maybe what it takes to be a genius

It's a really short article and a neat little infographic.

MAP TESTING

Some things to know about MAP Testing.

Students will be testing according to their Math/Algebra class, as the picture shows (the writing in green tells). The schedule for the testing is also in the picture (written in black). 

Students are encouraged to get a good night sleep and have a good breakfast. If they come ready to test, then we're sure that they can do wonderful if they focus on the test and do their very best. 

We will provide students with a small snack during the testing days, but they will need to bring waters. Water will be the only drink allowed in the classrooms during testing. Also, students are encouraged to bring a reading book with them when they test, so that if/when they finish early, they will have something to occupy their mind. Students WILL NOT be allowed to use ereaders or read ebooks on their phones or other devices. 

a new blog that is interesting

I read lots of news and blogs via my Feedly app in Chrome. I like doing this on Saturday mornings because I've got a good chunk of time, and I get to be surprised by what the internet brings me. One of the blogs that I recently found is Farnam Street. I don't know much about it yet, but I know that I like it. Here are a few of my favorite pages, so far:

Finding Time to Read

How to Read a Book

What I'm Reading

I like this blog because, as the About page describes, the goal of the author, Shane Parrish, is to "master the best of what other people have already figured out." This involves lots of learning. And a lot of that learning happens through reading. As an English teacher, I love it.

ten best sentences?

I listen to the local NPR station, KSMU, every day when I drive to and from school. I believe KSMU is a great asset to listeners in southwest Missouri. I also frequent the NPR website, which I use for a wider variety of stories that are not carried on local programming.

Last week NPR ran a story about sentences which I really enjoyed. I figured that I would share that story here, as well as a few related stories, since this week we're looking very closely at sentence level writing and revision.

NPR article: "It Was The Best Of Sentences ..."

The American Scholar article: "Ten Best Sentence"

Poynter article: "Why these are the 'Ten Best Sentences'"

What is your favorite sentence from a book that you've read. I'll add mine below in the Comments, and then you can add yours too.

a time to look back and gaze forward

Third Quarter Feedback Form

The Pirates of Penzance

I Am a Pirate King - song lyrics

Pirate Dictionary - use to translate text into pirate talk

Building Background - articles to read

Field trip is scheduled for Friday, March 28, 2014. Students will leave Pleasant View at 11:45 and travel to Missouri State University to watch a portion of the musical The Pirates of Penzance. Students will return to Pleasant View at approximately 2:30.

3rd Quarter Reading Reflection

Please click on the link below and honestly and thoughtfully respond to all the questions.

3rd Quarter Reading Reflection

Poetry Presentation Project

This week we'll be working on our Poetry Presentation Projects. Students should have memorized their chosen poems already, and quite possible spent some time analyzing their poems on their paper. This will place them in good standing through the week, as we actually put the presentation together.

Students will be using Google Presentation, which is very much like Microsoft Powerpoint, to make the actual presentation. The pink piece of paper that details the entire assignment (this should be in the students' second section--Reading section--of their English binders) shows what should be included on each slide. Below are four links: two finished examples and two "templates" for students to use.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE
*ask questions when you're not sure about something
*if you're worried about time limits, come in early or stay late--FRIDAY is our due date
*I want all students to be successful--if you have concerns, talk to me. I can't read minds.

FINISHED EXAMPLE - "Mama is a Sunrise" by Evelyn Tooley Hunt
FINISHED EXAMPLE - "To Anthea, Who May Command Him Anything" by Robert Herrick

TEMPLATE - no theme, just headers with blank slides
TEMPLATE - paper plane theme, just headers with blank slides

online search stuff

Here's a cool post from Edudemic:

30 Search Engines Perfect for Student Researchers

It includes a really neat infographic on online research methods.

poems for January 16th

We're going to dive headlong into poetry, first by seeing the direction we will be taking this quarter, and then by reading a bunch of really good poetry.

Poems to be read on January 16th.