Active Listening and Learning to Focus

In today's 5 minute society, maintaining effective classroom focus is an important 21st century skill. Being present simply is NOT enough. Learning to Focus - Which areas do you need to work on?

• Eye Contact
• Note Taking
• On topic questioning
• Hand raised
• Good posture
• Learner focused body language
• Quiet
• Patience
• Actively contributing
• Respect for peers

How will use what you learned today to become an active listener in the future?

Add comments for +1 points sharing your take-aways from today's session. In Thursday's class, you will share how you applied your 'focus skills' across other subjects.

C/D and E/F Classes
Your 2nd reading response should be linked to the file on the right side of the blog by the end of today. You may use any reading responses practices that you have done in class.

Membean - You should complete a minimum of 50mins of Membean this week. (30 in class and 20 at home)

All book club books need returning by Thursday, so I can redistribute the titles. Please bring them in tomorrow if you are done with the novel. 

All classes
You will have between 20-30minutes to put the finishing touches to your 'scene' for tomorrow.
Approx. length is 1-2 pages.

Advice - Listen to your P.E. teachers - Make sure you warm up before sport!!!

Ouch!!!!

Assessment Week

This week you will have to turn in a number of pieces for assessment

1) Your first RF scene. Use the files below to copy your file into. Follow the instructions on your file.
These files should be dropped by the end of Wednesday's writing class

C/D RF: Scene Assessment
E/F RF: Scene Assessment
G/H RF: Scene Assessment

2) Book clubs: Use the Book Clubs file to  write your groups final thoughts on your novel. Everybody should be finished with the first book club book by Tuesday's class. You will be issued new book clubs on Tuesday.

Book club Discussion Sheet: E/F
Book Club Discussion Sheet C/D


3) Reading Response - Your second video RR is due Feb 25th. Due your youtube link into the file on the right side of the blog.

Suggestion: Cut/Paste - text into this 'teleprompter' - This way you can record yourself speaking directly into your computer camera.

Have a nice w/end

Hope the day went well! I am starting to see people taking responsibility for their own learning...
 Enjoy these samples from your classmates. More will be added over the w/end.




See you Tuesday...if I can walk!

ilearn: Showing Responsibility and Independence

Drop your H/W file in your class slideshow.

C/D Class ilearn
E/F Class ilearn
G/H Class ilearn

Guidelines:
Students scoring an 'A':

• Completed multiple independent sessions of H/W during the week
• Each session covered a 'respectable' time limit
• The content covered in each session was directly relevant to RLA practice, concepts, and/or skills
• Clear and precise evidence on the slide proves that this learning actually took place
• The student provides evidence of academic growth. What do you know, understand better, or can do better now that you couldn't at the start of the week?
• Some aspect of creativity is shown either with what was learned or how this learning was communicated in the slide.

Close Reading Protocol

Use this link to copy/paste today's lesson into your own template: Close Reading

Use your close reading protocol to examine 'author's craft'

Close Reading Protocol

1) Find a piece of text that you think might be significant

2) Read it

3) Read it a second and noticing specifically what stands out in the text.

4) Look for patterns

    e.g. Which details/words fit together?

    e.g. How do these details/words fit together?

    e.g. how are the details different or similar?

    e.g. Does anything seem unusual?

5) Make a statement about craft

If you use this protocol against any section or text that you think is significant - you can truly delve deep into author's craft!

Remember: Levels of Thinking about Text
Level 1 - Prediction/Inference
Level 2 - Interpretation
Level 3 - How structure of text impacts meaning
Level 4 - Commenting on author's craft moves

Hey, if you examined everything a little closer, you might be surprised at what you find!