Thursday, August 29, 2013

Homework 8/29

1. 20% Blog

  • Please complete this FORM with your blog information. 
  • Write your first blog post. 
    • Remember to begin with a catchy title - "5 Tips to Writing Irresistibly Clickable Blog Titles"
    • Blog content should be between 250-750 words. 
    • Keep your audience in mind as you write.
    • Check your spelling and grammar. No one wants to read a sloppily written blog.
    • Include media - pictures or video - that is relevant. Remember to cite pics that are not yours! Click here for citation machine. 
2. SAT Vocabulary List #15
  • Watch Vocabulary 15 and take cornell notes on the words, parts of speech and definitions! Feel free to pause the recording if I am going to quickly. Add any notes and examples that will help you remember these words. 

Agenda 8/29 (in G quad computer lab)

Computer Lab:

1) Gmail - Sign into your Gmail and leave it open the entire time we are in the computer lab.

2) Create folders - Click "Drive" at the top of your screen. Organize your Google Drive by creating the following folders:
  • Luminescent English - Argument Writing
  • Luminescent English - Informational Writing
  • Luminescent English - Narrative Writing
  • Luminescent English - Poetry
  • Luminescent English - Homework
  • Luminescent Keys - [list website names, log in information and passwords]
If you have files to organize, check the box next to the file you want to move then click the file icon above your documents and select the file you want to move the document into.

3) Grammar quizzes - please review what you learned last class by completing the three online quizzes below. Your scores will not be recorded. This is a review for you to show you how much you retained from our activity last class. Suggestions: Read the questions slowly to ensure you know what is being asked of you. Reference the chart below if you are missing a lot of questions. 



This is a summary of the 8 parts of speech*. You can find more detail if you click on each part of speech.
part of speech
function or "job"
example words
example sentences
action or state
(to) be, have, do, like, work, sing, can, must
EnglishClub.com is a web site. Ilike EnglishClub.com.
thing or person
pen, dog, work, music, town, London, teacher, John
This is my dog. He lives in myhouse. We live in London.
describes a noun
a/an, the, 2, some, good, big, red, well, interesting
I have two dogs. My dogs are big. I like big dogs.
describes a verb, adjective or adverb
quickly, silently, well, badly, very, really
My dog eats quickly. When he isvery hungry, he eats reallyquickly.
replaces a noun
I, you, he, she, some
Tara is Indian. She is beautiful.
links a noun to another word
to, at, after, on, but
We went to school on Monday.
joins clauses or sentences or words
and, but, when
I like dogs and I like cats. I like cats and dogs. I like dogs but I don't like cats.
short exclamation, sometimes inserted into a sentence
oh!, ouch!, hi!, well
Ouch! That hurts! Hi! How are you? Well, I don't know.

4. Diigo - Sign up for a Diigo account. Diigo allows you to annotate, organize and share online resources. This will become your online archive of research and resources for school.

  • I'd recommend installing the toolbar on the computer you use most frequently. In the computer lab, you may need to use Diigolet
  • You should have received an email invitation to join the Diigo group I created for Luminescent English. https://groups.diigo.com/group/tuckerenglish
  • Don't have an invite? You did not complete the student information form. Please fill out now!
5. Annotate articles - Once you have joined our group, you will see 3 articles I shared with our Luminescent English group. Please read and annotate (using Diigo) the articles on blogging. 

6. Blogger - Return to your Gmail and click on "More" at the top. Select "Blogger." This is the tool you will use to create your blog. 
  • Click "New Blog" on the left. 
  • It will pull up a window that asks you to name your blog, create a URL, and decide on a theme. Your theme can be changed later, but you want to make sure your title is interesting, short and reflects the topic of your blog. 



  • Click "Create blog" when you have entered the necessary information. Then you will see the title of your blog (or blogs if you have more than one). 


  • You can click "Start posting" in the blue box below your blog title or click the orange button with the pen to create your first post. 
  • Remember the tips for creating an interesting title. 
  • Your blogs should be approximately 250-750 words in length. (Note: You will be writing approximately 2 per month.)
  • Images are encouraged! People love pictures, but they should be original pics whenever possible. If you are taking images from online, then you will need to give image credit. Click here to insert image information into citation machine to generate image credit. 
  • You can immediately publish blogs, save drafts or schedule them to publish at a particular time. 
Have fun with your blog! Think about how the title and thematic choices will impact the audience. Most importantly, focus on a topic you are passionate about. If you love international soccer, you can write about what is happening in the world of soccer (games, players, events, etc.). If you love hair styling, focus you blogs on different types of hair styles and how to create them (include pictures of your creations, include product suggestions, provide step-by-step directions). If you are creative writer, begin posting your writing in the form of blogs! 

Once you have created your blog, complete this FORM

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Homework 8/27

Collaborize Classroom - Complete icebreaker #2 and reply thoughtfully to at least 2 peers (using their names please).  Note: If you did not complete icebreaker #1 (response and 2 replies to peers), please do that ASAP.

Study Sync - Watch the YouTube video below (also linked from Study Sync) on "How to Write an Argument Paragraph" and take Cornell notes. Then rewrite your argument paragraph about "An American Childhood" (copy and paste from your "Binder" in Study Sync then edit and post) and complete 2 peer reviews.



Agenda 8/27




Review of Parts of Speech - This is a summary of the 8 parts of speech. You can find more detail if you click on each part of speech.
part of speech
function or "job"
example words
example sentences
action or state
(to) be, have, do, like, work, sing, can, must
EnglishClub.com is a web site. Ilike EnglishClub.com.
thing or person
pen, dog, work, music, town, London, teacher, John
This is my dog. He lives in myhouse. We live in London.
describes a noun
a/an, the, 2, some, good, big, red, well, interesting
I have two dogs. My dogs are big. I like big dogs.
describes a verb, adjective or adverb
quickly, silently, well, badly, very, really
My dog eats quickly. When he isvery hungry, he eats reallyquickly.
replaces a noun
I, you, he, she, some
Tara is Indian. She is beautiful.
links a noun to another word
to, at, after, on, but
We went to school on Monday.
joins clauses or sentences or words
and, but, when
I like dogs and I like cats. I like cats and dogs. I like dogs but I don't like cats.
short exclamation, sometimes inserted into a sentence
oh!, ouch!, hi!, well
Ouch! That hurts! Hi! How are you? Well, I don't know.


Friday, August 23, 2013

Homework 8/23

Register for our Collaborize Classroom site.

1. Join Study Sync. Go to --> app.studysync.com  and scroll down to "Student Create Account with Group Key." Click that button and enter your class code and complete the necessary information.
       
        Class codes: Ptolemy -  u2t11601n
                             Aristotle - k1m11602a
                             Copernicus - v2l11603o



Once you have joined your group, please click "Assignments" at the top and complete the read and write assignment.

Assignment:

  • Read "An American Childhood" and actively annotate using strategies presented in class. 
  • Write an argument paragraph responding to the prompt. 
  • Read and review 2 other student's paragraphs giving high quality feedback. 




2. Register for our Collaborize Classroom site.


Complete the online "Time Machine" icebreaker. I'm interested in quality, not quantity. Once you have responded to the icebreaker question, please reply thoughtfully and respectfully to at least 2 other students.

Please remember our Dos and Don'ts of Online Communication. I have included it in our Collaborize Classroom group in case you want to revisit it before posting.

Agenda 8/23




Tuesday, August 20, 2013

HW 8/21 - Directions and Resources

1. Sign up for a Gmail account.
The video tutorial below will walk you through the process. Remember this should be an academic email address. Recommendation: Use--> whs.[your name]@gmail.com


2. Please have your parents sign the class syllabus and complete the Parent Survey Form.

3. Write your random autobiography and share it with me via Google docs. The video tutorial below will walk you through the process of creating and properly sharing your random autobiography.


4. Share your summer assignment via Google docs following the same process as demonstrated in the video above.

5. Fill out student survey form and information form.


Agenda 8/21