D. Brosius’ Virtual Classroom

With the first couple of days of school behind us I hope you have some sense of what our class will be like. I am excited to get the year rolling and am really looking forward to a great year. Next week we will spend some time reviewing the class set up and continue to organize the virtual class folders. I appreciate those of you that have set up your gmail account and emailed me a message to verify the account.  I have set up a file system in my email account that is specific to your course. If you are sending an email to me, whether it is an assignment, a question, or a concern, please include your full name in the final salutation. As mentioned previously, your email access in class will only be through your English gmail account. I think you will find this system VERY easy to use, you’ll stay super organized, and it is the only way I will accept your work through email… Now lets move ahead and set up your English Virtual Backpack. If you are opting out of email, which is perfectly fine, then you will need a flash drive to transport work to and from home…DO NOT LEAVE IT AT HOME.. no work will be accepted with the excuse that I left my jump drive at home- it is your English notebook!! For those of you that are completely stressing out about the technological aspects of this class- no worries!! I am perfectly happy to assist you through the course using the old school approach: a notebook with dividers, college ruled paper, and blue or black pens brought to class daily will be required of you. Now on to the good stuff with one final word of encouragement-Come prepared to pursue Excellence from here on out!!!

Seniors- Wow! Doesn’t that feel great to know you have finally made it to the top of the “food chain” in high school!! You are a SENIOR. finally… Some of you may have a strange feeling in the pit of your stomach when you think about it all.  Last year of high school, no more dress code, no more classes at 7:50 in the morning, no more 30 min. lunches, no more rules regulating your right to chew gum, listen to music, come to class, etc… the freedom… so now what! What will you be doing next year at this time? Wait!! Don’t answer that, just yet; it is a journal prompt this week.  This week we will begin the process of researching your choices for your next phase in life.  The post secondary assignment is a structured assignment that will help you make educated decisions on your future plans.  The assignment will require your attention to detail, organization and time management. Are you ready… Let’s do this, onward to the post secondary research assignment.

Juniors- A big sigh of relief… the summer read assignment is over, and safely turned in, the rhetorical terms test behind you, and the Elements of Style test finished.  Biggg breath, now put your seat belt on because we are getting ready to take off into the real course of study. Wait… you do have one more “fluff” assignment; I look forward to seeing your creative genius on your I am… assignment.  Don’t let me down, I can already see that I have some very creative students- I can’t wait to see what you come up with. This week we will finish setting up our virtual notebooks, and move into our Bedford reader.  Make sure you remember the homework rules- no late work will be accepted; we will be having at least 5 assignments a week, unless otherwise stated on the calendar.  Get organized and lets move forward!!

Check your schedule and make sure you are in the right place:

D.Brosius room 760

If you are in the right class, then settle in and peruse this site; if your schedule says something different-sneak out and nobody will notice your error.

You’ll notice a class of rubies and nice chairs, if you are swiveling in your chair STOP! you should be reading this post and then moving on to your next directive. Remember you want to make a good first impression-it really does go a lonnnnggg way!! You may be confused by the set up of the class. Why are there computers on every desk, isn’t this an English class? It looks like a computer lab. Rather than be confused get excited!! You are in a paperless English class. I know you didn’t sign up for paperless English, you just lucked out.  Don’t worry the curriculum is exactly the same as your scheduled English course; AP Language,  or Modern Literature. The only difference is the size and weight of your binder.  You will be using a flash drive or gmail account to transport work to and from class, rather than the giant three ringed binder. Don’t freak out, if you are not tech savvy, you can actually use hard copies, but you won’t want to. We will be saving so many trees, and you will be so organized… Can’t wait? Class is just about to begin, pay attention to the specifics and prepare to “play school”.

Seniors you are at the end of your high school journey. There is a huge world out there in desperate need of people that believe in a peaceful society that is based on equality and mutual respect.  Be positive, Be passionate and Be heard.

Juniors prepare to fill the big shoes the Seniors are leaving behind..

Some will appreciate a good reading list for their spare time this summer.  The list is called must reads before you die I call the list- should read before you graduate Click on the title and enjoy!!

For those of you attending the prom, Enjoy!!! Make good choices and BE SAFE!!!!

Way to work hard last week. I admire your tenacious spirits’ to keep pushing through the last few weeks of school. We are officially on count down now…that doesn’t mean let up that means finish strong!!!

Seniors- your last unit of study is William classic Streetcar Named Desire. We will work hard the final two weeks of school as we wrap up your last unit of high school English. Continue to come to class geared up to read and complete the requirements for Streetcar… the work you do this week will set you up for success on your Modern Literature final. If you get behind in the text, make sure you check out a copy from the media center and read at home. I will periodically be collecting the study guide, and giving you credit for competition; you will also have pop quizzes over the required reading. I have confidence you will all finish strong.

Juniors- Post Secondary has been the focus for the past week, continue to research your colleges and organize your notebooks to better prepare you for the arduous task of college applications, next year. We started our last literary study Great Gatsby, I will continue to check your understanding with quizzes, in preparation for the final. This literary unit is meant to bring up your grade BUT you have to read. Please ask for clarification when needed.

Help me get the announcement out that the AP Language meeting for Sophomores is next week- June 4, during lunch, in the lecture hall.. Spread the word to all interested Sophomores!!

Progress reports were handed out 4^th period, I hope your efforts were fairly represented on your final update for this school year. If you are not pleased with your current grade than push harder, there are several assignments, tests and essays left to complete- many points to accumulate. Stay organized, complete all assignments and give 100% for the next 30 days.

Seniors- We will continue to work on our short story presentations. Keep in mind you are earning points each day for the final grade on the assignment. Continue to research Fitzgerald and the zeitgeist of the time the story was written. With less than 30 days left continue to work hard in class and complete all work. Remember: absolutely, positively no late work accepted!

Juniors- I am as anxious as you are to be done with testing. Take a deep breath!! The most important AP test is Wednesday , gear up for it!!!!!! All your hard work is going to pay off. Be positive, review your notes, remind yourself of how brilliant you are, and think positively. Sleep well this weekend, stay healthy. No homework all week, the week will be stress free. You have all the knowledge, skills, and “hot tips” to succeed on your upcoming test … Get excited to show what you know!!!

**AP $$ for shirt due Tuesday…Dayton will be collecting- see Duly Noted for more details**

First week back from spring break and, to some, it felt like it went by in slow motion…Many of you were dragging, tired, and unmotivated to get back into the swing of school.  Caution!!! Don’t let that attitude seep in, any more… We still have 50 “ish” (whose counting) days left of school- you have to push hard to finish strong.  Make sure you are sleeping well, eating well, and staying healthy.  Set goals for yourself to continue to work hard and stay organized.  Remember, you may not always have control over test scores, but you ALWAYS have control over classwork and homework scores.  Get your work turned in, on time, for credit.  I am always available for tutoring, if in fact you need extra help.  Let’s check out what is going on this week for each curriculum.

Seniors:

Great job getting your work turned in to our turnitin site.  The Glass Menagerie Unit was a great grade booster to many of you!! Though our plan for the week was pushed back a little we will begin moving forward on the Kate Chopin unit. Next week we will complete a webquest, that will require you to research directly from specific sites and answer questions that focus on Chopin’s life. As mentioned last week this unit will help us consider a woman’s perspective of her role and how the issue was addressed in early modern literature. If you are missing class you are still responsible for the work being turned in!! There will be a unit test over the information gathered on

Juniors:

Practice, practice, practice… don’t get tired of it yet!! Just as with any sport the more practice the better prepared you are. Just three short weeks left before the grand finale!! , The great news is I am seeing excellent progress with each practice test and in class essay. The bad news is the work load will not lighten up until the day before the AP test. That is not meant to be a threat, simply a matter of fact- Stay motivated to do your best work, practice the cloze read strategies on the practice tests, and be prepared to write an in class essay at any given day. Continue to review on your own- tone words, rhetorical devices, tropes, analytical writing strategies, argumentative writing-claims, backing, warrants, qualifiers…the list goes on!!

***Essay rubrics can be found in the side bar-online study resources***

April 13-17

I hope your week off gave you the rest you needed and you are ready to get back in the groove of school. A good book, many great essays, lots of great music, a spectacular museum, quality time with friends and family, and plenty of rest summarizes my break. I am ready to get back to my favorite students!! 

Seniors:

This week we will review where we left off before our break, Tennessee William’s play “The Glass Menagerie”. The study guide questions and the unit final will be completed on Wednesday of this week. The upcoming study, starting on Thursday, will focus on the expectations society had on women. As we consider a woman’s perspective of her role and how the issue was addressed in literature we will study several stories by Kate Chopin; “First Kiss”, “The Secret Affair” and “Story of an Hour”. Our study will be in the form of a webquest. If you are missing class you are still responsible for the work being turned in!!

Juniors:

I made a promise to my own family to keep my work locked up for at least 4 of our 8 days off. This normally wouldn’t be too much of a struggle for me, but before we left for break I peeked at a few of the proposals. My curiosity got the best of me when I started perusing the websites and newspaper articles- wow!! Tuesday finally came and immediately I was torn between reading your group proposals or outside read reviews. I spent the day reviewing the three outside read choices and tore into the reviews. Though I have yet to finish evaluating all reviews I have noticed a common problem in terms of responding to passages, as well as analyzing arguments. We will review format, responding to author’s stance, and analyzing author’s claims when we return to class. I always try to finish evaluating one assignment before moving onto the next, however, I had to sneak another look at the proposals and I saw many very impressive websites, newspaper articles, essays and speeches; I am looking forward to thoroughly appraising each. Next week we will review essay prompts, practice AP multiple choice questions, and discuss your research questions.

Typically March moves in slowly and feels like it creeps along as we await the much needed SPRING BREAK. However, this March is flying by… I am having a hard time keeping up with break neck speed of the curriculum!! I encourage you to continue to work hard, and don’t slack off, the catch up will be brutal!! Expect your progress updates this Friday. Many of you are doing a great job settling into the second semester. A few of you are inconsistent in work effort and it is beginning to show in your grades.  There is plenty of time to pick your grades up and I am available to help in any way.  Remember you have to want to succeed more than I want it for you!!

Seniors- We have looked closely at T.S. Eliot and Sylvia Plath to better understand the perceptions both men and women had on society during the mid 1930’s.  With a clear understanding of the time period it is easier to understand the author’s message in his/her works.  We will continue to pick through a few more authors and start zooming in on the evolution of the woman’s voice during the modern period.  This week we will discuss Anne Sexton and Charlotte Perkins Gilman.  I am sure you will find a strong connection to the view of society between these women even though they were 40+ years apart.  Journals, a unit test, comfort zone essays, author studies and author quizzes make up this progress reports grades…expect more journals, more author studies and a unit test in the next couple weeks.  Keep working hard!!

Juniors- Enthymemes weaved their way into our curriculum. Understanding the logical conclusion to an author’s statement, essay, speech, visual, etc.. is easiest when we can identify the major and minor premise. Of course that takes the critical thinking out of the equation and we all know that critical thinking is what exercises our brain cells…right?! Taking the major premise, the minor premise, or the conclusion out and leaving it up to the reader to infer the author’s point is the art of understanding enthymemes.  The more you think in enthymemes the better you get at detecting and supporting cogent arguments.  With that said let’s look at our weeks agenda:  Last week you paired up to study a famous speech and write a rhetorical analysis of the speech. This assignment is preparing you for the proposal project. The proposal assignment is going to require your understanding of arguments, logical fallacies and proposal writing.  A couple days will be spent on introducing you to the set up of proposals and then you will be set free to find a problem and propose a solution. But first!!! I anxiously await your speech presentations.  Keep working hard, stay organized and continue to monitor your AP calendar.  

Quick Note