Look at the week of February 27th through March 3rd

Looking down the long road to research (The Great Wall of China, outside Beijing (photo credit: Bent)

This week you have a few items to work on:

• Blog # 6 is due next Monday the 6th of March with TWO responses to others due by the 8th of March.
• The beginnings of an annotated bibliography - due Friday March 3rd by 2:15 pm
• Meet with me-Monday in class-to discuss your progress and your progress report (the progress report is going live on Friday)

Blog Posts;Directions and Scoring:
Each blog post is due on a Monday, with two exceptions-the Friday before February break, and the Thursday before April break.  The scoring for the post is as follows: 25% for on time posts, 50% for content and grammar, and 25% for responding to two other peoples' blog 

Blog Post Six Due March 6th: "Getting Back into the Swing"- This week your focus is on finding relevant articles for your research paper, reading them, and creating an annotated bibliography to use when writing the paper. 
1) Examine how you approach searching for a topic.  
2) Provide at least TWO tips for others searching for articles.
3) Be honest, what do you think of annotated bibliographies?  
4) What was the most productive day this week, and why?
5) What was the least productive day this week, and why? 

Remember to respond to two other students.  Try to shake it up, and respond to new students instead of your buddies.

Welcome Back and Time is Ticking...

The sun is beginning to set on your high school experience (photo credits all- Bent)

Ollie says to stay on track...

and to remain serious about your deadlines because...

I have enjoyed reading your blog posts on resume writing and the juggling act the past week.  This is such an exciting time; the final leg of senior year.

this is going to be here before you know it...

and you will be headed off to your next adventure.

Keep in mind "spring fever" is a real thing...Ollie and I want to keep you on track and moving forward with your paper, your reading, and your project.  Use your calendar to keep you honest and on track.  When you feel that urge to not do work, resist it because you are almost done.






Before you know it, you too will be graduating and moving on to the next chapter of your life.  Do not wait until the last minute, and try to cram everything in; work at a steady and consistent pace.






I look forward to seeing you all on Monday to begin the last seven (7) weeks of classroom work.....remember you are all out in the field as of April 24th (the Monday we return from April break).  It might seem like a long way away, but trust me it is not.  I am always available to help in any way, and to push you when needed.  The projects all sound great, and I cannot wait to see the end products.  Keep up the good work!

Snow Day Thursday February 9th

Ollie wants a snow adventure 

Ollie's winter wonderland this morning

Ollie was patiently waiting to go out this morning, so after reading through a few of your blogs, we decided to brave the elements.








Once outside, we both realized that there was a lot of snow on the ground!  We played for a while, but even Ollie needed to come inside.

We are now back in the kitchen reading your blogs.  Both he and I are mostly impressed with your energy and willingness to accept the challenge of working on projects by yourselves.  It is scary to take this kind of risk, but once you dig in, especially if it is something you love, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.  I hope that you are enjoying your day off, but I also hope that you are going to come back ready and willing to work really hard....you only have a few short months of your senior year left....make those months fun and not stressful.  So, get going: read, write, and create....May will be here before you know it.

Update: I have read through all your Monday blog posts, and for the most part I am really impressed with the wide variety of projects in the works.  You all have so much to offer, and I cannot wait to see what the outcome will be for all of you.  Please return to your blog posts to read my comments, and for some of you there may be some additional work to be done on the post.

Snow total here is now at 16".  It is beautiful, but I am not looking forward to shoveling.  I am going to procrastinate (something many of you mentioned) and watch some tv until I can no longer avoid shoveling.

Both my daughters in Rhode Island  have blizzard warnings with 2.5 feet of snow expected.  Dana, at RWU, said that there was thunder snow in Bristol!

Dana's view at Roger Williams this morning.

What I see in the classroom setting

Take time to reflect on your progress. (Photo Credit Bent)

We are eight days into this course, and there is a lot of energy out there.  A number of you are getting right down to business with focus, while others are still coming to class with nothing.  This is your course, a way to show that you the senior can work interdependently and you can challenge yourself to do something new and out of your comfort zone.  If you are a procrastinator, this might be the time to break yourself of the habit.  If you are someone who has trouble focusing, take things one step at a time; make a list of goals, and follow it.

By this Friday, February 3rd, you need to show me proof of your commitment in the form of:
1. Completing all the work that is due this week
2. Inviting others to view your blog.  Be proud of it because it is your interests and talents being showcased here.
3. Completion of Blogs 1 and 2 (if you are behind)
4. Show me your book, and evidence that you have read some of it....

I love the project ideas so far, and I am here to help in any way I can, just ask me.