tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28346036171320816612024-03-13T03:03:17.880-07:00Composition ClassroomClassroom ideas for middle school, high school and college composition teachers.Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-11351353733681255442018-08-21T07:00:00.000-07:002018-08-21T07:00:07.378-07:00Boom Cards for Punctuation and Grammar Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uAY8PU6-btw/W3UCgx3Ld3I/AAAAAAAADLU/GS044DrQyJEgOsqrqHAM4UYp2jFWCV8WgCLcBGAs/s1600/BoomCardsFB.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uAY8PU6-btw/W3UCgx3Ld3I/AAAAAAAADLU/GS044DrQyJEgOsqrqHAM4UYp2jFWCV8WgCLcBGAs/s640/BoomCardsFB.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Digital resources are becoming more popular as schools go paperless, and one of the best platforms is Boom Learning. I've begun making decks of digital task cards for my students, and they are not only engaging for the students (and a nice break from exercises or worksheets), but they are self-grading, so you don't have to do anything. I use them for my older students as a way to review grammar and punctuation at their own pace on their own time. The Boom membership is free to start with options for upgrades. You can purchase decks from other teachers (like me!) or you can create your own for your students. All in all, it's a great paperless tool for you and your students. </div>
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Here are some examples from a few of my decks. Click on the pictures for a preview.</div>
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Verbals: Participle, Gerund, and Infinitive identification and how they function in a sentence.</div>
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<a href="https://wow.boomlearning.com/deck/q-wiD8M5Jnh7MGqsX5n?ref=tpt" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="640" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--zmRbQLAnUo/W3UBGlh4MKI/AAAAAAAADLA/oWnkcso8JBI8iKV4EF_6FRCZNyE1TrtnQCLcBGAs/s320/BoomCard2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Commonly Confused Words: Pick the correct word in context.</div>
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<a href="https://wow.boomlearning.com/deck/q-mNpqvSGdThtqxCpHr?ref=tpt" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="640" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSKawIE9X9MB_iHLj6AIJqvuZeE9p5G0ANs86og-KPsRsy9kng_1oy4ibpqJtj1vzwqfKZp5eJ6JxNfdJqmCALopGowc1e1qVz35-UrdXAZhEPL0335kfeV8KhYQfApgIrsdHWFb3MB3I/s320/BoomCard1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Commas: Drag and drop commas where necessary.</div>
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<a href="https://wow.boomlearning.com/deck/q-n2SvxmMaxEYstzf65?ref=tpt" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="640" height="214" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HCy1UD0khzE/W3UBH3UV2AI/AAAAAAAADLE/VBfd-ERU4KY_ZMnEpZbMZXpp-RW4BEeCACLcBGAs/s320/BoomCard3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fun, paperless, and self-grading. What more could you ask for?</div>
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<a href="https://wow.boomlearning.com/deck/q-vxbmYiPg4tXDwscx5?ref=tpt" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t5_4J3iFDcY/W3UFkkWi9SI/AAAAAAAADLg/Z9FYmvg1bwsdb2ENDKqWBYu9OUfjwOpjwCLcBGAs/s200/ApostropheBoomCVR.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://wow.boomlearning.com/deck/q-b7J9bFzXAD7SNrpYB?ref=tpt" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RbTnPr8ryRo/W3UFqXT5reI/AAAAAAAADLo/pivRa_UKcyYHdHtHNHHST4hyUOw9SMKqgCLcBGAs/s200/BoomActivePassiveCVR.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://wow.boomlearning.com/deck/q-wiD8M5Jnh7MGqsX5n?ref=tpt" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KJWyMwmDnlQ/W3UHO7ntflI/AAAAAAAADMQ/lC_2YB_aBeUUkMnTN6uP43fS6qdlhtqSQCLcBGAs/s200/VerbalsBoomCVR.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://wow.boomlearning.com/deck/q-n5vkhsufWC7Y8aedf?ref=tpt" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XZaWsOooFm0/W3UF1z2vjpI/AAAAAAAADL0/9oxXECbkXLk9xbhVQyEjsZp3rkBGtINbwCLcBGAs/s200/SemicolonsBoomCVR.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://wow.boomlearning.com/store/bundle/D3y5ZMbKAgxGZPaBM" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A4DKjjZSvXo/W3UHM-tbi0I/AAAAAAAADMM/20W1JB8MupM3iFxXPLR4qQEGvq1DfyXqQCLcBGAs/s200/CCWBundleBoomCVR.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ru_CvOKgv00/W3UFo-Qw8BI/AAAAAAAADLk/2q9Aje4JSXkj8SqiSEM3U5yL3gJ2BGFFQCLcBGAs/s1600/BoomFragCOV.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ru_CvOKgv00/W3UFo-Qw8BI/AAAAAAAADLk/2q9Aje4JSXkj8SqiSEM3U5yL3gJ2BGFFQCLcBGAs/s200/BoomFragCOV.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-52063536429934185722018-08-07T07:00:00.000-07:002018-08-15T21:41:28.071-07:00Split Infinitives - To Teach or Not to Teach?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I vote "Teach" despite the fact it is not always wrong to split an infinitive.<br />
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Infinitives are an important part of English grammar. In fact, they are included in the common core standards for 8th grade Language, so although most grammarians nowadays will say to go ahead and split the infinitive, students should still understand the concept and decide when to split and when not to split (see what I did there?)<br />
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First, a refresher: the infinitive is the word "to" plus the verb. For example, "to love." Splitting the infinitive means to put a modifier between "to" and the verb "love." For example: "to only love" instead of "only to love" or "to love only."<br />
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I recently heard a famous forensic linguist (I missed my calling in life!) say that the root of the rule for not splitting infinitives is illogical: In Latin, infinitives cannot be split because they are one word, so it followed that English infinitives should also not be split. He said, then, go ahead and ignore the rule because it makes no sense and we split infinitives all the time and are clearly understood.<br />
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He is correct on the second point (the first point - the origin of the rule - is in dispute), but I would say the rule must not be ignored, but understood and then applied or not according to the situation.<br />
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Most infinitives can be split and sound perfectly natural; in fact, sometimes it is necessary to avoid awkwardness or changing the meaning of the sentence.<br />
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For example, in the sentence "The farmer expects her crop to almost triple next season," the split is necessary because the modifier "almost" can't go anywhere else in the sentence and make sense or not sound awkward.<br />
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In addition, take our previous example of the infinitive "to love" and the modifier "only." Moving the word "only" around changes the meaning of the sentence:<br />
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Claire wants to only love you.<br />
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Claire wants only to love you.<br />
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Claire wants to love you only.<br />
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The three sentences have different meanings depending on the shade Claire's intentions, and the first requires a split infinitive.<br />
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So that leaves the question of whether we should teach students to avoid splitting infinitives when the meaning of the sentence is not affected.<br />
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For example:<br />
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Split: "The coach expected us to quickly learn the drill."<br />
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Not split: "The coach expected us to learn the drill quickly."<br />
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I make my students aware of the rule and call it a "best practice," as it sounds better "to the educated ear," as some grammarians put it, but I do not generally correct or mark a split infinitive if it's working well in the sentence. If there is a problem with a split infinitive, it is far easier to explain if they know the grammar and reasoning behind it.<br />
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Although you can avoid correcting split infinitives in students' work when it does not affect clarity, it is worth teaching what it is and how to make a conscious choice about its use to avoid a misplaced modifier or an awkward sentence.<br />
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In addition, on a purely practical level, if you are teaching for common core assessments on verbals, it is helpful for students who are asked to identify an infinitive to understand that it can be separated with modifiers.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Verbals-Participles-Gerunds-Infinitives-3924783" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Oz-SBUmZ2M/W2jPWprfiyI/AAAAAAAADKQ/POy61oHl0n08oGAcLjIzpgmnMB2hV300wCLcBGAs/s200/VerbalsCVR.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Verb-Moods-3962040" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SKTTQO-yyjI/W2jPgbT96kI/AAAAAAAADKU/DNf_mSKHA8g91eCb-SjC8PO35S1Tp6qSQCLcBGAs/s200/VerbMoodCVR.png" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-33528277111113993312017-11-14T07:00:00.000-08:002017-11-14T07:00:19.251-08:00Sojourner Truth Speech Writing Activity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Re097RIAdU/WgYpocC56kI/AAAAAAAADJQ/NUktdI8lBoYOqNpXTpQNk5ls2z9OhNXvQCLcBGAs/s1600/TruthWritingBlog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="332" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Re097RIAdU/WgYpocC56kI/AAAAAAAADJQ/NUktdI8lBoYOqNpXTpQNk5ls2z9OhNXvQCLcBGAs/s640/TruthWritingBlog.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman?" speech is short and powerful. I assign this reading during our argumentative essay writing unit and then we analyze it for logic and persuasive techniques.<br />
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I recently started assigning a writing activity to go along with it, and it was successful. I got some of the best writing out of my students all quarter because they wrote passionately. Here's the prompt:<br />
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Write a short, logical, persuasive speech defending yourself against something you have been denied or a stereotype or misconception about you.<br />
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Some examples of something students have been denied are attending an event or place because of age, a request to a parent (allowance, pet, expensive clothes...), membership in a club, a job they applied for, or a class change. Examples of stereotypes of misconceptions are that video game players are lazy, people who get good grades are nerds, athletes are not smart, or girls are too dramatic.<br />
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My students had no problem coming up with something. In fact, many immediately started writing the second I finished writing the prompt. The examples I gave were light-hearted and some were silly, but some students wrote about very serious racial stereotypes and misconceptions, and they said it felt good to be able to communicate what they felt.<br />
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Here's a link to "Ain't I a Woman?" if you want to give this a try:<br />
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<a href="https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/sojtruth-woman.asp">https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/sojtruth-woman.asp</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Argumentative-Essays-Complete-Unit-1842692?utm_source=LT%20Blog&utm_campaign=Truth" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="576" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qQqbYoCrjR0/VpGEQeKAMTI/AAAAAAAACq0/Gj0mb6UnXMwIw6t2hlgNSx79szjHGyAfwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/ArgumentCvrSquare.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Persuasive-Essay-Complete-Unit-188796?utm_source=LT%20Blog&utm_campaign=Truth" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1420" data-original-width="1420" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VVlkSK9FmaA/V5pWS6Jf2aI/AAAAAAAAC4Q/CRPyhVYr2bcQDGIzftbzVXXeVdgAiggJQCPcBGAYYCw/s200/Slide1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Prompts-Research-Papers-and-Argumentative-Essays-1329353?utm_source=LT%20Blog&utm_campaign=Truth" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="576" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L69UtazZSZs/VpgiBpsIbTI/AAAAAAAACsg/YpvuciBX0Do5Y6OwAzLOTrLpwYsij9X8ACPcBGAYYCw/s200/ResearchPromptsCvrSquare.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-64014060777132446652017-10-10T07:00:00.000-07:002017-10-10T07:00:21.658-07:00Using APA format in the Secondary Classroom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-heusyFCll_4/Wcvq4o70KUI/AAAAAAAADIs/IM5Jcnhch5sabI-bfgoysIK8UnFvsP18wCLcBGAs/s1600/APABlogFB.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="332" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-heusyFCll_4/Wcvq4o70KUI/AAAAAAAADIs/IM5Jcnhch5sabI-bfgoysIK8UnFvsP18wCLcBGAs/s640/APABlogFB.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The vast majority of English teachers in middle and high school teach MLA formatting for essays with good reason, as it is what students will most likely be required to use in their first year of college. It is the format used for English and the Humanities, after all. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">But after having taught entry-level writing at several different colleges, I found students won't always use MLA. At one college, all freshman were required to use APA, as the school's majors were primarily in the social sciences. APA formatting is the preferred format for the social sciences, and for many students with majors and careers in these fields, MLA will be nothing but a distant memory from high school.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Teaching APA on the secondary level is useful for several reasons. The most important, perhaps, is that when taught in addition to MLA, it will prepare students for college writing. It is good for students to understand that there are different styles for different types of writing. It will increase their flexibility in the different rhetorical strategies. </span></div>
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formatting, APA style includes headings and sections, which can lead to more
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APA-style papers, literature review or experimental report, will give students
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">APA also has many writing style rules, which can seem overwhelming on the secondary level when we are trying to teach the basics of good writing, but I've found most of these style rules are already the things we are encouraging our students to do, such as writing in active voice instead of passive voice. When I teach APA to beginning composition students, we focus on the formatting and save the style rules for more advanced classes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">There are plenty of APA guidelines online. My favorite is the Online Writing Lab at Purdue, but if you would like some resources on the basics meant for secondary students, I've got some for your here:</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Research-Paper-Complete-Unit-APA-Style-3408777?utm_source=LT%20Blog&utm_campaign=LT%20APA%20Blog" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="647" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HQ81uEdR-PY/WcvnvPz0WxI/AAAAAAAADIg/ObFYXSOZY0cVJRGRXlHzoEG5rkT0lGaXQCLcBGAs/s200/APAResearchPapCovSquare.png" width="199" /></a> <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/APA-Citation-Guidelines-3408787?utm_source=LT%20Blog&utm_campaign=LT%20Blog%20APA" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8mA46wsIVVM/WcvnefZFWVI/AAAAAAAADIc/idCiFYEgtm4ltOXQbupVrrmpAz1vaPwQwCLcBGAs/s200/APAGuideCVR.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-32752413091526204122017-10-03T07:00:00.000-07:002017-10-04T16:59:49.346-07:00Success Writing Prompts - Four Rhetorical Strategies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Prompts-on-Success-for-Journals-and-Bell-Ringers-3385780" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dL60ZSQv_DQ/WbhUBN4fj7I/AAAAAAAADIM/XU5oPJEB4WIgZT6lDO6aCW4k3WWvK5Z-ACLcBGAs/s320/SuccessWritingPromptsCVR.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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There are a lot of good writing prompts out there that ask for an opinion, but there are few that ask for rhetorical strategies beyond that. I created this product to help students practice writing with different methods - expository, narrative, persuasive, and research-based. Each prompt has a quote from a famous person on an aspect of success, and then a writing prompt that promotes critical thinking. Students write in the mode specified at the top of the page. There are ten for each strategy.<br />
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I also created this product in three versions for maximum flexibility: print, digital (for Google Drive and MS One Drive), and a Power Point presentation. Whether you want to hand out copies for students to write on, have students write on the computer, or project a slide and have students use their own paper, you're covered. Click on the picture above or <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Prompts-on-Success-for-Journals-and-Bell-Ringers-3385780" target="_blank">here</a> to get to the product preview.<br />
<br />
<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-59900323923696005502017-09-26T07:00:00.000-07:002017-09-26T12:11:44.257-07:00Extreme Sports Argumentative Writing Prompt<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ruNGDsreztM/WbhJZKGeKiI/AAAAAAAADH4/tYmFMCrNs_U5FghBsCVt0Jq8oiVcg1dPgCLcBGAs/s1600/ExtremeSportsFB.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ruNGDsreztM/WbhJZKGeKiI/AAAAAAAADH4/tYmFMCrNs_U5FghBsCVt0Jq8oiVcg1dPgCLcBGAs/s640/ExtremeSportsFB.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of my favorite activities in class to practice a particular writing skill is to show a short video about a high-interest topic and then give the class a writing prompt after a class discussion. By far, the most engaging topic for this method is extreme sports. The videos are gripping, and everyone pays attention. </div>
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Here are two videos on YouTube about the topic that I like to show together. The first one is some amazing footage of people doing some extreme sports. The second explores the psychology behind it. </div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_2010879308"><br /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAz9hZmcr58">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAz9hZmcr58</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qEbjw_I0-o" target="_blank"><br /></a></span>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qEbjw_I0-o" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qEbjw_I0-o </a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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In the class discussion, we talk about why people engage in these sports, but also the risk, the cost of rescue operations, and the legality of some of the stunts. This discussion always leads to arguments (in a good way!) and therefore, the prompts are easy: Should people be able to engage in high-risk sports in national parks? Should they be required to pay for search and rescue if they get in trouble? Should the deadliest sports be illegal or regulated? Why would someone want to engage in such a dangerous activity? Is the freedom to do what you want worth the risk to rescue personnel? </div>
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I think you'll find a lively discussion on this topic and some excellent written responses.</div>
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If you would like to add some reading to supplement the topic, click on the photos below for informational articles on extreme sports. The reading level is grades 5 - 8, but because of the subject matter, they are appropriate for high school students as well. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Extreme-Sports-Informational-Reading-Bundle-2699991?utm_source=LT%20Blog&utm_campaign=LT%20Blog%20Extreme%20Sports" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FQgEgds-onk/WbhJPEP6ajI/AAAAAAAADHw/Ogzqb9KNgKA8cLx5_0HuDsEHEv7V0GRuACLcBGAs/s320/ExtremeSportsBundleCVR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Informational-Reading-Passage-Extreme-Winter-Sports-2267961?utm_source=LT%20Blog&utm_campaign=LT%20Blog%20Extreme%20Sports" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Wm7yoBWXnw/WbhJS25mpaI/AAAAAAAADH0/dRMbfJmr3uE-yVaXgdd7gHgGfjaYjR_dwCLcBGAs/s320/ExtremeWinterSportsCVR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-26023845801791383762017-09-19T07:00:00.000-07:002017-09-19T07:00:12.836-07:00The 5 Essays You Must Master To Be College Ready<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Essays-Must-Master-College-Ready/dp/1945547189/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8QNrvO6TYIk/WbhBvwg9THI/AAAAAAAADHQ/WeFzRrU2AUYektJUJnD4r5VFXD5tZTdswCLcBGAs/s640/5essaysFB.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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My new book is finally available! After many years of teaching college students who are not quite ready for the demands of college-level writing, I identified the information and practice that they needed in five different rhetorical strategies to be ready. This book incorporates my most successful classroom curriculum, modified for secondary students who are homeschooled or working with a tutor or parent to enhance their skills. </div>
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This is a full program, with exercises, step-by-step processes for each essay type, samples, and clear essay assignments for each essay type. Writing teachers will also find valuable information and projects for their classes. I'll be using it as a textbook for my future classes. </div>
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This baby has been years in the making, and I'm proud it's finally here! Click <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Essays-Must-Master-College-Ready/dp/1945547189/" target="_blank">here </a>to purchase. </div>
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<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-43045273661253842282017-09-12T07:00:00.000-07:002017-09-12T07:00:00.187-07:00The Glass Castle Movie and Book Comparison<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a favorite of my students, so I was excited about the movie that was released in August. I'm hoping it will bring more attention to this book that has so fully engaged my students. You can read about my experience with it in the classroom in my blog post <a href="http://compositionclassroom.blogspot.com/2012/06/glass-castle-in-classroom.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Usually, I'm disappointed with the movie version of any book, and I was worried when I went to see it, because The Glass Castle is dear to my heart. In fact, I was prepared to be disappointed, and even angry if they messed with it too much.<br />
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They did mess with it, but I was pleasantly surprised. Better yet, I immediately saw how this movie would work perfectly with the book for a compare/contrast assignment.<br />
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Some of the changes they made from the book to the movie are evident right away. The main change is that the book opens with Jeannette as an adult, and then tells a linear story from when she was three years old to her adulthood. The movie alternates between her adult self coming to grips with her childhood, shown through a series of flashbacks. It works. There is certainly a different dynamic, but I found it interesting and the integrity of the story held. My first thought after the movie was how this structural differences would be excellent fodder for a comparison discussion with the book. Why did the director make this choice? How did it change the perception of the viewer/reader? Which version was more effective?<br />
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The other changes seemed like necessities of the format, such as skipping over locations and storylines to fit the time constraints. The movie also makes a main character out of Jeannette's fiancé, who is a minor player in the book. These are also good discussion points about how these choices affected the story.<br />
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The Glass Castle is not an easy story. It dredges up powerful emotions in many, and has mature themes and storylines, but it is not easily forgotten. Jeannette's ability to forgive and to craft a bright future for herself are uplifting and inspiring in the end, and the movie brings this into clear focus once again.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Glass-Castle-Resources-264736?utm_source=LT%20Blog&utm_campaign=LT%20Blog%20Glass%20Castle" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1130" data-original-width="1130" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m1nkrZXMuRg/WaYI2y9GEtI/AAAAAAAADF4/EC0UF4irhqQt2iKbOlg6v3AtAqrD0jCpgCEwYBhgL/s320/GlassCastleCVR1.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Glass-Castle-Movie-Book-Comparison-and-Discussion-3341500?utm_source=LT%20Blog&utm_campaign=LT%20Blog%20Glass%20Castle" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1130" data-original-width="1130" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cuRw5Q2liN8/WaYIzFjXi-I/AAAAAAAADF4/hNI4jOxK-qMMaNCygICQ43x6BnF62A_-gCEwYBhgL/s320/GlassCastleMovieCVR.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-34078057904759620282017-09-05T07:00:00.000-07:002017-09-05T16:50:11.690-07:00Discouraging Plagiarism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The bane of my existence in teaching is plagiarism. I do everything I can to explain to students why they should not plagiarize, and I spend a significant amount of time on making sure they know what it is. I even have them take a quiz on it before their first big paper. Despite all that, there are always the cheaters.<br />
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The luxury of being a writing teacher, however, is that I can usually discourage most of the cheating by requiring a process that would make it difficult to turn in a copied paper. Here is the process that I use (which is also just a good process for writing in general):<br />
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1. I ask a specific question, perhaps comparing and contrasting two different articles, or limiting their choice of topic. This makes it harder to find something to copy that fits the prompt. I never assign an open-ended paper.<br />
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2. I require students to turn in sources ahead of time for approval. They are free to change their minds about the sources, but they must email me links to their new sources any time before the paper is due. Sometimes, if the topic is narrow enough, I supply one of the sources as a starting point and require that they include it.<br />
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3. I assign in-class, graded assignments for the paper. Perhaps students will write two or three introductions and then do group work to determine the best introduction for their papers. Maybe I will have them free write a body paragraph, or turn in a finished paragraph for feedback.<br />
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4. I always require a rough draft and rewrites. If they do not turn one in by the deadline, they still have to include one with their final paper, or they don't get any credit.<br />
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None of these alone will deter all plagiarism, but taken together, it would be more work to plagiarize the whole process than just writing a new paper. <br />
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Most important, however, is early intervention for someone who seems overwhelmed. If a student has been absent a lot and not turning in preliminary assignments or in-class work, I take them aside and ask how I can help, and gently work into the conversation that they must be careful not to panic and do something that they would regret later. In my experience, the students who plagiarize are those who have procrastinated or tried to do a last-minute paper and gave into the temptation to try the easy way out. I tell my classes frequently that anything they can accomplish is far better than anything they can copy.<br />
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Here are some resources to help your students understand plagiarism. The first is a free checklist you can use in your classroom and the second is a complete teaching plan with explanations, examples, exercises and a quiz.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Avoiding-Plagiarism-Checklist-2752549" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M0oRlVlFBcc/WZOSQAG-UOI/AAAAAAAADFI/NbXrFtWjKLw3JJelFyBlx22yBOaXYz_5QCLcBGAs/s320/PlagiarismChecklistCVR.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-1165607802272850332017-08-29T13:30:00.000-07:002017-08-29T13:30:27.783-07:00Every day vs. Everyday <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FltvGmVA4j0/WY-adCS9cTI/AAAAAAAADEs/DdEFFohssVIcDykrRVWFU94squ0llihdQCLcBGAs/s1600/EverydayFB.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FltvGmVA4j0/WY-adCS9cTI/AAAAAAAADEs/DdEFFohssVIcDykrRVWFU94squ0llihdQCLcBGAs/s640/EverydayFB.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The most common mistake I see in commercial signage, besides apostrophes, is using "everyday" instead of "every day." It drives me crazy because the difference is simple, and they mean different things. You would think that before a company would spend thousands of dollars printing their ads, they would have a proofreader look it over. Does this grate on anyone else's nerves as much as mine? Below are two of the latest offenders. Props to Firehouse Subs, though, for using an apostrophe appropriately in Kids' Combo.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oVsgwLfQhzQ/WY-atBc3ltI/AAAAAAAADE0/QiHzbdtw_royzpktjyRTMQ6Rbcde5rdeACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oVsgwLfQhzQ/WY-atBc3ltI/AAAAAAAADE0/QiHzbdtw_royzpktjyRTMQ6Rbcde5rdeACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3837.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2OXuRaabMWU/WY-araY3thI/AAAAAAAADEw/ACICgKcoq6Evs04EFmQOQwFyrKvt2ajbQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2OXuRaabMWU/WY-araY3thI/AAAAAAAADEw/ACICgKcoq6Evs04EFmQOQwFyrKvt2ajbQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3592.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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It's also not unusual to find "everyday" and "every day" in student writing. No wonder, since the misuse is everywhere. Here's the simple rule, and a few examples to help ground them in their memories:<br />
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Everyday is an adjective that means "routine, usual, or mundane." Examples: You don't want to wear your everyday clothes to the wedding. Snow is an everyday event in the winter here. Paper plates are our everyday dishes.<br />
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Every day means "each day." Examples: I eat oatmeal for breakfast every day. Every day is a new start. Someone has to walk the dog every day.<br />
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To remember the difference, just remind students that if they can substitute "each day" then "every day" is correct. So the signs above should read "Kids 12 and Under Eat Free Every Day after 4 pm" and "Eat at least 6-8 servings of fruit and veggies every day."<br />
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Easy, right? Now if I could just stop seeing these mistakes every day!<br />
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<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-87467357416051111922017-08-22T07:00:00.000-07:002017-08-22T07:00:10.735-07:00Learning Students' Names (and more!) Activity<br />
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I am a big proponent of learning students' names early on, and several studies bear out the importance of this. In a recent small study of students in a large class, 85% said it was important to them that instructors know their name, but 80% of the students said it was "unlikely" that the instructors could name them. Not only did the students say they felt more valued when instructors knew their name, but they were also more likely to ask for help. I'm on board for that!<br />
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In the past, the most effective method I've used is taking their pictures in groups with each person holding a piece of paper with their name. (See my blog post about this<a href="http://compositionclassroom.blogspot.com/2012/07/memorizing-names.html" target="_blank"> here</a>.)<br />
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I recently read about another method that sounds even better that I'm going to try this Fall, where each student glues a picture of him or herself to a notecard and gives their basic information. I'll modify this by making it a class activity at the end of the first week. I'll take group pictures the first day (many students don't have access to a color printer) and have them cut out their face and glue it to a half sheet of paper with questions on it. I'll include questions to help me also get insight into how I can be the most helpful in their learning process.<br />
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Here's an example of what they will look like:<br />
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I like the idea of memorizing not only their names, but a little about each student. The extra effort will pay off for everyone.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Revising-Paragraphs-in-Essays-232780?utm_source=LT%20Blog&utm_campaign=LT%20Blog%20Student%20Names%20ID" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AcJLSWPO1K8/WYkZy_Ea7VI/AAAAAAAADEc/eK_17510A_c_sCpaHFBVVng9rXAolvg8wCLcBGAs/s200/ParaRevisionCVR.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Research-Paper-Complete-Unit-163762?utm_source=LT%20Blog&utm_campaign=LT%20Blog%20Student%20Names%20ID" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="612" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1JJGLqmgMc/WYkZbtY70RI/AAAAAAAADEU/n5GOU-HGsk8h1OjM-fBs1Qyxz7lefo_WACLcBGAs/s200/ResearchPaperCVRSquare.jpg" width="188" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Revising-Paragraphs-in-Essays-232780?utm_source=LT%20blog&utm_campaign=LT%20blog%20Student%20Names%20ID" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="1276" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l0IJ-FLP1M8/WYkZjYH9M7I/AAAAAAAADEY/pgOI_COzlr4nRvxkakSziJ_P5kZLdFr5QCLcBGAs/s200/ThesisCVR.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-2628038043196392692017-08-15T07:00:00.000-07:002017-08-15T17:12:48.968-07:007 Ideas for Establishing Class Rules and Still be Nice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had my first class with severe behavior issues this past semester. I've had individual behavior problems and small groups with attitudes and lack of motivation, but this was a classroom-wide issue, with just a few students who kept to themselves and away from the majority troublemakers.<br />
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I did a brave thing and asked a group of the troublemakers at the end of the semester what part of this was me. One student, in particular, was honest and said that I came off as "super nice" at the beginning, so they felt like they could run over me. When it turned out that I was actually strict about the rules, it was a surprise, and they pushed back. Everyone agreed. Another student piped in that most teachers come off as strict at the beginning, and then "turn nice," but I was the opposite. Although I was very glad that semester was over (it was so bad, I'd sit in the parking lot in my car beforehand and do breathing exercises), I was grateful that I got real feedback.<br />
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I've been teaching for eight years, so it's obviously not something that will happen with every class that views me as "super nice," but I never want to repeat last semester. So how do I temper "nice" with "strict" right from the beginning? Here's what I'm going to try:<br />
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1. Be consistent from day one with the rules. Always with a smile.<br />
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2. Involve the students more with class rule-making. This is something I always do, but I'll put a greater emphasis on it and even include a writing activity about it. Ownership in classroom management equals better behavior.<br />
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3. Talk personally with troublemakers right away and enlist their help.<br />
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4. Try not to joke about misbehaviors in class that are often humorous. This will be hard, but I'm committed. Sometimes the troublemakers are the cleverest humans.<br />
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5. Repeat the class policies and rules two weeks into the semester. Often students don't remember everything from the first day because of the amount of information they get from each class. I will also have students do a self-evaluation and quiz on the policies.<br />
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6. If a rule becomes an issue (cell phones, anyone?), post a countdown on the wall for motivation (5 days cell-phone free!) with a reward attached to a certain amount of days.<br />
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7. I learned long ago that students respect teachers who hold their ground. They also respect teachers who listen well. I am re-dedicated to letting students know they are heard, even if I don't deviate from policy. I will schedule more time for one-on-one instruction and conferencing.<br />
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I still want to be nice. I want to be perceived as nice. But I won't ever make the mistake of "super nice" again!<br />
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Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-58997949119226778292017-08-08T07:00:00.000-07:002017-08-08T07:00:02.445-07:00Fidget Spinners in the Classroom<br />
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Fidget spinners are everywhere, but do they belong in the classroom? Some say yes, as they are thought to help students with ADHD, anxiety, stress, or autism focus better on their lessons. The hard evidence is purely anecdotal, however, and teachers are likely to say they have the opposite effect, creating distraction instead of concentration. </div>
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There is evidence that fidget devices can help a certain population. Studies have been done that show positive results with small, hand-held items such as putty, stress balls, or even a smooth stone. It stands to reason that fidget spinners could have the same effect, but who is to judge who truly benefits, and who is just playing? A second problem is that unlike these other objects, fidget spinners have a visual component. The spinning, whirring, colorful device is hard not to watch, and that's compounded by the fact that they are excellent tools for doing tricks.</div>
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Almost 11 percent of kids ages 4 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, and many more are undiagnosed. Add to that the number of kids with anxiety, stress, or autism who could also benefit from a fidget item, it's hard to dismiss the possibilities of improved focus for this many kids. Some teachers, however, think they amount to nothing but trouble. One sixth grade teacher famously called them "helicopters of distraction" in a blog post that went viral.</div>
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Whether or not teachers allow fidget spinners or other fidget items in the classroom is becoming a school- and district-wide issue, with some banning fidget spinners outright. Other schools are leaving it up to each teacher to decide what's best for his or her classroom. </div>
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If you want to put the question to your students, I've created two non-fiction articles, pro and con, along with reading comprehension, vocabulary, and writing assignments to help them come informed, reasoned opinions. The reading level is challenging fifth grade through standard seventh grade. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Opinion-Writing-and-Opinion-Reading-Fidget-Spinners-in-the-Classroom-3174291?utm_source=LT%20Blog&utm_campaign=Fidget%20Spinner%20Blog%20Post" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1557" data-original-width="1557" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r0rJxpYgDn4/WTbyzypR-eI/AAAAAAAADB4/wU3wUBLjIjYKRlUij-cmC2Rsbhuv_o00gCLcB/s200/FidgetSpinnerCVR.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Opinion-Writing-and-Reading-DIGITAL-Fidget-Spinners-in-the-Classroom-3176101?utm_source=LT%20Blog&utm_campaign=Fidget%20Spinner%20Digital%20Blog%20Post" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1557" data-original-width="1557" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5ZI2eO8JtQ/WTb5R2wB_2I/AAAAAAAADCI/xLIVAAhI8rY8ONiOXEjyKIevKD7FigNywCLcB/s200/FidgetSpinnersdigitalCVR.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-21444449613068292062017-03-07T07:00:00.000-08:002017-03-08T19:46:46.881-08:00Finding Bias in Non-Fiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fLl8T6L6p_c/WL5A5hBsWAI/AAAAAAAADBQ/iRrkvXu1aA4YP3n9wWp-uTOG5gM1JJzugCLcB/s1600/BiasFB.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fLl8T6L6p_c/WL5A5hBsWAI/AAAAAAAADBQ/iRrkvXu1aA4YP3n9wWp-uTOG5gM1JJzugCLcB/s640/BiasFB.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Critical reading of any text is an important skill for secondary students, and recognizing bias is a fundamental part of the process. It's easy to teach students how to recognize bias in potential sources for research, but it's not as easy with book-length non-fiction.<br />
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When you consider the investment in reading a book-length work, and the artful way the information is often presented, it is not surprising that it is hard to identify bias. Another reason it is difficult is because any work will contain some bias, simply by the necessary choices of what to include, what to leave out, and what point of view to present, among other decisions. I know from my time as journalist that even a just-the-facts story can be presented in a way to promote a particular viewpoint from something as simple as the information presented in the first few sentences.<br />
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I teach units on the non-fiction books <i>The Other Wes Moore</i> by Wes Moore and <i>Zeitoun </i>by Dave Eggers in my classes. Both of these books present stories that are compelling, descriptive, and read like novels. It is easy to lose yourself in the stories and forget to stop and consider the choices these masterful writers are making to present their stories. During discussions about bias with these two books, students have often bristled or become upset when I raise the possibility of bias. This is a good thing. It means they have engaged deeply with the reading, and if there is bias, it matters to them.<br />
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It helps to point out that it's impossible for any writer to present another person's story with complete accuracy, and that they did not set out to manipulate the truth. Both of these books, I argue, come from the authors wanting to tell the truthful stories of their characters, but they also want to promote a particular viewpoint. That necessarily involves crafting a narrative to do so, even while sticking to the facts. (Although in the wake of the hero in Eggers' novel being arrested multiple times for domestic violence after the story ends, many critics wonder if Eggers turned a blind eye to his less-than-saintly qualities.)<br />
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Whatever your approach, here are some questions that can open up a good discussion:<br />
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What information has the author chosen to focus on?<br />
What information might the author have left out?<br />
How does the point of view affect how the reader feels about the characters and story?<br />
How much of the story is re-created by the author's imagination?<br />
Is the author making an argument?<br />
How does the story promote the author's argument?<br />
Could there be an alternative telling of the story, and how might it be different?<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Zeitoun-Complete-Teaching-Unit-3045758?utm_source=compositionclassroom.blogspot.com&utm_campaign=Non-fiction%20Bias" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_C1vmF1fIAk/WL5BIS7WRBI/AAAAAAAADBU/Q8Nm3De0W54t5fvufZChKNyfRTadrAbJwCLcB/s200/ZeitounCVR.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Other-Wes-Moore-Teaching-Unit-2988880?utm_source=compositionclassroom.blogspot.com&utm_campaign=Non-fiction%20bias" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mi4kjxOxRlI/WL5BflRza3I/AAAAAAAADBY/EE7UC76WioAC8sSi6QpdnjGXw18mRhw_wCLcB/s200/WesMooreCvr.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-58617892227100127912017-01-17T07:00:00.000-08:002017-01-22T19:23:45.218-08:00Should Schools Discipline Cyber Bullies?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8DIM4gDQdZg/WHQlCcUnY2I/AAAAAAAADAo/IlR7oA2HoQ4_Xp4fxBBsD_soP-ZQgQkeACLcB/s1600/CyberBlogFB.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8DIM4gDQdZg/WHQlCcUnY2I/AAAAAAAADAo/IlR7oA2HoQ4_Xp4fxBBsD_soP-ZQgQkeACLcB/s640/CyberBlogFB.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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By some accounts, every day, around 160,000 do not attend school because they are afraid of bullies. Those who are afraid and attend anyway are distracted and can't pay attention. Clearly, school administrators need to do everything possible to quell bullying and provide a safe environment for all students.<br />
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More and more, however, the type of bullying these students encounter is through social media or other cyber media rather than physical confrontations, making it impossible for victims to simply avoid the perpetrator via school intervention. School administrators are in a tough position. What if all the activity takes place outside of school hours? Where does school authority end? How can school administrators have the resources to monitor students' social media, and do so without invading privacy? By the time someone reports the abuse, the damage is often already done. It is easy to argue that schools monitoring what students do outside of school hours is an obvious overreach of power.<br />
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The only easy answer is that schools can offer educational programs and teach students smart social media use. This is, of course, only part of the equation, and students set on bullying other students often need a deterrent or discipline to quit the behavior.<br />
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I don't envy school administrators in sorting out this thorny problem. I suggest this topic for a discussion or debate in the classroom. When I used it with my class recently, the opinions and ideas were eye-opening. There was so much fodder for debate, the students couldn't wait to get writing!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Opinion-Writing-and-Opinion-Reading-Should-Schools-Discipline-Cyberbullies-2607493" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EGHsTm1RXLM/WHQlTPMViZI/AAAAAAAADAs/F7Eh4Up5tPAr9ODMVcKQ2TwrNv1c-_-3gCLcB/s200/Slide1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Opinion-Writing-and-Opinion-Reading-Do-Cell-Phones-Belong-in-Schools-2453039" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CqtCmkEPWsA/WHQlYf80p-I/AAAAAAAADAw/F-uFGAzO-t4DGScriTI-qAgrhulN2L6aACLcB/s200/Slide1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Opinion-Writing-and-Opinion-Reading-Tablets-vs-Textbooks-1909023" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dYBmD5ojrwU/WHQlidOgjDI/AAAAAAAADA0/GO5mkNoMfSs2WjU-Jh6YgGaKkS111APngCLcB/s200/Slide1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-82034476275389701632017-01-10T07:00:00.000-08:002017-01-10T07:00:16.979-08:00Out with the Comma? Joining Independent Clauses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m_C3yXX32Fk/WHQPc5ilF5I/AAAAAAAAC_s/P-Epwry78jcyEYIjRwD-nvTts02tgKdzwCLcB/s1600/CommaOut.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m_C3yXX32Fk/WHQPc5ilF5I/AAAAAAAAC_s/P-Epwry78jcyEYIjRwD-nvTts02tgKdzwCLcB/s640/CommaOut.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's seemingly one of the simple punctuation rules: When you join two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction (aka FANBOYS), you need to separate them with a comma. Here is an example. The independent clauses are in blue. <div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">English has many grammar and punctuation rules</span></span>, but <span style="color: blue;">there are many exceptions to those rules</span>. </div>
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This is what I've always taught in my classes, no exceptions. Now, however, I can't ignore the exception to this rule because it's becoming more common in publications, and my students notice. </div>
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If the two independent clauses are short, closely related, and if the comma is omitted, there is no misunderstanding. For example: </div>
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<span style="color: blue;">He completed the assignment</span> but <span style="color: blue;">it was late</span>.</div>
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It's not new; it's in the Chicago Manual of Style and the MLA Style Guide, among others, but it's been largely ignored and doesn't come up in most shorter official grammar guides. </div>
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The trend is definitely toward minimal punctuation, so I'm getting on board teaching the exception, but only so my students will understand when they see it in print. I will, however, require my students to continue to use the comma in their formal writing assignments so I'm sure they understand the rule, and it's not a purposeful omission. I explain that you can't go wrong with the comma. My students know my mantra: Learn the rules (and demonstrate your understanding) before you break them. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Semicolons-Power-Point-Presentation-1221690" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J_1cdwCOvM0/WHQR2THNMJI/AAAAAAAADAI/EPy6oebPr_k7VddJRLAMhq29-W4QjZ0MwCLcB/s200/Slide1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Comma-Rules-Worksheet-1431004" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DT6BYvagc3U/WHQRIYoPrDI/AAAAAAAAC_4/29l9oAAHYoErntsVo-pPa-kjAfiAerkJwCLcB/s200/Slide1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Grammar-and-Punctuation-Pack-1496307" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3LLH_OzKPqU/WHQRPGvfspI/AAAAAAAAC_8/LVKanFlFAnwIW1P8zI2L0ciFa5gRinrVACLcB/s200/GrammarBundleCvr.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-69658418278794643162016-11-25T21:14:00.001-08:002017-07-25T15:56:37.164-07:00Cootie Catchers to Review Grammar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbd7BB8Z4-0kRDbBA7o9aEwy9ZSkJSVECI9XJdmVoNFKVviaCnUuhRvSrvrqIaIYfgRFq7zzJ-oeN1bAeT3hKmn16yX8_FN5m0BKheQGTdzG0Yrbwa-CVxRcYPE_bAXGYh3H2yJr2MTsN/s1600/CootieCatcherBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbd7BB8Z4-0kRDbBA7o9aEwy9ZSkJSVECI9XJdmVoNFKVviaCnUuhRvSrvrqIaIYfgRFq7zzJ-oeN1bAeT3hKmn16yX8_FN5m0BKheQGTdzG0Yrbwa-CVxRcYPE_bAXGYh3H2yJr2MTsN/s640/CootieCatcherBlog.jpg" width="532" /></a></div>
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Let's face it: teaching and reviewing grammar with older students can be boring for the students and the teacher. Worksheets and power points just don't cut it. I'm a big fan of games that involve the whole class (see my blog post <a href="http://compositionclassroom.blogspot.com/2016/02/grammar-game-for-secondary-students.html" target="_blank">here </a>for ideas), but recently I was looking for something that could work for pairs of students. I decided to take a chance on Cootie Catchers for my teen students. I called it "Throwback Thursday" because I was worried they would think it was silly or juvenile, but they instantly had smiles plastered on their faces, and more importantly, they were interested and engaged.<br />
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There are many ways to use Cootie Catchers. My favorite is to have a "speed round" where students, in pairs, go as quickly as they can to answer three different questions from a single Cootie Catcher correctly. When the first partner has done so, they switch places and the second partner has to answer three questions correctly from a different Cootie Catcher. The first pair to finish wins.<br />
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Below are instructions for folding and using a Cootie Catcher, and some links to the ones I have made to review grammar. If you want to make your own, click <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Cootie-Catcher-Template-FREE-2895028" target="_blank">here</a> for a free template.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PmwHG_djiw4/WDkYV0n8L-I/AAAAAAAAC-s/re5vpA6vWj4lhRYsTWJmYB7iehPX-KNIQCLcB/s1600/Slide1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PmwHG_djiw4/WDkYV0n8L-I/AAAAAAAAC-s/re5vpA6vWj4lhRYsTWJmYB7iehPX-KNIQCLcB/s640/Slide1.png" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Subject-Verb-Agreement-Cootie-Catchers-2899154" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-58gv5bauk3Q/WEDWzqNTtZI/AAAAAAAAC_Y/otf0XUXhSCgx5cMRuf8ItGdy1-WxUmpDACLcB/s200/SubVerbCCCover.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Passive-and-Active-Voice-Cootie-Catcher-2894905" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r7eTkV4BGp8/WDoL2pnPz-I/AAAAAAAAC_I/fCwgHiWmpu0bdir6IU_u0-kn2sGWmDRUwCLcB/s200/ActivePassiveCCCover.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Cootie-Catcher-Template-FREE-2895028" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-roxKEKrXsq8/WDoLx9t9gzI/AAAAAAAAC_E/ISDtGwNEzYoeMuCSAtvZdXGnwVLOqLpjACLcB/s200/Slide1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-5394768672604745762016-10-25T07:00:00.000-07:002016-10-25T07:00:08.251-07:00Should School Days be Shorter?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7fY2duOogfc/V6tpzsvwSVI/AAAAAAAAC5g/pcAFGmmDowsDglbsPvCgckX4AyBt1dPDQCLcB/s1600/ShorterSchoolDaysBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7fY2duOogfc/V6tpzsvwSVI/AAAAAAAAC5g/pcAFGmmDowsDglbsPvCgckX4AyBt1dPDQCLcB/s640/ShorterSchoolDaysBlog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A second-grade teacher friend is facing a much longer school day this year. She will have her little charges from 8:15 to 4:30 every day. I suspect she's going to want to crawl under her desk at around 2:30. </div>
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The most surprising thing, though, wasn't the change in her hours, but that the school day for her is actually longer. I've seen more arguments recently for a shorter school day.</div>
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There are many arguments for a shorter school day such as young people needing more time for extracurricular activities, jobs, family time, and just free play, but the most compelling argument I have seen is that kids aren't getting enough sleep, especially teenagers. Lack of sleep can lead to obesity, depression, and of course, lack of focus in school. </div>
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I think it's a myth that teens stay up late because they want to. My own experience and my teens' experience is that there really is enough homework, music lessons, sports etc... to fill up all the hours after school until late at night. Chronic sleep deprivation is a real problem for some teens who are earnest in their studies and other activities. Teens are also wired for a different circadian rhythm than adults. One study showed that with a later start time for school, teens actually slept an extra hour rather than filling it with other things. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 hours of sleep for teens and 10 to 11 hours for younger kids, yet most kids do not get this amount.</div>
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While I can get behind a later start time for secondary schools for the sleep issue, I'm not in favor of a shortened school day. The average school day for an American student is 6 1/2 hours. This is not too long to cover all the different subjects and allow for breaks. Shortened class periods would mean less actual learning time because science labs, for example, still require set up and clean up, and some topics require review before moving on to the next topic. If class periods remained the same length, then classes such as music and art would likely be cut. This would be a tragedy. </div>
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Shortening the school day would also make for a longer school year. State requirements for the number of hours in class would send many schools deep into summer to fulfill the required class time. This brings up what a shorter class day would be like for teachers. Less pay and/or teaching in July? No thanks. </div>
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The students' education, of course if the number one consideration. The sleep issue is a real problem, but there must be other ways to solve it. Perhaps less homework or a later start with a later release time would be beneficial, but the current daily class time seems like the right balance to me. </div>
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If you are interested in having your students take on this issue in a reading, writing, or debate assignment, I have a packet for grades 5 - 7 here. Kids have surprisingly strong opinions about this topic, and it's not always on the side of a shorter day!</div>
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<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-85349842155176063062016-10-16T07:00:00.000-07:002016-10-16T07:00:00.230-07:00Secondary ELA Seasonal Blog Hop: Composition Classroom Shares Halloween Activities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I like to bring in seasonal reading around Halloween more than any other time of year. Students are bombarded with the myths and traditions of Halloween, so I like to bring in some good non-fiction reading that helps them understand and think critically about some of these things. Where did candy corn come from? Are vampire bats really the scary, blood-sucking creatures portrayed in the movies? Here is my seasonal reading pack with four high-interest non-fiction passages, reading comprehension questions, vocabulary, and creative writing prompts. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Informational-Reading-Bundle-2072493" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7XXJU0gS9pqaosLl1AQ1lrX4RjegwrzPbs_PAl5IIP2mLGUh7ijtJnykegWKwFyT2o7sFd3ib7C5A92yWqJKmeqROjE5NdZuchogqAp8gByX_X1Aq0C-odsXXdx3cM23XcNrJI3X2-WUC/s320/FallReadingBundleCover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For my older students, I like an Edgar Allan Poe spooky story and an accompanying class discussion. To make it fun, I use a fast-paced activity based on the speed dating concept. You can use it for any short story. All you need are discussion questions and the instructions on my blog post<a href="http://compositionclassroom.blogspot.com/2016/10/short-story-speed-round-discussion.html" target="_blank"> here</a>. Or you can get my questions and the story "The Black Cat" by clicking on the cover below.</div>
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What's a holiday without treats? I teach an evening class on Mondays, and this year, we'll be stuck there on Halloween, so I'll be making candied popcorn topped with these tags. Easy and cheap. Click <a href="http://compositionclassroom.blogspot.com/2012/10/free-halloween-treat-tags-and-trick.html" target="_blank">here</a> for a blog post with the recipe here, and click on the cover below to download the tags for free.</div>
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Happy, happy Halloween!</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Informational-Reading-The-Truth-About-Vampire-Bats-2070813" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFyam9bmjBdRaYh86m-yQSEGSE4F-P2UShegMBRospnuDr-UzjkLikGA5bTIO8cYIqd6cO-JYdYUrh4ptY0dqeFVeTrzLpYMnyxOq5cEfC35Vj7cGWS5tI_WDblGqZk_OhOW06lp9yn6_/s200/VampireCover.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Informational-Reading-The-Mystery-of-the-Salem-Witches-2071829" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B4BK9b1RktM/WAEBd7A_GwI/AAAAAAAAC90/8SpdwKoA1QodinWJR00Fsz-vfTgi3m6qwCLcB/s200/WitchesCover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-67372524899279972902016-10-14T09:00:00.000-07:002017-07-25T16:03:24.818-07:00Short Story Speed Round Discussion Activity<div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Discussion questions are a great idea to kick off a short story unit,
but the participation of my students has been lackluster with the traditional
format. Enter a fast and fun discussion activity based on the speed dating
concept. This will be my go-to activity on Halloween with a spooky Edgar Allan
Poe story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Every student participates, and the stakes are low for exploring
the answers to questions because they are working one-on-one with each
other for short periods of time. It gets students up and moving, a rare thing
when studying literature. Below are the rules of the activity. You'll
have to make cards with discussion questions, or if you want to save time and
check out mine for Poe's The Black Cat, click <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Black-Cat-by-Poe-Speed-Round-Short-Story-Discussion-Questions-2821610"><span style="color: #420178;">here</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">1. Arrange students in one of the following ways:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">A. Have students form two circles, one inside the other, with an equal
number of students in each. Have students face each other. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">B. Have students stand in two equal lines, facing each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">(If you have an odd number of students, you can participate or rotate
one student out each round.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">2. Divide the cards evenly among one line or one circle of students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">3. Start a timer for two minutes. The student with the cards reads the
question from the first card, and then the students facing each other discuss
the question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">4. When two minutes are up, have the circle or line of students without
cards rotate to the left (for a line, have the last person come to the front of
a line). The students with the cards will put the used question at the
bottom of their pile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">5. Repeat process for about 10 rounds, or as time permits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">If a student gets asked a duplicate question, the student with the cards
skips to a new question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">This activity is perfect for starting a unit, or as a stand-alone
activity. I'll be using "The Black Cat" this year on Halloween, as
Poe is the master of combining spooky and gruesome. The psychology of the
narrator and the symbols throughout leave a lot of room for spirited
discussion. Another favorite is "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-36525508243224091632016-10-11T07:00:00.000-07:002016-10-11T07:00:15.332-07:00Pay for Grades?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Should kids get paid for good grades? As a parent, I did not offer any incentive for good grades, other than a trip out for ice cream on report card day. It was part of an overall philosophy about kids learning to be responsible without a dangling carrot. Along the same line, I never paid for regular chores, either. Doing well in school and pushing back your fair share of the dirt was just a basic expectation. This seemed to work, and I patted myself on the parental back.<br />
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Then along came some life experiences where I realized that my kids were a certain personality type that worked well with this kind of parenting. They had internal motivation to excel. I never had to remind them to do their homework, let alone nag, or come to the point where I considered offering incentives. Enter the life experience. What to do with students who lack the internal motivation? What to do with students who can't be encouraged or cajoled into doing their homework? What to do with students who didn't even care if they graduated from high school?<br />
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I started to read and study about motivation and incentives. The research is all over the place, and sometimes contradictory. Consider the different studies over the years cited by the good folks at Freakonomics. One study showed a program administered by a school offering cash and incentives for improved grades at the end of each term was marginally successful, at best. With only external motivations, and lacking intristic motivation, the incentives mostly failed. Another study showed that immediate gratification improved test scores. Dangle a $20.00 bill for a good test score, and scores improve. Better yet, tell the students they have $20.00, which will be taken away if they don't score well, and the improvement is even better.<br />
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The question remains, then, whether these immediate incentives pay off in the long run, or whether they damage the internal motivation. Many studies I've read, not related to grades, show that generally, when people think they are doing something to help someone else they perform better and complete the task more often than if they are receiving a cash reward. I believe this, and I tend to think cash motivation for grades do more harm than good, for most kids, including the risk of creating a feeling of entitlement. I have learned, however, that one philosophy does not fit all. For students who lack the internal motivation, it might serve them best to offer the carrots to make some progress.<br />
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This is an interesting discussion to have with your students. I'm always curious to know what other parents do, and to compare and contrast how my students are motivated. When I've used this topic in my classes, I'm always surprised how much self-knowledge even younger students have about what makes them successful (or not). I'm curious to know what you think, too. Do you reward your own kids for good grades? How about the students in your classroom? What works?<br />
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I've put together a packet with a pro and con article on this topic at the fifth through seventh grade reading level (Lexile leveled) if you think this would be of interest to your students. It has plenty of options for classwork, group work, and writing assignments.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Opinion-Writing-and-Opinion-Reading-Should-Kids-Get-Paid-for-Good-Grades-1909037" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K-UF_weJ414/V6wI311PT9I/AAAAAAAAC7Q/ZCeP1XhygGsCQ-bqKcSTAxIeAeMKYgT5QCLcB/s200/Pay%2Bfor%2BGrades.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Opinion-Writing-and-Opinion-Reading-Bundle-2-1909076" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fLrAmwAurQQ/V6wJV0xYxdI/AAAAAAAAC7Y/NI3eTzlCV7c-QyhR4Rvx2AVElPJXNsNMgCLcB/s200/Slide1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-5838117142219357962016-10-04T07:00:00.001-07:002016-10-04T07:00:18.153-07:00Fall and Halloween Reading <div style="text-align: center;">
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Fall and Halloween are the perfect time to bring seasonal reading into the classroom. These packets contain high-interest reading topics relating to Fall and Halloween. They also have reading comprehension questions, vocabulary work, and a creative writing prompt. The reading level is in the Lexile stretch band for fifth grade through the basic level for eighth grade. These are zero-prep, so you will have more time to enjoy this spooky season!<br />
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Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-48722955966152883402016-09-27T07:00:00.000-07:002016-09-27T15:51:45.008-07:00Will "Ze" Ever Be?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In my last blog <a href="http://compositionclassroom.blogspot.com/2016/09/its-time-to-standardize-singular-they.html" target="_blank">(click here)</a> about my support for standardizing the singular use of the pronoun "they," I glossed over one of the central issues, which is the use of the gender-specific pronouns "he" or "she."<br />
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Using "they" is not a perfect solution to this problem because there are times it doesn't make sense. </div>
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"Each student must turn in their assignment by tomorrow" is a sentence where "they" flows seamlessly and does not cloud meaning. There are multiple students and each is turning in an assignment. The plural here makes some sense, even if it doesn't traditionally agree. This is how we generally speak, and most would not even notice there is a technical error here. </div>
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"Erin must turn in their assignment by tomorrow" however, sounds strange. Even worse, what if we are still talking about Erin, but want to avoid "he" or "she" (perhaps we don't know Erin's gender, or perhaps we are uncertain of Erin's preferred pronoun): "They need to pick up their reading log at the library." This is where "they" doesn't work. It's not a matter of agreement, it's a matter of defining who we are talking about in the first place. We are talking about one person here, not a group of people. </div>
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Enter the latest gender-neutral pronoun "ze." It would be nice to solve this problem that easily. Ze is not the first gender-neutral pronoun that has been proposed, but it has gained some traction. The problem is, I don't see it being accepted anytime soon in common usage. The reasons are not because it is not practical (it is on every level), but because this type of fundamental change in language is difficult.<br />
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There are words like "blog," "crowd fund," and "tweet" that didn't exist a few years ago but were easily accepted and widely used now, but those are different because they stand for new concepts that needed words. Changing our use of common pronouns is an entirely different matter. It would have to be conscious, careful, and widely understood and accepted. In other words, a deliberate cultural effort.<br />
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In addition, the learning curve is high. When ze (subject) is used as an object, it is "hir" (pronounced here), as a possessive pronoun, it is "hirs" (pronounced heres), and as a reflexive, it is "hirself" (pronounced hereself). The use of these unfamiliar pronouns is not intuitive or currently understood by most. (As I type these words, auto-correct is doing its best to "fix" them.)<br />
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A change like this is not going to come easy, even in academia. When I offered it as an alternative to my first-year college freshman class at a very liberal college, not a single student adopted the practice, even though some were careful to give me their preferred pronoun on first roll call.<br />
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I believe a gender-neutral pronoun will someday be adopted by English speakers, and should be for practical reasons, but I would guess it will be decades from now. In the meantime, "they" is the best we can do.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Research-Paper-Complete-Unit-163762" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LdM4qslOsso/V5pWdu3NVUI/AAAAAAAAC4I/db1MMkXc7TsCzFvhuf9m9H0TGOKw4k6BwCLcB/s200/ResearchPaperCVRSquare.jpg" width="188" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Persuasive-Essay-Complete-Unit-188796" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VVlkSK9FmaA/V5pWS6Jf2aI/AAAAAAAAC4A/y1W7onlLdIg4TTTl7DVToCLzBgmeZM4CwCLcB/s200/Slide1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-69339133508500468342016-09-20T07:00:00.000-07:002016-09-20T07:00:08.451-07:00It's Time to Standardize the Singular "They"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am a fan of the English language and all the messy rules that go with it. I resist change. In formal writing, I do not begin my sentences with coordinating conjunctions. I do not press "send" until I have proofread my text messages. Yes, I am one of THOSE people. I am, however, on the bandwagon to standardize the singular use of the plural pronoun "they." <br />
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Using "they" as a singular pronoun is, by far, the most common mistake in student writing, but perhaps it should not be considered a mistake at all, rather a better option than the clunky and binary "he or she."<br />
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Lately in class, I find myself telling my students that they can use "they" as a singular if they do it purposefully and consistently. I add "purposefully and consistently" because I am wired to teach correct usage, and "they" as a singular is still not widely accepted, especially in formal, academic writing. I want them to be aware of this and understand that they are deviating from what might be acceptable in other classes. (I also want them to be aware of how they are using language in general and not just writing what sounds fine in conversation.)<br />
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Besides the obvious binary gender issue, which is important to many of my students, there is one big reason why "they" should be an acceptable singular: efficiency of language.<br />
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Consider this sentence:<br />
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Kelly or Brennan will organize the committee, but ? or ? will need help with the finances.<br />
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The names Kelly or Brennan are gender-neutral, but require a singular pronoun, according to the rules (if it were "Kelly and Brennan," then the plural "they" would be the correct pronoun), so what if the writer doesn't know whether "he" or "she" is appropriate? Consider the sentence, written according to the rules, even if the writer does know the genders:<br />
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Kelly or Brennan will organize the committee, but she or he will need help with the finances.<br />
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Clunky. It would be easy to make a case for the plural "they" here instead of the "she or he," or guessing the gendered pronouns (or the untenable "...but he/she or he/she...).<br />
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The stickler on my shoulder says, "There could be a misunderstanding! Someone might think Kelly and Brennan are working together!" Granted, the first part of the sentence is clear that one or the other will organize the committee, and the second half states that both of them will need help, but to me, the flow of the sentence with "they" trumps any confusion.<br />
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Also consider the most common situation where "they" would make sense:<br />
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If a student wishes to enroll after the deadline, he or she will need to take his or her petition to the academic counseling office.<br />
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There are a lot of extra words in that sentence and the flow is not good. Previously, if I saw this sentence in an essay written like this, "If a student wishes to enroll after the deadline, they will need to take their petitions to the academic counseling office," I would suggest changing "a student" to "students" rather than changing the pronoun "they" to "he or she" and "his or her." This is a cop-out, because it's simply a workaround to a greater problem. Now, I just let it be, because, frankly, the pronoun "they" works better.<br />
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It will be an uncomfortable shift for those of us who make our livings sussing out the small errors of the written language, but I suspect for almost everyone else, they will be surprised (if they give it any thought at all) that using "they" as a singular was ever incorrect. <br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Grammar-and-Punctuation-Pack-1496307" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CVEtVoVW8Pg/V5maliHwrkI/AAAAAAAAC3c/XrIha2nDokwTxexm6cfyXi0ECxPPb_oswCLcB/s200/GrammarPackCvrSquare.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Commas-Power-Point-Rules-and-Practice-1380121" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EixUsVyDEnw/V5maxOY3UtI/AAAAAAAAC3g/erU0hrZPXv4Ulpl_uOci8Mkp6mLpstznACLcB/s200/Slide1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834603617132081661.post-30805264971615701332016-09-06T07:00:00.000-07:002016-09-07T11:15:12.539-07:00Group Writing Project Resources<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm always looking for group writing activities. Writing is most often a solitary, even lonely, experience, so any time a collaborative project is useful, I'm on board. Here are three I intend to try this year:<br />
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First is an excellent group writing activity that is especially good for freshmen at the beginning of the year, and as a bonus, it integrates technology. This blog explains the professor's project for college freshmen, but it could be easily adapted for a younger crowd.<br />
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<a href="http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/instructional-design/real-world-writing-project-integrating-mobile-technology-team-based-learning/?utm_campaign=Faculty+Focus&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=30770536&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9FFj3x11-BAHcUYiUnZHakShOIIn9joEQ6CaWDEdBhoGn0Tp2fpEgfr542P3x1SaGwoVwhFVlR8ZtIPcxaHaMHpPVyVA&_hsmi=30770536" target="_blank">Faculty Focus Real-World Writing Project</a><br />
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Next is a video of group writing in action from a high school English teacher. It shows her whole process, which is easily adaptable for whatever topic you are addressing, and gives tips to make the whole thing effective. It's interesting that although it is a writing project, the teacher says that the discussion in the most important aspect of the activity.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/high-school-writing-lesson-idea" target="_blank">Teaching Channel - High School Writing Lesson</a><br />
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Last is a fun collaborative poetry project from the Literary Maven. I'm not sure how I will work this into my curriculum yet, but I'll figure something out because it looks like a lot of fun.<br />
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<a href="http://www.theliterarymaven.com/2016/04/collaborative-writing.html" target="_blank">The Literary Maven - Collaborative Poetry Writing</a><br />
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The group writing activity I use most often in my class is one on figurative language. I go over the definitions of six or seven types of figurative language and then show a piece of art. Groups have to come up with an overall thesis, then write one of each type of figurative language relating to the thesis about the artwork. It's easy enough to set this up yourself, but if you want my teaching packet, you can see it <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Figurative-Language-Group-Activity-155654" target="_blank">here</a>:<br />
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<br />Laura Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08820469209545003849noreply@blogger.com7