Cycle 25 - Everybody

Okay, the final month is here. And each class is on their respective "plan" for the remaining 4 cycles. Be sure you're consulting the calendars I created for you often. Sophs, it's quality project all cycle, and "Stuckness" in class; Freshman, bring A Midsummer Night's Dream and get ready to do some performing; Composition, this cycle we write our nature essays.

Cycle 24 - Composition

Public Interest essays are finished. They were a different kind of essay, involving background research, control of writing for more pages, and subtle presentation of big questions and ideas that people care about. Our next essay will slow us down and allow some meditation on the natural world. In addition, we'll read some quintessential naturalist writing.

The Plan:
Day 1 - Evaluations, Muir essay.
HW - One blog post or 2 pages in journal.

Day 2 - Muir essay.
HW - One blog post or 2 pages in journal.

Day 3 - Finish essay if needed, assorted short nature pieces, brainstorm essay.
HW - One blog post or 2 pages in journal.

Day 4 - Computer lab time to draft.
HW - One blog post or 2 pages in journal.

Cycle 24 - Freshman

This cycle marks the end of our work with The Woman Warrior,culminating in an essay/project with a few options.This essay is your chance to display what you've learned about reading critically and writing thoughtfully, and most importantly what you've learned about who you are and your voice. We've also completed stories for 1001 Flat World Project, the first ever in the world! Now we wait for the winners.

The Plan:
Day 1 - Final Woman Warrior discussion, essay/project directions and brainstorm.
HW - Rough draft of essay.

Day 2 - Peer feedback groups for essay.
HW - Work on essay/project.

Day 3 - Computer lab time to work on essay, individual conferences about presentation.
HW - Continue work on essay/project.

Day 4 - Final essay/project work day.
HW - Presentations next class.

Cycle 24 - Sophomores

This cycle marks the end of our work with The Poisonwood Bible,culminating in an essay with a few options.This essay is your chance to display what you've learned about reading critically and writing thoughtfully. This cycle we also begin work on Quality Projects. Be sure you check the calendar handout I gave you in class often for checkpoints,work days, and due dates. The rest of the semester will be mostly self-directed.

The Plan:
Day 1 - Quintessence, project proposals, examples of Quality projects, PB paper assignment.
HW - Rough draft of PB paper. (You should be finished reading).

Day 2 - Peer feedback groups for PB paper.
HW - Work on paper.

Day 3 - Final draft of paper due, discuss, start working on Quality project, plan work day.
HW - Bring materials for work day.

Day 4 - First project work day.
HW - Quality Project, get free choice book.

Cycle 23 - Freshman

This cycle we will be making the final revisions on Flat World stories. The only thing left to do next week is edit them for conventions, which we will do amongst ourselves. Then, our volunteer editors will convene and decide on award-winning stories. We are also finishing The Woman Warrior and will wrap up discussion of the story next week too. Then, get ready to get dramatic with some Shakespeare to finish the semester.

Plan and Homework
Day 1 - Computer lab, working on new draft after sentence fluency feedback.
HW - Story, finish The Woman Warrior if you haven't yet.

Day 2 - Computer lab, working on new draft.
HW - Story. Print 2 copies to bring to class.

Day 3 - Line editing for conventions in story.
HW - Final revision/editing.

Day 4 - Finish story, discuss The Woman Warrior.
HW - Submit final story.

Cycle 23 - Sophomores

This cycle we will come very close to finishing The Poisonwood Bible. Your load will be lightened to give your more time to read. And our attention will shift from literature to Quality Projects. Start thinking about where your essential questions have taken you and what you might want to spend the quarter exploring in your project. Also, review and exercise critical thinking strategies; they will be an important part of your project.

Plan and Homework
Day 1 - "Bel And The Serpent" quiz.
HW - Read "Exodus."

Day 2 - Reading day in class.
HW - Read "Exodus."

Day 3 - Literature circle meeting and class discussion.
HW - Post response to discussion, and keep reading.

Day 4 - Introduction to Quality Project and Quintessence.
HW - Quintessence.

Cycle 23 - Composition

This cycle we're working on Public Interest essays. We've read several model essays that approach public issues in different ways: comedy, satire, point of view shift, and analysis. Your challenge is to much a structure and voice to your topic, and not to write a journalistic piece but keep your essay entertaining, personal, and insightful. And for the rest of the semester, on a week like this when we're working on an essay, you don't need to be posting to your blog. One thing at a time. Instead, this cycle's grade will be based on revisions of Public Interest essay.

Plan and Homework
Day 1 - Computer lab time to work on draft on wikispace.
HW - Print three drafts for elbowing.

Day 2 - 12:30 class, you're still in the computer lab this day and don't need your three drafts until day 3. 10:30 class you will be elbowing today.
HW - Make revisions according to feedback. Bring 3 drafts for elbowing (both classes).

Day 3 - Elbowing
HW - 10:30, final draft due next class. 12:30, elbowing session 2 next class, bring 3 revised drafts.

Day 4 - 10:30 essays due. 12:30, elbowing.
HW - Final drafts. Back to posting for 10:30.

Welcome to 4th Quarter - Cycle 22 - Composition

Our essay topics are becoming more complex and are moving away from being exclusively personal explorations. This cycle we're exploring a public interest issue. Again, we'll be using the wikispace as a way to collaborate and get feedback. We'll also take a look at a full-length example essay. And don't forget about our digital photography sentence work.

A Few Important Changes
1. Label all your posts with cycle number. And add a side bar element for "labels."
2. A few weeks ago, I set up a blog reading schedule. But it was too confusing for me. So the new plan is that I'll read your blogs at the end of each cycle. So for both classes, your posts are due F-days by midnight.
3. Continue to pay attention to the quality of your blogging. They are an especially good place to start exploring public interest topics. Do some web research, start linking and commenting.

Day 1 - Discuss 3 short public interest examples, sentence work
HW: Make sure you have topics posted on wiki, respond to two classmates' ideas, post

Day 2 - "Getting In"
HW: Post

Day 3 - "Getting In"
HW: Post

Day 4 - Work on public interest draft
HW: Post, prepare for elbowing on Day 1 of next cycle

Welcome to 4th Quarter - Cycle 22 - Freshman

Soon, we'll be finishing The Woman Warrior, revisiting our essential questions, completing the 1001 Flat World Writing Project, and switching gears for some Shakespeare.

A Few Important Changes
1. Label all your posts with cycle number. And add a side bar element for "labels."
2. A few weeks ago, I set up a blog reading/Flat World checking schedule. But it was too confusing for me. So the new plan is that I'll read your blogs/story revisions at the end of each cycle. So your posts need to be completed each cycle by F-day midnight.
3. Continue to pay attention to the quality of your blogging, feedback, and creative writing.

In Class:
Day 1 - "At The Western Palace" quiz, silent reading time
HW: Critical response to passage on blog

Day 2 - Flat World work, podcast story
HW: Flat World feedback (see wiki for schedule)

Day 3 - Flat World work, podcast story
HW: Story revision

Day 4 - "A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe" reading in class, discussion, lit circle meeting (new group)
HW: Lit circle post

Welcome to 4th Quarter - Cycle 22 - Sophomores

Soon, we'll be finishing The Poisonwood Bible, revisiting our essential questions, and starting independent quality projects. For the next two cycles, you will continue to use your weblog as a commonplace book and reading response journal.

A Few Important Changes
1. Label all your posts with cycle number. And add a side bar element for "labels."
2. A few weeks ago, I set up a blog reading schedule. But it was too confusing for me. So the new plan is that I'll read your blogs at the end of each cycle. So 11:30, your posts are due E-days by midnight; 1:30, your posts are due F-days by midnight.
3. Continue to pay attention to the quality of your blogging. Go back to the critical thinking standards and wheel and make those moves in your writing/thinking.

In Class:
Day 1 - "Judges" quiz, silent reading time.
HW: Critical response to passage

Day 2 - SAT practice essay.
HW: Word process (on blog) and print essay, then bring to class.

Day 3 - SAT scoring panels activity
HW: Commonplace post

Day 4 - Lit. Circle meeting for "Bel and the Serpent."
HW: Lit circle post

Cycle 21

The last cycle of the quarter is here! In the next few weeks, sophs and frosh, we'll be finishing our novels and looking ahead to final projects. Juniors and seniors, we'll continue to improve and innovate in our writing with fresh topics and model essays, as well as interesting, I hope, activities that will help you think about composing sentences and paragraphs in different ways. Oh, and that spring break thing too.

Cycle Theme: Recharge

SAT Vocab: paucity and appropriate (verb)

Freshman
In Class
Day 1 - "Shaman" quiz and discussion.
Day 2 - (After break) Flat World. CLCC.
Day 3 - Flat World. CLCC.
Day 4 - "At The Western Palace" quiz and discussion.

HW:
Over break, read "At The Western Palace."
When we get back, feedback for voice and sentence fluency, and a new revision. Denver and Seoul are going to take a break with us.


Sophomores
In Class:
Day 1 - "Revelation" quiz and discussion.
Day 2 - Film: Mosquito Coast.
Day 3 - cont.
Day 4 - Lit Circles

HW:
Over break, read "Judges."
Before break, a post comparing film to PB and anything else you find relevant.
After break, a commonplace post and a lit circle post.


Composition
In Class:
Day 1 - Sentence/Grammar Work.
Day 2 - Posting photos and writing sentences on wiki.
Day 3 - More work with sentences.
Day 4 - New essay, new topic

HW:
Over break, non-required writing and reading.
After break, posts due.

Cycle 20

We've been busy! And we've experimented with the use of a lot of new technology. So this cycle, we're not going to introduce anything new. Instead, we're going to reflect on where we've been and continue to do what we're doing. We'll do some more podcasting as a supplement to writing in all classes (frosh-seniors). I'm also going to ask you to consider what 'self' you've created on your blog and whether or not you're satisfied with that self. With the exception of my composition classes, we'll be moving deeper into our core novels. Lastly, don't forget that the end of the quarter is right around the corner. So make sure you're caught up with EVERYTHING!

Cycle Theme: Raising the bar.

SAT Vocab: penchant and pragmatic (add to your sidebar, make notecards, use in posts and class)

Sophomores
In-Class:
Day 1 - Class discussion led by lit. circle groups, new group and role
assignments.
Day 2 - Walk activity. Examples in sidebar.
Day 3 - Lit. circle time, center-of-gravity quotes.
Day 4 - In computer lab for reflective blog work. ("Revelations" quiz next A-day)
On Blog:
2 Lit. Circle Posts
2 Comments on other blogs
Blog revision and assessment (we'll discuss)


Freshman
In-Class:
Day 1 - In computer lab for Flat World Story Work - Organization.
Day 2 - In computer lab for Flat World Podcasting.
Day 3 - Lit. circle meeting.
Day 4 - "Shaman" quiz. Class discussion.
On Blog/FlatWorldWiki:
Feedback for two writers in row below your row posted by Thursday midnight.
New draft by next Tuesday (these are new deadlines)
Post a Hawaii ghost story on your blog.
1 Lit. circle work post.


Composition
In-Class:
Day 1 - Elbowing Day 2.
Day 2 - In computer lab for time to revise/give feedback using Wiki.
Day 3 - Finish King essay.
Day 4 - Defining Moment Essay due. Grammar work.
On Blog:
Leave 5 comments
4 Entries (Revise/delete after class discussion).

Extra: Mr. Burell and I are looking for some students to Skype with us and some of his students over the weekend. We'll talk about blogging and record our conversation as a podcast. Talk to me if interested.

Cycle 19

Okay, now that we've had a chance to sink our proverbial teeth into our blogs, I think I move a better sense of how to continue to use them effectively. So I've rearranged things a little because one of the biggest benefits of the blogs is that it allows us to see our in-class time differently. I'm going to try to explore and take advantage of that. Instead of cycle sheets, I'm going to write a post at the beginning of each cycle. Like this. It'll have a description of where we've been and where we're going, a list of things we're going to do in-class, including any activities for which you need to prepare specific work or feedback, and a list of homework to be completed on your blog. Unless a specific piece of work needs to be ready for a specific day of class, you can complete the blog postings in any order you see fit. Each post should be completed between each class meeting and should represent 20-30 minutes of blogging. It's easy to tell how long it took you. We're also going to engage in a cross-grade level, cross-class vocabulary development exercise. This cycle, everybody needs to look up these two words, use them in at least 2 of your posts (each word twice) and try to use them in class discussions. Also add them, with definitions, as a permanent list on your sidebars. The words are:
contumacious and impute

Sophomores:
In Class:
Day 1 - SAT writing and assessing
Day 2 - Literature 8's meeting and work
Day 3 - Literature 8's meeting and work
Day 4 - PB quiz and Lit. 8's class discussion

Blog:
1 post analyzing your SAT essay after class discussion.
2 posts worth of PB literature 8 work.
1 or more commonplace posts.
Maintain correspondence with partner schools.
Special note to sophs: I'm bringing my headset for TIB podcasting today after school.

Freshman:
In Class:
Day 1 - Reflection on 1001 project, what to do next: organization.
Day 2 - Literature 8's meeting and work: White Tigers
Day 3 - Literature 8's meeting and work.
Day 4 - WT quiz and class discussion.

Blog/1001 wiki:
Post feedback to partners in Seoul and Denver by Thursday midnight.
New draft of story by Sunday midnight.
2 posts worth of literature 8 work.

Composition:
In Class:
Day 1: A video, take a look at some of our blogs, how the notebook requirement will change, debrief on our use of the wiki as writing workshop, start reading a new essay, return essays?
Day 2: Elbow revised draft (be sure you bring three).
Day 3: Elbow #2
Day 4: Grammar work, but not what you expect.

Blog/Wiki:
Requirement change: 5 pages in notebook and 4 blog posts each cycle. Try to follow themes in your writing. In other words, carry on a conversation, explore it from different angles and points of view.