Cycle 2, We Barely Knew Ye

Wow! We've only just started the year, and the cycles are rushing by rather quickly. The second cycle  ended yesterday, and the third cycle promises to move with similar celerity (do you like how I used one of our vocabulary words there, seniors?).

During the second cycle, students began interacting in a classroom without walls, though participating in discussions via the class message board:

Our first topic related to an Edweek article regarding the trend of digital cheating in classrooms across the country. Students weighed in with their opinions and commented on each other's posts as well. Throughout the year, the message board will feature discussions relating to current events and issues, and students will be challenged to "use their words" eloquently and passionately to communicate and support their perspectives.

As we enter the third cycle, our emphasis will be on planning and composing college essays.  Yes, it's that time of year! Day by day, students will make progress on their essays. Parents can definitely take an active role in this unit by discussing college plans and offering constructive feedback on essay drafts.

Tonight is Back-to-School night, and I am looking forward to meeting the families of the wonderful people I am blessed to call my students.

One Cycle Down!

Today officially concludes the end of the first cycle of the school year.  The past two weeks have been filled with the usual back-to-school organizational tasks, course overviews, and introductions, but they've also been full of surprises and revelations. Though we've only been in school for a single cycle, the incredible talents and colorful personalities of the Class of 2013 have already begun to emerge.  

One of our first projects of the year involved composing a "six-word memoir," inspired by the compilation we viewed together in class.  Here is a glimpse at a few of the memoirs submitted by seniors:

Students can access the full compilation through their Google Apps accounts. 
 
This cycle we have also been hard at work on the first of many essays to come. Over the summer, the students read Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, and they are currently working in collaborative groups to explore modern-day connections to the book.  It's quite a rush to circulate during a typical class period and hear students discussing topics such as the impact of technology on society and the self, the influence of the media on intellectual and moral development, and the quest for a meaningful life in an era characterized by instant gratification.  

This brings us to the quote of the week, overheard in one of the groups today as they discussed the pursuit of knowledge in the digital age: 

"Instead of asking God for the answers, we're asking Google!"  

All in all, we're off to an excellent start this year. 

Welcome!

Throughout the year, this blog will serve as a wonderful way for the students in all sections of English 12 to connect with each other and with their families, and to share the important work that we do with a larger community of learners.  Stay tuned!