Policies
Academic Literacy
Information on writing the college essay can be found at The College Essay Guy.
Academic Literacy
Information on writing the college essay can be found at The College Essay Guy.
Classroom Policies
All policies, guidelines, and expectations can be summarized with the statement "Do what you are supposed to do when you are supposed to do it."
- Allow others the opportunity to learn. Please, no cross talk (speaking while another student or I am speaking). Do not touch anyone else with your hands, feet, or any other object.
- Show consideration for yourself and others. Clean up after yourself. Please, no cross talk (speaking while another student or I am speaking). Do not touch anyone else with your hands, feet, or any other object. Do not write on, disable, or damage the equipment, materials, and furniture in the room. This is considered graffiti or vandalism.
- Electronics need to be in backpacks; backpacks need to remain in designated areas.
- Food and gum must be disposed of before class begins.
- Use your time wisely Be in your seat and ready to work when the tardy bell rings. Do not start packing up five minutes before the bell rings. You are expected to work bell to bell.
- If you are tardy, you must sign in. That is the proof you were here. If you slip in, I might miss
you, and the attendance record will not get changed. - If you are tardy, you may not use the restroom. You had time to do that on your way to class.
- Hoodies and sunglasses may be worn outside only.
- No personal grooming during class time.
Policies and Guidelines
Restroom and Water
You may not leave the classroom the first 15 minutes or last 15 minutes of class. You will receive four passes for the restroom and drinking fountains per quarter. Once those passes are gone, you may not use the restroom or get water. You may not use the restroom if you are late to class. Abuse of these privileges will result in their loss.
Electronic Devices
You must bring your laptop every day. Not bringing your laptop is like not bringing your pencil. If you are not prepared with your laptop, your grade may be affected since you won’t be able to access the assignments. Cell phones are not allowed in class, unless express permission from the instructor is given, and do not replace your laptop.
Cell phones must be put away in the cell phone pouch at your desk or in your bag. Cell phone accessories must also be put away. You do not need to take pictures of assignments or the boards in the room because all the information and assignments are online. Please do not be deceitful and hide your phone under your leg or in your lap. Doing so shows me I can't trust you. Any cell phones that are out may be confiscated.
Assignments
You must include a heading on all your assignments. The heading includes your first and last name, date, and class period. Written responses must be in complete sentences that fully answer the prompt. Paragraphs must be indented with no extra space between paragraphs. Failure to follow the appropriate format on assignments will result in point deduction. Each assignment must be turned in separately unless it is in your ISN. Multiple page assignments must be stapled or clipped together. Do not use tape, sticky notes, or fold the assignment. Multiple assignments stapled together will not be accepted. Links and pictures of assignments will not be accepted. Assignments will not be accepted through email. Files must be uploaded and attached to the assignment in Canvas.
Attendance and Make-Up Policy
Attendance
Attendance is EXTREMELY important. You cannot expect to pass a class you do not attend. When you miss class, you aren’t just missing the work, but all the instruction and discussion that go with the assignment. We will be working every day. One absence will set you back. You need to make up the work you miss. Ten or more absences may result in loss of credit for the class. If you are tardy, you must sign in. That is the proof you were here. If you slip in, I might miss you, and the attendance record will not get changed. Missing 50% of the class period equals an absence.
If you are absent, you are responsible for making up assignments. Do NOT come in the next day and ask if we did anything while you were absent. We have assignments every day; we don't stop everything and wait for your return. You need to check Canvas to get the assignment. You may also check with me or another student to see what you missed, but do not just copy another student’s work. If students are absent the day of a scheduled presentation (group or individual) and do not contact your group or me, you will not receive credit for that presentation. You need to make an appointment to make up any test you miss due to an absence. If you do not make an appointment or keep that appointment the test grade will be a zero.
*Cases of extreme emergency or extended illness will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Missing and Late Assignments
There is a time limit on make-up work. You must speak with me as soon as you return about the work you missed, but do not do so at the very beginning of class. DO NOT announce that you never received the work when I ask for it to be turned in.
Students will have a reasonable time (1 for 1 – 1 day absence, 1 day for make-up, etc.) to turn in the work. Teachers may make special exceptions based on circumstances. This means you have time equal to your absence to make up the work you missed. If you miss a test or a quiz you must make an appointment to take the test or quiz within one week of your return to school. If you do not attend your appointment and do not contact me to cancel, you will not be allowed to make up that quiz or test.
Students will turn in previously assigned work no later than the next scheduled class following their return. Newly assigned work will be turned in no later than the following scheduled class meeting. For example, if the student is absent on Monday, returns to class on Wednesday, the missing work will be due that Friday.
Academic Integrity
Plagiarism is the practice of copying words, sentences, images, or ideas for use in written or oral assessments without giving proper credit to the source. Copying and pasting information from the Internet is plagiarism. Cheating is defined as the giving or receiving of unauthorized help on anything that has been determined by the teacher to be an individual effort. Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated, and plagiarism is cheating. Both are considered serious offenses and will significantly affect your course grade. Any student who cheats will fail that assignment. In addition, credit will not be awarded to students who “share answers,” “do work together,” or copy. I consider this to be academic dishonesty (cheating). Students should not have the exact, word-for-word answers. People who allow others to copy as well as those who copy themselves will receive a double-zero grade. Any assignment receiving a zero due to academic dishonesty cannot be redone. I expect you to do your own work during discussions and other cooperative assignments. Do NOT have one person in the group write down answers and pass around the answers for everyone to copy. You need to write down your own answers in your own words.
All written work turned in for a grade must be original or quoted (using quotation marks) and properly cited giving credit to the author. We will be going over this policy and the "how to" of citations during the first weeks of school. Any student who copies directly from the Internet or from another student is in violation of this rule against cheating and is jeopardizing his or her possible success in this class.
You may not leave the classroom the first 15 minutes or last 15 minutes of class. You will receive four passes for the restroom and drinking fountains per quarter. Once those passes are gone, you may not use the restroom or get water. You may not use the restroom if you are late to class. Abuse of these privileges will result in their loss.
Electronic Devices
You must bring your laptop every day. Not bringing your laptop is like not bringing your pencil. If you are not prepared with your laptop, your grade may be affected since you won’t be able to access the assignments. Cell phones are not allowed in class, unless express permission from the instructor is given, and do not replace your laptop.
Cell phones must be put away in the cell phone pouch at your desk or in your bag. Cell phone accessories must also be put away. You do not need to take pictures of assignments or the boards in the room because all the information and assignments are online. Please do not be deceitful and hide your phone under your leg or in your lap. Doing so shows me I can't trust you. Any cell phones that are out may be confiscated.
Assignments
You must include a heading on all your assignments. The heading includes your first and last name, date, and class period. Written responses must be in complete sentences that fully answer the prompt. Paragraphs must be indented with no extra space between paragraphs. Failure to follow the appropriate format on assignments will result in point deduction. Each assignment must be turned in separately unless it is in your ISN. Multiple page assignments must be stapled or clipped together. Do not use tape, sticky notes, or fold the assignment. Multiple assignments stapled together will not be accepted. Links and pictures of assignments will not be accepted. Assignments will not be accepted through email. Files must be uploaded and attached to the assignment in Canvas.
Attendance and Make-Up Policy
Attendance
Attendance is EXTREMELY important. You cannot expect to pass a class you do not attend. When you miss class, you aren’t just missing the work, but all the instruction and discussion that go with the assignment. We will be working every day. One absence will set you back. You need to make up the work you miss. Ten or more absences may result in loss of credit for the class. If you are tardy, you must sign in. That is the proof you were here. If you slip in, I might miss you, and the attendance record will not get changed. Missing 50% of the class period equals an absence.
If you are absent, you are responsible for making up assignments. Do NOT come in the next day and ask if we did anything while you were absent. We have assignments every day; we don't stop everything and wait for your return. You need to check Canvas to get the assignment. You may also check with me or another student to see what you missed, but do not just copy another student’s work. If students are absent the day of a scheduled presentation (group or individual) and do not contact your group or me, you will not receive credit for that presentation. You need to make an appointment to make up any test you miss due to an absence. If you do not make an appointment or keep that appointment the test grade will be a zero.
*Cases of extreme emergency or extended illness will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Missing and Late Assignments
There is a time limit on make-up work. You must speak with me as soon as you return about the work you missed, but do not do so at the very beginning of class. DO NOT announce that you never received the work when I ask for it to be turned in.
Students will have a reasonable time (1 for 1 – 1 day absence, 1 day for make-up, etc.) to turn in the work. Teachers may make special exceptions based on circumstances. This means you have time equal to your absence to make up the work you missed. If you miss a test or a quiz you must make an appointment to take the test or quiz within one week of your return to school. If you do not attend your appointment and do not contact me to cancel, you will not be allowed to make up that quiz or test.
Students will turn in previously assigned work no later than the next scheduled class following their return. Newly assigned work will be turned in no later than the following scheduled class meeting. For example, if the student is absent on Monday, returns to class on Wednesday, the missing work will be due that Friday.
Academic Integrity
Plagiarism is the practice of copying words, sentences, images, or ideas for use in written or oral assessments without giving proper credit to the source. Copying and pasting information from the Internet is plagiarism. Cheating is defined as the giving or receiving of unauthorized help on anything that has been determined by the teacher to be an individual effort. Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated, and plagiarism is cheating. Both are considered serious offenses and will significantly affect your course grade. Any student who cheats will fail that assignment. In addition, credit will not be awarded to students who “share answers,” “do work together,” or copy. I consider this to be academic dishonesty (cheating). Students should not have the exact, word-for-word answers. People who allow others to copy as well as those who copy themselves will receive a double-zero grade. Any assignment receiving a zero due to academic dishonesty cannot be redone. I expect you to do your own work during discussions and other cooperative assignments. Do NOT have one person in the group write down answers and pass around the answers for everyone to copy. You need to write down your own answers in your own words.
All written work turned in for a grade must be original or quoted (using quotation marks) and properly cited giving credit to the author. We will be going over this policy and the "how to" of citations during the first weeks of school. Any student who copies directly from the Internet or from another student is in violation of this rule against cheating and is jeopardizing his or her possible success in this class.
- 1st offense will result in a zero on the assignment, student conference, parent contact, and a written warning.
- 2nd offense will result in a zero on the assignment, parent contact, and a written referral.
- 3rd offense will result in a zero on the assignment, parent contact, and further disciplinary action.
Academic Literacy
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All students must complete the Academic Literacy assignments. These assignments are the foundation for everything we do in class. Academic Literacy is the key to success in any subject at any level.
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Electronic device usage is one of the biggest obstacles to student achievement. When students are focused on their phones, they are not doing their assignments. Cell phone usage is becoming such a problem it is being described as an addiction. Despite what students believe, research is showing that students are NOT able to multitask and cell phones do interfere with learning.
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Apps to help you break your electronic habit and focus on what you should
BreakFree Cell Phone Addiction UBhind - Mobile Life Pattern Forest: Stay focused Moment Family Watch a video of Moment Family in action |
"Participants in three different study groups (control, low-distraction, and high-distraction) watched a video lecture, took notes on that lecture, and took two learning assessments after watching the lecture. Students who were not using their mobile phones wrote down 62% more information in their notes, took more detailed notes, were able to recall more detailed information from the lecture, and scored a full letter grade and a half higher on a multiple choice test than those students who were actively using their mobile phones."
"They reasoned that when students engage in multiple simultaneous tasks, like texting and listening to lectures, one or both behaviors suffer. each of these studies concluded that texting can diminish learning because students’ attention is divided, Thus, in the case of texting/posting, students’ attention can be divided, which can distract attention from on-task behavior. In turn, information processed in working/short-term memory may be incomplete or inaccurate, which could lead to inaccurate or insufficient storage of information in long-term memory." Kuznekoff, Jeffrey H., and Scott Titsworth. "The Impact of Mobile Phone Usage on Student Learning." Communication Education 62.3 (2013): 233-52. Print. |
This is where you will find all reference sheets and other handouts that belong in your Student Toolkit folder.
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Interactive Student Notebooks - How to set up your Interactive Student Notebook is at Prezi. TUSD security software sometimes blocks legitimate Websites. If you can't access the site from a TUSD computer, you will need to view this off campus or come in during conference period.
How to do homework when you don't have a particular assignment |
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Cornell Notes
The Cornell Method The Cornell method provides a systematic format for condensing and organizing notes without laborious recopying. After writing the notes in the main space, use the left-hand space to label each idea and detail with a key word or "cue." Method - Rule your paper with a 2 ½ inch margin on the left leaving a six-inch area on the right in which to make notes. During class, take down information in the six-inch area. When the instructor moves to a new point, skip a few lines. After class, complete phrases and sentences as much as possible. For every significant bit of information, write a cue in the left margin. To review, cover your notes with a card, leaving the cues exposed. Say the cue out loud, and then say as much as you can of the material underneath the card. When you have said as much as you can, move the card and see if what you said matches what is written. If you can say it, you know it. Advantages - Organized and systematic for recording and reviewing notes. Easy format for pulling out major concept and ideas. Simple and efficient. Saves time and effort. "Do-it-right-in-the-first-place system." Disadvantages - None When to Use - In any situation. |
Cornell Note Taking System
Instructions Cornell and 6Rs System Templates
More tips can be found on the WellCast Website. |
Language Registers - The model of Language Registers we use in our class was developed by Martin Joos. Much of his work was in the field of sociolinguistics. Simply put, sociolinguistics is the study of cultural norms and how they relate to language as well as how language is used within a society. Each society has rules governing how members interact. Language registers are part of those norms. The links in the presentation should take you to the handouts, but if they do not work, click the links below.
Fairy tale in formal and casual registers
What is a language register?
Definitions of the Five Registers
Fairy tale in formal and casual registers
What is a language register?
Definitions of the Five Registers
Costa's Levels of Thinking and Questioning
Select the presentation if you need to add to your notes. Other classifications (Bloom's Taxonomy, Webb's Depth of Knowledge, and Hess's Cognitive Rigor) as well as Hayakawa's Abstraction Ladder align to Costa's Levels of Thinking.
Select the presentation if you need to add to your notes. Other classifications (Bloom's Taxonomy, Webb's Depth of Knowledge, and Hess's Cognitive Rigor) as well as Hayakawa's Abstraction Ladder align to Costa's Levels of Thinking.
Play Brain Games to improve your memory, attention, and other skills.
January
Get ready for Martin Luther King Jr., Day.
View a related teacher's guide »
Watch short videos about Dr. Martin Luther King »
View an MLK photo gallery »
Read more about Dr. King »
February is Black History Month Read more about African Americans during WWII.
View the Double Victory classroom guide.
American Freedom Stories.
March is Women's History Month Short Video: Women of Science
Ask History: Who Was Rosie the Riveter?
Learn about the history of St. Patrick's Day
Each year on March 17th, waves of green sweep through major American cities when hundreds of thousands of people participate in St. Patrick's Day events nationwide. History.com features a special interactive website which includes information about the history of St. Patrick's Day, video clips, and background context. Educators and students can find helpful information for St. Patrick's Day events and research projects at this site, with fun additions including recipes. The video clips on this site give teachers an opportunity to spark classroom discussions about U.S. immigration history, how holidays are made and transformed, and the nature of ethnic identity in the United States.
Visit the St. Patrick's Day website. Find great St. Patrick's Day recipes.
St. Patrick's Day by the Numbers. Bet You Didn't Know: St. Patrick's Day
January
Get ready for Martin Luther King Jr., Day.
View a related teacher's guide »
Watch short videos about Dr. Martin Luther King »
View an MLK photo gallery »
Read more about Dr. King »
February is Black History Month Read more about African Americans during WWII.
View the Double Victory classroom guide.
American Freedom Stories.
March is Women's History Month Short Video: Women of Science
Ask History: Who Was Rosie the Riveter?
Learn about the history of St. Patrick's Day
Each year on March 17th, waves of green sweep through major American cities when hundreds of thousands of people participate in St. Patrick's Day events nationwide. History.com features a special interactive website which includes information about the history of St. Patrick's Day, video clips, and background context. Educators and students can find helpful information for St. Patrick's Day events and research projects at this site, with fun additions including recipes. The video clips on this site give teachers an opportunity to spark classroom discussions about U.S. immigration history, how holidays are made and transformed, and the nature of ethnic identity in the United States.
Visit the St. Patrick's Day website. Find great St. Patrick's Day recipes.
St. Patrick's Day by the Numbers. Bet You Didn't Know: St. Patrick's Day
How to do homework when you don't have a particular assignment.
Successful students also know how to do homework even if they don't have a specific assignment. They understand that reinforcing what is learned each day in class is important, and worksheets and textbooks do not always equal homework. Below are steps to follow when a specific assignment does not exist. These steps apply to all subject areas.
1. Each night sit down with your class notes or rough drafts, Bloom's taxonomy or Costa's Levels of Thinking (these should be in your toolkit), and highlighter pens in three different colors. Highlight all your knowledge (should be direct quotes) and comprehension (should be paraphrases of text) notes in pink.Highlight all your analysis/inference notes in yellow. Highlight all your synthesis/evaluation notes in green
2. Examine your analysis/inference notes or sentences. Group and label your inferences. Do you have evidence in your notes or paper (knowledge and comprehension notes) that would support these inferences? If not, does the text under analysis have sufficient and appropriate evidence? What paragraphs can you form with these inferences and the evidence available?
3. Examine your synthesis/evaluation notes and sentences. Group and label your synthesis/evaluation notes and sentences.Can you find an arguable thesis in these notes or sentences? Do your inferences fall into the categories suggested by your synthesis notes or sentences? Do your inferences support any theses suggested by your notes or writing?
4. What level 2 questions come to mind after you have worked through your notes or paper?
5. What in the text or from class discussion still confuses you? Which strategies or techniques might help you draw stronger inferences from the passage under scrutiny? Apply those strategies and repeat steps 1-3.
6. How does the passage compare to two other texts we have studied this year Make a T-chart listing those points of comparison. Write out a sentence or two detailing why these findings are significant.
Successful students also know how to do homework even if they don't have a specific assignment. They understand that reinforcing what is learned each day in class is important, and worksheets and textbooks do not always equal homework. Below are steps to follow when a specific assignment does not exist. These steps apply to all subject areas.
1. Each night sit down with your class notes or rough drafts, Bloom's taxonomy or Costa's Levels of Thinking (these should be in your toolkit), and highlighter pens in three different colors. Highlight all your knowledge (should be direct quotes) and comprehension (should be paraphrases of text) notes in pink.Highlight all your analysis/inference notes in yellow. Highlight all your synthesis/evaluation notes in green
2. Examine your analysis/inference notes or sentences. Group and label your inferences. Do you have evidence in your notes or paper (knowledge and comprehension notes) that would support these inferences? If not, does the text under analysis have sufficient and appropriate evidence? What paragraphs can you form with these inferences and the evidence available?
3. Examine your synthesis/evaluation notes and sentences. Group and label your synthesis/evaluation notes and sentences.Can you find an arguable thesis in these notes or sentences? Do your inferences fall into the categories suggested by your synthesis notes or sentences? Do your inferences support any theses suggested by your notes or writing?
4. What level 2 questions come to mind after you have worked through your notes or paper?
5. What in the text or from class discussion still confuses you? Which strategies or techniques might help you draw stronger inferences from the passage under scrutiny? Apply those strategies and repeat steps 1-3.
6. How does the passage compare to two other texts we have studied this year Make a T-chart listing those points of comparison. Write out a sentence or two detailing why these findings are significant.
Why is all of this important?
