OK.  Things are weird.  But since it’s not our fault there’s a global pandemic and we have to do our part to keep it from being catastrophic, I guess we’ll do this thing from home for awhile.

A run-down of today:

1.  BookTalks – This assignment has been ALTERED!!  Everyone will complete their booktalks online via Flipgrid.  Plan to record yours during these first two weeks off and enjoy watching the ones your friends and classmates post as well.  Right now, the plan is to collect the prepsheets when we return to school.  If our time out extends and that changes, I will let you know (along with how you get them to me).  IF you have misplaced your prep sheet find a new one here as MSWord doc or here as PDF.
2. Indie read + extra checkouts for at home reading and/or booktalk titles.  (Reading can help ease your anxiety and escape to other worlds and other stories for a bit.)  Try to read about 20 minutes a day while we are distance learning.
3. In an effort to note how many ideas are floating around us at all times (there is always something to write about) I read aloud Philip C. Stead’s book Ideas Are All Around in hours 1, 2, & 6.
4. Notebook – notebook interest inventory questions (3 sets) were passed out for work the next 3 days – more about those on the next posts.
5. Research thinking:  we listened to an excerpt of Dear Hank & John (a podcast by the Green brothers) about how they research for their many projects.  If you’d like to check it out for yourself (or again) link here (it’s the episode from Dec. 23rd called “Haunted Christmas Trees” – section from 7:23 to 11:50).  (3rd hour: we ran out of time for this, but check it out, it’s good stuff).
6. Handouts:  handouts that give the overview of the multi-genre research project, the schedule (for the whole project, not just 2 weeks), and the submit sheet that tells you what to name docs, etc. I’ll be referring to these through the next weeks as we get started.  Don’t get overwhelmed, just follow me day to day to see what to do. You can view or download them below – but be sure to pick the ones for YOUR class (they are a bit different from one another).
7. Quick definition of multi-genre, example paper (what might it look like – I’ll provide more examples later in the week), and my reasons for switching to this creative and graphic kind of paper instead of a strict “term-paper” style paper.

Rhet-Comp 102 MG overview 2020

Rhet Comp 102 Research Informational Schedule 2020

Rhet Comp 102 DIGITAL SUBMISSION info

English 8 MG Overview

English 8 Research Informational Schedule 2020

English 8 DIGITAL SUBMISSION info

ABOUT OUR DISTANCE/ONLINE LEARNING:

I plan on posting to the website each school day by 10am.  These posts will have specific directions as to what you might work on that day – for example:  what to do in the notebook, what you should be thinking about, how to work on generating topics, and thinking about what multi-genre is (including looking at many examples of completed projects).  Please check-in here at the website, watch any videos I direct you to either on the larger web or with a flipgrid code (those will be me with quick explanations), and attempt to move forward.  Because this situation is stressful, I don’t plan for you to spend more than 30 minutes on English class any given day, but you should plan to keep up with work so that we can move forward upon return to school.

You can always email with questions and I’ll get back to you and if you prefer face-to-face conversation, I can set up a quick zoom call during school hours. I will work to make this learning accessible for you and to show you what online learning can be.  Who knows?  You might discover that you love this platform and want to take some online courses in college. But, please know, you will only get out of an online opportunity what you put in.

DEADLINES FROM PREVIOUS ASSIGNMENTS:

Rhetoric & Comp:  Hamlet group papers no later than Sun. 3/22 (do some final copyedit, finish up the gaps in research, whatever…get me those awesome papers.  Also, note that this would be a great time to catch up your memory book shorts if you haven’t been writing them.  You already have those handouts (basic assignment on the course syllabus and chapters listed on the memory book paperwork).

English 8: DRAFT#3 was due today “teacher-ready” and we wrote DRAFT#4 in class on Friday.  Finish up either as needed ASAP.  If the lack of papers in your draft folder is affecting your course grade, get them done, email me to let me know, and I can make adjustments.