Because
Writing is a Process, It is Never Finished.
407-905-6400
http://teachers.ocps.net/~kennyg
Statement of Purpose:
The
Olympia High School Curriculum Guide describes English III:
This course uses the SpringBoard Level VI
program as its foundation, which is focused on building analytical, problem-solving,
and critical thinking skills based upon the College Board Standards for College
Success. Further instruction in
fundamental grammar, vocabulary, and literature skills are included. Focused instruction on PSAT/SAT test
preparation for both reading and writing is also a part of this course. (23)
Academic Principles
The
course is based on two principles:
1. To become lifelong learners, students
must assume personal responsibility for their learning.
2. The writing process supports lifelong learning
and like lifelong learning is never finished.
The
SpringBoard program features a portfolio-based curriculum that
encourages learners to reflect regularly on the learning process. Reflection is critical to taking
responsibility for one’s own learning.
To enable critical reflection, SpringBoard encourages learners to
maintain their work in a portfolio so the student, the student’s parents, and
the teachers can assess progress, adjust instructional strategies, and witness
where and how learning takes place.
For
students starting to focus on work opportunities or college after high school,
written communication will be an important component of English III. In
business and in the professions, advancement is often based on written
communication. Therefore, composition
practice will follow an iterative process in which revision and reflection
assume great significance. This, too,
is a portfolio-based process in which formal grades will be determined by
participation in the process as well as by the product turned in at the end of
the assignment. And because writing is
a process that is never finished, students will be encouraged to revise further
any work that is less than satisfactory to the student or to the teacher.
General
Course Objectives:
After
successfully completing this course, the student will:
1.
Reflect
critically and responsibly on his or her own learning processes in order to
strategically select and engage the most effective methods to continue learning
throughout life.
2.
Use
reading strategies effectively to construct meaning from a range of technical,
informative, and literary texts.
3.
Use
process-writing strategies effectively to meet the needs of a variety of
audiences, writers, and types of information being communicated.
4.
Select
and use appropriate speaking, listening, and viewing skills to clarify and
interpret meaning in both formal and informal situations.
5.
Understand
the common features of a variety of literary forms.
6.
Respond
critically and aesthetically to literature.
7.
Demonstrate
understanding and use of appropriate language for effective visual, oral, and
written communication.
8.
Select
and use a variety of electronic media to create, revise, retrieve, and verify
information.
Materials
Needed:
1.
Notebooks – spiral bound 70 or 100 pages 8 X 10 or 8˝ X 11. Please buy the cheapest available, probably
at a dollar store rather than an office supply store. We are likely to fill at least two per semester, although more
prolific writers will use even more.
2.
Portfolio – an expanding wallet, expanding file, or ring binder with sufficient
capacity and dividers to hold works in process as well as returned graded
projects. A portfolio of work is
required for assessment of learning as well as for academic goal setting. Graded work can always be revised for a
better grade.
3.
Writing utensils including pen blue or
black ink only, pencil, and highlighters in various colors. Pencil
is not acceptable for work submitted for a grade.
4.
Paper
– loose-leaf, legal pad, or other ruled paper for note taking and in-class
writing; the writing notebook should not be used for note taking or graded
in-class writing.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism
is a form a cheating whereby a person claims work done by another as his or her
own. It will not be tolerated. Olympia High School’s policy on academic
integrity is that dishonesty will result in a zero and will be documented by a
discipline referral. Examples can include, but not limited to, plagiarism,
cheating and copying answers on assignments. There are two types of plagiarism – on purpose and accidental.
·
Plagiarism on purpose
wherein a student copies in part or all of work by another with the intention
of passing it off as his or her own original work is both a lie as well as
theft. All intellectual production
carries an implied copyright protected by Federal laws. Copying someone else’s work is a big deal
indeed, potentially a Federal case. It
is the policy of Olympia High School to treat such plagiarism with the
seriousness it deserves: a grade of 0 for the project, appropriate academic
punishment (detention or referral), and parental notification.
·
Plagiarism by accident
usually occurs in a research
project when a student does not properly cite material that is quoted,
paraphrased, or summarized from another source. We will review plagiarism and proper citation carefully
throughout this course, and your work will receive a grade for proper
citation. Work that appears to have
carelessly incomplete citations risks being treated as plagiarism on purpose
and may result in the consequences associated with that crime.
A
third type of infraction that technically falls outside the definition of
plagiarism occurs when a student attempts to present the same work for a grade
in two different classes without the knowledge and permission of both
teachers. This also includes work that
might have been done in previous years.
Every assignment in English III supports specific learning objectives;
therefore, any attempt to submit recycled or duplicated work without prior
permission of both teachers or specifically as part of the constraint of the
assignment will result in a 0 for the project along with other consequences
associated with plagiarism which include detention or referral and parental
notification.
One
important barrier to plagiarism is the portfolio process of revision. Work submitted for a grade without
substantial backup in terms of notes and drafts may be suspected of plagiarism. To help students avoid problems associated
with plagiarism, submission drafts of all major projects will be turned in via
the web site Turnitin.com.
Assessment and Evaluation:
Assessment of performance and growth will be ongoing
and reflective constituting ongoing learning opportunities for the
student. Major assessments will be
associated with Commonplaces, daily observations, and portfolio
selections. Other forms of assessment
will include workshop participation, projects, compositions, quizzes, homework,
and tests. Grades are based on all work throughout each nine-week period plus a
comprehensive exam will be given at the end of each semester. Orange County
Public Schools mandates the semester exam counts as 20% of your grade for a
one-semester course. The Orange County Public Schools’ grading scale is as
follows:
A= 90-100 C= 70-79
B= 80-89 D= 60-69
F= 59 or below
A student’s average will be computed on a points
earned/points possible scale. Each assignment will include a point value determined
by level of difficulty and time allotted for completion. Extra credit may be awarded at the teacher’s
discretion for additional activity and work that enhances the student’s
learning. To track weekly progress
online, please take advantage of K12planet.com.
Students who
have ten or more absences for any reason during a semester may pass the
semester by scoring a passing grade on the semester exam.
Progress Reports:
Progress
reports will be issued during each nine-week grading period. If a student is
absent on the day progress reports are issued, she/he will be responsible for
obtaining a report from the teacher. If a student is not failing a class at
progress report time, but then begins to do poorly, parents will be informed as
soon as possible.
Behavior for Success:
Our
standards of behavior are based on expectations of mutual respect for each
other as human beings who have come together for the purpose of learning and
intellectual growth. I expect you to
treat your fellows and me with respect, just as you should expect to be
treated.
The
few simple rules that everyone must follow in order to create an adequate
atmosphere that promotes respectable behavior and an environment that is
conducive to learning are spelled out in the OCPS Code of Conduct and
the Olympia High School Planner.
Specific expectations for classroom behavior implied by those rules
include, but are not limited to the following:
1.
Because you cannot possibly know anyone else’s
story, neither judge nor speak ill of others.
2.
Come
to class on time. Students are considered tardy to class if they are not in
their assigned seat working or prepared to work (books, paper, writing utensils
out) when the bell rings.
3.
Be
prepared DAILY with books, notebook, writing utensils, and any
assignments that are due.
4.
Follow
directions the first time
they are given; raise your hand and ask the teacher for clarification if you do
not understand.
5.
Raise
your hand to be recognized before speaking. Talking out of turn or talking to
other students during instructional time constitutes an interruption, a
fundamental breach of respect.
6.
No
eating, drinking, or personal grooming in class; we have a cafeteria and rest
rooms for those purposes, and food crumbs attract pests.
7.
Students
must have their student handbook/hall pass to leave class.
8.
When
a student has an excused absence or tardy, she/he must make arrangements
with Mr. Kenney to make up the missed work. Check the class web page before you
return to class – http://teachers.ocps.net/~kennyg/. After returning from an excused absence, students have the number
of days they were absent, plus one, to turn in any assignments they missed. If
a student misses school on the day an assignment is to be turned in the
assignment must be turned in immediately upon return.
9.
Work
missed as a result of an unexcused absence or tardy is not
covered by item 8 and risks an automatic grade of zero.
10.
Assignments
not made up will be given a grade of zero.
11.
All
make-up assignments will be given to
the student before or after class only.
12.
Work
that is not turned in on time will be penalized ten percent per day for each
day late until the grade reaches fifty percent.
Behavior
that interferes with classroom policy will have consequences appropriate to its
severity and frequency.
Mr. Kenney reserves the right to make changes in this syllabus as necessary.