Writing 2 -- Spring Technology Reminder

Greetings!

CHAT classes started again this week, and I'm excited to start the spring semester of writing classes.  We're going to have a great semester!

Below are explanations of my online sources that I provide as a resource for families.  

Class Updates:  Weekly, following our class, I will send out an e-mail that explains what we covered in class and what the assignments are. Occasionally I will include links to interesting or pertinent sites that pertain to our class discussion.  Any handouts from the class will be attached to these e-mails.  Double check to make sure these e-mails are making it to your Inbox and not the Junk/Spam folder.

Writing 2 Blog:  The weekly updates and copies of most messages are also posted on this site.  If you need to see a number of the updates at once, this is an efficient way to do it. Copies of the handouts (with the exception of those that are pdfs) will be posted on this blog.  Also, photos, images, videos, and links to other websites will appear on this site.  If you're curious, you can peruse the blog for past posts in order to get a feeling for what to expect this year. (That's where you will find this post!)

Dropbox:  This is an online storage site, and I have folders with all of the documents that I use in a folder for this class.  If a student is missing a worksheet or a handout, he/she can find it there.  You should have gotten an invitation to join the folder for Writing 2.

My GradeBook:  This is the online grade book that I will be using this year.  It is new to me, but since it is similar to the one I had previously used, I don't anticipate any problems.  My paper grade book is up to date with every assignment, but it may take a week or so to get the grades onto this site.  That said, it should be a pretty accurate picture of what homework is missing and ongoing scores for the work.  

Long story short:

-- If a student isn't sure of an assignment, he/she can check

     -- the syllabus that was handed out

     -- the Class Update

     -- the blog

-- If a student is missing something that I handed out, he/she can find it 

     -- as an attachment to a Class Update

     -- on the blog

     -- in the Dropbox folder.

-- If you have questions about grades or missing homework, you can

     -- check My GradeBook

     -- send me a personal e-mail.

If you have any questions, let me know.  

I'm looking forward to teaching this great group of students!

Mrs. Prichard

Links to Introductions/Conclusions Resources

Class,
Below are some helpful links to other resources about the value of introductions and conclusions:

The Writing Center
Writing at U of Toronto
Taft College Online Writing Lab

Helpful MLA Citation Links

Research papers are challenging.  Not only are you required to come up with an original, thought-provoking thesis, but you have to research primary and secondary sources for enough information to back up your position.  And on top of that, you need to use your sources with integrity and give credit to those who are experts on your topic.  And if that's not enough, you need to follow specific guidelines for letting your reader know where you found this information.  Whew!!

Below is a list of helpful websites that will help with the MLA format.

Son of Citation Machine:  This website does the formating for you.  Type in the essential information, click on "Make Citation" and it gives you the entry that you can copy and paste into your paper.  Some college professors encourage their students to use this so that they have the correct format.  Others consider it cheating and the lazy student's way out.  I don't mind if students use it because I feel it's part of the learning process.

Easy Bib:  This site is similar to Son of Citation.  Like the above site, I think these are especially helpful with non-traditional sources.  Citing books with one author is not difficult.  Other print and non-print forms are challenging.

Purdue OWL:  One of my favorite writing resources is the Purdue Online Writing Lab.  If you go to the homepage, you will find just about any topic related to writing essays.

MLA formating videocast:  This Youtube video helps students format their papers.  It refers to Microsoft Word 2007. Some students already know a lot about using Word; others have parents who can help.  This is a helpful video if this information is needed.

MLA Works Cited videocast:  Another Purdue OWL video specific to the Works Cited page.

Durham College MLA style:  This is a longer video, but it's very complete!  In fact, I'd really like everyone to take the 30 minutes and give this video a careful "listen."

These are only a few websites.  If you need more help, google "MLA citation," and you will find a plethora of options.

Sherlock Holmes Resources

The Sherlock Holmes stories don't require a lot of background information in order to understand them.  Taken as a whole, a reader will find common themes and characteristics.  However, one by one they are puzzles that are solved as we read.

Below are some sites that might be interesting.

The Wikipedia site has helpful information.

Mystery Net has text for a number of the stories

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes as an audiobook.