Thoughts on English This Year

As one of you described so insightfully in your response to the last blog posting, an ideal school is one in which the teachers learn from the students just as much as the other way around. And in reading your thoughts and ideas about how to improve high school, I can honestly say I learned a lot from your comments. Overall, you shared your observations that school bogs students down with petty rules and wasted time, from teachers who do not control their classes to having to take courses that you feel will not benefit you after you leave the walls of Abington Senior High. And overall, I found your comments genuine and thoughtful. I think that the adult population of our school could learn a lot from your comments here, as I have.

In the spirit of expressing ourselves in order to learn more about things we all take for granted, like the daily routine of school life, this blog posting focuses specifically on your experience in this English class - Mr. Rendine's English 2 - through the 2008-2009 school year to date.

What are your thoughts about English 2 this year? What experiences or people in English have stood out as important for you? What feelings have resulted from your experiences in English?

I'm going to leave this open-ended, so you may take your comments about this class in any direction you choose, on the condition that you focus on what has been most important and meaningful to you as a student in English 2.

Thank you in advance for continuing to help me create a learning environment that is worthwhile for all students. Your comments are greatly appreciated.

Be sure you:

• spell check
• grammar check
• write at least 150 words

DUE: Thursday, April 23, 2009.
POINTS: 25

The School Problem - Part 2

Please read any 3 blogs from last week and do the following:

1) Come up with a composite description of the "ideal school" experience.

2) Respond to this "ideal school" composite that you have created. Do you agree with it? Disagree with it? Why or why not?

Be sure you:

• spell check
• grammar check
• write at least 150 words

Due Friday, April 3, 2009

The School Problem

Our last blog posting, I asked you to think about the importance of studying literature, both in your life as a student and in your life as a citizen of the world. The majority of you expressed the opinion that, though sometimes boring and difficult, the work of studying literature can teach you important academic skills as well as make you think about "the big questions" in life. Only a few of you commented that literature was not important at all, and was a complete waste of your time. Some examples on this side of the argument were that Shakespeare, for example, never comes up in "the real world" and that studying fictional stories is a waste when you could spend your time reading to learn a trade or skill. Whatever opinion you expressed, most of you expressed yourselves in a clear and convincing way on the blog. As an English teacher, I have my own beliefs about the importance of studying literature; however I do appreciate the dialogue and the open-endedness of the debate on the subject. Do I think there is a "right" answer to the question about whether studying literature is important? My answer is "No," it depends on your point of view.

An underlying theme I found in your comments about studying literature is a problem with school in general. Many of you voiced the opinion that, in one way or another, school could offer you a way to learn that is more in touch with your own individual interests and goals. For example, many students suggested that students should be able to select their own books to read rather than have to read the same old books with which they find hard to relate. As much as I believe in the importance of school, having been a member of a school - as a student and as a teacher - for most of my life, I can admit that there are many problems and quirks of the school system that could be improved upon to enhance the learning experience for many different kinds of students from different backgrounds and with diverse interests.

Begin your comments here by stating some of your complaints about school in general. What if anything about school makes it difficult for you to learn? Then, imagine what the ideal high school education would be like (of course keeping to the bounds of reality here - I am not talking about a playground/amusement park/country club where you spend your school days playing Nintendo Wii and napping all day!). What would be the ideal high school situation for you that would allow you and motivate you to learn? What subjects would you take? What subjects would you leave out? How would your classes be taught? Your goal in this post is to imagine the perfect school, one that you still have to go to, but that you enjoy going to and learning in every day of the school week.

Your posts must be at least 150 words. Please check for spelling and grammar before submitting. These previous criteria, plus how thoroughly and completely you answer the question, will effect your grade for this assignment.

Due Wednesday 3/18. Total = 25 points

Why Study Literature? - Part 2

Greetings and thanks for coming back to our English class blog! This week's assignment will take 2 possible directions, depending on your blogging from last week (see Why Study Literature? - Part 1):

Possibility #1: You read last week's blog post and responded to the question contained in my post on time. If so, your assignment for this week is to please view the comments from last week's post and look for my response to your comment (I have personally read and responded to each one of your comments). Once you have read my response, add new comments to last week's post to continue our discussion. Again, please check for spelling and grammar, and also be sure that you use at least 150 words.

Possibilty #2: If you missed the deadline for last week's post (Why Study Literature? - Part 1) Please comment to last weeks' post on this week's post (Why Study Literature? - Part 2). PLEASE NOTE: Any comments posted in the wrong place will not be considered.

Why Study Literature? - Part 1

The popular answer among secondary-level English students world-wide might sound something like, "Because we have to!" OK, let's admit that a certain sense of duty and obligation that comes with school-life can turn the act of reading literature into a chore more than a pleasurable experience for many students. Many students claim they simply "don't like to read." Other students claim they like to read, but not what is assigned in English. Here are some other common complaints that many students have about reading in English: "This books just doesn't relate to my life," "I would read more if I got to choose the books myself," and "This book is too old!" As an English teacher, I am open to the idea that there may be some truth in these time-tested complaints.

After having read and studied 3 major works of American literature (The Crucible, The Catcher in the Rye, Of Mice and Men), and as we are currently studying William Shakespeare's Othello, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on our experiences as 10th grade English student up to this point. In trying to keep up with the demands of assigned curriculum, it becomes difficult to pause and ask important questions like, "Is this course of study worthwhile to me?" and "What am I learning from studying literature?"

So in the spirit of reflection, consider the following questions here: "Is studying literature in English worthwhile to me? Why or why not? What am I learning as a 10th grade English student, if anything, that is important to me as a student and as a person?

A good comment to the above questions will contain references to the works of literature which we have studied, and are studying, so far this year (refers to the above paragraphs). Also, a good comment will avoid obvious statements such as, "It is valuable to me because I need to read and study literature to pass the class, to pass high school, so my parents won't kill me, etc."

Please make sure your comment is checked for spelling and grammar, and is at least 150 words in length.

Points: 20
Due Date: Friday, February 20, 2009

Purpose of this Blog

Welcome to the blog site for Mr. Rendine's Period 1 English class at Abington Senior High School, in Abington, PA. The purpose of this blog is to serve as a class portal to communicate information about the class and to archive course materials (i.e. worksheets, homework assignments, and links the web). It will also serve as a place to discuss important issues regarding the experience of studying literature, ranging from the important of reading in general to specific works of literature we are reading in class. In addition to these purposes, I would also like this to be a place where students are free to voice constructive criticism about class issues in order to help the teacher build a more "user-friendly" course.

Some important things to keep in mind when blogging here:
1) Please keep all comments appropriate, respectful, and relevant to a particular discussion prompt.
2) Please include your name (at very least, your first name and first letter of your last name, i.e. John D.) on all comments you post.
3) Please be timely with your responses. Blog posts later than 2 days from the due date will be rejected.

For security purposes, the teacher will screen all comments before publishing them to the web. Please make sure you comply with the above guidelines to make your posting eligible for publication and grading.

I look forward to an interesting educational experience as we explore the power of technology and the English classroom together.

Happy blogging!

Mr. Rendine