Getting Started
- Sep 9, 2015
- 4 min read
Course Outline
This course is designed to help you become skilled viewers, listeners, and speakers; skilled readers of poetry, short stories, essays, articles, plays and novels written in a variety of periods, disciplines and rhetorical contexts; and skilled writers who can compose for a variety of purposes. Whenever possible, we will follow a thematic approach. Through your writing and reading in this course, you should become aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects, as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effective writing. The course will also prepare you for the English 12 Provincial Exam, which accounts for 40% of your total grade.
Writing
You’ll have choice in each genre we study…
I’ll provide the tools you need to write well…
I’ll respond often and quickly so that you can continue to craft and learn…
We will create a writing community. I will be writing with you, and I will share my writing – my process. You’ll be sharing, too. You’ll share drafts with partners and small groups. We’ll tell you what we see and what we don’t understand.
We will be sharing drafts of writing we care about, which requires trust and respect. You will learn how to support and encourage each other as developing writers. Appreciate that your classmates have the courage to share.
Last, be prepared to write a lot. This is how your writing will improve: through regular feedback and revision.
I will provide you with lots of feedback on your writing. In your drafts I will help you with words, with structure, with organization, punctuation and ideas. To receive feedback, drafts must be submitted on time and must be shared with me using Google Docs. If you do not have a gmail account, you will need to get one. Drafts (and completed assignments) should be sent to hcorman@online.sd71.bc.ca.
Reading
Readers are better writers. You should be reading at home for at least twenty minutes a day, most days of the week. If there is no assigned reading, read something else you are interested in. Challenge yourself to read widely in all genres.
In class I will provide you with a novel, essays, short stories, articles, poems, (and films). We will read to figure out what other authors are up to in their writing (studying the choices writers make), and we will read to respond. We are going to explore what we think about things by writing about things we read (and view).
Classroom Expectations
You are expected to be in class on time and to be prepared. During class you should be on task and respectful. Emphasis is placed on participation and enthusiasm.
We are here to learn; it’s an opportunity for all of us to improve by working together and working hard.
Cell-phones are not to be used in the classroom without permission, or they will be confiscated.
Assignment Expectations
All assignments are to be handed in on time, unless some prior arrangement has been made with me. If your work is late, you will be required to work with me, outside of class time, until the work is completed. You will be given lots of notice for any significant test or project. If you miss a test, a note or phone call will be required in order to rewrite it. It is essential that you complete assigned readings to comprehend this course. Additionally, keeping an organized and complete set of notes will be your passport to success on assignments and tests. Of course, regular attendance is required. If you should miss class for a legitimate reason, it is your responsibility to find out about missed class work or assignments. This information will be regularly updated on the blog.
Plagiarism
Using someone’s work and depicting it as your own (i.e. copying, or taking from the internet or books without giving credit to the author) is considered plagiarism, and is a serious issue. Assignments that have been found to be plagiarized will receive a “0″.
Extra Help
I will find the time to provide extra help when you need it. Please come and see me so that we can plan a time that works for you, either before or after school, or at lunch.
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Please make sure that you have carefully read the information above.
You will need a copy of the English 12 Terms and Devices. (link) You are responsible for knowing both how to define and apply these terms by the end of this course. They are part of your provincial exam preparation. Don't worry. We will also review them during the course.
If you don't already have one, please get a gmail account so that you can use Google Docs. The links below will be helpful to you in using this tool effectively. Take a look.
You are going to create your own blog.
*Go to wordpress.com.
*Select Create Blog.
*Put in an email address (that you actually use), a username (which you will share with me) and a password (that you will remember). Then select Create My Account.
*Choose a site address and select.
*Select Free Plan.
*Verify your email address.
*Under My Site go to Settings. Scroll down to Site Visibility. Make sure to select “I would like my site to be private…”.
*Go to Users. Then go to Invite New. Please put in my email address: hcorman@sd71.bc.ca. My role will be Viewer.
*Now you can begin to play. Search through the themes and select one that appeals to you. Don’t worry. You can always change it later if you want to.
You will be making your first blog post. Go to Posts. Select Add New. Your title will be “Introduction”. Take a little time to introduce yourself. What are you hoping to get out of the course? What are your strengths? What are your challenges? How can I best help you? (Please use your best spelling and punctuation.) Click Publish (big blue button on the right hand side) when you are done. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.
“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” Dr. Seuss
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