Finishing Up 2020 - Blue Day

AP Language and English 10

Today was our day to finish up our final projects/assignments in class. I hope that you were able to get to a good place with your work, and if you didn't submit today, then hopefully after some quick check-in you can get everything done and submitted. As a reminder, I'll be doing the majority of my grading and updating on Monday.

There's nothing assigned for you to complete over the break. Use this time to rest, relax, and enjoy time away from your computer. I'm looking forward to seeing you all and continuing to work together in 2021. Hopefully, we'll even get the chance to see each other, in-person, in class.

Wednesday - 16 December - Grey Day

AP Language and English 10 - Find your reminders and notes below. Keep in mind that we are currently working towards completing our major projects for this unit. Please reach out in any of the ways that we have in this virtual school world to do so, and I'll do my best to provide help and guidance. As always, use rubrics and exemplars of work to guide your work toward a result. Also, keep in mind that you can always resubmit or reassess in this classroom to show your growth and mastery of skills.

AP Research

Today was a great day! The discussions we had were fruitful and engaging as we reflected collectively, in teams, and with our guest star, the amazing Ms. Anne Nolan! Remember to continue to reach out to her and others (we'll bring up Expert Advisors on Friday, briefly) in ethical and honorable ways. The IRB will meet again in mid-January to review your edits/revisions to your proposals and tools. I would suggest making a copy of everything you have and then applying edits to the copies.

Log your conference today and be sure to do this regularly. I'll share a template for this when we meet quickly on Friday. Then we'll complete our Catch-up Day; I will be available through the entire meeting period on Meet.

We are almost there everyone...we are almost there! Happy first snow!

Week 15 - The End of 2020

AP Language

Good day all around today everyone! I was happy to see a lot of forward movement with our website task and to see the amazing amount of collaboration to improve your work and make each other better. Keep in mind that finishing this task is going to be our key focus for this week. Be sure that you take time to post your materials. If you need additional help, let me know. We'll meet together on Thursday and, possibly, quickly check out based on where we are and what we have to do.

As always, reach out with anything I can do to help!

English 10

Today we took time to read and analyze an important chapter for us as we consider how people and relationships change over time. Your PD Takeaways on Google Classroom have your notes. There are also the slides posted for the questions and key panels for analysis. In "The Horse" we looked at Marji and her mother as well as the irony at play in their developing relationship. 

From there, we took time at the end to work on and submit projects. Remember that projects need to be turned in this week. If you've finished your project, then you should watch the movie for Persepolis. Everything is posted for you in Google Classroom under Classwork.

Closing Week 14 - Friday the 11th

AP Research

Happy Friday! Today we used our return period to complete our quick assessment on ethical practices. Class time today is our final working session before submitting our IRB paperwork. The main task that you have ahead of yourselves at the moment is compiling and gathering your materials to submit for IRB approval.

There is a space on Google Classroom for you to submit your work. Be sure that you submit your proposal and any/all tools that you will use to gather data and complete your method. The team will meet on Monday afternoon, review your work, and give any feedback. We'll go through this on Wednesday as we continue moving forward.

Next week we'll also take a look at some PODs and become more familiar with the POD rubric. I've also posted a new reflection question for you - it relates to the work we're doing now on method development.

AP English and English 10

Keep in mind that we have final projects due next week. My goal in collecting them next week is so that you will have a break that actually is that - a break. Be focused on your tasks, check in on any missing assignments, and submit your work. I'm available on Monday during Office Hours for any support or help you may need.

Ending the Week - Thursday, 10 December

AP Language

Today was time to review the requirements and process for the group argumentative essay as part of the Satire Website project. As a group, you had time to generate an argument (or the beginning of an argument) so that you all know from which perspective and for what purpose to use your text now. Over the weekend, you should take time to work through this and anything else required with your project. I'll be available on Monday to review your work and conference in Office Hours.

Next class is devoted to the websites. You'll have nothing but time in your group to write, edit, revise, and construct. I'll be available throughout class for help. Don't forget that vocabulary cards are due, and the place to submit them is posted.

I'll have quizzes scored and returned to you by the end of the day on Monday. If you want to retake or apply extra credit points, let me know via email.

English 10

Today we took time to do some individual reading and study in Persepolis as well as a brief grammar review. Remember to submit your slide from your reading today - it's a small ten point assignment.

Over the weekend, you should finish your work on your comic book and turn that in. Use the recording on Google Classroom to review how to turn in pictures of your work for this project. If you need help, come see me on Monday during Office Hours. I'm looking forward to seeing your stories!

Wednesday - 9 December - Grey Day

AP Research

We'll meet as a group on Friday for a working day together. This will give me the chance to check-in and conference with each of you so that we can make sure that everything is going in a good direction for submitting proposals and tools. Don't forget that we'll also have a small assessment on Friday related to ethical practices. 

Keep developing your proposal and tools. A quick email or meeting can help save you a lot of time and energy. This is also a good time to check in with your reflection questions and Body of Knowledge - you've got a lot of answers and resources there as well. As always, let me know what you'll need, and I'll do my best to provide it.

AP Language

We got through the activity today! Thank you to the classes yesterday for struggling through it and giving me feedback to make changes for today. Remember that you have a quiz on Friday on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Prepare by reviewing your notes, our slides, and other resources. The quiz will focus on identifications, quotations, and short answer.

Don't lose your project work while this is going on. If you haven't drafted your rhetorical analysis - be sure that you do now. Remember that the goal is to show how the author makes their argument clear to you via the choices they make. Our next step is the group essay, which is very simple. You should be able to complete everything in advance of the due date.

English 10

Good working and thinking today as we began our work in Persepolis, Part 2. We'll keep seeing how Marji responds to her new life in Austria and the new potential she has. We'll finish this part of the book pretty quickly, as you'll see next class.

Beginning Week 14 - Tuesday the 8th

AP Language

Hey crew. I appreciate your efforts today. I'm taking what I learn from working with you all every day and applying it to our future lessons. I'm sorry that you all end up being my guinea pigs since you're the Blue Day group. Be sure that you have uploaded your work from today to the shared slide deck/FlipGrids so that you can get your points from today's activity. I think for tomorrow I'll be removing the recording part of the assignment; it seems like that's where the major speedbump is.

Review the other slides for today's class and from the other groups. There are some beginnings of sample short answer questions as yes/no samples - using those yes/no statements are a great way to prepare for short answer questions on your quiz on Thursday. There's an outline of the quiz and tips on how to prepare in the final slide.

Don't forget that you also have your rhetorical analysis for your project. It should be complete. I appreciate that so many of you met with me or set up times to meet with me later this week. Our next step is the group essay which we'll settle next class - it's pretty straightforward and should be a simple writing task.

English 10

Today's class was a reading day to get into Part 2 of Persepolis. As we read, we spoke a lot on cause and effect and the mixed bag that comes with immigrating to a new place - the way that the expectation doesn't usually line up with what we expect.

We finished the day with a bit of choice - looking at a lesson on NoRedInk and the requirements for our project. Be focused on finishing your project right now. It's due on Monday and is a lot of points. If you're unsatisfied with your quiz score, you can email me for a retake or to use rubles for extra credit.

Looking at the Weekend - Ending Week 13

Good Day Students! Welcome to the end of another wonderful and productive week.

English Students - This weekend is made for you to get mileage out of your projects. In AP Language a clear goal is to construct your analysis. I'm available all next week, and especially on Monday, to help you with this work. Vocabulary cards, finishing Huckleberry Finn, and preparing for our novel assessment are also key tasks. For English 10 it's clear that we need to be creating our content for our graphic novels. Start to write, draw, and create. If you still need to complete the brainstorming, be sure to get that done too!

AP Research - Today was all about ethical choices in research and method design. Remember that much of this is so individual to your own inquiry projects because of the design of your own individual methods. Ethical choices related to what we do and why we've done it as well as how we do it. Your job as a researcher is to make sure that your assessor is always aware of the ethical choices that you have made.

Focus this weekend on the TEDTalk about ethics in research and data. There are some great insights related to this conversation that I think will give you further information to ponder. Next week your goal is to complete your Inquiry Proposal form for the IRB meeting on December 14. You have to submit the proposal form as well as any/all forms, surveys, questionnaires, tools for your method. You should put everything in your PREP and share that folder with me to present on your behalf.

As I said today in class, this is a good time to use Mondays and our working days to get meetings with me. Next week you'll have Wednesday to work and Friday we'll be together for a quick check on ethics.

Ending Week 13 and Looking Ahead...

AP Language

Good day filled with collaboration and support for each other. I was happy to hear that you were able to work together and get goals accomplished. Keep in mind that this weekend is a key weekend for writing. Focus on completing your rhetorical analysis. Keep working with your peers. Remember that I'm available on Monday for help with individual editing and review if you need it.

Outside of finishing the draft of your analysis, be sure that you complete Vocabulary Cards #2 and your reading of Huckleberry Finn. We'll have a quick assessment on Thursday to see your understanding and knowledge of the text.

Keep in mind that we'll have everything due for this unit BEFORE we go out for break. That way the break will really be a break instead of a chance to do work. I've attached a video from today's class to help you with your process.

English 10

Today we took time for our first quiz and then to finish up any loose ends. Next week we'll be focused on finishing our projects and our study of Persepolis. We'll be reading some important chapters in Part Two before we take a look at the film version of Persepolis to compare and contrast the two. I hope that all of you felt prepared for today's quiz. I'll have them graded and returned to you ASAP. Remember that you can cash in rubles to raise your grade, or you can redo the quiz if you'd like to improve that way too. 

Make sure that you have finished the earlier parts of your project and that you are moving into the creation phase of this work. Next week you should be drawing and writing so that you can turn in your stories on Monday, December 14. Keep in mind that you'll turn in a photograph of your page(s). There's also a quick video that you'll post where you explain your work. When you turn it in your story, you'll see the link to record your response. 

Grey Day - 2 December 2020

AP Language - Thanks for getting things done during our Return Period today. I'll have scores updated for AP Classroom later this week. Remember that you should be coming to class on Friday with a good working draft/outline of your rhetorical analysis to work in some peer editing teams.

English 10 - Remember to review and prepare for your assessment. I hope you liked the Kahoot today as  a way to review the first part of Persepolis.

AP Research

Today was a day where we launched into method and Unit 3 - the design of our method and the implementation of it. Lots of new information today, so lots of me talking and presenting. Later in the unit you'll have long stretches of independent work, so I like to think that I get in all of my time at the beginning in this one.

Our focus today was on types of method and their connection to the research question approach and design. Keep in mind that your credibility comes through your supporting sources - using them to help you in the design and choice of your method is a great strategy to ensure you're making the best choices.

Next class we'll look at ethics and ethical choices in method design and implementation. This will help you to work through and complete most if not all of your research proposal. These are due on the 14th in the morning for the IRB meeting in the afternoon. 

For now, begin on the proposal. You've likely got the preliminary phases finished - so working through those areas now will save you time next week as you finalize your method and develop your tools.

Beginning Week 13 - Blue Day

AP Language

If you weren't able to finish the reading of Toni Morrison's piece of literary criticism, I highly suggest that you do. Remember that the main goal is to find ways to open up our own perspective on a piece of literature and see new things to consider. I appreciated seeing your own reflections on her article and what you were able to understand. 

Moving forward to Thursday, your focus should be on your individual analysis. Come to class with a good draft of that on Thursday so that you can work with your group through class to provide feedback and move into the final phase of the assignment.

Next week we'll be finishing TAoHF, so complete the reading of the final chapter set and your second set of cards. As a reminder you can choose words from Tan, Sedaris, Twain, and today's essay from Toni Morrison.

As always, reach out with any questions or concerns.

English 10

I included the link to our class review game on Google Classroom so that you can further review the questions before our quiz on Thursday. On Thursday for the quiz you'll be able to use your book, notes, and study guide from today's review game as you work. I hope that you enjoyed the chance to do something a little bit different today.

Outside of preparing for our quiz, it's a great time to finish any of your work with your project. Start drawing and putting the story together. Remember that you can use no more than two pages, so you might want to focus on the most important part of the moment/story. You'll turn in the project by December 14 by turning in photographs of your work to me. Be sure that any of our planning or earlier work is turned in so that you're ready to move forward.