I think it's okay to be as excited as the students that we're wrapping IT ALL UP today. Heck yeah. We've reached the Finish Line... well, they have; I suppose I will when the grades are happily sleeping in PeopleSoft. Either way, it's a very chilly day, I have very little left to hand out/explain, and I'm wearing my Sorels (warm feet = happy me). Plus, I brought a to-go bag of goodies from a Holiday party last night, so I have sugar on hand. ) Today, I'm assigning the Final My Words Test and explaining the last in-class writing SLASH course evaluation process. "True fact," according to Shelby. And ask Lennie; he remembers what I say.

Technically, students could be finished today in class. It's happened before where students plop the final project in the Dropbox along with their final test... then type up their final in-class writing, and WHAM, they are able to move onto studying for big "nasty" tests.

As I just stated in my 10am class, I hope all my students had a great semester in my class, I hope they do well during finals week, and I hope their holiday season is safe & fun.

Today, I'll/we'll: collect the PR drafts from last Friday's activity, introduce P7, and disperse all the stuff I've gathered because students may want to use previous assignments in P7. On Friday, we'll work on P7 in class (some may choose to work in groups, so this functions as a possible group workday) as well as have our last bonus test and maybe watch a video? Next Monday is our last class day, and we'll use that day to do specific class evaluations of projects, look at the final My Words test, and maybe conduct our last piece of in-class writing ("Dear Future College Student...?"). P7 and the final My Words test are due before midnight on Wednesday (during Finals Week).

Today: Peer Review + a David Sedaris video (15min, a speech he gave at a graduation). Monday: No class, complete an activity (mentioned in class and on this blog before this entry) on eCompanion. Wednesday: P6 final draft due and we'll look at P7. Have a lovely weekend. The snow outside is pretty.

 
I think I should "give bonus tips" via this blog more often. Students might actually read it. Maybe. Maybe. (I felt like that 'maybe' deserved to be bigger.)
Anyhow, I answered questions today regarding P6 (I think it helped to have them read and ask questions off the handout versus me just reading it to them and them not listening; I'll have to use that technique more often), and then we jumped into a massive brainstorming session using the ABC Experiment. Many in the 10am class elected to work at their desks, but I think that project will keep my other classes (where students sit in front of the computers) occupied with the screens in a productive way. On Friday, we'll conduct peer review... an upgraded one to a certain extent.

Next Monday, we won't have class; I'll be in the cities at the TIES conference. Sir Ken Robinson is presenting "How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything."

  Today is what ya call a "catch up" day (since classes were canceled after noon last Wednesday), but students will receive the P6 (second-to-last project!) handout along with an assignment for Wednesday. Two (2) things are due tonight to the Dropbox; if you don't know what they are ask a classmate. On Wednesday, we have a fairly big in-class assignment to tackle that connects to P6. I'm thinking for Friday, we should conduct some Peer Review of P6 (I may try out Carrie's Peer Review handout, eh? I should probably mimic this before they jump in.). Next Monday, I'll be at the TIES conference in Mpls, so students will have an out-of-class workday for P6 (and maybe they should complete the P6 batch of My Words? Or something like that?) since it's due Wednesday (December 8) at midnight (?). Project 7 (P7), our last project, will be introduced on that Wednesday, and I'm not positive what we'll do on the last Friday of the semester - perhaps it'll be a Workday for P7 as well as the last Bonus test? Maybe we'll watch our last TED video too? Monday, December 13, will be the day I introduce the Final My Words test and conduct our last in-class Bits & Pieces assignment. The Final My Words Test (and P7) will be due before midnight on Wednesday, December 15; we will not meet during our "Final Exam Time."

So, to reiterate:
Today: P6 introduced. P5s wrapped up.
Tonight: Stuff due.
Wednesday: Big in-class assignment connected to P6.
Friday: Have a draft of P6 because we'll do some Peer Review.
Monday: No class - work on P6 and do the P6 batch of My Words online.
Wednesday: P7 introduced.
Wednesday night: P6 due.
Friday: P7 Workday, maybe a Bonus test, maybe a video,...?
Monday of Finals Week: Final My Words Test introduced & last Bits and Pieces assignment, too.
Wednesday of Finals Week @midnight: Final My Words Test & P7 due to correct Dropboxes.

If you are one of my students, and you just read this entire blog entry, you could earn bonus points by emailing me (before Wednesday, December 1, at midnight) and telling me what video/small assignment you would like to watch/do next Friday (December 10). If you want to be unselfish, you could tell your classmates about this; if you wanted to be selfish, you could keep it to yourself. )

  Clarification on P5.5. Firstly, P5.5 = literature + analysis + visual.
Basically, I did my sample on text-based analysis (choice B on the handout), but students don't have to do that kind. There are two other choices!
What I would do is choose the essay you liked the most of David's. Then, see what is in the essay that you want to analyze.
If you want to just figure out WHY you liked it so much, do A which is Reader-Response.
If you want to dive into his words, choose B like I did.
If you'd like to look at what was happening culture/society-wise at that time (and how it affected him), then I'd do C - Cultural Analysis.

Whatever type of analysis you do, your quotes from the essay should connect to that analysis.
My quotes showed my analysis of the TEXT. Other quotes could connect to how you felt or reacted to him or your READER RESPONSE, etc.

In class, we'll be: a) handing in "Amish Bonus Buggy" summaries, b) handing in the Mad Lib(s), and c) looking at the P5.5 handout and sample. After those things are wrapped up, it'll be the last in-class P5 Workday. There will be an assignment FOR MONDAY that I'll announce on Friday; if you have to be gone for an excused reason (band/choir?), I'll let you know what that is today. I may repeat the introduction to P5.5 on Friday... Maybe. Oh, and we may have another essay of Sedaris' to read for Friday ("Slumus Lordicus" on page 91), but I'm not sure if there will be an accompanying reading activity with it yet.
p.s. P5.5 is due the Monday (at midnight) after Thanksgiving, and same goes for the P5 Assessment Letter. Yeah. True story.

My list from the board in the 10am classroom:
___ Hand in "How To..." Guides that were assigned Friday.
___ Storyboards due tonight at midnight.
___ Sign-Up for P5 Presentation Time.
___ For Wednesday: "The Girl Next Door" on page 105 + a reading activity.
___ It's a P5 Workday; if you want to test out your P5 on the teacher station - Go For It!

Today, in class, we handed in the Jeopardy game activity associated with the two essays of Sedaris' ("Hejira" and "Repeat After Me") + took a Bonus Punctuation Test (used the students' P4 worksheets to create the quiz) + assigned two more essays for Monday ("Let It Snow" and "Put A Lid On It") along with another reading activity (ask a classmate if you missed class). After that, it was a P5 Workday. On Monday, it'll be a similar layout with Storyboards due at midnight (?) and more Sedaris for Wednesday. There's a Bonus Opportunity Monday afternoon at the Cultural Center; check your email inboxes for details on that. Those wanting bonus points for that event will need to attend and then write up a paragraph on what they learned (due by class time Wednesday).

Firstly, P4.5 is due Wednesday at midnight. There are two example(s) in Doc Sharing; please note that those students had different requirements during that semester.
Secondly, I collected "The Change in Me" reading activity before talking about Sedaris a bit. I'll show a video of him on Letterman and then have them read along to the essay, "Six to Eight Black Men." For Wednesday, students should read "Rooster at the Hitchin' Post" in Sedaris' book.
Wednesday (November 10) is all about P5 and the various examples I have. I'll introduce P5.5 too or maybe save that for Friday/Monday.
Friday, November 12: Workday - They should bring headphones starting Friday, and for Friday will be another 1-2 Sedaris essay + reading activities. Bonus Grammar Test?

Monday, November 15: Storyboards will be due (online?) as well as 1-2 more Sedaris essays. Sign up for a Presentation Time.
Wednesday, November 17: 1-2 more essays + reading activities due. P5 Workday.
Friday, November 19: 1-2 more essays + reading activities due. P5 Presentations! [2pm class has CORE survey. Plan for 3-5 presentations?]

Monday, November 22: 1-2 more essays + reading activities due. P5 Presentations!
Wednesday, November 24: 1? more essays? + reading activities due? My Words due?! P5 Presentations!
Friday, November 26: THANKSGIVING BREAK.

Monday, November 29: P5.5 due in class? Or at midnight?