Vocabulary and Data analysis

Hi, Team!

I have placed a request in teachers' mailboxes asking for vocabulary that is important to their subject area, or that they find students struggling with and it is something that crops up repeatedly. I'm hoping that teachers will respond to this and we can work on incorporating some of this vocabulary into our instruction.

Also, I've completed a data analysis of the unsuccessful regents exams from last year. We will be able to look at the types of questions missed and share ways to increase our best practices.

If you can't make the next meeting, please check the blog and hopefully I will have a second meeting so that more members can attend.

Thank you!
Cheryl

Next meeting

Hope all is going well with everyone. I do want to schedule another meeting. I'd like to meet on Tuesday, November 18th at 7:45 in Room 305. Hopefully I will have some data from last year's English Regents to share. We will be going over strategies for getting the students ready for the Regents this year, as well as continuing our discussion from the last meeting.

Please add to the comment section if there is something else you'd like to cover.

Cheryl

AP Vertical Team--meeting fri. 10/17

Please, please, please be in my room by 7:30--Cheryl will be in around 7:45
We really have to get going on these things. I know we are all overwhelmed with things to do right now, but we need to get some main points down.
1. Grade-level literature
2. Portfolio material
3. mid-term assessments--let's not do the lame book one again. Let's find old tasks 1,2,3, and 4. Let's put someone in charge of each now. December will come quickly.
4. Literary terms that will be the main focus per grade level
5. Grade-level vocab lists. (I think I gave out a couple last time? But basically, they come out of the units in the book. I have an SAT list for gr. 11)

AP Vertical Team--short meeting --postponed

9th-Romeo and Juliet,

10th-To Kill a Mockingbird

10th (Caccamise)--Of Mice and Men, Othello, 12 Angry Men, Night, Lord of the Flies, Stuck in Neutral, A Lesson Before Dying

11th--Raisin in the Sun, The Crucible, Scarlet Letter, (see ap syllabus)

12----

Grade 10 AP Vertical Post

Ok my thoughts:
1. Literature for Grade 10. I think a few classics like To Kill A Mockingbird or A Tale of Two Cities and a Shakespearan play (Caesar or something else) along with a historical piece like Night should be mainstays for sophomores. I have found success covering longer pieces of literature by listening to some of the lit with audio and discussing it as a class as we move through it.
2. Literary Elements/Techniques. I think all the basics (setting, theme, plot, conflict, point of view, symbolism, characterization, personification, simile, metaphor,etc...) plus connotation, dennotation, allusion, structure.
3. Types of written works. I think there should be some kind of research based (AP citations) paper (maybe research literary critiques with like the Masterplots series or something critiquing a short story/literary work including annotations),Regents based essays including AP driven tasks (literary analysis), creative writing including memoirs, possibly poetry, narratives. I am also a big advocate of journal writing. My students write a 5 minute journal response for me every other class day on various topics. It is good to keep them writing.
4. Essay skills. I think students should be able to construct a solid thesis statement with topic sentences to write a cohesive 4 paragraph essay. 10th graders need constant practice developing thesis statements along with supporting details.
Ok that is all for now. I did my homework!

Library

Hi all. I am pleased to inform you that we have a substitute librarian now. Her name is Mrs. Carl, and she is a retired city librarian. She is open to teach classes and help with research or anything else you need, so feel free to stop down and introduce yourself. She is teaching a library orientation class with my 9th graders next week. I told her we are all so happy to have her!

Department Meeting

We discussed a number of important aspects today:

1. AP Vertical team--please see the post below regarding the AP Vertical team. The next meeting is October 2, at 7:30. If at all possible, everyone is welcome to attend.

2. Donors choose--Mia let us all know about donorschoose.org. This is a valuable site to hopefully get materials for your classroom.

3. Any suggestions for the SIP can be brought to my attention or added to the comment section of the blog.

4. 8th grade assessment. We determined four main areas that need to be stressed with our students. These are:

Understanding supporting details, specifically “best” supporting detail.

Recognizing vocabulary, both from prior knowledge and through context clues.

Analyzing character

Recognizing questions asking what does “not” fit criteria.

Please come to the next meeting with best practices that address these areas, or ideas on how we can address them.


Our next meeting will be October 7, at 7:45. Please make every effort to be there. More teachers are available in the morning, so I think we'll have to have our meeting before school.

Also, I've put information on the survey I distributed and Just Buffalo in your mailboxes.

Thanks,
Cheryl

BPS English Department site

Make sure that you regularly check the English Department section of the BPS website. You can get there at this address.

There should be updates on pacing guides, etc., so some of your questions might be answered there. I will also check the site and let you know if there is any new information that applies to you or might be helpful.

Thanks!

AP Vertical Team Meeting #1

For the next meeting post:
1. the major works of literature you want to teach/should be taught
2. types of written works completed/essay writing skills
3. literary analysis--reading skills
4. literary elements and techniques
5. group discussion methods


Continue focusing on tasks 1 and 4 in gr. 9 and 2 and 3 in gr. 10 now that exam is in january of 11th

Double-entry journals
annotation
Gr. level grade vocab list
citations in writing

next meeting thurs. oct 2nd

CLT meeting and blog errors...

If you are not receiving updates when items are posted to the blog, please let me know. There has been some kind of error in getting updates and Mia has been kind enough to agree to look into it.

Also, I will be attending a CLT (Curriculum Lead Teacher) meeting tonight and will post any updates to the blog tomorrow.

Don't forget, we are having a meeting next Tuesday, the 23rd, at 7:45. We will be meeting in room 305. If you have any suggestions for the SIP (School Improvement Plan), please let us know at the meeting.

Cheryl

AP Vertical Team

As Cheryl said I will be heading up the AP Vertical Team. To further the explanation, we will be working to align the curriculum so that students build on knowledge year to year so that they are better prepared for their AP class. This means coordinating information learned at each grade level (vocab, essays, literary analysis, rhetorical devices,etc.) and to what degree that it will be taught. Therefore it is necessary that we have a core team to meet these expectations. As of now the team is: Zagst-12, Caccamise-11, Bouquard-10, Adams-9. This does not by any means imply that others are not wanted or needed to help. We need each teacher's input, but since there are schedule conflicts, we need at least these 4 at all meetings. As always, you can comment or give ideas on the blog or to me or Cheryl, or any team members. Please join us, if you can, for our first meeting Thurs. Sept. 18th at 7:30 in rm. 304. thanks. mia

9/9 Department Meeting

Hi Department!

We had a meeting yesterday after school; I'd like to hold the next meeting on Tuesday, the 23rd, at 7:45 in room 305. If we can hold two meetings every month that will be terrific. If you can't make a meeting please be sure to check the blog for updates.

One important point...Mia will be heading up the AP Vertical team; see Mia for details, and I'm sure she will post updates and meeting teams on the blog. The AP Vertical team, for those who do not know, is designed to improve students readiness for AP courses.

Pts. from yesterday's meeting:

1. Summer reading: Allow the students to complete a makeup assignment, but for less points and in a short time frame. If you allow students to use any book, then take some points off.

2. Portfolio assessment: We would like to have portfolios for students. If at all possible, students will leave McKinley High School with a folder of their best work from freshman to senior year. This will also give teachers a focus for writing assignments for each grade level. I will distribute copies of the form and we will solidify what we cover each year at the next meeting.

3. I need to talk to all junior year teachers to confirm January Regents testing as part of our SIP plan.

4. Book distribution: if you need any more books, please see me. Also, I have organized the small room n 305 as a book center. I am organizing extra copies of books that were found in classrooms or lockers; if you are short a few books, come up to the room or see me and I'll see what I can do.

5. Miscellaneous:

• Please let me know what class sets of novels you have.
• Lauren suggested organizing a Slam Poetry Festival. Lauren you're in charge! :)
• Amy Chase has contemporary books that students can borrow if they sign them out.
• Amy also is interested in suggestions or copies of books that appeal to male students.
• Lastly, the library may be closed this year; we will need to get very creative in terms of research and book assignments.
  

I will get copies of portfolio ideas out to everyone. Please be ready to discuss what you'd like to expect of our students each year. Feel free to comment on the blog with any points you'd like to discuss.

Thanks a bunch!

Cheryl

Input from the Blog-Tardy

I apologize for being late in contributing to this year's ELA blog - I had forgotten how to get to the blog website. Anyhow, I agree with everyone's ideas on holding students accountable for the summer reading assignments, and designing a make-up assignment for those who failed to do it. With tremendous fear in their eyes, many of my freshmen have informed me that they never received the summer reading list and assignment in the mail. I handed more lists out on Friday and told them to get started or wait for a make-up assignment that would earn them some credit. I am not sure how long I should give the students to do the report if they didn't get the assignments in the mail. Also, Ms. Goodrich, an Earth Science teacher in room 96, has asked me several times about reordering the USA Today magazines that Joel had supervised last year. She apparently has information on how to reorder a subscription - is this something that we want to do? Does anyone have comments on how this was handled last year, or opinions on other potential subscriptions? Thank you!

Department Meeting and other such news...

Hi All!

I left a brief message in your mailboxes today. There are some things that I'd like to get going on and you are certainly more than willing to offer feedback.

1. I'd like to hold a department meeting next Tuesday, 9/9 at 3:00 in room 305. I understand that some of you are unable to attend after school meetings. I'll post what was discussed on the blog for your feedback, and I'll also try to alternate with a morning time. I'd like to meet twice a month, if at all possible. I'd like to discuss holding the Regents exam in January, return to the portfolio idea as a cumulative assessment, and any other issues. Also, I'd like to welcome new staff!

2. I need to know what books and how many you have in your classrooms. This will help me distribute needed books and shuffle them around based on changes in scheduling. For Language! teachers, there are some books in the supply closet and in the basement. (A dark, scary place I'll go to in order to provide you with materials. Or just send Ms. Chase. Mwahahahah.) If you need any others, I'll see what I can do.

3. Summer reading assignments are available on the blog...at least a copy is. I don't know how well it will scan, but I also have hard copies in my room. Last year we used the same as the 2007 assignment, so if you have those around simply use those. Remember, these assignments are 10% of the first marking period grade. Also, how and if you choose to allow makeup assignments is up to individual teachers.

These are the pressing points for now. Certainly post any comments to the blog with any additional points you'd like to discuss or make.

Cheryl

Welcome to the 2008-2009 school year

I hope everyone had a great summer, too short of course. There are some major changes in the department this year, most notably the loss of joel our friend and mentor and he will be missed. However, we wish him the best of luck at his new job in Cheektowaga and I'm sure he would want us to continue his blog legacy:) Anyways, even though the first few weeks of school are very hectic we need to get organized because we have new teachers and we are teaching new things. We need to get these folks signed up for the blog so that they have access to this vital resource. Also, as soon as the dust settles, let's meet up so we can organize curriculum and resources. Congratulations to Cheryl for becoming the new team leader, I am sure she will do an excellent job, and on her new job at Buff State. Also, congrats to the new teachers in our dept. for joining us full-time--it is great to have you aboard.

Department Meeting Thursday AM

This Thursday morning we will be having a department meeting in the library at 7:40 am.

I hope to accomplish the following:

1. Create a subcommittee to design the marathon of reading portion of our program. This group would have two weeks to come up with a larger organizational program to help reward kids who want to read beyond the one book requirement.
2. Figure out what we're going to do about the choices students have for the mandatory book. Are we limiting choices? Are going to insert a public domain book? What are we going to do?

If you have any other concerns or ideas, throw them in the comments section and we'll talk Thursday.

Cheap Magazines

The other day, Brian showed me Slickdeals, a site where contributors report on good deals around the internet. Anyway, today you can pick up a year subscription of ESPN Magazine or Outside for $3, or US Weekly for $5. I picked up Outside because of my intense longing to grow a beard (something bushy), wear flannel and go rafting, but I also think that a kid or two might pick it up once in a while. In retrospect, ESPN may have been the better choice, but oh well. Anyhoo, pick up some indy reading material for cheap.

(On a side note, I also picked up a sweet English teacher shirt from SWoot.)

Practice Vocabulary and Feed the Hungry

Hello McKinley High School English teachers! I just discovered a wonderful website that I would like to share with you all. It is called freerice.com and it is set up as a vocabulary game that provides rice to the United Nations World Food Program at every correct answer. Here are the directions for how to play:


Click on the answer that best defines the word.
If you get it right, you get a harder word. If wrong, you get an easier word.
For each word you get right, we donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program.
WARNING: This game may make you smarter. It may improve your speaking, writing, thinking, grades, job performance... (more)

This looks like a fantastic website that provides its users with practice decoding and defining difficult vocabulary words as well as an opportunity to help others in need. Perhaps someone could use this in their classes! I'm really excited by this website - it must be inspiration from the vocabulary seminar I attended last Wednesday...
- Kate

Tomorrow's Professional Development Opportunities

Just a reminder, tomorrow we are to report to Hutch Tech for training. Mrs. Morrell put notification in our mailboxes, and individual assignments were given to teachers that missed any of the CORE training sessions (phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension). I'm not sure what the rest of us are doing. See you there. Additional parking is available at Herman Badillo.

New Materials in the Library

What up y'all? Mrs. Jarvis just received tons of new books and materials in the library, including a decent collection of graphic novels. This DVD set came in as well, which "presents the rich, literary tradition of American storytelling." It is a four DVD set running at about an hour a piece, and it covers 1650-the present. So, if you want to kill 240 minutes of class time...(obviously this is a bad idea...). Here are scans of the DVD contents. Maybe someone can use a little piece or two.