Research--You mean there's more than just google?

My students have been in the labs researching in a "Tom Romano" fashion; they are doing an iSearch paper. Each of them chose an issue that needs to be addressed in Orem. Then, they were required to get 2 newspaper articles and 1 magazine article; 2 other sources could be anything they liked. Many of them told me "I couldn't find anything..." They had done the "broad sweep" of google-ing their topic.

Once we started to narrow the search, adding key words like Utah, Orem, Utah Valley, 2008, etc. to their topics, they watched the millions of sites dwindle. We would try to get the most relevent sources--where we had only 100-200 articles to search. It was very eye-opening for the students to watch the Internet, which seems so large, become microscopic and detailed. In a very real way, it's like the google maps zoom feature.

By and large, I had to work with every student to narrow the field. Most of them were exultant when they found their sources, and they played with their own searches to see "what else [they] could find."

Good research is a good reward, it turns out!

Dare You to Move

1. Choose a current event or issue.

 

2. Research the issue.

You will need at least

two newspaper articles

one magazine article

you may choose to include Internet search items, interviews, newsletters, etc. but you are required to have copies of your research.

 

3. You will need to write a 3 page paper.

Double Spaced

It should have a standard sized font (Lucida, Garamond, Times, Chicago, Trebuchet, etc.) No "fancy" or handwritten fonts except for as titles.

Type your name on the paper.

 

4. Your paper will explain the issue in at least 1 paragraph.

You could use other paragraphs to explain what is being done by other people, or what should be done about the issue.

You should have a conclusion that outlines what YOU intend to do about the issue. What can you, as one person, do about the issue? How do you make a difference? How can you have power as just one person?

 

5. Your paper will be due the day before Thanksgiving.

 

6. Your project will be due, and you will talk about what the issue is and what you did to make a difference, after Christmas break, January 5th or January 6th.

 

7. This fulfills several elements of the English core curricula: speaking, listening, research, evaluation and analysis, and inquiry. I hope you choose something that is fun that gives you a sense of "warm fuzzy" from making a difference.

Welcome to the planet 

Welcome to existence 

Everyone's here 

Everyone's here 

Everybody's watching you now 

Everybody waits for you now 

What happens next? 

What happens next? 

I dare you to move 

I dare you to move 

I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor 

I dare you to move 

I dare you to move 

Like today never happened 

Today never happened before 

Welcome to the fallout 

Welcome to resistance 

The tension is here 

The tension is here 

Between who you are and who you could be 

Between how it is and how it should be 

I dare you to move 

I dare you to move 

I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor 

I dare you to move 

I dare you to move 

Like today never happened 

Today never happened 

Maybe redemption has stories to tell 

Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell 

Where can you run to escape from yourself? 

Where you gonna go? 

Where you gonna go? 

Salvation is here...

Student Portfolios & Student Led Conferences

I am sure some parents are very surprised and displeased with the way I have graded this quarter. I apologize for the lengthy process. What I have done is compile every paper your student has completed this quarter to put into a portfolio. I have done this, plus put notes into the computer for EVERY assignment (when possible) so that the comments are viewable to you, their parents. I think that the more feedback you have on your student, the more you can help him/her to become a better writer, thinker, speaker, and listener.

I have collected this information for you to discuss with your student in a "Student Led Conference." You will have specific directions for my class to specifically address your student's needs and strengths. Student Led Conferences are important for the student to identify areas that need to be better to do well on both standardized testing and in life. English, the spoken and written word, is life. People live and love through communication. All forms of communication are an art that has to be practiced to become better.

Hopefully, as we get to the end of the term you will feel this has been an important practice for you. Along the way, I have tried to put in scores so that you know I have received the assignment and am still trying to get all the comments into the computer. This "note bank" allows you to immediately access the good qualities and items that need to be addressed by your student, and they let you access ways you can help your student from any computer at any time that you have Internet access.

Please send me feedback on anything about this process. This is the first time I have done any kind of data collection in this format. It's been extremely time-consuming, but I hope it has been helpful.

Thanks for allowing me to spend time solving mysteries of things unknown and learning and growing with the amazing people in my classes.

Music Recommendations

I feel a really, really important part of my job is to be "up" on pop culture. One of the focuses I try to make is to bring pictures, books, and lots and lots of music to my class. However, I had a student tell me that I wasn't bringing "their" music. It was all "too old" or "too country" or "over-played."

So, I am asking you to send me great songs. What should I use in my classroom? Please reply in comments or to jillian.phippen@gmail.com with "music recommendation" in the subject line.

Thanks for your help in making ME a better teacher!

The Vampire Diaries

A student gave me The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith as an alternative to the Twilight Saga, and I must say, I have been pleasantly surprised. Originally, each was a young adult book about 255 pages long. Now, there are 2 books published together in 2 books.

These vampires are brothers, they are dangerous, but, of course, they are not all bad. In fact, they turn out to be daring, heroic, and they save the world... as mere mortals know it.

I enjoyed all 4, found nothing (besides blood---and you knew that when you picked up a vampire book) that would be offensive. Interestingly, I also found a werewolf. It got me thinking. The original copyright in the book was 1991. I wonder when Stephenie Meyers read them? Certainly Anne Rice didn't add werewolves and vampires together, so... is it really logical to do that?

I'm giving The Vampire Diaries 3 stars. They are a fun read. The characters are good, solid, dynamic, and enjoyable. The scary is scary. The twists are enjoyable, and the books are not romance with a bit of fantasy. They are action-fantasy with a bit of romance. A nice change from the Twilight world, if you asked me!

Airman by Eoin Colfer

One of my delightful students loaned me this book after I had commented on how much I enjoyed reading Artemis Fowl. Airman is not at all like Artemis Fowl!

Airman is the story of a boy who grows into a man; although it is a hero journey, it has many emotional intricacies. At one point in the book, when Conor Broekhart is at his lowest point in "the belly," I almost wanted to skip to the end, just to make sure it really did end happily following the hero journey properly.

Airman is fast moving, is action driven, and has lovely round, developed characters. It also uses the symbolism of flying as freedom. It's a great book that I highly recommend! Guess what I'm getting my oldest nephew for Christmas?

Fearless Fourteen

Last night I read Fearless Fourteen  by Janet Evanovich. I've been sick this week, and this book brought a grin and three-or-four laugh-out-loud moments.

This isn't the place to start with Stephanie Plum; she's a bounty hunter who started in Evanovich's One for the Money. If you're going to read Evanovich, start at the beginning of this series, and skip everything else she's written.

Evanovich has some naughty language, and Stephanie Plum is in love with two hotties. Those are up-front disclosures.

I'm not recommending this particular read to my students, but if you're a Steph Plum fan, this book isn't a disappoint. It's not the best in the series, but it would make a great afternoon-at-Lake-Powell read!

Utah Basic Skills Competency Test

All over the state, we've just finished taking the UBSCT. Make-ups will be on 12 February 2008 for those who missed the test.

I hope the students did well. Friday is midterm for Term 3, and scores for the UBSCT won't come out until midterm Term 4.

Here's an interesting article for parents and teens alike. It doesn't have specific application only to English but to every aspect of school and life.

Homeroom ZombiesTeens need at least nine hours of sleep a night, though few get that much and early school start times don't help. Here's what parents can do. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20643572/site/newsweek/from/ET/

The English Calendar

Please take a moment to check out the calendar and webpage so that you can take advantage of the due dates and the homework posted on both of them! You can sign up to receive e-mail from the Google calendar to keep yourself up on what the lesson will be and what the required homework assignments look like.

Library Orientation

Today, all my students completed library orientation. Using a library, school or public, has become a dying "art." So many of us use our computers and the Internet for everything, we forget how valuable a collection made specifically for the right population can be.

In class, we discussed the benefits of public libraries, what they actually contain, and what determines size. We answered 3 essential questions:

1. What else, besides books, is in a library?

2. Is there more than 1 kind of library?

3. What are the 2 main types of books?

We will use the library in our school often, so being aware of what it looks like, how it's set up, and why it contains what it does is vital to using it well. There is an entire section of the state core on library skill (using reference material, using functional, informational texts, and making good judgement on reliable information), and, of course, these skills are also tested on the Basic Skills Competency Test.

Someday, when I grow up, I want to be a librarian. Teaching is my dream job, but I feel the lure of all those BOOKS!!!

The English Binder...

Today, I handed out all the inserts to make the dividers for the English binder. Students should have collected them (in order) in class. As of today, they are as organized as *I* know how to make them.

It was also picture day, today. Even though they didn't all have money, they should all have had their photos taken for their ID cards. How nice it will be to have them with ID cards, Internet Acceptable Use Policy stickers, and a good student calendar!

We'll also be handing out student planners (their covers, now spelled properly) will have all the policies as well as the official school calendar (which is also available online at the school's website.)

Tomorrow, my A-day students will get to meet the substitute who will cover my classes while I'm gone on maternity leave. Pat Johnson has 23+ years of experience, and she's also an inspiring teacher. She also has a Master's of Reading Education, so that will give my students a great experience. I hope the students really enjoy her.

Another week down! My, how the time flies when I'm having fun!

Two Days Down

We've now completed both an A day and a B day! I've met all my students, and they are delightful. Today in class I took "mug shots" of all the students: each student wrote his or her name on a piece of card stock and then held it up so I could get a photo of the face with the name. Hopefully, I'll be able to learn their names before Christmas!! I have a very difficult time learning every student's name. It turns out that people generally dislike having their photos taken. I thought it was just me who disliked it so intensely!

We also did "disclosure documents" to the point of nauseous repetition. I'm sure students dislike these as much as teachers and parents, but they are necessary to protect the students from not knowing what a teacher's policy is. Mine are posted on my website, and the administration also has a copy of them!

Despite being very tired, I've enjoyed these past 2 days. Being in front of the class reminds me why I love my job. It's all about the energy and ideas that the students have. They are so unique and clever. The future of America's so bright, I might have to wear shades!!

A New Year

Today was Sophomore Day at the school. It's always wonderful to meet the students for the first time (and even better, they were wearing name tags! If I could convince them to do that for the next 3 weeks, I'd be SET). I got to meet 115 of my 142 sophomore students; that's a good turn-out!

Sophomore year is huge: the students move up to high school, they attempt the BSCT (80% of them will pass the first time!), and most of them both date and drive this year. I remember vividly being a sophomore, the excitement of the year and how every event was new and wonderful. I hope my students have that same experience, that they enjoy each moment that the year brings.

The day ended with ice cream and t-shirts for the sophomores. The student council was wearing all blue, which leads me to guess that the sophomore's color is blue. They will get to wear blue as their color until they graduate. Isn't amazing that in only 3 years this will be the graduating class of 2010?

Ready for English to START!!

Never in my 14 previous years have I been so excited for school to start. The beginning of each school year is magical for me, a time of new students, new classes, new ideas, new assignments, and new challenges. This year will also bring a new baby to my family, and we are thrilled at the prospect of another brother at our house.

I have spent the summer preparing for this new year. I've developed new curriculum and worked hard to integrate real-world literacy into all of my courses. I've studied the new state core and looked for the best way to make it attract you, my students, so that you can appreciate how wonderful English is to express every aspect of your life.

Once upon an English Department meeting, a long time ago, we determined that our mission statement would be that "English is LIFE!" I firmly believe that the ways we express ourselves, the quiet and the loud moments, are all "English." We use verbal and non-verbal communication to share ideas and feelings: Communication is "English" if that is the native language. We tell stories to share the important events of our lives: Stories are English. We read blogs, text messages, books and poetry: Reading is English. We speak our hearts: Speaking is English. We learn and share all the skills of English so that we might drink deeply of the elixir of life.

I can't wait to share with you what I've found, and I can't wait to have you share with me what you know and want to know. I'm excited for this year to begin!