When beginning today’s “Weekly Update,” I considered writing this as a “message full of holes” at first, to imitate the note found in The City of Ember. However, since many parents and guardians who read the “Weekly Update” may not be as familiar with the book, that would have been slightly confusing! Do you remember when I said that reading would be anything but boring in our class? Hopefully for those of you who came into middle school disliking reading, you are beginning to change your mind. You've “experienced” The City of Ember already in many different ways: you participated in Mock Assignment day; you were assigned a class job; and you tried to decode the “message full of holes” with the same eagerness and frustration that Lina does. As you have commented in person and in our online discussions, Granny’s death made many of you feel badly for Lina. Why is this? It is because you are beginning to learn what it is to care about the characters. You are recognizing that reading is a journey, and even in works of fiction, when we start to care about the characters, we find ourselves wanting (or even needing) to know how everything will turn out. Reading is powerful! Re-read my “Weekly Update” from 9/13!
Although we have 45 minutes together each day, sometimes we get into hearty discussions that must end for the sake of you getting to your next class! Therefore, as an extension of our in-class learning, I have made it my goal this year to make use of Edmodo for your benefit. If you and your parents signed a letter agreeing to the terms of Edmodo, then you have activated your account already. I sent you each home with a copy of the “Terms of Service” and “Privacy Policy” just so that you have them. I want you to show these documents to your parents/guardians, and I will add an Edmodo tab to this site over the weekend, explaining any potential questions that you or your parents/guardians may have. Edmodo is obviously a trustworthy site—or I would not be using it—but as I explained, whenever you sign up for something, you should be familiar with the terms and conditions. With Edmodo, you have the ability to respond to posts that I make, and you also have the ability to raise your own thought-provoking questions and topics for discussion. You can take polls, complete practice tests, watch clips, use apps, identify your own learning style, and determine a potential career path. Of course, as I explained, although the template looks similar to facebook, this is an academic site, meant to inspire you all to personalize your learning proccess. Save private and personal discussions for another time/location! The content you post should be appropriate at all times. I will monitor your conversations and share my own insights, but it is your responsibility to take this opportunity seriously. One instance of inappropriate behavior from a student will result in that student’s account being removed from Edmodo for the duration of the school year. In short, don’t let that happen! I want you all involved. We’re a team.
Your only homework is to finish your ideal city drawing so that we can put it up in “The Gallery” in class on Monday. However, you are allowed to read to page 165 of The City of Ember if you’d like. Please just post the words “SPOILER ALERT” if you are writing on Edmodo about the events in The City of Ember so that other students who have not read that far do not find out more than they’re ready to handle! -Ms. Sanford
P.S. Do you want to learn a new word? Here it is: euphemism. A euphemism is a more polite way of saying something. For instance, Jeanne DuPrau writes that Lina “found [Granny] very pale and very still, all the life gone out of her” (139). This sounds less offensive/harsh than simply saying, “Granny died.” Now, do you think you can pronounce this word? I suppose we’ll find out in class on Monday!
Although we have 45 minutes together each day, sometimes we get into hearty discussions that must end for the sake of you getting to your next class! Therefore, as an extension of our in-class learning, I have made it my goal this year to make use of Edmodo for your benefit. If you and your parents signed a letter agreeing to the terms of Edmodo, then you have activated your account already. I sent you each home with a copy of the “Terms of Service” and “Privacy Policy” just so that you have them. I want you to show these documents to your parents/guardians, and I will add an Edmodo tab to this site over the weekend, explaining any potential questions that you or your parents/guardians may have. Edmodo is obviously a trustworthy site—or I would not be using it—but as I explained, whenever you sign up for something, you should be familiar with the terms and conditions. With Edmodo, you have the ability to respond to posts that I make, and you also have the ability to raise your own thought-provoking questions and topics for discussion. You can take polls, complete practice tests, watch clips, use apps, identify your own learning style, and determine a potential career path. Of course, as I explained, although the template looks similar to facebook, this is an academic site, meant to inspire you all to personalize your learning proccess. Save private and personal discussions for another time/location! The content you post should be appropriate at all times. I will monitor your conversations and share my own insights, but it is your responsibility to take this opportunity seriously. One instance of inappropriate behavior from a student will result in that student’s account being removed from Edmodo for the duration of the school year. In short, don’t let that happen! I want you all involved. We’re a team.
Your only homework is to finish your ideal city drawing so that we can put it up in “The Gallery” in class on Monday. However, you are allowed to read to page 165 of The City of Ember if you’d like. Please just post the words “SPOILER ALERT” if you are writing on Edmodo about the events in The City of Ember so that other students who have not read that far do not find out more than they’re ready to handle! -Ms. Sanford
P.S. Do you want to learn a new word? Here it is: euphemism. A euphemism is a more polite way of saying something. For instance, Jeanne DuPrau writes that Lina “found [Granny] very pale and very still, all the life gone out of her” (139). This sounds less offensive/harsh than simply saying, “Granny died.” Now, do you think you can pronounce this word? I suppose we’ll find out in class on Monday!