9/2/16 - Weekend HW

Michael’s Class - First Weekend HW

Monday = Labor Day = No School

Due Tuesday

1. Moda Center Field Study Assignment
1. See below for assignment and full list of expectations

2. Reading!!!! … We will be starting a choice fiction novel reading unit late next week. Be thinking about what you might want to read!

Respond to the following basic questions:

1. Three books that I am interested in reading but have not yet read are ________….
2. The last thing that I read that I really enjoyed was ________ (explain why!)…

Fountain Field Study - Moda Center 

Bus Safety/Exploration/Community Building

Be Prepared - Be Aware - Be Engaged - Be Positive

Essential Question (!!!):

1. What is essential about going on a fun, non-academic field study with your core class at the beginning of the year?

***Explain why you think what you think with SPECIFIC examples from the field study***

***Answer all essential questions in complete sentences with a minimum of 3 sentences per answer***

Assignment Questions:

• Answer your essential questions

2. List 4 important field study “do’s”… Explain each one with at least one sentence
3. List the major bus expectations/bus routine from when you get on the bus to when you get off
4. What did you enjoy most about today’s field study
5. List 1 new thing you learned about three different people (1 from each grade!)

• HOORAY YOU ARE DONE WITH YOUR FIRST E-CORE ASSIGNMENT!

Organization Table of Contents updated Pages numbered Pages labeled No loose papers
Participation All field study worksheets complete Positive field study participant Contributed ideas/perspective in small groups and with the whole class
Nature Journal Labeled (place/date/time/weather) Sketches/Observations/Wonders
***Field Study Essential Question*** Minimum of 3 complete sentences Minimum of 2 specific examples from the field trip Connections/Observations MAXIMUM EFFORT!!!
Field Study Assignment Questions Complete

9/1/2016

What an awesome first field study. The weather wasn't the greatest, the fountain wasn't the fountainiest, but you were all positive, engaged, and FUN! Thanks for a great day.

Homework due Friday:

1. Perspective
...On a 1/2 sheet of blank paper write the word perspective from your perspective. This will hang in our classroom all year, showing how we have 31 different perspectives on the same exact word and capturing the importance of multiple perspectives in this class.

Below is an example (you can't use this one!)...

• We will work on our field study essential and assignment questions tomorrow in class
• We will also (finally) start sharing our summer artifacts as a whole class!

8/31/16

Tomorrow we are headed to the Moda Center Fountain for our first field study of the year!!!

We will be leaving to walk to our bus at 10:00 AM and will be back in the classroom by 2:45 PM.

You need the following for our first field study:
-lunch, water, e-core, writing utensil, appropriate clothes, positive attitude, and engaged mind
-If you want, you can play in the fountain after lunch. If you choose to do that, bring clothes that can get wet

HW due Thursday:

1. Bring silent reading material to class
...We will start our day with silent reading once we are ready for our field study

2. Field Study Image

Using your Field Study Do’s and Field Studies are Essential handouts in your e-core create an image/cartoon/story/poem that captures the big ideas of those handouts.

Here are some ideas....

• Create a comic strip showing information from the sheets
• Create a story that uses lines from both sheets
• Write a poem about life on field studies using info form the sheets (haiku, free-form, ode, anything!)
• Create a second image showing another one of the major field study expectations (be prepared, be aware, be engaged, be positive)…
• Do anything you can think of to demonstrate the importance of field study expectations

This is not a MAJOR homework assignment, and is meant to help you further think about the big ideas for our field studies this year. Don't spend more than 20 minutes on this assignment.

OTHER:

A. Bring water bottles with your name on it to school!

B. If you are having trouble signing into your PPS student account try the following password (and know Gillian will help everyone set this up next week in library): Pps followed by your 6-digit student ID (PpsSTUDENT ID#)

Welcome to Michael's Class Blog - Year of the Mountain - 2016-17

WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME!!!!

Hooray for us and for the amazing class we will have during this 2016-2017 Year of the Mountain!!!

I am very excited about the Year of the Mountain and the learning, adventures, perspectives, and fun our core class will have.

Middle school at Sunnyside is a very special experience. You are all exposed to so much from so many different places. The one downside to that is that things can sometimes get a bit crazy or be confusing at this school. It takes strong organization to be successful and to balance all the different assignments, activities, and social things that go on over the course of the year.

This blog is a tool to help you further organize yourself. It will be very simple, yet hugely helpful. Although I am not always perfect, I will try to post all nightly homework assignments on here by 5:30 PM. You will usually find a few words about the assignment so that you are clear on what your teacher (me) expects. In addition, I will use the blog for reminders, scheduling, service announcements, and interesting learning extensions. In addition to using your planner as the main source of information, checking the blog nightly is a good habit to create so that you stay on the same page as your teacher, learn to become an independent student, and avoid the frustrating feeling of being lost in the craziness of school work.

Anytime you have questions, problems, or concerns PLEASE email me at mjansa@pps.net. 
It is very important that you, as middle school students take the responsibility for your effort and work. A major piece to this is self-advocating, or communicating with me when you have questions, issues, or anything else that may come up.

I left some posts from the past years on this blog. They are immediately below this post. Reading those older posts will give you a feel for what this will start to look like for you as our school year gets underway. Take a moment to look at how empty the blog seems right now.  Realize that within a month it will be filled with our personality, learning, activities, quotes, field studies, and of course, HOMEWORK!!!

I am SO excited for the year and to have you all in my core class!

CHEERS!

Michael

mjansa@pps.net

503.901.9775

THE END, is just the beginning

No more "home-stretch" talk, we have officially reached the end of year and begin to leap into lives beyond room 211. Go forth into the world with openess, love, compassion, and critical consciousness of the world you are a part of. Happy summer everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is the last day of school!!!!!!!

HOLY MOLY SWEET MACAROLI!!! TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!

HW due Thursday (the last day of school!):
NOTHING!
-Don't forget class compliments

Bring a lunch and water bottle as we will be spending the day at Colonel Summers Park

Happy last day of school everyone :) :0 :)

Extra Credit:
Complete Teacher Feedback

Teacher Feedback for Michael – EXTRA CREDIT

Please help me reflect on my teaching so that I can become better at what I do

These questions are here to help guide your feedback. If you want to write something different be my guest. If you want only answer 1 of these questions be my guest. If you want to record your responses or tell me in person instead of writing that is fine. Know that the more you can share with me (both positive and negative) the better it can help me improve as a teacher. I REALLY appreciate you taking the time to do this for me. The questions of highest interest/priority for me are in bold… THANK YOU.

1.     List specific things (maybe three) that you enjoyed about by teaching style this year. Explain how they helped you learn and grow.

2.     List specific things (maybe three) that you thought could be improved on in terms of how I teach (talking too much, too much train whistle, etc…). Explain what you think I could do to make these things better.

3.     What are your thoughts on organization/homework/grades? Did the way I collected, graded, gave feedback, and returned things work? Did the planner/blog combo work? Did the way I showed your grades to you work?

4.     Thoughts on the classroom… Where things are, how I have things set up, what I have on the walls, etc…. Aside from being really crowded are there things I could do to make the space better?

5.     Thoughts on how “classroom management” and discipline worked in the class. Was I too strict? Equitable? Too lenient?

6.     Any final thoughts on my teaching style? Things that really worked and things that really didn’t work?

7.     What was the most important thing I taught you this year? Why do you think that?

8.     Overall and random comments and suggestions are much appreciated!!!!!!!

EXTRA, EXTRA CREDIT

Notes to students in Michael’s future 2013-2014 class…

What are the top 10 things one should know about being in Michael’s class the first day they walk in?

LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL --- weekend HW

HW due Monday:
1. Term 4 Service Reflection
...Focus on either creative service reflection (using the rubric and including the basic questions in your creative reflection) OR the 3 paragraph What? So what? Now what? written reflection

2. Narrative Non-Fiction - Final Assignment (part 1... part 2 will be in class)

Narrative Non-Fiction – Final Assignment

What good reader strategies did you use? How did you grow as a reader from this book?

What was the most important message/big idea that you took out of this novel? Give at least 2 examples from the book that show the message/big idea

What did you learn about yourself as a reader and as an individual from reading your narrative non-fiction book?

HW due Tuesday:
1. Cultural Exchange Reflection
2. LAST DAY TO TURN WORK IN!!!!!!!!!!

Skyberry Farms - Kickstarter
Check out what former SES students are doing now! Spread the message and video and consider donating.

Cultural Experience

During the school year, choose one event to attend outside of school that increases your understanding of another culture besides your own.

Examples include but are not limited to: Polish and Greek Festivals, Portland State’s International Night, Native American ceremony or PowWow, religious services, or an international speaker.

Before you go: Research the culture you will be experiencing. What geographical place did this culture grow? Why did some of the people immigrate to the US? What religions or customs are important to them?

At the event:  Attend with curiosity and a willingness to learn and participate by tasting new foods, watching dances or other performances, or by asking questions. What are the important things that are being passed down from one generation to the next?

Reflection:  Write a one-page paper (typed in 12 point font & double spaced) on your experience.

1)     Introduction: Explain what event you chose and why

2)    Background: In 1 – 2 paragraphs give some background on the culture you experienced.

3)    Body: If you can, describe what organization put on the event and some information about that group and its goals

4)    Body: List and describe several ways this event tried to share the culture with you (examples include: food traditional dress, handicrafts, language, stories, performances, and/or religious ceremonies.

5)    Conclusion: Discuss what the values of passing down customs and traditions to a younger generation. What customs have been passed down in your family and how do they compare to this experience?