January 31

I thought that I would post some of my classroom rules and expectations of behavior on the blog this year. Also, I will also write down some ground rules for using the blog this semester.

Classroom Rules/Expectations of Behavior:

I think that I have very simple, straight-forward classroom rules and expectations. I will be discussing these in class tomorrow, but here's a quick recap:

• Please be on-task during classroom time (visit later)
• You must wear your visual ID around your neck during class time, no exceptions!
• No cell phones; if your parents really need to get in touch with you, they should call the office. Please don't bring cell phones to class, or if you do, please remember to turn them off! Yes, you have some new freedom this year with regard to electronic devices, but not in the classroom!!
• Please don't listen to music on MP3 players or iPods during class time, UNLESS I have given you permission to do so.
• Be polite. You should be listening during class lectures or when your classmates have questions to ask (you might have some of the same questions).
• Be on time. If you are late, please enter the classroom quietly and apologize for being late. If the door is locked, I have started the lecture or there is a class presentation in progress; I will open the door and let you in as soon as possible.
• Clean up after yourselves. Please don't leave garbage on the floor. I like my classroom fairly neat and tidy.
• Don't bring junk food to class. Healthy snacks only. Or you could always wait until lunchtime.
• You may chew gum in class on the following conditions: don't chew like a cow, I don't want to see the gum or hear you chewing it, that's just gross.
• Late assignments: 10% is deducted for every day an assignment is late. If you have an excused absence, then there is some flexibility with this rule.
• Please make sure that a parent or guardian calls the school to have absences excused. If you miss a test due to an unexcused absence you will be assigned a mark of "zero".
• I will be contacting parent/guardians if you have unexcused absences.
• Please adhere to the school's academic honesty policy which is on the back of your course outlines.
• If you are going away on holidays (please do not schedule holidays during examination periods in June), please let me know in advance. I can prepare materials for you, let you know what you'll be missing, and even give you handouts in advance. This way you won't feel "lost" when you come back from holidays.
  
  

Posting on the Blog:

Here are some simple rules that I have established for using the blog, and some other informational items:

• Please post on the blog anonymously.
• If you feel the need to identify yourself, or clarify which grade you're in, please use your initials and your class and section (for example, K.G. in Social 30-1 Period 3).
• Some of you may have your own Blogger accounts. Please don't post on this blog using your Blogger ID, otherwise you may have people visiting your blog that you may not want to see what you're posting.
• Please be courteous, polite and respectful when posting comments on the blog. Don't be rude to your classmates on the blog.
• Please be patient with my response time.
• Please post comments and questions on the blog prior to 10 p.m.
• Between 6-8 p.m. I am usually not online.
• Monday nights are particularly busy for me, this is the night that I have a Masters class at the University.
• Please do not post links to questionable materials.
• Inappropriate comments will be deleted. Please don't do this, it's a waste of my time, I could be doing more productive things, like answering questions that you may have.
  

January 10

Social 30-1

You wrote your Trial Final today, the results of this test will wipe out your lowest exam score for the semester. Hopefully, you did well on this exam. You should get your school-awarded mark finalized by tomorrow. My goal is to have this ready for you in class time so you know exactly what your mark is going into the Diploma Exam. We'll be playing a review game of Jeopardy tomorrow.

Social 20-1

I did a homework check on your Chapter 16 Key Terms and Questions today. You continued working with a partner on Unit 4 and Unit 3 multiple choice questions. We'll be playing Jeopardy tomorrow in class.

January 7

Social 30-1

I finished talking about the Social 30-1 Diploma Exam Study Guide today in class. I have sent this to your e-mail accounts along with some sample WRA I and the PowerPoint presentation detailing how to write a three source analysis assignment. I also gave you some time to do a mock essay outline on a text-based source that I put up on the board. Please take this weekend to review for your Trial Final Exam and prepare for Part A of your Diploma Exam. There are 75 multiple choice questions on the 30-1 Trial Final and 60 questions on the 30-2 Trial Final. Take it seriously, it could improve your mark by wiping out your lowest test score. Please check your e-mail to find all of the documents that I sent you this afternoon.

Social 20-1

I did a homework check on your chapter 14-15 Key Terms and Questions today. Your chapter 16 Key Terms and Questions are due on Monday. You had most of today's class to work on practice multiple choice questions from Unit 4. We'll continue with this on Monday, and probably be able to move on to Unit 3 questions.

January 6

Social 20-1

I went through a PowerPoint presentation on regionalism in Canada that I will send to you this afternoon. Your Chapter 14-15 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow.

Social 30-1

I have sent you some of the essay outlines that we've prepared in the last couple of days to your e-mail accounts. Please read them over! Especially the active citizenship one, since I made that one and we didn't really have a chance to look at in great detail. The key to success on Part A of the Diploma is preparation. Please make sure that you prepare for both the essay and the three source analysis assignments. Review how to write these two different assignments, and prep for potential essays. You'll be glad that you did!

I started looking at the Diploma Exam Study Guide that I've made for you. We'll continue with it tomorrow.

Would you like me to review how to do the three source analysis assignments? Please VOTE on the blog in the comments section! Is this an actual democracy or merely the illusion of democratic choice? We'll see in Friday's class!

Something that I think will be really useful is looking at the old Social 30 essay prompts and what they might look like as 30-1 text-based source prompts for the essay. I made a document that has the old Social 30 essay prompts side-by-side if it were re-worked to be a text-based source for the 30-1 Diploma. Alberta Education has already cannibalized old essay prompts to create the January 2010 and June 2010 WRA II, so they might do it again. This also gives you a chance to look at past tendencies of what Alberta Education asks on Diploma Exams. I hope it's a useful document!

Start doing essay outline prep at home between now and next Thursday! Pick out some text-based source prompts that I gave you in the essay question chart and write essay outlines for them! It's great practice and it will pay dividends.

Don't forget your Trial Final is on Monday, January 10th. This test could potentially wipe your worst test score of the semester. REVIEW!!

Here's a link to student writing samples from the January 2010 Social 30-1 and 30-2 Diploma Exams:

• Social 30-1 Student Writing Samples
• Social 30-2 Student Writing Samples
  

January 4

Social 30-1

You wrote your Unit 3 Final Exam today. You'll get the results of this test back tomorrow, and then you'll have to make a decision as to which test score you wish to replace with your Trial Final. You'll be writing your Trial Final on Monday, January 10th, and it will be a comprehensive exam with questions related to content from all four units of study in 30-1. I did a homework check on your Unit 4 Review Booklet today as well.

Social 20-1

You wrote your Unit 3 Final Exam today, so results will be available tomorrow. Please remember that you are writing the Part A of your Final Exam (Essay) tomorrow in the Blenheim Room.

January 3

Social 30-1

You got back your Unit 3 Essays today. We also work as a class to build an essay outline for a economics-themed essay. We'll be looking at a politics-themed essay on Wednesday. I will be sending out the work that we did today tonight by e-mail. You will be writing your Unit 3 Final Exam tomorrow, please see the study guide here. You will be getting more marked assignments back tomorrow.

Social 20-1

I gave you back your Unit 3 Essays and your Unit 2 Research Projects today. I went through a PowerPoint presentation on French-English relations, which I will be sending to you this afternoon. I did a homework check on your Chapter 13 Key Terms and Questions. Your Unit 3 Final Exam is tomorrow, please see the study guide here.