, we have done a sufficient job in planning for this Faire. We have worked through the roadblocks we have come across by altering and improvising our intents. Though we have not put the finished product together, I feel that the Faire will be a moderate success. It will not be what we originally intended, but it will still be a valiant attempt.
Looking back upon the entire process, my one wish is that we had a more concrete idea of what our intentions were from the start. Of course, this would not have been possible given that this was the first Faire, but it would have most definitely allowed for less time to be spent planning and more time spent creating a finished product. I feel that if the Faire were to be continued next year, which I wholeheartedly think it should, those who take up the planning process will have a much easier time with it. We have established the groundwork for them; they would not have to spend the vast amount of time we did trying to figure out just what we were capable of doing. They will be able to build upon our efforts and create a Faire more extravagant than our own. Given a few years time, I believe that if continued and built upon, the Renaissance Faire could become a large and prominent event in our school.
Overall, I’ve enjoyed this experience. It was something different that broke the monotony of the school day, challenged us in a new way. With any luck our efforts will pay off on the 23rd.
The Renaissance Faire has taken shape and seems like it will be a success and a total hit with all the classes. Although we only have a limited time to prepare for the faire and have final preparations to do, I believe we will be able to deliver a faire that will become part of CHS tradition for many years to come. I think it was a fun way to release creative energy from what seems to be a boring AP class, but we have wasted valuable class time. I know it is an AP class and we are supposed to teach ourselves some concepts, but I feel that the Romantic Era project and the Renaissance Faire took away from class time that could have helped people better prepare for the AP exam, but also help clarify questions that arose from the reading. Another problem with the Faire would be the fact it’s in the senior walk, which limits the amount of people that can experience it. If it is a success, then it should be moved out to a larger area so all students can experience history in a new light.
I believe that the Renaissance Faire is a great example of a good idea for getting kids interested in and active in education that did not turn out well. The idea is sound, provide opportunities for research into activities of the time period and allow students to put this knowledge into practice through a demonstration to their fellow peers. While in theory this would be a great opportunity it has turned out to be a significant drain on the AP Euro class in particular. The Brit Lit class has no set time limit to cover and no curriculum that must be finished by the end of the year and therefore this activity could be undertaken at any time. The Euro class though does have a full history curriculum to complete, and while many students opt not to take the AP exams, there are those who do and wish to have the time to fully study for their tests. In addition, many Juniors in this class are taking anywhere from 1 to 4 other AP exams and need to devoted their time to studies. Being taken out of class during the last two weeks before the exam could be disruptive particularly if a class is behind and needs to rush through a great deal of material at the end.
The Renn Faire would be a great activity to do after the AP exams. The impending testing would not weigh down on those kids who would be worried about their performance and they would be free to participate in the faire as a decompression activity due to its practical nature and reduced academic rigor. The Renn Faire has the potential to be the first of many with a few changes- after the AP exam and perhaps a play about a subject high school students find more engaging than the battle for the future of Henry's soul.
Though I am a huge fan of the concept of a Renaissance Faire, I feel as though we are the wrong people to be making it happen. Throughout the past months many days have been poured into this event, days that could very well have been spent learning history. I am well aware of the warning we received early on but something about spending class time making posters and painting scenery strikes me as an odd use of class time. Though I agree that come Friday I’d much rather be making posters than sitting through a lecture, come AP testing time I know for a fact that I’ll be wishing we spent more time covering history. In the future, if the Renaissance Faire receives a positive response, you might want to consider not putting on a production and focus on the various additional activities we have planned. By taking out the production, less preparation time will be needed. The Faire could very well be put on after AP testing has come and gone.
Though the idea of writing a production as a group initially sounded like a good idea, it in many ways fell through. The final product had many different styles, tones, and levels of seriousness. Additionally, the weight of the group ended up being carried by a few people. In the future, if the production is something that you want to bring back, I’d suggest that a smaller writing group be made that meets afterschool rather than during class to create the script. Extra credit could be allotted to them as you see fit.
Though I’m sure the Faire will run nicely come the twenty third, I feel as though the amount of time spent preparing for this event will not be worth the amount of lost class time. Instead of being historically enriching for the attending students, it’ll be a time to skip class and play chess, eat food, and watch a production geared more towards poking fun out of Henry then accurately portraying him. We’re working toward the end goal of putting on an event that other students might very well not appreciate rather than building up our knowledge of history to do well on our AP test. Like many have suggested, I think that the Faire should either be removed following this year for the sake of future AP students or be put on after AP testing.
I am not sure whether it should be annual or not, so far it seems to be ok. Although, it uses a lot of class time, and seems to be very disorganized, but that is to be expected since it is the first one. I think that as far as what worked well was the voting/nominating of ideas/activities. It provided a fair, balanced way to pick which activities should be used in the Renaissance Faire. However as for changes, I would have made the script for the Henry trial a lot earlier. The way the script was made, as far as the actual writing, seemed a bit disconnected and disorganized, but the final product seems alright. It seems as though a lot of things are being done last minute, or were poorly managed as far as time constraints go. I would definitely not incorporate the acting activities we did in Mrs. Carbone's group, as they were a total waste of time, and did not really benefit us that much. I understand the reasoning behind the date of the Renaissance Faire, however, since it is planned for right after spring break, it will be very stressful to put together. If possible, a different day could be chosen for the next one, if there is one, to provide for better preparation after the break. Overall, it is a nice idea, and so far seems like it could be a good activity, but it just takes a lot of time away from class.
I believe that the Renaissance Fair has been a fun and creative project so far this year. The Renaissance Fair will be a fun way for kids to learn information about the Renaissance while having a good time. I believe that if the event runs smoothly then it should be an annual event. So far it seems as if the Fair is coming along according to schedule, the play is well written and it seems like the actors will do a very good job acting it out.
As for suggestions I feel that in order for the Renaissance Fair to be the best it can be that we work on the Fair for longer then we did this year, I know this is extremely difficult to do in the short school year but maybe it could start at the beginning of the year and be spread out throughout the year. I also think that limiting the amount of people able to attend is unfair; I would support the idea that the next Renaissance Fair be held outside on one of the fields. I think that if the Fair were held on the field hockey field then there would be more room for a larger amount of people and in turn have a more Renaissance Fair atmosphere.
I feel that the Renaissance Fair project was a fun and interesting project; it was a large task and certainly must be a little more organized. It was a little unclear as to what we wanted to accomplish at the beginning of the project. I feel that if our main objectives were more defined in the beginning then the whole project would have gone much smoother and quicker. But overall I think the Renaissance Fair should be continued in the years to come.
The Renaissance Fair has been interesting so far. I feel that it is a bit unorganized but for the first one, not too bad. I do believe it is going to make for a fun and educational day for not only our classes but any other student who visits the fair on the day of. This is a good activity to learn a bit about the history during this period as well as the culture of the time.
I like how we split up into the writer group and the acting group because it’s a lot easier. By separating like this no one is stuck having to do something that they didn’t want to do or didn’t choose. And collaborating with the other classes brings some fresh faces and different objectives into the discussions of class. Plus it’s a good way to spend a day of school in the latter part of April.
So far the one thing that I feel will be tough to execute when the day of the fair comes is the production of our play. I feel that content of the story will be confusing for much of our audience. Other than that I think that the fair will go smoothly and we will be able to pull it off successfully. I am excited to see how it all works out on the day of and pending on the success and the feedback of our audience I believe this would be a fun and educational event to run annually.
I have really enjoyed the RenFair up to this point. The whole writing experience is one that was very fun. While learning about the historical background of the period, we also were able to incorporate what we learned in a somewhat humorous play. Now, we are able to design a set that will host this play and give entertainment to those that are watching it. The in-class work is definitely something I would not change, for it worked very well collaborating with the other class. The only thing I would suggest is that the date for the Faire should be pushed back a couple of weeks. If you think about it, we just finished the script a few days ago. That gives the actors 2 weeks to be able to memorize their lines for the entire play, and act it out on the stage in front of a (hopefully) large crowd. The only other one I have is that the school provides the costumes, because I have no idea where the hell I am going to get a Renaissance costume. I definitely think that this should not be the last year that we do this. If we met more often, and spent mor time on this project, this Faire could really be over the top. Just think about it, we could be able to book Bubba Brinkman for next year, and that would make next year’s even greater than this years. If/when we do it next year, I hope to be a part of the experience again and have the ability to help with another great production that this event surely will be.
After seeing the planning that we have accomplished for the Renaissance Fair I am actually enthusiastic about this idea. I really like the idea of planning a Renaissance fair for the students to take part in and I was very surprised at the amount of other classes that were involved. I can see the potential for this idea and I really hope that it continues into other years but there would be a few changes that would need to be made. For starters this project certainly takes up a lot of class time that could be put to better use. The original organization was a bit sloppy as well, as people scrambled to understand what we were actually doing and what would be necessary for a project of this size. Now while this is expected since this is the first year we are trying a project like this, it still goes without saying that we did waste a lot of time doing almost nothing. That time might have been better spent going over material or preparing for the tests and the AP Exam. While it is true that the class may not be focused on the AP material as other AP classes, we still have fallen behind on the actual learning many times because questions and issues could not be brought up in class. As other people have commented as well, the timing of the actual fair is not the best either. With the fair directly after Spring Break it makes most of the organization necessary to do the week before, a time when a lot of other work is piled on in other subjects. The week break also prevents us from getting in contact with one another if something happens to go wrong or changes. This also gives us very little time to deal with the issues that might come up the week of the Fair.
Now even with me saying all that, I really want to see this fair become a real success. A lot of the school is getting involved and we can see that the interest for an event like this is there, especially with the cancelation of school wide activities like B1 day. The organization has begun coming together which makes this plan seem feasible and even without the usual amount of support the school could give us. The potential for this idea becoming much bigger is there as well and I would like to see this project expand and grow but if the planning is to stay within our two classes the time would have to change to a less busy time of the year, like after the AP Exam.
I think the Renaissance Fair is coming along quite nicely. Though I was initially doubtful of this project, but after seeing the overall number of activities that will be offered, I am more hopeful now of it. Because of the many time-consuming details and the long process of making the play, and preparing for the faire, I originally thought it would just be a waste of time. However, as I started writing, I thought it was actually really fun to incorporate history and humor to produce a fun play. Being able to design the set and do much more hands-on activities is also really fun, and I look forward to seeing the final product.
What I think would suggest for further Renaissance Fairs is to have it at a later date. I think especially during a time just before the AP exams, having the Renaissance Fair is just going to take away time from the classroom to study for the AP test. Also, because of the weather, there are possible rain showers on April 22. Thus, having the Fair in May, when it’s a lot warmer and a lot less stressful school-wise, I think it would be good to have the Fair. Also, especially for European History, this is a great end of the year activity when we can combine all the history we learned into a fun project to relieve a whole year of hard work. Also, I originally really looked forward to having Baba Brinkman come in, which I think would be a good option for next year. Another suggestion is to be a lot more productive, especially during the beginning sessions. Instead of spacing the times we meet to work on this project into every other week, I think we should just have a week or an allotted period of time to work on this. This is because in the first few meetings, we didn’t do much, which was a result of not being able to remember what we did the meeting before. However, overall, I think the Renaissance Fair is a great idea and should continue next year as well.
I personally think the Renaissance Faire is moving along smoothly, but there should be better planning in the future due to the limited time given to us. The Renaissance Faire, itself was a very creative and interesting way to educate the students and others on that certain time period and what was done during that era.
Both groups, I believe did a very good job at accomplishing what they were expected to accomplish at the desired time. Also, both the acting and writing groups are not wasting time and are doing more to help the Faire move along without any major bumps or problems. One of the minor problems I think we're facing is the access to props and costumes. Honestly, when this project was first assigned, I was thinking more of a large scale project. Like... A big thing. I thought that this Renaissance Faire would be opened to the whole school, but was a little disappointed that only a limited of 6 classes can attend. Also, I was very disappointed that this Faire that the whole British Literature and AP European History class has been working so long and hard on would only be in progress from possibly 8 AM to lunch time. With all the activities and fun that is going on, it seems very unfair to have to keep it within such a strict 4 hours.
But overall, I really do appreciate that both teachers merged together to come up with this project that would engage the students in a lesson in a more better and exciting way than a boring lecture or reading concrete facts out from a textbook.
Personally, I have very mixed feelings about whether or not the Ren Faire should be annual or not. It is a very good idea, but I feel like there are a lot of missing pieces, the most important being time. The writing people were complaining that they had just finished their acts the day before the read through and had no time to communicate their finished product to each other. This is, of course, led to minor inconsistencies, such as Cramner having no lines and Thomas Moore simply not existing.
Furthermore, I anticipate major problems with everyone learning their lines. I am, in case anyone didn't know, a theatre kid, so I understand that acting is more than just memorizing lines. Most people involved in this have very little acting experience and I worry that they will not understand the effort it actually takes not to simply memorize lines (which can be very difficult in itself) but but to make lines and movement look natural.
The difficulty with adding more time to this project is that we have less class time for... well, for class. I think the suggestion of doing some things after the AP exam is a good one. If next years class starts earlier and plans for later, than only one day a week (as opposed to three or four) could be used for planning and the rest can be spent in class. I feel this would space things out better so everything could be handled at a more relaxed pace. In the end, I'm not sure if the Ren Faire should occur next year, it is a possibility, but definite changes must occur.
I like the idea of the Renaissance Faire because it is a way for students to experience the history of the time period in a completely hands-on way while getting to enjoy a break from typical schoolwork during the hectic spring season.
This is the first any of us have ever done a project like this, and I do think the classes benefited from the experience. Collaboration is important and both classes were able to contribute different talents to each aspect of the faire. I’m glad that we got to choose which group we were in, writers or actors, because it made the experience much more enjoyable for all involved and I think will result in a better end product. But I’m also glad that the separation into groups didn’t feel like isolation. I helped to write the play but I am also helping to paint and decorate the sets. Being involved in the different aspects is making for a more meaningful and educational experience.
I am genuinely looking forward to the Renaissance Faire and seeing how all of the work we put into it will play out. Earlier in the year, everyone got to brainstorm activities for the faire, so we know this is what people actually want. We’ll get to see a live Harry Potter-esque chess game, teachers in stockades getting pies thrown at them, and, most importantly, the play we wrote come to life on the stage. We will not know for sure until after the fair is over, but I do think that future classes would benefit from making the Renaissance Faire an annual event.
Over all, I believe that the Renaissance fair was a great success. I believe that it has much potential in becoming an annual Cheshire High School event. The four major aspects that I found most enjoyable about the event were the tavern, the human chess match, and the performance of Henry VIII. The tavern was a good idea because it provided students with food and beverages. The human chess match generated much attention among my fellow classmates, as well as the Henry VIII trial, which was both entertaining and slightly educational. I also thought that the inclusion of chess matches added much to the Renaissance atmosphere.
Although there were many parts of the Renaissance fair that were brilliantly executed, I also have taken into account that certain things could have been done to improve the exhibition. I noticed that the weather was very cold during the Renaissance fair; therefore, it would have been judicious to have the event on a warmer day. Also, I believe that including songs from the period could have made the day more entertaining. It would have been possible to hire a singer, and this would’ve greatly added to the scenery of the Renaissance fair. Also, it is my opinion that the addition of poetry written from the century would’ve created much interest among the participants. If my suggestions are heeded, I am certain that this joyful event will become even better next year.
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