"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!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
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!
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!
Friday, September 10, 2010
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
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.
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.
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?
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?
- Go to www.blogger.com and click on the “Create a Blog” button.
- 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.
- 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 .)
- 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?
- 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.
- 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.
- In the “settings” tab, go to “comments.” Change it to commenters “must have a user ID.”
- 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
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
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