1st semester portfolio

IMPORTANT NOTE ON CHANGE IN PORTFOLIO POST: This response is to be placed in your own blog, as a reply to your initial comment on your portfolio.


Post a short reflection about your portfolio on your own blog. This reflection can be the "conclusion" to your portfolio, with an invitation to your parents/guardians to reply. Their reply must include responses to following questions. You may copy paste the questions into your blog if you like.

1. What piece of writing did you like best in my portfolio and why? 

1. What did you like about my portfolio and sharing and what would you like to see me improve on?

1. Which of the writing traits (ideas, organization, voice, word choice) do you feel was most successful for me?

1. Which of the traits of writing would you like me to improve on in the coming semester?

Be sure to let your parents/guardians know that this post serves two purposes

• It is an opportunity for them to comment on your learning and 

• It is part of my assessment of your attainment of General Learning Outcome #5, "Effective Communicator." Your sharing of the portfolio should enable your parents/guardians to reflect and respond to the four questions above.

KC3 pitch proposal

KC3 Project: “Kids Create Community Content”

Team Worksheet: Proposal Pitch Form

Scenario:  You are pitching a new, educational TV show to PBS. If they accept your pitch, your production company will be awarded a $10,000 grant to produce the pilot episode for a series. Be creative, be resourceful, be dynamic, be the media, be the teacher!

Series Title:

(do this LAST)

Theme or Topic:

(Why will your audience be ENGAGED by this topic? What will they LEARN?)

Resources:

(What resources are available to you? Are they *good* sources? Credible, authoritative, accessible, engaging?)

·      Text Resources (newspaper, magazine, web articles and info):

·      Human Resources (interviews):

·      Site Resources (places to go and video, etc.):

·      Interactive Web Resources:

·      Other Resources:

Media Melding:

(How can the required media be used most effectively to communicate your presentation?)

·      Power Point presentation

·      Pre-and Post-Conference Website

·      Video

·      Other possible media connections

Interactivity

(How can you engage your audience in a way that will allow them to USE and APPLY their learning in a FUN and MEANINGFUL way?)

·      Description of interactivity

·      Audience response

·      Connection to content

·      Application/”higher level” involvement

·      FUN FACTOR

EXAMPLE:

Theme or Topic: Homelessness in Hawaii

Maurice, Lina, Austin, Josh

Resources:  (newspaper, web articles, magazines, etc)

-      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43114284/ ns/us_news-life/t/hawaiis-other-side-   paradise-homelessness/#.Tpinkpz0974

-       http://www.kitv.com/news/27092960/detail.html

-       http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/us/15homeless.html

-      http://www.fhfund.org/_dnld/reports/SupportiveChildren.pdf

-       We also have video resources from youtube from KHON/KHNL

Human Resources: (interviews)

-     We’re planning to interview homeless people probably in Ala Moana Park or Kuhio Beach & if we can, we’re going to try and contact a representative from the Department of Human Resources/Urban Development (?) We are also planning to interview representatives from “Protecting our Chinatown Community”

Site Resources: (places to go and video, etc.)

-       Waikiki Strip, Ala Moana Beach Park, Kuhio Beach, N King Street right across Aala Park

Interactive Web Resources:

-       http://www.npach.org/facts.htm

-       http://www.dosomething.org/actnow/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-homeless-youth

Other Resources:

-       http://www.lokahigivingproject.com/

Media Melding

Power Point Presentation:

-       We’re going to make different slides that will list facts about homelessness that most people don’t know of, and it’s alo going to deal with the interaction of the audience using powerpoint.

Pre-and Post-Conference Website:

Video:

- Interview of homeless people and pans of sidewalks filled with homeless tents (N King St)

Other possible media connections:

Interactivity

Description of Interactivity:

-       We’re going to use the “Pre and Post-Conference Website” technique before our presentation and what they’ve learned or if they even did learn. (True/False game)

Audience Response:

-       Ture/False. “If you think it’s true, sit on the right side of the room. If you think it’s false, sit on the left side of the room. You have 3 seconds.. 3.. 2.. 1”

Connection to Content:

- Questions will be based on homelessness facts on the US/Hawaii

Fun Factor:

- Students being able to get off their seats during out presentation and them having fun being rushed within the 3 second time limit.

Querencia Graphic

• Needs to be 6x4 and posted on your blog (rough and final draft).
• Needs to include title of place, at least two pictures of place and one of self that is relevant to place. 
• A short section (3-4 sentences) that you like taken from essay that discusses the place.
• You cannot have a plain white background, but a image(s) that continues to represent your chosen special place.
• Also add "My Querencia" somewhere on the graphic card.
• Also include name in lower left corner (this shouldn't be big and is just a small label)

Picture Frame Paragraph

• Work in Partners
• This is similar to idea development, however the focus is on sensory detail. Putting words in motion.
• Don't tell us, show us.
• Keep in mind the use of strong sensory detail, do not just limit it to adjectives and adverbs. Use nouns and verbs to create good sensory impressions as well.
• Describe a place you both mutually know about and can vividly remember that is around the winter season (November-February)
• Paint the picture for us.
• Don't use overly wordy statements, stick to what you know but still push yourself to be creative.
• Each person needs to have it posted on blog w/ PARTNER's NAME to get the full credit

Words from Heart Graphic

Words from the Heart graphic card

• Needs to be 6x4 and posted on your blog (rough and final draft).
• Needs to include word, at least two pictures of self and family that is relevant to the word. A short section (3-4 sentences) that you like taken from essay that discusses the word and why it is unique to your family.
• You cannot have a plain white background, but a image(s) that continues to represent your family and the special word.
• Also add "Words from the Heart" somewhere on the graphic card.
• Also include name in lower left corner (this shouldn't be big and is just a small label)

YOUR FIRST POST!

• Post requirements:

• Introduce yourself and a description of you blog...that includes an explanation of your title and reasoning for your overall design.
• Second and third paragraph (this is where you will focus on idea development and voice).

• Start it with "The world I come from"
• Describe who you are, interest, hobbies, dislikes, favorites, etc. Anything you want. Be creative. But make sure it all makes sense and it flows.
• Do not just put a bunch of random things together that have no flow or make no sense.

Example:

The world I come from has no boundaries. Literally, there are no walls surrounding my house, and I'd like to think that is mindset my parents have instilled in me. They have always taught me to be myself, always do what I enjoy, and if people judge me it is because they have nothing going for them in their own lives. Because of this I have lived in a world where I view everything handed to me as an opportunity to learn and grow as a person. Whether it was building model cars, playing volleyball for 15-years including collegiately, or growing my own food, I've always wanted to try things whether or not it was the "cool" thing to do. And I still have a strong desire to become a cowboy and work on a ranch for some odd reason. But of course I am not by any means someone that will do or try everything. I still hate avocado and olives, I have no interest in attending the opera, and still find watching music videos painfully boring.

Practicing Critique Comments

Just about all of the major writing assignments you will do in this class will go through the critique process on your blog. Your classmates and your teacher will comment on your posted draft to help your finished essay attain the standards of effective writing. This is your chance to practice critiquing to prepare for the Words from the Heart Essay. 

Sample Paragraphs from a Words from the Heart Essay: 
     Since we moved to Hawaii, it was always difficult to see relatives because they were so far away. Texas was the usual summer vacation spot for us because my dad's entire side lived there. I loved going there every summer because being Mexican, I was able to really be surrounded by people that were of my culture and background. 
    A part of me often wished that I lived there only because I was missing out on the culture, the language and of course the delicious food. One thing that I loved and even though we were in Hawaii, barely knew any Mexicans, and never spoke spanish, was ever since I could remember my parents always called me "mijo." A simple word that meant son in Spanish. But to me it was something I heard more than my actual name in my household. "Your grandparents in Texas would always call you that, so it just stuck," my mom told me when trying to explain how I got mijo, all while my sister still remained Jennifer. I loved that it was always mijo and loved it even more that it was just used between me and my parents. 
   It is a constant reminder that I am Mexican, a constant reminder that I have family far way, a constant reminder that no matter where family is they never actually leave. Yes, I do wish that I could speak Spanish and wish that my culture wasn't lost because of living in Hawaii, but thats why I love being called mijo because it is a constant reminder of everything I am.

Commentary Process 
You will discuss and post as a team. Be sure to include each member's name so that all can get credit. 

1. Start by reviewing the rubric, so that you know what is expected in this essay. 
2. Begin your commentary with the positive elements of the piece, but be specific!There is nothing worse, or more insincere than a comment like "I loved your essay!" Instead, you can comment on
   
   • Specific details that helped you visualize what was happening, good sensory detail, for example. 
   • Details that brought out the writer's voice, that gave authenticity to the experience. For example, IF I had shared actual details about stories of memories in Texas during the summer, THAT would have been strong voice. 
   • Good organization: you could see the time sequence or spatial sequence clearly. 
3. Then, get into ideas for improvement. Here, it is most helpful if you can express your comments as questions. Thus, instead of saying, "You need more specific detail" you can ask the question, "Can you describe what you exactly feel when you are called by the special word?" 
4. Again, go back to the rubric for your comments. DO NOT JUST REPEAT STUFF FROM THE RUBRIC. Instead, ask questions that will help guide the writer to attain those standards. 

Good luck :) I will assess all of your team critiques so that you will have a better idea of how to do this on your own.

Aloha and Welcome

ALOHA

Welcome to our newest MeneMAC class of 2019!
We will be using this class blog and your individual blogs to share ideas and work on our writing skills for the next two years.
Okay, here is the homework assignment. Email me if you have any questions (zavala.menemac@gmail.com):

First Part: Due before class ends TODAY! 

• Browse the "exemplars" list in the resources tab on this class website
• Find 2-3 you'd like to use as models when thinking about creating your own. 
• Go to the blog tab and leave a comment and include the following:
• You and your partners name
• Which blogs you picked and WHY

Second Part: Design your own blog

• Design and create your own blog on www.blogger.com
• Be sure to have a catchy title that relates to writing
• Send Mr. Zavala the link to your blog (zavala.menemac@gmail.com)
• Subscribe to this class blog by clicking subscribe at bottom of blog. 
• DEADLINE: Wednesday, 8/19/2015