Monday, August 30, 2010

More Creativity

My daughter and a friend did light painting the other night.  This picture was created without photoshop or anything other computer manipulation.   

Here's another example using the same basic technique:

Me-Bag Assignments

Don't forget to bring your Me-Bag on the day you signed up to present it.
September 1
Liam
Hannah
Rachel
Karla
Megan
Brogan
Brice
Monica
Kennedi

September 3
Kenzie
Heidi
Madi
Robyn
Skye
Taylor H.
Katie
Courtney
Emmalee
Miranda

September 8 (Don't forget over the long weekend!)
Elise
Libby
Drew
Kyle
Austin
Kastan
Brody

On the day you've signed up for, bring a bag or other appropriate container (perhaps one that reveals something about you).
Inside that bag you should have 6 to 10 items that represent you -- who and what you are, where you've been, where you're going.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

August 30, 2010

 August 30, 2010

Hand in disclosure signatures and VIP forms if you have them ready to return.  They are due by next time.
Don't forget your composition books.

  1. Bell-Ringer: Responding to  poem/ writing about summer 
  2. See the class blog. 
  3. Students continue to share their "headlines."
  4. Receive the Me-Bag Assignment.  . . .
  5.  The Writing Process -- What is it?  What is yours? (circles?)
    Next time:

    PREWRITING is what you do to get ready to write (draft).
    We use PREWRITING to
    -- Gather Ideas and Details
    -- Focus (narrow) the topic
    -- Decide on a tentative organization for the piece
    Much of PREWRITING happens before we start to draft (actually write it down), but we often go back to PREWRITING activities when we need more ideas and details, or need more focus, or decide to modify the organization.

      August 26, 2010

      August 26, 2010
      Students wrote about how they feel about the alphabet, while munching on Alpha-Bits cereal.
      If the student has a composition book, this should go on the third page.

      Students received their disclosure documents and took an open-document quiz.   The signature sheet is due September 1.

      Students wrote headlines about their own lives, and we began sharing the stories of our headlines.

      Tuesday, August 24, 2010

      Extra Credit

      Look through this blog -- no further back than the month of August of this year -- to find Neil Gaiman's blog post, then to find out what the bowl of food that was given to the Doctor tastes like.  The first five people to  email me or tell me the answer will receive 5 extra credit points -- if they do it by September 3. 

      What We'll Write This Year

      Lots!!!

      Our main emphasis will be on
      September:  our own stories (memoir/personal narrative)
      October:  making up stories
      November:  reporting true stories and other information -- creatively
      December:  poetry and poetical prose

      Saturday, August 7, 2010

      Neil Gaiman's Blog

      Click here to read about Neil's experiences writing an episode of Dr. Who. 

      Neil Gaiman wrote Stardust and Coraline, among many other things.  I can't recommend all of his books -- some of them are too "adult" for me!  However, he has written some wonderful things. One of my favorite books in the world is The Graveyard Book

      Dr. Who is a BBC science fiction television show that has been going on for many years.