Friday, August 29, 2014

Week 1, Day 5

Objective: SWBAT write in a voice and style appropriate to audience and purpose, use technology for aspects of writing, vocabulary development, establish and adjust purpose for reading such as to find out, to understand, to interpret, to enjoy, and to solve problems, read silently with comprehension, read to be entertained, to appreciate a writer's craft, to be informed, to take action, and to discover models to use in his/her own writing

1. Grade your DRE and turn it in.
2. Bell Work: Free Write...Write about anything that you want to write about.  (At least 40 words, underline every 10th word, and include 2 of the current week's SAT words.)
3. 20% Time!!!!!  This is a time for you to work on something that you enjoy within the context of this class!  This is NOT a free day.
1. Free Read (preferably not a textbook or magazine)
2. Free Rice (make sure you are signed in and in my group)
1. If you are having trouble getting an account...
1. Please check to see if you received the email confirmation.  You will need to check your SPAM folder.
2. If you used your Godley email address, try another email address.
3. If you used another email address, try your Godley email address.
4. If you still can't get it to work...don't worry about it.  We will resolve this issue eventually.  I may have to contact them.    
3. Free Write (maybe you like to write...you may do so, write a novel, a diary entry, song lyrics, a poem, whatever you are inspired to write.)
4. Study for your SAT Week #1 Quiz on Tuesday (see the links at the top of this blog for Quizlet and Study Stack links)
5. This week I will also let you complete any of the things that you need to complete on my blog to get caught up.  This will normally NOT be the case. 
1. Student Information Form (see blog post from Monday)
2. Username/Password Document (see blog post from Tuesday)
3. Shelfari Account (see blog post for Wednesday)
4. Free Rice Account (see blog post for Wednesday)
5. Cursive Practice (see blog post for Thursday)
6. Bell Work from 8/29/13 (see blog post for Thursday)

Please note: Fridays are not a time to work on things for another class.  You need to be productive for English class.  Please stay on task.  This is NOT a free day.  This a chance for you to do what you enjoy the most with regards to this class: reading, writing, or vocabulary development.

The more you write the better writer you will become.

The more you read the better reader you will become.

You have to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Week 1, Day 4

Objective: SWBAT (Student will be able to...) understand morning procedures, begin doing bell work in the appropriate format, write in cursive (legibly), and work with Web 2.0 tools.

1.   Your bell work today will be written down, in your spiral.  If you do not have your spiral yet, borrow a piece of paper and you will have to transfer the prompt into your spiral to be graded.  

1.   Please put the date in the margin.  

2.   Use complete sentences with correct punctuation and grammar.  

3.   All writing in here is considered formal.

1.   No contractions.

2.   No slang.

3.   Spell out all numbers under one hundred.

5.   Avoid passive voice. (if you insert "by zombies" or "with zombies"  and it makes sense...that is passive! Change it!)

2.   Bell Work: What do you want to be when you grow up?  Why? What steps will you have to take to make sure you get there?

3.   Announcements and Reminders:

1.   Make sure you are putting your usernames and passwords on your Google Doc.

2.   Bring a book to class tomorrow.

3.   Bring your supplies to class everyday (including headphones)

4.   Don't forget...you have an SAT quiz on Tuesday!!!!!!!

5.   Be HAPPY!  It's almost FRIDAY!!!!!!  

4.   Cursive Assignment (due tomorrow)

1.   Pick ONE of the two choices below to write in cursive.  

1.   Choice ONE: Eight times table

1.   8 x 1=8 would be written as "eight times one equals eight"

2.   Go from 8x1 all the way through 8x12

2.   Choice TWO: Sentence

1.   The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

2.   Write it twelve times.  

2.   Please don't complain, it is really important for you to know how to write in cursive.  There is a portion on the SAT (and ACT, I believe) that has an honor statement that must be written in cursive.  Many of my students have told me that this part has taken them a long time because they haven't written in cursive in a long time (or ever!)  

3.   I have cursive charts, if you need one.  

4.   This should be done on a separate sheet of paper, in blue or black INK!!!!

5.   Heading goes at the top right, name, date, and period

5.   Finish up everything that is on this week's blog.

6.   If there is time, left you may add books to your Shelfari account, or play free rice.  

7.   If you did not get your free rice account to work, please don't stress.  We had quite a few problems last year.  They are a non-profit organization and, therefore, have a very small technical support staff.  We will eventually get it taken care of!

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Week 1, Day 3
Objective: SWBAT (Student will be able to...) work with Web 2.0 tools.

1. Bell Work: Make sure you have filled out the Student Information Form from the first day (this will be a daily grade 100, 50, or 0).
2. Create an account with FreeRice.com
1. Go to www.freerice.com
2. At the top, click "Sign Up"
3. Enter a username (that you will remember!!!!!!)
4. Enter an email address you can check during class today.  This can be a personal email or your Godley email address (firstnamelastname@student.godleyisd.net).  Please note: last year we had a lot of trouble with the Godley email address.  If you use a yahoo account or something like that, it will probably necessary for you to use your phone to check your email.  
5. It will send you an email.  (Sometimes, it takes a little while for the email to come through...like maybe even an hour.)  You can do the other things on my blog while you wait on the email.  
6. Check your email.
7. Click the link in the email for one-time log-in
8. Select a password
9. Re-type your password
10. Click "save"
11. Log-in
12. Once logged-in, click "groups"
13. Search for "Avalos"
14. Join my group
15. Begin playing in my group
1. **NOTE**EVERY TIME YOU LOG-IN TO FREERICE.COM, YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE PLAYING IN THE AVALOS GROUP.  OTHERWISE, YOU WILL NOT GET CREDIT IN MY CLASS FOR THE RICE YOU EARN.  We will use freerice.com quite often.  Please make sure you remember your username and password.  Also, I will be holding ‘contests’ between classes and offer extra credit periodically.
2. In other words, it must have YOUR USERNAME at the left and MY GROUP NAME on the right.
16. Put your log-in information in your Usernames and Passwords document that you were supposed to create yesterday.  
3. Create an account with Shelfari.com
1. Go to www.shelfari.com
2. Click Register
3. If you do not have an amazon account, put in your email address and click "do not have an amazon password"
4. You will be asked to type your name
5. Re-enter your email address
6. Choose a password
7. Re-enter your password
8. Click "create an account"
9. You should now be able to log-in
10. In the search bar, type in "Avalos" and then click the drop down box for "groups"
11. Hit "search"
12. Click on "Mrs. Avalos's English Class" group and toward the top of the right hand side you will see a button that says "Join"
13. Click "join"
14. You may also add me as a friend, if you wish
15. Put your log-in information in your Usernames and Passwords document
4. If there is time, left you may add books to your Shelfari account, play on Free Rice, or do any of the other activities from my blog this week that you haven't gotten to yet.  
5. Please make sure you email me if you have any questions! (cavalos@godleyisd.net)

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Week 1, Day 2
Objective: Discuss classroom expectations, policies, and procedures.  Learn proper use and care of Chrome Books.  Become more familiar with Mrs. Avalos's classroom and procedures.  

Hope your first day back was wonderful and welcome to Day #2!!!

1. Blog! 
1. Read all of it!
2. Don't just skim!
3. There is a lot of important information on here!
4. I REALLY don't like to repeat myself over, and over, and over, and over...
2. Technology
1. Sometimes it will work, sometimes it will not work.
2. Be flexible.
3. Collaborate with each other.
4. Help each other.
5. I do not know everything and I will not pretend to.  There are many things we will learn together.  
3. Go over Syllabus
1. Please read through this.  Senor Galvan will give you a copy of the front page. Bring it back signed.   
2. Senor Galvan has paper copies of the syllabus, if anyone would like one.
4. DRE (Daily Revising and Editing) Sheets
1. Given to you on Mondays.
2. Due Friday.
3. Use these proofreading marks to correct the sentences.  
5. SAT Vocabulary
1. 10 words each week, starting this week.
2. There will be quizzes each week...Quiz on Tuesday (no school Monday)
3. The quizzes will be cumulative, which means they will build up.  This helps you transfer the knowledge from short term memory to long term memory.  Essentially, you will be tested on each word up to 5 times.  
4. Definitions are on my website.  You may use the link at the top of this blog.  
5. I have also created a Quizlet Study Set for you to study.  The link to the Quizlet Study Set is on the tab above that says "SAT Words of the Week."
6. You will need to create an account on Quizlet.  
6. Make a copy of "Usernames and Passwords." 
1. Fill out any of the usernames and passwords that you already know.  
2. The other websites listed will be log-ins that we will create in the future.  Don't worry about any of them if you don't know what they are or what they mean.  
7. Have a GREAT DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, August 25, 2014

Week 1, Day 1
Objective: Discuss classroom expectations, policies, and procedures.  Learn proper use and care of Chrome Books.  

Welcome back and welcome to English III: American Literature! 

1. Welcome!
2. About Me
1. As you can see, the teacher in the room is NOT Mrs. Avalos.  Senor Galvan will be your sub for the first six weeks of the school year.  I celebrated the birth of my second baby girl, Ellie Faith Avalos, on August 8th.  I expect to return on Monday, October 6th.  This means that the first six weeks will be a little different than what you're probably used to, but Senor Galvan and I will be working very closely together to make the first six weeks as close to "normal" as possible.  Senor Galvan was my Spanish I, II, and III teacher when I went to school in Godley.  He is an amazing teacher and I feel very blessed to have him as my sub.  
2. A lot of this class will be taught through this blog.  That means that you are actually going to have to READ my blog.  I will try to be very thorough when writing my blog out, but that means that it will probably be long.  Hang in there because more than likely, if you have a question, I have attempted to answer it on here.  
3. Supplies
1. 1 subject spiral notebook (PLEASE do NOT get a multi-subject spiral for this class!)
2. Blue or black ink pens (we WILL NOT use pencil in this class!!!!!!!)
3. Red, purple, or any other different color pen(s) (for grading)
4. personal headphones
5. wireless mouse (optional!)
4. Chrome Books
1. Bring your CHARGED chrome book to class EVERY DAY! 
2. Take care of it!
5. Bookmark my blog in Google Chrome.
6. Bookmark my website in Google Chrome.  
7. Fill out this short form
1. **Okay, sorry, maybe it isn't THAT short.**  
2. You will need to finish the form in one-sitting, otherwise it will make you start all over.  
8. If time permits, we will go over the class blog and my website.  
9. We will go over policies and procedures in the syllabus tomorrow.