English
Dr. MacDonald & Mrs. Blackburn
May
This month we will:
Finish reading I Must Betray You.
Read Prey.
Complete final portfolio project.
And more!
Quotes of the Month
However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. Stephen Hawking
Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. Winston Churchill
Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure. Confucius
Please be sure to let teachers know when your child is absent. Remember that students will be responsible for classwork missed, along with homework. It is important for students to check with teachers prior to, when possible, and following an absence.
English Class Resources
Reading Resources
Writing Resources
Word Tune - A Chrome extension that can help you with wording sentences in your writing.
Vocabulary Resources
Visuwords - Visual Thesaurus
Kids.Wordsmyth - Easy dictionary with many useful features for exploring unfamiliar words.
Links
Learning Ally - Recorded books library
Bookshare - Recorded books library
Media Bias Checker - Great tool for assessing the point of view of online sources.
NoodleTools - Web app for research
Natural Reader - A screen reader for both Windows and Mac that will read text on your computer screen to you and allows you to adjust voice and speed.
Rewordify - Simplify difficult text
Tech Resources
Understanding Learning Approaches
Project Sites
Time Management and Other Useful Apps/Chrome Extensions
Apps for Tracking Assignments
MyHomework - An online planner
MyStudyLife - An online planner
Schooltraq - Yet another digital planner
Taskade - Team collaboration task app
Google Apps
Google Calendar - Use this to plot important events, appointments and assignments
Google To Do List - Use this to keep track of what you need to do.
Google Keep - Google's answer to post it notes. Use this as a way to keep track of things you need to do.
Chrome Extensions and Other Sites for Staying Focused
Be Timeful - Helps you stop accessing social media while you are working.
Forest - Helps you stay focused and not get distracted by other websites.
Noisli - Create background noise to your liking that will help you block out distractions.
Pomofocus - Based on the Pomodoro technique, you set a list of tasks and it sets a timer for each task and then a 5 minute break between each task. (Not a Chrome Extension.) A similar tool is Focus To-Do.
PostLight Reader - Distracted by all the "junk" on a webpage? Use this extension to help you focus on the "meat" of the article you are trying to read. (Also great when you want to print an article on a webpage.)
Procrastinator - Another extension that helps you block websites you find distracting.
Stay Focused - A Chrome extension that lets you set a timer for how long you allow yourself access to particular sites.
TimeWarp - Helps you stay focused and not get distracted on the web. You create "wormholes" that can do one of the following:
Redirect - Takes you to a more productive site which you specify
Quote - Shows your most motivative quote
Timer - Displays the time you've spent on the site today
Study With Me Study Buddies - A series of videos that can be used to help you focus while studying.