Rules for Outlining

Hello Scholars!

Outlining is an important concept that you all will need to know when you get into your college classes. Outlines serve many purposes, so think about how they can work for you. Below are some rules for outlining.

1. Subdivide topics by a system of numbers and letters, followed by a period.

Example:

I. Topic/Key Point
A. Subtopic 01
B. Subtopic 02
1. Key point about subtopic or important detail
II. Topic/Key Point
A. Subtopic 01

And so on...

2. Be consistent. Do not mix up two types of outlines. Use either whole sentences or brief phrases, but not both.

Prezi All Star

Hello Scholars!

Just wanted to share an example of a Prezi All Star with you. Jeffrey L. from 3rd period USH created a Prezi for his concept guide.

Not only do I respect Jeffrey's choice to go with an "outside the box" idea for his study guide, but also creating an amazing Prezi.

To check out Jeffrey's Prezi skills look below - I have embedded a link to his work below. Kudos to Jeffrey - keep up the great thinking!

Click Here to check out Jeffrey's work.

Mr. Meechin

Google Maps

Some of the blog post options coming up over the next semester may require you to create a Google Map. There is a video tutorial that outlines all the steps of how to accomplish this and embed your map into your blog. You can find the link for the tutorial below.

Create a Google Map

Once you finish the embedded map will go right into your blog and is fully functional, allowing the reader to interact with your map right on your blog.


View The Journey West in a larger map

How To: Access Other Blogs

Hello Bloggers!

Here is a screencast which will explain how to access the blogs of your classmates. The screencast will take you through all of the steps to access these blogs. This may be helpful to you as we begin to collaborate more, and also work on concept guides and such. The link to the screencast is below.

Access Other Blog Instructions

Happy blogging!

Mr. Meechin

How To: Post a Prezi to Your Blog

Hello Scholars!

Here is a link to a screencast that will show you, step-by-step, how to post a Prezi on your blog. Follow the instructions on the video (the link is below) and you will be all set.

Prezi Blog Post Instructions

Good luck!

Mr. Meechin

Example: Twitter Post Assignment

What if? What if some of our most famous or infamous historic figures had a technology like Twitter at their disposal during time of crisis, war, victory, or defeat? What would they have said?

From time to time I will assign a Twitter-like assignment for your blog. You will answer these above questions. Below I will show you how I would like the formatting to look for these assignments. You will see a short summary followed by the imitation Twitter posts for the historic figure.

On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese. Navy Admiral Husband E. Kimmel was in command of the base. Here is what I believe his "tweets" of the event would have looked like:

NavyBigCheese
The B-17s are on their way home to the Big Island. Aloha boys!
12/07/41 7:02AM

NavyBigCheese
Beautiful Sunday morning here in Hawaii. What a great day to be stationed at Pearl Harbor.
12/07/41 7:15AM

NavyBigCheese
Something wrong! Under attack from don't know who... bombs are falling - this is not a drill.
12/07/41 7:53AM

NavyBigCheese
The Japanese bombers have us pinned down. We need help. Total destruction of the air strip and battleships are in trouble. USS Arizona in trouble.
12/07/41 8:03AM

NavyBigCheese
Second wave! Bombers are back again. We have no chance here - many battleships on fire in the harbor - casualties will be high!
12/07/41 8:57AM

NavyBigCheese
Attack over. 8 ships damaged, 5 sunk with 188 aircraft destroyed. Casualties are high - many unaccounted for. Terrible day in Hawaii!
12/07/41 9:43AM

[END]

Don't forget that Twitter only allows 140 characters in their posts. You must do the same.

Mr. M.

Source: http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/pearl.htm

To Blog or Not to Blog...

To blog or not to blog - that is the question.

This is the question you should ask yourself before you post your work to your blog. As I assess your work, I am noticing a trend. Short concise posts with two to three sentences that comprise the post - and to be honest, that is not what I am looking for, and more importantly you will get nothing from completing the assignments in that way.

The point of this project is to strecth your brains and present you with questions that make you think at higher levels. So, I will be adapting the blog assessment to reflect the writing that I am looking for. We will be discussing the details in class during the coming weeks.

I hope that all of you will get into the habit of writing original thoughts that make your reader ponder. You, as the writer, have a tremendous "soap box" to get your thoughts and ideas across to your audience. It is about quality, not quantity - however, quality includes powerful thoughts and commentary that answer the topic at hand.

So, before you click that "PUBLISH POST" button, run this through your head: To blog or not to blog - that is the question.

Publish quality work that you are proud of - always.

For some examples of quality work from your peers, click here for the blog highlights from this week.

Mr. M.

The Beginning, the Middle, and

Exactly.

A blog post without an ending is just as bad as a movie without an ending. Furthermore, a blog post without a beginning or middle - well, that is just as bad too.

The first week of blog posting went well. Now having said that, lots of what I read lacked thought and originality. Keep in mind that you are publishing work to an audience, not just your teacher. Two to three sentences can not possibly answer these higher order thinking (HOT) questions that you face in your weekly dailies.

Believe me - it is possible to keep your blog post short and concise while at the same time including a beginning, middle and an end for your reader. The point of this project is to mold and shape you into a better writer by allowing you to practice your craft. Please take these suggestions and use them. Not only will your grade thank you, but as will your reading audience.

I have included a few highlights from the first week, here, here, here, here, and here. Check out the HUB for this weeks "dailies".

Good luck and happy blogging.

The Journey

Hello Scholars:

You are about to embark on a journey that most of you have not experienced before in the classroom. This year in the USH Project, you will experience a new form of assessment that will help you grow as a writer, reader, scholar, independent thinker, and future college student.

It is this instructor's belief that students should be independent thinkers and should be able to read and write using 21st C. skills and technique. Students in this course will create an online portfolio (blog) of their original thoughts and ideas. This process of creation is one that will challenge you to reach to a new level of academic thought that you will see at the collegiate level.

I look forward to working with you, reading your work, and watching you grow as an academic throughout this year. Good luck on your journey.

Mr. M.

Image Source: Rlevse | This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.