Monday, March 25, 2013

Alternate/Extended Ending Due. Tuesday, March 26th by 11:59pm. Comments due. by Wed., 03/26

Many of you posted your Act II Blog late (very late for some) and that caused a problem for the comments. Some of your peers received a lot of feedback on their posts because they posted on time and others received no feedback because the post was so late. This is why it is so important to adhere to deadlines.

It was fun to watch all of you react to A Doll's House. I know that it was refreshing and very different from what we have read this school year. As you all know by now, Nora is my favorite character. Everyone underestimates her and then out of nowhere she is walking out on her husband and children. The best part is that she is leaving to learn about herself, possibly go to school, and work like "a man." If only Dr. Rank were still alive... ;)

Your last assignment is the following:

You are to either add on to Act III, meaning you would write what happens after Nora leaves Torvald and the children OR you can pick up from any point in the play (in Act III) and rewrite the ending.

If you are picking up from a specific part in Act III, make sure you state where you are picking up from. For example, you would state, "After Dr. Rank leaves Nora and Torvald..." Also, you can include any narration, such as, "(As Nora walks to the door, Torvald grabs her arm)."

Finally, don't forget to include vocab words from Act III. And visit other Blogs and leave your thoughts on different alternate endings.

You have all done a fantastic job with blogging and expressing your opinions. Do not forget your username and password to Blogger and Gmail since next year you may use it again.

Enjoy your Spring Break and rest up. After Spring Break you will be writing your next (and last!)research paper on A Doll's House. So exciting! And then we move on to The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Anyone up for a visit to Caesar's Italian Restaurant?

Anyone else going away for Spring Break?


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Act II Post Due. Friday, March 22nd by 11:59pm. Comments due Saturday, 03/23

What do you think is happening in this scary version of A Doll's House?
I originally didn’t have very high expectations for Blogging this school year. It was a difficult process to set up the Blogs with our cell phones in class and we really had to rely on each other to explain how it worked, what to do, etc. However, I am AMAZED by how far everyone has come this school year. You are all definitely posting higher level comments and your analysis of the play is spot on! Keep up the great work… I am so proud! :)

For Act II you are going to do the exact same thing that you did for Act I. You are to analyze the characters, their actions, and their relationships with each other. Things got pretty hot and spicey with our characters in Act II and most of you had plenty to say. So now you can share your opinion (the clean version) with your peers. Also, don’t be afraid to try something different. If you want to try a Video Blog (Vlog), then go for it! You can even Vlog with other peers. But, you must still provide me with a written version of your analysis.

As always, don’t forget to spell check. Also, don’t forget that you cannot leave comments on the same Blogs. The idea is to read different points of view and to support different individuals. By the end of our Blogging experience we want all students to have comments on at least one post. Please refrain from leaving comments such as, “Right…,” “I agree,” and “I feel the same way.” If you agree or feel the same way, then make explain why. Or if you disagree, then explain yourself.

Challenge yourself by posting thought provoking questions for your peers to answer and don’t forget your vocab words and QUOTES!


Keep up the good work guys! Only one more week until Spring Break. I CANNOT WAIT! We need a break... from each other! ;)

Ps: Next week we are FINALLY watching a movie in our English class. The movie for A Doll's House is definitely interesting.


Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Act I Post Due by Monday, March 18th. Comments Due by Tuesday, 03/19.

What could this picture symbolize?
I want to begin by congratulating all of you on your hard work with setting up your Blogs and then working on your first post. I was able to read all of your Blogs and leave you all comments! (I did it! Only about 300 more posts to read and comments to leave!)

For your Act I post keep in mind that you are NOT writing a summary. Instead you are offering your insight on the characters, their inner struggles and development, as well as your views and opinions of the plot. The requirement is 2 paragraphs minimum.

Other requirements:

*At least 3 vocabulary words from Act I

*QUOTES! Look at your Study Guide for quotes you have written.

* Reply to a minimum of 4 people from any of my classes. (Comment on your own post telling me who you commented on.)

Some questions to keep in mind as you Blog or Vlog:

-+-+- Who do the characters remind me of and why? Can you relate the characters and plot to other characters we studied or other literary works?

-+-+- How do I feel about the interaction between certain characters and what would I do if I were in their situation?

-+-+- What questions can I ask to help my peers engage in a “conversation” about my post?

These questions are only meant to guide you. Your post should not be composed of simple answers to these questions. Take a look at the rubricso you can view the requirements to become a Platinum Blogger. We highlighted and underlined all the important requirements you want to focus on.

Most importantly, have fun reading other Blogs, especially from students in my other periods, and commenting. In addition, write properly (punctuation, spelling, word choice, etc.).

Creativity is welcome! You can try Vlogging (Video Blogging), but a writing portion to the assignment is still required. 2 paragraphs minimum

HAVE FUN! =)

Monday, March 4, 2013

First Post Due Tuesday, March 5th by 11:59pm

You have all been hounding me about not having posted your first assignment yet. I apologize for the delay.  Who knew you were all so excited to start Blogging! ;)

Now that you have created your very own blog, you are ready to write and publish your first post.

First, make sure that you email me (from your Gmail account) the URL to your blog so that I can add it to my blog list for our period. Your URL should look something like this: http://www.misscsantos.blogspot.com/.

Now on to your first post…

You can begin your first post by introducing yourself and stating what you have liked the most about our English class this year. Then, I want you to do some research on the author of A Doll's House. Therefore, you need to provide us with some facts on Henrik Ibsen. Explain how you think the title of the play relates to what the play may be about or how it may even relate to the author. Also, what themes and symbols does the play focus on? This can be done in about two paragraphs. Remember, you MUST have minimal grammatical mistakes. Therefore, you may want to type this into Microsoft Word and then just copy and paste. Blogger also has a spell check option if you choose to not use Microsoft Word. Please cite your information because if you do not, then it is plagiarism and you will not receive credit for your work. Simply including the link(s) at the end of your post will do. Also, you are not copying and pasting the information you find. You are paraphrasing!

Want to get creative? Add some pictures and even videos. Just remember that it must be relevant to what you are writing about/dicussing.
Guess who?

We will begin reading the play on Monday.

Any questions? Hit the "Student Opinions" button and ask away.


ps: You do not need to comment on Blogs for this assignment. But do not worry, there will be plenty of commenting next week!

Have fun! :)

I hope next week that you all can reach this level of feedback.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Hey Awesome Class of 2015!

Wait…were we actually successful in setting up our Blogs? I hope that by the time you are all reading this, you already have your Blogs set up and that you are ready to start reading A Doll’s House. You are going to LOVE reading this play together. It has a little bit of everything…lies, betrayal, love, friendship, forgery, and scandal. Who doesn't like a little scandal now and then? ;)

 Feel free to look around my Blog and read the posts that were written to my students in the past, as well as the Blogs that students created last year (links are located on the right hand side of this page). I cannot wait to share this experience with all of you. But most importantly, I want you to feel comfortable coming to me with any questions or concerns regarding Blogging. We can definitely have fun, but we must all be on board and we obviously have to understand the expectations and requirements.

Once you have created your Blog, please post a comment in reply to this post. Just click below on "student opinions." Please remember to keep it clean and "professional." Leaving a comment will count as a homework grade. Also, don't forget to mention your name!

Then, email me (from your Gmail account) the URL to your blog so that I can add it to my blog list for our period (Look to your right, scroll down...you see the different periods? That is where the link to your blog will be). Your URL should look something like this: http://www.misscsantos.blogspot.com/. This will also count as a homework assignment.

Basically, you are being given the opportunity to receive two easy homework grades.
1) Comment on this post
2) Email me your Blog link

Let’s have fun with this experience! We #KBAR’ed with The Alchemist so now we can Blog on A Doll’s House!

See you soon on Blogger…

This is all of YOU right now.