Ms. Spurr-MacKay’s Writing 110 Class

Writing Overview As senior high students, you are assumed to have mastered the knowledge and skills of previous years. Grade 11 Writing requires you to bring those skills to bear to research topics and write, write, write! You will be asked to complete a Portfolio Project. This will require you to do the following: Conduct independent research and keep careful track of your research, sources, etc. Learn writing forms, both in class and independently. Take a wide variety of portfolio pieces through the writing process. Complete a final portfolio, which represents your abilities, and present that portfolio to an audience.

Should I be taking Writing 110? This is NOT English class. If you are not ready to meet these basic expectations, you should consider enrolling in a different course: 1. Highly organized. You must be able to keep track of EVERYTHING. Your process as well as product makes up your grade. 2. Able to meet strict deadlines. 3. Willing to share writing, including reading work aloud, and are able to have it criticized. You must read your writing aloud. Your portfolio will be criticized by me and by your peers. You must be willing to accept this criticism and make adjustments that reflect them. 4. Able to work silently, under pressure, in a classroom environment. Your class will often be working on project pieces in class. Disrupting the classroom environment will NOT be tolerated. If you cannot do these things AT LEAST, you are not in a course that will work for you. See Guidance this week to make a course change.

Evaluation Daily classroom participation and assignments Tests and Quizzes Weekly Portfolio Assignments Portfolio Project Mid-term If any of you are writing the E.L.P.R. this year, please let me know. This class allows us the flexibility to follow YOUR interests in writing, to an extent. If there is some topic or skill that you would like to learn or review in particular, please let me know.

Classroom Procedures Room 112

Attendance Procedure: If you are absent you must present your homeroom teacher with an explanation for your absence, provided by your parent/guardian, within two days. Your homeroom teacher will take your note and give you a form. Every teacher must sign this form. Leave the form with your Period 5 teacher.

Tardiness Procedure: Being “tardy” means you are absent from the classroom during class time for any length of time. You must be in class, seated, and working before the bell rings. If you are tardy three times, you will spend a designated noon hour in detention.

Start of Class Procedure: Enter the room quietly.

Handing in Assignments: Late assignments receive penalties according to the following schedule: Assignment is 1 day late: 10% reduction Assignment is 2 days late:30% reduction Assignment is 3 or more days late:0 (zero)

Announcements Procedure: Stop talking immediately when any announcements begin. Listen carefully and silently until the announcements are finished.

Talking in Class Procedure: Raise your hand to speak or get attention from me. Most speaking opportunities will be handled this way. When you are talking, we will all listen silently. When it is my turn to talk, you will listen silently. When I need you to be quiet, I will give you a signal, such as saying, “May I have your attention?” When that happens, you should end your current conversation and give me your undivided attention.

Washroom Procedures: Raise your hand and ask to be excused when recognized. Wear the Hall Pass provided to you. Go directly to the nearest washroom, and return immediately to class. Breaks will be allowed 15 min. after class begins and 15 min. before it ends.

Introduction to Writing 110 Ms. Spurr-MacKay’s Writing 110 Class 2011

What Am I Learning? There are two main things you will learn in this class: 1. KNOWLEDGE This is the “stuff” you must know in order to do the things you need to do. As you learn new things, you are gaining knowledge. 2. SKILLS These are what you demonstrate when you take the knowledge and apply it. You will be both learning new skills and practicing ones you already have. The main skills you learn and try to improve in English classes are reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Vocabulary media – more than one type of medium medium – an intervening substance through which something else is transmitted or carried on. –Any of the following can be a medium: a language; paper and ink; a device for transmitting or receiving (television, radio, in Internet); a genre (poetry, novel, short story, drama).

Writer MediumAudience (writing) The writer begins with some purpose in mind – something he/she wants to do through writing, usually involving entertaining, teaching, or delivering some sort of message. The writer determines the audience for the writing, then chooses a medium that will allow her/him to effectively communicate what he/she has to say. Basic Communication Model

Writing 110 Introduction Assignment Purpose: To introduce yourself to your teacher and identify your writing goals. Audience: Ms. Spurr-MacKay Write a 4-paragraph (or more) letter to me in which you: 1)Identify and describe yourself. Include your likes and dislikes. 2)Explain what writing has been like for you in the past. Identify what you think are your main strengths and weaknesses in writing. 3)Explain why you chose to take Writing 110, and what you hope to get out of the course. 4)Set goals for yourself for the year, and describe them. These goals should include academics, but could also be personal, physical, etc.