Today in Class: October 29 and 30, 2015

October 29

B1

• Lit Circle Meeting 7
• Review of workbook p. 29, "There Will Come Soft Rains," and "By the Waters of Babylon"
• Discussion of  prompt: Expository/synthesis writing: In what ways can lost civilizations communicate to the future? Use cited (quotations and paraphrases with page #s) textual evidence from "By the Waters of Babylon" and "There Will Come Soft Rains" as your primary support.
• TKES Survey
• Homework: 1) Prep for next Lit Circle meeting; 2) Brainstorm expository/synthesis prompt

B3

• Type final drafts of "The Devil and Tom Walker" modernization narrative 
• Homework: Have typed final  draft ready to submit at the beginning of class Tuesday

B4

• Post 2 poems, at least 10 lines each, on the topic of your choice, to your blog
• Comment on 3 classmates' poems. Leave 2 pieces of warm feedback (what works in the poem) and 2 pieces of cool feedback (what needs to be revised in the poem).
• Once 3 classmates have commented on your poems, write and post a new  draft of each poem to your blog.
• Homework: Finish today's work if you did not finish it today

October 30

A1 and A3

•  Lit Circle Meeting 6 (20 minutes) students work in groups
• Read "There Will Come Soft Rains" and workbook p. 48, do workbook p. 49
• Read "By the Waters of Babylon" and workbook p. 28, do workbook p. 29

A2

• Turn in "The Devil and Tom Walker" modernization final draft
• On-demand synthesis essay: Mrs. Lewis will hand out the prompt; turn it in before you leave class today

Today in Class: October 28, 2015

A1

• Renewed Lit Circle books
• Tried and failed to take TKES Survey (yay Wifi!)
• Lit Circle Meeting 5
• Tried and (mostly) failed to take TKES Survey (yay Wifi!)
• Homework: Prep for next Lit Circle meeting

A2

• If finished with "The Devil and Tom Walker" modernization first draft: Peer editing, final draft, submit
• Everyone else: Read "The Devil and Tom Walker" and write modernization (full prompt on p. 241 "Writing to Sources: Narrative Text")
• Homework: Bring completed final draft to submit at the beginning of class Friday; if typed, print or email to me (kcobb1@rockdale.k12.ga.us), if written, bring in stapled to first draft

A3

• Renewed Lit Circle books
• Lit Circle Meeting 5
• Began reading "There Will Come Soft Rains"
• TKES Survey in  Mrs. Kimble's room
• Homework: Prep for next Lit Circle meeting

Today in Class: October 27, 2015

B1

• Renew Lit Circle novels
• Lit Circle Meeting 6
• USA Test Prep Pre-assessment/Achieve 3000
• Homework: Prepare for Thursday's Lit Circle meeting

B3

• Benchmark 1 Constructed Response 4/4 sample
• Conferenced with each student during class about their response to Benchmark 1 Constructed Response, score, and ways to improve next time
•  Read "The Devil and Tom Walker" p.  226-239
• Write p. 241 "Writing to Sources: Narrative Text" prompt. 
• At least 5 paragraphs that are 5-7 sentences long
• Be sure to include details that make it clear that your story is set in 2015
• Turn in before leaving class today

B4

• Warm up on USA Test Prep
• This week: poetry
• Read and discuss mentor texts with group members:
• “The Wind—” (396)
• “Metaphor” (400)
• “Jazz Fantasia” (407)
• “The Weary Blues” (410)
• “All” (422)
• Post 2 poems, at least 10 lines each, on the topic of your choice, to your blog
• Comment on 3 classmates’ poems. Leave 2 pieces of warm feedback (what works in the poem) and 2 pieces of cool feedback (what needs to be revised in the poem).
• Once 3 classmates have commented on your poems, write and post a new draft of each poem to your blog

Today in Class: October 26, 2015

A1

• Lit Circle Meeting 4
• USA Test Prep/Achieve 3000
• Independently read "There Will Come Soft Rains" 470-477 and Common Core Companion workbook p. 48
• Complete workbook p. 49
• Homework: 1. Prep for next Lit Circle meeting; 2. Complete p. 49

A2

•  USA Test Prep
• Independently read "The Devil and Tom Walker" 226-239
• Narrative writing: Write a modernization of "The Devil and Tom Walker"  (full writing prompt on p. 241)
• Type in MS Word and copy, paste, and post to blog, if you have your laptop
• Finish first draft today (or at home if you need extra time); next class, we'll do peer editing and write a final draft of these for submission
• Homework: Finish reading "The Devil and Tom Walker" and modernization first draft

A3

• Lit Circle Meeting 4
• USA Test Prep/Achieve 3000
•  Very frustrating technology day; many of our laptops would not connect to the Internet or connected and moved so slowly that it made it hard or impossible for most students to complete this task
• If you can finish what you were assigned today at home, great. If not,  we'll touch base Wednesday and decide what our next steps are. We may just take a short vacation from using the laptops until the issues are sorted out.
• Homework: Prep for next Lit Circle meeting

Today in Class: October 23, 2015

B1

• DGP 17
• Lit Circle Meeting 5 (25 minutes)
• Go over workbook p. 49
• Independently, read "By the Water of Babylon" (456-467) and workbook p. 28
• Consult with group members to complete workbook p. 29
• Homework:
• Prep for next Lit Circle meeting
• Complete workbook p. 29

B3

•  USA Test Prep Pre-assessment
• Independently, read "The Devil and Tom Walker" p. 226-239
• Narrative writing: Write a modernization of "The Devil and Tom Walker" (full writing prompt on p. 241)
• Type in MS Word and copy, paste, and post to blog, if you have your laptop
• Finish first draft today (or at home if you need extra time); next class, we'll do peer editing and write a final draft of these for submission

B4

•  USA Test Prep Pre-assessment
• Write 300 words on the topic (any genre), and post to your blog
• Then, comment on 2 other class member's choices posts

Today in Class: October 22, 2015

Before I launch into the day's activities, I'd like to extend a virtual hug to my students and parents who are frustrated with our new technology. Whether you are not tech-savvy, or your laptop isn't  functioning correctly, or you're overwhelmed by all of the new programs you're being asked to use and skills you're being asked to learn, we are all a little frustrated right now. I can only imagine what my blood pressure looked like today while I tried to help students navigate all of the new things being thrown at them. But, I promise, things will get easier and less frustrating in the coming weeks. Practice makes perfect (or, in this case, practice makes proficient), and one day you will discover that navigating a 1-to-1 classroom comes as second nature. Please be patient with yourself and extend yourself  grace as we march into this uncharted territory together. 

Yours sincerely, trying to help even when I get frustrated too,

Mrs. Cobb


B1

• DGP
• Lit Circles
• Tutorial: Laptop basics, appropriate use, switching default browser to Firefox or Chrome, finding My Big Campus class page, logging on to online textbook
• Independently read "There Will Come Soft Rains" p. 470-477 and Common Core Companion Workbook p. 48
• Complete workbook p. 49
• Homework: 1. Prep for next Lit Circle meeting; 2. Finish workbook p. 49

B3

• DGP
•  Tutorial: Laptop basics, appropriate use, switching default browser to Firefox or Chrome, finding My Big Campus class page, logging on to online textbook, logging in to Office 365 email account, creating Wordpress blogging account
• Homework: None

B4

• DGP
•  Tutorial: Laptop basics, appropriate use, switching default browser to Firefox or Chrome, finding My Big Campus class page, logging in to Office 365 email account, creating Wordpress blogging account, posting blog URL to My Big Campus discussion
• This week's assignment: 
• What impact do our choices have on our lives?
• Write 300 words on the topic of choices (any genre), and post to your blog
• Then, comment on 2 other class member's choices posts

Today in Class: October 21, 2015

A1 and A3

• DGP 15
• Lit Circle Meeting 3
• Laptop introductory workshop, including how to log on to online textbook
• Homework: Prepare for next Lit Circle meeting

A2

• DGP 15
• Review "The Minister's Black Veil" worksheets
• Laptop introductory workshop, including how to log on to online textbook and set up blog for class
• Began reading "The Devil and Tom Walker"  independently
• No homework

Today in Class: October 20, 2015

B1

• DGP 15
• Learning Goals
• DGPs: Master the rules of standardized English (L1)
• Lit Circles: Read and comprehend complex literary texts independently (RL10); Analyze literature (RL1-9); Draw evidence from the text in written responses (W9); Participate effectively in collaborative discussions (SL1)
• “There Will Come Soft Rains”: Read and comprehend complex literary texts independently (RL10); Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text create mystery, tension, or surprise (RL5)
• Lit Circle Meeting 3 (30 minutes)
• Online textbook tutorial  and began reading “There Will Come Soft Rains” (470-477) 
• Homework: Prepare for next Lit Circle meeting

B3

• DGP 14
• Learning Goals
• DGPs: Master the rules  of standardized English (L1)
• Reading and discussion of “The Minister’s Black Veil”: Comprehend and analyze complex literary texts (RL1-6)
• Vocabulary Builder: Build vocabulary and develop skills to use new words correctly in context (L1, 3, 5, 6)
• Literary Analysis: Parable and Symbol: Identify and analyze parable and symbol in literary texts;  What impact does Hawthorne’s use of these literary techniques have on this text? (RL5, 6)
• Finish reading and discussing “The Minister’s Black Veil”
• Responding to “The Minister’s Black Veil”: Work with your group members to complete
• Vocabulary Builder worksheet
• Literary Analysis: Parable and Symbol worksheet
• Review worksheets as class
• Homework: Finish "The Minister's Black Veil" worksheets if you did not finish today

 B4

• DGP 21
• Groups share short story modernizations
• Laptop set up tutorial