MOVED TO A NEW SITE

Because of filters blocking "Blogger," I have moved our blog to a new site.
Please remove the bookmark for this site and replace with bookmark for new site.

Thanks.

Moving to a new blog site...

I am going to move our class blog to another blog site that isn't blocked. I have been working on getting this blogger site opened up so you can access it during school time, but have faced some obstacles. The category Blogger falls into, "Web Communications," is verboten.

Let's migrate to edubloggers. Please bookmark the new site and call it "New English."

Keep this Blogger site bookmarked while we make the transition. Next week, I will have you guys re-create your blogs on the new site so we can participate in some cool blog writing for our class. You will not have to re-write your Sea Creature blogs.

Reminder: If you never printed out and gave me hard copy of your sea creature entry, you must do so!

Onward....

Tuesday September 15

In Class

Honors--discussed theme and meaning in "The Computer Date." I enjoyed our discussion
about the story. You did a nice job of starting with a premise (thanks, Harry) and
moving through the story for concrete evidence to support it.

A, C, and G (honors)
--handed out reading on theme. Read the chapter on theme. Our goal
in understanding theme is to move from a topic to an actual statement. Use the
suggestions from the reading to help determine theme. Consider the 6 principles
the reading suggests in forming a statement of theme.

-- continued Rainman. We have been looking at character motivation and change, as well
the film makers' use of symbol (think silver bullet) and detail to show meaning. We will apply our understanding of theme to story ("The Computer Date") and to the film. Remember we
are looking for the human truth offered by the story.

DUE NOW and HOMEWORK
--By now, you should have shown me vocab lesson 17 for credit. You have only 24 hours to get late 1/2 credit for the assignment. We will review the words at the end of the week or the beginning of next week. NO QUIZ this Friday. We will postpone it until next week.

--All revised library reviews must be posted or handed in hard copy (only if you book is not in the library collection) by 3:30 on WEDNESDAY!

--For Friday, write a statement of theme for "The Computer Date" applying the principles from the reading on theme. Your statement should be 1-3 sentences in length. Write on your copy of the short story.

Upcoming
--We will begin reading our next books this weekend.
Honors: Dreaming in Cuban pages 3-34 with study guide questions due Monday
Regulars: The House on Mango Street 3-26 for Monday with study questions

ALL--study guide questions will be posted on Moodle.
Reminder: As with all of our readings, I expect that you are ACTIVELY reading.
Warning: YOU MUST BRING YOUR BOOK TO CLASS EACH DAY OR RISK BEING PENALIZED FOR NOT BEING PREPARED.

Monday September 14

In Class
--Checked in Vocabulary Lesson 17
--Continued discussion of theme
--Discussed meaning and detail in "The Computer Date"

Homework
--Complete Vocab (class that still needed to complete the workbook)
--Re-write library review and re-post (you may need to wait for Ms. Mandel to delete your draft)

This Week
--If time permits, begin review and refresh of grammar
--Regulars will begin reading The House on Mango Street
--Honors will begin reading Dreaming in Cuban
--Vocab quiz on Friday

Friday September 11

In Class
--Showed two computer assisted note-taking tools (Word and Google)
--Reviewed Elements of Literature
--REGULARS: Read Gary Soto's "The Computer Date" REGS ONLY
--HONORS: Re-read page 78 from Gangster and discussed structure and meaning
--Applied literary elements and began to work on understanding theme

Homework
ALL: Do lesson 17 in vocabulary

REGULARS: Re-read for meaning (ACTIVELY). Consider characters' relationship to setting and others in the story. Consider what human truth is revealed in the experience of the speaker.

HONORS: Find your family photo. Write a descriptive paragraph that reflects your understanding of Thuy's writing. Consider what literary elements are revealed by the story of the photo. A formal write up of the assignment is posted on Moodle.

Thursday September 10

In Class
Reviewed Freytag's Pyramid (aka Pyramid of Action)
--exposition
--rising action
--climax (point of no return)
--falling action
--denouement

Watched Rainman and applied the above mentioned elements to the film.

Here's a list of "you haves"
--read the biography of Kim Peek on the website linked on Moodle (Kim Peek: Wisconsin Med...)
--watched one of the clips on the Kim Peek link. Consider that Kim Peek was a character study for Raymond Babbit in Rainman.
--taken the grammar diagnostic quiz (Parts of Speech quiz in week #4)
--submitted your 1 page perspective piece (back up with upload to Moodle) REGS ONLY
--submitted your book review to the library server at http:lrodalib. Can only upload from school. If your book is not in the catalog, you must submit hard copy. REGS ONLY
--posted AND handed in hard copy of your "Sea Creature Me" blog (late by this time)
--created, printed, and presented your Dream Board

Upcoming
--Grammar Lesson (reviewing parts of speech and parts of the sentence)
--Beginning House on Mango Street and exploring theme

Wednesday September 9

In Class
--Discussed Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. See notes on Moodle.
--Watch video of a boy with Asperger's Syndrome talk about his experience in the world (linked on Moodle)
--Learned about Kim Peek, the character inspiration for Rainman, the film we began watching today.
--Watched first 30 minutes of Rainman. Discussed Freytag's Pyramid, Characterization, and Epiphany.

HONORS CLASS
--Presentations Today for The Gangster We Are All Looking For.
These were truly impressive, you guys. You identified critical language, understood symbols, and offered interesting and varied interpretations of a very open-ended assignment. Cool. I enjoyed your work.

Homework (ALL)
--If your class' video about Kim Peek did not load, please choose one of the 5 videos linked under Kim Peek link on Moodle.

--Read about Kim Peek in the short bio at the bottom of the Kim Peek video page on Moodle.

--REGULARS ONLY: If you have not yet submitted your review of your summer reading book to the library server accessible only from school (http://lrodalib) or handed in hard copy (only if your book is not in our collection) then your assignment is officially late and subject to late penalties.

--REGULARS ONLY: Collected perspective writings today in class. You were required to submit hard copy.

--You should have by now taken the grammar diagnostic test on Moodle. If you don't have a score in Moodle, you will receive a "0" for this "soft" grade.

Upcoming
--Finishing Rainman
--Discussing Elements of Fiction in context of Rainman
--On-going discussion of perspective and story-telling

HONORS UPCOMING
--For weekend homework, I will ask you to locate a family picture. The picture does not have to be recent, may not even be from your generation. Choose a picture that reveals information about relationships and character. Talk to family members about the photo to see what insights they offer about the story of the picture and the people in it. Write a paragraph of description. Use Thuy's paragraph on page 78 as a model.

Blogging Challenge

If I can get the school to lift restrictions on blogs, I'd love to participate in this international blogging challenge. I am writing this entry to mark this contest and see how many of you seem interested in taking class time this year to communicate with others and increase our "digital footprint."

Here's some information to consider. Of course, our ability to participate will be hindered if we can't convince the filters to let some blog light through.

Student Blogging Challenge

Tuesday September 8

In Class
--Discussed Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences
--Watched video created by a boy with Asperger's (on the spectrum of autism)
--Read excerpt from Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Homework
--Complete grammar diagnostic test on Moodle (go to week titled "GRAMMAR")
--Watch one of the videos of Kim Peek on the Wisconsin Medical Society's pages on autism
--Read background on Kim Peek at the bottom of the page.

HONORS
--hand-backs and graded
--worked in groups for project presentations

HONORS HOMEWORK
--Finish up your work on project
--Take grammar diagnostic test on Moodle

FYI
Link to Full Text of Obama's Speech to School Students

Upcoming
--watch Rainman
--discuss how perspective shapes experience with the world

Friday September 4

In Class
ALL
--Took vocabulary quiz on lesson 16

REGULARS
--worked on review writing for second choice book. Posted reviews on library "Destiny."
(FROM SCHOOL, login at lrodalib. User name is your Questia name. Password is your Questia password.) Click in the reviews tab, then select "write review."
--Worked on the Curious Dog writings. Remember: you must write about a moment in time! If you are going to be a football, you might consider writing about one key pass. If you are an infant, write about seeing a strange face. You get the idea, I hope. Be specific and go into detail! Length: 1 page, dbl spaced, times new roman, 12 point font. Include full heading and creative title.

Homework
--Finish up your perspective writings (aka Curious Dog writings)

HONORS CLASS
--I gave you one more day until deadline for your presentations on Gangster. Don't procrastinate with the extra time. Use it only as emergency "sponge" time. Remember that your projects should be creative and sensory, but you are still responsible for content. We should recognize your chapter in your work.

--If you are struggling with this, ground your work in concrete language from the text. All of you should be dealing closely with text! Find those lines in your chapter that are critical, beautiful, strange, imaginative. Those places are where the heart of this assignment can be found.

--We'll start presentations Wednesday, our long period.

Thursday September 3

REGULARS CLASSES ONLY

In Class
--Reviewing books on the library website "Destiny" (summer reading assessment)
--Writing reviews and perspective assignments

Homework
--work on your review. Must be complete by end of school day on Friday.
--work on perspective writing. 1 page, dbl. spaced, full heading, titled. Due Tuesday
--ALL CLASSES: Vocab quiz tomorrow! Review especially words that are close in meaning. Consider the example sentences offered in the definitions in the book. You will be asked to use the correct f0rm of the word to fit the context of the sentence.

HONORS
--be prepared for vocab quiz
--hopefully you have done some work with your team on your creative, sensory presentation of your chapter. You will have time in class on Friday to continue your efforts.

Wednesday September 2

In Class
--presenting dream boards (regulars only)
--reviewing vocab (regulars only)
--discussion perspective and writing assignment (regulars only)

HONORS
--work in gangster groups
--set up Google docs with your group
--discuss active reading notes and some of your answers to the discussion guide
--decide on a format for presentions

Homework
--begin work on perspective writing (regulars)
--dream boards due Friday (honors)
--"sea creature me" due Friday (honors)
--prep for vocab quiz on Friday

You need your books!

Please bring your books and laptop to class!

This week: Vocab book, Curious Dog, and Gangster (honors only)