Baseline Writing Assignments: Who's Writing This?

We will pick up where we left off last class. We have 3 more students to give their speech: Kelly, Katyria, and... Kanene (?)

On your index card, jot down any of the following answers to these personal questions:

• What is one thing you want other people to know about you?
• What do you want to do after you graduate?
• What is one event that happened to you that changed your personality/outlook on life forever?
• What is one thing you're proud of that you never told anyone?
• What single event in your life has made you a better person?
• If you could accomplish one thing in your life, what would you like it to be?

Answer some of these questions (at least one) and jot down at least 3 main points you would want to share with the class about your answers. When you are called, come up to the front of the room and share your answers in a short introductory speech. 

Start with an introduction: who are you? (what's your name, etc.) then hit your 3 main points. Try to sustain your short speech with some details. End your speech after your details...you can thank us for listening, or leave us with something to remember, or inspire us with an image or detail that helps summarize your main points. 

Congratulations! Everyone has now delivered their first public speech in this class. No one died. Phew!

A few classroom details:

Rules You Would Like Us to Follow:

• Participate in this course/class
• Support each other creatively & respect each other (no bullying or judging!)
• Provide constructive criticism positively & speak up! 
• Collaborate
• Stay on task (no procrastination! see above!)
• Be quiet (and on task) during writing time!
• Be creative!

Google Classroom instructions: We will be using Google Classroom for this course. Assignments that can be turned in digitally will be posted in Google Classroom. Go there and enter this code: du25wr2 to join our class.

Make sure that when you are in this class you bring your Chromebooks. Each day you should:

• Log in. 
• Open a TAB and go to our classroom BLOG: wordandtextsota.blogspot.com
• Open a SECOND TAB and go to GOOGLE CLASSROOM: classroom.google, etc.
• Keep both TABS open during class or as instructed. It's also a good idea to open a THIRD TAB in Google to take class notes (or write class notes by hand if you prefer...) 

If you're absent or missed something in class, please check the blog to get caught up. As indicated above, each new class period usually includes a new post. If you have a question about an assignment and are too embarrassed to speak to me in public (or you have a question that you think you will forget to ask), feel free to use the comment section. It is, however, your responsibility to talk to me about your needs. This is your education. Make it worthwhile.

Classroom expectations (from your manifesto):

Two Writing Assignments today:

#1: Who's Writing This? Let's read a short essay by the Argentine writer Jorge Borges. Borges writes of himself as a writer and person as an objective observer. I'd like you to write about your own personality and your own self as a writer from an objective observer's POV. What does your writer self think about the world? About your friends, family, or school? What does your writer self think about writing? What does your writer self choose to write about? Who's writing this? Tell me. In writing. 

[See other authors try their hand at this sort of objective biography in the handout given to you. Use these short essays as a model for your own objective biography. It's a good idea to use your Google drive & Chromebook to write this assignment. When you're done with a draft, please upload it to our Google Classroom today. i.e., I expect your draft completed by the end of class today. Let's get writing!]

#2: In Google Classroom, please complete the "baseline writing activity". This draft is due Wednesday (next class), but I'd like you to get it started. Use the time in our class today to write your draft. Add to it or revise and polish the draft between today and next class when the draft is due.

HOMEWORK: Make sure you complete both writing assignments. Writing assignment #1 was due today by the end of class. If you finish, you should start writing assignment #2 (the baseline). Complete the baseline writing assignment for homework. A draft should be completed by the next class. See Google Classroom for further details.