Schedule April 14-17

Monday:  Slam Poet - response required.  See previous post.

Tuesday:  Busy Busy!  Math contests, Passover,...

Genius hour set up for Wednesday - we will be skyping and /or facetiming with ELL students who are just getting started with their Genius Hour projects too.  You will be offering feedback and sharing your project proposals to get feedback too.

Our challenge:  to communicate effectively with ELL students who have limited language skills.  Tomorrow we will spend a few minutes coming up with some tips.

The rest of the time will be spent on your genius hour  projects.


Milk Run is tomorrow (Tuesday) - for all gr 8-10 classes!  
Bring donations for Block 1:  In support of the Right to Play 
It will begin at 10:25 and follows the same route as the Terry Fox Run.  Come prepared with clothing and shoes for rain or shine as it may be showery.
Hint:  the route can be walked easily in 20 -25 minutes which would give you a longer lunch, but if you dawdle and meander the "teenage way" then you will have a shorter lunch.


Wed - double block.  1 block paired up with your peers from Semiahmoo.

Second block:   Student satisfaction ministry of Ed surveys.
Get ready for Act II of Julius Caesar!

When we last left off our hero, Brutus was faced with a dilemma.  What will he decide?  Will Cassius successfully deceive our hero, Brutus, into joining the conspirators, or will the stoic use his better judgement and stay true and loyal to our fair ruler, Julius Caesar?  

Only time (and the reading of Act II) will tell the tale.... 

Additionally, we will be completing some self-evaluations to attach to your report cards.

Guess what's coming up next - for those who want to get a "head start" or need more time for writing:

You may start your Act II/III essay - see your anticipation guide.  You will only need to write one essay - we will combine the Act II and III choices for you this time. 

But not next time.... mwah ha ha ha!  (Sorry - late night and I think I am starting to channel our good friend Jonathan, or maybe I am just having fun with "wordplay" after Zack's performance today. :)

Happy Easter Weekend Everyone!

Enjoy time with the Family and a bit of the ourdoors in our spring sunshine :)

"Slam Poet in the House!"

Happy Monday in April - Poetry Month!

Thank you "Zaccheus Jackson is a three-time VanSlam team member, two-time Vancouver Individual Slam champ, 2007 GrandSlam Champ and three year Word Play veteran. He has an obsession w/ Heniz Ketchup, never touches dimes, and his gritty, rapid-fire, real-life stories will leave you counting syllables in your sleep."  (copied directly from the Vancouver Poetry House website - under "Wordplay", then  "Our Poets"

For sharing your Slam Poetry and your stories with us today at Fraser Heights.  He is part of the  Vancouver Poetry House poets - great links and resources her for poets and educators young and old!  To discover more about Zack - "Google" him!

A little more background for you:

What is Slam Poetry?

Write your own Slam Poetry in 5 easy steps! Video, and discussion.  Great links to resources for everyone - how to get involved, start a club, workshops, events, competitions, podcasts and more!

Homework: Add your comments and feedback - either under comments below or as a post on your own blog (this will allow you to add links, visuals or even a video of your own performance).  Choose 1 of the following - 

1. What did you think of Zack's performance at Fraser Heights?  
2. What do you think of the Slam Poetry "genre" or movement?  
3. Discuss:  Poetry is an art form.
4. Were you inspired? Write your own slam poem and/or audio/video record your poem and link it here.  See some of the videos above or links to help you out.  Be brave - give it a shot!

Minimum expectation - 1 paragraph.  (Remember to introduce your topic - as your audience will not have attended our performance at FH.

PS:  last assignment before marks cut off this week :)

Portfolio Student - Led Conferences, Julius Caesar Essay and Course Verifications

Portfolio / Student Led Conferences:

A number of you did not yet return your portfolios and / or your student-led conference forms to Ms Lees.  If you have not done so by Friday, you will be receiving an "I" in the near future.

Julius Caesar:
You need to choose one of the five topics from the Act I Anticipatory Guides (in your second handout booklet today) to complete your:

• brainstorm
• outline
• double-spaced draft

Course Verifications:  need to email Mr Emerson by Friday

***If you are interested or have questions about the new course - Project Design and Development for gr 9-12, come to room 213 (Ms Lees' room) at 11:30 lunch time on Thursday.  Speak to Ms Lees and students in the course. ***

Challenge for you: Are you getting bored this spring break?

Here is a video remix to "What does the Fox say?" by some elementary Mr Seliskar's students in the US.

"What does the text say?"

What does the text say?

The Challenge:  Theirs is referring to text - reading in particular.  Can you make a different one?  We can share it with Mr. Seliskar's class :)

Note:  No, this is not homework.  Just thought some of you might be itching for a creative challenge to have fun with word play and music remixing :)

Hope you all are having a good spring break!

Finishing Poetry and Introducing Genius Hour! (Last week before spring break!)

Flex:  Monday - 11:15 for En 10 students only!

          Tuesday / Thursday: 11:30 Last Chance to show me completed reflections / portfolio 

          and get letter to take home with portfolios before spring break!  

          They will need to be returned by Friday with comments from parents.  

         ***Mandatory flex list - If you are unable to make these times - 

                                                please communicate with me via email

In class:  Lots to talk about!  Wrapping up poetry this week and introducing Genius Hour!  Also - showcase evening / Tech night for parents! Other suggestions?

Monday:  review of your last practice poetry analysis handouts (Crossing The Bar and Heroes)

 ***Setting up blogs this week - fhlearn - for individual portfolios and blogger for group blogs.  These will be needed after spring break.***

                * handing in your lit circles data 

                *handing in your lit circle novels

Introduction to Genius Hour! Ideas, proposal process, etc. Proposals will need to be completed by Wednesday so I can conference before spring break so that you will not have extra work.  You may Google Genius Hour for some ideas or look at my other class blogs for ideas.

Four Basic Principles of Genius Hour:  It is a form of inquiry or Project Based Learning

Go to www.fhlearn.ca/vlees  and under the PDD tab you will find some useful resources to help with the first and second steps outlined below.  This will be part of your homework to gain further background knowledge.

First step:  Understand the difference between Projects and Project Based Learning

Second Step:  Understand that there are different kinds of PBL - e.g.. challenge based or 

                      problem-based learning.

Your Project should not simply be a "research and regurgitate" project.  

1. Must include research component - therefore also must be able to organize and cite your references.
2. Must have some new learning - skills, content, or both.
3. Must be publicly shared - Presented in some fashion.  Ideally to involve an authentic audience at some point.  Key:  Your presentation should aim to be creative, include your audience in some way, include process and product if it fits your project, think similar to TED talks.  
4. Must include include metacognitive or reflective thinking throughout the process and after your presentation.

Be prepared to be very explicit in sharing your your thinking in the proposal.  The clearer and more complete your proposal is before we conference - the better your project will be.

Begin Thinking about:  

                              What do you want to do and why? 

                              Who do you want to work with and why? You may also work alone.

                              How will you archive your process? Why did you choose that particular method?

                              Draft out your anticipated timeline - Final project deadline is end of May. You may 

                              finish before.  

                              How and when do you anticipate seeking feedback through peer review?

                              How do you anticipate sharing your learning? How/Why did you choose this format

                              or method?

                              How will you know that your process and final presentation has been successful?  

                              ***In other words you will be deciding and creating the criteria for your project - 

                                    with my help of course :)  ***

Tuesday:  Finish your proposals - start conferencing with me if you are finished early.

                          Last poetry assignment - due Friday at the beginning of class.

                          

Wednesday:  Poetry quiz - moved to Wed so that if you are still needing some help 

                                  you can come to flex on Monday - Wed.

                                 Conferencing with students on genius hour proposals while you work on 

                                 your final poetry assignment.

Friday: Hand in your final poetry assignment.  Poetry books returned too.

                     *Last call for portfolios to be returned and parent comments handed in.

                     *Spring Cleaning Reflection - written in class*

Happy Spring Break!

                              

Giving you all a break... Poetry Term quiz will be on Friday

Decided everyone was seeming a little anxious today with preparing for student led conferences so I will give you a break and move the poetry term quiz to Friday.  You will have tomorrow to finish your reflections for student-led conferences.

PS  Can you go to the Google doc of your "This I Believe" assignments and give them a catchy title?

Reminder also that this will be your last lit circle discussion - please finish the novel and prepare 2 quotes for discussion.  

Revised - Friday's plan:  Lit circle groups first block
                                       Quiz second block - poetry terms
                                       This I Believe - film review, feedback
***No homework for the weekend - unless you are doing your student led conference at home with your parents***

Busy Busy Week!

Go to http://www.fhlearn.ca/vlees/ for details.

Quiz:  terms will be on Tuesday, Lit circles - finish novel by Friday double block day