Language Arts
"I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book." -J.K. Rowling
Embedded Files
Monday, 6 April 2020
Monday, 6 April 2020
Distance Learning, here we go!
This post is a quick one - just to say that starting today I will not be using the Class Website for daily posts. I want to make this process as easy as possible for you, and while this website is great for day-to-day updates when we're actually in the classroom, it's a lot of work and frankly just kind of complicates things a little bit more by asking you to check in 3 different places for updates.
Starting today, every Monday at 9AM there will be weekly learning tasks posted on MyConnect and Google Classroom. You'll need to log onto Google Classroom to complete the tasks.
I'm available by email at kokeller@powayusd.com if you have questions (or you can just message me through MyConnect.)
We got this.
Important Updates
- New Commonlit Articles have been added to Google Classroom. Check them out. It's good for your brain. I'm going to go in this week and provide feedback for your written responses. Remember, it's good practice to be writing RACE paragraphs for your responses!
- Zoom Class Meetings - If you missed last week's meeting, have no fear. We are going to be doing one meeting per class period on Wednesday afternoon, if you can make it! It's just to check in and say hi and connect a little bit more as a class. Look for the information on MyConnect and Google Classroom.
- Next week we're going to be moving to what they're calling a "soft launch" of Distance Learning. Basically, that means we're going to be trying out what it will look like to have more actual Language Arts curriculum online. I'm not really sure what the specifics of that are, but we're going to have a (zoom) staff meeting tomorrow so hopefully I'll have more answers for you by Wednesday.
- In the meantime, please let me know immediately if you are:
- Not receiving my email communications
- Unable to access Google Classroom
- Unable to access MyConnect
- In the meantime, please let me know immediately if you are:
MISS YOU LOVE YOU HOPE TO SEE YOUR FACES ON WEDNESDAY.
Ps. Did you finish a book? Do a FlipGrid Book Talk!
Monday, 23 March 2020
Monday, 23 March 2020
Happy Monday, everyone!
Just a few updates for you all today that I wanted to make sure got communicated :)
Q3 Final Grades
It's looking like we are going to continue to move forward with Quarter 3 ending this Friday, March 27th. (We're still waiting for 100% final confirmation from the school, but that's what we've been told so far)
Nothing that has been shared with you during the school closure will be counted as part of your grade. Instead, only assignments that were due on or before March 13th will be counted. As of this morning, I have updated all of the grades. Your first priority this week should be to make up and/or revise any work that was due on or before March 13th. This includes:
- All NoRedInk assignments
- ELA Journal Revisions (check your ELA Journal for your score and feedback)
- This I Believe Video (quite a few students either didn't submit one or submitted an incorrect link. There's still time! Get this done and earn those points!)
Please email me at kokeller@powayusd.com if you complete a revision and would like it re-graded, or if you have questions about your current grade. All revisions / make up work must be submitted by Thursday, March 26th.
Other Enrichment Opportunities
Please keep in mind that all enrichment opportunities are optional, but they are good for your brain!
- Optional Discussion Questions (Google Classroom) - I miss just talking with you all and having class conversations, so I've been posting some general discussion questions for you to respond to. I've also got it set so you can reply to each other! Check them out and engage in conversations with me and your classmates.
- Book Talk FlipGrid - Have you finished a book during the school closure? I want to know what you're reading and I want you to be able to share with your classmates! Log into the FlipGrid to share a quick Book Review for any book you finish! (There is no limit to this! Do as many as you want!)
- Daily Journal Prompts (Google Classroom) - Every day around 9:30AM, I've been posting a new Journal Prompt in this Google Slides presentation. There's a Google Doc in Google Classroom for you to complete a daily journal entry if you want to. If you're like me, and you'd rather do it on paper, that's fine too!
That's all for now! Continue to check back for enrichment activities and more Language Arts announcements! As always, miss you lots!!
Thursday, 19 March 2020
Thursday, 19 March 2020
Hello my brilliant ones!
First, a little note on togetherness during this weird time of disconnect from one of my favorite authors, John Green. (Video to the left!)
I hope you're all enjoying your time at home, while still remembering to stretch your brains just a little bit. I wanted to pop on here real quick with just a few little updates for you, in case you haven't already seen them.
I've been adding some fun things to Google Classroom here and there. So far, I've added a Google Doc for you to use for daily journaling activities (along with a Google Slides with prompt ideas), a Google Doc for you to create some short-term and long-term goals for yourself, and a link to a FlipGrid for sharing the books you're finishing during all this time at home!
I'm going to try to remember to update on here as well, but honestly - the best place to look for new enrichment opportunities is going to be Google Classroom from here on. If you haven't already set up your notification settings, I suggest you do that ASAP. (I suggest getting the app for your phone if you have one)
LA Daily LogDaily Log
This is something that's also posted in Google Classroom, but I wanted to take some time to explain it a little bit so you know what it is.
My friend Mrs. Dykes from OVMS created this Google Doc to share with her students, and I thought it was a great idea. It has some general ideas for enrichment opportunities on it, but the best part about it is that every school day, I commit to being online and having the Google Doc open from 10:30-11:30AM.
If you have any questions for me, or if you simply just want to stop in and say "Hi!" I'll be on the Google Doc with the chat open. Stop by and join the chat!
Monday, 16 March 2020
Monday, 16 March 2020
Hello to all!
What a weekend. Let me start by saying that I sincerely hope that you are all staying safe and practicing smart social distancing. It's strange being here without all of your smiling faces, but I feel confident in saying that PUSD is doing everything they can to make sure that we tackle this situation with everything we've got. (Also, I miss you all. A LOT.)
Optional Enrichment Activities
What does that mean? Well, it comes down to this. Our first and absolute top priority is for you to spend this time focusing on your own personal health and wellness. However, I know that during the course of the next three weeks you (and your parents) might be in search of a little bit of brain practice to keep your academic skills sharp.
That's where I come in! I'll be posting a wide variety of resources here for you to check out during the next three weeks.
Nothing posted on this site, or on Google Classroom, is mandatory. It will not count for or against your grade.
Instead, all of these are optional activities that will help you continue to exercise your brain (and not let it go to mush in front of screens... you know... like we've been talking about for the last month....)
#1 - Commonlit.org
Once a week, I'll be posting 3 new texts for you to read and complete the assessment questions for.
Again, while these are not mandatory assignments, completing them to the best of your ability will help you with your reading comprehension and writing abilities. Remember to log in with Google using your school account in order to see the articles/stories that have been selected for you.
*Parents - If you're interested in providing your students with more than 3 articles/stories per week, there is a feature that is completely free for parents to create an account and select more reading for their children. Go for it!
#2 - READ! A BOOK! OR TWO! OR SEVEN!
As I explained in the email that I sent out to your parents on Friday, please PLEASE keep reading. Go to the library soon and get a few extra books. While we are asked to remain at home, reading is a really great tool to keep your mind engaged and your brain awake. Lots of research shows that when students are not in school, the amount of reading you do over summer directly impacts the ability to retain and use skills when the new school year starts.
In three weeks, it is reasonable to believe that a student will have finished at least one full novel at their reading level by the time we are able to return to school, if not more. You absolutely can do this.
My recommendation? Schedule in some designated reading time every day. Pick an hour (or more!) to just curl up on the couch, turn off the TV, put your phone away, and get lost in a book.
#3 - Journal
Honestly y'all, these are some pretty historic times. It's also pretty confusing and overwhelming and you might be feeling a lot of feels. (I know I am.) My recommendation to you is this: Write it out.
Schedule in some time every day, preferably in the morning, to sit down and just write for 10-15 minutes. Write about what's going on. Write about how you're feeling about it all. Not only will it help you continue to practice good creative writing skills, but it'll help you practice good mental health too. I'll be posting daily journal prompts on my Instagram stories (@misskellerabc) if you need some inspiration, or you can click HERE for a list of journal prompts to choose from!
I don't really care if you write this in a Google Doc, or on actual physical paper, or really how you go about it. Just write.
#4 - Lots of Other Things
There are tons of other awesome resources out there that are being shared for FREE for the next few weeks. I've collected a list of some of my favorites here for you.
- Continue to practice your grammar on NoRedInk.com (You can click the button that says "Master Topics" and practice literally anything even if it's not a practice that I've "assigned" to you)
- Independent Novel Study - Read a good book? This PDF will guide you through a bunch of comprehension activities that can be applied to any novel! It was created and shared by Brittany Jeltema (@thesuperheroteacher on Instagram) for FREE and it is a phenomenal and very thorough resource!
- Family History Project - A few years back, I had my students do a Family History Project where they had to research their own family history. If you have access to the resources at home to look into your family's history this could be a really interesting time to do so!
@thesuperheroteacher (She shared the free Novel Study and is awesome!!)
That's all I've got for now. I'll be back same time next week with more to share. Please know that I'll be checking my emails every day and would love to hear from you all. Stay safe, stay healthy, and when all else fails, READ A BOOK! :)
Sending you all lots of love,
Ms. Keller (kokeller@powayusd.com)
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