Friday, April 30, 2010

April 30, 2010

Field trip on Monday.  Make sure your child has a bagged lunch.  If you have any questions, please contact me over the weekend at bozmd@comcast.net .

Thursday, April 29, 2010

April 29, 2010

Homework:
Quiz 12 Friday

Classwork:
Here is the website for the current project.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

April 28, 2010

Homework:
Completing the Sentence Unit 12
The final draft of the 500 word piece is due Thursday.

Today:
Daily Drill
Reviewed vocabulary
Then we started the next unit.  In a nutshell, the students will be defining who they are and having their portrait taken by me.  The picture will "portray" who they are.  I have lots of ideas of how I will help them define themselves.  I promise, this unit will not be boring, nor will it be comfortable for many.  Who wants to talk about themselves, well, besides me?  :)  I will make a web page as I gather some more things together.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

April 27, 2010

(Picture: We are trying to sell the yearbooks!)

Homework:
Synonyms and Choosing the Right Word unit 12
Good draft of 500 word piece due Thursday

Today:
Daily Drill
Read another sample 500 word piece
We spent time peer editing looking for errors

Here is what I explained to the students over the last two days.
"Your paper should not have any of these errors:
Proper nouns, Possession, Spelling, Contractions, Comma- Intro clause or phrase, Comma- Quotes. Run-on sentences do not help your score. "

0 errors = A
2=A-
3=B+
4=B
5=B-
6=C+
7=C
8=C-
9=D+
10=D
11=D-
12=F

There are other errors that I will point out in their papers, but I am only taking off points for those errors listed above.  I am also giving a grade for content, but that will be a smaller grade.  I want these perfect.  I encouraged the students to get help from someone else.

Monday, April 26, 2010

April 26, 2010

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-20 Unit 12
Final draft of the 500 word piece is due Thursday

Today:
Daily Drill
Reviewed calendar
Listened to words 1-20 unit 12
We read a sample 500 word piece and proofread it.  I am going to be very strict about errors in this piece!  As it is now, two errors is an A-.  I am encouraging students to have people help make sure they have not one error!  This is real life.  For other papers, I expect some errors.  I want them to know that there are times when errors can cost you your job, or at the very least, respect.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

April 22, 2010

Homework:
Quiz 11 Friday
The good draft of the 500 word piece will probably be due Tuesday or Wednesday next week. 

Today:
The ads were  turned in!  I had so much fun looking at what the students made.  Look for links soon that will showcase the posters and other pieces.  I will also be posting video ads the students made as soon as I can get parental permission.  Some were really good.

The box in the hallway was a guerrilla marketing ad.  Like a strange toy in an animal's cage, the students couldn't stop exploring the box.  When they did, two students popped up and said to buy the yearbook.  The box caused quite a stir in the hallway, and I bet students will talk about it.  Mission accomplished.  Now, if this leads to sales, I will be even happier.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

April 20, 2010

Homework:
Pictionaries, Synonyms, and Choosing are due Wednesday
The ad is due Thursday.
The rough draft of the 500 word piece is due Thursday:

Suggested topic sentence: “Mr. Bosler, I know I can sell your yearbook!”

The piece will discuss a few things:
-What did your research show about why students did not buy a yearbook?
       Explain the research, in detail, from the chart
-Based on research, what techniques address the needs/perceptions of students?
       Explain the ways that you will sway the students
-Explain everything in the ad: the pictures, words, colors, etc.
       Explain everything!
       Nothing in the ad is just there.
-Ads are tested on focus groups. What feedback did you receive on your ad?
      Show the ad some other students.
      What do they think?
      You showed the rough ad to the class.
-Why do you think the ad will be successful at increasing yearbook sales?
     You should sound convincing!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

April 15, 2010

Homework:
Finish Unit 10 vocab
Quiz Friday

Today:
In sections 1,2,6,7 we have been doing daily drills which focus on idioms and analogies.  We have been doing vocabulary reviews because we are going to be covering one unit a week until the end of school.  We have also been working on the yearbook ad project mentioned in an earlier blog.

Today I explained that I would like the groups to present their ideas to me Friday.  Just as an ad agency would present their ideas to a client, I want to hear what they are thinking about doing.  I gave them a copy of the 500 piece requirements to use for the presentation because four of the five ideas need to be discussed.  I would like to see a rough draft of the 500 word piece early next week.  I would like the ads done ASAP so I can start promoting the yearbook.

Ironically, I have been doing this project with 100 students.  Not all of them have bought yearbooks.  Now, if we have been talking about selling yearbooks so much and they haven't bought them, what are my chances of the rest of the students buying them?

This makes me think about one part of the video "The Persuaders."  There is one man who believes he can find out what people really want deep down.  He believes you don't have to convince those people to buy the product if they already want it.  In other words, you need don't need to advertise to people who want to buy anyway.  Just find those people.  I am hoping our ads will find students who have not bought a yearbook yet buy who really want one.  We will see.

Requirements for the 500 word piece

The piece will discuss a few things:
-What did your research show about why students did not buy a yearbook?
-Based on research, what techniques address the needs/perceptions of students?
-Explain everything in the ad: the pictures, words, colors, etc.
-Ads are tested on focus groups. What feedback did you receive on your ad?
-Why do you think the ad will be successful at increasing yearbook sales?

Grade
The piece should be about 500 words. I want the number written on the piece.
There should be NO GRAMMAR ERRORS at all.
You must answer the questions above in a smooth, continuous piece.
It should not be a series of short answers.
The piece should flow from one topic to the next focusing on the goal of selling yearbooks.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

April 13, 2010

Homework:
Synonyms and Choosing unit 10
Students should be researching why kids at H.B. are not buying their yearbooks.
Quiz on Friday


Today:
Here is the link for the current assignment.

Monday, April 12, 2010

April 12, 2010

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-20 Unit 10
Quiz Friday

I will have a page up tomorrow that explains the current project.  I will post a link here.

I need your help.  I need three parents to be chaperons for the May 3 field trip.  The cost is $20.  If you want to see the play and go to the picnic afterward, please let me know ASAP.  Thank you.

Thursday, April 01, 2010

April 1, 2010

Homework:
None

Today:
We began watching Frontline: The Persuaders

When we come back from break, we will be creating ads... for real.  I need to sell 103 yearbooks to break even.  I am going to put our advertising knowledge to work.  I want to have all of these books sold by May 22.  You can't get more real than this!  There will be more details to come, but they will be in groups and choose which method they want to use: standard print ad, radio ad for the announcements, guerrilla marketing, a TV ad, or a viral video ad. 

Grades are in.  I have two classes of magazine presentations that did not get into 3rd marking period's grades.  I will grade them over break for the 4th MP.