First Post Due. Tuesday, by 11:59PM

Overall, setting up our Blogs was not a tragic experience. Most of you were able to make your Blogs at home and I am proud that you took the time to follow the PowerPoint and figure out the quirks. We explored some interesting topics today in class and had great class discussions. It was so nice to hear some of your "controversial" views. It was also really nice that some of you brought Mrs. Das from Interpreter of Maladies into our discussion. That is just a little preview of some of the themes that we will explore while reading A Doll's House.

Now that you have created your very own blog, you are ready to write and publish 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 two paragraphs. Remember, you MUST have minimal grammatical mistakes. Luckily Blogger already has a spell check option incorporated into their system, so use it! 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/discussing.

Thursday we will begin the play and you will LOVE it!

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

ps: You do not need to comment on Blogs for this assignment. 

pss: Do NOT forget to complete VISUAL VOCAB for Act I.

Have fun! :)

Welcome Class of 2017!

We are finally digging out of the snow and we are expecting 40 degree weather next week. Can anyone say flip flops?

Congratulations on setting up your Blogs! Many of you, if not most, have no experience with Blogging. This will expand your learning experience and you will get a little taste of a virtual classroom. So let's have some fun! There will probably be a few hiccups along the way, but just be patient and I will work with you so we can take advantage of this awesome opportunity.

 Blogging will help you with typing and learning how to write properly for a specific audience. Also, navigating Blogger will help you learn a different format of media and interaction, as well as help you become more comfortable with a different writing outlet. I follow many many Blogs on a daily basis and people actually make a living from Blogging. Maybe you can too one day!

You are going to LOVE reading this play as a class. It has a little bit of everything...lies, betrayal, love, friendship, forgery, and scandal. Who doesn't like a little scandal now and then? ;)

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! Include the URL to your Blog in your comment 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) Include your Blog link in the comment

Enjoy #BloggingOnADollsHouse and enjoy all the #drama related to the play!

See you soon... :)

Alternate Ending Due on Tuesday, 3/25, by 11:59 PM. Comments due by Wed., 3/26.

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 stage directions, 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 good 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.

Next week you will begin writing your next (and last!) research paper on A Doll's House. So exciting! During our "fake" Spring Break week we will watch a modern version of the play. We will bring our straw hats and sunglasses to pretend we are on an island.
Then we move on to The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Anyone up for a visit to Caesar's Italian Restaurant?

We will pretend we are here during our "fake" Spring Break.
Horseshoe Bay Beach, Bermuda

Act II Post due Thursday, 3/20, by 11:59 PM. Comments due on Friday, 3/21.

Guess who? Forbidden love...

I am proud of many of the Blog posts that I have seen. Most of you have refrained from summarizing and have analyzed the characters and what is occurring in the story. It is ok to get creative! Some of you have asked me if you can try something different and my answer is "YES..GO FOR IT" as long as it is appropriate.  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.

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. IMPORTANT: You must use in-text citations every time you include a quote (Ibsen 200).

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. Minimum of 3- 4 sentences for each reply. 

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 three more weeks until our fake Spring Break. We are FINALLY watching a movie in our English class during our fake vacation. I am working on finding a really cool modern version of A Doll's House.

Act I Post Due. by Sunday, March 16th- 11:59 PM. Comments Due. by Monday, 03/17.

Who are these characters and what do you think is happening in this scene?

After reviewing all of your Blog posts and replying to all of you, I am confident in saying that you guys did a good job with the Ibsen information. It was so refreshing to ask you in class as a "Do Now" what you remember from Ibsen and you all actually remembered. Good work! I will not be leaving comments on all Blogs for the rest of the assignments. However, I will snooping around reading your posts and replies to each other. Occasionally, I will add to the conversations you are having on the Acts.

For your Act I post keep in mind that you are NOT writing a summary. Instead you are offering your insight/analysis 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.  At least 2 quotes are recommended.

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

* Do not forget, Text to Text, Text to Self, and Text to World.

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 to 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 rubric so 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! =)

First Post Due. Sunday, By 11:59PM

Setting up Blogs was not as tragic of an experience as last year and overall you have all been very patient. I am proud of those of you that took the time to meet with Ms. P and I for help and clarification. Also, we explored some interesting topics today in class and had great class discussions. It was so nice to hear some of your "controversial" views. That is just a little preview of some of the themes that we will explore while reading A Doll's House.

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 (scroll down and look at the right of your screen for other Blogs). 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 two paragraphs. Remember, you MUST have minimal grammatical mistakes. Luckily Blogger already has a spell check option incorporated into their system, so use it! 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/discussing.

Isn't he handsome?

At this point it is hard to say when we will begin reading the play because of the snow and HSPA testing next week. But if all goes well, we can start on Friday!

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

ps: You do not need to comment on Blogs for this assignment. 

pss: Do NOT forget to complete VISUAL VOCAB for Act I.

Have fun! :)

Welcome Fabulous Class of 2016!

Congratulations on setting up your Blogs! Many of you, if not most, have no experience with Blogging. This will expand your learning experience and you will get a little taste of a virtual classroom. So let's have some fun! There will probably be a few hiccups along the way, but just be patient and I will work with you so we can take advantage of this awesome opportunity.

You are going to LOVE reading this play as a class. It has a little bit of everything...lies, betrayal, love, friendship, forgery, and scandal. Who doesn't like a little scandal now and then? ;)

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

Enjoy #BloggingOnADollsHouse and enjoy all the #drama related to the play!

See you soon... :)