Middle School Essay Tips (Family & Education: Middle School)

This video will give you some pointers when writing your English expository essays.
Middle School Essay Tips (Family & Education: Middle School)

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First Week of School

During the first week of school, we took several pretests. Thank you for being patient and for trying your best on these tests. We also completed a warm-up sheet. The warm-up sheets consists of a DOL/DGP section, a grammar review section, and a sentence writing section. Please complete these daily and keep them in your warm-up section of your notebook.

The first week we practiced identifying sentences and sentence fragments. Click here for a game on sentence fragments. Remember that the Internet is a helpful tool when studying grammar. A simple google search can provide lecture notes, games, and tutorials. Try it out the next time you are looking for something to do over the weekend.

I also assigned the first expository paragraph this week. You are to write one paragraph on the best place to go on vacation. We learned to begin our paper with a HOOK or ATTENTION GRABBER. We do NOT want to start with, "The best place to go on vacation is..." Hooks can include: Describing the setting; using a Simile, Metaphor, Personification, or Allusion; Asking a series of questions (not yes or no); a quote from a professional, or an amazing fact or statistic. A hook should be 2-4 sentences. Your homework over the weekend was to write two different hooks for your vacation paragraph. I cannot wait to read them!

Insights About Myself After This Blogging Experience

Usually, when a course ends, a student sighs in relief and moves on to her next class. I will sigh on December 8, but I’ll not simply move on to my next class. My blog will continue to be part of my weekly agenda. I will continue to post links for my students because I’m thrilled when they come to school the day after looking at my blog and want to discuss what they found and explored. I feel a sense of empowerment when I can motivate my students to learn outside the classroom. I’m excited about blogging and cannot wait to produce lifelong learners through my blog.

Applications of Blogs to My Practice

Each posting to my blog is intended to enhance learning in my classroom. Establishing a blog for students is a fantastic way to hook and motivate students. For example, when we studied prepositions in class, I posted a link that offered tutorials and extra practice for my students. Blogs are amazing tools to motivate students to learn English and to keep them engaged in learning beyond the classroom.

Significant Postings from the Blogging Experience

The postings that most help define my blog are two videos. The first is a video is my technology movie. The video summarizes how I feel about using technology in my classroom. I’ve always felt strongly about using technology in the classroom. Technology can be used in many ways as an integral part of the curriculum to meet the needs of diverse learners. The second video demonstrates the use of Interwrite Pad. I recruited the math teacher on my team since she is fortunate to have a Pad in her room. Technology tools are defined as materials, media, and devices that can potentially increase, maintain, or improve students’ functional capabilities, access to instructional activities, meaning-making, and motivation. As I was introduced to new technology tools in MEDT 7464, I attempted to demonstrate use of the tools by posting an application to my blog.

Participle Practice

Hi, Team 8-3 Students! Please click on the link and practice identifying participle phrases. Print out your answers and score, and I'll give you 10 extra credit points.

Persuasive Writing

My students are learning about persuasive writing. They need to be prepared for the 8th grade writing assessment. They will be prompted to write either an expository or persuasive essay. This Power Point is an excellent resource for persuasive writing. Scroll down until you see the Persuasive Writing link.

Songs for Grammar Instruction

I have used this site for grammar instruction. The songs are NOT free, but there are some samples. My students love the change of pace.

Why Teach Grammar

Students are always asking, "Why do I have to learn this?" My favorite is when they say, "No one is ever going to walk up to me and say, 'what is the subject in this sentence?'" As a starting point, I will direct them to this site so they may see some real examples of why grammar instruction is important.

Image Grammar

Get your students' creative juices flowing by showing them images on this site. Images include characters and setting. Try using one as a quick journal write.

Writer's Window

I stumbled across a great website when I was conducting research for my research paper. Writer's Window is a site where students can submit drafts of papers and receive comments from all over the world. I'll try it out and let you know! I'm pretty excited about it.

43Marks.com

With 43Marks, your bookmarks are displayed on one convenient homepage, organized by as many categories as you’d like. You can add, remove, and rearrange these bookmarks as you see fit. When you sign up for an account with 43Marks, you are given a unique URL that contains your username.

Grammar Girl

I love this website. Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing. Covering the grammar rules and word choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers, Grammar Girl makes complex grammar questions simple with memory tricks to help you recall and apply those troublesome grammar rules. Whether English is your first language or second language, Grammar Girl’s punctuation, style, and business tips will make you a better and more successful writer. Mignon Fogarty is the creator and host of Grammar Girl. Grammar Girl is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast. Explore Grammar Girl and incorporate some podcasts into your English lessons!

YouTube Grammar Rock

Watch this YouTube Grammar Rock video on prepositions. It got my students excited about learning boring prepositions.

Prepositional Phrases

Follow this link for assistance with prepositional phrases. Print out any quiz you take, and I will add 10 extra credit points to your lowest grade. If your printer does not work, have a parent sign your agenda stating that you took a quiz and reviewed the material on the link.

Sharing Presentations

I found the following website that "shares" all sorts of presentations. I found a presentation on phrases that I can use in my classroom when teaching appositive and prepositional phrases. I hope you find one you can use.

Technology rich lesson plans

Looking to integrate more technology into your curriculum? Having trouble finding the time to create a lesson plan? Explore Happy viewing!

Interwrite SchoolPad in Action

Mrs. Pettite, 8th grade math teacher on team 8-3, volunteered to assist me in creating a video for my MEDT 7470 class. Mrs. Pettite uses the Pad each day to engage our students. I wish I had a Pad of my own....

22 September 2008

This week my 8th graders will be revising and editing their favorite room papers. Please go to the following web page for assistance and practice with proofreading.

Gadget of the Week

Interwrite SchoolPad is a technology tool used by several teachers at my school. I observed a math teacher walking around the room writing on the Pad while monitoring student behavior.

15 September 2008

This week my students are writing about their favorite room in their house. I have posted some links to web pages (see left side of blog) that define supporting sentences. If you click on the links, you will be able to see good examples of supporting sentences. You will also be able to practice writing supporting sentences.

3 September 2008

Today we worked on a capitalization worksheet. Students worked in pairs to determine if words in a sentence need to be capitalized. They were required to list the rule used to determine if the word should be capitalized or not. Continue to use the capitalization link to the left in order to explore the rules.

September 2, 2008

I was absent today, so the students completed workbook pages on capitalization. Please check the link on capitalization rules under featured web sites. Please view the capitalization video under Grammar videos on left side of page.

My technology movie

This video summarizes my feelings towards technology integration.

Description of this blog

This blog will be used to review and reinforce what my 8th grade students are learning on a daily basis. If I am teaching grammar or mechanics, I will provide links to web pages that contain quizzes, tutorials, or explanations. I expect my students to discuss what concepts are still confusing, problems with homework, or check in after being absent.