Journal #24

Take notes on the plagiarism video. Bullet points are fine. The two major topics:

1. What exactly is plagiarism?
2. How can I avoid it?

agendas, Oct. 31-Nov. 4

Monday, 10/31
Goals:
To learn about--and how to avoid--plagiarism
To read for enjoyment

Tasks:
1. Plagiarism video
2. Journal #24: Notes on the plagiarism video
3. Reading Time
4. Reading Records

Back to the library on Tuesday!


Tuesday, 11/1
Goals:
To continue the research process
To develop sources for our cases

Tasks:
1. Library Day 6: working on notecards


Wednesday, 11/2
Goals:
To continue the research process
To develop sources for our cases

Tasks:
1. Library Day 7: notecards / citations due. Starting work on debate cases.


Thursday, 11/3
Goals:
To compile our research and create a debate case
To make the best case for our side

Tasks:
1. Journal #25: things to know about your case and your role in the debate
2. Case-writing

Create a Google Doc for your team (just your side!)
Title it like this:

Topic PRO (or CON) Case Name Name Period
Facebook PRO Case Roger Mindy 2nd

evaluating evidence: a survey / preassessment

facebook survey

a word about BDW (the yellow sheet)

Expectations / Grading
* Any question that’s italicized / bolded is worth 1 point
* You are individually assessed—look for your own unique sources, especially online. Different websites, articles, etc.
* The goal: to have multiple sources to build your case

Databases
* They’re free! Thanks to school / public library subscriptions, you can access subscriber-only content
* They’re hand-picked, often allowing a higher level of quality in the sources available

The Web
* We’ll use Google, Wikipedia, etc., in more effective ways. Knowing how to “power search” is important. Don’t just click the first link you see.
* Follow the steps to distinguish the various kinds of websites. .edu isn’t the same as .com, for instance.
* Knowing who makes the website is important. Can you trust that source of information? Is it biased? Accurate? Understandable?

agendas, Oct. 24-28

Monday, 10/24
Goals:
To prepare our debate resolutions
To learn how to make research questions more specific and useful

Tasks:
1. Folder check
2. Resolution update
3. Library Day 1: Asking Essential Questions; creating first group Google Doc



Note: Scores on Folders
15 - 3 = 15 on task checklist; 3 on improvement checklist
12 - 2 = 12 on task checklist; 2 on improvement checklist
Inc = incomplete



Tuesday, 10/25
Goals:
To familiarize ourselves with library resources
To critically evaluate research sources

Tasks:
1. Library Day 2: intro to BDW


Wednesday, 10/26
Goals:
To familiarize ourselves with library resources
To critically evaluate research sources

Tasks:
1. Library Day 3


Thursday, 10/27
Goals:
To familiarize ourselves with library resources
To critically evaluate research sources

Tasks:
1. Library Day 4: intro to NoodleTools / notecards

Friday, 10/28
Goals:
To successfully evaluate evidence
To prepare for cases

Tasks:
1. Evidence Evaluation exercise / discussion
2. Library Day 5: notecards continued

folder update: 10/24/11

What's in your folder?
Remember, this checklist goes on the left, inside your folder!

1. The Waking
2. Future Self drawing
3. "To learn best..." reading assessment
4. "Einstein the Nobody" reading assessment
5. Ability / Effort survey
6. Reading survey
7. Second feedback practice essay
8. Alchemist packet (essays, feedback principles, practice feedback)
9. Expressive reading rubric
10. Open House letter
11. Reflective drawing
12. Speech practice notecard
13. Vocal Quality / Fluency rubric
14. Nonverbal Communication rubric
15. Book Cover


Improvement Checklist
On the right, inside your folder, list things you need to work on. Minimum of one in each category.

Three headings:
Reading
Writing
Speaking

Use your own brain, and look at the feedback you've given / received, especially from Mr. Anderson in the Alchemist packet, and from the rubrics we used to evaluate other students' speaking skills.

source requirements for the Debate Project

For your debate case, you'll need, AT MINIMUM, 3 varied sources:

1 book source
1 website
1 periodical found via a database

You will create at least 6 notecards on Noodle Tools.

Journal #23

1. Tips for finding a good debate topic
* Familiar (i.e., you know something about it)
* Researchable
* Not too personal
* Not "tired" or overdone

2. 10 (or more) potential debate topics

physical characteristics of speaking

Posture / Stance
Does the speaker’s posture suggest confidence? Any problems with rocking or swaying? Does the speaker stand equally on each foot? How wide is the speaker’s stance?


Movement
Does the speaker stand still? If / when needed, does the speaker move from place to place effectively? Is the movement seamless? Is it distracting? Too mechanical or wooden?


Eye Contact
How often does the speaker look at the audience? Does the speaker look up or down, or off to the side, distractingly? Does the speaker focus person-to-person throughout the group?


Facial Expression
Does the speaker smile, frown, etc. when appropriate? What is the speaker's "neutral" expression?


Gestures
Are gestures purposeful, smooth, and appear natural and unforced? Do they complement the content, or are they distracting? Are gestures used too little, enough, or too much?


Unconscious Body Language, Etc.
Leaning forward. Slouching. Furtive glances versus direct gaze. Where hands are / what hands are doing when not in use (In pockets? At side?). Nervous habits--key-jingling, pen-clicking, hand-rubbing, etc.

Journal #22

What are some things you can do to improve your physical / nonverbal communication?

(You may--and should--take notes as Mr. A. provides examples.)

vocal characteristics of speaking

Volume
Is the speaker loud enough to be heard throughout the room? Does the speaker vary volume for effect, for instance, quieter when saying something "extra important?"


Pitch (i.e., how high or low)
Is the normal pitch low, medium, or high? Does the pitch vary (high-to-low) or is it monotonous? Does the variance match the content and emphasis? Does the voice have “musicality?”


Tone
How does the voice sound? Rich? Sonorous? Pinched? Nasal? Throaty? Airy or breathy? Raspy or growly?


Rate / Enunciation
Are all words distinguishable? Is the rate too fast? Too slow? Does it vary for emphasis? Any effective pauses? Any awkward pauses?


Fluency
Do words and phrases flow together? Are rhetorical structures employed? Any problematic or overused “filler” words—“um,” “uh,” “like,” “y’know,” “and,” etc.?

Journal #21

1. Describe your voice. Consider vocal characteristics:
* Volume
* Pitch / Tone
* Rate / Enunciation
* Fluency

2. Tips to immediately improve your speaking voice, including...

Hydrate
Your vocal cords need water. Just plain water is best.

Record yourself
Listen to your own voice--you sound different, not like you think you do!

Practice enunciation
Use the "pen drill." Use Skittles or M&Ms. Open your mouth wider when talking. Do tongue twisters.

Sing!
Take singing lessons. One of your voice's best features is its musicality.

Imitate
View YouTube videos. Imitate interesting accents and styles.

agendas, Oct. 17-21

Monday, 10/17
Goals:
* To practice public speaking in a low-pressure environment
* To practice giving good feedback

Tasks:
1. Checking in
2. Listening
3. Writing - Journal #21
4. Speaking
5. Reflecting - as time permits


Tuesday, 10/18

Goals:
To organize materials
To practice public speaking in a low-pressure environment
To practice giving good feedback

Tasks:
1. A special guest: Mr. Wheeler talks about his philosophy of "failing all the way to success."
2. Listening + Notetaking (Journal #22)
3. Speaking (practicing nonverbal communication)
4. Reflecting
5. Organizing


Wednesday, 10/19
Goals:
To read for focus and fluency
To organize and reflect

Tasks:
1. Reading Time!
2. Reading Records / WPM
3. Folder Organization / Skills Check-in


Thursday, 10/20

Goals:
To learn about debate
To demonstrate our existing rebuttal skills
To form debate groups

Tasks:
1. Sample rebuttal
2. Discussion
3. Intro to Debate Project
4. Forming teams / groups
5. Journal #23

when you turn in journals...

1. Review your work.
Mark one entry with a star or a sticky note. Above the entry or on the note, write why you chose it / what you want me to respond to.

2. Evaluate yourself.
Beneath the most recent entry (i.e., #20) rate yourself out of 10 in the following three categories. Have an average score for all your entries.

1. Depth / Detail ______ out of 10
(i.e., how fully you answered the question / wrote to the prompt)

2. Completeness ______ out of 10
(i.e., how many of the entries you finished)

3. Clarity _____ out of 10

I will assess your journals largely based on depth/detail and completeness.

making a book cover

Goals:
To prepare you for discussion
To focus your thoughts on your book

Tasks:
Fold a piece of paper in half "hamburger style." This will be your book cover.

1. Front cover illustration
* This should somehow reflect the importance of the book to you


2. "Back matter"
* Notes about the book for discussion--bullet points are great!


Coloring is optional. Make it look neat.

agendas, Oct. 10-14

Monday, 10/10
Goals:
* To share our writing with others
* To practice giving feedback

Tasks:

1. Publish your work on the blog!
2. Reflective survey

Tuesday, 10/11
Goals:
To practice effective discussions
To reflect on our work
To complete unfinished tasks

Tasks:
0. Announcements
1. Preparation for group discussion: the book cover!
2. Group discussion
3. Lab time (reflection; catching up)


Are your journal entries #1-20 ready?


Wednesday, 10/12
Goals:
To prepare our journals
To reflect on our writing and other experiences in this class

Tasks:
1. Looking at data
2. Journal Preparation
3. Library Card update
4. Etc.
5. Counseling Center / Career Center visit

Remember, tomorrow is Reading Day!


Thursday, 10/13
Goals:
To read for enjoyment

Tasks:
1. Reading Time (35-40 min)
2. Discussion / Sharing


Friday, 10/14

Goals:
To organize materials
To practice public speaking in a low-pressure environment
To practice giving good feedback

Tasks:
1. "This I Believe"
2. This YOU believe: a public speaking exercise
3. Reflection
4. Evaluating Seniors' work
5. Reflection

group discussion survey

250 words task reflection / survey

publish!

Publish your work!

1. Open Google Docs. Open your 250 word essay. (If you're not finished, finish! If you don't have the instructions, get them on the homework blog!)

2. Share your 400-ish word essay with a peer. Have that peer read your essay and offer any important feedback. The goal is to prepare it for publication.

3. When finished, keep your document open, and, using a new tab or window, sign into the class blog.

4. Choose 100-150 words from your 400-word essay. Copy and paste them onto a new blog post here.

5. Label your post with your first and last name. Also, add the label "250 words." (It should appear once you start typing "250" in the label box.)

6. Publish your post! (Don't forget to spell-check!)

7. When you have successfully published your post, read and comment constructively on at least 2 other posts.

8. When you're finished with that, answer the short survey that will be posted to the blog near the end of the period.

Tomorrow we'll be sharing the books that have influenced us!

folder update: 10/7/11

What's in your folder?
Remember, this checklist goes on the left, inside your folder!

1. The Waking
2. Future Self drawing
3. "To learn best..." reading assessment
4. "Einstein the Nobody" reading assessment
5. Ability / Effort survey
6. Reading survey
7. Second feedback practice essay
8. Alchemist packet (essays, feedback principles, practice feedback)
9. Expressive reading rubric
10. Open House letter



On the right, inside your folder, list things you need to work on.

Three headings:
Reading
Writing
Speaking

Use your own brain, and look at the feedback you've given / received, especially from Mr. Anderson in the Alchemist packet.

Journal #20

How did Mr. Anderson acquire his word-fu? (In other words, his vast knowledge of the English language.)

Tell the story.

We'll write for 7 minutes.

(This isn't a freewrite, so go ahead and make corrections / think about what you're doing!)

Journal #19

Freewrite and don't stop.

Don't correct. If you can't think of something, write, "I can't think of something," until you think of something. Then write that.

Don't stop!

(Remember: it's not a race. You don't have to write super-fast.)


WHEN FINISHED:

How did you do this time?
1. How many words? How many words per minute?

2. Did you write all the way through? Rate yourself from 1-10.

3. Briefly explain your rating. Compare your results with last time's. Was there a difference? If so, why? If not, why not?

Journal #18

Connecting reading and writing is one of the best ways to improve both!

Today's theme: connections!

You might...
* Make a personal connection to your book.
* Connect your book to something we've done / studied in class
* Connect your book to something in the wider world

Criteria:
Be specific. Give an example or two from the book.

A page. 100-200 words, but focus on quality over quantity.

DO NOT merely summarize your book!

250 words: the 3rd and 4th steps

1. Combine your 250-word pieces into one coherent essay.

2. When you've finished this step, see Mr. Anderson for further instructions.

3. Those instructions are...

1. Copy and paste your 500-word essay above your existing essay. (In other words, you'll have two copies in the same document.)

2. WITHOUT LOSING INFORMATION, revise for conciseness, by reducing your essay to 400-420 words.

The goal is "tight" prose.

Journal #17

Use a dictionary to look up the word you had written 250 words about.

What is the etymology of your word?
How does it connect to what you wrote yesterday, if applicable?

250 words more

Take ONE SENTENCE from your 250 words.

Write 250 words expounding on / expanding that sentence. Be as specific as you can!


Add it to your existing Google Document. Don't create a new one.

task list and survey, October 4

In order to save paper, today's task list is a Google Docs form. Complete it before you leave today.

more thoughts about writing

1. Forget the five paragraph essay. It's what you write for a teacher. In this class, we write for authentic audiences, for authentic reasons--most emphatically NOT just for the teacher.

2. Write more about less. We don't want 3 short paragraphs about nothing--give us one great paragraph about something.

3. Be yourself. Write in your style, in your voice. Tell us about your life.

Most important, remember: Everything written is a work in progress.

Journal #16

Reflect.

What will you do differently in your own writing? What can you take away from today's lesson?

agendas, Oct. 3-7

Monday, 10/3
Goals:
To demonstrate our feedback skills
To break the "rules" of writing
To write more engagingly

Tasks:
1. Feedback assessment
2. Discussion / reflection
3. Journal #16
4. Lab time

Happy October!


Tuesday, 10/4
Goals:
To understand etymology
To break the "rules" of writing
To write more engagingly

Tasks:
1. Journal #17
2. Handing back essay packets
3. Lab task preview
4. Computer Lab time


Wednesday, 10/5
Goals:
To read for focus and fluency
To connect reading and writing

Tasks:
1. Reading Time
2. Calculating WPM
3. Journal #18: reading response

Are you focused on improvement?


Thursday, 10/6
Goals:
To write fluently
To revise for conciseness and clarity

Tasks:
1. Journal #19
2. Lab time: revising our 250 (+250) pieces


Friday, 10/7
Goals:
To recap and review
To look forward
To write creatively

Tasks:
1. Journal #20
2. Recap / Review
3. Folder checks
4. Stump Mr. Anderson

250 words about one word

1. Go to Google Docs
2. Write 250 words about one word
3. Title it "Firstname Lastname 250 words"
4. Share it with jvahomework AT gmail DOT com
5. Done!

Journal #15

Stump Mr. Anderson!


Your task: to find an English word in the dictionary that you think I won’t know.

Create three fake definitions, or “distractors,” and make a multiple-choice definition for the word.

Practice properly pronouncing the word. If you’re not sure, ask a peer for help.

When you’re ready, raise your hand. I’ll call on you.

If I can’t spell the word, AND if I can’t guess the definition out of four choices, then you’ve fully stumped me.

Your journal entry is the word plus your definitions, just like this:

Example:
Defenestrate (dee FEN uh strayt)
1. To spit on a sidewalk
2. To burn through steel
3. To toss out a window
4. To pine for a lost love

FYI, the correct answer is 3.