NEW POST INFORMATION!!! IMPORTANT!!

Hello all...

Once again, we will be starting the analysis sections of the blog up again. This time around I am looking for a detailed analysis of the piece. Obviously, I cant' have every posting a two page paper, but you will have to do a few things...tell me....

1. the basic understading of the piece
2. the tone of the piece
3. one literary device with examples that backs up the tone you've chosen. These should be 5-6 sentences minimum.

so, no more one liners of "this is a scary poem"..show me you know what you are doing here. If you do not have these pieces, you will receive a ZERO, so it's all or nothing.

This way will help me  to assess your understanding and your writing skills. If there are any issues, we can pull up the blog and review your writing ( as well as any other pieces you may bring me).

I will be posting a few at a time with due dates, so make sure to get them, done on time.

Mischley

F Block Only

Hello all.....

Start spreading the word via text, mouth, sky writer, whatever you choose that the Renaissance test is being moved to Wednesday, December 8th due to my absence the other day. We will review the remainder of the poems on Monday and I will field any questions you have pertaining to any poets/poems.

My head is stuffy and my cold medicine has quit working, so that's all I gots for now....

Mischley

APers.......Very Important!!

Dear Apers....

I have recognized the fact that you have soooooooo much more work to do blog-wise than the Honors peeps, so I am in the process of creating  another blog which will link to this one. Hopefully, this will lessen up the postings on the primary blog and get rid of the confusion and searching for all.

I'll let you know when it's up and ready.


Advanced Placement Blog

Look at the post to your right....seriously...look...now...no, really...NOW!

I have decided  that in the spirit of posting and being nosey I want to find out what people like. I will be putting up a weekly poll on random things that make me think or laugh, and you can answer the poll or not. This first poll is a test. Enjoy!!

APers Only...others need not apply....

Hello Apers!

 I have decided  that, in all fairness, if we do not get to discuss a Poetry 180 in class we will have a discussion online. Time always seems to run out for us, and I want to make sure that , at least initially, everyone gets some of the class's insight, comments, etc to help with rewrites.

We missed two the other day, Passer-by and The Summer I Was Sixteen, but to keep everything organized I will be giving each poem its own post, so the analyzer does not have to sift through posts which have nothing to do with his/her particular analysis.

That is all.

DO ME A FAVOR PLEASE!!!!!!!!

HEY ALL!

Sorry...didn't mean to shout that, and we all know "tone is everything". Could you please make it so I know EXACTLY who you are when you post...I have about 4 "ALEX"s in my classes and a couple of "KAT"s...make sure I know exactly who you are so I can give credit.

On a sadder note, let's have a moment of silence for my XBOX 360. It no longer has the will to run discs for me. I can still do some onlining, but the red ring of death is looming ahead. Can you see it's bright color? I bet if you squint really hard you can. We had planned to bury it next to the hamster ( RIP- Ruby Doo) in the garden, but I think the neighbors would get weirded out if the town cat dug it up and dragged its mechanical corpse down the street. I love my XBOX 360 and know in my heart that it can never be replaced with another.....until the holidays when they come out with a sweet bundle package of console, kinect, hardware, and accompanying games.


It is what it is, people. Live long and prosper!

A Brand New Day

Buenos dias!


I hope you all had a great summer filled with fun, sun, and books. It's now time to get back into the grind in what will be your last high school English class. How lucky are you that you get to end your English career with me? Really, you are lucky. I'm quite wonderful with a side of sarcastic and a dash of quirky.

Basically, this blog will be utilized in the same manner it has been in the past. You can even check some of the prior blogs to see how this rolls. I will be asking you a series of questions throughout the weeks  and you need to answer them with some thought. Actually, you are graded on your answers. Are you being thoughtful? Critical in your analysis? Honest? Funny? ( I love me some funny, people!) I will also be putting any additional information , funny links, additional poems, etc on the blog for discussion. I will  let you know when the blog applies only to AP, only to Honors, or all.

Soooo....keep it clean.....keep it respectful....keep it real....have fun!

Live long and prosper....

Mischley

Getting back into the Swing of Things...

Hi All!

Per our discussion in class, it is expected that you will read the long prompts and grade them according to the AP scale for that particular prompt. Write down the name of the prompt ( I believe they are A, B, and C) and the grade. You can also add a comment or two about why you scored them that way. As soon as I have all the grades in I will tell you the actual grades so you can rewrite yours accordingly.

Also, starting in January, we will be doing the Question of the Week (QOW) again. This is a homework grade so make sure you keep checking in.

Have a great vacation...I'll see you on the other side!

Mischley

Papers and Grendel and Research, oh my!!

Buenos Dias....

That's about all the Spanish I know. But I gave it the good ole college try.

Speaking of trying, I know you all have been trying very hard to keep the beastly machine we like to call AP on track, and I appreciate the effort. I have been looking at the papers you've been handing in , and well, we have some work to do...not a ton...more like tweaking, so expect to be fixing some papers over break. Make sure you are saving everything you hand into me as you will most likely be rewriting it. By the way, any rewrites that you hand into me must be accompanied by the original draft. How do I know what you fixed if I can remember what you originally wrote? My brain is fried people...new baby, remember???

As far as the Grendel project...first, yes, you may use up to two instrumentals with a longer analysis of why you chose them....second, this project is deceptive...it takes a long time to complete...don't wait until the last minute to start this or you'll never finish...third, make sure that the music ties in together...pretend you are creating a soundtrack for the movie version of Grendel...it all has to flow....for example, look at the Sleepless in Seattle or Garden State sountracks...the music ties in together and tells the story.

PS.Use some good stuff kiddies...this is where I get all my new favorite bands !!

See you all soon!!

PPS. I expect some of those peanut butter balls before break...I won't mention names, but A.S. I am talking to you....you know how much I love them!!! ; )

Research Papers

Hello all!

I have been receiving your e-mails about research paper topics. Please make sure to read the research papaer packet to make sure that you are hitting all the requirements. Due to the large amount of eras, genres, etc we hit in this class, you are the only senior class that is allowed to go outside of British Litertaure as a topic. Be creative...find something interesting to you. However, make sure that you are using at least two (2) novels as your primary sources. I know this is not exactly what is meant by a primary source, but the department as a whole has decided to look at it this way.

When in doubt about your topic selections, think: what am I trying to prove/ research here? Do not choose a theme as this is not a theme paper. In order to research something, you need to be able to look it up in a reference book or on the internet. For eample, a paper on greed in Macbeth would not work as you need to be much more specific and stop thinking about this a s theme paper. However, the realities of the real Macbeth versus Shakespeare's fictional character is something you could research.

Make sure to e-mail me with any questions or issues. I may not be there to help you, but I am online!!

Enjoy picture #2 of the baby!!

Mischley

Paper #1

Hello all!

I just finished reading and grading your first AP prompt papers, and they will be handed back to you as soon as I get them to the sub. They were at the level I expected for the first ones, so you are right on track. The main issue with most of the papers is summary, or too much of it. Remember, the grader/judge has read the novel you wrote your piece on...if he/she hasn't, too bad for them. Therefore, you do not have to tell me or lead up to the answer to your prompt. Just answer the prompt!! For example, you don't need to tell me for five sentences how the boys in LOTF found the conch, just tell me what it symbolizes and what that means to the novel as a WHOLE. Never forget that all your analysis is PART to WHOLE. Yes, a certain scene may be in a novel, but what does it mean to the entire work, or why did the author include this scene, what message did he/she want to convey universally. Make sure to reread the worksheet on getting out of summary status.

Some of you need to rewrite the prompt and hand in a new copy with the old copy attached. This may be due to too much summary or poor novel choice for question. Remember that you may use ANY NOVEL you have read to answer the prompts. The novels should be of literary merit...no Harry Potters or Stephen Kings ( even though I love him).

I am very proud of all the work you have been doing since I have been gone. Your committment to keeping up the standards I set for you all is wonderful. Please don't become discouraged with your writing as we have plenty of time to work on it when I get back.

Go Red Sox!!

Mischley

Oh, No! Oh...yes!

Hello all!

See how much I care for you....starting a new blog and watching the new baby...now that's dedication!

And as you can see...there she is...Miss Molly. Still looking a wee bit like an old man, but cute as button in person. This one's for the gang and McCole, who I am afraid will explode if she doesn't see the baby....enjoy!

Anywho...I am not sure what you all want to do this year as far as the blog is concerned. I did like the questions of the week from last year...might keep those. In addition, I would like to have this be a comment/question blog where you all post your, well, comments/questions as well as brilliant insights that you must share with the world. Let those light bulbs above your heads shine!!

As I am out for a bit, please feel free to ask any questions, etc so I can help you out, especially with research papers.

Try not to have too much fun without me....because I'll be back (in my head I had a little Arnold going on.. : P )

Mischley