School's not over yet, so keep at it!

This post is dedicated to my hard-working English classes of periods 1, 4, and 8. Since we have been using an earlier blog post to guide your work on the Greek god/goddess report, I think I need to clear up any confusion about when your papers are due.

1. Your "ruff" draft (10 pts.) is due tomorrow, Friday, May 1st. It may be typed or hand written. If you do not type it, make sure it's legible so I can read it.
2. We will go over some of the papers in class Friday on the Promethean board. I'll get you started on the editing process this way.
3. When I return your papers on Monday, we will start editing them in class together.
4. Your final draft will be due to me, typed, on Thursday, May 7th (40 pts.).

Those of you who are choosing to complete the art project (30 pts.) as a bonus assignment, those will be due to me by Monday, May 11th. Keep up the good work!


Chief says, "The heat is on!"

The End Is Near...

Although the end of the school year is near and the weather is very nice now, don't be fooled into quitting early! Keep up with your class work and homework. Don't slack off now, not when we only have 27 days left (I think it's 27...).
Since most of you didn't check my last post as was your homework assignment, you didn't come to class prepared for today's art work. Therefore, we will begin tomorrow and you will need to bring the following:

• Paper for your art (you chose the type, but seriously, notebook paper will NOT cut it. I can provide some with the help of our art teacher, Mr. Delach.
• Any pencils, pens, markers you want to use.
• You may use paint if you can keep it clean.

When you come into class tomorrow, get started right away - the power to create is all yours! I will be around to guide you and answer questions, but I can't and won't tell you what you should create. Remember that I'm not grading on artistic ability but on the accurateness of the details in your god's or goddess's depiction.

Some of you are now involved in extra-curricular sports and activities. I know this puts a strain on your free time but keep in mind you are not in danger of failing or being graded for those sports or activities. English and your other core classes should be your priority right now. Be prepared when you come to class tomorrow for I will be adding or deducting points from your final grade! I look forward to working with you all.

Your next steps...

If you have not yet handed in your rough draft for your report, valuable time (and points) have passed, so get to it! On Wednesday this week (4/22/09), we will be looking at some of your rough drafts on the Promethean board so that we as a class can:

1. Edit for clarity
2. Proofread
3. Make changes to the papers
4. Review the final writing steps before publishing

By Monday (4/27), I want your final drafts - typed. On that same day, we will begin working on the second part of your report - the art. For those of you who enjoy art, I know this part of the project will be enjoyable. We will be working in class on these posters, so bring any materials you want to use. Just remember our time is limited in class so some homework may need to take place. For those of you who detest working on anything artistic, well, this might not be your cup of tea, but you have to learn to step outside your safety zones and stretch your imagination. Trying new things is a part of life; it's inescapable. For these reasons you must complete this part of the project. Good luck. I'm here if you need guidance.

You've got great comments...

The kids from period 2 have come up with some great questions that need to be addressed so add this information to the assignment:

• Do NOT work on this at home. I want you working on this in class so that I can answer questions and offer help. Do NOT come into class tomorrow with your final draft typed and ready for me to grade. Follow my deadline schedule please.
• You can type or hand-write your rough draft, but it has to have the five paragraphs.
• Submit your final draft on your blog only. Please don't post your rough drafts online. Thanks!
• Gods and goddesses have abilities or traits that make them special. In your report you have to write about a god's or goddess's "power" - I mean their ability(ies).

If other questions are posed, I'll update my blog to clarify. Feel free to submit your questions by commenting on my blog!

Relationships - The Odyssey

The epic poem, The Odyssey, is riddled with the mythology of Greek gods and goddesses. So far in this unit, we have touched on a few of these deities. Since most of you seem to have a real interest in the powers and personalities of these immortals, I want to give you an opportunity to explore this in an assignment (insert groans and mumbling here).

Part 1 (50 pts.): Choose a god or goddess to research and write a five paragraph report detailing his or her origins, life, and powers. Be sure to edit your writing and proof-read it before turning in the final paper. It needs to be typed, size 12 font, Times New Roman style; double spaced. For those of you who remember the password to your blog (and your blog title), you may submit via posting it on your blog. The requirements still apply if you post it. Five extra points will be awarded to those who remembered to keep a record of his or her blog information.

Part 2 (30pts.): Create a poster of a picture of your god or goddess. Be sure to include details of the deity's characteristics based on the descriptions you researched. You may use online pictures to guide you or come up with your own artistic masterpiece. You will not be graded on artistic ability but on the accuracy of the god's or goddess's traditional description. We will be working on these in class; more details about the due date for this will come later.

You will begin working now! Start by going to http://www.greek-gods.info/ or http://www.godchecker.com/ to check out the history of Greek mythology and a general introduction and listing of the Greek gods. Since you have time, use today's class to look at several immortals and make an educated, well-thought out choice. By Friday, 4/17, you will have a rough draft ready. Please do not write your first draft and turn it in as your final. That is not the writing process you've learned, and I will grade you down for it.

Good luck!

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." Charles Schultz

Okay, I haven't posted in months, so I've been lacking. One of my resolutions should be to stay on track with all of my responsibilities - key words "should be". I'm trying, I've just got to try harder with an eye on results. After all, isn't that what I tell my students?
As this new year begins, I begin blogging with my Advanced English 9 classes. It won't be any suprise to my students when I say the ninth grade classes are all good kids and very smart. They have some of the highest PSSA scores on record here at the Fort. I can also swear that this has been a very enjoyable year for me with the English classes. They're just a bunch of fun kids.
For any parent reading my blog, and I hope you are, please monitor your child's progress and work as they post on his or her blog (or web log). Each student understands it is his own responsibility to keep up with the assignments and that posting on the internet is also a responsibility to be taken seriously. I encourage the students to interact with others in my classes by checking out their blogs and leaving appropriate comments. This not only gives them time socializing with friends, but helps them practice writing and communicating. It's all-around good exposure to the techno-friendly world we exist in.
Coming in future posts: a Shakespearean unit ~ Romeo and Juliet. Do I hear a collective groan out there???

"My friends are my estates." - Emily Dickinson

Summer is in full swing already with temperatures here reaching in the mid-90s. School is out for the kids, but I'm here in a class with other devoted teachers who are trying to travel into the 21st century by taking a Classrooms for the Future course. We're here June 9-12 soaking up some knowledge to prepare us for another stellar year here at the Fort.

I'm happy that I'm in with a pretty entertaining group of "kids" - Kevin Center, Ben Maxin, Mandy Gordon, Chris Hallowich, and Mike Slates. Jodi Kioalicas is our ever-patient facilitator/teacher. We as teachers do not make the best students. Just like our teenage students, we teachers talk when we're not supposed to, get easily frustrated with something doesn't work (computers!) and don't listen when we should. Jodi is SO patient. We are all creating a blog to be used for educational purposes. As it stands, if you're interested in visiting any of these amazing teachers' blogs, I'm making a list of their links:

http://kccenteroftheuniverse.blogspot.com/

http://mslates.blogspot.com/

http://mrsgordon.blogspot.com/

http://maxinsenglish.blogspot.com/

Right now most of the teachers are fooling around on youtube to find funny video clips to include on their blogs. So that I may keep up, I'm including a link that I find so funny that I tend to laugh so hard I snort. Take a look if you dare: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzRH3iTQPrk

I can't think of much that is educationally relevant to post at this point, so this is the end of my blogging today.

"The best is yet to be" - Robert Browning

There are only 20 days left before summer break!

Now that you have finished reading Romeo and Juliet, it's time to assess what you've learned. This is no easy task because I can ask you questions based on the reading, such as those below, but does that really tell me what you've LEARNED? So, let's get started.

Answer these "review" questions based on Act 5 of the play (you do not have to write in complete sentences unless that's your preference). Please put the answers in your notes, NOT your blog.

1. What is the cause of Romeo's failure to receive Friar Lawrence's message about the "big plan"?

2. Who delivers the bad news of Juliet's death to Romeo?

3. How does County Paris die?

4. How does Romeo come to have such a potent, deadly poison if it is illegal to sell in Mantua?

5. In the play, what is the result of Romeo's and Juliet's suicides?

6. What is your interpretation of the message being sent from this play?

You should be able to finish answering the review questions in class. You should also get a good start, if not finish, posting your answer to the following:

What role has FATE played in William Shakespeare's tragedy, Romeo and Juliet?

I want you to first type the question in your blog and then answer it in a minimum of two paragraphs. However, an intelligent, well-thought out and expressed answer cannot be given in just two paragraphs, in my opinion. It will require you to ponder the meaning of the question, and come up with strong, logical examples as proof. If you are unable to finish it in class, please complete it as homework.

Just a reminder: your culminating project on this play is due Wednesday, May 7th. Good Luck!

"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." ~ St. Augustine

Surprise! Your quiz is postponed until tomorrow!


From our literature book we know that Romeo and Juliet takes place in the 14th-15th century. During class today, I want you to do a little investigative research on Verona, Italy. Not just the city and country, but Verona, Italy during the time period in which Romeo and Juliet took place.

Using the search engine of your choice, look up information about the city itself during the 14th-15th century. How did people make a living, the class system, who was ruling, the religion of the time, etc. Paint a general picture of what life was like in Verona. This won't be a very easy assignment. You have to read through several websites to get specific information, so it will probably take you the entire class, possibly even into homework tonight.

Please don't forget, before you publish your post, check it for errors. Most of you have no problems with this, but a few are posting with punctuation, capitalization and grammatical errors. I'm going to start counting off more for this.

Finally, you may pair up to work on the research for this posting. However, each person is responsible for writing their own summary. I expect a minimum of three paragraphs. Please include a link(s) to the site(s) you used as a source.

This is meant to be challenging. Good luck!

"Resolve never to quit, never to give up, no matter what the situation." - Jack Nicklaus

Now that you've blogged and made some changes to your personal space, I hope you feel comfortable enough to tackle this next assignment. Due date: by class time on Wednesday, March 26th.

Romeo and Juliet: "Parting is such sweet sorrow."

Since this week is so short - hooray for Easter break!!! - we will be laying the foundation for reading Romeo and Juliet. Most of you have finished your last assignment to critique a website based either on the play or William Shakespeare so you should have an idea of what we are about to embark upon. Several of you chose a Sparks Notes site to critique, which I have no problem with whatsoever. Use it as a guide ONLY. Trust me, you will have to read the play itself in order to participate in the class discussions and complete the assignments. On to the first assignment:

Read Act 1, scenes 2-5 on pages 739-753. Choose any scene within these scenes from Act 1 to interpret into your own words. To clarify, you should translate each character's lines into your own, present-day language. You may use slang as long as it's understandable. You must interpret an entire scene. Below is an example of part of scene 1, Act 1 such as what I want from you. Post it on your blog:

from Act 1, scene 1, page 732-733, lines 30-45 ~

SAMPSON: I have my sword right here. Start a fight with them! I've got your back.

GREGORY: You'll run off...

SAMPSON: Don't worry, I won't.

GREGORY : Are you sure, I don't trust you.

SAMPSON: The law is on our side if they start the fight.

GREGORY: I'll give them a rude look when we pass to insult them.

SAMPSON: No, I'll bite my thumb at them, which is a serious insult if they back down.

ABRAM: Did you just flip us off!?

SAMPSON (to Gregory): Is the law on our side if I say yes?

GREGORY (to Sampson): No way.

SAMPSON: No, dude. I didn't flip you off, but I did bite my thumb.

GREGORY: Are you trying to start something?

I will be checking these over the break and hope to have any early posts graded before we return from spring break. Have a great break and Happy Easter!!!

Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They're about to announce the lottery numbers. - Homer Simpson

Okay people, you've created your blog, posted your first assignment and received your score. The purpose of creating a blog is not just to expose you to blogging and new technology, but to introduce our next unit: Romeo and Juliet. Or, as I like to call it: What's Love Got To Do With It?"
There are numerous websites out there dedicated to Romeo and Juliet, some legit, some not so much. Beware of sites based on opinion versus fact. In these times of massive information exchange, validity can be difficult to prove. Be sure to check the source of the website. Is it a student doing a report? Is the information here say or based on historical fact? Is it...a blog? Although Wikipedia holds a plethora of information, it can altered, added to or taken from. Even YOU can submit something to Wikipedia.
On to your next assignment. Part one of your "mission" is to add something new to your blog. Some of you have added photos of yourself to your profile - GREAT! Be creative. If you haven't added a photo of yourself, give it a try. Have a knowledgeable friend help you. If you can't add a photo, try finding clip art or a photograph from the web, like I did. I WISH that was a picture of me in my profile! The point is, chose something that you feel represents your personality to show the world wide web. (Must be school appropriate.) If you have already posted an image in your profile, change your blog up a bit. Try something new and creative.
The second part of your assignment will be to research and critique a website that deals with either William Shakespeare or Romeo and Juliet. So, get on the web, look at several different sites which deal with your topic and then post an entry on your blog critiquing your chosen website. Be sure to post a link to your website. Note: a critique is a review or commentary on a specific topic. With this in mind, you will have to view a few and read a few different sites to find one you like. Along the way I hope you learn some things about our upcoming play. Please do not critique www.romeoandjuliet.com as I have already used portions of that site and it is a bit outdated.
If you have any questions, first check with another student in class for clarification. If you still have questions, post them on my blog. I'll try to get back to you before Monday, which is when this assignment is due (end of class).
Have a great weekend!

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. ~Attributed to Harry S. Truman

To My Students:

This blog is not just for you, but for me as well. You will need to know how to navigate the road of advancing technology for the 21st century workplace. This means it is my responsibility, as well as the school's, to prepare you to be successful not just to get a good job in the future, but to be able to think on your own, learn on your own. You have to be able to LEARN TO LEARN! This is our first step, together.

You will need to record the name of this blog in your agenda or wherever you know you can locate it for future use. http://knightsenglish9rocks.blogspot.com. NOTE: we will not always use the "my blog/your blog" format each day. I will indicate on the Promethean board when you are to get a computer and use the following procedures:

1. log onto your computer and open the internet.
2. go to my blog site to get the day's objectives and assignment.
3. in a new window, open your blog and post your response to the day's assignment.

For this first day, you will create your own blog site for the purposes of this class only. So, let's get started!

• To create your own blog for this class only, log onto www.blogger.com. Follow the steps for creating your own blog. I don't think I need to remind you that all information used and posted on your blog site should be appropriate and clean at all times. This includes the name of your blog.
• Once you've created your own blog, respond to the following survey question:

Do you feel Fort Cherry is preparing you well for being successful as a college student, and later, as a working professional in the 21st century? Explain your answer by giving an example or two from your educational experience here to prove your point. Don't forget to proofread and edit your work before you publish your post. If there isn't enough time to finish this in class today, we will complete this assignment tomorrow. I have allowed two days to complete this assignment. GOOD LUCK!

If you finish this assignment early, feel free to check out this link to Romeo and Juliet: www.romeoandjuliet.com.