Last Chance

If you need to raise your blog grades, you need to complete any additions by NOON the 21st (Saturday - AKA tomorrow). Then you need to email me at mrsnewmanpv at gmail.com with:

• What you changed (so I know where to look quickly as time is running out).
• A reflection on what was changed and why. (Check all instructions in the packet and on the blog and cite them.)
• Do this for each item/category that should be regraded.

Note that for this semester, the grade for your blog is out of 300 points. Everyone earned 150 points of that simply by participating. Instead of giving you one score based on the holistic rubric, I broke it into separate grades so you can see exactly which parts of your project were lacking and so you have this last chance to revise them.

Last Workday

There isn't much to say about today other than -- You are ALMOST done!! CONGRATULATIONS!!


Click here for Presentation Schedule.

Fourteenth Workday

Today is the next to last day for in-class computer time. Yesterday you received a copy of the rubric for this project and you should be evaluating your progress and ensuring that you are revising anything that needs revising. Remember to blog about it!

You should also be working on your final presentation. If you have questions about the TED-style talk, please see the "Q&A" page. Post comments if you have additional questions.

Thirteenth Workday

See the new page "Q&A" for Questions and Answers about the final TED-style talk. If you have any additional questions, please add them to the comments on that page.

We are coming down to the wire! Including today, we have three more days in the lab.

You should be focusing on finishing up your project, revising work that needs revision, and creating/rehearsing your final presentation. You may not read your presentation, so if you need them, any notes must fit on one small index card.

Twelfth Workday

Your focus right now should be:

• Finshing the last few things you need to do to complete your project.
• Writing your interview transcript/notes and reflection and posting it as a page to your blog.
• Ensuring that you have your four static pages.
• You should have a project proposal/elevator talk page.
• You should have an interview page.
• You might consider pages for:
• Background information on your project.
• Evidence of completion of your project.
• A final formal reflection.
• Works Cited.
• Beginning to work on your final TED-Style talk.

TED-Style Talk Work

• Think about what you learned yesterday.
• Check out these pages for some specific suggestions:
• 5 Secrets of a Successful TED Talk
• The 7 Steps To Delivering A Mind-Blowing TED Talk
• Check the "Inspiration" page to see other people's ideas of great TED talks.
• A few samples of the type of talk you will be producing have been added to the "Inspiration" page. (They may be both good or bad!)
• A YouTube search can lead you to other samples of 20Time Project Talks.

On TED Talks

Reread the information in the 20Time Information Packet.

Read this article from the Chicago Tribune: What TED talk speakers teach us about presenting

Then from this website. TED talk Topics, choose three talks.

Take notes:
Make sure you summarize at least 2 things from their talk.
Answer the following:
1. What was the end product?
2. What was goal of the project?
3. What did the speaker learn about their project?
4. Describe the format of the TED talk.
5. In what ways can you imitate this talk for your TED talk?

Turn your notes in before you leave and also complete the form below...

Eleventh Workday

Graduation is in the air and we are in need of help picking this years graduation cover. Please visit this page: http://goo.gl/forms/X2MXxJ8nvE. The cover with the most votes will be printed and used as the cover.

Voting will close on Friday April 15 at the end of the school day.

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Your interview is due this Saturday. You need to have your questions approved before you conduct your interview. What you learn needs to be reflected upon and posted as a page to your blog. You should already have a page for your proposal and elevator pitch. (So this is two of the four pages you should have - what will your other two pages be?)

If you don't remember the steps for creating a page, please see these instructions. The only fiddly bit is that once you have created a new page, you must go back to add it to the list of pages to show (see step three in the instructions).

Tenth Workday

So -- if you have hit some bumps in the road, make sure that you have gotten back up, brushed yourself off, and continued moving forward. You can blog about the challenges you are facing, but if you are facing a challenge every week, you need to stop, refocus, and work on revising your plan.

Remember that your interview is to be completed by 4/16! You need to have:

• 7-10 questions approved by the teacher
• meet with your expert, obtain permission to record the interview
• post to your blog a two page reflection on the interview and the information you learned (make this another page!)
• post supporting information (recording)

Image Source



Ninth Workday

Welcome back from Spring Break!

Now is the time to really buckle down and refocus on your project. You need to be reading your book, gathering additional data/information, writing and obtaining approval of your interview questions, completing the interview of your expert, writing about your interview, and moving toward your own stated project completion goal. All of these are what you need to reflect on in your blog.

Our project completion date is May 11th - that is six (6) weeks from now! You can plan into your schedule some time to work on your TED-style presentation during lab time the last few weeks. We will be examining TED talks models soon!

Blog Grade!

Your blog will be graded this week. Here are the minimums if you missed them from the "Fourth Workday" post.

Blog posts should be: 2 substantial paragraph minimum reflect on the progress being made toward your project's goal reflect on how your selected book is guiding your learning gather information from other print and electronic sources cite all information (as well as images!) (and a reminder) well edited There should be eight posts as of today. The score will drop for posts which were not on time, but get as many done as you can if you skipped any!

Image Credit

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What grade will you earn?
For each blog post you will earn:
1 point if it is present
2 points if it meets minimums (see above)
2 points if it was on time
Points are added to a 60 minimum.
You will earn a 55 if you have a blog but there is no content.
You will earn a 0 if you have not created a blog or notified Mrs. Newman of the URL (do so at: "First Check In").

Example: A. Student posted one blog post on time (2 pts), wrote six posts total (6 pts), and four posts met minimums (one didn't include an image credit and one was not two paragraphs and had several spelling and grammar errors, 8pts). A. Student has therefore earned a 76 (60+2+6+8).

Seventh Workday

Reminder that the mid-point blog grade is coming soon! Check your packet.

Sixth Workday

You should be well into the first stages of your project by now. You should be reading your chosen book and planning your interview of an expert.

Remember the old saying:

Image Source

Fifth Workday

If you have lost track, here are some reminders:

Project Blog

• Today you should be posting your fifth reflection about how you project is progressing to your project blog.
• Your Project Proposal should be posted to a page on your blog.
• Your Elevator Pitch should be posted with your written proposal.

Project Packet

• Should be turned in for feedback on your proposals.

Remember that is not supposed to be "easy." It is meant to be challenging, but achievable. However, you must keep up or you will fall too far behind!

I know you each can complete this project, and I am looking forward to seeing some great presentations at the end!

Fourth Workday

To begin today, please complete the pitch evaluations you were assigned.

Please hand your #PVhasPassion project packet in to the teacher for feedback on your proposal. Once your proposal is "Accepted," you should begin significant work on your project.

Don't forget to post a blog entry today -- remember:

• 2 substantial paragraph minimum
• reflect on the progress being made toward your project's goal
• reflect on how your selected book is guiding your learning
• gather information from other print and electronic sources
• cite all information (as well as images!)

Video!

If you don't see your page linked on the "Student Blogs" page, you need to get me your URL ASAP! Remember that on your to do list for workday three is:

• Elevator Pitch (add it to the proposal page on your blog)

Adding Pages to Your Blog

One of the pages you should be adding to your blog is for your proposal (both the Written Proposal and Elevator Pitch). You will need to decide what the other three pages will be.

To add pages to your blog, see the instructions here. Note that there are multiple steps.

For your Elevator Pitch, you may use a cell phone to record yourself (or have someone else hold the phone - my arm would get tired). Once you've done that, you can use your Web browser to access Blogger, and you can then insert the video directly to your proposal page from your phone.

Second Workday

Your task list for today:

• Complete Implementation Guide and turn in the packet to have it checked off.
• Complete and link your written proposal to your blog (this is a good item for one of your static pages).
• Make sure you have chosen your book and expert.

Written proposal hints:

• Read the requirements in your packet.
• If you didn't download/copy it last week, here is a blank MLA document to get you started.
• It is strongly suggested that you create your document in Google Docs. (The document above can be copied to your workspace.)
• In Google Docs look for the blue "Share" button in the top left of the screen.
• Use that link to allow your blog visitors to view your proposal with a click!

Note that this project is not one that you will be able to complete solely during the time allotted during class. You will need to work outside of class.

Next week:

• Your Elevator Pitch will be due. You will be uploading it to your proposal page. A cell-phone video is just fine.

What I'm Seeing

I have the following generic notes for the posts I have seen on your blogs:

• Check the length requirements.
• ALWAYS check your spelling and grammar.
• ALWAYS cite your sources -- for both images and quotes.

We have had several people decide this year that their project will be a blog. If that is the case, then your project blog and the blog you are writing for a grade in this class will be two separate things. One of your peers has appropriately named one of her blogs "The Blog about the Blog." Your project blog does not have a set requirement for posts -- but to drive interest, you need to post regularly. The blog you are writing for a grade has set requirements.

Also, if you have decided to use Blogger and have a phone with a good data plan, check your app store. You can use the Blogger App to upload all kinds of things (including those last minute weekly required posts). You can even manage several blogs at once from your phone!

First Check In

Today is your first full #PVhasPassion workday!

Your task list:

• Turn in your packet so your Brainstorm (p.4) may be checked.
• Submit your email and blog information to the teacher by answering the survey below.
• Complete your first blog post introducing your project to your readers.

For next week:

• Your Implementation Guide (p.6) will be due. Check it for other steps that are due that day.
• Your Written Proposal should be in MLA Format. Here is a document which is formatted correctly that you can make a copy of to save to your Google Drive or download (look under the File menu).

Note that you may submit your email at the top right in order to "follow" this blog. When a new post is created, you will automatically receive an email.

Blogging Newbies

If you are a blogging newbie, please consider using Blogger for your blog. Since it integrates with Gmail, you will only have to remember one password! This blog is set up using that system, so Mrs. Newman can help you set up yours!

If you need some help getting started, here is the "Official Getting Started Guide" from Google.

Remember to check your information packet about the requirements for the blog and the blog planning sheet.

Also remember that while your blog is public, you can take precautions when it comes to your identity.

Welcome!

Welcome to Mrs. Newman's official Class of 2016 #PVhasPassion information site.

To begin our project, you need to first determine what your passion is. What interests you? What are you curious about? What inspires you? You need to find a topic you are REALLY interested in. And your project needs to be something you make or create. Make you project memorable! Make your project matter!

Today (Thursday) you need to complete the following:

• Ensure you have a "professional" email account.
• We suggest Gmail so you can link in a Blogger blog and use the Google Drive functions for uploading documents.
• We suggest using first initials and last names. (On this site, I will be creating links to your blogs which note your last name.)
• If you need to pick a number, don't pick your year of birth (it dates you) or a zip code (people don't need to know where you came from).
• If you need a copy of the #PVhasPassion handout, download it here.
• To get you started, peruse a few of these YouTube videos.
• Begin your brainstorming process.

Tomorrow (Friday) we will be meeting in Room 42. Ms. Saenz will be working with you on the FAFSA and getting ready for college. You will then have time to work on your brainstorming sheet, your blog planning, and your implementation guide. You should also begin gathering ideas for your proposal.