PACE: Final

Heres is the rubric for the final, folks.

Readings will be posted in the Google Drive shortly.

PACE: Today and Moving Forward

Conflict Essay Rubric


Had this ready for folks a while back, but I don't think it got posted here.

On Tuesday, I will be focusing my energies on helping individuals with their essays and graphic organizers.  While I'm working with individuals, it would be in your best interest to either work on your own OR find a small group to workshop your writing with.

And the final.  In the spirit of the class, there will be multiple avenues to completing your final that will be in multiple parts to assess multiple standards.
Reading.
Writing.
Media.
Vocabulary.
MUGS.
Listening & Speaking.

You will be able to choose to do the bulk of your final at home before hand or do the bulk of it at the final itself.  It will be formally assigned next Monday.

HOMEWORK

Blog: 3+ Posts
Due: Friday, May 30
Req'd Post:  If you could design the PERFECT final assessment, what would it look like?  How would you be certain that it shows what you know?

Vocab
QUACK Unit 3 Part 1
Quiz: Next Wednesday, June 4

Books & Essays
Keep GOING!

PACE: Essay Workshopping & QUACK quiz Unit 2 Part 2

On Tuesday, we have some major docket items.

One is a QUACK Quiz for Unit 2 Part 2.  That's coming up to close out the day rather than start it.

The other is an intense essay writing workshop.  With the end of the year nearing, I want to make sure folks feel like they can turn those drafts in to me that would have been even more fantastic last week.  I've got some ideas as to how we can make this an active, moving, not just sitting and writing and listening experience on Tuesday.  So let's do that.

Here are some of the ideas that came out of last week's workshop.

The idea here is that you can see how I use a bunch of different organizational methods to pre-write and help Natalie with her essay.  The content isn't what matters most in these images -- what matters most is seeing how I used some webbing and visual mapping, as well as some outlining to help determine a clear thesis statement and the points to be made regarding that thesis statement.

REMEMBER!  A key aspect of the essay assignment is using text evidence -- that is a central part of the writing standard.  

Blog: 3+ Posts

Req'd: Discuss a conflict that you either witness on a regular basis or experience for yourself on a regular basis.  How would you like to see it resolved?  What do you believe is preventing it from being resolved?

ESSAYS & NOVELS!  CHECK THE DUE DATES SHARED DOC!  All req's are there!

PACE: Reading & Writing Continues

According to the due dates, if you are following the teacher PACE suggestions, you are finishing your first book this week as well as submitting your first working draft of your first essay.  Working drafts may be revised as many times as the author wishes after receiving feedback.

Last Thursday, we looked at hooks and thesis statements.   Here's the examples.

We have done a few different rounds with reading graphic organizers as well.

On Monday, we will work on using text evidence to back up our thoughts.  You received an organizer to help you pull together ideas.  But finding it and using it in a piece of writing effectively are two separate things.

For those interested, I will offer a writer's workshop to help with embedding text evidence and meeting that standard on the essays.

Here's a link to that workshop.


Also, expect rubrics early this week.

HOMEWORK

Blog: 3+ Posts
Req'd Post: Find an image online that relates to your essential question or thesis statement.  Then use Realtime Board OR Thinglink to create annotations for that image that explain the connection to your thesis statement.  (Consider that those thoughts might make effective evidence/thinking for your essay.)

Vocab:  Quack Unit 2 Part 2

Quiz: Wed, May 21

MUGS: TBA.

Quiz: TBA.

Read:  2 Novels from Selections

Complete: 3 Graphic Organizers Per Selection

Due: June 1

Complete 1st Book by May 15

Write: 2 Essays over Self Selected Essential Questions

Due: June 8 

Complete 1st Working Draft of 1st by May 15

PACE: Work Plans, Pre Writing

On Friday, we established our fourth quarter work log.  If you check the Due Dates spreadsheet in the Google Drive, you will find a sheet for Quarter 4.

And what you will see includes a suggested teacher PACE timetable for the rest of the quarter.  Included are stages and assessments of the book work as well as the essay work.

For the rest of class, folks could opt into two activities or work independently.

In the reading activity, we read an excerpt from House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisernos.  

We practiced using the GIST literacy strategy to document our understanding.

You can find the GIST form in your Google Drive PACE OUT folder.

We also did some work with our essay writing and used a "Why" chart exercise.  We established our essential questions and then started asking the question "Why?" to explore possibilities for our arguments.

HOMEWORK

Blog: 3+ Posts (Q4 Wk 2.)

Req'd Post: Make a five song playlist for conflict resolution and post it on your blog with explanations for each one.  You might choose songs that feature each type of conflict or you might choose a song you'd suggest one listen to in order to resolve a conflict.  Explain your thinking for each.

Person vs Self

Person vs Nature

Person vs Person

Person vs Society

Person vs Technology

Vocab:  Quack Unit 2 Part 1

Quiz: Thursday, May 8

MUGS: TBA.

Quiz: TBA.

Read:  2 Novels from Selections

Complete: 3 Graphic Organizers Per Selection

Due: June 1

Complete 1st Book by May 15

Write: 2 Essays over Self Selected Essential Questions

Due: June 8 

Complete 1st Working Draft of 1st by May 15

PACE: Noun Project, Conflict & Essential Questions

Today we took stock of the work we have to do for the rest of the year.

Here's a pic of the notes.

We used The Noun Project  to explore relating conflict through simple images.  The idea here is that our experiences with conflict informs our ability to see and relate to even a string of basic images.  We know conflict when we see it; now, how do we deal with resolving it?

On your blog for this week, you will post a story using images from The Noun Project to relate a conflict you are dealing with in your life.  You may choose to include an explanation or allow the images to speak your voice.

Then we took time to choose essential questions around conflict to guide our work.  Each person chose his or her own Q. This question should be thought about as you read and complete the graphic organizer, collecting evidence and understanding as you go of your essential question.

Next class, we dive back into vocab (QUACK 2), MUGS, share our essential Qs and what is happening in our books.  We will also start pre-writing our essays.

HOMEWORK

Blog: 3+ Posts (Q4 Wk 1 - we did not have mandatory blogs the first two weeks of the quarter bc we were on the trailer project.)

Req'd Post: Post a story using images from The Noun Project to relate a conflict you are dealing with in your life.  You may choose to include an explanation or allow the images to speak your voice.

Vocab:  Quack Unit 2 Part 1

Quiz: Thursday, May 8

MUGS: TBA.

Quiz: TBA.

Read:  2 Novels from Selections

Complete: 3 Graphic Organizers Per Selection

Due: June 1

Complete 1st Book by May 15

Write: 2 Essays over Self Selected Essential Questions

Due: June 8 

Complete 1st Working Draft of 1st by May 15

PACE: Pitches & Trailers Decided

Today we had our pitch revisions and chose to move forward with Pitches into Products.

After folks delivered Macbeth-inspired pitches, we decided that several were worthy of development into trailers.

We will be making trailers of Lindzee's, Mitch's and Kristen's.  We divided into production teams. More about this teams to be posted on Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, you will receive a production schedule that must be maintained.  These trailers will go live to the public on April 11.  

HOMEWORK
Blog: 3+ Posts
Req'd Post: Req'd Post: How might we make the last quarter of PACE the most exceptional, amazing powerful and important and mind blowing learning experience you could possibly have AND make the school say, "Wow.  AND they learned the stuff they were supposed to learn?"

QUACK Vocab
Unit 1 Part 2 
Quiz: Friday

Unit 1 Parts 1 & 2
Quiz: Thur, April 3

Macbeth:
3 Graphic Organizers: Past Teacher PACE
Show Bible: Past Teacher PACE

PACE: Macbeth Pitches

The weather held us back, but no longer.  Today's the day we pitch our ideas for TV series, films, book series and video games inspired by Macbeth.

If we like what we hear, we just may create trailers for these ideas.

Show bibles are due today as well.  Put them in your PACE IN box on your Google Drive.

Next class?  We vote on whether to move forward with trailers or start something new.

We also get back on track with a more regular schedule and our routines, now that Mr. Ryder will be here more regularly, the weather is improving and we have Ms. Haskell and Ms. Campbell to help us.

HOMEWORK

Blog: 3+ Posts
Req'd Post:  What are you passionate about?  Write as much, draw as much, audio record as much, video as much as you can and post your passions.  The subjects, the ideas, the interests that get you fired up -- that make you want to know as much as you can as fast as you can.
Teacher PACE: Friday, Mar 21

Macbeth Pitching Power: Pitches & ShowBibles
Teacher PACE: TODAY
Student PACE: Update the Due Date Form

Macbeth Graphic Organizers: Analysis of 3 Scenes from Macbeth (see your Google Drive for graphic organizer)
Teacher PACE: Past Due
Student PACE: Update the Due Date Form

PACE: Design Thinking Challenge in a Day: Pitches & Macbeth

Hey folks,

I've been away presenting at SXSWEdu.com this week and learning tons and meeting folks I want to connect with you all.  One thing I learned was a fantastic mashup/remix strategy from Kami Thordarson, an innovation coach and teacher in the Los Altos School District in California, based on the DEEP design thinking from Mary Cantwell we've been using all year.

Here's what we did this morning so you can reference back to it as you create your Macbeth Pitching Power pitches over the next week.

We started with three groups and quick mapping/vizthinking about we know about Macbeth.

Then we listed movies and films and games and books we enjoy.

Then we listed reasons why we enjoy them.

Then we highlighted key ideas/insights that stood out to us.

Then we took post-its and put some of those ideas from each category on to a post it.

Then we put those post its on tables.

We sent runners to grab a post it from each table.

The group generated a pitch from the three post its.

We tried to make as many pitches as we could with new sets as we could in the time given.

Then we shared and practiced delivering the pitches.

It was awesome. And surprisingly easy and not scary.


Pitches and show bibles are due next Thursday.  Be certain to check out one another's blogs and share ideas. 
Design. Build. Create.
Accept. Communicate. Trust.

HOMEWORK 

Blogs: 3+
Req'd Post: Put up your pitch thinking from today AND/OR link to someone else's and share your thoughts.
Due: Friday, Mar 7 (Teacher PACE)

Macbeth Graphic Organizers: Must Complete 3

Teacher Pace Due Dates:

Wed: Feb 12

Tue: Feb 25

Wed: Mar 5

MUGS: Commonly Confused Words #2
Quiz: Friday, Feb 14 (NEW MAKE UP DATE - FRIDAY, Mar 7)

QUACK: Unit 1 Part 1
Quiz & Product Due: Thursday Feb 27

Think & Design: Movie/Video Game/TV Show Pitches & Bibles
Due: March 13