Syllabus

The syllabus, which contains many details about my class can be found at http://www.pps.k12.or.us/depts-c/otl/syllabus/syllabus.php?id=3477.

If you have any questions, please fell free to contact me. My goal is for all of my students to be successful readers, writers, speakers, and thinkers. So that they may achieve their goals in life, and be life-long learners. I believe that the activites we do in this class will help them throughout their lives.

Tuesday, 22 September

Writers considered the nature of memories today.

Writers read the short story "Bullet in the Brain" by Tobias Wolf.

Writers were reminded that characterization can be Direct or Indirect. Direct characterization tells the readers facts about a character. Indirect characterization is a form of "showing;" the reader infers from the text, a characters actions and reactions (as well as how characters react to others), and to other elements.

HOMEWORK: Writers are to make two lists for an imaginary character. One list is what the character remembers; the other list is what the character doesn't remember.

Monday, 21 September

Writer's read "Composting" in Writing Down the Bones. Writer's used various different pens and writing utensils to discover which worked best for them.

Writer's made a list of those topics they often think about, and wrote about the topic, and about why the topic was important.

6th period still needs to read "Compositng."

Friday, 18 September

Writer's read "Topics for Writing Practice", discussed and shared.

Thursday, 17 September 2009

Tomorrow Ms. Margolis will be guest teaching.

HOMEWORK: On Monday, each writer is to bring at least three (I said 2 in 5th period, but 3 is better) different writing implements to class.

I introduced the blog.

Writers read the Introduction to Writing Down the Bones, and extracted writing prompts from it, and talked about what the phrase "writing down the bones, the essential awake talk of my mind" meant.

Writers read "Beginner's Mind, Pen, and Paper" in Writing Down the Bones.

Writers considered their favorite stories, and what they liked about the stories.

Writers discussed what made a story (beginning, middle, & end; character+conflict=resolution)

and what made a complete piece of writing: either issue&insight; question&answer; or story.

Rules for Writing Pracitce

Writers have been challenged to follow these rules suggested by Natalie Goldberg. Natalie has written Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, a class text and Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life from which this version of her rules is taken.

1. Keep Your Hand Moving
2. lose Control
3. Be Specific
4. Don't Think
5. Don't Worry About Punctuation, Spelling, Grammar
6. You Are Free to Write the Worst Junk in America
7. Go for the Jugular

(Of course these rules are for writing practice (generative writing) some may not apply to final drafts!)

Review of the First Week

During the first week, writers were encouraged to develop a "Writing Practice." Writers were required to get a spiral or other notebook dedicated to their writing. This journal will be turned in every few weeks and graded on volume of writing. Writers may put a Post-itTM that says "Don't Read" on something private, or may cover something with another page, but in general the spirals will just be glanced through.

Writers have: made lists of things they love and hate; written from the prompt "I Believe"; written from the prompt of listening to another person's "This I believe Essay: You Should Always Go to the Funeral."

Writers have read and discussed and written about Natalie Goldberg's views on creative writing and writing practice.