Giddings Noodleblog

Pictures

Giddings — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 03:49:42 +0000

The class pictures are finally up at http://picasaweb.google.com/berdwa/ClassesSpring2008. Update: the pictures have been taken down. If you want them, email me.

Alas, 2nd period took longer on the final than 1st period and I forgot to take a picture until after they left. I included a set of pictures we took earlier in the semester, though. Have a great summer everyone. Relax, read a good book, sleep in…

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Comparison Quandry

Giddings — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:40:28 +0000

Since Ryann has been so actively comparing the two semesters and is constantly raising her blood pressure over it, I decided to take a look at the numbers. So, I went back and compared the grade book from last semester to this semester. Here are the numbers:

Semester 1
Papers - 7 (Did 3-4 page Synthesis paper)
Work - 41 w/50 pts possible EC
Timed Writes - 7 w/ 2 full credit and 3 ungraded
Classroom Contributions - 3
Total Graded Assignments: 58
21 students 2 A’s and 5 A-’s

Semester 2
Papers - 7 + 1 for notecards (Did 3-4 page research paper)
Work - 38 w/80 pts possible EC
Timed Writes - 8 +1 as an empty AP score holder — 2 full credit, 3 ungraded
Class Contributions - 3
Total Graded Assignments: 58
38 students; 4 A’s and 8 A-’s

Reflections on the numbers:

1st semester did one more assertion journal; 2nd semester did one more timed write. 2nd semester did their assertion journals at home for homework; 1st semester did at least half of theirs in class in timed write style. The top performing students have been about the same as far as their percentages go. There is a higher percentage of A’s 2nd semester, but also a higher percentage of D’s and F’s. The level and amount of work assigned has been roughly the same, though 2nd semester read more narrative due to shifting the focus to American Literature after the test.

Classess develop and change. They exist in different circumstances and will be slightly different from year to year. Fair does not equal the same, though as you can see, these two semesters have been balanced very similarly, in spite of their very different circumstances.

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Review Assignment

Giddings — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 23:27:33 +0000

All right guys, here’s a chance to be creative and get points for studying for your final. It’s simple really. Create a visual representation of the things we learned this year. We brainstormed them on the board this morning so hopefully you wrote them down. It can be anything from a video to a poster, a mobile to a PowerPoint. You’ll present these on Tuesday to the class. You may work in pairs, but if you do so, you must check with me first. This is primarily an individual assignment. Only one group checked with me today, so I assume the rest of you are working solo.

Have a great weekend. Only 5 days left!!!!

Mackenzie, do you want to finally do your memorization on Monday? If anyone else hasn’t gone and wants to fix that, lets go Monday.

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If I don’t make it, tell Charlie to eat his veggies….

Giddings — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:30:31 +0000

I’ve taken a turn for the worse today. This bites!

Anyway, 1st period if you’re reading this, it means you’re in the lab already. Good. Sorry I’m not there to field questions. Google is your friend for MLA questions.

2nd period, you’re reading Good Country People by Flannery O’Connor in the short story packet. Also read the intro on Flannery O’Connor and Southern Gothic lit that comes before the story as well as the piece on Good Country People that comes after it. Then answer the questions at the end of the story. You should do all the reading before answering the questions. Yes you can work in groups. Yes everyone must have their own set of answers. The questions are due tomorrow. ALL of that is fair game for the final.

You may not work on your research papers in the English lab until you finish this assignment.

Sorry to be gone again. Hopefully I’ll be there tomorrow.

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Sicko!

Giddings — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:12:07 +0000

I won’t be at school today (6/2). I’m really sick with some sort of coughing marathon and conjunctivitis (pink eye). I’m going to stay home and try to kick this (geez it’s been a fun weekend…). Anyway, you’re watching the Great Gatsby today. We can talk about the research paper tomorrow if you have any questions. Don’t forget about Proquest as a nifty source. Hopefully I’ll be back tomorrow.

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Bring your books!

Giddings — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:11:29 +0000

Bring your Fahrenheit 451 and your Language of Composition books to class on Thursday! We will be taking them back to the library near the beginning of class.

image credit

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Schedule Adjustment!

Giddings — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:32:22 +0000

We will be dropping The Great Gatsby from our schedule this semester. Oh, stop your whining! We will take the timed write tomorrow and then you’ll have the remainder of the period to help each other prepare for the memorization. Memorization presentations will be Thursday and Friday. Then we will be broadening our scope by looking at a range of 20th Century Literature via the short stories of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Hurston, O’Connor, Cisneros, and Alexie. These stories, intead of Gatsby, will appear on the Final.

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Book Cover Analysis

Giddings — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:56:31 +0000

The link for tonight’s book cover analysis assignment is here.

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Sprint to the Finish!

Giddings — Fri, 16 May 2008 23:08:35 +0000

Well folks, the AP test is done! But alas, our week-long break has come to an end. We are going to be cramming the last two units of Junior English into the final month of school. Because of this insane schedule, I’ve mapped out most of what we will do for you in the attached files. Click on the calendar thumbnail for May and June. Then the first document has the F451 assignments, the second is the Junior Research Paper packet, the third is an example of the format that paper should take, and the last is a flowchart of the research process. We will talk about all of this on Monday and then, as you can see, we run like crazy.

P.S. You may be wondering what we will be doing with Gatsby other than talking. Well we are going through it so fast that we’ll confine our work primarily to reading, class discussion and in-class activities. Gatsby, along with many other things, will make a prominent appearance on the final.

P.P.S. Most, if not all, of the dates on the calendar above are subject to change at my whimsy and the seeming caprice of school activities.

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Good luck!!!!

Giddings — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:45:12 +0000

Well, test day is finally here. There are about 35 of you taking the test. Remember, relax. You can do this. If it makes you feel better, your classmates that decided for whatever reason to forgo the test will be with you in more than spirit…bwuhahaha. Break a leg, ou en Fracais, Merde!

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