Instructor: Sandra Opheim

Book Required: Writing for Real  By: Ross M. Burkhardt

Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course the teacher will be able to:

1. Design lesson plan rubrics for clear grading expectations.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the chapters read through written response.
3. Evaluate his/her current curriculum and identify areas of need. For each area of need a plan is developed to achieve each goal.
4. Create clear writing rules and expectations that enhance a positive writing community in the classroom.
5. Develop lesson plans that include all levels of learners.

Introduction Assignment One:

1. Please introduce yourself to me in one to two paragraphs. Be sure to include your name, current teaching position, school, and any other information you feel will be valuable to include.
2. After reading the "About This Book" section, tell me the following:

• What student outcomes do you and your school expect in the area of writing?
• Make a list of writing activities or goals that currently work well for you.
• Make a list of writing areas of which you would like to improve.

Assignment Two: Part One and Chapter One

1. The author shares the idea of using a weekly poem. Write your own "First Day of School" poem that fits your students. You may look ahead at page 26 for an example.
2. The author uses a journal on a regular basis as a way for students to evaluate their own writing skills.

• How well would this work for your students?
• What would you require your students to include in their entries? This may be the date, topic, opinions, evaluative statements, and anything you deem to be important.

Assignment Three: Chapter 2

1. On page 17, the author lists ten assertions about writing. Which of these would you keep for your classroom use? Which of the ten would you change and why?
2. Before proceeding to Chapter 3, evaluate three journal articles relating to writing, authentic assessment, and effective programs in writing. Go to Eric Digests. Individual key words to enter are writing, authentic assessment, and effective programs. For each journal write two paragraphs. One paragraph should summarize the article and the other paragraph should include your thoughts relating to the journal.

Assignment Four: Chapter 3 & 4

1. Using page 37 as a guide, how will you set a positive tone for writing in your classroom? Which of the ten would you change and why?
2. The author lists thirteen words as Distinctions and thirty-two as community terms. These fit nicely into a character education curriculum.

• How do you feel you will able to utilize these two writing activities?
• What changes will you make to meet your student needs?

Assignment Five: Chapter 5

1. After reading the chapter, go to Eric Digests and search for articles on poetry, free verse poetry, and figurative language. Locate five journals and write a one paragraph reaction statement to each. Be sure to discuss any activities you found to be useful for your classroom.
2. List some advantages of using free-verse poetry to introduce a poetry unit.
3. Create a rubric or grading criteria sheet for a free-verse poem. Example items to include may be punctuation, capitalization, and clear message.

Assignment Six: Chapter 6 & 7

1. Make a list of why the author uses interior monologues and personal essays.
2. Create your own list of writing group instructions. See the author's example on page 86.
3. Why does the author believe that publishing student work is important? What do you do to publish your student's work?

Assignment Seven: Chapter 8

1. The use of journals supports the author's theory of "Volume + Variety = Fluency." How would you utilize a journal in your classroom?
2. Create a list of at least ten topics for journals.

PART TWO - Writing and Learning

Assignment Eight: Chapter 9

1. The use of letters is a real aspect of life. Make a list of reasons why your students need to know how to write various letter formats.
2. Create two lesson plans on creative letter writing. Some ideas include writing letters to introduce themselves to you, letters requesting donations, pen pals and letters of gratitude. Please be sure in include the title, grade level, objectives, instructional procedures, and any follow up activities. Include any grading rubrics that can be used to evaluate the student letters.

Assignment Nine: Chapters 10-13

1. Life presents both good events and bad to us. The author describes how hi students reacted to the death of a respected teacher. He also use the situation as a writing opportunity. Locate two journals related to death, loss, grief, and/or suicide. Write a one-paragraph summary of each journal. Also, create a list of grief support that teachers may find useful.
2. Family traditions, tolerance, holidays, and student success are topics for student writing. Create one lesson plan on one of these topics. You are encouraged to make a lesson that you have not yet used.
3. Write a one-paragraph reaction to Chapter 13's Letter to Self assignment.

Instructor: Sandra Opheim and Linda Card

Book Required: The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander  By: Barbara Coloroso

Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course the teacher will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the chapters read through written response.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of on-line resource readings through written summary and reflective responses.
3. Identify the current bully-free policies in place in his/her school.
4. Identify the signs of bullying.

Introduction Assignment One:

1. Please introduce yourself to me in one to two paragraphs. Be sure to include your name, current teaching position, school, and any other information you feel will be valuable to include.
2. After reading the introduction, write a one-paragraph reaction.
3. Reflect on your school and students. In one paragraph or more address these questions: a. How do you feel bullies impact your school? b. Does your school have a bully-free policy in place? If so, what is that written policy. If not, ask your principal/superintendent if there is a plan for addressing the issue. c. Has your school experienced any documented bullying? If necessary, get this information from your principal or school counselor. Describe the incident and how it was handled. Feel free to add your personal evaluative input.
4. Visit www.kidsareworthit.com, this is the author's website. There is information about her career and speaking engagements. There are printable forms here. After visiting the site, write a one-paragraph response to that site. You may include navigability, resources and their value, and personal comments about your findings.

10 Points

Assignment Two: Part One and Chapter One

1. Summarize the chapter in one page or less.
2. How does your school provide a setting of caring for each individual student? What programs are in place so that you can get to know all of your students and their needs? This response should be a minimum of two paragraphs in order to describe your school adequately.
3. The Internet has a wealth of news articles, violence response articles, and bullying information. Search for three articles related to bullying. Prompts for searching may include: Violence in schools, bullying and suicide, Columbine, cyberspace bullies. For each article, write a one page summary and response for a total of three pages. Be sure to site the author, article title, and source.

10 Points

Assignment Three: Chapter 2

1. In one paragraph, summarize the four markers of bullying.
2. Identify the three ways and means of bullying and describe them briefly.
3. List five of the ten listed traits of a bully.
4. There is a great article written by Mary M. Harrison called "Bully on the Bus" and is in the January 2005 issue of Teaching Tolerance magazine. Go to www.splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=132. When you get to the page you will see a link to the article in a paragraph about half way down on the page. Write a response to the article. It should be one page or less.
5. This chapter identifies teasing and taunting as two different things. Write a lesson plan that you could use to teach students the difference between the two terms. The lesson could include a game, charting, role-plays, or one of your own creative designs.

10 Points

Assignment Four: Chapter 3

1. Visit the website tolerance.org/teach/magazine/index.jsp. There are many articles related to bullying and violence at this site. Locate two articles and write a one page summary and reflection of each article. To locate the articles you will see small squares with graphics. Use your mouse and click on the squares and it will take you to the article. Please site the author and title.
2. Chapter three response questions: a. What are some reasons why the bullied do not tell an adult? b. What signs should teachers and parents be aware of in order to identify a bullied child? c. What are some skills that schools and parents can try to develop in kids so they are not bully targets?

10 Points

Assignment: For your final project please choose from one of the following options:

Option One:
Develop a year-long implementation plan for using literature throughout the school year. For each month of the school year, identify the literature to be used and the activities to be implemented. Describe, when applicable, a learning center management plan. Identify which projects will be used independently in centers. Each month should be a minimum of six sentences providing concise details.

Option Two:
Write four lesson plans that will utilize literature. Your lesson plans must include a title, grade level, materials list, book title and author, objectives, instructional procedures, closure, and assessments.

MAIL TO:
CEM; 27582 120th St., Staples, MN 56479
Include a cover page that indicates your name, address, phone, e-mail, course number, course dates, and course location. If you would like your paper back, send a self-addressed stamped envelope with your paper. Thank You!

Read the provided text Learning Centers: Getting Them Started, Keeping Them Going by Michael Opitz. Develop one learning center for your classroom. In a minimum of two typed pages, include the following:

1. Describe the learning center you have developed. Include the theme and identify the materials needed for the center.
2. Describe how you will group your students (mixed ability, like ability, or interest grouping) and explain your decision for the type of grouping.
3. Identify when you will utilize centers in your school day, how long students are in each center, and how you will track the rotation of students through the centers.
4. Address other areas that you feel are important. These may include some of the following: rules and expectations, assessment, facilitating learning in centers, obtaining affordable materials.
5. Include a cover page that includes your name, course dates and course location.