Bystanders (and allies) speak up!

Romeo and Juliet

Love or Lust? Romeo and Juliet Part II: Crash Course English Literature #3
by John Green

For those of you teaching R&J, check out this delightful video by young adult author John Green.

English Companion Ning

Hey, y'all.

Join Jim Burke's English Companion Ning for loads of advice and resources, from teaching Common Core to young adult literature to Shakespeare to IB and AP to everything. 

Go to http://englishcompanion.ning.com/. 

You can connect with English and journalism teachers from all over the country/world for advice and ideas.  It's free, it's supportive, and it's AMAZING.

And P.S.  Shannon, there are two groups devoted specifically to journalism on the English Companion Ning:

http://englishcompanion.ning.com/group/journalism

http://englishcompanion.ning.com/group/newspaperclubadvisors

Seriously, this is good stuff.  Join today.  It's easy, and you can start getting ideas for your instructional design immediately.  Ask for help.  Connect to teachers and other experts.  Do it today!!

Dr. M

Abandoning tests in the English classroom

Read Nick Provenzano's blog post on how he eliminated traditional tests from his curriculum, allowing his students flourish as they demonstrated their understanding in unique, purposeful ways. 

What do you think about eliminating traditional tests from your teaching?  What are you observing in your field placement in terms of tests and quizzes?  Feel free to reply to this post with your response.  Thanks!

Tips for Composing Effective Online Reflections

You are welcome to post on your blog as often as you like (and I’d encourage you to do so).  Remember that your required posts (Online Reflections) for CI 412/3 do have some parameters:

Title

Shoot for a creative, relevant title.  If you plan to post more frequently than required, just include “Online Reflection #___” in your title for the post you want me to evaluate.  For example, check out Kristal’s blog post:  Online Reflection #2 : Laying out the Foundation.  See?  Simple as pie.  If you have numerous posts on your blog, it will be helpful to me if you distinguish which posts you want me to evaluate for assignment purposes (I’ll read/assess all of them, but I’ll just evaluate four of them over the course of this semester). 

 Blog Posts: Inquiry and Connections to Professional Resources

Remember that part of the requirement for each of your three “official” online reflections is that you engage in inquiry (share ideas/questions you’re wondering about) and connect to professional resources (e.g., show how you’re using our class texts and/or online resources to answer your own questions).   Each post should be 500-800 words in length.

Check out these great examples of inquiry in action (click the name, and you’ll connect to the post):

Natalie Skidmore  

Maggie Onstott

Precious Collins

Amber Aden

If you’re still wondering what’s possible with your blog posts, check out this innovative post by Lara Engle (and read Theresa and Precious’s thoughtful replies after Lara’s post!)

Blog Design

Take note of the color and size of your text and the background of your blog.  Is it easy to read?  I’m not asking, is it possible to read.  Is it EASY?  If it’s not easy to read your posts, you will likely lose some of your potential audience.  Make sure your blog design allows for EASY viewing.

Replies/Comments:  Continuing the Conversation (and earning full points)

First, don’t forget to compose a thoughtful reply to at least one person’s post within 48 hours of the online reflection deadline (e.g., deadline for posts = Monday; deadline for replies = Wednesday).

Check your blog postings for replies, and then respond to them (you should receive an e-mail notification on the e-mail you connected to your blog when someone replies on your posts).  The best way to grow an audience is to respond to that audience.  If someone has posted a question or made a connection to your experience, respond—if only to thank them for sharing an idea, experience, or advice.

In addition, when you reply to someone else’s post, you can click the “Subscribe by E-mail” link after the comments in order to receive notification when the blog’s author (or someone else) responds to your post.

The Importance Posting On Time

As you’ve probably noticed, I have waited until after your comments/replies were due to begin my assessment of your online reflection performance.  This means, of course, that if you have updated your blog or posted comments on someone’s blog at some point today, I most likely have not read it (and you have not earned credit for it). 

If you post a blog entry or a reply/comment after the deadline, send me the link via e-mail, so I can assess your work.  For online reflections 2 and 3, you will earn reduced credit for late postings of any sort.  For online reflection 1, however, I am being lenient because this is a new experience for most of you.  Please let me know how I can help, and send me links to any late posts by Friday, Sept. 7.

Thanks again for your stimulating online conversations!  I hope you will review one another’s postings on our class blog regularly (the blogs are listed according to most recent updates).  Use this as an opportunity to connect with your fellow pre-student teachers, sharing your successes and frustrations, and seeking out advice and resources. 

Human Trafficking Author and Survivor Theresa Flores

Thursday, Sept. 13
7:30 p.m.
Sebits Auditorium, Friends University

Theresa travels the US sharing her story of trafficking and modern day slavery.  At fifteen years of age, she was drugged, raped and tortured for two years.  Involuntarily involved in a large criminal ring, Ms. Flores endured more as a child than most adults will ever face their entire lives.

 
This event is free and open to the public.
 
Here’s Ms. Flores’ blog:  http://www.traffickfree.com/blog/.  You can scroll down to see her TED Talk on her own horrifying experience with human trafficking and the shocking statistics from within our own country.

Writing Journals in Your Classroom

Here's a great article on using writing journals to help students become more confident, capable writers.  Daily writing is key to developing fluency.  Take a look, and feel free to post comments in response to the piece.