Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Thursday, September 4, 2008 - WELCOME TO THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

Objectives:
After this class, students will be able to:
1. submit an inventory of personal and professional data.
2. share their thoughts in front of a group.
3. create a list of questions about Senior English.

Agenda:
1. Personal Introduction: My name is Ms. Kingsbury, and this is my fifth year teaching at Overbrook High School. I specialize in teaching seniors and guiding them through the requirements of their senior projects. At OHS, I'm a member of the Distributed Leadership team sponsored by a grant from the University of Pennsylvania. I am also a new teacher mentor. I received my BA from UPenn as well in December 2000 and my teaching license in 2003 from West Chester University. I will soon be attending Drexel University for my MS in Learning Technologies. Personally, I love to read, write, and take pictures. I have a personal website for my writing, one for my photography, as well as a MySpace page. I live with my 4 year old daughter, my boyfriend, and my 4 cats. This is a very big year for me, because I will be attempting to achieve National Board Certification as an English teacher. You will learn more about this project soon.

2. Students' turn! Students will complete a personal inventory as part of the data collection and information-gathering required by the NBPTS. Students will receive 50 points for their effort. This inventory includes the following questions and is completely confidential:

Ms. Kingsbury
Getting To Know You! Survey
School Year 2008-2009
The Basics:
Your Full Name:
Preferred to be called:
Parents’ Names:
Home Address:
Your Parents’ Phone #:
Your Cell Phone #:
Your Email Address:
Your Website:
Your Birthday:
Your Home/Work Life:
Who do you live with?
What is your annual household income?
What is your ethnic heritage and/or culture?
How do you get to school?
Do you have a mentor? If so, who?
Do you have a job? If so, where? If not, why not?
Your Educational Background:
What has been your favorite class in the past and why?
What has been your worst class in the past and why?
Do you consider yourself an excellent student, average student, and poor student? Explain your choice.
Describe your thoughts and concerns about English class with Ms. Kingsbury this year:
Your Future Goals:
Are you planning to go to college? If so, where? If not, what are your plans?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Has anyone else in your family been to college before?
Where do you plan to live when you grow up?
Do you have any dream goals?
Your Interests:
What are your 5 favorite things in the world?
Who do you most admire and why?
What 5 things drive you crazy?
What do you think of politics?
Do you like to read? To write? Why or why not?
What else should I know about you?

3. Group Share: In order for Ms. Kingsbury to quickly learn students' names and interests, we will have an inventory group share. Students will each introduce themselves and give one piece of information from their inventories.

4. Questions About Senior English: Students will receive their syllabus for Senior English tomorrow. They will take 5 minutes to generate as many questions as possible that they have about Senior English, both general questions and specific. Ms. Kingsbury will answer these questions on the class website.

5. Blast from the Past: Reading the thoughts of previous Senior English student: Students will have an opportunity to read letters written especially for them from Ms. Kingsbury's past Senior English students.

HOMEWORK: You didn't think you'd get away without homework on the first day of class, did you? Tonight, students should:
  • get a notebook.
  • On the first page of that notebook, write a one-page entry about your initial thoughts on the first day of school. Which classes are you excited about? Which classes seem intimidating to you? Was there anyone you were happy to see? What are your personal goals for this school year? What are your fears? How can Ms. Kingsbury help you be successful this year?
PLEASE NOTE: If you are absent on the first day of class, please cut and paste the personal inventory into an email and send it completed to ms.kingsbury@verizon.net.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Objectives:
After this class, students will be able to:
a. reflect on personal experiences.
b. write coherently and appropriately for an identified audience.

Today's Classwork: 100 points - Length: Student Choice
Today students will write a letter to their future selves. The choice of content and length is theirs. Ideas for content include:
-what life is like in 2008
-what their dreams for the future are
-what they hope life will be like for them
-goals for the future
Students will seal their letters into self-addressed envelopes and write the date they want Ms. Kingsbury to mail their letters.

Homework: There is no homework assignmend for this class tonight.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Objectives:
After this class, students will be able to:
a. reflect on personal experiences.
b. write coherently and appropriately for an identified audience.

Today’s Classwork: 100 points Length: 1 page
Write a letter of appreciation to the teacher you most appreciate. What has this person done for you? What have you learned from this person? What qualities do you most admire in this person? How has being with this person helped you grow? What one wish, related to school, do you have for this person?

50 points for each additional letter.

Ms. Kingsbury will deliver these today!

Homework: There is no homework assigned for this class tonight.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Monday, May 19, 2008

Objectives:
After this class, students will be able to:
a. reflect on personal experiences.
b. write coherently and appropriately for an identified audience.

Today's Letter Writing Activity:
Write a letter to Ms. Young. You should include one paragraph on each topic:
a. how she has done as a principal over the last four years
b. the three best things about OHS
c. the one thing that needs to be improved at OHS
d. the one key to help all seniors graduate
e. the one thing that you will always remember about OHS
f. your plans after graduation

Ms. Kingsbury will give your letters to Ms. Young after class ends for the year, so don’t censor yourself!

Homework: There is no homework assigned for this class tonight.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Friday, May 16, 2008

EARLY DISMISSAL!

Monday, May 12, 2008

THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2008 - IT'S THE PROM!!!

Enjoy your night!!!! Only two more weeks of class to go!!!

Monday, May 12 - Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Students will finish up their PowerPoint Presentations in class. No presentations will be accepted by Ms. Kingsbury after this date. Students will be required to present to their Academy Leader after this date.

Monday's Class Work and Discussion (8th period): Has anyone close to you, under the age of 18, passed away? What were the circumstances - accident, illness, homicide? How did this effect you? When a student passes away, how can the school community be a source of support? What do you think is the philosophical reason that people die young (i.e., it's God's work, karma, bad luck, etc.)? Write 1/2 page.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Monday, May 5 - Friday, May 9, 2008

Students will continue their practice PowerPoint presentations. See entry on Thursday, April 17, 2008, for scoring rubric. Ms. Ellis' English class will join our class as well to view and practice presentations. Extra points given for an extra-large audience!

The final day for presentations is Thursday, MAY 15, 2008!!!

Monday, April 28, 2008

Should teachers be banned from being on MySpace?

Click on the title of this post to read an article from the Washington Post about controversy surrounding teachers with public MySpace and Facebook profiles. What do you think? Should teachers be punished for having racy or offensive profiles on MySpace? 20 points extra credit for your well thought-out opinion of 5 sentences - post it here in the comments section or email to ms.kingsbury@verizon.net.

Monday, April 28 - Friday, May 2, 2008

Students will continue their practice PowerPoint presentations. See entry on Thursday, April 17, 2008, for scoring rubric. Ms. Ellis' English class will join our class as well to view and practice presentations. Extra points given for an extra-large audience!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Is life a little less fun these days?

Please read this article from the Lew Rockwell website about the demise of fun in our lives:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig9/trench3.html

What do you think? Is the article right? Is life less fun than it used to be? 20 points EC for your well thought-out opinion of 5 sentences posted in the comments section here or emailed to ms.kingsbury@verizon.net.

Want to be a teenage millionaire?

Please read this article about teen millionaires:

http://www.mmhabits.com/teenage-millionaires/

What do you think? Could you be a millionaire before you turn 20? Do you have a million dollar idea? Share you well thought-out opinion of 5 sentences for 20 points EC via the comments section here or by email to ms.kingsbury@verizon.net.

What makes a great teacher?

Please read this article from the Arizona Republic about the number one quality of a great teacher:

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0424edteacher0424.html#

What do you think? Is the number one quality of a great teacher her/his unconditional love of students or is it something else? 20 points EC for a well thought-out opinion of 5 sentences. Email to ms.kingsbury@verizon.net or post a comment here!

Monday, April 21 - Friday, April 25, 2008

Students will continue their practice PowerPoint presentations. See entry on Thursday, April 17, 2008, for scoring rubric. Ms. Ellis' English class will join our class as well to view and practice presentations. Extra points given for an extra-large audience!

Friday, April 18, 20008

Students will continue their practice PowerPoint presentations. See entry on Thursday, April 17, 2008, for scoring rubric.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Students will begin their practice PowerPoint presentations for their Senior Project. Presentations will be graded on the following score sheet and criteria:

Name:
Date:
Topic:
Prepared and ready to go on assigned day? (50 pts for showing up!)
Length of presentation (20 pts for each minute)
5 questions answered after presentation (10 pts for each)
How many slides are present (15 minimum, 10 pts each)?
Do you elaborate on the information you present on each slide?
Do you provide informative details?
Is your presentation well organized?
Do you talk clearly and loudly?
FINAL SCORE out of 400 pts.
On a scale of 1 to 10, higher being better, your presentation scores:
Comments and Concerns:
Please have Academy Leader initial this form after you complete your formal and official PowerPoint in order to get another 200 points!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

All the things you can become once you're a grown up!

Read this satire from the CS Monitor:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0418/p20s03-lign.html

What do you think? Does adulthood sound fun? Do you get the joke? 20 points EC for your opinion emailed to ms.kingsbury@verizon.net or posted here in the comments section.

Are Americans Afraid?

Please read this article from the Washington Post about America's fear that everything is harmful:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/18/AR2008041803172.html

What do you think? 20 points EC for a well-thought opinion of 5 sentences on this topic, emailed to ms.kingsbury@verizon.net or posted here in the comments section!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Students will spend one more day in the computer lab putting the finishing touches on their senior project PPPs. In-class practice sessions begin tomorrow!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Due to today's DAY OF EXCELLENCE assembly, we will spend today doing make-up work from the past week.