November, 2007 (Post your responses here!)

Our first post!
Step 1.
Read over the rubric we will be using. You can find the link on the post entitled "Welcome!"

Step 2.
Read the posts entitled "Netiquette" and "Questions to Get You Started."

Step 3.
Choose one of the "Questions to Get You Started" and, well, get started!

When you post, please include an indication of the question you are answering. Please also include the title and author of the text so that others may easily locate it if they are interested.

I can't wait to hear what you have to say!

Questions to Get You Started (Please do not reply to this post)

1. If you could write a letter to the protagonist, what would you say?

2. What has been the most interesting/exciting/funny/boring/etc. part of the text so far, and why?

3. What do you notice or what is unusual about the writer's style? How does that affect the text?

4. What research do you think the writer had to complete to create the text? Support your statements.

5. In your opinion, how effective was the writer with this particular text? Support your statements.

6. What do you think will happen next? Support your prediction.

7. Based off this text, what would you like to ask the author about the text or about writing? Why?

8. How has the protagonist changed since you started the text?

9. What is the theme of the text? What does the author want to say about that theme? Do you agree? Support your statements.

10. To whom would you recommend (or not recommend) this text? Support your statements.

11. Create a "found poem." Pull significant words or phrases from the text. Arrange them into a poem that conveys some of the text's meaning. Include a brief explanation following the poem tying your work back to the text.

12. What does the text remind you of? Explain the connection.

13. Anything else you want to discuss about your book? See me with your ideas...

Netiquette (Please do not reply to this post)

You are expected to adhere to the following guidelines and general good manners.

1. A blog is published writing; anyone could read it, including your grandmother. Therefore, please use appropriate grammar, syntax, and language. For old folks like me, please avoid using text-message constructions.
2. It is often a good idea to read your post (or have a friend read it for you) before you publish it. Use Word (or another word-processor) to flesh out your ideas before you hit the "send" button.
3. Treat your classmates and others with the respect you would want for yourself. You are welcome to disagree, but be polite and clear in your language. Remember, written correspondence lacks the body-language and facial language cues that mediate conversations. A comment that you could "get away with" in a spoken discussion may easily seem harsh or cruel in a written one. If you aren't sure, err on the side of caution.
4. Along the same lines, please avoid ALL CAPS. This is cyberspeak for shouting. If you have a point you wish to emphasize, you *may* use asterisks (as in this example sentence.)
5. Credit ideas and cite all of your sources. This is best practice in all of our assignments!
6. If you aren't sure, ask.
7. Oh yeah--have fun!

Welcome to The Bookshelf! (Please do not reply to this post)

You asked for it; here it is. You are responsible for the following:

• Each nine weeks, you must complete 3 postings about your independent reading. At least one posting must be completed before the interims each quarter.
• Each nine weeks, you must respond to 2 of your classmates' posts. At least one response must be made before interims each quarter.
• You may respond or post as often as you like, but only 1 response and 1 post per week will count as "on time." This means you may not wait until the last minute and post 3 random ideas that show little thought or care just to "meet" the deadline. At a minimum, you must post over the course of 3 weeks. Of course, you are welcome to post more frequently!
• If you choose not to complete this assignment online, you may complete the assignment using typed or *neatly* handwritten journal entries. However, the same time frames apply.

For the time being, we will use the following rubric:
http://mame.pbwiki.com/f/Class+Blog+Rubric.doc

If you have questions or concerns, please see me as soon as possible. Otherwise, open this month's post and dig in!