31 March - Happy Spring Break!

English 10

Timed Writing Day! Timed Writing Day! 

Today was an easy way to end the quarter and our unit on Latin America as we completed our Latin American Letter. We completed our mini-research project and wrote a letter to a leader in Latin America about a problem facing their country. I hope that you appreciated this chance to learn a bit more and explore issues in our world. I'll be reading and reviewing your work after I return from my trip, so you'll come back to updated scores, and we'll finalize grades for the quarter.

There is, of course, no work over the break. If you are missing work and want to get caught up, please do so. Membean and NoRedInk are open for practice. I'd suggest doing what I like to do, read a good book :) I have plenty of suggestions.

I'll look forward to seeing you when I'm back from South Korea and sharing stories. Our last unit of the year will be on The Middle East. Get ready to finish in style and with strength!

30 March - End of the Unit

AP Language

Great final working day for Quarter 3. Remember that we will be returning to class after Spring Break to our double timed writing - you'll be writing on Question 2 and 3 followed by the MCQ. This is a total reset on your grades for the beginning of the Fourth Quarter - so be prepared in the best way that you can.

If you would like to/need to submit a revision of your Annotated Bibliography, please do so. I'll accept these until April 13 to be reviewed. Submit your assignment that's due before you begin your break, you won't have time after we return.

I'm very excited to take you all into the end of the course, let's finish with style!

AP Research

Today was a fantastic day to end the unit in AP Research since we're doing another round of peer review. We've got access to revision guides, sample papers, each other, the rubric, and earlier lessons so that we can put together an accurate and high scoring representation of our work this year. 

The final reflection questions have been posted. These are due on April 13 to Schoology to end the quarter. You will have nothing but time to work, revise, and prepare for presentations when we return. Note, there are just two classes before we begin PODs on April 17. Work hard, be ready. Remember, we're basically done by May 1.

29 March - It's Wednesday!

English 10

Easy day for the middle of the week in English 10 today. We took time to review our previous work on writing, set a goal for this last writing assignment of the quarter, read a letter by a great American woman, and then took our vocabulary test for the end of the quarter. 

Next class we'll be writing our final letter for the third quarter. Remember that you'll get the better of the two grades, so improvement or maintaining mastery is the goal. You'll be able to use your research, your planning, and other resources that you've acquired from class. That will take us to Spring Break! When we return, we'll start in on our last unit of the year - the Middle East!

Monday and Tuesday - 28 and 29 March

Sorry for the oversight with the post yesterday, the meeting we had after school took the wind out of my sails.

English 10

Today was the beginning of our final assessment week for Latin America. This week we're focused on writing a letter to a Latin American leader that presents our argument about a problem or issue in their country. I loved the seriousness that I saw today. We were engaged in the task and working hard. Keep that up and we'll have a great last week before break.

Next class we'll look at an example letter to prepare for our writing workshop. We'll also have a Membean vocabulary test next class - so be sure to prepare a bit for that. Friday is the day we'll write our letter. I'll grade them after I get back from my trip and we'll have the time when we return to complete any revisions that we need to raise our grades.

AP Language

Timed Writing Day! Timed Writing Day!

Today we went through the process of writing our synthesis essays. I am looking forward to reading and scoring your responses. If you were absent, be sure to schedule a make-up session. I can see you Wednesday or Thursday after school or we can do it after Spring Break at the very latest.

All scores have been entered for the Annotated Bibliography. If you would like to resubmit the assignment, please do so. Resubmissions will be accepted until the 13th of April. There are comments to guide you in the process of revising. If you are missing this assignment, it will still be accepted.

Next class we're focused on Jargon/Vocabulary. The goal will be to submit that assignment to cap off this unit. I'll have your work scored to guide any resubmissions when we return from break. See you for the last class!

AP Research

Great work today as we watched our final POD to prepare for our examination season to begin. This final POD is a great example of a rule of thumb I like to follow, "The more complext the topic, the simpler the slides." Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Most all of you can build the slides you saw today, so you should.

Next class we will have our next round of Peer Review. You should have four sections of your paper read to be shared with a classmate. Be sure that you've done your revisions to update your existing sections. Check for alignment!

Be sure that Spring Break pushes you forward. I hope you'll find time to relax, but if you're finding a need to use that time, please do so. PODs BEGIN ON APRIL 17.

24 March - Friday Feels Fantastic

AP Language

We completed our writing conferences today, for the most part, today. If you were absent or chose not to conference today, be sure that you are seen on Monday for your conference. If you have submitted your Synthesis SourcePack and received a 4/4 it will be printed for you. If you do not submit your SourcePack by 4:00 PM on Monday the 27th then you will be given another prompt. If you would rather write on a different prompt because you are finding yours difficult, that is an option as well.

All tasks are now due. I have graded all submitted and resubmitted work as of this morning. Remember that any revisions to Annotated Bibliographies can be submitted after Spring Break. Don't forget about your Jargon Assignment. You should definitely try to complete that assignment before we go out on Break. Trust me.

AP Research

Today was the end of our independent working week. I hope that you all were able to find time to move your process of data analysis and collection toward its conclusion and to continue the process of revising your research papers in advance of our next round of peer review.

Next week we will have one day for working and one day for peer review. Remember that you should have FOUR completed sections of your paper for Thursday's peer review workshop. Bring your earlier revised sections and your additional new work. We'll continue to review for alignment, justification, clarity, and rubric score points. On Tuesday, we'll be focused on our PODs and building our slides after watching our final example presentation.

Note that you only have two reflection questions that haven't been given to you. Reflections for Quarter 3 will be due after Spring Break - as we discussed today in class, be sure that your answers are as specific as they possibly can be. Define your sources and concepts so clearly that nobody else could provide your answer. 

As always, if you need me, please reach out! And thank you for being a lovely group while I was away.

23 March - The End of the Week (Grey Day)

English 10

Today was our last reading from our unit on Latin American Literature. We read Luisa Valenzuela's "The Censors" - I really love this story and its approach to irony and character. It's a short but packed story. We made a lot of connections to our contemporary world in today's class as well. This may be a possible problem for you to focus on in your letter next week, but more about that later.

At the end of class we took time for ourselves as needed. Remember that next week you'll have your final vocabulary test for the quarter and we'll be working through your final assessment - the Latin American Letter. Be sure to meet your goals next week as we research, plan, and then write across our last three days.

22 March - Well Suited Wednesday

AP Language

The beginning of writing conferences today in AP Language land. This is one of my favorite parts of the year because I get the chance to sit down with each of you and discuss your writing. From what I saw today, here are a few big takeaways:

1. Be sure to clearly structure your paragraphs. Remember that you're writing by hand. Show indents, skip lines, and be careful with small grammar mistakes (SOPHISTICATION SCORE).

2. Think about the ultimate effect or consequence of your issue. This will help you to reinforce your Line of Reasoning in your commentary.

If you'd like to come in during Lion Time or after school for your conference or for an additional conference, please do! I'll complete the rest of class conferences next week. Be sure to use this time to prepare for next week's final assessment.

AP Research

We continued our writing, analyzing, and conferencing in AP Research today with our second of three independent working days. From our conversations it is clear that many of you are moving well through the process - it's time to keep going. Move toward the end of your data collection, check your analysis, write everything down and make sure that it's clear to anyone who reads your paper or views your presentation.

Next week we'll have our next round of peer review, I'll expect that you have FOUR of the SIX sections complete to be reviewed. We'll also be watching another POD next week so that we can prepare for our presentations. Presentations will be during the week of April 17.

21 March - Tuesday Takes On

English 10

A solid start to the week in English 10. We did a lot of review of conflicts and their power to create meaning in stories. Remember that the way that conflicts are resolved - asking who wins and who loses and why - is important to determine theme. We also did a lot of thinking around reviewing all possible answers to find the strongest possible interpretation. 

At the end of class we took some choice time for ourselves and then looked at our final project - the Latin American Letter. For this assignment you're doing another run of your letter assignment. Remember, you keep the higher grade in each category. We'll start working on this project in earnest next week. You should be able to finish it next week during our workshops.

Remember that the quarter ends the week after Spring Break. I will accept any missing work to be scored, please submit any missing assignments.

20 March - Starting the Week Write...Get It?

AP Language

Hooray! It's rough draft day! We took 55 minutes today to plan and draft our final essay for this unit. Remember that you will write your final essay next week. This is the final week to prepare for that assessment. This week you should complete any remaining tasks (submitting AB or SourcePack), meet with me for a writing conference, and review your work with your peers. We also have plenty of practice opened up on AP Classroom. There's also the Jargon/Vocabulary assignment due after Spring Break that you could get done now.

Set your goals. Keep yourself accountable. Be ready for the end of this quarter and your final assessments.

AP Research

Easy day in AP Research today as we began our latest string of working days. You have this week to continue working through your process of data collection, organization, and analysis. As I expressed in our conferences, it is important that you continue to hold fast to your sources throughout all sections of the paper. As you see discrepancies between your data conclusions and the data in the existing conversation, be sure to point those out. Remember, any discrepancy is a new understanding.

I would recommend that you finish your academic paper and then complete your POD slides. We'll watch another high scoring POD next week before we get into our next round of Peer Review. Remember your next deadline - there is Peer Review on March 30. When we return from Spring Break, you'll have your PREP reflections due to be checked. These are our last grades for Quarter 3. Be sure that you are ready to finish strong and then finalize your tasks to submit in April.

17 March - Happy Friday

English 10

Really good day in English 10 as we started our reading of "Tuesday Siesta". I liked our conversation around the setting, the characters, and the conflict. We'll finish the story on Monday and discuss some of the themes and outcomes. At the end of class we had some choice time. Remember that there is a vocabulary test and a grammar test coming up soon. Use Membean and NoRedInk to prepare. 

We're also getting close to the end of the quarter. If you are missing assignments, it is important to get them in now. Please see me next week for Lion Time, get them done this weekend, or see me after school. Check your progress report with any questions.

16 March - After the Ides of March

AP Language

A bit of a blah start in AP Lang today with our Integrated Reading and Writing Field Test. I think that the best thing about this is now you've seen what the SOL is kinda like, so you're ready for that at the end of April. Remember that there are plenty of online released tests to practice for the SOL Reading.

After that, we played Russian Roulette - AP Language Style. This is a game designed for fast thinking and fast planning. We also had the chance to see multiple types of synthesis prompt across the years. What did you notice about them? Did you see a lot of the key similarities? Remember - the task is always the same, it's just the evidence and question that changes.

Next week is our week for writing conferences. You'll be writing on Monday. Be ready! Have a complete SourcePack. Review your feedback on the AB. If you haven't turned in the AB and gotten feedback, you'll really want that before you write next week. Make a plan to come in after school or at Lion Time. I'm here to help!

AP Research

We finished Manzanar today! Hooray! It's kinda funny how the work that we do is so front loaded, the conclusion for this paper was just two paragraphs. I hope that you see how each paragraph and each sentence within has a clear purpose. We did a lot of discussing and reflecting today in class and it was all pretty fantastic. You should start finishing your papers as soon as you can. Finalize your data. Work through your analysis. Write what you can now. Don't forget about your POD.

Next week we'll have a string of independent working days. Some of you will also conference with me to complete that from before. We also have our reflection question posted for this week. Be sure that these are all complete for your final check. That final check will happen AFTER Spring Break.

The ending time has come everyone. We will begin our POD presentations in mid-April. That's only about seven classes from now. Be sure that you are filling your time with productivity. Papers are due April 28.

15 March - Hey Wednesday!

English 10

Great day in English 10 today as we completed our Poetry Scavenger Hunt. We looked through the poems we've read so far this year and reflected on our changes in our approach to poetry, our favorites, least favorites, and some extensions on poetry around the world. Keep in mind that this assignment serves as your quiz on poetry, so it's open to be resubmitted if you need to.

Be sure that you've checked in on your SiS. We have two stories left in this unit - Marquez and Valenzuela - and then we'll be moving on to our final projects. We should have everything done by the time we go out on Spring Break. 

14 March - Tuesday Feels

AP Language

Today was a day focused on outlining and planning in preparation for our timed writing. Remember that you will write your essays in four classes. Each of the following days are focused on preparing for that eventuality. Today we reviewed the elements of effective planning and looked at each others' work to provide feedback. Next week we'll be doing a rough draft (so another version of today) and beginning writing conferences with me. Next class we'll be playing a bit of a game of Russian Roulette; don't worry, we'll all survive.

At this point, SourcePacks and Annotated Bibliographies are due. All ABs should be submitted by the end of this week to be scored. If you are having trouble, you need to come in and see me for help. 

AP Research

Today we begin our transition into Unit 5 - Final Elements. During this time we are focused on completing our final assessments, our academic research paper and our POD. You will be given ample time during this unit to write, work, reflect, and revise. It is now crunch time when it comes to data. You'll need to set yourself a drop-dead date to end your data collection and begin your analysis and writing.

Our next day for Peer Review will be on March 30. By this date you are expected to have four of the six sections completed. Remember, even if you haven't collected ALL your data, you can still write your analysis for the preliminary data. Then run the test again when you have it all and check for alignment. As you consider your conclusion, remember your hypothesis. Did the end come out as you thought it would? Why or why not?

Next class we'll be looking at Manzanar one last time. Be sure to bring our best friend as we work toward the end!

13 March - Kicking off the Week

English 10

An easy way to start the week today in English 10 with our poetry tournament. We looked at eight poems by Pablo Neruda - a combination of sonnets and odes - in order to understand the essentials of a poem and what makes a good poem good. Remember to use these chances to collaborate in order to share and exchange ideas. I hope you enjoyed this low stakes approach to poetry appreciation. Next class we'll be doing a scavenger hunt related to poetry to finalize our study of poetry in this unit.

If you have missing assignments from last week or earlier in the unit, it's important to get those made up and submitted. I'm available for Lion Time on Wednesday and also after school. Be sure to get any missing assignments in now! 

9 and 10 March - End of the Week

English 10

Thank you English 10 for your work yesterday while I was away. I appreciate that when I came back I had a folder full of work from you all. I'm excited to see what you put together for me. Next week we're going to look at some poetry before we begin ending our unit on Latin American literature.

AP Language

Today was our final writing workshop to prepare for submission of the annotated bibliography. This assignment is now due. I love that people have already submitted work and received feedback. This makes all of our lives easier. Remember, you can resubmit this assignment - just remember to give me back the rubric. 

Next week we're going to start moving into the writing and planning phase of this assignment. We'll be focused on outlining, writing, and giving peer feedback. Having a complete or nearly complete SourcePack is essential, so be sure that this corollary assignment is nearly complete!

Have a great weekend. Please come in for Lion Time if you need additional help!

AP Research

Today was a great day in AP Research land because it was a day for peer review. This is becoming one of the most important parts of the class because remember, I can't give you direct feedback. I can ask you plenty of questions to help guide you, but if you want to know what to do, then you have to go to each other. Thankfully you're all well trained and able to provide amazing feedback to each other. Today is an example of that.

Work with your revisions. Move forward and polish your work. We'll do another run of this after Spring Break as we consider our Data/Findings, Analysis, and Conclusion. Keep writing. Keep building. Every little bit counts. We'll begin next week in Unit 5. Be sure to complete your PREP reflections so that they are ready to be checked.

8 March - International Women's Day

AP Language

Solid working day today everyone! Next class is just like today - a writing workshop. I like that there are submissions for me to review and score; I'll work hard to get those back to you by next class. Meet your deadline and meet your goal. Submit your tasks!

Next week we're going to start moving more into writing and planning. Be ready to outline and thesis. Be sure that you also return your books if you no longer need them.

AP Research

Solid day in AP Research as we found ourselves solidly grinding. I hope that my overview of the paper and its essentials helped you in demystifying the experience. Remember, keep it simple. Keep it straightforward. Keep it direct. This is not a fancy paper, this is a paper that checks the boxes. 

Next class we'll begin our transition out of Unit 4 and into Unit 5. Unit 5 is focused on final elements - data charts, analysis, and final conclusions of our work. By the end of the month, we should be finding ourselves ready to move into presentation and production mode. We're nearly done. I'm looking forward to Peer Review, remember to submit your drafts so that I can grade them for completion.

7 March - Tuesday's Reminders

English 10

Easy day in English 10, a bit, as we studied our final two texts on the concept of the doppelganger, and then we took our Membean vocabulary quiz. I was really happy with everyone's attention today as you were plugged in to close reading. Remember that this strategy is great when you're reading a short text for a clear purpose. Ask yourself questions while you read. Dig into the text. Always go back to the text and lock in to support your answers.

Next class we'll have an in-class project to show what we've learned about doppelgangers. I'm excited to see your work.

6 March - Monday Monday!

AP Language

I love watching y'all collaborate and discuss good texts, and that was at the heart of our class today as we had our final group meeting. We discussed overall impressions, checked on our research topics, and then moved into some bigger reflections on some of our POG skills. This is the end of group meetings since we're focused on writing moving forward.

For the next two classes you'll have writing workshops to finish your AB and your SourcePacks. These assignments should be completed on time. We'll be doing a lot of work to start writing, brainstorming, and building this response over the next few weeks. Be ready to write and create! It's time to make the magic!

AP Research

We're in our second string of independent working days, and there are a few items that we can be working on right now. First, we have peer review coming up on Friday. You are expected to have two sections of your paper complete and able to be reviewed - Introduction / Literature Review / Method. You pick two. Please submit these items to Schoology so that I can input a grade.

Next class will be just like today. We'll be soon wrapping up Unit 4 and moving to Unit 5 - Final Considerations. Keep in mind that you should be essentially done with all elements of your work (except writing and presenting) by the time we go out for Spring Break.

2 March - Happy Long Weekend

English 10

Great day in English 10! I love "The Night Face Up". It's a perfect example of great imagery, mood, and the way that a great ending can really make a story complete. I hope you liked this first reading about the doppelganger, and our second text focused on the concept. We have one more story to look at which will happen on Tuesday; it's probably our strangest one, but it's also super short. 

If you are missing your letter, be sure that you make an appointment to get that done next week at at Lion Time or after school. We'll be doing a major assignment next week to cap off our first part of the unit. Be ready for some arts and crafts to display your knowledge!

1 March - Hooray Spring!

AP Language

Really solid day today as we worked through the concept of the dirty outline and did our exam simulation. I hope that all of you saw that fifteen minutes of planning is a lot of time when you do it well. Gotta be efficient. Remember that the most important part of writing the synthesis is to show that YOU, the student, are using the sources to explore and prove YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE on the topic. This is not a report, it's an argument. Use the video from today's class to help you in your approach to outlining.

Next class is our last group meeting. Remember, we're moving into the time for assessments to be done and graded! Your Annotated Bibliography is due next week. Don't fall behind on this important check. I'm here to help after school and at Lion Time!

AP Research

Today we began our next string of indepdendent working days. You have today and two classes next week to work through the next phase of your data collection and analysis. We'll be meeting together next week on Friday for peer review of the first sections of your papers. Meet your goals daily. Keep checking in on your process. Keep your records and hunt down your participants! It's time to make the magic of research, so you have to keep moving through the process!

Complete your newest reflection - we're almost done with them all! Keep in mind that by the time we get to Spring Break we're essentially done with the course, it's just finishing up and polishing to finish the year.