So this semester is finally winding down, and I could not be more ready for it to be over! I just have to get through these last couple weeks of hell and then I can finally relax! I am so burned out with all my classes that I could just scream. Right now I should be doing some sort of class work, but instead Im venting on my blog. Atleast this is kinda part of class, right? Anyways, I think I got my point across. School blows, and I am ready for the break!

First off, I would just like to say that I really enjoyed our assignment we had in class this past tuesday. Although I am not the most creative person, I did find the assignment to be a lot of fun! It was challenging and it really forced me to use my brain. With that being said, I really enjoyed the first site on comics in the classroom. I agree with his overview and objectives. I think comics in the classroom is a great idea.

Title: Antony and Cleopatra Video Clip Assignment

Annotation: This assignment will be used as an in-class writing assignment in a 12th grade classroom. The students will be required to write a written response to the video clip after they have read and responded to the assigned pages in their book. This assignment will allow the students to better understand the reading and it will help bring the text to life. Students will work individually.

Video: Act 1 Scene 1

Instructions: Today we will be starting Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra. Shakespeare can be difficult to read, so today we will try something that will hopefully help you understand the text better. First, please read Act 1 scene 1 of Antony and Cleopatra in your Shakespeare Anthology. After you have finished reading the scene please write down on a piece of paper what you think this scene is about. Write who you believe the main characters are, what you think the plot of the scene is, any possible themes that you may see, and any other information that you think is important. You will do this individually. After everyone has finished writing I will then play the clip of the 1981 movie, Antony and Cleopatra. The clip is of Act 1 scene 1 and is approx. 4 minutes long. After I show the clip, please take some time and rethink the previous questions you answered after simply reading the text. On the same piece of paper write what you think of the scene now. Have your thoughts changed now that you’ve watched the video? Who are the main characters? What is the plot? Ect. Finally, write a summary paragraph on the same piece of paper. What was your reaction after watching the clip? Were you surprised? Was there a big difference between your first and second paragraph? Were there little differences? Explain. You will have  the rest of the class period to write your summary. Please turn it in when you are finished.

Adaption: Extension- For those students who very familiar with this play, I will allow them to simply write a review of the clip. What did they think of the actors? Did they play the role well? If not, why? How would you have done the scene differently? Remediation- For students who are still not able to quite grasp Antony and Cleopatra, I will allow them to use footnotes that I have prepared to help guide their writing.

Timeline: This will be an in-class assignment that will be due at the end of class.

Grading: Grading will be based on the amount of effort the student puts into his/her responses. There are no wrong or right answers, but students must show that they put thought into their work.

Learning Outcome: This assignment will help students to better understand the text.

GPSs: ELA12W3, ELA12W4, ELA12LSV2

Hello fellow classmates. Just wanted to write a quick post to invite you to visit my new Ebay store. The name of it is Accent Your Space, and I have a lot of great items for really cheap. Also, there is absolutely no shipping and handling fee. I’m very excited to have finally gotten this store on its feet, and I must say that I am very pleased with the response from the Ebay public. Sales are good, and I am getting a lot of great feedback. Anyways, if you have a free minute, check it out. Christmas will be here before you know it so it wouldn’t hurt to go ahead and start shopping around

 So the due date for the uploaded video on teacher tube is today and I have yet to get it up. I’ve tried about a million times to get this video uploaded and nothing has worked. I learned that a couple of other people are having problems, so maybe it is just the site.  I tried e-mailing teacher tube for additional help, so hopefully they will be able to walk me through any problems. Other than those minor issues, I found I really liked teacher tube. It is actually a really neat site to browse through. I also am glad that Dr. C introduced me to keepvid. It is very easy to use, and I know I will be visiting the site often. Ok, I will continue to keep you posted on my progress.

So, the other day on a random whim, I decided that I should delete my Myspace. I have recently started tutoring at Kennesaw Mountain High School, and I began thinking about what my students would think of me if they found my page on Myspace. It’s not like I had some totally crazy, incriminating things on my page, but I began to wonder what kind of vibe I was giving off with my profile and all my pictures. I have never had this dilemma with my Myspace before, and I guess it was because it was only my friends who saw it. But, the thought of my young teenage students accessing my page started to freak me out. How am I supposed to gain their respect if they see me as this laid back, goofy party girl?? I want them to see me as a professional teacher. Someone they can look up to. I guess I just felt that my Myspace just didn’t portray me as the person I want to be seen as. So, goodbye Myspace. I doubt you’ll be missed.

So, I feel like I am starting to get overwhelmed with all of this technology stuff! We keep watching all these neat videos in class, and I am starting to wonder how in the world I am going to be able to do that stuff! I mean I am familiar with power point but to make a short movie is beyond me! Just looking at the list of projects gets me feeling anxious. Hopefully everything will go smoothly and this stuff isn’t as hard as it looks. I’ll keep you posted with my stress level

I decided to make this post about how I feel I am doing with this course. As of right now I feel that I seem to be following along at a pretty good pace. Nothing seems too difficult, and if I do find that I am having trouble, I feel comfortable enough with my group members and Dr. C to ask for help. I’m learning a lot about the world of blogs and wikis. If someone would have asked me a couple weeks ago if I had a a wiki space I probably would have gave them a very strange look. Now, not only do I have a wiki space, I have a space that is fully decorated and has a link to my blog on wordpress. Pretty neat. Overall, I find myself enjoying this course. I learn something new every class, and I hope that continues throughout the semester.

This is a great blog site.