After reading your book during Reading Workshop/SSR, pick one book blog response option http://bit.ly/bookblogoptions. Steps: 1. Click to type in a post. 2. Make sure to answer your blog by typing in your blog number (Ex. M912). Your blog number will be M for Munsterman, your class period, and the Chromebook number that was assigned to you. 3. Comment as - Anonymous. Make sure to post Anonymously. 4. Follow the directions on the blog rubric when posting your response http://bit.ly/readblogrubric.
After reading your book during Reading Workshop/SSR, please answer the following questions. Steps: Click to type in a post. Make sure to answer your blog by typing in your blog number (Ex. M912). Your blog number will be M for Munsterman, your language arts class period, and the Chromebook number that was assigned to you. Then, Comment as - Anonymous. Make sure to post Anonymously, and make sure to include your number; so I know whose post it is when I am grading it.
What is the title of the book you are reading?
Who is the author?
Describe a major conflict in the story.
Is this type of conflict man vs. man, man vs. self, etc.?
After reading your book during Reading Workshop/SSR, please answer the following questions. Steps: Click to type in a post. Make sure to answer your blog by typing in your blog number (Ex. M912). Remember, this number will correspond with your LA class period and your Chromebook number. Then, Comment as: Anonymous. Make sure to post Anonymously, and make sure to include your number; so I know whose post it is when I am grading it.
What is the title of your book?
Who is the author?
Would you recommend this book to someone else? Why or why not?
Tell me a little about the plot of your book. If you had to write a quick summary of what has happened in your book so far, what would you write? Make sure to include some information about the setting, characters, conflict, etc.
Please pick one journal topic and answer that topic using complete sentences. Use evidence from the play when appropriate.
The “actors” in the play The Most Lamentable Comedy, and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisby are extremely nervous about performing for the duke and duchess. Write about a time you had to perform or speak in front of an audience. How did it feel to be in front of a crowd? Is there a “secret” you can share that could help others cope with this situation?
Of the three marriages that take place at the end of the play, which do you see as being the most stable? Why? Considering the events and dialogue between these characters in the story, list the positive and negative qualities of all three future marriages.
It is obvious throughout the play that Pyramus and Thisby will be a hilarious, amateurish production. Write a review of the worst movie, TV show, or book you have seen or read. Discuss the characters, situations, and settings, and how they contributed to making the story so disappointing. When you are done, share your review with another person. Does this person share your opinion?
Write a dialogue on the cast of Pyramus and Thisby after they perform their play and are on their way home from the palace. Will their interpretation of the play’s success be different from that of the duke and the duchess? What will each character say about his or her individual performance?
The wedding guests make fun of the play Pyramus and Thisby because it is melodramatic and ridiculous, yet the “lovers” in the play aren’t much more ridiculous than those in the audience. Referring back to particular events in the story, discuss which lovers appear the funniest and why. Why do you think love makes people do funny, outrageous things?
Please pick one journal topic and answer that topic using complete sentences. Use evidence from the play when appropriate. Make sure to use your blog number when posting (M for Munsterman, LA class period, Chromebook number - Ex. M912).
Oberon decides to repair the “mistakes” he and Puck made with the magic flower. If you had a magic flower that could correct the problems of the world, what would you fix? Discuss two or three changes you would make and how they would affect society.
Lysander and Hermia disobey Athenian law by running away to get married. Is it ever okay to break the law? Is so, under what circumstances? Were Lysander and Hermia justified in their actions? If you were a judge, would you convict them? Why or why not?
Egeus is very angry with his daughter for disobeying him. Think about and write down his reasons for being angry, and then discuss whether these reasons are justified. How did the status of women during this period in Athens affect the course of women’s lives? How might the father/daughter relationship be different today?
When Titania refuses to give Oberon the Indian child, Oberon manipulates her in order to get his own way, and places her in an awkward, embarrassing situation. List several compromises and/or solutions Titania and Oberon could develop to solve their dilemma.
In all respects, Titania and Bottom are opposites. Bottom is a common, uneducated Athens citizen, and Titania is a beautiful fairy queen, capable of supernatural powers. Yet, because of the magic flower, Titania falls in love with Bottom. Do you believe that opposites attract, or do you think people who fall in love are very similar? Which type of relationship do you think is better? More exciting? Comfortable? Which might last longer?
Please pick one journal topic and answer that topic using complete sentences. Use evidence from the play when appropriate.
Puck joyously turns Bottom into a creature with the head of a donkey. If you had the power to turn people into creatures, animals, or plants, how would you use it? Who would you change, and into what would you change him or her? Write a short fictional account of one magical change you would make and its comical consequences.
There are many, many stories and fairy tales of a “beauty” falling in love with a handsome prince, but there are fewer about a “beauty” falling in love with a “beast,” like Titania and Bottom. Compare and contrast the first type of story to the second. Though Titania is meant to look silly by falling in love with the “lowly” mortal, is there a message in this that goes beyond the comic element? If so, what do you think that message is?
Titania falls hopelessly in love with Bottom after Oberon places the flower juice on her eyelids. What would happen if Oberon refused to release Titania from the spell, or if he lost the flower and couldn’t change her new love interest? Write what might happen between Titania and Bottom if their love endured. Would they marry? What difficulties might they face? Would they be accepted among the fairies?
Hermia feels great anguish and jealousy because Lysander suddenly proclaims his love for Helena. Write about a time you felt jealous over a friend’s or family member’s attention. What makes people jealous? What are the best ways to deal with jealous feelings?
In order to decide who gets to be with Helena, Demetrius and Lysander challenge each other to a duel. Do you think this is a logical way to make a decision? What are its advantages? Disadvantages? What other ways could they have come to a decision? Demetrius and Lysander never stop to ask Helena whom she prefers. What does this say about the status of women in Athenian society?
Please pick one journal topic and answer that topic using complete sentences. Use evidence from the play when appropriate.
Puck possesses the magic flower that has the power to make someone fall in love with the first person he or she sees. What would you do with such a flower? Write the different ways you could use this flower for fun, pranks, or to heal broken hearts. Choose one scenario and write a dialogue between the lover and the recipient.
“Be it cat, or bear, or boar with bristled hair...wake when something vile is near.” These words are spoken by Oberon out of spite and jealousy as he places the “love potion” on Titania’s eyelids. How do you feel about Oberon playing this trick to get what he wants? Have you ever tried to manipulate someone to get what you wanted? How did you feel, and what were the consequences of your actions?
Pretend you are one of the fairies attending to Titania’s sleep. Write a lullaby for the queen using images from nature that are soft, soothing, and serene. Include metaphors and similes that complement your wooded surroundings. Remember, you must impress the queen!
Oberon plans for Demetrius to fall in love with Helena, but it is Lysander who awakens bewitched. We’ve all had experiences where something we planned didn’t work out how we wanted. While Oberon had the magic flower to remedy his situation, real life doesn’t offer such simple solutions. Write about a time when something didn’t work out for you as planned. What caused your plans to fail? Did things eventually turn out better or worse? Looking back, is there another plan of action you could have taken? If you had the magic flower to fix your situation, how would you have used it?
Though it is clear Demetrius loves Hermia and not Helena, Helena continues to pursue him. Even after Demetrius tells Helena he will leave her alone in the woods “at the mercy of the wild beasts,” she still follows him. Human nature sometimes makes us want things we can’t have. Why do you think not being able to have something makes it more desirable?
Please pick one journal topic and answer that topic using complete sentences. Use evidence from the play when appropriate. Make sure to use your blog number when entering your comments (blog as Anonymous too). Your blog number will be M for Munsterman, your language arts class period, and your Chromebook number. Ex. M912
According to Lysander, “The course of true love never did run smooth.” Agree or disagree with this quote by providing supporting evidence from the play, real life, TV shows, songs, and/or movies.
Helena tells her best friend’s secret to Demetrius - that Hermia and Lysander are eloping. Was it wrong of her to do this? Write about a time you told a secret. How did you feel? Did the person whose secret you told find out? What were the consequences of this act?
Hermia and Lysander believe they have no choice except to run away together so they can get married. Discuss the pros and cons of running away from a problem. What would you do in Hermia’s and Lysander’s situation? Do you think they’re making the right choice? What are some other options they could consider, if any?
Hermia takes control over her life when she refuses to marry Demetrius and runs away with Lysander. Helena, on the other hand, follows Demetrius, hoping he will return her affections after hearing of the elopement. Discuss these two women according to their decisions. Is it better to make your own fate or trust that things will eventually turn out the way you want them? What do Hermia’s and Helena’s actions reveal about their personalities?
Hermia takes a big risk by running away with Lysander. Under Athenian law, she could be put to death by disobeying her father! Write a letter from either Hermia or Lysander to Egeus, Hermia’s father, trying to convince him to let Hermia and Lysander marry. In the play, Demetrius had formerly “wooed” Helena, and then deserted her. Can this information be used as a way to make Egeus realize that perhaps Lysander is a better match for his daughter?
Short Stories by Mrs. Munsterman's 2nd, 5th, and 9th Period Students
Using your blog number (Ex. M712), post a quick summary of your short story. You must also post the title of your story and a link to it. *Make sure to set your privacy rights of your story to Anyone with the Link/Can View.
After reading your book during Reading Workshop/SSR, please answer the following questions. Steps: Click to type in a post. Make sure to answer your blog by typing in your blog number (Ex. M912). Remember, this number will correspond with your LA class period and your Chromebook number. Then, Comment as: Anonymous. Make sure to post Anonymously, and make sure to include your number; so I know whose post it is when I am grading it.
What is the title of your book?
Who is the author?
Would you recommend this book to someone else? Why or why not?
Tell me a little about the plot of your book. If you had to write a quick summary of what has happened in your book so far, what would you write? Make sure to include some information about the setting, characters, conflict, etc.
After reading your book during Reading Workshop/SSR, please answer the following questions. Click to type in a post. Make sure to answer your blog by typing in your blog number (Ex. M912). Remember, this number will correspond with your LA class period and your Chromebook number. Then, Comment as: Anonymous. Make sure to post Anonymously, and make sure to include your number; so I know whose post it is when I am grading it.
What is the title of your book?
Who is the author?
Would you recommend this book to someone else? Why or why not?
Tell me a little about the plot of your book. If you had to write a quick summary of what has happened in your book so far, what would you write? Make sure to include some information about the setting, characters, conflict, etc.
Give a tip for assessment. What is an example of an assessment you give? Share any tips for designing/giving/grading assessments.
One assessment that I give to my TAG (Talented and Gifted) class is a WordMasters-type test. My school used to participate in the WordMasters Challenge, but we stopped about three years ago. Since then, I continue to work on vocabulary (focusing on SAT prep words) with my “high” class. At the end of each quarter, the students take a “WordMasters” test that I design. Throughout the quarter, students complete six vocabulary lessons with twenty words each (I give them a sheet with all of the words and definitions, and they have to finish the worksheet). At the end of the quarter, I pick thirty words from the 120 the students have seen, that the students will be tested on. The test focuses on students using critical thinking and knowledge of specific vocabulary words to solve analogies. So, the students not only have to memorize various words and their definitions, part of speech, etc., they also have to apply that knowledge to solve the analogies.
A. Facetious / B. Cautious / C. Audacious / D. Ethical / E. Plebeian
I have my students first take the test on paper because many of them like to be able to physically cross out/eliminate answers. When students have finished with the paper copy, I have them go to a link to a Google form that I have created. Students then submit their answers through the Google form. When all students are done with the test, I run the Flubaroo script to grade their tests against my answer key. Once all of the tests are graded, I go back into the Flubaroo script and email students their results. Students like taking the test through the form because as soon as everyone is finished, they can see their results. It gives them almost instant feedback.
In terms of designing the assessment, I always make sure to take the test that I will give students. I make sure that all questions and answer choices make sense, and they are not confusing. I think it’s important to first consider what you want the test to show/what standards you are hoping to assess. I really like using Google forms to have students take their tests, but in using Google forms, you can be somewhat limited to certain types of questions. Forms does allow you to ask short answer and extended response questions, but I think grading those on the computer gets a little more difficult. I would rather have students do those types of questions on paper because I find the grading easier.
Share a topic/idea from class this week. What’s one thing you did with students this week that you will (or will not do) again? Why?
The idea that I am going to share from class this week is actually something that I do on a weekly basis, but I think it’s worth mentioning. When I first started teaching, a mentor teacher introduced me to Jane Bell Kiester’s “Caught’Yas.” I really liked the idea of having my students do them, but for some reason, I didn’t use them for the first nine years or so of my teaching. I have, however, been using them for the past three years. Two or three times a week, my students grab their Caught’Ya packets. My two regular LA classes use “Tales of a Four-Eyed Weirdo,” and my TAG (Talented and Gifted Class) uses “Romeo and Juliet Revisited and Revised.” We focus on one sentence per day. In my daily agenda, I tell my students how many of each type of correction they are looking for (ex. 5 capitalization, 3 commas, etc.). Students then work through the Caught’Ya, making the proper corrections to the sentence. When all students are finished, we go over the Caught’Ya together. I use the AirSquirrels Reflector app I downloaded on my Mac to connect my iPad (via Airplay) to my computer (and to the projector). I then use a great app called Notability (where I have imported the Caught’Ya sentences). The students pass around the iPad, making the proper corrections to the sentence. When a student gets the iPad and makes a correction, he or she has to tell the class what he or she corrected and why. This activity is a great way to hit upon and talk about the different rules for sentence structure, dialogue, capitalization, punctuation, spelling (homophones, etc.), etc., and to hit upon the parts of speech. Each sentence also includes a vocabulary word, and I have the students use their Chromebooks to find the part of speech and definition of the word. Students enjoy passing the iPad around to make corrections, which helps to get them even more involved. They actually fight over who gets to use the iPad first. Something else that is nice about her activities is that Jane Bell Kiester has various Caught’Ya examples for different grade levels. If you are a language arts teacher and want a fun and different way to teach grammar, I would definitely recommend investing in her books.
After doing various D.O.L.-type activities, sentence revisions, etc., I think using Caught’Yas has been perfect for my classroom.
What is a website that you cannot live without? Tell about your favorite features and how you use it in your teaching and learning.
One website that I really like and use fairly often is www.socrative.com. Socrative allows you, the teacher, to create tests, quizzes, exit slips, etc. If you create a quiz, for example, Socrative lets you include questions/answer choices such as Multiple Choice, True/False, and Short Answer. It also allows you to include an image with your question if you choose to do so.
Socrative is great because it works with a number of different devices. For example, I have the app loaded on my iPhone and iPad. Last year, I had a class set of Galaxy Android tablets, and the students accessed it through the app on the tablets. It can also be accessed through the website, and my students this year have used their Chromebooks to get to the website. In order for students to answer the questions to your quiz, students simply need to access the app or website and enter in the room number that you give to them. You can choose to do Teacher Paced or Student Paced quizzes (each can have its perks, depending on what you are using it for). Students are also shown if they got the question right or wrong as they go through the quiz. At the end of the quiz, when you end the activity, you can choose to download the results or email them to yourself.
I use Socrative a lot forpretests. It works perfectly because all students are involved (even my students who are typically very quiet). It also allows me to see where my students are struggling, need extra help, or really grasp a concept, etc. I have used it often for final tests, and the plus there is that you (and students) get immediate feedback on how well students performed.
Although it’s not a website exactly, I have also been creating quizzes through Google Forms. I set up the form by including a first and last name question, an email question, and then any other questions that I wish to ask my students. Before giving my students the quiz/form, I go through and take the quiz. In place of first and last name, I put “Answer Key.” After that, go back into my form responses spreadsheet, and I insert a script called Flubaroo into my form responses spreadsheet. When all of my students are done taking the quiz, I run the script, choose my form, “Answer Key,” as the answer key, and the script will grade all of my students’ responses off of my quiz. Flubaroo then allows you to email grades back to your students (this is why you want to include email address as one of your questions). It is pretty awesome for quick grading and quick feedback to students! It works a lot like Socrative, so I thought I would also include this in my post.
After reading your book during Reading Workshop/SSR, please answer the following questions. Click to type in a post. Make sure to answer your blog by typing in your blog number (Ex. M912). Remember, this number will correspond with your LA class period and your Chromebook number. Then, Comment as: Anonymous.
What is the title of your book?
Who is the author?
Would you recommend this book to someone else? Why or why not?
Tell me a little about the plot of your book. If you had to write a quick summary of what has happened in your book so far, what would you write?
Share an organizational tip from your classroom. What is one thing that you do that works for you?
Two summers ago, a teacher on my seventh grade team told me that he was going to start using Edmodo in his classroom. I decided to sign up, and once school started, I had all of my students sign up for it too (joined my class via a group code). I have continued using Edmodo this year. I think Edmodo is great for a number of reasons. First, all of my students are connected and questions can be easily asked and answered. I found last year that if any students had questions, they would message me on Edmodo (outside of school hours) to ask me a question, and I could quickly and easily message them back (because I received notifications through the Edmodo app on my phone). Sometimes, other students even answer the questions, which is really awesome. Second, at the end of every day, I post homework for all of my classes, so it also serves as a homework hotline. Finally, (the same teacher gave me this idea), every day I create an agenda for each of my classes. I post the agenda as an assignment in Edmodo, so students can log in and access the daily agenda. By posting the agenda as an assignment, the agenda is then put into the calendar on Edmodo. If a student is absent, he or she can go to the calendar, find the day he or she missed, and open the agenda for that day.
At my school, I was fortunate enough to get picked this year for a Chromebook 1:1 pilot, and all of my students have a Google account through the school district. I have a Chromebook cart in my classroom, and each student is assigned a certain number Chromebook (corresponding with his or her place in the grade book). The agenda is created through Google, and again, each day, I post the agenda as an assignment through Edmodo. Students know to come into my classroom, grab the assigned Chromebook, log into the Chromebook, log into Edmodo, pull up the agenda for the day, and get started. When I officially start class, students are ready. In the agenda, I type Common Core objectives that we will cover for the day, the agenda we will follow, and at the bottom, I list any homework assignments that will be due. The nice thing about using Google Docs for the agenda is that any links that students will need to access (other docs, various websites, flashcard sites, etc.) are listed on the agenda. I have found that in itself to be a huge time saver since I don't have to write the URL on the board and wait for students to get to the site. Students can simply click on the link on the agenda, and they are quickly taken to the site.
Agenda Example:
Also, since each teacher in our school has a Google account, I have found that I can really stay organized by uploading all of my documents into my Google Drive. This way I can quickly and easily access documents, forms, etc. I also have a Google Site that helps me to stay organized.
Now I know that it says to just tell about one organizational tip, but I want to share some other things that I have found useful in my classroom.
After looking today at Richard Byrne's Free Technology For Teachers blog, I came across a post for Kelly Hines's 20 Day Blogging Challenge. I want to be much better about writing blog entries, and the topics she has to write about (I feel) are right up my alley. So, I am a little behind in starting the challenge, but I am going to jump in today and try to blog consistently for at least twenty days!
Blog Day #1:
Tell about a favorite book to share or teach. Provide at least one example of a lesson or cross curricular lesson.
I teach language arts and reading at the seventh grade level, and I love reading YA books that I can recommend to my students. Dystopians are especially my favorites. Every Tuesday, we do "Book Talk Tuesday", and I discuss a new book with my students. It has really surprised me how much the majority of the students love the book talks (even the reluctant readers). The librarian at our school said that many students have come into the library asking for certain books that we have talked about in my class. To get back on track, in terms of a favorite book, too many spring to my mind (The Hunger Games, Enclave, Under the Never Sky, The Fault in Our Stars, Legend, Across the Universe, Delirium, Spark, Matched, The Maze Runner, etc.). Although I do not teach this book in class, one of the first books that popped in my head is Divergent by Veronica Roth.
After reading The Hunger Games series, I really wanted something to read that was in the same genre. I think Barnes and Noble actually had a list that was something like "Books to read after reading The Hunger Games." I found Divergent on that list. I think it took me a day or two to read the book - it is so suspenseful that I couldn't put it down. I loved it. I think I almost loved it more than The Hunger Games (which is saying a lot).
Divergent is a dystopian, set in futuristic Chicago. The story centers on a young girl named Beatrice Prior. In Beatrice's time, people are broken up into five factions: Abnegation (which she is in), Dauntless, Amity, Candor, and Erudite. The people in each faction have a certain set of characteristics. Abnegation are selfless, Dauntlessare brave, Amity are peace loving, Candor are honest, and Erudite are intelligent. On a specified day each year, all sixteen-year-olds must decide which faction they will stay in for the rest of their lives. Beatrice has to decide if she wants to stay with her faction (and her family) or if she wants to truly be herself and pick the faction for which she feels she is really meant. Tris's character shows a great deal of growth throughout the book, and as a dystopian, this book will not disappoint. This book is a trilogy, so if you like series, this is a good series to get into. Oh yeah, and even better...the movie for this book is coming out March 21, 2014! Read the book first; books are always better than the movies!
As an English teacher, I can think of a lot of lesson ideas for this book, most of which involve writing. Ex. A Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting Beatrice at the beginning of the book to Tris at the end of the book, focus on elements of fiction (plot, setting, characters, conflict, etc.) specific to the book, student blog entries, journal writing, etc.
Here are a few additional links that I have found useful for this book:
Pick one type of conflict from the list below and give an example of that type of conflict. Make sure to indicate which conflict you are using, along with the example. When you enter your comment, be sure to use the blog number assigned to you (M912) and post anonymously.
After reading your book during Reading Workshop/SSR, please answer the following questions. Make sure to answer your blog by typing in your blog number (Ex. M912). Remember, this number will correspond with your LA class period and your Chromebook number.
What is the title of your book? Who is the author? Would you recommend this book to someone else? Why or why not?
Active Reading Strategy (Visualization): What is something that you were able to visualize while reading your book?
