Adv Comp 2009-2010 Revised

H. Advanced Composition 2009-2010 Mrs. Paige Lahaise e-mail: [email protected]

class website: http://www.lahaiseslair.com

Course Overview Welcome to Honors Advanced Composition! I hope to make this year a rewarding experience for all of us. The success of the class hinges on your cooperation, so I hope you will approach the class as an opportunity to grow both personally and academically by challenging yourself and energetically engaging in the reading and writing we will do. My goal is to make you better critical thinkers, active readers, skilled writers, effective communicators, life-long learners, and savvy technology users—attributes that will help you to succeed in whatever endeavors you undertake. The English 12 curriculum is standards-based, focusing on teaching students the skills and strategies outlined in the California English Language Arts Standards (grades 11-12). The class incorporates a workshop style environment that immerses students in reading and writing, offering a balance of teacher- and student-selected texts and writing topics. Students read a balance of classic and contemporary texts, fiction and nonfiction. Rather than the traditional lecture format, students learn new skills and strategies through minilessons in writing, reading, speaking and listening, research, technology, and collaboration. Students then have opportunities to practice these skills in group and individual settings and to undertake projects that allow them to create real-world products that encourage problem-solving and higher levels of thinking. Research has shown that students learn more deeply in this type of environment and are better able to transfer their learning to new situations.

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Basic Classroom Rules Show Show Show Show

respect. responsibility. self-control. honesty.

Following the rules and expending effort in this class will result in a successful learning experience. However, the negative consequences of breaking the rules are listed, but not limited to: 1. Student/teacher conference, 2. Phone call to parent/legal guardian, 3. Referral to the administration.

Needed Supplies 3-ring binder with tab dividers and loose leaf paper Pen or pencil Highlighters (green, yellow, pink) Sticky notes Flash drive (This is not required but will be very helpful in saving all your computer work and transporting between school and home. We will be doing several multimedia projects, which can be difficult to save on disks because of their large file sizes.) If you have a laptop or netbook computer, feel free to bring it. You may leave it in my locked cabinet during the day and pick it up at the end of school. A small daily planner would also be helpful.

Classroom Procedures Bring everything you need for class, and be prepared to learn. You need your Independent Reading material and three-ring binder with you EVERY day. Enter the room quietly and on time. Begin working immediately on the daily journal assignment. Daily, write assignments in planner. Follow directions and participate in class. When working in groups, work quietly and productively. When transitioning from one activity to another, do so quickly and quietly without disrupting other learners. 2

Remain in seat until dismissed by teacher. Leave room in the same condition (or better) you found it!

Homework Policy Completing assignments is crucial not only for students to master learning objectives but also for students to experience academic success and score a passing grade; therefore, I maintain a ZERO TOLERANCE homework policy, which requires students to complete ALL work assigned. If a student fails to complete a homework assignment, the student will have an opportunity to turn in the assignment within one week of the due date for a 50% grade reduction. I will not accept late assignments after one week. If a student repeatedly fails to complete assignments, I will request a conference with the parent to discuss ways we can work together to help the student succeed in completing assignments. Please note there are a few exceptions to this rule; see the writing process below.

Class Calendar and Forum Everything you need to know about homework and due dates will be posted on your class calendar at Lahaise’s Lair. In addition, assignments are posted in your class section of the forum on that same site. You also have the added benefit of the Daily Scribe who posts what happened in class that day. These posts will be made by 7:30 PM, so be sure and read it before you go to bed. Remember, don’t just read the Daily Scribe if you were absent. Good tips and reminders are also posted there so you might see something that you somehow missed during class.

Make-Up Work/Tests I adhere to LAUSD policy on make-up work. After an excused absence, it is the student’s responsibility to make up all work missed. Students may access all homework and missed assignments on the class website. Homework must be completed and turned in within two class days following the student’s return to school. 3

School policy states that students will not receive credit for unexcused absences. Note, however, that because I have a zero tolerance homework policy, I still require students to complete the work, even though they will not receive credit for doing so. A missed vocabulary test (or any other test) may only be made-up Wednesday’s during nutrition. This prevents students from missing valuable instruction in class and getting further behind. Please note that you have two weeks to make-up a test, anything beyond that will not be allowed and will be entered into the grade book as a zero.

Essays/Writing Process Writing is a major component of any English class; therefore you can count on writing an essay at the completion of each novel/unit. The writing process is as follows:  1st Essay “draft”: submitted to Turnitin.com for peer review. This “draft” should essentially be a completed essay; one which you think is done and ready to turn in for a grade. Because the writing process is an essential to the overall success of your final essay, if you do not complete this 1st “draft”, and turn it in ON TIME, your final grade on the essay will drop by one letter grade. Please note the “one week rule” does not apply here due to the nature of process; in other words, if it is not submitted to Turnitin.com before the due date/time I cannot accept it. Because you are always given plenty of time to complete this step I encourage you to take into account any technological “glitches” that may occur if you wait until the last minute to submit the paper. The distribution of papers is completely automated and I cannot help you if you do not submit the paper on time. If you fail to turn in this 1st “draft” I encourage you to ask a friend to review your essay.  2nd Essay “draft”: Once the first draft has been anonymously reviewed by a classmate you will then revise the essay based on the suggestions made. Feel free to revise anything and everything you deem necessary (or not, depending on the quality of comments given). You will then submit this revised essay, again, to Turnitin.com. This is the essay I look at and review, therefore if you do not submit this draft, once again, the grade on your final draft will go down by one letter grade. Again, due to the nature of the process the “one week late rule” does not apply here. I will accept your essay late so that you can receive my comments, however you will not get “credit” for having turned it in.

 Final Essay: After I review your essay and make comments you will, again, revise the essay based on what you think should be changed. You will then submit this final draft to Turnitin.com. This paper will receive a final grade based on the quality of thought, writing, your claim and proof, and everything else we have gone over in 4

class. This is the only time throughout the process where the “one week late rule” does apply. Meaning if you do not turn this in on time you still have one week from the due date to receive 50% off what the overall grade would have been.

Plagiarism Every year I am amazed at how many students try getting around the Turnitin.com system of catching plagiarism. Is it really worth getting a zero on the assignment, possibly failing the class, losing ALL my trust, and your parents getting a phone call from me? The bottom line is this: I know there are a few cheaters that fall through the cracks and get away with it; the vast majority though are caught and the repercussions can be devastating. I HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY WHEN IT COMES TO PLAGIARISM OR CHEATING. EVEN ONE LINE IN AN ESSAY THAT ISN’T YOURS, OR TAKING ANOTHER’S IDEA AND PRETENDING IT IS YOUR OWN, AND ISN’T QUOTED AND CITED MEANS THE ENTIRE ESSAY RECIEVES A ZERO!

Weekly Reader/Blog Assignments Every other week you will post on your blog the “Bi-Weekly Reader” assignment. For each 10 week period you will choose which of these posts you would like me to “grade” (the number of posts will vary and will posted on your calendar.) Although I am not “grading” all of the posts you are still responsible for submitting them before the due date/time. If you submit any posts after the due date/time your “graded” post will be penalized. The same applies for any posts you do not complete. In other words, even if the posts you submit for grades were turned in, and turned in on time, they will be penalized if any of the other posts are missing or late. By the way, feel free to blog about other topics in addition to your weekly reader. Just make sure that all the topics are appropriate and follow the blogging rules and guidelines.

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Assessment The course uses a system of assessment that evaluates students throughout the learning-throughout a variety of activities and projects—and encourages students to revise and polish their work. Grades will be calculated as follows: 30%

Reading journals Daily Reading/Writing & Daily journals SSR Fat Paragraph Classwork Active Participation in Literature Circles

10%

SSR

Your participation in daily SSR

10%

Vocabulary

Weekly vocabulary test

10%

Class contribution

40%

Special Writing Projects

Do you make the class/community better? How often do you participate in class discussions? Do you actively participate in the blog community by reading and commenting on your peer’s blogs? Do you argue or contradict the teacher & classmates? Do you pay attention in class? Do you read the daily scribe? Do you come to class fully prepared? Essays Blogs (weekly reader; connective reading/writing; application review) Autobiography

A in the class = 90-100% B in the class = 80-89% C in the class = 70-79% D in the class = 60-69% Anything under 60% will receive a Fail in the class.

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