for Adv. Comp. - an overview of our college app. work thus far

As of this post, we have used the "Big Future" web-based tool from The College Board.  As I mentioned in class, we Midwesterners are not as familiar with The College Board, given that we take (and re-take, right?) the ACT.  Yet, The College Board is a top-notch organization that administers the SAT and all of the various AP tests one takes for high-school-based, college credit.

At this point, you should have at least five schools in your planning list, and you should know the basic admissions requirements to get into these schools.

Over Labor Day weekend, you should read some of "Alicia's Story" AND begin work on your first draft of your short memoir/college app. essay.

summer reading responsibilites

for Adv. Comp:
due to some confusion resulting from erroneous info. shared with students last year, I have decided to hold you responsible for only one of two "required" summer books ... please review (or read) one of the four, required choice texts ... the selected titles are avil. though the South homepage ...

for Eng. 3:
you will take a test today (Aug. 23) on Outliers ... as I mentioned yesterday in class, you will take the same test next week on Monday ... this will give everyone two chances to succeed on the summer assignment ...

Welcome to the new school year!

Students,
I am excited (very excited indeed!) to be here at Maine South after serving as English Chair at Maine West for the past eight.  I'm looking forward to being a full-time teacher again ...

Bookmark my blog, as I will be posting classroom information to it frequently.  In the coming days, look for calendars, etc. for your class as well.

This year I will do my best to run everything through this blog.

Dr. Jones

Winter Break and Beyond

Students,

Here's a breakdown of what you need to finish (for now) for the semester:

1. finish reading Macbeth

2. read Susan Snyder's essay "Macbeth a Modern Perspective" found at the end of your paperback copy of the play.

3. finish the study guide with your Penguin Partner, but DO NOT share it -- I will give you time in class on 1/9/2012

4. read the [.pdf attached to today's email] -- the lecture by notable English poet W.H. Auden re: Macbeth

Before Saturday morning, I will send you an assignment for the attached.  Again, if you do this BEFORE you return, I will give you some extra credit for it ...

Enjoy the much needed Break!
Doc Jones

 

Great Writing Advice

Students,

As I am digging deeper into your first, typed "prompt" I'm finding some writing issues.

In order to learn some basics, I want you to commit the "seven sins" to memory.

(Thanks to Ms. Abraham for pointing out this great resource from Hamilton College!)

http://www.hamilton.edu/writing/seven-sins-of-writing

Dr. Jones

word master's year-long vocab. list

Students,

The list you worked on this past week with "Penguin Partners" has an associated quiz. I will award some extra credit for completing the quiz before noon on Sat., Oct. 8. You are on your honor to answer the questions without looking up the definitions!

Access the quiz at - http://is.gd/zzXFm1

Dr. Jones

Meet the Teacher Night 2011

Students,

Not all of your parents, who attended tonight, received a copy of our syllabus.

Please, share this email/blog post with them, and ask them to download a copy of our syllabus at:

http://goo.gl/pZAGI

Dr. Jones

Crime and Punishment - the Rest of the Study Guide

Students,

Here's a link to the remainder of the C & P study guide ...

Go ahead and resume reading the book.  Pick-up the Study Guide where you left off.

At this point, please save the Study Guide to Word, type in the file, save, and upload to your Google Docs space.

Dr. Jones

some helpful help pages for getting the most out of our CR-48s

Take a look at these two pages from Google:

1. using the task manager on a CR-48/Chromebook and

2. managing/navigating tabs and windows ...

generally, I feel these helpful hints may speed things up in the classroom ...

Dr. Jones

homework for 9/1 and classwork for 9/2

Students!

 

Just to reiterate, the poem you need to analyze tonight is the one in the first few pages of Poetry Supplement #1, written by Linda Pastan.  You should take a look at the Linda Pastan page at The Poetry Foundation.  (At some point I will tell you a story about Ruth Lilly and The Poetry Foundation.)

 

First, review the Vendler handout then run her "system" on the Pastan poem.  (If you were not in class - aka. U of I presentation - then run the Vendler system on this Pastan poem.)

 

Oh, I should point out that the "Vendler system" was invented by Harvard professor Helen Vendler, and -- check it out math studs -- she was a chem. major in college AND earned a Fullbright to study math! The system that we are using in class comes from her landmark text Poems, Poets, and Poetry.

---

 

For 9/2 in class, you will work in groups of five or four.  Two - three of you will use TP-CASST and the others of you will use Vendler to analyze the same poems together.  The large group will also be performing (yeah!) a choral reading next week.  More details on Tuesday ...

Dr. Jones