The semester is ending, snow is in the forecast, and I'd like to take the opportunity to wish you a restful, peaceful, happy winter break!
As we close the semester, I'll be checking section 4 of your portfolios, looking for your graded final papers with teacher comments and your "portfolio" copy, which means it has been combed and corrected. For additional points, you are supposed to choose one of your final papers for substantive revision. If you are unclear what this means, check the final exam paper directions!
Second semester students should hang on to the portfolios. We will be building other sections as well as adding to your writing repertoire. We'll try additional genres, continue to research, and rearrange our writing groups since the roster will be changing. If you are staying, good for you! It will only strengthen and further your skills. If you are moving on, I am sure you will be missed. Thank you all for your efforts and your patience as we explored new projects! Happy Holidays to you all!
First, a congratulations to all of you for trying something new and sharing something new with the class. It's so nice to see a slide show that compliments what's being said (or voiced over) instead of being read directly from a script posted on slides! The topics were interesting, the pictures colorful, and the whole thing enlightening and entertaining. Bravo!
That said, please post your slide show to our blog by creating your own post and reflecting on the experience (classroom appropriate and kind, please). You might discuss what you learned through your own research - new knowledge about your topic - and also what you learned about the method of presenting. You should mention presentations that stood out to you and taught you something new.
For those of you suffering from a technology snafu (no audio, no transitions, and so forth), kudos to you for trying. Maybe as you upload your slide show to your blog, you can correct the audio or provide in your blog post the text of your information we should have heard. I'm afraid some of the shows got lost in translation because the audio didn't carry the presentation. I didn't forsee this, but I wish I had. It's hard to evaluate these shows. You should have prepared for an event (like no audio) by simply giving your presentation live, but I should have forewarned you as well. I didn't feel like I could ask at the last minute. For those of you who have your audio fixed, we can redo the presentation. If it's not fixed, and you have already presented under duress, provide us on your blog post some of the information that would have been on your audio, or you can still present live!
Some of you are ready to take your show on the road. Wonder when the next Pecha Kucha is in our area!
Wednesday marks the final day for in-class work on presentations and conferencing. To avoid bedlam and maximize productivity, keep conferencing at your own table with members of your group, and whisper or talk so softly that others aren't interrupted with noise pollution. You will be earning participation points today for your QUIET demeanor and ON-TASK behavior. Please no carpet area or moving to sit with friends! I have to insist that everyone can concentrate, so beware of ruining part of your presentation grade with bad behavior (heavens forbid)!
When you have finalized your presentation slides and set the transitioning, please email your presentations to me at both addresses: bjames@spsmail.org and katie.ann.james@gmail.com. Tuesday we are starting presentations, and you will be handing in your presentation packet, made up of two things - your outline and your conferencing notes. You won't need a folder, but you will want to staple your notes to your outline for full credit.
We will play the lottery for the order of presentations, so come prepared! Good luck! Break a leg! Can't wait!
If you haven't handed in your autobiography packet (first draft with conferencing notes and second, polished draft) or your annotated bibliography, turn them in before next week. Last chance for full credit is this week, and the last chance for late credit for these and anything else is Tuesday, December 9th!
For Friday: First, a sad farewell to Ms. Reaves! You will be writing a letter, and she will give you more input. Please show your respect by giving her your very, very best on this day!
You are wondering what's in store for Friday, and if all goes well today, we may finish "loose ends" quietly, but there'll be no conferencing so that those of you wanting to work on the portfolio may do so in class.
A "loose ends" day is not a "free" day. Rather, it is a class period set aside for organizing the portfolio, for polishing the presentation independently, or any other composition work for this class. On Wednesday you all received print outs of your grades.
Friday is a good day to devote to missing items, polishing your pieces for the portfolio, and reading the blog! (Your portfolio cover sheets are available on the front table. Remember, you will make necessary corrections to your three formal pieces - your "This I Believe" narrative, the personal statement, and the autobiography. You will choose one of those pieces to make substantial revisions! Fun!) Friday is a day to work in pleasant silence!
For those of you working with Google Presentation, here is a very handy youtube video that describes the process of creating transitions that last 20 seconds per slide. Take a look and see if that answers any of your questions!
To give you an idea, I had no idea how to do it and now I'm pretty sure I could make a very impressive Pecha Kucha if given the chance. ;)
Hello 7th block! I hope that you had a nice break, but now we're back to the daily grind--your research presentation!
Today, your task is simple. Firstly, your presentation should already be in the works. Ms. James and I will be returning any outlines that have been turned in (all outlines will be collected on the day of your presentation, so keep track of them) and the day is yours to conference and rehearse for the big presentation day.
The second item on the list requires that you think critically about what makes a presentation work. We will be watching part of a sample Pecha Kucha in class today and then you will be asked to pick a Pecha Kucha from the official website to watch, analyze, and write a blog post about it. Think about the following as you view the presentation:
1. What does the presenter do well? Are there any aspects that were particularly effective?
2. What might the presenter do to improve? Are the visual aspects interesting? Do they talk too quickly?
3. What did you notice about the presentation as a whole. What are your feelings about the Pecha Kucha as a presentation form? Do you think you'll be able to fill in your 10 slides?
If you address items 1, 2, and 3, you should have at least two paragraphs or more!
Lastly, the day will consist of conferences over your Pecha Kucha presentation. Even if you have yet to complete your Powerpoint or Google Slides presentation, you should still present a rough draft to at least two partners (one person at a time). Each presenter and responder have a sheet to fill out to discuss the rehearsal process and any revisions that need to be made.
Good luck on your rehearsal and Ms. James and I cannot wait to see the final products. Break a leg!!
Bonus: The assignment is worth 10 points. Those posted before class on Wednesday will earn 10 bonus points. Those posted by the end of class Wednesday will earn 10 points. Zero points for classwork not completed.
Here's a link to a "how to" pecha kucha presentation with some helpful tips of how to plan for the best and to avoid the train wreck.
The project is comprised of: annotated bibliography, rough outline (due on Monday after Thanksgiving), your conference notes, and the presentation itself, which can be created by way of PowerPoint, Prezi, or i Movie. Presentations will take place on December 9th and 11th.
In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope
your break is restful, warm, and wonderful!
With our trip to MSU behind us, I hope all of you have found a great topic and several sources to support your presentation. The remaining days together this semester are few! Here are some important dates you've asked for:
Annotated Bibliography – end of class on Thursday, November
20th
Outline due - Beginning of class on Monday, November 24th
›Work on script and slide
presentation Monday, December 1
›Conference/rehearse for presentation
Wednesday, December 3
› presentation/ Work on
final portfolio Friday, December 5th
December 9 -
presentations
December 11 – remaining presentations – portfolio work
I am attaching a letter written by Laoshi (teacher) James to all of you. He wants you to know how powerful and engaging your letters are and how much the assignment means to his students. Thank you for the time you have spent and the care you have taken to answer their questions and to make kind observations.
Please know that your efforts can be rewarded, if you so choose. You can print out your emails to your correspondent and turn them in with your writer's notebook pages.
As you receive email responses from China, and you begin panning for ideas and sources of support, you may find yet a new direction of interest. No problem: Monday 's research blog post is a simple "snapshot" of a point of interest from China, and it is due before class.
If you are still looking for a response from a Qingdao student, here are their class email addresses:
The autobiography you received
should have the class number in the heading, or you can check with me.
It would be good to stay in the same class for even distribution. If
you send a class email, you should send your autobiography as an
attachment because many of these students will not have seen it.
We'll be reading your posts in class on Monday and searching for a common thread or an emerging picture of who those students are, what their lives are like, what their hopes and dreams are, and any other part of the Chinese culture that makes them unique and yet not so very different.
The purpose of the assignment is twofold: learn about China and learn how to find and use primary and secondary sources. This assignment was intended to lead us into another research project. Since Thursday is a senior Shadow Day, you may choose to research your career of interest or a cause or activity you feel passionate about. Your primary sources may be the person you shadow or other employees you meet.
However, in looking at some of the email responses coming in from China, I am learning that continued research on your China related topic may be the direction you may wish to go. You have access to primary sources, students who are enthralled with this exchange and anxious to help you. I now have a class email address for our Chinese correspondence, so if you send your questions to the class address, you will surely get a number of responses to your questions.
This means that you have choices to explore. The trick is, though, that you will need to commit to a research topic by the end of class on Wednesday next week! The MSU librarians are standing by to help you, and we will need to give them some of your topics.
Where is the additional research going? It's going into a presentation you will share with the rest of the class. You may want to continue exploring what you can find on Chinese medicine, or Chinese traditions, superstitions, festivities, and so on. You may read through the blog and find a new idea you would like to research. Your call. Project instructions and rubric will be handed out Monday.
Here are some examples of research posts from last year. Keep in mind that their rubric is a bit different from yours, but these should give you a good idea of what you can do.
Yes, there is a writer's notebook due this Friday. We haven't had a writer's notebook since October 17th, so I hope you have been scribbling or typing out pages here and there.
Your personal statements have been graded and will be returned to you this Thursday and Friday. It was gratifying to see how many of you plan to use them in your college search. If you haven't turned in your personal statement packet, be sure you do that SOON. It's short and simple (easy for me to say)!
Next week was scheduled to be a reading response week, but since it is also job shadow and junior community service day, we will be blogging about our plans for the future and what our passions are. Stay tuned to the blog for more information. Right now I am looking forward to reading your research posts about China. Those are due before class on Tuesday next week. We will continue in-class work on them Thursday (the 6th).
Next Tuesday's class will be the last time we meet before our November 17th planned trip to the MSU library. I'm still missing a number of permission slips and need to have them by the end of the week in order to reserve enough lunch passes for us all. Turn in the permission slip even if you aren't going and simply indicate that on the form. Oh, yes, one more thing... Turn in the shadow day/community service day permission slips. The day is approaching: November 13th!
Our China research blog will evolve from your experience reading letters and autobiographies from students at Qingdao University. Think about things that surprised you in the text of their work. What did they write that peaked your curiosity? Some of the ideas I've heard are: the lunar calendar, one child policy, education in China, ethnic minority cultures, Eastern medicine, sanitation, health care, family structure, "City of Lost Children," Chinese weddings, standards of beauty, food quality control (FDA), Chinese weddings, festival celebrations and traditions; family traditions, family structure, traditional Chinese food, income average for recent college grads, public transportation, cost of college, and more.
Your research post should have a title which reflects what you are researching. You must include a summary of what it is that you want to learn more about and what peaked your interest. You must include at least two sources. The primary source, of course, comes from the letters or autobiographies. If you can ask your correspondent to give you more information, great. If you want to quote from their paper, this counts. The second source must come from published information about your topic. Wikipedia might give you some direction to start with, but from there you can find another source. Please hyperlink us to your source!
Give us an image which will enhance our understanding of your topic. And finally, you must include your learned opinion. At the bottom of your post, cite your sources!
Good luck! I can't wait to read more! This post is due before class on Monday, November 10th.
So...please include:
a catchy title
summary of topic
how/why you chose this topic
2 sources, one primary and at least one secondary (or two secondary if you cannot get an email response from China in time for the post)
hyperlink us to your secondary source
give your opinion
provide an image or images to enhance your post
explain your images, of course, and any material you quote.
This week you will be receiving autobiographies from Qingdao University's English reading and writing students. They carefully combed over your autobiographies and signed up to correspond with the student of their choice. Each of your autobiographies served as a model for each of the Qingdao students to compose their own and to trade with you.
This task for them is daunting when you think of the difficulties in translating English to Mandarin. Even more daunting might be understanding a culture vastly different from theirs. So these students had to first translate your words, understand what you are describing in your daily lives and hopes for the future, and form an impression based on their understandings. They will be corresponding with you via email to share their questions and connections and impressions with you. This will be a further challenge as they translate their thoughts into English words.
It should be obvious to you how hard they must work to do this and how much they care about how their autobiographies are received.
Class time Wednesday will be devoted to reading through the autobiographies from China and finding topics of interest, connections you make, and questions you have. You will be composing an email "conferencing" letter to your student. Today you may begin composing your thoughts and drafting your email. When you are ready to send your email (after carefully proofing and conferencing and printing out your draft) you must be sure to copy me in your email so that you receive full credit. Please include:
things that surprise you or that you are curious about
questions that you have and things you would like to know more about
connections that you can make
a thank you for their time and consideration
any other information you would like for them to know about you...
PLEASE copy me in your email to my gmail address: katie.ann.james@gmail.com
Your lives are quite different. I'm sure you will have questions. Please be sensitive to philosophical and religious differences. It's perfectly alright to ask tactful questions, but this is not a forum in which to "witness" your beliefs. Also, though your lives are different, this doesn't mean you should feel sorry for them. They don't feel sorry for you.
Even if the autobiography you receive is short, your response must be a minimum of three paragraphs long. Let's say, for example, you are assigned a paper that is only one paragraph with several pictures and no explanation. That's your opportunity to read carefully and respond to the information provided, ALL of it. If they mention family, ask questions about them. If they say they live far away, ask about living conditions, travel to school (how), what the parents do for a living, and so forth. As to their pictures, why did they choose the pictures they did? I saw, for example, the same picture of a girl on two different papers, with the caption, "Beer City." Who is the girl? Why is the label "Beer City"?
You must be thinking questions, millions of them, as you peruse these papers. Ask those questions politely. Don't criticize; simply ask. How about offering some related information about yourself? What's the drinking age for beer in Springfield, for example? Taking time, giving careful thought, and making this a meaningful exchange is the goal. If your goal is to receive an "A" for the project, then give this the time and care it deserves. How disappointing for a Chinese student to look forward to your response and only receive a slopped out, short, hurried response. How disappointing for the American student who earns an "F"! Let's make them happy...and YOU, too!
I am humbled by how kind and supportive these Chinese students seem to be as I sift through the voices emerging from their autobiographies. They genuinely care about how you see them and also how you feel about their English skills. You will have a chance to read through their autobiographies with your writing group and to discuss what you think with your group.
Next Tuesday we will be traveling together to the Parkview library where we will have a chance to do a bit of research on a topic you find in these autobiographies. We won't be writing a "research paper" per se; rather, we will be gathering support for a research blog post about the stories you read and the area of interest you find.
You are looking forward to a nice four day weekend in which you can ponder your topic of research and be ready to hit the PHS library!
Our class will be traveling to MSU to use the research resources at the Meyer Library, tour the campus, and enjoy lunch...at MSU! One of our upcoming projects will entail finding sources of support for research we'll be conducting (more information to follow), and the MSU librarians will be available that day to share their expertise and ideas.
Those of you who are dual enrolled will want to bring the paperwork that came by mail from MSU.
It would be best to set up your bear mail account before our trip to MSU. During our tour, Suzi Jordan, coordinator of English dual enrollment, will take MSU students to the union to have their id's made. MSU dual enrolled students will also be able to log into the MSU system by using your identification numbers sent in the mail.
One of the great perks of this trip, in
addition to getting MSU's help with
research, is free lunch in one of the dining spots on campus. We'll be boarding a bus from Parkview at 9:00 and returning to Parkview at 1:00. You'll be missing part of your second block class and your third block class, but you'll return for your eighth. If you attend the trip (and I hope you do), you will not be counted absent, but you'll still be responsible for the work you'll miss.
(We'll exhibit better manners than Elf!)
Make sure you bring back a signed permission slip next week so that I can reserve the correct number of lunch passes!
Meantime, we'll be reading letters of response to your autobiographies next week. Please bring your autobiography folders to class with you. You'll be looking them over one more time for possible revision and for your own clarification for any questions you may be asked in your letters.
Keep reading our class blog! Seems like this is a step some of us skip. If you are reading this, write down the name of our MSU coordinator (mentioned above) on a whole piece of notebook paper and put it in the "make up work" basket before class.
Bonus for the last week of October: no writer's notebook, and no independent reading response due!
Instead, if you'd like an additional grade entered into your personal scores, you may hand in an extra writer's notebook or an additional book response and we will enter it in as an additional
score. This isn't "extra credit" per se; it will be a chance to earn a 50 out of 50 or 40 out of 40 if you'd like a little extra "insurance" on your total grade.
Upcoming Fridays: October 31st - Halloween - free
November 7th - 5th writer's notebook
November 14th - 5th reading response
(topic to be posted)
November 21st - 6th writer's notebook
November 28th - Thanksgiving - free
How we view the world plays a paramount role in how we respond to our reading and to each other. Here is a link to a Harvard University implicit bias test. I think you will find it enlightening! Take time to test yourself and to ask yourself if the results are accurate. Knowing how biases play a part in our own perceptions may be a key in understanding ourselves and our culture. You do not have to post your results; however, I want you to notice any surprises.
Today we will also view and read the Face to Face project, a site dedicated to sharing stories of what it means to be an American in times of fear and confusion.
Please read and post your thoughts on the stories, supporting your reactions with specific details from the screen or text or your own observations. You should be able to view or read all of the narratives, and respond with your own reaction to at least two or three of those that stood out the most to you.
Another interesting lesson taught by a third grade teacher Jane Elliott following the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. can be viewed at this website. Her lesson, A Class Divided, may be every bit as effective today.
You have a lot to watch and read today, but if there's time left, you can enjoy some silent reading time and time to read the other bloggers' posts. Enjoy!
I notice many of you are posting on your own as you read. Good for you!
For those of you looking for another option for Friday book responses, read the two articles linked in this post and respond. For the first link, the Dave Barry article, read and enjoy it, and leave a comment about it in the comment box below. The New York Times article, also linked below, should be treated just like a book response. You will include all the same components: short summary, your analysis with a significant passage to support your opinion, a photograph or illustration with explanation, and careful attention to conventions (spelling, grammar, and so forth).
The first link addresses the spread of contagious diseases (like senioritis), which threatens the health of our classroom! So it's time to lighten up, laugh at ourselves, and get the most out of the time left in the semester. That said, this article is dedicated to all of you, juniors and seniors. Read, enjoy, and comment with your own reactions - humorous, serious, or otherwise. As you think about your future plans, what connections can you make with Dave Barry, your own angst, your own challenges?
The second link takes us to an article about how much cheating goes on in school. Does everyone have the same definition of what constitutes cheating? Is it OK to look over at someone else's paper during a test, or copy someone's homework, or turn in something you've written for one class to a different class? A problem teachers and students face today is the availability of papers and information on the internet and the ease with which someone can "borrow" material.
The New York Times offers an interesting article about plagiarism. Please create a post in response to the article. You can post about both links for full credit anytime this week up through Friday, October 24th. Read and comment as others begin to post. Issues of honesty touch us all and affect the morale, atmosphere, and collegiality of the class. I know they say that cheaters are only cheating themselves, but I've seen it discourage hard working students as well when cheating goes unchecked. What do you think?
The next couple of weeks of class are going to be spent in search of your future! By that I mean we will research colleges or trade schools and the statements that many require, scholarship applications, and any other writing that will help you in your quest. To start, we will review together a list of traditional topics for college essays or personal statements. We will also read sample essays in hopes of generating some ideas. So have fun! You get to earn credit for taking care of your business!
A note of due dates: a rough draft of your statement is due Tuesday. We will conference (one conference) in class on Tuesday. Final drafts are due on Thursday!
An additional thought: If your prospective college or university does not require a personal statement, or if you have already written a statement and sent it in, you can still make this assignment useful for yourself. Look through the scholarships listed on the counseling website or listed on your college and university and write the scholarship essay for this assignment. Otherwise, choose a sample topic from above. It's good practice, and who knows? You may well be able to use it in the future.
REMINDER: Please fill out the survey on China if you have not. The link is provided on the post below!
Before we exchange autobiographies and participate in a "writing conference" (of sorts) with students from Qingdao University, please take this brief hyperlinked survey, indicating what you already may know or don't know about the students we will hear from.
This is a picture of the Qingdao Sailing Center and International Marina, where the Sailing Olympics took place in 2008.
.
Since
we've been thinking about how what we read inspires or influences what
we write, I thought it might be fun for you to check out a website I've
seen that analyzes a bit of your own writing and tells you what
published author your writing is similar to. I tried it with one of my
blog posts and evidently I write like Edgar Allan Poe!. Interesting. Go to I Write Like and try it yourself. Leave a comment on this post telling us your results and
what you think of the results. Have you read any of the author's work?
What are some of the titles? If you are unfamiliar with your author,
research who this person is and some of the titles he or she has
written. See what you think! Share your findings with us!
At this point in the quarter, I worry about a few of you who may be overwhelmed with late work and at a loss for where to begin. This post is for you! (Everyone else should read this, too!)
Didn't write the autobiographical piece? It's really very simple. Give your readers a glimpse of who you are, your family, friends, hobbies, talents, or describe what your day is like, what your dreams are, or what you'd like to do in the future. Break ßthe text into three parts, any three parts you would like to write, making each somewhere around 500 words, adding up to around four to five pages. You may have a bit more, depending on how many pictures or illustrations you have, and some sections may be longer than the others. Add some clever titles or subtitles to make it easier for your readers to follow.
When you come to class on Thursday, you will receive instructions on how to format and email the paper to me (bjames@spsmail.org). That is all you will hand in at this point. Keep your folder with the first drafts and conference notes. Your papers will be sent to a college English class in China for final conferencing by way of email. When your responses are mailed back to us, we will return to the folders for a final perusal before you turn it in.
This I Believe still not completed? You also have a link to the NPR website with sample essays to read so that you can glean some ideas and tailor yours after the samples. This siteprovides more information.
Reading posts are impossible to create if you don't read. What can I say? Good writers read. If you aren't reading independently, grab a book and start. Your third blog reading response is due on Friday, October the 10th, the last day of the quarter. You will have completed three writer's notebook installments and three blog reading
responses.
Every Friday something is due! It will be either a reading response or a 5 type written, double spaced pages to add to your writer's notebook. (Handwriting is fine as long as you keep length in mind...)
The next project is an analysis of the film Crash, which we will watch the first week of second quarter. This academy award winning movie provides a powerful illustration of cultural perspectives. You'll need to get a letter of permission signed since the movie contains some "colorful" language and violence. It will give us all something to think about, write about, and a chance to utilize resources and provide attribution
Don't slack off! Keep writing, reading, blogging, and expanding your talents and thinking! And here's a bonus: Jot down two book titles written by author Antony John for extra points. We are invited to his lecture and writing workshop here at Parkview next week. This should give your writer's notebooks a lift!
We often turn to the words of others for inspiration, guidance, or even just a good laugh. These words might come from favorite pieces of literature, song lyrics, a wise family member or friend, even movies or TV. I would like you to add a quote (or two..) that means something to you or that you just like as a comment to this post. Then add that same quote as a Text Gadget in the sidebar of your own blog.
I have a couple of quotes that I like:
"What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?" (author George Eliot)
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."(author Maya Angelou)
"Love is the answer, at least to most of the questions of my heart."(musician Jack Johnson)
Your quote may be from a person you know or a person you don't. It may be funny or serious, thought-provoking or light-hearted. Just so it speaks to you. On the topic of "quotes," I'm adding a link here to a funny site that documents superfluous (extra, unnecessary) uses of quotation marks. Maybe it's only funny to me as an English teacher, but take a look: http://www.unnecessaryquotes.com/. Be on the lookout for unneeded quotation marks in your world...maybe you could send one in.
This I Believe essays were returned last class period, and you were asked to create an editing check list.. We will begin freewriting today by looking at famous first lines just for fun. Digging into your writer's notebook, you will be challenged to compose your freewriting today based on a famous first line of your choice and a famous last line of your choice. This may become a part of your next writer's notebook (#3).
Just for kicks, here's some information about two various lines...
Famous First Line:
"You better not never tell nobody but God."
This line opens the novel The Color Purple, published in 1982 by author Alice Walker, who was born in Georgia on 9 February 1944. Through letters written back and forth to one another, the novel traces the story of two poor, African-American sisters who are separated, one married off to an older, misogynistic neighbor and the other called to serve as a missionary in Africa. The main character Celie also writes letters to God because she has no one else to share her shameful secrets and her deepest feelings with.
The book was lauded by critics and was awarded both the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award. The NY Times deemed Walker "a lavishly gifted writer" and this, her third novel, "her most impressive." Readers responded to Walker's narrative style and identified with her female characters especially. Most agree that Walker's novel is "a poignant tale of women's struggle for equality and independence." Some of Walker's other works include In Search of Our Mother's Gardens (a non-fiction book about her life and her writing) and Meridian.
I’m planning to read this book again. I know I will find something to shake my head at, mumble an "amen" to, laugh about, cry about...Such a powerful work to me--I will read it many times more, I know.
Famous Last Line:
"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."
F.Scott Fitzgerald ended his most famous novel The Great Gatsby with these lines, considered by some to be the best closing lines of any novel ever. The novel came out back in 1925 but still shows up on collections of all-time classics and high school reading lists. Narrator Nick Carraway offers insight into the vapid society of West Egg, New York, in the 1920s, as well as the mostly empty marriage between Tom and Daisy Buchanan. The action centers on languid afternoons and extravagant parties at the mansion of Gatsby, an enigmatic millionaire.
The NY Times called The Great Gatsby "a curious book, a mystical, glamourous story of today" and one that "takes a deeper cut at life" than others before and after. Fitzgerald also wrote This Side of Paradise and The Jazz Age and is also known for his tumultuous marriage to his wife Zelda. Fitzgerald, born in 1896, lived a lavish lifestyle and died of a heart-attack at the age of 44.
I read The Great Gatsby in English class my junior year in high school. I re-read it again last summer with my English III class.
Tuesday: Ms. Reaves and I returned This I Believe packets for one final revision to be turned in on Wednesday. Students were given the option of revising belief statements and papers. We spent the class period responding to bloggers' 101 Things. Ms. Reaves gave a presentation on The Bear Claw and the writing conference.
Thursday: We turned in the final This I Believe packets. We read all of Friday's reading responses and we were assigned to comment to a minimum of 10 prior to the 2nd reading response due date.
Monday: Ms. Reaves and I miraculously graded and will return all This I Believe packets this coming Monday. We will spend the class period conferencing. You will read eight introductions and revising four. Those will be due on Wednesday at the beginning of class if you don't turn it in by the end of class.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The next weeks:
THE NEXT PROJECT is underway. You will be writing a feature style autobiography in three parts (to be determined by you). Project due dates are as follows:
1st draft of section one is due on Monday, September 23rd at the beginning of class for conferences. 1st draft of sectiontwo is due on Wednesday, September 25th at the beginning of class for conferences. (2nd book response is due Friday, September 26th) 1st draft of section three is due on Friday, September 26th at the beginning of class for conferences.
2nd draft conferences for the combined (all) packets are Tuesday, September 29th. Final packet is due on Friday, October 3rd with an electronic copy to be sent to bjames@spsmail.org as well.
For those of you who actually read this thing, there should be some kind of reward beyond the intrinsic good feeling of accomplishing what you've been asked to do. So, what might that be?
A day off from school? Sorry, no can do.
A boost to your savings account? Sorry, the coffer is empty.
Well, then, how about a boost to your grade "account"? Yes, that's it! How about this: Stop by my desk before class on Monday and slip me a note with the word "ratiocination"; if you'd like even a few more points, give me the definition! Oh, by the way, this is a secret. Don't tell anyone else, or the jig is up and the deal is off!
As you read through last Friday's book response posts, you'll find a vast array of book choices and critiques. You just may find your next book title amongst the menu of choices. Then again, you may read posts for books you might stay away from, depending on the genres you like.
Take Carissa's post, for example. You'll see that Dust and Decay is about more than zombies. Do you like romance novels? Check out Bailey's post about Every Day . Makenzie writes about one of last year's Gateway nominees, Amy and Roger's Epic Detour.
There are so many suggestions for reading on our blog, some good books, some not so good. Jazlyn, for example. She doesn't stick with a book unless it catches her attention early. Delirium, however, was a book she couldn't put down. By the way, it looks to me like Michelle is someone you might ask for book recommendations!
There are many other good responses. Please read through all of the reading responses and make meaningful comments on those that speak to you - at least ten. If you see a post with no comments, please respond to it so that no one is left out!
Looking ahead, don't forget that writer's notebooks (#2) are due Friday, September 19th at the beginning of class. Don't fall behind. After the next Friday (the 26th), it is too late to earn credit on writer's notebook # 1. In other words, late work won't be accepted after the next Friday!
Our next reading response is due next Friday, September 26th. If you have still not posted your first reading response, you must print out a copy of your post, attach it to your blank score sheet, and upload it to your post to the blog. You have until the next Friday to earn late credit for your late post, but after then, it will be too late to redeem points for your work!
Happy writing, reading, and blogging!
Are you reading me? Visit the September 11th blog post! This will tell you to respond to ALL bloggers' 101 Things post!
Today in class, I took some time to explain what goes on at the Writing Center, the expectations of consultants, and the amount of time and effort that should go into prepping your paper for peer conferences within our class. I know some of you might like to have the information, so I have provided a link to the powerpoint on Google Documents. It is set to open in a new window.
I highly encourage that you keep what we discussed in mind when writing for Grammar and Composition. Writing and efficient communication are aspects of daily life, regardless of whether or not you plan to attend college. Being able to express your thoughts and provide support for an argument are skills that will aid you in life, as well as in your other classes.
Please take a look at the document and comment with any questions! I will do my best to answer them. :)
This week officially marks the week we become bloggers, at least for those of us who have not blogged before. For those of you struggling with a new medium, I want you to know I appreciate your efforts and your patience as you learn your way around.
Building a community takes time, so I ask you to read each other's introductions (101 Things) and post thoughtful comments to all. Yes, to all. We shouldn't be selfish bloggers who are only interested in our own work. The purpose of a classroom blog is based around the idea of collaborating as we use this site to share ideas, ask questions, and develop our writing, reading, and thinking. Those of you who are already tech savvy, please help others get their blogs set up this week.
Many of you have asked again when all this is due. Here's the order of what's due:
First, create your blog.
Next, post your blog address in the comment box on my "Away We Go" post.
When your blog is up and you have posted on my post, help the rest of your group complete
these steps if they have not yet done so. For that matter, quietly help anyone else in
class who still needs to get set up.
When this is all completed, you may read quietly, gathering information for your own reading
response post. This is due at the beginning of class on Friday!
Greetings 7th Block!
It's been a few weeks now and I've finally learned every single one of your names (I think!). To celebrate, I've been reading through your blog posts and getting to know you a little better. I know that I've shared a little about myself, but I thought I would write just a bit about me...9 things to be exact.
1. I love to teach! Though I may not have taught any lessons in your class yet, I have been working with English III and let me tell you, teaching is so rewarding, if challenging. Try talking to high schoolers about poetry. Oh yeah...nevermind.
2. Travelling!!! I LOVE TO TRAVEL.
This picture is me in London three years ago. We were only there for ten days, give or a take one or two traveling, and it was the most brilliant thing I have ever beheld.
3. Until last summer, I had never been to St. Louis. Call me crazy, but I've lived in Missouri my entire life, and St. Louis was apparently just too far way. I went with a friend of mine and actually touched the Mississippi River. Not too shabby, eh?
4. I am a musical nut. I love musicals. You name it, I probably love it. This summer I saw Wicked in Tulsa, OK, and I've also seen Phantom of the Opera live.
5. Movies. Movies are my thing. I love literature, but I also feel like film is an excellent medium to study. A new favorite of mine is Cloud Atlas, which raises questions about life, death, and love across time and space. It is not cheesy, however, just in case you're interested.
6. I'm a gift giver. Giving people gifts makes me happy. I'm that person on Christmas who is more excited about watching people open their presents than actually opening my own!
7. I have three younger siblings. My sister is a freshman at MSU and I have two younger brothers, ages 16 and 13. They attend school at Logan-Rogersville.
8. Pins. I am an amateur pin collector, but I'm afraid to lose them, so I only use them to decorate and not actually to put on my bags or lanyard. What's the point, then? Well, I'm not quite sure.
9. I LOVE ART. I believe that anything can be considered art, from paintings to films, architecture to literature. My best friend took this picture on our second only trip to Jeff City and I think it is quite magnificent.
Thanks for reading and I hope to get to know all of you over the course of the semester. Let's learn together, shall we? :)
First of all, let me say what a joy it is to work with all of you. You are a bright group, a clever group, and it's going to be a wonderful journey for us to get to know each other through writing. Please let me remind all of you, though, it's a privilege to participate in writing workshop. so I want to refresh you about your choices. You may quietly conference with your group about your teammates' papers, compose and revise your own paper, work on your writer's notebooks, or read your independent choice book quietly. Sometimes when there are a number of choices, it is tempting to get side tracked. Don't!
l. On Thursday, September 4th we will be conducting our second draft conferences. You will bring in a revised - substantially revised - copy of your narrative. I hope your group gave you some valuable input as to possible revisions you might try for your second draft. Think about the questions they asked you. Think about revising your introduction, starting differently. Do you spell out for your readers what it is you do or don't believe in? How about jazzing up the description in your narrative? Can you paint a picture with words to show your reader what you are describing, or who you are describing or where your narrative takes place? Does the personal anecdote or story explain why you have formed your belief?
1. When we meet on Monday, you will be turning in your final This I Believe writing packet. Just to clarify, you will be placing all of your drafts in your pocketed folder with all of the notes you and your group wrote about your various drafts. On the top, you will include a letter to me about the process of writing this paper (handout). You will also highlight the changes you have made on your final paper.
2. If you haven't yet published your blog, we will take care of this on Monday. Your first blog post "101 Things About Me," will be your first post. Many of you have already published your blog, as you can see from the "blog list" on the top right of this home page. After you have finished your first post, and as the rest of us also publish, please read class posts and comment, making connections where you can and providing positive feedback for all .
3. In each of our class periods, you may choose to read silently when you have finished the job at hand. Gee, time to read in class!
Everyone should be working on tasks related to this class. Video games, movies, email, chit-chat, etc. are "off task."
*Some years ago while I was convalescing in a wheel chair with a broken wrist and ankle, my golden retriever had to have knee surgery. (In case you're wondering, that's me in the middle!)
*I love to dress up my dogs in beautiful costumes...
*My childhood nickname was Barbie and my first boyfriend was Ken.
*I live in a menagerie with my dear dog friends Miles and Artie and my cat Simon.
*I am a better driver today than I used to be. I once sideswiped my sister's garage while trying to park her car, but when I backed up to get a better aim, I ran over the water meter!
*I don't like heights or snakes.
*I wish that it were stylish to be chubby.
*I love to hear books read aloud and I love to read aloud. This summer I read David Copperfield aloud in its entirety.
*I have lived in my current home for almost 28 years, the longest I've lived anywhere.
*I don't travel as much as I'd like to anymore, but if I could, I'd spend the summers wandering the globe. (I'd have to travel like Liz Taylor used to with all of her pets loaded onto a beautiful ship!)
*I enjoy long walks, a cup of tea with a good book, and the company of family and friends.
*I understand why grandchildren are called GRANDchildren...because they are. I have a seven year-old granddaughter Hailey and a three-year old grandson Porter, and they are the absolute BEST.
Welcome to our online classroom, our seventh block weblog.
Blogs are an interactive, visual way to share our writing, and I'm excited for you to create your own. I am providing some written instructions on a handout, but I think you'll really just learn as you go. What I've set up here is a central class blog where I will post assignments and my own writing. You can usually check here for directions or what you need to get started, so please take the time to read the information I post. When you create your blogs, I will add each of them to a "blog roll" on the right hand side--this page is where you can hop on and see what everyone else is up to, and I'll be looking for you to make supportive and appropriate comments on your classmates' blogs.
This whole process of creating a blog is a new one for most of you, so I appreciate your willingness to jump in or maybe even change what you've already started. For newbies, you'll just have to spend a little time playing around with your layout, and I hope you feel free to add your own personal touches and make your page your own. You can start with the basic setup and let it evolve from there.
Some things to know/keep in mind:
A post is a new entry you create from scratch with your own thoughts and ideas. A comment is an idea or thought you attach to someone else's post.
While your blog is meant to be a place for you to express yourself and for others to communicate with you, we aren't using our blogs for socializing like facebook or texting. I hope you're kind and friendly to one another, but resist posting casual messages or silly small talk or really anything not related to our work together as a class. Later on you may want to continue your blog and of course then you can do whatever you want with it!
Since your blog is an "assignment" for a writing class, please attempt to use proper grammar and punctuation. You should not use text-speak or abbreviations or slang that you might use in texting or email. i do not want you to type in all lowercase like this. I DO NOT WANT YOU TO TYPE IN ALL UPPERCASE LIKE THIS. Use complete sentences and your best grasp on writing conventions. This is not to say we won't all make a few mistakes here and there, but we want it to appear that we were trying not to, not like we just haphazardly slapped some stuff down.
When you've created your own blog today, leave the name and url of it as a comment here. I'll link all of them to this page and this will be our home base. I do hope you enjoy this process...I'm here every step of the way so don't hesitate to ask me if you have questions or want some guidance.
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