Reminder: What should a basic "meets standards" blog post look like?

This post is for students who are struggling with how to structure a basic blog post or relying too much on retell.  Please remember that your blog is a place for you to RESPOND to your reading, not to retell the plot or to merely "review" it.  I want to know where your mind wanders while you are reading or after you put the book down.  If you don't naturally do this, the discipline of having to write a response weekly will help you practice.

Keiame and Mustafa both have great mentor posts that demonstrate this.


Paragraph One: Draw your reader in with an interesting lead.  Give the reader a few sentences of context (character, setting, conflict) so he or she has the basic idea of what is going on.

Paragraph Two: Introduce your THEORY, or your idea about what the book is actually about. Your theory can be about any macro idea or micro detail that is interesting to you. Then, UNPACK your theory...which means you can elaborate on why you believe it or how you came to it to begin with. You can use textual evidence to unpack your theory. 

Paragraph Three: CONNECT your theory to the world outside of the story.  What does the author want you to know, feel or think?  Can you relate to it at all? What does this story have to say about the world or people?

Once you have mastered this basic structure, please feel free to experiment and be creative in your responses. There are plenty of great examples/all star mentors of this, especially HERE.  

The Fifth Annual Scarlet and Gray Day! Class Pictures and Contest Winners!

First Quarter Reading Challenge Participants! Everyone read at least 1,200 pages and up to 5,000!

Harry Potter 7 Reread Book Clubs...

Before you start your epic (and FOCUSED) post about Harry Potter, please visit my blog to review all the different threads that were discussed. This might help you narrow down the options (or realize that there are endless threads to be discussed in Harry Potter, which is why we'll reread it forever).

So, 804 blew me out of the water.

There were too many great things to have a single all-star mentor this week.  Here are my highlights and what made reading blogs feel like leisure rather than work:

All Star Creative Writer of the Week: Annie Futterman

All Star Great Connections and References to Other Texts of the Week: Jesse Naranjo

Analyzing the Cover as Art: Susan Guaman

Digging deeper into the true issue: Kai Junn Lathrop

Seriously great post *and* thought provoking comment threads: Nathalie Pages and Molly Smith

Passionate and honest voice: Audrey Bachman, Nora Dellafera, Louis Bonnet (Nora's contains Harry Potter spoilers...be careful!)

Well written, poetic connections and multimedia: Pia Wahlston

 There were others, as well, but I am running out of time. Keep up the good work, 804! AND many of you need to start commenting!!

Is there a social justice issue in your book?

Here are some questions that might help you locate where social justice issues might be lurking in your independent reading books...

1. Is this story fair? Why or why not?

2. How does this text deal with individuals and groups? Are the people acting alone and in competition with each other, or does the text help us imagine people working together?

3. What really hard things are happening in this book? Are these things happening in the world now? Where?

4. How different are people allowed to be in this text? Does it assume everyone is happy and good in the same ways?

5. Who has "power" in your book? How does it get shown? Is if fair?

6. At what points do you notice yourself resisting the book, characters or author? What does your resistance say about the book, and what does it say about you?

813's All Star Mentor of the Week: Hannah Seitz

Hannah is an excellent writer, as you will see when you read her post HERE. She can weave together small moment narration and interpretations of a book--and it's all so engaging.  Her blog is hands-down always thought provoking!

813 had a great week for posting. Other favorites:

Mustafa (a good mentor for structure)
Jenifer (a good mentor for processing through an issue)
Pip (a good mentor for going deeper)

I saw a lot of improvement based on the lessons in class in your posts this week, 813.  I also enjoyed the creative writing aspects many of you have added. Keep up the good work!

812's All Star Mentor of the Week: Malik Padellan

Not only was Malik an all star mentor in the writing of his post (he looked at lines from "World on Fire" really closely), he was an all star COMMENTER! Please remember that you need to be following and responding to at least 3 of your classmates posts.

804 All Star Mentor of the Week: Max Piersol!

One thing I'm looking for in your blog posts is whether you are retelling too much versus whether you are developing a theory about the book you are reading (remember our Charlotte's Web work? A theory can be a big idea you come up with based on a micro or macro detail...)

Max came up with an interesting theory based on his reading of It's Kind of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini. Read his post HERE. Check your entries to see if you have been coming up with theories or retelling too much.

804 in a vocabulary review game frenzy!

World On Fire Video Link

If you want to rewatch the "World on Fire" video we watched in class, you can find it HERE.

804's All Star Mentor of the Week: Pia Wahlston!

Pia's post about Looking for Alaska is beautifully written. Enough said.

812's All Star Mentor of the Week: Nushrat Anisha!

Anisha's post was like reading a letter from a friend. Her voice sounded sophisticated and she made some solid connections with her Harry Potter reading experience.

813's All Star Mentor of the Week: Keiame Lee-Chong!

This week's honor goes to Keiame, whose post was extremely well written and engaging. I loved how she started the post with truly thought provoking questions...not the cliched kind of questions. They really got me thinking as a reader and as a person!

The beginnings of community: the art (and fun) of the comment.

(Much of this is adapted from Ms. Rear's post. Thanks, Ms. Rear!) 


So now that we've all started posting about our reading, it's time to begin interacting with each other by responding to each other's blog posts.

In order to create a tighter knit reading community, you are now required to create a "blog roll" (or "link list") of the blogs that you want to keep up with regularly.  You are required to comment on at least 3 blog posts from your class weekly.  My hope is that you will get to know each other better as readers (and nonfiction writers) and that you will learn from one another. I  will be checking these responses.

A good, thoughtful blog comment might:
* praise interesting ideas in the original post
* ask for clarification of any unclear parts of the original post
* add the responder's own thoughts to original ideas to build strength
* contradict or challenge (respectfully!) by explaining another aspect or asking a question to further dialogue
* contain connections (to the self, the world, another text, or another part of the same text) to deepen thinking about the post

***  AND good, thoughtful blog responses  always
* are respectful and coherent
* use standard vocab, spelling, and grammar (so that everyone can understand)
* show consideration of the original blogger's work and thought

Putting your best foot forward: Lesson #1

Part One: Grammar
One of the biggest differences between writing that stays in your notebook and writing that gets published online is that you have to be on your A-game when it comes to formatting your reading responses.  When you are emailing or texting your friends, that is a different kind of writing and a lack of conventions (following grammar rules) may be appropriate. Our blogs, though, are a way of practicing writing in an academic setting.  Please practice using academic writing on your blogs. I'll be looking for the following conventions that you should already be familiar with on your blog:

• Underline (or italicize) and capitalize the title of your book
• Use purposeful paragraphs when you switch to a new topic or idea
• Capitalization in general: you know what gets capitalized! Don't scare me! 

Part Two: Write for an Audience

Your thoughts are no longer living in your notebook and your peers will be reading your thoughts.  That means that you need to write with your audience in mind.  It is important to think about the following: 

• Give your reader a bit of context so that he or she can understand what you are writing about. Context can be attained in 1-2 sentences and includes the title of the book plus a brief introduction to the character, setting and conflict. For example, "I have been reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, set in a dystopian, futuristic society that forces 12 children to participate in an Olympic-style game, only it is to the death.  The reader is allowed inside the mind of Katniss, the main character, as she fights her way through the games."
• Try to "bookend" your post thoughtfully: use a lead to begin and try to leave your reader thinking at the end. 
• As a courtesy, if you are writing about the end of a book, put a "spoiler alert" in the post so that anyone who hasn't read the book doesn't see what happened in the end, just in case they want to read the book.  It is very possible to write a reading response thoughtfully without giving away the entire plot. 

Using blogs for creative writing...

A few students from 813 all added creative writing aspects to their blogs. Amanda and Nina both included excerpts from their independent writing. Rafaele has a "writing about strangers" series on his.  Love it!

Thought provoking: What is an online identity?

Annie in 804 brought up some really interesting thoughts about the whole concept of posting anything online in her inaugural blog post.  You should read it HERE and leave comments below about what you think about writing online:

• Is writing online different than in a notebook? In what ways?
• In what ways can writing online be liberating? Limiting?
• Do you think that people are more real online or do we create online personalities that project the best of ourselves? Or something else?
• Do you think that teenagers abuse the freedom that being online gives you on sites like facebook? Do people type things they would never say to a person's face? Do you think this is a good or bad thing? Why?

813's All Star Mentor of the Week: Zarrin Syeda!

Zarrin not only wrote convincingly about why we should read Willow, but she delved into some deep issues within the book and took them really seriously. Check out her post HERE.

812's All Star Mentor of the Week: Thai SInger!

Thai just finished the second book of The Hunger Games trilogy and made some really impressive comparisons to power in the world.  I'm pretty sure it will leave you thinking, so check out her post HERE.

804's All Star Mentor of the Week: Ben Futterman!

There was one thing about Ben's post this week that made it stand out from all the others:  research.  Ben developed a theory about something in A Wrinkle in Time and took the time to do some research on it.  Read his post HERE to see for yourself...and then try to incorporate research into *your* post for next week!

Other posts worth checking out...Audrey, Isabelle and Annie!

Words About Reading.

"Literature adds to reality.  It does not simply describe it.  It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become." -C.S. Lewis

Think you can unpack what that means? Leave a comment below!

Questions/Getting Started

Why blog?

This is an opportunity for your thoughts to live in the minds of other people, rather than stay hidden in your notebooks! My hope is that this will create a feeling of community among you as readers--and as writers.

What kind of reading responses am I looking for on your blog?


The key word is RESPONSE.  I'm not looking for a reading retell or even a reading review necessarily.  I want you to find something in your independent reading life that sparks a thought you would like to explore with writing and share with your classmates.  Responding can mean that you find one single line that speaks to you and you feel compelled to write about it.  Responding can mean that a theme of the book got you thinking.  Responding can mean that you are so angry or so in love with how a character reacted that you can't *not* write about it.  It's all about responding from your voice, mind and heart to what you are reading.

What kind of expectations do I have?


You will have one thoughtful response per week.  If your post is only a retell of the book (or anything that resembles that) you will have to re-do it, so it's not worth even posting just a retell.  This is also how I will hold you accountable to your reading life.  For instance, you may post about a book a few times if it takes you two weeks (or longer, if the book is especially challenging or long).  Maybe the first week will be about a "micro" idea (see your class notes! miiiiicro!) that caught your eye.  Then your second week post will be about a macro (stretch that arm across the sky!) idea that you noticed throughout the book. Or, any combination.

Are there other requirements?

I would like for you to start "following" at least 3 other blogs.  Create a "blog roll" on your sidebar.  You will need to read and comment on these blogs, and my hope is that you will get to know that person as a reader and writer.  I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but.  Please do not post anything that is inappropriate or mean in any way.

Every 4-5 weeks we will take a break from posting online and we will work on our writing craft by printing out and revising one of our favorite posts.

Other news...

I'll be posting an "All Star Mentor Of The Week" post every week--spotlighting a post that is brilliant, unique or thought-provoking.  All Star Mentors will also get a high five, a sticker and be announced in class (honor! accomplishment! glory!)!

Please peruse the 2009-2010 All Star Mentors I have posted here to get ideas on the kinds of posts that I find to be excellent. Use them as guides (and feel free to leave an encouraging comment/word of thanks for being brave enough to share with everyone) and mentor texts.

My classroom computers are your computers. Let me know if you need time to post because you don't have access at home.

HAVE FUN!

All Star Mentors from 2009-2010: Lilabet Johnston Gil

Some bold thoughts on censorship.

Deeply though-provoking ideas on torture vs. death in Harry Potter.

The post that sparked one of our biggest literary debates.

All Star Mentors from 2009-2010: Tomin P-C

Tomin's examination of death in literature...absolutely brilliant.

Thinking deeply about a single passage.

Some impressive metaphorical connections...that became the seed for fiction writing later.

All Star Mentors from 2009-2010: Cayley Crutchfield

The beauty of reading with other people.

Developing brilliant theories--that can apply to all of us--about a character in The History of Love.

Reading like a writer with The Poisonwood Bible.

All Star Mentors from 2009-2010: Audrey Bachman

Audrey's best entry of the year about The Wild Things discusses the themes of the book in light of a single passage.

Some thoughts on endings that don't wrap things up the way you want them to in Army of One.

Taking the whole "make a connection" idea to a sophisticated level in response to The History of Love.

And some thoughts on the craft of writing.

All Star Mentors from 2009-2010: Sammie Jo Concilio

An excellent, excellent character analysis from Where the Wild Things Are.

Sammie Jo thinks about the question of how far people would go for someone they love with Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

Sammie Jo links to a previous post about memory when she sees connections to Kurt Cobain's biography.

All Star Mentors from 2009-2010: Cullen Riley Duffy

A great example of unpacking single lines from a song or poem con Green Day.

My favorite "small moment" post about reading (and Harry Potter) EVER.

This post will get you thinking about your own book. Some literary theory from Mr. R-D.

An example of looking at a book from a specific lens...on perspective in The History of Love.

All Star Mentors from 2009-2010: Gabrielle Giles

A discourse on Gabrielle's changing reading self.

A great example of thinking deeper about two characters at the end of book. Spoiler alert, though! It does mention what happens at the end of The Elegance of the Hedgehog, so don't read this mentor if that's on your reading list!

Big thoughts on The Diary of Anne Frank.

A great mentor where the author works through a big question she had while reading The Kite Runner: how should family be defined?

How To Get Started!

These are the directions that each student received in class:

How do I start a web log?

1. Go to www.blogger.com and click on the “Create a Blog” button.
2. Blogger is a part of Gmail and you will need a gmail account if you don’t already have one.  If you already have a gmail email address, simply type it in.  If you don’t, you can create one.  Don’t forget your password! You can now also use this account for email, or use it just for your blogger account.
3. Follow the directions to name your blog and create its URL.  The name and URL do not necessarily have to match.  (For example, my blog is called “Books Upon Books,” but that URL was already taken, so my URL is www.Room116ELA.blogspot.com .)
4. Follow the directions to pick a template, and your blog is ready to go!

How do I set up my blog the way I want to?

1. It is important to first adjust the privacy settings.  Go to the “Design” link at the top right hand corner of your blog’s page. This will take you to your blog’s “dashboard,” which is where you can change the design, add new posts, change the settings, etc. 
2. Change the “add blog to our listings” and “let search engines find your blog” to “no.”  If you want search engines to find your blog, you MUST make that change with your parent or guardian.
3. In the “settings” tab, go to “comments.” Change it to commenters “must have a user ID.”
4. Finally, go to “Permissions.”  You can decide who can see your blog. Everyone will be creating blog communities, where you will be reading and commenting on other people’s posts.  If you are uncomfortable for any with having your blog open to everyone, you can choose who your readers will be and enter them in this section.  Those users will have to go to your blog, request permission to see it and then be verified by you. 

Additional Guidelines

1. This blog is a part of a school project.  Therefore, all content on your blog must be related to your reading and writing life in some way.  Please do not use this blog as an online journal.
2. My expectation is that we are a community of readers and writers.  I will be monitoring all blogs and trusting that your words that appear online will come from a place of respect for your fellow classmates as well with a tone that is appropriate for school. 

 Extra Features

As you customize your blogs, feel free to utilize all the tools available to you on blogger. A few of my favorites are:

1. labels: you can label each post according to genre, author, topic, etc.  I have found this really helpful when I want to go back and read a certain type of post I’ve done in the past. It also helps new readers to your blog find what they are looking for/interested in.
2. blogroll: you can create a list of blogs you are reading on the sidebar. Everyone will be responsible for commenting on a handful of other blogs, so this is a great place to put the blogs you plan on keeping up with.  Each time an author posts something new, it automatically moves that blog to the top of your list.