Eng 9: Showing Not Telling, No Red Ink & Conferences

Hi folks,

We'll start class with a quick "show not tell" mini-lesson.

We'll be using this photo from this snowmobiling discussion board.

Then you'll have time to start the No Red Ink Commonly Confused Words 1 Practice 1 assignment.  This is due by next class.

After about 15 minutes on that, you'll be working on blog prompts and projects.  During that time I'll be conferencing with every group/person I can to get project feedback to you.

We're going to tackle one more roots list before the quarter is out as well.  We'll start on Roots List 7 on Friday.

HOW YOUR THINKING.

Blog.  6 Posts.  

Prompts Available Here.

DUE ASAP.  Revisable if Complete by Jan 15.

Tiny House, Big Dreams Project.

Due ASAP.

Revisable if Complete by Jan 8.

Eng 9: What Now?

Welcome back from break everyone.

Today, we were supposed to start a new essay.   Instead, we are going to hold off on that for a week or so and focus on completing the work you've already been assigned and demonstrating the standards we've been digging into this quarter.

Let's start with NoRedInk.com  We'll be using this to help with our MUGS.

Then we'll do a little detail workshop on SHOW vs. TELL to help you with your blog posts and the DETAILS part of the WRITING standards.  We're going to do a different workshop each class for the next two weeks to help you folks get your blog posts just foolishly awesome.

I will also be visiting with each group and completing the assessment of your Tiny House projects.  You have time to revise those between now and the end of the quarter (Jan 22.)

The RESEARCH standard on that one has proven tricky.  We aren't going to give up on it.  Instead, once we get past this week or so, we are going to dive into WHY it is so darn hard to get that information and see if we can get the answers we want.

What I want most for you folks to have a tremendously successful collection of work from Q2 that shows all of the thinking you've been doing, all of the designing, all of the insightful commentaries you've made, all of the sketchnoting.  It all deserves to be captured and explained and shared.

We need a system for keeping track of this work, however.  Daily logging of goals and accomplishments, screenshots and pics and some accountability for all of us here in the room.

SHOW YOUR THINKING.

Blog.  6 Posts.  

Prompts Available Here.

DUE ASAP.  Revisable if Complete by Jan 15.

Tiny House, Big Dreams Project.

Due ASAP.

Revisable if Complete by Jan 8.

AP Lit: Back from the Break

Welcome back.

We've got some recalibrating and redefining to do here for these first couple of classes.  Some new routines and habits to build. These are the direct result of the feedback you folks provided before break.

So here we go . . .

Cross Class Discussions & Getting Back to How to Read Lit Like a Prof.

We'll be using Medium to do this.  You'll need to register for an account using your school Gmail and the reply to the various prompts there on the post.  Use the highlighting and other commentary features there on Medium to reply to others' ideas.

These discussions/commentaries are due by the next class after they are assigned.


Due Dates Calendar.

I've added a calendar on the front page of the blog, there along the right hand sidebar.  It's right below the link to AP Lit blog posts.   You won't find every day's class described there, but you will find all the due dates.

You have several major due dates including the NEXT indie book project -- for Q3 -- listed.

I will make sure major projects/assessments are on here and do my best to include minor ones as well.

General Analysis Skills.

We're going to use SCOUT to give us a framework for this as we focus on not just how to analyze but how to write about our analytical reads.

Specifics:  Diction, Character, Setting, Point of View
Comparisons:  Metaphor/Similar, Figurative Language, Analogies, Allusions, Symbolism
Organization:  Rhetorical structure, rhyme scheme, narrative structure
Unusual: Any of the Above and Other Features
Theme:  Theme, Tone, Symbolism/Motif

Today we'll look at diction using Quizlet and art and our last two novels, Mrs. Dalloway and The Hours.

We'll be comparing and contrasting Woolf and Cunningham's uses of diction to help us get a handle on how to better characterize and discuss word choice.

Multiple Choice Test Prep.

Once every two weeks there will be a multiple choice prep.  One reading, one set of questions.  I'm going to try and combine this with our close reading work and curate the best selections I can the test prep materials.  I'm also going to share a folder with you folks of all of my test prep materials so that you can feel free to pursue even more test prep if you so choose.

SHOW YOUR THINKING.

Blog.  Weeks 1 - 6.  

Prompts Available.  3+ Attempts Per Standard Required.

Revise Previous Posts.  Post New.

See Calendar.

Read.  How to Read Lit: Where Have I Seen Her Before?

Discuss.  Medium.

Due.  Next Class.

Submit & Revise.

Synthesis 2.

Frankliners.

Indie Book Project Q2.

Blog posts.

See Calendar.

All Classes: New Codes in PowerSchool: NES and IES

Hi folks,

I've made a little video to help explain two new codes in our PowerSchool gradebook that you will only encounter in my classes: IES (Insufficient Evidence Submitted) and NES (No Evidence Submitted by Choice).  Please share this with your folks as it can be a little confusing when you look at PowerSchool and don't know what's up.

In a nutshell, NES means you chose not to submit any evidence for that standard for that assessment -- typically the weekly blog posts.

IES means you have not submitted enough evidence for that standard for me to report out a numerical grade yet.   If we get within three weeks of the end of the quarter and I do not have enough evidence, I will have to change this to NM (Not yet Meets) a.k.a. 50 and it will have a major impact on your grade.

If you see a Missing in the grade book, that's something YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT UP.  Missings become NM when they are not completed.  It's what separates a Missing from NES.

UPDATE: 1.4.15.  Was just informed that the audio on the video doesn't work.  I'll try to make a new version this week.  

Humanities: Example of How to Design a Sanctuary for Others

Humanities Speak & Music

"Face Down" by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Find the lyrics on your preferred lyrics site.


"Sic Transit Gloria"  by Brand New

Find the lyrics on your preferred lyrics site.


Choose one of the two songs above, create a sketchnote that shows the connections between the lyrics, the music, the video, and Speak.  You might want to focus on symbolism and more abstract, complex connections.

As a creative challenge for your blog, find another song and create sketchnote, written explanation or vlog that connects that song to Speak.

Humanities: Sanctuary for Others Rubric

Sanctuary for Others Design Challenge

Single Point Rubric

Design a sanctuary for one of the following:

• a character from the book that is not Melinda
• a refugee, immigrant or asylum seeker
• someone in our class with whom you do not have a close relationship (push yourself to stronger empathy)

Criteria	Evidence of Exceeding the Standard (clever, insightful, unique, powerful, meaningful, professional)	What Meeting the Standard Looks Like	Evidence of Needs for Improvement (gaps, missing pieces or evidence, incomplete thoughts)
Prototype Quality (MEDIA)		I like how your prototype looks like a finished product that you can present to the class; I like how there are no obvious signs that you didn’t get it finished -- even though there may be ways in which you might improve it; I like that it shows evidence you understand how to use the media you chose to solve the problem in an effective way
Research and Connections (RESEARCH)		I like how your prototype clearly shows numerous accurate connections to your research (text, video, audio); I like how your explanations include page numbers/time stamps and quoted text as evidence to show that you really know what you are talking about; I like how you wrote or recorded your explanations; I like that you included an MLA formatted works cited page
Features & Intentions (SOCIAL STUDIES)		I like how your sanctuary demonstrates numerous, dynamic features of a safe space for your user; I like how you explain your intentions for each feature of the sanctuary  fully whether in writing, audio or video
PRESENTATION (LISTENING & SPEAKING)		I like how your presentation was clear and easily understood; even if you weren’t working from a script, you seemed very well prepared and comfortable sharing the information about your tiny house;  you were able to field and answer questions asked about your tiny house
MUGS (MUGS)		I like how any writing included is properly spelled and features proper use of any words on Commonly Mistaken Words 1
Empathy (HABITS of MIND)		I like how you clearly show an understanding of your user’s needs and how to meet them; I like how you connect your ideas in your sanctuary to the needs of your user you were able to identify from your research
Timeliness (HABITS of MIND)		I like how you turned it in within 24 hours of the agreed upon due date

Design Challenge Checklist (And the DEEP Design Thinking Phases connected)

1. Define Sanctuary and Identify Examples (DISCOVERY Phase)
1. What are different forms sanctuary can take?
2. How might it look?
2. User and User Needs Identified (EMPATHY Phase)
1. Necessary research (interviews, articles, novel) conducted
2. Empathy maps completed
3. Experiment with Sanctuary Features (EXPERIMENT Phase)
1. Rapid fire prototyping
2. Explore possibilities
3. Create a working prototype linked to user needs
1. 3-D or 2-D, using any materials/tools that serve your purpose
2. Suggested: 2-D art, SketchUp, Minecraft, LEGO, cardboard, wood, photography
4. Produce and Present Your Prototype (PRODUCE Phase)
1. Deliver a presentation
2. Subject your prototype to 4 Corners feedback
3. Revise and reiterate your prototype

5. Written Reflection (WRITING - new rubric and criteria to come after presentations)

NOTE FOR BLOGGING!  Any and all of the work above can be posted on your blog to demonstrate your understanding of the various standards.