Virtual Book Chat

Happy Halloween!

I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate Halloween than to read some great Twitter Fiction!  Today we will be reading an example of Twitter Fiction that uses multiple tweets to tell an extended story.  Like yesterday's class you will need to use post it notes to record your questions, comments, and reactions to the Twitter Fiction.  However, we will also be engaging in a virtual book chat.  Use the link below to join our private meeting space for the books chat.

http://todaysmeet.com/cre8tive

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Reading Reflection #7

It's that time of the week again!

Reading Reflection (350 words):
Use your post it notes to help you create a posting where you discuss your reading progress.

- Your reflection should be in full sentences/paragraphs, and focus on your questions, comments, predictions and text connections.
- Please don't retell the plot of your novel, instead react to it.
- Dont' Forget to share your questions, comments, predictions and text connections.

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The thing I do for my students!

Hey everyone, I have huge favour to ask!

Last weekend I attended a PD day with Discovery's Educators Network. Part of the Halloween theme of the PD was to offer a Nexus Tablet to the teacher with the best costume. Could you all take a minute or two and use your iPhone/smartphone to go online and vote for my costume? I only have until midnight Monday to get my votes in!

Click on the link and vote for my "living tablet" costume!

http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/blog/2012/10/22/the-2012-virtcon-costume-contest-vote-now/



If I win the tablet I promise to bring treats for the class!

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Publishing Day!

Today is publishing day!

(1) Post your poems up the hallway outside the room.
(2)Take a minute to read the poems of your fellow classmates. Leave five post it note comments/observations of the poems of your fellow classmates.
(2) Take photos of your poems, and post pics of all three of your poems on your blog.
(3) E-mail pics of all three to me not48effect@photos.flickr.com
(4) Select your best poem at visit:

http://newspaperblackout.com/submit

Fill in the form with the following info:

• a title
• your name
• age
• city, province, country
• link to your blog

Attach pic of poem, and you are DONE! Congratulations you've published your trio of poems!

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Just a Writing Reflection

Hello Everyone!

I was working in the office on Friday, and many of you were away at the University presentation (good for you!) and today I am away at the Manitoba Teacher's Society.  I will be back tomorrow, and when we will be wrapping up your Newspaper Blackout Poetry. But for today we are going to do something different.  This week you are just going to do a Writing Reflection on the three topics listed below.


Writing Reflection (500 words)

This week's writing reflection is going to be a bit different.

(1) Given all of the "post high school" thinking we have been doing these days (Mrs. Trenholm from Guidance came to present, the university and college presentations), discuss the specific ways you can use your blog to help you pursue your goals after high school.  Keep in mind that everybody has different goals for after graduation (job, apprenticeship/internships, travel, scholarships, university, college). So how can you use your blog to achieve your goals?

(2)I would like you to visit 3 classmates blogs, and leave meaningful and significant comments that encourage a discussion. When you leave a comment, I want you to cut and copy the page specific blog address/URL and post it in your blog as part of your Writing Reflection.

(3) I also want you to discuss how the process of commenting went:

• Where did you leave comments? Why did you select that post to comment on?
• What are the characteristics of a "good" comment?
• What are the characteristics of a "bad" comment?
• What are some benefits to commenting on other people's blogs?
• What are the benefits to receiving comments on your blog?

So this week's Writing Reflection would look like this:

Weekly Reflection #6

 

Question#1

 

 

 

Question #2

 

 

Question #3

 



Comment #1

http://ryanbruce45.blogspot.ca/2012/04/super.html#!/2012/04/thoughts.html

Comment #2

http://bacdcw.blogspot.ca/2012/03/personal-addition-2.html#comment-form

Comment #3

http://bethradons.blogspot.ca/2012/03/personal-addition.html#comment-form

The first comment I posted was on Ryan's blog. The reason why I posted a comment is because his discussion of superheroes got my really thinking. Why do we as a society have superheroes, and what do they reflect about our values? Even more exciting, what super power would you have if you were a superhero? Why? I think that by commenting on Rayn's blog, we can take a relatively every day topic like superheroes, and start to think about how society works and why . . .

The second comment I posted was . . . .

The third comment I posted was . . .

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Yowzer! We've been busy!

I'm just in the process of going through the blogs to mark individual assignments, and I realised just how busy we've been this semester.  Many people are keeping up just fine, but it looks like many of you could use a class to just make sure that all your assignments have been posted, and that your blogs are up to date.  SOOOO, today is that class!  We are pushing the pause button on Reading/Writing  Reflections this week and instead we are having a catch up class.  See me for a list of all the assignments thus far this semester, at off you go!

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Austin Kleon Likes Us!

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Weekly Reading Reflection #5

Name the ficitonal character that would have this iPhone in their pocket:

Now it's your turn to get creative!  Your Reading Reflection for this week is to design an iPhone with ten apps that are specifically created for a character in the book you are reading. Each app must be accompanied by a two sentence discussion of what the app is, and how it is useful to the character. You will also need to design a skin or case for the back of the phone that connects to the character's personality/interests.  

Once you've created your iPhone apps and a case, be sure to take a pic and post it on your blog.

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"Creativity is Subtraction"

I recently heard about Newspaper Blackout Poetry, and thought we should give it a spin in Creative Writing class.

Here's two videos to give somebackground:

A sample of Austin Kleon's Blackout Poetry:

Creative Writing 101- By Austin Kleon

http://www.austinkleon.com/

Some links to explore:

http://www.austinkleon.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/deathtogutenberg/sets/72157594575556771/

So here we go!

• You are going to create a trio of Newspaper Blackout Poetry.
• All poems in the trio must relate to one another through a common theme.
• Each poem must have a title.
• Your poems are going to be displayed in three ways: On the walls in the hallway, on your blog, and submitted to Austin Kleon's blog.

Ready, set, blackout!

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Blogging Field Trip!

Well ladies and gentlemen, you've all been working hard to establish your own little piece of the blogosphere. In today's class we will be taking a cyber field trip, to the blogs of your fellow classmates. Take some time today to explore the blogs of your classmates, investigate what they've been doing, and contribute to their blogging learning, by posting comments.  While everyone needs a cheerleader, please ensure that your comments are more than "great job". Instead, try ask questions, and start conversations.  Make sure you pay particular attention the newly posted "Six Word Memoir" projects as well.

Not sure where to start? Visit the sidebar (--->)to see your fellow students blogs, select a blog that looks interesting and off you go!

While you are off visiting other blogs, use the chatroom posted below to keep the class conversation going, post links to other students blogs, and invite people to yours:

http://todaysmeet.com/havoc

?? Ms. McLauchlan- How many comments should I post?  Well, you have all class! But the blogging rule of thumb is for every item you have posted on your own blog, you comment on at least two other people's blogs. 

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Reading and Writing Reflection #4

Reading Reflection (250 words):
Use your post it notes to help you create a posting where you discuss your reading progress last week.

- Your reflection should be in full sentences/paragraphs, and focus on your questions, comments, predictions and text connections.

- Please don't retell the plot of your novel, instead react to it.

Writing Reflection (200 words):
Your 6 "Six Word Memoirs" are due tomorrow, so let's take a minute to reflect on the process!

- How did it go? Was it an "easy" or "hard" assignment? Why?
- What did you learn about this microform of writing?
- What surprised you about the project?
- Which part of the project did you prefer? Writing the words or creating the visuals? Why?
- What did you learn about yourself as a reader/writer/thinker/creator?
- Comments/concerns/sources of confusion regarding the course so far?

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