Yes, it’s October. It’s the second month. It’s almost a third of the semester. It’s insanity. Students are progressing well in our classes as they show a willingness to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. As we cruise through October, (and the month will go by as quickly as it came) it will be important for students to exercise their best work ethics as things will be getting pretty busy.

ENG2D – Grade 10 English Students had a bit of a reality check last week as argumentative essays were returned. I was a little surprised and a little disappointed with the quality of the final products. Many were not edited very well. Several did not follow the minimum expectations or success criteria. Evidently, some did not use the lesson materials and resources provided to them. As such, it was necessary to take pause from our Lord of the Flies novel study to ensure that the majority of the class is able to demonstrate an understanding of effective writing because it’s such an important skill.

I took the time to conference with each student using descriptive feedback on their essays to help them understand what changes needed to be made in order to meet expectations. Students took this past weekend to implement some changes and I’m optimistic that the end result will be worth taking the pause.

This week, we will return to Lord of the Flies. Students have been developing high-order thinking questions for chapters and we will get to discussing them this week. Our other focus is building an understanding of how plot, conflict, setting, and characters can all contribute to the theme of a novel.

ICS2O – Grade 10 Computer Science students spent last week looking at various pieces of desktop computer hardware through various online retailers with the goal of pricing out and building a customized computer. Normally, I would begin a computer hardware unit with physical examples, (from discarded computers) but alas, I had none available – so I’m starting with the end. Flexibility is important! This week, we will continue talking computer hardware, (hopefully with some examples!) and perhaps take our foray into a second programming unit, (either Python or SmallBASIC). I’m pretty excited to bring an old classic into the classroom for folks to explore:

That’s it for this week’s update. A reminder that Parent-Teacher Interviews/Parent’s Night is scheduled for next week on Wednesday, October 12 from 6:30pm-8:30pm. If you’d like to make an appointment to see me, students should be bringing home appointment cards. Otherwise, email me and we can set something up.

It has been nothing short of an amazing first month of the year. I’ve been fortunate to work with a great group of students as they learn and explore. Many of these students have been thriving in self-directed environments, using feedback, peer help, and the power of problem-solving to push their thinking forward. October will bring more of this and I’m excited to help move these students forward.

In ENG2D – Grade 10 English we have moved from our first unit on essay writing, (specifically a focus on argumentative essays) and now turn our attention to the novel Lord of the Flies By William Golding. We will use the novel to talk about how society functions, the power of symbols, and the idea that we are capable of some really crazy things. I look forward to the conversations and interpretations in this unit!

In ICS2O – Grade 10 Computer Science the class will move from our exploration of Scratch and focus on computer hardware. My hope is that students will being self-sufficient in building and maintaining their own computers, saving them money and headaches in the future.

In the meantime, check out this Scratch project from Logan F. It’s a great way to kill a few minutes! (Note that this is best viewed on a computer).

Logan’s Racing Game

Until next time!

Hello, everyone! The tail end of September has arrived without warning and time is, as usual, flying by. We are already in our third week of the semester! Classes are running well and students are doing an amazing job of applying their learning. Here’s a run-down of the plan for this week:

ENG2D – Grade 10 Academic English students will continue developing an understanding of essay components and conventions. The work focuses on argumentative essays and especially writing effective thesis statements and supporting paragraphs. I will be sharing a variety of tools with students to help them through the process. Students will have some time in class but will be expected to work at home to do some additional writing and polishing. Next week, I’d like to start the novel study Lord of the Flies so students should also be reading. Here is the assignment and some planning resources:

ENG2D – Essays – Argumentative Essay
ENG2D – Essays – Argumentative Essay Checklist
ENG2D – Essays – Writing Body Paragraphs
ENG2D – Essays – Point-Support-Explain Paragraph Planner

ICS2O – Grade 10 Computer Studies students have been working on the Scratch programming tool, first getting familiar with the tool’s features through some tutorials and trial-and-error learning, and then by creating a custom side-scrolling game in the style of Super Mario Brothers or Flappy Bird. Check out this example by Logan F. It’s amazing!

This week, we will wrap up our exploration of Scratch with a practical unit test where students will create en even more complex game.  Then, it’s on to something new!

Don’t forget to check out the Resources/Links section of the website as I have added a bunch of stuff. If you have suggestions for more sites, let me know!

Have a great week!

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