December 20, 2007

(I will not be in school Friday.)

I sent this in an e-mail to all parents today. If you did not get it, I do not have your e-mail address.

Dear Parents,
I am sending this message to let you know that I am expecting students to do some research over the break. If you check out the classroom calendar on www.mrboz.com, you will see my plans for getting the essay for The DuPont Challenge completed. Although we spent four days in the writing lab this week, many students did not get as much done as I would have hoped. I suggest students spend a few hours continuing to research and take notes over the break.

If the topic of The DuPont Challenge is confusing, I told the students to think about science as a hero. Write a report on a discovery or invention where science is the hero for one of humanity's problems. There is a sample on the DuPont site if you need one.

I, too, will be doing some work over the break. As I have explained in my blog, I got bogged down with work and did not get to finish grading all the love essays. As much as I love reading them, they take time, and I want to do things right. I will have all of the essays graded when we come back. I handed out grade slips yesterday and today. Half the students have "exc" listed as the grade for the essay. That means "excused." I will update the grades when I am done.

Finally, at this time of the year, I would like to express my love and caring for all of you by saying "Merry Christmas."
-MrBoZ

December 19, 2007

Homework:
Continue to research for the DuPont Challenge

Today:
We were in the writing lab again. In sections 3, 6, and 7, I am trying my best to get the kids to focus on a topic. I am getting frustrated because the children are not using the class time effectively. This is a persuasive research paper, yet many students don't even know what they will be writing on. Therefore, I added two more links on MrBoZ.com. They link to Time Magazine's lists of inventions and discoveries. I figure students can pick one of these and research it more. The goal is to explain how the invention will better humanity. Regardless, I have updated the due dates. See the classroom calendar on MrBoZ.com.

I am handing out updated grade slips today and tomorrow. They do not have to be signed. I want to explain, though, that not all of the love essays have been graded. On the slip they are excused for now. All of the essays will be scored over the break. This time of year is so busy, and I got overwhelmed. However, if you want to read a good example of a love essay, you can read this!

I will not be in school on Friday. I expect the students to research over the break.

December 18, 2007

Homework:
Continue researching
Sections 1 and 2 should have a preliminary topic for tomorrow and be ready for the quiz.
Sections 3, 6, and 7 will have an open book quiz on Unit 6. They will research one more day.

Today:
I tried to get the students focused on a topic for the DuPont Challenge.
1. Pick a topic you like that is science related.
2. As you research it, look for the way that it is solving a problem.
3. Explore the solutions your topic is offering people.
4. How does your topic influence other areas of science?
5. Is there any opposition to your topic?

I was discussing an example of data storage. As someone who relies on computers daily, at home and at school, I understand the need for reliable data storage. I was explaining that there are multiple topics relating to storage. There are the topics of size and reliability for which science is providing solutions. But I was also playing with the topic of archiving. Will our data be available in the future? Grandma's leather bound photo album is viewable. So are scrolls from 2000 years ago. Will the electronic documents and pictures we create today be available to people in the future? How many of us have records we can't play? I have floppies with no drive to read them. (I don't need them anyway, but you get the point.)

December 17, 2007

***Here is a great example of the love essay ***

Homework:
Finish unit 6 vocabulary
Students can be researching their topic.
The preliminary topic is due this Wednesday.

Today:
We began researching for The DuPont Challenge. Here is the assignment page.
We were in the writing lab today. Sections 3,6,and 7 answered some questions to get them thinking about what problems the world has and how science can offer solutions.

Unfortunately, some students think computer time is fun time. Also, with this being the week before a big break, they think what they do this week does not count. It will! In fact, all of their research is due the second week after the break. That is not an endless amount of time! Here is the calendar of due dates.

December 12, 2007

Homework:
Completing the sentence unit 6
(Must underline/highlight context clues.)

Today:
Sections 3,6, and 7 finished the agreement unit today. They took the end of the unit assessment.
Sections 1 and 2 got an introduction to the next writing assignment: The DuPont Challenge 2008 It is a contest!

More details about the essay will follow; however, the website is great! One reason I want to do the essay is because it is sponsored by DuPont, a local company. The essay also ties in with science and technology, a hot topic in education today. Furthermore, the guidelines and suggestions on the site spell out exactly what students need to create. After seeing how well students researched for the love essays, I know they will do well on this essay. I also plan to come up with a plan for submitting the essays for the contest.

For this essay I will focus on research skills, organization, comparing and scoring essays, and voice. We will look at some of the love essays to discuss how to organize our research. The sample for the contest is good, but it is so dry. I want to help students create a persuasive essay filled with scientific details that is interesting to read.

Research will be done next week, during break if they are dedicated, and during the first week back to school. After that, the students will be organizing and writing. The contest requires the papers to be submitted by January 28. We will be done before that.

Different classes will have different requirements. I will make those decisions as the unit progresses. Not all students are able to write a 700-1000 word essay. However, some students will be challenged to stay below 1000 words! This should be fun.

December 11, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 11-20 and synonyms unit 6

Today:
All the classes are at different spots. Some are completely done agreement. Others are almost done. I think we will be done with grammar by Thursday. Sections 1 and 2 will do something tomorrow while the other classes catch up.

December 10, 2007

Homework:
Unit 6 pictionaries 1-10

Today:
We are in the process of finishing up the unit on subject/verb agreement. Sections 1 and 2 are done. When they took an assessment, they had trouble, so I spent today reteaching the material. I then gave them an alternative assessment. I will take the higher of the two scores. These two classes will be scoring essays for the next two days.

Sections 3,6 and 7 are still finishing the grammar. After seeing how sections 1 and 2 did on the assessment, I am using an alternative strategy for finishing up the unit. These classes should be finished in the next two days.

December 6, 2007

Homework:
Grade slips! Many have not been returned.

Today:
Buzzword
Sections 1 and 2 finished the agreement unit. They took an assessment. Some did well. Others... well, maybe the test should be in another format. Regardless, my goal was to expose them to the rules and give them some practice. As their writing develops over the years, they will begin to apply some of these rules to their own writing. That is when what we covered will become relevant. These two classes will begin scoring essays until the other classes finish. I need them to help me with the love essays. They can read them for the specific content I assigned. I will score the essays using the state rubric for writing. I have graded 27 of 127 essays. (They take a long time to grade!)

Sections 3,6, and 7 are just about finished with the agreement unit. They are about a 1 1/2 days behind. We will start a new unit around Wednesday of next week. I am not sure what it will be yet.

December 5, 2007

Homework:
Many students did not get their grade slips signed.

Today:
Buzzword
Quiz unit 5
Continued to discuss subject/verb agreement

Section 1 is done the grammar unit. I will give them an assessment tomorrow. Section 2 will be done the unit tomorrow. Their assessment might be tomorrow.

The rest of the classes are plugging away! Sections 1 and 2 will be scoring essays for two days while the other classes finish the grammar.

December 4, 2007

Homework:
Flashcards sections 3,6,7
Study for quiz unit 5
Get the grade slip signed

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed vocab homework
Practiced a study technique for parts of speech for vocab words
Continued to discuss subject/verb agreement

Parents, I sent home a grade slip today. Please sign and return. Thank you.

December 3, 2007

Homework:
Finish unit 5 work
Sections 3,6,7: I suggest you make flashcards tonight

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed the schedule for the week
Continued with the lessons on subject/verb agreement

My plan is to finish sub/verb agreement this week and have a quiz on it Thursday. We will see how that goes.

November 30, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
No Daily Drill
Reviewed Completing the Sentence
Photography Friday
Continued subject/verb agreement exercise

I plan to begin grading the love essays next week. I am reading some right now to get a feel for them. I am very impressed with the essays from section 1! I hope to have students reading some samples next week.

We should be finishing the subject verb agreement this coming week. Have a nice weekend.

November 29, 2007

Homework:
Completing the Sentence Unit 5
(Must highlight the context clues.)

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed vocabulary
Continued lessons on subject/verb agreement.

Sample sentences we are looking at:
1. All of my friends has/have had the chicken pox.
2. Everyone at the party likes/like the cottage cheese and vegetable dip.
3. Both of Fred’s brothers celebrates/celebrate their birthdays in July.

We are getting there. Some classes are progressing faster than others. But I am satisfied. The hardest part for some of the students is keeping track of the sheet they must bring to class every day! :)

November 28, 2007

Homework:
Choosing the right word
(I am requiring them to highlight the context clues.)

Today:
Buzzword
Put pictionaries on the board
Reviewed synonyms
Continued with our discussion of sub/verb agreement

Today's lesson in grammar is hard for students. Look at the following sentence:

The silence in the halls is unusual.

The verb is "is." Students can find that. The problem happens when they try to find the subject. There subject is NOT in the prepositional phrase, in the halls. The subject is silence. Here is another:

The chimes in the tower play every hour.

The verb is play, but the subject is chimes, not tower. Students will say the verb is "plays" because they think the subject is tower.

November 27, 2007

Homework:
11-20 pictionaries and synonyms unit 5

Today:
Buzzword
Listened to words 11-20 unit 5
Began subject/verb agreement lessons
Made time to check off make-up work from yesterday's grade slips

We took a little diagnostic test on subject/verb agreement. Most students got 7/10. They have room for improvement. I plan to do the exercises fast. This will not be an in-depth study. I want to expose them to the rules and move on. I will test them, though.

November 26, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-10 unit 5

Today:
Buzzword
Discussed the schedule for the week
I handed out grade slips (They did not have to be signed.)
We listened to words 1-10 unit 5
We began watching a video on grammar pitfalls.

Since the love essays are going to take so much time to grade, I have decided not to assign a new writing topic until I have graded them. I think most of December will be spent studying grammar, vocab, and applying what we are learning in short writing assignments. I plan to teach the most commons errors I notice in their writing. We will be taking notes and doing exercises from a grammar book. All the work will be done in class. I will keep a quick pace, trying to cover many subjects, but not getting into too much depth.

November 20, 2007

Homework:
Be sure the essay is ready for Monday

Today:
We took quiz 4.
No daily drill.
In most classes we played a game using the dictionary.

Have a nice Thanksgiving.

November 19, 2007

Homework:
Flashcards sections 3,6,7
Quiz unit 4
The love essay can be turned in after the break.

Today:
Daily drill
Read samples essays
Discussed how to make a bibliography

I used today to show students what they can think about when they revise their essays. We looked at two essays today. One would score a D because he did not have all the required information. The other essay would score a B-. She had all the required topics, but there was room for improvement. We discussed how each essay could be improved. I told them to bring their essays tomorrow so we could look at theirs closer.

I also showed them how to make a bibliography. I gave them a sheet that had a sample bibliography and marks explaining the required information. I also took them through www.easybib.com . This site make creating a bibliography simple. You just fill in the boxes, and the site creates the page for you. It even alphabetizes it!

I want to begin organizing grades tomorrow. I am backlogged. I probably won't have a grade update before the break.

November 16, 2007

Homework:
The good draft of the love essay is due Monday
Quiz on unit 4 Tuesday

Today:
Daily Drill
Reviewed the vocab homework
We looked at the Week in Pictures on MSNBC.com quickly
I had one last discussion about the organization of the love essay. I told the students that it would be impossible to put all the information into an essay. They need to choose what would sound best.
I gave some work time.

I must say that I am a little worried about the students getting their good drafts done for Monday. I tried very hard to keep them on track this week. I made suggestions so they would have the best chance at a good essay. Many students, it seems, are just waiting until Sunday night to write their essays. We will see on Monday how this all works out! Having the draft done on-time is a grade.

I have finally finished grading all the adversity essays. I will write my love essay after I have compiled the first grade update for the second marking period. The update will probably be given out after the break. I will try to get it done as soon as possible. Grading essays backs me up.

November 15, 2007

Homework:
Finish unit 4 vocab unit
I suggested that students be done writing half of their love essay for tomorrow.

Today:
We discussed using commas in compound sentences.
We reviewed the answers to the choosing the right word.

I will try to quickly summarize what I told the students the love essay should sound like. It should start off with one of the six introductions we have discussed so far. The intro should state something about the fact that we were studying the song from HSM2, and the teacher told them they have to write an essay on love. For 3/4 of the paper, then, I think they should be taking the reader through the many definitions and ideas about love that they have learned. I suggested they organize all the details from the chart into paragraphs, either by row or by column. I had them take the info straight off of the chart and make an outline. From the outline, they have to figure out the smoothest way to present all the info.

The most important paragraph of the paper will be the second to last. After they have listed the numerous ideas about love, it is now time for them to say what they think love is. The paragraph will bring the important ideas from above together into THEIR own view of love. Maybe their view will be none of what was written above! Then they will write a conclusion.

The good draft is due Monday. I told the kids this essay will be a lot of work. I hope they step up and get it done on-time! I have led them step by step through this. There are no excuses for not knowing what to do.

November 14, 2007

Homework:
Choosing the right word
Make an outline for the love essay

Today:
I only saw sections 1,2, and 3 because of testing. Section 3 started their outlines. I will have them work on the outline more in class tomorrow. I asked sections 1 and 2 to have an outline ready for tomorrow's class. There are many things I need to teach for this essay; however, the students are still responsible for the essay on Monday. I hope they are writing at home!

November 13, 2007

Homework:
1-20 Pictionaries and Synonyms unit 4
Make an outline for love essay

Today:
Listened to unit 4 words
daily drill on compound sentences
Discussed how to organize the essay (group by columns or by rows)
Discussed the upcoming schedule (I will post it on-line soon)

Essay Due Monday.
Final Draft due Tuesday.
Quiz 4 Next Tuesday.

(Sorry. I have no time for today's entry.)

November 9, 2007

Homework:
All research is due Tuesday, Nov. 13.
The chart must be completed.

Today:
We were in the computer lab. These are the activities I wanted them to work on.

Have a nice weekend. I am hoping to get a lot of grading done. One set of essays takes about 20 hours to grade. That is a lot of time to find in the normal workday when you still have to plan.

November 8, 2007

Homework:
Continue to research love!

Today:
We took quiz 3.
We discussed different types of love by looking at the way love is presented in song lyrics. A thought came to mind as we saw so many variations on love: is there a universal love, a single love? Just because everyone has their own definition of love, can everyone be right? Is love only what we think it is? I don't know. I am going to explore that some more and ask around.

Tomorrow we will be on the computers. We will get quotes and research the topic some more. All the research should be done by Tuesday. I would like to spend next week organizing all the data they have accumulated. I am still shooting for Nov. 20th as the due date. That should be tight!

November 7, 2007

Homework:
Sections 3,6,7 Flashcards
Study for Unit 3 Quiz
Bring in song lyrics about love

Today:
We are almost finished discussing the song "You Are the Music in Me." Today we discussed the song by putting the lyrics into the appropriate column in a chart. This chart should be use for all the research for the next paper. I told the students that they should bring a lot of data on Tuesday, when the chart is due. This way they will have something to write about.

In our discussions, we really focused on how you know you are in love. We made a checklist of sorts from the chart. If you recognize these things happening, you might be in love! We also discussed the different stages they will go through. We agreed that the first love they know is that of family love. Eventually children leave their parents for a mate. Between family love and marriage love are lots of stages. There is "liking" someone. Then there is "puppy love." Next is a more real love. And I am not sure if Troy and Gabriella are in the real love stage or the next stage above that. There is romance in the song. No class really nailed down exactly what stage comes after real love. Being 38, married for 15 years, and having two children, I know love has more stages that what I knew in high school!

November 6, 2007

IMPORTANT:
www.mrboz.com is now located at http://web.mac.com/bozmd/MrBoZ/Main.html. Refresh your browser window if you are not automatically redirected from the original location.

Homework:
Finish Unit 3
Research the questions from the love prompt
Bring song lyrics on Thursday

Today:
We began discussing these questions as they relate to the performances of "You Are the Music in Me" in HSM2 (about love): What is it? What does it look like? What does it feel like? How do we recognize it? Are there different types of love? We began by examining the color coding of the lyrics. They saw that Sharpay's version is sung mostly by here while the other version has many people singing. Then we began with the idea that if love is a grape, the Troy and Gabrielle version is big a juicy, while the Sharpay and Troy version is like a raisin. The love that fills the first song is sort of dried up or sucked out in the Sharpay version. We watched the videos muted and observed what love looks like. In some classes we started looking at the imagery in the song: "And like a common thread/hmm, you're pulling me." We also started discussing how there are different types of love.

This is a research project. I am requiring students to gather as many viewpoints of love as possible. If I just wanted an essay on what they know, I would sit them down and have them pump out an essay from their heads. I want them to explore the topic itself! I want the students to grow as a result of writing the essay. I am excited to write mine!

November 5, 2007

Homework:
Completing the Sentence unit 3
Finish color-coding the lyrics for "You Are The Music in Me"
begin researching the next writing topic

Today:
Today was fun! We began the next unit by listening to the lyrics of the song "You Are The Music in Me." The Troy and Gabrielle version is a mixture of voices, while the Sharpay and Troy version is mostly just her. We will discuss why the two songs are so different tomorrow. The discussion will be one of many on the next topic, love.

If you are interested, you can check out the next writing topic here. When I discussed the topic with another teacher, she wondered how much kids this age will know about love. She even wondered if what they know is correct. I said that it didn't matter what they know; I want the essay to be about just that! Over the course of this week, we will be exploring the topic. Also, as the students do their research on the topic, they will discover different views of love. In the end, the students will be defining what love means to them. I think it is a very worthwhile assignment. The boys did not seem to keen about writing on it; however, love is not just a feminine emotion. We all feel love. It is what makes us human.

November 2, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
**MrBoZ.com is being revised and moved. The new site will be located here for a while. You can listen to the vocab recordings from there.**

We reviewed the Choosing the Right Word from the vocab book.

Today's Photography Friday focused on making a choice. After looking at each picture, the students divided into groups based on the picture they chose. This way they could answer the questions together and see why each person chose that picture. Since there were 12 pictures to choose from, being together with someone else who chose your same picture should have been interesting. Not many chose the picture I liked. I found that curious. The objective behind this activity is to teach students to be aware of their thoughts as they view photography as art. We discuss the intentions of the photographer as well. The whole exercise involves reflective, critical thinking.

I believe students' writing suffers, not from a weakness in organizing their thoughts, but from a lack of deep thought about a topic. If you get a child talking about a topic that interests them, he can go on and on. I find students don't know how to explore a topic deep enough to really have something intelligent to say. That is why my writing topics are so different from the typical writing prompt. Those prompts are so boring! I would like to think I am teaching students how to explore those plain topics and make them interesting. I am teaching the students how to think, not just how to write. We don't always appreciate an artist for his ability. Many times we admire how he has thought about life and how he presents it to us. I am teaching appreciation: for writing, photography, and for life. "The unexamined life is not worth living."-Socrates Furthermore, I would say the unexamined life is not worth writing about!

November 1, 2007

Homework:
Choosing the right word unit 2
(Context clues must be highlighted)

Today:
I had the students copy a few comma rules into their notebooks. We will discuss them in the next few daily drills.

We listened to the recordings from the other day. I will post them soon. I discussed how we can improve them for next time. In general, I don't think the students knew what to expect when they recorded. Now they do. I think the next recording will be better.

We played pictionary with the unit 2 words.

My first marking period grades are done. In the past, I would e-mail them out to parents, but I can't do that right now. I am also beginning to grade the adversity essays. We will start our new writing topic on Monday. It will be on love. The students will research what love means to them and others. The paper will gather the findings together into a thoughtful paper. It should be interesting!

October 31, 2007

Boy, do I love the day of Halloween! The students are so focused on their school work! HAHAHAHA! Anyway, I know they are kids, but it sure makes for a long day!

So I decided we would make a recording today. We recorded the 20 vocab words, imitating the version that can be downloaded from the vocab book site listed in the vocab books. Overall, the recordings went well. I will try to get them posted as soon as possible on my website. We will listen to them tomorrow. I will make two versions. One will work well with iTunes and iPods. That version will have artwork and album information for sorting in iTunes. The other will be a basic .mp3 that should work on any player.

There is no homework tonight for obvious reasons. Happy Halloween!

October 30, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries and Synonyms unit 3
Be ready to read the word for the recording tomorrow

Today:
I gave the groups time to finish up preparing for tomorrow's reading. All of the scripts were to be completed and handed in. This way, no matter who is absent, the recording will go smoothly.

While the students were working, I called each student up to discuss his/her grade. I showed them the few remaining grades I entered and asked for any outstanding work. Most students left the class knowing what their first marking period grade will be. Soon enough, you will be able to log on and see these grades. I am closing the grade book for the first marking period because it is a good time to do it. There is a logical break between what we have been doing and the next unit we will study. I am planning the next unit, finishing up the grades, and then I will begin grading the essays. They take too long to even think of getting them into the first marking period.

If I don't say it later, the first marking period grade is based more on doing the work than achievement. What I mean by that is, if a student did all the assignments on time, his grade will (can) be good regardless of how well he did on the assignment. There were some graded assignments, don't get me wrong, but next marking period will reflect a student's abilities better. There will be more quizzes, two graded essays or more, and more classwork grades. I don't know why I feel I should tell you this, though. It's probably because I have taught long enough to know that the first marking period is the easiest. The second and third are the hardest.

October 29, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-10 Unit 3
Have your word script ready for tomorrow.

Thursday and Friday:
First, if your child did not tell you, I was out Thursday and Friday last week. That is why I did not blog either of those two days. During those two days, the students did two Word Powers from Reader's Digest. Basically, the words are challenging, and there are four answers. I challenged the students to try them on their own first. Then they were to look up the answers. They also read a letter by a man who could not seem to find a job. After reading his letter, why he could not find a job became obvious!

Today:
It was hard getting back into the swing of things. My plans were thrown off. So I did the best I could. We are going to try something new with the vocab. I want the students to make the audio recording that we listen to from the vocab website. Today we looked at sample scripts from some words in the last recording. I showed them what was needed. They then had time to work on their word. Tomorrow or Wednesday, we will make the recording. It's something different. This method makes the students more responsible for learning the words. I imagine this will get faster as the year goes on.

With the extra time, I began recording some essay readings. I was going to do that last week.

October 24, 2007

Homework:
Get grade slip signed.
Section 3 has their essays due Thursday


Today:
Buzzword
I checked the flashcards.
I handed out the grade slips.
We took the Unit 2 quiz.
I read my essay on adversity to the class.
In some classes, students started reading their essays. Most did not.
We will listen to students read tomorrow.

October 23, 2007

Wednesday is picture day for the school!

Homework:
Flashcards for unit 2 (sections 3,6,7) Word on front/definition and part of speech on the back
Good draft of the essay is due Wednesday (100 points!)
The students who were chosen to read should be ready.

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed for the vocab quiz by discussing what part of speech each word is and how it is used.
We looked at examples of introductions and conclusions observing how they match each other. I told the classes that they should be able to read just the introduction and the conclusion together and it should sound like they belong together. They are bookends. However, the intro has a function, and the conclusion has one, too. But they still go together well.

*Section 3's essay is due on Thursday. Our review for the quiz ran over, and we did not get to discuss all the topics I had wanted to get to.

**You can expect to see a grade slip sent home tomorrow. It will need to be signed.

October 22, 2007

Homework:
Finish unit 2
I suggested making flashcards tonight
Essay due Wednesday

Today:
I have a few things I will be looking for on the essay due Wednesday.

We spent many days during the daily drills looking at commas with non-essential information. I told the students I would like to see two sentences highlighted in the essay that contain commas with non-essential information. That information makes the sentences more descriptive. We looked at two examples today. You can see them in the daily drill archive on the main page.

We also discussed six different hooks the students can use in their introductions. I call them handshakes. We reviewed six of the twelve we will eventually study. I would like the students to use one of these six for the essay. On the back page, I would like them to explain why they chose that technique. What was the intended effect on the reader? The techniques are Question, Quote, Amazing Fact or Statistic, Anecdote, Humor, and Bold and Challenging Statement.

I would also like the students to make sure their introductions match their conclusions. I will discuss that idea more Tuesday. Ideally, the essay has similar bookends. They resemble each other, but they do their specific job.

On Wednesday, five volunteers (or victims) will read their essays to the class.

October 19, 2007

I have to rush out. Have a nice weekend. :)

There is nothing due on Monday. The essay will probably be due on Thursday depending on what we discuss in class. There is a quiz on Wednesday next week.

October 18, 2007

Homework:
Completing the Sentence unit 2 (The context clues must be highlighted.)

Today:
We did not do a daily drill. We reviewed the Choosing the Right Word. Then I gave the students time to show me some make-up work . Unfortunately, many students did not take advantage of the fact that they could get late credit for their missing work. Oh well.

We finished one of the four lessons I want to cover before the essays are finally due. We examined a bad essay, a good essay, and an excellent essay. We looked at the introduction and conclusion and how they matched. You can read the essays for yourself if you would like. I made links from the assignment page on MrBoZ.com.

October 17, 2007

Homework:
Choosing the right word unit 2

Today:
Buzzword
Checked that students had their rough drafts.
Handed back vocab quiz, notebook quiz, and a grade slip.
I will accept make-up work in class tomorrow.
The slip does not need to be signed.

The good draft of the essay will not be due until we do the following:

1. Discuss three more types of introductions
2. Discuss how introductions match the conclusions
3. Read sample essays and discuss flow
4. Discuss how they can improve their sentences using extra information, like we have been doing in the daily drills.
5. Have someone else read the paper and offer suggestions.

If all of these are done quickly, the essay will be due then.

October 16, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 11-20 and synonyms unit 2
Rough draft of the essay is due tomorrow (for a grade)

Today:
No daily drill
We listened to words 11-20 and discussed
Took the Notebook quiz
I gave them time to work on their rough drafts

Honestly, I have this fear that students won't write the essays. I go through this all the time. Maybe it is because I am a writer, and I don't wait until the last minute. But today, I was not getting the feeling that students had started the essay. This is why the rough is due tomorrow. Over the next couple of days, I will discuss techniques they can use to improve their essays. We will read some samples. We will also discuss the introductions and conclusions. The final draft will probably be due Monday, unless I feel we need to cover a few things.

Expect a grade update tomorrow. I will not ask it to be signed, but I will be giving it to the kids.

October 15, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-10 Unit 2
Rough Draft of essay due Wednesday

Today:
We did NOT do a daily drill today or the quiz.
(We will have the notebook quiz tomorrow.)
Reviewed the week's schedule
Listened to words 1-10 and discussed
I explained the topic again and what I was working on personally
S.S.W. time so they could get some writing done

I explained that the rough draft should be good enough to read. It should have and intro, body, and a conclusion. I plan to discuss how I will be scoring the essay this week. We will cover a few more ideas introductions, and I will explain how the conclusion is supposed to work.

I am shooting for Friday for a good draft, but I think Monday will be more realistic. I would like to look at a few more example essays sometime this week.

October 11, 2007

Homework:
None, but they can work on their essay.
There is a notebook quiz on Monday.

Today:
Since it was a half-day, I just gave the S.S.W. time to work on their essays. The spirit was moving me, so I needed to write. I have a conclusion and an idea of how I want my paper to sound, but I need to write the essay that matches the conclusion. There are so many ways to write a paper. I spent the first few minutes of each class explaining what I was thinking about and how I was trying to craft my paper.

October 10, 2007

Homework:
None really.
They could start thinking about their next essay.

Today:
Buzzword
Quiz on Unit 1
Finished the discussion of a sample essay for the next topic
Discussed the prompt for the next topic

I spent time diagramming the song and the sample essay because I want the students to see how an essay is organized overall. I tried to not use the typical five-paragraph outline. I moved the body paragraphs above the conclusion and had the thesis near the conclusion. I want to show the students that the intro should match the conclusion. I also want them to see that the conclusion should contain a little bit of each of the body paragraphs. I am trying something different this year.

October 9, 2007

Homework:
Sections 3,6,7 should make flashcards
Quiz Unit 1 Wednesday

Today:
DOL
Reviewed vocab
Discussed the diagrams for "Work It Out"
Began to diagram an essay.

Right now, we are beginning to think about how to organize ideas for the next essay. Here are some things I want the students to start thinking about:

What do we do when we are faced with adversity? What do I do? What do people do in general?

Think of a time in your life when you were faced with adversity (a tough challenge). What thoughts went through your head when you realized you had to overcome the problem? Who did you turn to? What plan did you come up with to be successful?

We then discussed what the characters did in the song. The essay we are reading discusses what people do in general.

I hope to teach students how to reflect on the topic a little more than just when they have faced a challenge.

October 8, 2007

(I forgot to blog Monday. Sorry.)

Homework:
Finish unit 1

Today:
Buzzword
Discussed the week's schedule
Began our next writing prompt
We watched the video "Work This Out" from High School Musical 2 and studied the lyrics
My goal is to have students diagram their next essay so that it has a clear progression of ideas.

October 5, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
DOL- Reviewed apostrophes from yesterday's drill
Reviewed the Completing the Sentence
Began Photography Friday

Here is a little explanation of Photography Friday.
If you haven't noticed on my web pages, I do photography as a hobby. I do more than just take pictures. I believe photography is an art. Today, we discussed how pictures can do three things: they can document, they can be artistic in their expression, and they can do both. We looked at the pictures from MSNBC's "This Week in Pictures" found in the multimedia section of their page. Accept for the one graphic picture (which gives ample warning not to look), we went through each one discussing what type of picture it was. Some pictures merely captured a moment in time for posterity. Others did the same thing but with a creative touch. Some pictures were just beautiful.

I use these discussion to develop high-order thinking skills. In the future, the students will get better at explaining why they chose one picture over another as their favorite. It's like art appreciation. When you know what to look for, you are better at making critical judgments.

I also plan to teach the students essay appreciation, how to be critical of their writing and the writing of others.

October 4, 2007

Homework:
Finish Completing the Sentence Unit 1

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed the Choosing the Right Word
Discussed using context clues to determine the answer for Completing the Sentence
Took an online apostrophe quiz (Try it yourself!)

I have updated the daily drill archive file. I now have the answers included. This way, if a student is absent, he can try to make the corrections himself and then check his answers. Or, realistically, a student who is absent just copies the correct answer into his notebook. Either way, he will be ready for the notebook quiz! :)

I am going to have a notebook quiz on October 15.

October 3, 2007

Homework:
Finish choosing the right word

Today:
DOL
Reviewed the synonyms and pictionaries
Discussed how to use context clues in choosing the right word in vocab

I am spending extra time this week getting the students acquainted with my expectations for the vocabulary book. In the future, the students will be responsible for doing the work at home, and we will check the answers in class.

October 2, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 11-20 and synonyms unit 1
Get grade slip signed if not done already.

Today:
Buzzword
We reviewed the next 10 vocab words in unit 1.
We guessed at some pictionaries on the board.
In most classes, we spent time exploring phonetic spelling. We looked at the pronunciation key on page 6 of the vocab book. In some classes, we tried to spell our own names using the key. I wanted to show students how to use the pronunciation listed below the vocab word in the book.

October 1, 2007

Homework:
Get grade slip signed if not done already.
Pictionaries 1-10 unit 1

Today:
DOL
Collected signed grade slips
Vocab books were handed out
Listened to words 1-10 Unit 1
I showed the students what pictionaries should be
Gave students time to work in class

September 28, 2007

Homework:
Get grade slip signed

Today:
Buzzword
Explained how to read the grade slip
Some classes studied apostrophes
sections 1 and 2 finished their vocab finals

Have a nice weekend.
(This is one of those short ones!)

THE VOCAB BOOKS ARE IN! Yes! Homework all next week!

September 27, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
DOL
Sections 1 and 2 finally finished their presentations. Look for the web page of the recordings on Monday (I hope).

Sections 3,6, and 7 scored their vocab final/pre-test. Some students did particularly well! One class had 3 students scoring in the 80's out of 100! Yes, they will have to take the final again. However, many students scored 50 and below, with good reason. They have not studied the words yet!

Look for grade slips tomorrow. They will need to be signed and returned.

September 26, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
Sections 1 and 2 are almost finished the presentations.
Section 3,6, and 7 are finished their vocab diagnostic.

I tried something different this year. I thought I would give the students the vocab final first. Seriously! I plan to use the test I just gave them as their vocab final in June. It looks just like the ones I have given in the past. I figured, maybe I will show them what the big test will look like to inspire them to work hard. (I hope I didn't dishearten them!)

We will go over the tests tomorrow to see who scored the highest. Then I will file them away until June so we can compare them. Who knows? It could be interesting!

I am almost finished the grades. I have a few students I need to take care of. Look for a grade slip to be brought home on Friday.

September 25, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
DOL
Sections 1 and 2 are still finishing up their presentations.
Sectioins 3,6, and 7 are beginning a diagnostic test for vocab.

I look forward to meeting you at Parents' Night tonight. See you there!

September 21, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
Notebook quiz
Some classes finished the presentations. Sections 1 and 2 are FAR from finishing. I will post the files by the end of next week. Have a nice weekend.

September 20, 2007

Homework:
Notebook quiz tomorrow on 9/4 -9/18

Today:
I gave the students a grade slip. Since there were only a few grades, I did not require them to get it signed. I will be adding some more meaningful grades soon, specifically the notebook quiz, the presentation grades, and another participation grade. I explained that the next slip will need to be signed. I hand the grades to the students to show them how getting the work in on-time helps their grade. With 7 classes of assignments whirling in their heads, it is easy to forget that some assignments were not completed. That gives them a false sense of how they are doing. The grade slip shows them exactly why they received their grade.

We continued presentations today. I continued to explain in detail why each student received an A,B, or C. Each student provides me with an opportunity for a brief lesson. Students who want to improve their scores can revise their essays based on my comments. A few students have taken me up on that.

By this time, I would have given the first vocab quiz. Since we had to order the books from collected money, the process has taken a long time. Next week we will start with a diagnostic. When the books come in you will see an increase in homework.

September 19, 2007

Homework:
Notebook quiz Friday

Today:
No daily drill
We spent the whole period listening to presentations.

I will hand out grade slips tomorrow to give students a little idea of how they have been performing. I have very few grades. However, some students will see that the few things they haven't done are affecting their grades! Most look good, though.

September 18, 2007

Homework:
Be prepared for the oral presentation

Today:
Buzzword

Today was the first day of presentations. Today is when students finally learn what my expectations are for their reading. All the talking in the world beforehand does not prepare them for exactly what I am looking for when they get in front of the class. Therefore, on the first day of presentations, the first few students are the guinea pigs. After each of the first few readings, I go into detail explaining why I gave the grade I gave. This can be hard for students to hear, but each time I explain a score to the class, I am teaching. The students who follow these students have the advantage of taking more time to make their readings exactly what I want. They also are at a disadvantage because I will have heard lots of great readings! Today's guinea pigs, though, are allowed to revise their essays based on the feedback I provided. In the end, if a student revises a paper and makes it better based on my feedback to others, I have done my job! We will listening to presentations most of the week. I will eventually make a web page so you can listen to your child.

P.S. I have some students who were not prepared to read. They will be graded two grades lower for being late. That is my policy.

September 17, 2007

Homework:
1. Presentation essay due tomorrow
Students should be ready to read an organized essay. I explained that the essay should have a handshake and a thesis. The essay should be organized and focused on defining who they are. Those are the two main ways they will be graded. I will also expect the essay to be at least a certain length. Their readings will be recorded, and the recordings will be posted on a web page eventually! This way, you will be able download the recording and hear your child.

2. Notebook Quiz Friday on notes from 9/4 - 9/18
All the required notes are in this document.

Today:
DOL
Review the calendar for the week
Examine a good introduction which contains a handshake and thesis
Look at three ways to write handshakes:
1. Use questions
2. Use a quote
3. Use and interesting fact or statistic
Practice by using one of the new techniques for their own paper

September 14, 2007

Homework:
Rough essay due Monday
Sections 1 and 2: some students need to improve their collages

Today:
Buzzword
I was out yesterday for the Jewish New Year. The students were supposed to think about how they would organize their essays. Some classes worked harder than others, so I spent today making sure the students have an idea of what to write about.

I had the students trade their collages with someone else. I took the students few some steps so they could explain what they thought their partner was trying to say about him/herself. If the goal of the collage was to show how they define themselves, well, how did someone else see them? If it was not what they thought, maybe they need to think about what they will say on Monday.

I showed some classes how they could group what they would say in the essay. Here are a few suggestions: (1) Family, Friends, Hobbies; (2) things I do, places I go, TV shows I watch; and (3) I define myself as fun, fun, and more fun. Students were to come up with their own.

I also began the discussion on handshakes for the intro paragraph. We will discuss introductions all year long. I will listen to their introductions more on Monday.

September 12, 2007

Homework:
Collage due Friday
Written presentation due Monday

Today:
Buzzword
Today, we finished examining "Fabulous" and how Sharpay defines herself by her material things and her popularity. I also showed them the video "Material Girl" by Madonna. In the video, the material girl is the woman wooed by lots of men. She gets everything she wants, but she does not get one man. The actress (a character in the video) who plays the material girl has a boyfriend who gives her lots of stuff, but she does not like it. In the end, the actress ends up with a man who gives her simple flowers and drives a simple truck. The video juxtaposes the material girl on stage getting stuff with what love should really look like.

I then pointed the students towards what they should be writing about for their presentation. I keep telling them to do the collage first. This way, by looking at what they made, they can better organize how they want to present themselves to us. The topic of how we define ourselves is deep. In some classes, I discussed that there is who we actually are, what we think we are, and how we want to be seen by others. We present ourselves to varying degrees in all three ways. Ultimately, during the presentation to the class, the students, like Sharpay, will present how they want to be seen. Of course. That is what I do as well in my class. I am not going to reveal all of myself, and neither does Sharpay as we learn later in the movie.

September 11, 2007

Homework:
Collage is due Friday
I changed the presentation date to at least Monday. (I was over ambitious.)
The worksheet we did in class today needs to be finished for tomorrow.

Today:
We discussed popularity and materialism.
If you look at the assignment page on MrBoZ.com, you can see the lyrics of the two songs we studied.
Sorry this blog is not detailed. I ran out of time after school and had to post this at 8:00 P.M.

September 10, 2007

Homework:
Collage and short essay about yourself due Friday
Bring Vocab money if you have not done so already

Today:
We began the next writing piece by studying Sharpay's song "Fabulous" in High School Musical 2. Since Sharpay is central to the whole movie, this song establishes her character. Through the lyrics, the singing and dancing, and the colors used throughout the scene, we get a good picture of what she thinks of herself and what she values. I wanted the students to think about how they would present themselves. Would you show who you are, or would you present yourself as how you want to be seen? Is Sharpay what she sings about, or is she showing us how she wants us to think about her?

The next writing topic is up on MrBoZ.com. I will discuss the requirements with the students tomorrow.

September 7, 2007

Homework:
Bring in vocab book money. $8.50

Today:
DOL
Lesson on introductions
Some students read their essays to the class.

Today I taught the first lesson on introductions. I think of the intro as trying to get someone to jump off of a high dive into the pool. From that high up, the jump is scary. It's the same way I feel when I look at a four-page essay! I am not so sure what to expect! However, a nice "handshake" will ease me out the board, and a clear thesis will tell me what to expect. If the intro makes me interested, I am ready to read the paper. If the intro is bad, I am reluctant to read the paper. There will be many more lessons on introductions.

On Monday, we will be starting our next piece. I will begin reading the summer essays next week.

September 6, 2007

Homework:
Bring in $8.50 for a vocabulary book.

Today:
Daily Oral Language (DOL)
Students read someone else's essay and made two positive comments.
We discussed the purpose of writing- to communicate ideas clearly.
I had students read some introductions from the essays, and we discussed what a good introduction should do.

I look forward to reading these essays. I will read them just to get an idea of students' strengths and weaknesses. I want to see what I should be focusing on in the coming year. All students received an A for handing the essay in on time. That means all my students have an A in my class so far! (Well, almost all handed it in on time.)

September 5, 2007

Homework:
Summer essay is due tomorrow, Thursday.

Today:
1. Daily Oral Language (DOL)
2. I discuss how my essay was going. I read different revisions of my essay to different classes demostrating how reading aloud helps in the revision process. In some classes I discussed how I revised my essay. Sometimes I condensed two paragraphs into one. Other times I had to just rewrite whole sections because it was easier than editing what was there.
3. I gave the students time to work in class.

Important: I told the students that if they do not have the essay tomorrow, the late grade is two grades lower. I will give them a grade for just having an essay to hand in.

September 4, 2007

Homework:
The summer essay is due Thursday.

Today:
We started Daily Oral Language today. In the beginning of class, we do a warm-up activity. I plan to alternate between the Daily Buzzword and DOL. This week we will practice DOL. Basically, if you look at the daily drills sheet from MrBoZ.com, there are two sentences that require corrections. The errors provide a way to review/teach grammar rules.

I sent out a test e-mail to see which ones were incorrect. If you did not receive one, please e-mail me so I have your information.

Also, sorry about not being consistent with blogging last week.

August 29, 2007

Homework:
The first essay was assigned today. You can see the requirements on the assignment page at MrBoZ.com. The essay must be handed in HAND-WRITTEN.

Today:
Sorry I did not get to post this right after school. I had to leave early. My son starts kindergarten tomorrow, and I had to meet his teacher.

I handed out the assignment page for the essay. Then we discussed a few songs: Beyonce's "Summertime" and the Beach Boy's "All Summer Long" and "Be True to Your School." I used the time today to discuss three questions. How does the song convey the feeling of summer? Why do we enjoy songs about summer? In what ways are the songs reality or fantasy? High School Musical is a throwback to a more innocent time. As we study the musical, I want to explore the era that reveled in innocence. In today's day, HSM stands out as different because it goes against what is cool, because in order to be cool there has to be some rebellion. How cool would it be if the new cool were a rebellion against rebellion!

August 28, 2007

Homework:
Be sure to get the e-mail addresses and permission slip signed.

Also, please e-mail me because it is easier to add the addresses to my database. (It is also more accurate!)

Today:
We began discussing the first writing assignment. As of now, the topic will be summer. I will post an assignment page on MrBoZ.com soon. We listened to "What Time Is It?" from High School Musical and "Summertime" by Will Smith to get us thinking about summer. In the first song, the students were looking forward to the promise of summer. In Will Smith's song, he is looking back nostalgically to the summers when he was young. He was defining what summer meant to him when he was young. I plan to listen to a song by Beyonce and two songs from the Beach Boys. More details will be up tomorrow.

May 31, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
We took the vocab final.

I sent a grade update out by e-mail. The grades are pretty much done. A few students have to finish the final.

Monday, the students will be working on Unit 15 in the vocab book. I will be on a school trip, so I will have a sub.

May 30, 2007

Homework:
Vocab final on units 1-14 Thursday

Today:
We took the quiz on Unit 14.
After the quiz, I had the students do the Final Master Test in the book as practice for the quiz. (It was like pulling teeth to get them to work!)

May 29, 2007

Homework:
Quiz Unit 14 Wednesday (tomorrow)
Review for the final on Thursday

Today:
I will just be focusing on the vocab book this week. The writing assignments are wrapped up for the year. All we have left are two quizzes: unit 14 and the final. Today we reviewed unit 14. Tomorrow we will be reviewing for the final. At some point we will complete unit 15 in the vocab book. That's it.

May 24, 2007

Homework:
Be ready for the Buzzword quiz on words from 5/7 - 5/23
The students can get the missing words from the archive.

Today:
I handed out grade slips. They do not have to be signed.

We had quite the discussion today. I don't know how much your child talks about what we do in my class, but today we discussed the results of the voting for the best TV ad. The background to the story is that a student in one of the classes is Asian and very serious. As you well know, students can be cruel, and they pick on him. In his TV ad, his group was advertising the lights for a party scene. I asked him to dance a little to make the video more lively. As you can guess, the kids thought this was a scream. I did not fully comprehend the impact this recording was having on the student until he won the vote for the best TV ad. He was so embarrassed.

It was when I heard students joking about this in the hall that I realized this had gone too far. The students did not vote for him because his ad was good. It wasn't. That was obvious to the kids. What the students did by voting him as the winner was ridicule him. I explained that they had the power with their votes to recognize a group for their hard word in producing a good ad. Instead, the students wasted their vote by making this student the winner. They thought that since it was so stupid and made them laugh that that was a good thing. So they voted for him.

This reminded me of William Hung from American Idol. We read paragraphs from his entry at Wikipedia. We explored why William Hung became so famous. It was because people could make fun of him. But it wasn't just that he was a bad singer. William Hung is Chinese, and if you read the entry on him, what bothers commentators about the phenomenon is that people laughed at him because he embodied the qualities of the stereotypical Chinese person. People used him as the fool and made money.

After reading about William Hung, I asked the students again why they thought the student's video was so funny. In general, they got the point. Not every student voted for this child, and I am sure there were plenty of students who thought laughing at him was wrong. However, in the class he was in, we did have a friendly laugh. It was funny because, in that class, we care about each other and appreciate each other. It's like watching family be silly. But what I saw happening over the course of the day was not fun. I saw children being mean to a fellow classmate, and we needed to discuss it.

I did not include this student in the re-vote. I only included videos that were worthy. "With great power comes great responsibility." The students did not act responsibly. They acted like kids. Therefore, I thought it was time to teach them how they should be acting.

May 23, 2007

Homework:
Choosing the right word unit 14

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed vocab homework
Voted on the best TV ad from all classes

FYI: I will be handing out a grade slip Thursday.

May 22, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 11-20 and Synonyms unit 14

Today:
We began scoring their TV ads.
We will begin watching all the ads from the other classes so we can vote on the best ad from all classes.

May 21, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-10 unit 14

Today:
Buzzword
Listened to words 1-10 unit 14
Finished up recording any remaining commercials.
Reviewed the upcoming calendar.

**This is interesting. My hard drive is dying on my laptop, which is my life in this class! So, I cannot guarantee that the website will be as up to date as I would like. I can still do grades and this blog, though. And I will be showing the students the TV ads they made so they can vote on which ad is best out of all the classes. Oh well. These things happen. Remember: back up your information! I always do, so this is no more than a delay while the new drive is put in.

Tuesday May 15, 2007

All sections:

Homework: Finish script, plan/props for commercial

Today:
Students began filming the commercials that the have written for the string of lights. They are demonstrating their use and knowledge of the 21 advertising techniques that we have learned in this unit.

The classes found that the more prepared they were before they went up to tape, the more successful their tapings were. Having lines memorized, how people stand pre-planned, and knowing where the cuts are all help make a commercial run more smoothly.

I was very impressed with some of the commercials that were taped at home. I think a lot of the groups did a nice job and were really effective.

Monday May 14, 2007

Today: All Sections

Homework: Unit 13 completing the sentence

Today:

We worked on the storyboard for our commercials. Students are asked to adapt their scripts so that they can see where the cuts will take place when we tape the final product.

Friday May 11, 2007

Today:

Homework:
Come to class ready to continue with commercials and making the soundboards.

Today in Class:
The students viewed examples of 30 second commercials. We talked about how we can cut the scripts into small segmented scenes to make them more short and concise. We want to final product to look a lot like a real commercial and not so much like a skit or play that is one long scene. Students worked on planning and writing their script. They recieved credit for class participation today and completing work on their script. On Monday they will be working on storyboard and mapping out each scene of their commercial.

Thursday May 10, 2007

Today (Section 1)

Hw
None

Today
We continued with the Media literacy presentations. Tomorrow we will finish these presentations once and for all and begin our commercial making project.


Today: ( sections 3,5,6,7)

We began our commercial making project. Students are required to work in small groups to create a commercial that demonstrates 3 advertising techniques. The commercial is for a string of decorative lights. The students must use the technique of diversion within their commercial and are required to pick two other techniques from which they have learned.

Students got to pick their small groups today. My hope is that this will allow them to develop more creative projects and have more fun working; if they are allowed to work with their friends.

The project's guidelines have been established and students received a guideline handout with the project's rules and the contest rules.

Wednesday May 9, 2007

All Sections

Homework:
choosing the right word Unit 13

Today:
We finished the presentations today in sections 3,6, and 7. We will continue to finish in sections 1 and 2 tomorrow. Tomorrow we will start the next in class project that involves applying the advertising techniques. Students will work in small groups to create a commercial that demonstrates 3 advertising techniques.

Tuesday May 8, 2007

All Sections:

Homework:
Pictionaries 11-20 for vocab unit 13
and Syns. for Unit 13


Today:
The students continued with presentations. I was really happy to see improvement with the presentations today. The students made a concious effort to achieve a better grade by including the second part of the presentation, developing an organizational flow, and making posters. Keep up the good work! Tomorrow we will hopefully finish these up and then begin working on our next Project.

Monday May 7, 2007

Monday

All Sections:

HW: pictionaries 1-10 for vocab Unit 13
Today:
We started with our media literacy presentations today. Students were given a rubric last week with specfic guidelines to follow. Because most of the work was already accomplished over the past 3 weeks that we have been studying, I was expecting exceptional presentations. Unfortunately, only a few students seemed to meet that standard. Many students in every period left out a portion of their presentation failing to comment about a specific ad for their target audience. They also forgot to explain why the technique in this ad is the most effective for that audience and show other ads to support their claim. I hope that by seeing some presentations today and having more time to prepare, the presentations tomorrow will be a success.

Thursday May 3, 2007

Miss Bastnagel (sections 3,6,7)

Homework:
(section 3)
Presentation Preparation
Yellow stickies on the 20 techniques in magazine
Powerful/ powerless chart in packet

(section 6&7)
Prepare for presentation


Today:
Students took the vocabulary Unit 12 quiz and the open notebook buzzword quiz. At completion of the quizzes, students reviewed any concerns about their presentation. We discussed the importance to each topic and the relevence of the whole presentation to what we have been studying in class. The students were encoraged to make a visual poster for their presentation, to help with their performance. Grade slips were passed out and work was submitted. Students will begin presenting on Monday. As each student presents, the other students will listen and collect data from the presentation on chart provided for them.

Wednesday May 2, 2007

Miss Bastnagel (sections 6 and 7)

Homework:
students need to work on
-20 stickies
-chart in their packet on techniques
-prepare for their presentations
-powerful/powerless sheet
-vocab flashcards

Unit 12 vocabulary quiz
Buzzword quiz


Today:
Students had a chance to complete all the assignments listed above. They talked about the advertising techniques found in their advertisements in preparation for tomorrow's presentation. Students were given a checklist today to help them organize what needs to be completed. Presentations will begin tomorrow after the quizzes and will continue next week. Students are encouraged to make a visual presentation for their oral report for extra points. I also believe these visuals can help aide in speeches.

May 1, 2007

MrBoZ (Sections 1 and 2)

Homework: Finish all of these for tomorrow
1. First 20 ads survey
2. Define Audience of Magazine
3. Audience Sheet
4. Powerful/Powerless chart
5. Finish unit 12 vocab

Today:
I gave work time. I also assigned the presentation. I handed out a sheet that explains the requirements. I gave a lot of homework, but I want all the research wrapped up so we can move on to the magazine presentation.

Miss Bastnagel ( sections 3,6,7)
- 20 stickies in magazine for each technique
- the technique chart
-powerful/powerless chart
-prepare for presentation
-vocabulary flashcards
-Unit 12 vocabulary quiz and buzzword quiz on Thursday

Today:
Students had the opportunity to begin their powerful/powerless page within their packets. They are also preparing for their oral presenation. The presentation will serve as a summuary for all the work they have been researching since the beginning of the media literacy unit. The students will have time Wednesday to work on all these assignments during class. Things will be checked Thursday for credit.

April 30, 2007

MrBoZ (Sections 1 and 2)

Homework:
Completing the sentence unit 12

Today:
We discussed the idea of powerful/powerless. In ads, we either see who we are or who we want to be. Likewise, sometimes we read magazines for the fantasy life they can provide. I want the students to examine the qualities of the people they are looking at in the magazines.

If you want, you can see the qualities of powerful/powerless listed in the media literacy packet which can be found on the media literacy assignment page.

Our goal this week is to finish the research and begin oral presentations.

Miss Bastnagel Sections (6,7, and 3)

Homework:
Choosing the right word Unit 12 vocab

Today:
The students looked at examples of powerful, neutral, and powerless advertisements. Their first task was to find examples of each and define them. Next the students ranked their advertisements in an order from most powerful to powerless. It was interesting to hear why students ranked the way they did. Tomorrow we will continue with this study and start filling out the worksheet in their packets on powerful/ powerless.

April 27, 2007

MrBoZ (sections 1 and 2)
Homework:
They should be finishing the stickies and the first 20 ads sheet in the packet.

Today:
Since so many students were absent yesterday, we sort of reviewed what we did yesterday. We also watched two TV ads and identified the techniques used. I want them to try to find many types of techniques in each ad.

Next week the students will be presenting the results of their magazine study. Miss Bastnagel will be providing them with a rubric on Monday.


Miss Bastnagel ( sections 3,6,7)
Homework:
bring magazine and packet

Today :
Students finished up studying the advertising techniques. We looked at Rhetorical question, scientific evidence, testimonials, and symbol. The students then had time to look at examples in their own magazines. Their goal should be to get as many examples of the 21 ad techniques that we have studied, for their presentations next week. On Monday I will be explaining the rubric and guidelines for the informal presentations.

April 26, 2007

MrBoZ (Sections 1 and 2)

Homework:
Finish the 20 yellow stickies
Work on the first 20 ads chart
(They are due soon)

Today:
We analyzed three ads showing how you have to examine an ad thoroughly to determine all of the techniques used. I gave the classes some work time to work with their magazines.

Miss Bastnagel ( sections 3,6,7)

Homework
bring magazine and packet

Today :
Students finished up studying the advertising techniques. We looked at Rhetorical question, scientific evidence, testimonials, and symbol. The students then had time to look at examples in their own magazines. Their goal should be to get as many examples of the 21 ad techniques that we have studied, for their presentations next week. On Monday I will be explaining the rubric and guidelines for the informal presentations.

April 25, 2007

Miss Bastnagel

Homework:
Choosing the right word- vocab Unit 12

Today:
Sections 1 and 2
In these sections we completed our buzzword and then drew our pictionaries for Unit 12 vocabulary. The students often come up with very creative drawings to remember their vocab words. After this activity, the students were given time to complete finding the ad techniques within their magazines. After studying the techniques, they are supposed to mark examples that they find in their own magazines. Students also were given the opportunity to turn in any late or missing assignments for credit.



Sections 3,6, and 7.
After the buzzword and pictionary vocab activity, students explored the ad techniques of name calling, repetition, nostagia, plain folk, and rhetorical question. We looked at examples of these techniques and discussed advertisements that demonstrate them. Then the students found representations of all the techniques that they have learned so far in their magazines.

Once we have learned all the techniques, my hope is that students will become so familiar with them, that they can indentify the qualities of techniques in any ad that I show.

April 24, 2007

MrBoZ (Sections 1 and 2)
Homework:
1. Get gradeslip signed
2. 11-20 pictionaries and synonyms

Today:
We discussed the next 10 vocab words. We also discussed the forth column of the ad techniques for the remaining techniques. By the end of class tomorrow, the students should have found one example of each technique in their own magazine. By the end of the week, I want them to be familiar with how to spot these fallacies by practicing analyzing ads.

The end project of this study will be an oral report on their magazine where they present their findings to the class. The class will fill in a chart so they can compare the magazines to each other. In years past, I would do this unit closer to my other persuasive writing units. This year, the requirements for GoMyAccess did not allow me to fit them together. However, the unit is used to teach critical thinking.

Miss Bastnagel ( sections 3,6,7)

Homework:
pict.11-20 and syns
get grade slip signed

Today:
We went over the next 10 vocab words. We also continued our discussion on the next group of ad techniques. Students are trying to find examples of these techniques in their own magazines.

April 23, 2007

Miss Bastnagel (sections 3, 6, 7)

Homework:
vocab unit 12: pictionary 1-10
bring magazine and packet

Today:
Monday we began learning about the different techniques advertisers use when selling their products. Students got to see examples of some of the tactics that they use. We reviewed techniques such as bandwagon, card- stacking, bribery, diversion, denial, and fear of the enemy. After students become familiar with the techniques, their task will be to find examples of the ads in their own magazines. They will mark the ads with stickies. Tomorrow we will continue to explore the techniques and look at other examples.

MrBoZ (sections 1 and 2)
Homework:
Pictionaries 1-10 unit 12

Today:
Although we discussed the first half of the techniques on Friday, I spent time reviewing them again. This time, however, we discussed the questions in the forth column of the chart. These questions reveal the fallacies of the persuasive techniques. In other words, the advertisers don't use logical reasons to persuade us to buy their products. They sort of trick us.

Let's look at the technique of group dynamic. That technique uses the idea that if you buy the product you will be part of a similar group of people who also use the product. Do you really believe or have proof that if you buy the product you will be part of that group you see in the magazine ad? Be real!

You can look at the chart for yourself. It is a link on the media literacy assignment.

April 20, 2007

MrBoZ- (sections 1 and 2)
Homework:
None

Today:
We began our discussion of ad techniques. We discussed the idea that the arguments to buy the product should be reasonable based on factual information, like we focused on during the ant debates. However, ads are usually not straight forward in how they persuade us to buy their products. I have called the techniques "artificial persuasion." They attempt to persuade you, but the methods are deceitful or tricky.

As we progress through this unit, you should start to see you child pointing out these fallacies in arguments. This may become annoying, but once they see how they are being manipulated, they will see these tricks everywhere!



Miss Bastnagel- (sections 3,6, and 7)
Homework:
Bring magazine and packet to class Monday

Today:
Friday we began to explore the question: How to advertisements effect us? Students looked at whether the age of people in advertisements make the ads more appealing, less appealing, or have no impact at all . In order the answer this we began to collect some data. Students were shown two advertisements for the same acne product. One had people and the other didn't. They learned to "dissect" an ad and answer questions about what they found appealing or unappealing within each .
We will look back at the results after we finish learning the techniques, to see if their opinions change after learning a little bit more about advertising.

I am really excited to see how students view themselves as consumers after they learn some of the sneaky ways advertisers try to persuade you to buy their products!

April 19, 2007

Homework:
I asked the students to define the audience of their magazines. They need to determine the age, gender, race, and spending ability of the readers. We discussed that we either see who we are or who we want to be in ads. To determine the audience students should look at the people in the ads, people in the pictures for articles, and examine the content of the articles. Who would these articles appeal to most?

Today:
Buzzword
Quiz on unit 11
Miss Bastnagle taught sections 6 and 7. She discussed what the students found most appealing in two different ads. Did they like the ad with people or the one without people. She is gathering data which she will compare to data taken later in the unit.

In sections 1,2, and 3, I continued my discussion about where I should spend my $100,000 to place an ad in a magazine for my Piglet bowling pin. We decided on a magazine called Bowling This Month. The audience is not 3.2 million like SI; however, its 12,000 readers will appreciate the product more. Plus, a 1 page ad in SI is $300,000, but a full page ad in BTM is only $1,275! I could buy plenty of ads at that price. We also found that ESPN magazine was $55,000 for a full page ad. We might buy one ad in ESPN since it will be seen by 1 million readers.

April 18, 2007

Homework:
Flashcards sections 3,6,7
Quiz on unit 11 tomorrow

Today:
The topic was the same, but each class kind of studied the topic differently. Today we looked at how advertisers choose a magazine to place their ads in. I created a fictional product and gave the students a target audience of who buys the product most: male, 25, interested in sports, with a household income of $40,000. I wanted to spend $100,000 on ads.

We then looked at media kits from Girl's Life and Game Informer. I also gave them other kits from various magazines. The goal was to understand that each magazine has a specific audience and circulation. The more eyes that see the magazine, the more they can charge for ad space.

Since the product was a Piglet bowling pin, and the target was men, Girl's Life was not a good match. The ad money would be wasted! Game Informer is not so good either, even though the audience for the magazine is men who are 25. Tomorrow, we will see which, if any, of the other magazines might be a good use of my money.

By the way, a full page ad in Sports Illustrated is $302,000. A full page ad in Girl's life is $19,000. And a full page ad in Game Informer is $119,000. Even though SI might be a better fit for my product, I can not afford an ad.

April 17, 2007

Homework:
Finish unit 11 vocab
Be prepared for the quiz on Thursday

Today:
We continued our discussion about the audience of magazines and ads. I discussed the idea that in ads aimed towards us as an audience, we either see who we are or who we want to be. For example, if a teenage girl is looking at an ad with a beautiful older model in it, she would be thinking that she would like to be that young woman in the ad. As she looks at the ad, she is picturing herself using the product and being that woman. Likewise, if the girl in the ad is ordinary, the teenage girl looking at the ad will see herself in the ad. She would see what she would look like if she were using the product.

Tomorrow, we will continue our discussion of audience. Students will be looking through media kits for some magazines. These kits are given to advertisers to show the readership of their magazine. This way, advertisers can determine if the audience of the magazine is a good fit for their advertising dollars. They don't want ads where the people who would buy the product won't see them!

FYI, I do discuss how gender and race are qualities of audiences. In some classes, we discussed the fact that Ebony magazine has a black audience. There is not enough time to fully explain all this, but the short explanation is many magazines have very specific audiences. Magazines can even have niche audiences. This provides a very narrow target for advertisers. However, magazines like Sports Illustrated have a broader audience. Knowing the audience of a magazine is important for viewing the techniques ads use to persuade readers to buy their products.

April 16, 2007

Homework:
Completing the sentence Unit 11
Finish the audience sheets discussed in class today

Today:
Buzzword- We will have a quiz on the buzzwords for April 16- May 1 on May 3
I handed out a grade slip so they know how they are doing.
I gave them a list of all the upcoming projects for the media unit. They can check them off as we do them to keep themselves on track. You can see them here.

We discussed audience today. We began exploring how each magazine has a specific audience. You can determine this from the people in the magazine, the ads and the people in them, and the articles. For example, when I pick up a Seventeen Magazine, I know I am not the audience of that magazine. I do not see myself in any of the people in the magazine or the ads. The articles are not what I am interested in. The ads are not for products I would want to buy.

Each day, we will have a discussion and then have work time to apply the lesson and research their magazines.

April 13, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
Here is the packet I gave the students.

Buzzword
Reviewed choosing the right word
Finished counting ads and determined the percentage of ads and text
Began discussing audience

I am posting the packet the students are using on my website.

I will have a small grade update next week for the fourth marking period. I have a few grades.

There will be a quiz on unit 11 Thursday.

I am thinking about grading class participation again. Some students are becoming lax about coming to class prepared. It is very frustrating, but not totally unexpected. However, it needs to stop.

April 12, 2007

Homework:
Choosing the right word Unit 11

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed Synonyms
Continued to count ads in the the magazines. Students were required to have a magazine today. I wanted them to study a magazine they are interested in. I counted having a magazine as a small class grade.

April 11, 2007

Homework:
pictionaries 11-20 and synonyms unit 11
You must have a magazine tomorrow

Today:
We reviewed words 11-20 in unit 11.
We began the magazine study. We are first going to determine the percentage of the magazine that is ads.

I will post a copy of the packet on my website tomorrow so you can see what we will be working from.

April 10, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-10 Unit 11
Bring in a magazine for class

Today:
It was tough getting up this morning. Breaks can be so relaxing. I am not saying mine was, though. It was jam packed with stuff! However, it was good to be back.

Now that the bully letter is done and handed in, Miss Bastnagel and I are beginning a new unit. This unit will be on magazine and TV advertising. Over the next five weeks or so, we will be doing activities that discuss the persuasive aspects of ads and the values they contain. These activities address the media literacy requirements of the Red Clay curriculum.

If your child said he/she needed a magazine, that is correct. We want the students to study something they already read. I can give them a magazine if they need one. However, I am making bringing in a magazine a small grade because I see no reason why a child can not get a magazine from somewhere. If you have any questions, please e-mail me.

I will be posting the new assignment on the main web page sometime this week. I will post the packet I gave them so you can review some of the activities. This unit is always eye-opening. Pretty soon you child will be pointing out things you might never have noticed before. Let's hope so!

March 30, 2007

Homework:
None! Enjoy your break!

Today:
We were in the writing lab. The students finished typing their essays. They submitted them and handed in a copy. I will take the GoMyAccess score for 100 points, and Miss Bastnagel and I will grade them for another 100 points.

After break we will begin a unit on media literacy. We will study magazines, TV ads, NASCAR sponsorship, and marketing strategies. I will be asking students to bring in a magazine so we can study it in depth.

March 29, 2007

Homework:
The bully essay will be collected at the end of class tomorrow. Students who have been absent during the writing lab time are still responsible for writing an essay. Miss Bastnagel and I will be scoring the essays as well.

Today:
Miss Bastnagel and I both did lessons for students on improving sentence structure in their essays. We also discussed ideas for improving organization by adding transitions. Finally, we looked at the model essay provided by GoMyAccess. We analyzed it to see why it scored so well.

March 28, 2007

Homework:
Sections 1 and 2 should have finished the worksheet we began Tuesday.

Today:
We were in the writing lab. Many students spent their time trying to slowly improve their scores. Tomorrow, Miss Bastnagel and I will teach lessons to help them improve their letters.

The final essay will be due when they leave class on Friday. It will be scored by Miss Bastnagel and me. Judging by the model essays provided by GoMyAccess, she and I will be scoring the essay more thoroughly than the computer does. We will stress the importance of NO grammar errors.

March 27, 2007

Homework:
Sections 1 and 2 should finish the packet we started in class today for Thursday.

Today:
In sections 1 and 2 I talked about how to improve the readability level of an essay. We looked at the readability statistics that Microsoft Word can display when doing a spelling and grammar check. I taught them that the higher readability comes from the words to syllables ratio. Fewer words with more syllables will result in a higher readability. I reminded them about the word bank in GoMyAccess. They should pick words that are one level above their current level. If they write using 25 cent words now, they should not use $50 words! They should use $1 words. Otherwise, the huge words will sound silly... if they even know what they mean!

Sections 3, 6, and 7 reviewed comma usage. Miss Bastnagel taught sections 6 and 7.

March 26, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
We were in the writing lab. We began typing in the bullying essay. Tomorrow we will work on lessons to improve their sentences. We will be back in the lab on Wednesday. That's it, really. Not much to say.

March 23, 2007

TGIF!

Homework:
Ideally, I would like a letter writen for Monday. This way, when the students get on the computers on Monday, they will be able to use GoMyAccess for revision and not just a word processor. However, if the letter is not done, that is fine, too.

Today:
I handed out the pen prizes to sections 1,2, and 3. We finished the movie for those classes. We discussed what should be included in the letter to the bullied friend.

March 22, 2007

Homework:
Continue working on the letter to the friend who is being bullied.

Today:
I only saw sections 6 and 7, and both of those classes were 35 minutes long. We finished watching the movie. The kids are pretty fried after testing anyway!

March 21, 2007

Homework:
Students should be working on the letter to their friend who is being bullied. Unfortunately, I don't think many students are working on it now. The essay is due Monday, though.

Today:
Ms. Bastnagel taught the lesson today. This was here first day teaching, and she did an excellent job. Since she has been teaching second graders for 9 weeks before this, she had more than enough experience to handle the more mature? seventh graders. :)

Using a lesson she created, Ms. Bastnagel reviewed the characters from the movie and how each coped with Joe, the bully in the movie. After discussing the different reactions to a bully, she asked the students to put themselves in the same situation and decide how they would handle it. She had four different choices for the students to elaborate on. The students chose a paper that symbolized their choice and wrote out how they would handle being bullied. Some students read their papers to the class.

March 19, 2007

Homework:
Work on the bully letter (new assignment page on MrBoZ.com)

Today:
We read over the suggestions on this page. Then we watched more of the movie How to Eat Fried Worms. Today we focused on the bystanders and the role they play in allowing the bullying to continue. Later, we will see how they can affect change.


FYI:
I sent home grade e-mails today. They should be the grade they receive for the 3rd marking period. This week is testing, so there will not be any new grades. Then the marking period is over. There are a few things that can be made up.

March 15, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
I saw the rest of the classes today. We are starting a new essay on bullying. We watched 10 minute from the beginning of the movie "How to Eat Fried Worms." We discussed how three characters in the movie deal with being bullied. One ignores it. Another gives into it and is miserable. And the main character thinks he will stand up to the bully and be strong. He takes a bet that would humiliate the bully if he wins, but the bet will humiliate him in the process. He has to eat ten worms! We will watch some other parts of the movie, but we are mainly going to be focusing on reading an article that has suggestions about what to do if you are being bullied.

FYI:
I have a student teacher who will be with me until the end of May. Here is a letter she sent home with your child. (Some classes do not get it yet.)

Dear Parent(s) /Guardian(s)/ Families of Seventh grade team:
My name is Elizabeth Bastnagel and I will be student teaching in your child’s seventh grade English class for the next eight weeks. I am a student at the University of Delaware working to receive my degree in Elementary Education.

I have had several field experiences through the University, including three other placements in the Red Clay School District at Heritage Elementary School, Richardson Park Elementary School, and at H.B. Dupont Middle School. I have also worked for the Western Family YMCA of Delaware in the before- and after-care school program. These experiences have made me confident that I can succeed in working with your child.

I’m thoroughly excited about the opportunity to work with Mr. Bosler and his seventh graders. I look forward to getting to know your child during the next eight weeks. If at any time during my placement you need to reach me please call the school at (302) 239-3420.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Bastnagel

March 14, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
Sorry about not blogging yesterday. We were in the lab yesterday, and they were to enter the Richard Petty essay for a score. I took the score from GoMyAccess as a grade. Students who were absent are excused. You may have heard that it was hard to get a six on the speech. That is true. I also wanted to say that many students were lax about getting drafts done on time. This speech has been like pulling teeth. Their effort will be reflected in their grade slip which I should have for Friday of this week.

Today, I saw sections 7,1,and 2. Tomorrow I will see sections 3 and 6. We are starting our next writing topic. I handed out the prompt today. I will make a web page for the assignment soon.

March 12, 2007

Homework:
Revise the Richard Petty essay so we can enter it into GoMYAccess tomorrow.

Today:
Buzzword
We read examples of essays that scored 3,4, and 5 for the Richard Petty speech. These were scored by GoMyAccess. I wanted the students to see what the difference is between their essays and the essays we read. All the students have the same details to include, but how is it that they can't all get a five? They must be doing something wrong. My job is to help them find out what that might be.

We used a checklist to see if the 5 had all the details possible in it. It had most of them. Honestly, I don't see what is missing to get the six in the essay we read. I thought it sounded pretty good. But that is the challenge of GoMyAccess. We should keep reading the samples and trying to get our essays to be scored at least a four. The computer is consistent.

We will be in the writing lab tomorrow.