Often, when I begin to think about what your blog prompt should be, I peruse the Writer's Digest website for ideas. Sometimes I will borrow and adapt their prompts and sometimes come up with my own. Today is one of those days where I couldn't help but borrow from them, as I think the possibilities (and hilarity) that this prompt allows will be worth it (it may also be that the Indians didn't score any runs last night while receiving quality pitching). Remember that you need to write at least three hundred words and demonstrate good writing conventions. A final suggestion: start in the middle of the action.
And now for the prompt: "The fight has been raging for three days. The teachers on their end, toting rulers, eraser canons and textbook grenades, and the students on the other, with only school-approved items found in their bookbags. Both sides have suffered casualties and people are wondering, what happened three days ago at [Geauga Academy]that started this mess? Start your story three days ago."
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
I Think I'm a Clone Now
Ah, back home and time to relax. Long weeks are brutal. Is that the television you hear? Well you haven’t been home all day so you decide to check it out, thinking you left it on. As you enter the room you see the television is indeed on. And you’re already sitting there watching it. What’s going on here?
You need to use at least three hundred words and good writing conventions to explore this dilemma.
You need to use at least three hundred words and good writing conventions to explore this dilemma.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
English 10 is Joining In
By now I'm sure that you heard me mention blogs at least a few times (and if you're another English class, you have hopefully written one). It is now the English 10 class' turn to join in on blog writing.
I spend a lot of my free time attempting to come up with new ways to interact with texts and materials. This is my most recent endeavor. While my English classes may not be happy to be creating blogs so that they can interact with texts and each other in a technological setting, they are Surely Out of Luck.
Using blogs in education is beneficial to the students' critical and analytical thinking, it increases students' interaction with one another while discussing content and texts, it will increase students exposure to quality content, allows for students to interact while outside of the classroom, and also offers a means for students to express their thoughts on a topic completely.
Obviously, some may try to take their blogging to a new level and even try to push the envelope on what is appropriate for the school-based use. The things that students need to know about their blog posts are: 1. If I deem their post inappropriate they will be asked to remove it and receive no credit for their work. 2. Writing conventions are certainly going to be graded. 3. Each blog post must be at least 300 words and will be worth 10 points.
So what are we writing about, anyway? Your task is to envision yourself in Mr. Leonard Mead's world ("The Pedestrian" by Bradbury) and determine how you would handle the predicament that he finds himself in. Would you even be in such a situation? Why or why not? It might be helpful to think about what or whom seems to be in control in the society in which he lives.
I spend a lot of my free time attempting to come up with new ways to interact with texts and materials. This is my most recent endeavor. While my English classes may not be happy to be creating blogs so that they can interact with texts and each other in a technological setting, they are Surely Out of Luck.
Using blogs in education is beneficial to the students' critical and analytical thinking, it increases students' interaction with one another while discussing content and texts, it will increase students exposure to quality content, allows for students to interact while outside of the classroom, and also offers a means for students to express their thoughts on a topic completely.
Obviously, some may try to take their blogging to a new level and even try to push the envelope on what is appropriate for the school-based use. The things that students need to know about their blog posts are: 1. If I deem their post inappropriate they will be asked to remove it and receive no credit for their work. 2. Writing conventions are certainly going to be graded. 3. Each blog post must be at least 300 words and will be worth 10 points.
So what are we writing about, anyway? Your task is to envision yourself in Mr. Leonard Mead's world ("The Pedestrian" by Bradbury) and determine how you would handle the predicament that he finds himself in. Would you even be in such a situation? Why or why not? It might be helpful to think about what or whom seems to be in control in the society in which he lives.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Happy Belated Welcome
It's that time of year; the pencils are sharpened, notebooks are pristine, and for some reason, I want to spend all of my time in Staples. That also means that there is a collection of new students that will creating and maintaining blogs each week. These blogs will range in topic - sometimes assigned or suggested by me and others, decided upon entirely on their own - but nevertheless, they will show insight into the mind of those writing them.
At this point, it's safe to assume that some of you are asking yourselves: "Is Mr. Bowser crazy?" or "Why on earth do we have to do this? It's going to be stupid!" Let me answer with a pair of questions: Do you type quickly and well? Did you know that the OGT is being phased out and that instead there will be end-of-course exams that will be delivered entirely electronically? If you answered no to either of these (or even yes), it will please you to know that we are writing these blogs in order to better prepare for the coming attractions and life after high school. Think about it; how often do you hand write something and give or send it to someone else? More likely, you send an email (or text - but this is not a great way to convey a lot of information quickly and it is also not an acceptable means of communication in the professional world).
You're now probably wondering what you're going to have to do for your blogs, and if you're not, you should be.
- You will need to write a blog each week.
- It will need to be at least 300 words.
- And demonstrate good writing conventions.
That's it. Now for your prompt: You've written your obituary. Why do you suppose I asked you to do this? What does death teach us about life? You may want to think about novels or films that examine this topic (Tuesday's with Morry, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, and For One More Day, all by Mitch Albom, come to mind).
At this point, it's safe to assume that some of you are asking yourselves: "Is Mr. Bowser crazy?" or "Why on earth do we have to do this? It's going to be stupid!" Let me answer with a pair of questions: Do you type quickly and well? Did you know that the OGT is being phased out and that instead there will be end-of-course exams that will be delivered entirely electronically? If you answered no to either of these (or even yes), it will please you to know that we are writing these blogs in order to better prepare for the coming attractions and life after high school. Think about it; how often do you hand write something and give or send it to someone else? More likely, you send an email (or text - but this is not a great way to convey a lot of information quickly and it is also not an acceptable means of communication in the professional world).
You're now probably wondering what you're going to have to do for your blogs, and if you're not, you should be.
- You will need to write a blog each week.
- It will need to be at least 300 words.
- And demonstrate good writing conventions.
That's it. Now for your prompt: You've written your obituary. Why do you suppose I asked you to do this? What does death teach us about life? You may want to think about novels or films that examine this topic (Tuesday's with Morry, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, and For One More Day, all by Mitch Albom, come to mind).
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