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This space is created for students to integrate literacy with technology, individual creativity with group collaboration, and traditional learning with non-traditional methodology. Every post should be made with the principals for digital citizenship in mind.
Part of students' orientation in Room 100 during the first week of school was participation in Tech Bootcamp. During the first two weeks of school, students become familiar with the various web tools and creation tools they will use throughout the year. First, students joined my edmodo class. The first edmodo assignment provided instructions for the first assignment: post at least two six-word memoirs on the class padlet page. The next Bootcamp Challenge included learning how to use iMovie to create a movie trailer. I arranged students in groups of three and explained their objective was to create an iMovie trailer that incorporates as many six-word memoirs from each group member as possible into an advertisement for a film about teenage life. Students had about one full class period to create their iMovie trailers. They were evaluated on their consistency of theme, incorporation of six-word memoirs, and their attention to detail. The results were fun, engaging, and effective. Students became familiar with their classmates and several tech tools they will use throughout the school year.
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Inspired by F.Scott Fitzgerald's epic literary achievement, The Great Gatsby, English 12 and Advanced Placement Literature and Composition students celebrated the food, festivities, and finery of the 1920's. Jazzy blues and quick-paced ragtime filled the room as students taught each other through mini-presentations about the life and times of the 1920's. Art-deco inspired art work graced the walls and students took turns "shooting the moon" in games of marbles while the class learned about the art and culture of the 1920's. When students weren't practicing their golf swings or playing poker, they grazed from menus that included the best things "since sliced bread." Since mass-produced food like sliced bread, peanut butter, and nougat-filled candy bars developed during the 1920's, the students couldn't celebrate Gatsby without munching on much of this popular fare. The day was made memorable not just with the food and festivities, but with the creative ingenuity of the students whose 1920's attire symbolized characters, events, and motifs from the novel. See if you can identify Tom, Myrtle, Nick, Gatsby, Wilson, Jordan, Wolfsheim, Daisy and even The Girls in Yellow, The Valley of Ashes and Gatsby's Car in the pictures. What a fantastic celebration with a fantastic group of young people!
Yes...Yes, I am nuts. But maybe I'm nuts in just the right way because my idea for Tech Bootcamp - a week of intense technology exposure and participation - paid off in spades. My ultimate goal for Tech Bootcamp was for students to build their confidences and competencies in regard to several key tech applications they will use throughout the school year in my English courses. Students learned how to use Google docs, Padlet, Remind, Edmodo, noredink, and iMovie. Moreover, students learned how to navigate my website to become proficient in seeking out the answers to their questions using the resources I have provided for them. After students posted 6-Word Memoirs on a Padlet link (that they accessed through edmodo - see how it all connects?), I placed them into groups with the mission to create a group iMovie trailer that incorporated as many 6 Word Memoirs from their group mates as possible. Students had to decide on a theme that could support multiple 6 Word Memoirs. The results were fun, informative, and purposeful. Check out a few of the iMovies here. Students had one class period to pick a theme that would fit one or all of their group's six-word memoirs and create an iMovie trailer incorporating that 6-word memoir. This was quite a task, but students rose to the occasion. The results are NOT polished, but students met the objectives: become familiar with iMovies, learn how to air-drop, and get to know your classmates.
Hawaiian Summer School's Coming About Us Are you Afraid of the Dark? The Cat Fairy Tale In 2nd Hour English 10 class, we are fortunate to have Erdem Yoruk, a foreign exchange student from Turkey, share our classroom. Because his country is often in the news these days, he asked if he could give the class a short history lesson on his country and the reason for the fighting along his country's border. He was fair and judicious and informative and for ten minutes his classmates (and teacher) were riveted. This is exactly why strong foreign exchange student programs are so valuable in schools - everyone learns from each other! What a great day in Room 100! The last American Literature Unit English 10 students studied this year included Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild. For the culminating activity, students tested out a variety of Web Presentation Tools to display their knowledge of the themes and motifs in the novel. A RAFT is a culminating activity that allows students to choose how to show their own learning. For this individual project, students chose a role (a character or entity they would “be”), an intended audience (the person or group the piece would address or “talk to”), a format, and a theme or topic. Students were required to use new technology tools to present their projects. I have included links to several student presentations along with student descriptions of the projects and the web tools. Here is a link to the assignment document itself. Credit is given to Karie Lynch for the assignment idea. Here is the RAFT assignment. From Zoe K. Link to Weebly Blog My RAFT project was a digital diary written by Chris McCandless. It was intended to be viewed by friends and family members so they could perhaps understand how he felt while he was camped in the Alaskan wilderness. It was a kind of personal philosophy, showing how Chris felt when he went into the bush about the world and his family and showing how those feelings changed over time. For the project, I used two sites. The bulk of it was done with Weebly, a free website creator. It was simple to use and also looked quite nice. For one page, I created a collage using Fotor, an online collage creator. It was a little confusing at first, but after playing around it became very simple. I learned that there are many tools to use online. I also learned that writing a diary for someone else can be difficult because you don't know exactly how they would feel about something. Overall, I think my project gave insight on Chris's (presumed) thoughts while in the wilderness. I think I could have added more entries that began when his journey did to offer even more understanding, but aside from that I feel it was effective. From Wyatt C. Link to Powtoon In my RAFT project I am playing the role of Chris McCandless. My audience is a group of college students, and I am telling my point through a poem. The theme of my project is, "what it means to live an ethical life". I decided to use Powtoon for my project. Powtoon is a software that is used to make basic cartoons. I really liked using this software. It was my first time using Powtoon, or anything like it, and I was able to get the hang of it quickly. In addition to the poem in my presentation, Powtoon allowed me to add a voiceover that read along with the poem. I thought that I did a very good job displaying my message with Powtoon. I learned how to make short cartoons, animate text, and add a voiceover. My project is effective in displaying the theme of the project. Karina M. My RAFT project was played by the role of Carine McCandless. She was addressing the audience of Chris McCandless, her brother. I tried to convey the theme, "How to establish healthy relationships" through the use of multiple collages in the form of a slideshow with the addition of music. To accomplish this, I tried a numerous amount of different technology programs and most of them failed me, causing hardship and sadness. I made the collages through Ribbet.com. I would recommend Ribbet to anyone who wanted to make collages the way it was in their mind. I then took the collages and tried to put them in a slideshow with music through the program Fotobabble. I would not recommend Fotobabble for someone who wants to do what I tried, it failed horribly. I then moved on to a program called MoviVod. That was disastrous. I then tried a program called Slidely; lets just say after two hours with that program it failed. I then went on to yet another program called Stupeflix. I would not recommend that, it was a waste of time after fiddling with it for over an hour. I finally got it to work with the use of a website Kizoa. Though it will not let me download, upload, or save it, I can play it through the website and after hours of stress and turmoil, that was good enough for me.Throughout this whole experience, I learned it is not easy to try something new and venture out of your comfort zone. I had never attempted a collage let alone putting it into a slideshow while trying to figure out how to play music with it. It was definitely a journey. I hope my project will convey the point and imagery I want which I have laid out in my head. I believe with pictures and the aid of music, my RAFT project will be effective; I hope I am not mistaken. From Lauren T.
Link to Ribbet / Powerpoint collage For my RAFT, I picked the role of Chris McCandless, the audience Walt McCandless, the format I picked a collage and then to show it in a slide presentation, and for the theme I picked how to establish healthy relationships. The technology I used was Ribbet.com and PowerPoint. Ribbet.com is very efficient for making a collage. It was very easy and quick to figure out. I would recommend this for other student that like to make collages or have to for a school project. What I learn from using Ribbet was how to make a quick collage. My project is effective because it shows how Chris had healthy relationship with the people that he met on his journey. English 10 students explored the written word through poetry during the month of March. As part of the American Literature Poetry Unit, students studied how sound and form impact a poem's meaning. They also studied strategies to help increase comprehension and appreciation of poetry. Capping off the unit, students wrote their own poems, compiling them into a poetry portfolio. Students had the choice to create a digital poetry portfolio or a traditional paper portfolio. As important as the students' poems were to the portfolios, more important was the opportunity for students to reflect on why and how they created the poems they did. Students included an Artist's Statement for each poem and were asked to select their favorite poem from their portfolios along with their Artist's Statement to include on the Room 100 Blog. To celebrate the completion of the Poetry Portfolios, students participated in a Poetry Slam; candles, dimmed lights, and snacks (Of course, SNACKS!) fostered an ambiance for creative expression.
On Thursday, March 6, English 12 and AP Literature students attended a Gatsby-inspired celebration in Room 100. Students received invitations to the extravaganza requiring them to come dressed in their finest 1920's attire. Extra credit was offered to students who dressed as characters from Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. All party-goers had responsibilities. Prior to the celebration, students were divided into groups. Each group of students prepared one of the following presentations:
AP Literature students who were assigned the topic of "Fun and Games" demonstrated one of the most popular dances of the 1920's called "The Charleston." Not only did they demonstrate the dance for their classmates, they also taught the class "the moves." What a celebration! Gatsby would have been proud!! In February 2014, Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition students studied several historical periods of literature. Students addressed the following essential questions through the creation of their own Weebly pages:
The results were spectacular. I linked the students Weebly pages to my Unit 10:1 Literary Movements for AP Lit. I have also included them below. The assignment can be found HERE. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to do what I love. When students produce projects like these, I am reminded again how fortunate I am to teach and learn with such fantastic, creative individuals.
In January, Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition Students in Room 100 wrote their own villanelle poems and the results were FABULOUS. According to Poets.org, "The highly structured villanelle is a nineteen-line poem with two repeating rhymes and two refrains. The form is made up of five tercets followed by a quatrain. The first and third lines of the opening tercets are repeated alternately in the last lines of the succeeding stanzas; then in the final stanza, the refrain serves as the poem's concluding lines." Students took this fixed poetic form and created powerful poems that not only illustrate their talents, but also the depth of their new-found appreciation of poetry.
Julia Fornetti, a junior at Marquette University and a Kingsford High School alumna, returned to KHS to speak to the students in Room 100 about her study abroad experience in Langa, South Africa. She spoke to the English 12 and Flivver Foundations classes about the opportunities available to them through study abroad programs. She spoke to English 10 about the When Classrooms Come Together Project. This project, piloted by Julia Fornetti and Mrs. Sutton, allowed the students at the African school where Julia student taught to blog together and learn about teenage life in one another’s country. Julia’s message about what she learned from her time in South Africa was consistent for each class: “People are more alike than different, but until you experience these likenesses for yourself, you cannot know just how true this statement really is.” On Tuesday, December 10, the Kingsford Public Safety School Liaison, Officer Olson, addressed the English 12 classes about issues related to Homeland Security. Students learned that even though the city of Kingsford seems far removed from the politics of the Patriot Act, the Patriot Act plays a role in the lives of ALL citizens in the United States, including Kingsford. Officer Olson’s presentation offered students perspective to compare and contrast the role of the U.S. government in the 21st Century and the role of the government in George Orwell’s 1984. Providing students the opportunity to interact with the KPS School Liaison in the classroom allows students to foster communication and build trust with local law enforcement that results in a safer, more informed community. It’s been a busy couple of weeks for Room 100. Last week, The Kriegl Brothers sought revenge against Mrs. Sutton’s reigning title as Can-a-Thon Champion. The battle was hard-fought and the spirit of competition reached a new level of intensity with secret spies and moles sizing up the “enemy” at every corner. John Kriegl might have “won” the Can-a-thon crown for the 2013-2104 school year, but the real winner is the local Saint Vincent DePaul Food Pantry. Together with the Kriegl Brothers’ 5th hour classes, Mr. Anderson’s 5th hour class, and Mrs. Sutton’s AP Lit and 5th Hour Flivver Foundations classes, the students collected enough cans and non-perishable goods to fill an entire box truck for the Saint Vincent DePaul. The food will stay local and will help many individuals and families in the Kingsford community. Freedom is not Free |
A Painting from the Queen by Ali V. Crunch, crackle, crackle. The breeze sings a steady song through the crisp air. Colors of fire, warm and cold, are my current comfort. Crackle, rustle, rustle. The Queen presents her golden gifts for a scarce amount of time. Wealth is gained as I grasp the thin, fallen coins. Rustle, chirp, chirp. The beauty in the sky tug at my heart strings as they leave me. Graceful and calm, the star of life awaits them. Chirp, whoosh, whoosh. The scent of angelic death livens me. My skin tattooed with tiny valleys . Whoosh, flutter, flutter. I cling to the moment I long for already. Mother nature’s buildings promise to return. Silence, silence, silence. I say my last goodbyes until next year. Goodbye, goodbye. | A Brain That Does Not Think by Ali V. Three, two, the sound goes off. I wake with hesitation, my heart sunk in my stomach. Was it real? Was it coincidence? Was it empty memory? My blood, thick with sorrow, runs with swift anticipation; Waiting for reassurance. It does not come for hours, but the aches join in for company. How long until they leave? I turn away for healing, inviting numbness over pain. Open with welcome arms, my heart gives a slight grin. Funny, is it not? How the brain is filled with knowledge and fact, But the heart refuses to listen. Time will piece the broken back together, When it decides to show. Connected in one body, the heart is brain and blood, In charge of every feeling; I collapse as emotions flood. |
Chris McCandless by Emily F. The wanderlust overwhelmed him. His monomania was controlling him. Incorrigible struck by the mien. Inspired by Tolstoy. Chris was fatuous. Sedentary in the wilderness proved onerous. He obliquely hurt his family. Found moldering in a bus. Feckless with reality. Castigated by a dream. The wilderness broke him. Excitement! by Bonnie H. Two lines, lined with silent enemies. The familiar sound of a shared song of foes. Pounding of hand-on-hand and whooping from the stands. Gathering of twitching nerves for one last pep-talk. The excitement of the game is here. Nine against one, but she is not alone. Encouraging voices echo from the dugout. The smell of dirt tickles her nose & the touch of the bat tingles her fingers. The loud resounding voice of the umpire calls out “Play Ball!” The excitement of the game is here. The ball is released, evading the eyes of onlookers with its speed. A cracking sound is heard, voices fill the air. Lightning she is, sprinting to the square. A sign brings both applause and groans from the two enemies. The excitement of the game is here. The Storm By: Abby B. I can feel the ground rumbling. The earth becomes still, the birds cease to sing, the wind no longer bellows, the grass shakes in fear, the honey bees stop buzzing, the warm rain pelts the ground, the thunder sounds its battle cry, the lightening dances in the sky. The earth is awoken. Perfect By Jade D. I am a slight perfectionist. I get frustrated when people spell “saxophone” wrong. I spend hours organizing folders for band. I type out homework so that it is not wrinkled. I rewrite words until all the letters look nice. I am a slight perfectionist. I am an artist. I draw the graduation cards I give out. I carry my sketchbook to every class. I have a portfolio for work I do not hang up. I dedicated a wall of my room to pictures I draw. I am an artist. I am a writer. I keep a journal of everything that happens. I write letters to my mom about how I am feeling. I constantly think of ideas for stories. I love five-subject notebooks. I am a writer. I am a confident teenager. I tried out for Drum Major as a sophomore. I wear what I want regardless of what is “in.” I text people at random to ask them to name a penguin. I yell at the top of my lungs and act silly with my friends. I am a confident teenager. I am a fighter. I continue to get better every day. I stay strong even when I am upset. I push myself to accomplish everything I am given. I surround myself with people who love me. I am a fighter. | Into the Wild Poems Written by Amanda C., Abby B., and Bonnie H. Chris Was… He was an amiable salesman as a child, He was at times congenial and convivial, He became an incorrigible man, He was not indolent but instead was filled with wanderlust, He was not sedentary but itinerant, He had a hauteur persona, He was a fan of Tolstoy and Thoreau, He had monomania for the malevolent taiga, He was found desiccated and sere, Chris reached his Rubicon. Chris’s Reverie He chased after a phantasmal dream which castigated him. He looked into the visage of the taiga in order to find fatuous relief. The primordial escarpments were his reverie. His unalloyed aesthetic attitude posited his ruminations of Tolstoy and Thoreau. He was an unalloyed lumpen, a sanctimonious and sullen man. The primordial escarpments were his reverie. Tyger! Tyger! By: Abby B. (A Found Poem from The Tyger by: William Blake) Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright In the forest of the night. In what furnace was thy brain? In what distant deeps of skies Burnt the fire of thine eyes? Did He smile His work to see? Did He who made the lamb make thee? What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry? Snapping Bubblegum By Jade D. I promised that I would not spend all my time Freaking over the cute guy I see in PreCalc. But now I found another class he has with me, And I see him in the hallway more often Than I did last year, or the year before. It's like life knows how much I want him, But won't admit that I can't have him. It isn't really shocking that he has a girlfriend, Therefore making him completely and utterly unavailable. If I move slightly to the right in one class... Or turn a little to the left in the other... Then I can see his hair or, if I'm lucky. His face and all of its perfection. But since I'm too afraid to say a single word, i'll just keep snapping my bubblegum occasionally, And turn just in time to see him laugh At the tiny little pop some random girl On the other side of the room keeps making. And with each simple laugh, I remember That maybe, there's still hope for me Because they won't last forever, But snapping bubblegum will. Snowfall by Hannah A. Light, white snowflakes Tasteless and cold to the touch Fall gracefully from the sky. Each flake Unique to it’s own shape, size, and pattern, Softly descends in the direction of the rest; The direction of the wind. It lands softly joining the billions of others Already fallen. A light sheet of snow Drapes over the land. The white dusting covers and hides The rooftops in the city, The treetops in the country They blend with the dull colorless background; The cloudy winter sky. |
Tree by Hannah A. It is simple, being a tree, I stand so tall for all to see My leaves will fall in the autumn chill While branches remain, quiet and still I stand through harsh winters, frozen and bare But then springtime comes with warming air. As springtime comes my leaves return The air is damp; The ground is wet as it’s rainy season’s turn. Thunder and lighting show up in the sky, I see the flash And hear the pound There are angry clouds. They begin to cry. Rain pours down all around me, My roots drink it thirstily. Summer comes along and I bake in the sun, I stay in place, never moving. The breeze runs through my leaves cooling me. The wind is my friend Until the day it begins to take my leaves again. Everyone is Waiting By Charissa K. Everyone is waiting. They’re waiting for hope- Or waiting for change. They’re waiting for love- Or waiting for someone to hate. They’re waiting to forgive- Or waiting to be forgiven. They’re waiting for someone- Or waiting to be alone. They’re all waiting for anything- Or waiting for nothing. Drums by Hunter L. Cymbals screaming like eagles, Bass Drum booming like hooves, Toms roaring like a lion, Snare crackling like thunder, Drums. The backbone to music. Keeping tempo, Entertaining audiences, Filling arenas, Sound exploding like dynamite. | Kindness Found poem by Naomi Shihab Nye by Kayla M. Before you know what kindness really is feel the future dissolve in a moment. What you held in your hand, all must go so you know between the regions of kindness. Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness you must see how this could be you, who journeyed through the night with plans. Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, You must wake up with sorrow You must speak to it till your voice catches the thread of all sorrows. Stars By Charissa K. The stars winked and waved and greeted the moon whenever it was near. They feared the sun didn’t want it to come and hid when it was near. They stayed away in the shadows of the day waiting for the moon. They winked and waved and cherished the night their friend was ever near. Into the Wild Poem By: Jade D.and Charissa K. Before he left he was so congenial, so convivial. He was amiable and knew right from wrong. As more time passed, the more lumpan he became. He was primordial, he was fatuous, And then one day, he was gone. After two years of phantasmal reveries, We heard the sullen news. We castigated ourselves for not seeing what was wrong. We were choler with ourselves for not trying harder. We knew he was not coming back. Now we see he was monomaniac with wanderlust. now we see how sanctimonious he was; How destitute, how hauteur. How we see how much he meant to us. But we know he will never come back. |
The Value by David M. (Found poem from "The Gunslinger") He was just an ordinary pilgrim. He was not a holy man. He had in his long life been nothing if not adaptable. An occasional tombstone pointed the way. He was left important gifts from his father. He used his instinct to track down the man in black. The man in black fled across the desert. If he was not who he is he may not have been thirsty. He used to hold water in his horn. The horn was spilled from a dying friend. There were fewer friends now. And he missed them both. Yet he had gained. That didn’t matter either. | The Journey by David M. Every step you take, Move you make, Lies in your wake, And retains its stake. It takes you to another state, Another stage in your life. It can take you at whatever rate, Through every single strife. Every step leaves a mark, All make a difference. Even in the dark, It leaves a mark you might not sense. The steps you take make up you, So take caution when you step on through. |
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