back to school night
TRANSCRIPT
Ms. Greeley's 12th Grade
English Class
Back to School Night 2010
Goals for This Year:
By June, students will:• have a clear sense of their own voice in
creative, informative, and argumentative writing
• be able to apply critical thinking to texts• communicate their opinions eloquently and
intelligently• have a broadened understanding of different
times and cultures through literature• not fear writing papers!
Some Topics of Interest: Units to be Focused on this Year• Social commentary
o History lessons between the lines• Modernizing the classics
o Relating the Edwards and Harrys of today's popular fiction to the Mr. Darcys and Sherlocks of old
• Psychology of literatureo What does your reading style say about you?
• 21st Century Skillso Using technology to become a better writer and
reader• Creatively writing across genres
o Building confidence through free writes and formal papers
The Blog Project :DBeginning in September, students will create and keep a personal blog to encourage uninhibited writing. Each week, students will post one of the following:• A short story segment (min 500 words)• A response to a current event (min 300 words)• A personal reflection (min 500 words) • A poem (or song) along with a brief explanation (min 300
words)Students are encouraged to write anything they wish, provided it's kept clean and isn't tYpd liEk diss :)))
Students will also be encouraged to read and comment on each others posts. Groups will rotate so that each week they interact with new circles.
At the end of the year, we will "go back in time" to see how much everyone has grown as a writer and as a person!
Creative Writing Across the World
As part of the unit on creative writing, students will create an account with FictionPress.• FictionPress is an online writer's community in which people
of all ages publish their own original narratives and poetry for others to read and critique/enjoy.
The project:• As one of the last units of the year, this project will enable
students to find inspiration in the literature and writing styles learned throughout the year to create their own original pieces for people all over the world to read and comment on.
• Students will be asked to read the work of other users and discuss how writing styles differ across regions and countries.
NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: Technology in the Classroom
You may be wondering why an English course involves so much computer time.
Technology is a 21st Century Skill that must be learned in order to flourish in this digital age.
The two projects described will aide the students in learning how to utilize technology as a powerful learning and development tool.
The Blog Project and Creative Writing Across the World comply with the standard that dictates that by the end of 12th grade, students should be able to...
"participate in online courses, learning communities, social networks, or virtual worlds and recognize them as resources for lifelong learning." (8.1.12.A.3)
Class Policies• Students are not to share
work, plagiarize, or cheat. In order to prevent this, all formal work will be submitted to turnitin.com.
• Resources such as CliffsNotes, SparkNotes, and BookRags are heavily frowned upon! While easier and faster to read, they strip the books of beauty and feeling and therefore act against the learner. Students who rely solely on these sources will not be able to pass my class.
Questions, Concerns, or Comments?
Contact me!Catherine Greeley
[email protected] ext. #1337
Thank you for coming!