The Blog

Friday 5.27.2942

Fri, 27 May 2011 14:35:58 -0400

Congrats to everyone! I’ve made you suffer enough, so this is my official goodbye. Move on and have fun, be brave and swim against the current. You all have the skills you need to change the world, will you make it better?

If anyone ever needs anything, questions or concerns, or just wants to crab a coffee, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me.

Good luck :-)

Thursday 5.26.!!

Thu, 26 May 2011 14:33:01 -0400

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110526/wl_time/httpnewsfeedtimecom20110525hownaziscientststriedtocreateanarmyoftalkingdogsxidrssfullworldyahoo

Talking Nazi Dogs

Wednesday 5.25.11

Wed, 25 May 2011 18:47:30 -0400

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13545453

Is there anybody out there?

Tuesday 5.24.11

Tue, 24 May 2011 14:28:36 -0400

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW-WzeRFaGg

Facebook suggested that I like Monty Python and the Holy Grail… creepy

Monday 5.23.11

Mon, 23 May 2011 14:31:44 -0400

GO BRUINS!!

Friday 5.20.11

Fri, 20 May 2011 18:56:34 -0400

Period 5 has your final on monday: TAKE NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES!!!!! DON’T COME IN WITHOUT NOTES

http://sinden.org/verger.html

http://www.authorama.com/essays-of-francis-bacon-50.html

Period 7 you know what you have due monday

5 days left. buckle down, get thrtough it, and that’s it :-)

Thursday 5.19.11

Thu, 19 May 2011 19:20:34 -0400

If you’re reading this… GET TO WORK!!!!!

but if you have 2 minutes, click this link: http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2011/george-takei-offers-his-solution-to-dont-say-gay-bill/

Wednesday 5.18.11

Wed, 18 May 2011 17:46:01 -0400

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/18/train-helps-couples-say-marry-me/?hpt=C2 The headline was ‘GI shocks girlfriend with Train: ‘Marry Me’‘ I thought they meant a train, not that terrible band

So more scene presentations tomorrow. I like what we’ve done so far, good stuff :-)

Also, period 5 your stuff is due friday, final monday. Period 7 is the opposite. The links are below to the two readings If you read (and know them) them you should have no problemo :-) (spell check is wrong, problemo IS a word)

Tuesday 5.17.11

Tue, 17 May 2011 14:49:24 -0400

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13417930

We are starting our scene analysis tomorrow. Remember, you can get half credit for PRESENTING your scene and having all of the items on the rubric if you didn’t have anything completed for monday.

I HATE VERIZON CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!

Monday 5.16.11

Mon, 16 May 2011 14:39:15 -0400

Hi. All the stuff you need is below. The first post today are the links to your final, they are also in the book

Period 5 - Your final is monday. Your Review and final corrected paper are due friday, scene analysis will be happening wednesday. BRING IN WHAT YOU HAVE FOR YOUR PAPER TOMORROW, WE WILL BE DOING PEER EDITING!!

Period 7 - Your final is friday, so your review and corrected paper are due monday. scene analysis will be happening wednesday. BRING IN WHAT YOU HAVE FOR YOUR PAPER TOMORROW, WE WILL BE DOING PEER EDITING!!

No late papers will be accepted

Monday 5.16.11

Mon, 16 May 2011 14:31:13 -0400

Research Paper Tune-up

The Easy Stuff

Formatting (50 points or 0 points)

1” margins, #12 TNR, white paper, black ink, heading, pagination, double-space, indent, word count, no title page.
Any variation = 0 points

MLA – (50 – 25 – 0)

All Quotes, Summaries, Paraphrases cited with (Author Page), (Author), (“Article Title”), or (Keyword).
Extended quotations offset 10 spaces on left only, double-spaced, cited, no quotation marks
Works Cited Page double-spaced, hanging indent, arranged alphabetically by first word in entry. List only works cited (mentioned) in your paper.
Entries follow proper format

The Tough Stuff

Ideas – addresses a variety of topics: thesis connecting the film and/or director to a larger social, historical, or artistic context, film as a created artifact, director as creator, process, problems, anecdotes, critical assessment. Keep facts to a minimum; connect them to an larger idea; don’t list.
Organization – focused opening, similar ideas grouped together, logical order, definitive closing, transitions link sentences and paragraphs
Voice – natural, informed voice; no you, I, me
Word Choice – define unfamiliar terms, use words correctly; avoid “to be” verbs, use active verbs, choose active voice.
Sentence Style – smooth “flow,” variation in structure and length.
Correct, Accurate Copy – follow rules of usage, grammar, mechanics

Traditional Problem Areas

Movie Title, Book Title, Magazine Title
“Title of Article,” “DVD Extra Feature”
Boring (directors’ name) or missing TITLE.
it’s/its; there/their/they’re; past/passed…you know your trouble spots by now
Padded sentences – useless phrases that take up space: due to the fact that = because
Redundancy – extremely unique
Overwriting – eschew obfuscation – avoid thesaurus abuse – use the words you know
Punctuation goes inside quotation marks
Periods go outside parenthetical citations (Murphy 10).
Subjects and verbs must agree
Sentence fragments and run-ons
Passive voice – have a specific “doer” for every verb. NOT “The film was panned,” BUT “New Yorker reviewer Pauline Kael panned the film’s violent excesses.”
Imbed quotes within your own sentences; avoid “dropped” or “free-floating” quotes.
Avoid long stretches of fact-strings.
Text, Filmography (properly formatted), Works Cited
Word count - DOES NOT INCLUDE Works Cited and Filmography pages
Plagiarizing = 0 for entire paper – even if it’s just one sentence!
It’s better to have a paper that’s on the short side than to have a long, empty paper.

Peer Review and Advising Protocols

Review this sheet front and back before you begin to read your partner’s paper.
Reader - Read your partner’s paper all the way through without marking or stopping once. Then read the paper again and mark areas you feel need work. Intro, dropped quotes, etc.
Writer – read your reader’s comments. Ask for clarification. Discuss possible ways to solve problems in the work. Let your reader know your concerns about weak areas.
Everyone – help each other out. There are enough “A’s” for everyone. Helping someone else out helps sharpen your critical eye and makes you a better writer.
Be Advised – You will be “signing off” on each other’s final papers. Be prepared to defend your editing and advice as well as your use of class time.
Revise your paper and bring back a corrected, improved copy for the next day’s work. Save all drafts.

Day 1

Address BIG issues first.

Interesting opener – If your paper begins “So ‘n So was born in blankety blank city on blankety blank date,” start over. Use an anecdote, a question, a startling fact, a description, a provocative statement…anything but the old ho-hum.

Completeness – Does the paper have enough content? Is there a good mix of topics from the original handout? Too much biography is not a good thing. Should the writer find more information?

Organization – Is this paper organized in a logical way? Is there any repetition of topics? Should ideas or sentences be moved or combined?

Conclusion – Is there a clear conclusion? Does the writer attempt to make a universal connection in the conclusion? Does he or she make a compelling case for the worth of his or her director as an artist worthy of study? Is the conclusion memorable?

Style – Is the voice natural and clear or is it too formal? Is the writing overly informal with an “I” perspective?

Synthesis – Is there a good mix of writer commentary and quoted/paraphrased material? Has there been an attempt to make sense of all the data to create a clear and cohesive central idea or is this just a collection of facts and quotes? Are any paragraphs simply lists of facts?

Attributions – are all quotes, paraphrases, and summaries cited with parenthetical citations? Is each citation mentioned on the Works Cited page? Is the format of each Works Cited entry correct? Check Purdue OWL or Writers Inc.

Do not correct spelling or grammar or punctuation or word-use issues today.

Day 2

Traditional Problem Areas – Address every item on this list. Each infraction will cost your paper 10 points.

Final Check – Use the “Easy Stuff” list on reverse to check, check, and double check the formatting and MLA guidelines.

Monday 5.16.11

Mon, 16 May 2011 14:29:51 -0400

General Format

MLA style specifies guidelines for formatting manuscripts and using the English language in writing. MLA style also provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through parenthetical citation in their essays and Works Cited pages.

Writers who properly use MLA also build their credibility by demonstrating accountability to their source material. Most importantly, the use of MLA style can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the purposeful or accidental uncredited use of source material by other writers.

If you are asked to use MLA format, be sure to consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition). Publishing scholars and graduate students should also consult the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3rd edition). The MLA Handbook is available in most writing centers and reference libraries; it is also widely available in bookstores, libraries, and at the MLA web site. See the Additional Resources section of this handout for a list of helpful books and sites about using MLA style.

Paper Format

The preparation of papers and manuscripts in MLA style is covered in chapter four of the MLA Handbook, and chapter four of the MLA Style Manual. Below are some basic guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style.

General Guidelines

Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.
Double-space the text of your paper, and use a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman). Whatever font you choose, MLA recommends that the regular and italics type styles contrast enough that they are recognizable one from another. The font size should be 12 pt.
Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise instructed by your instructor).
Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.
Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you use the Tab key as opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times.
Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor may ask that you omit the number on your first page. Always follow your instructor’s guidelines.)
Use italics throughout your essay for the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, providing emphasis.
If you have any endnotes, include them on a separate page before your Works Cited page. Entitle the section Notes (centered, unformatted).

Formatting the First Page of Your Paper

Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested.
In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor’s name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.
Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks; write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.
Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as Morality Play; Human Weariness in “After Apple Picking”
Double space between the title and the first line of the text.
Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number; number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that you omit last name/page number header on your first page. Always follow instructor guidelines.)
Citation guide
Entire Website

The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2010. Web. Date of access.

Individual Resources

Contributors’ names and the last edited date can be found in the orange boxes at the top of every page on the OWL.

Contributors’ names. “Title of Resource.” The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, Last edited date. Web. Date of access.

Russell, Tony, Allen Brizee, and Elizabeth Angeli. “MLA Formatting and Style Guide.” The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 4 Apr. 2010. Web. 20 July 2010.

Monday 5.16.11 (8:07 AM)

Mon, 16 May 2011 08:07:32 -0400

http://sinden.org/verger.html

http://www.authorama.com/essays-of-francis-bacon-50.html

Sunday 5.15.11

Sun, 15 May 2011 17:33:27 -0400

Hi, if you e-mailed me your paper I have e-mailed you back with comments. Check to see if you got them.

Also, I got the ones that were handed in to Mrs. Holland, I’ll hand those back tomorrow in class.

SCENE ANALYSIS IS DUE TOMORROW! any questions feel free to e-mail me. MAKE SURE you check the rubric!

Photo

Fri, 13 May 2011 06:42:13 -0400

Thursday 5.12.11

Thu, 12 May 2011 19:43:32 -0400

When I told one of my sophomore classes i was going to six flags (on friday the 13th), one of them mentioned the film final destination… :-/ :-p

So yup, I’ll see some of you there. I know some wont be in class tomorrow, but regardless of if you are or not YOUR PAPERS ARE STILL DUE!! Get it done so you can enjoy your fieldtrip/day off

Other than that have a fun weekend :-)

Wednesday 5.11.11

Wed, 11 May 2011 17:12:42 -0400

HOWDY Y’ALL!

Due dates:

13 - draft #2 check the rubric and make sure you have everything / journal

16 - Scene Analysis

20 - Final paper (aka draft #3, but its not a draft) / Review paper

I hope to see at least SOME of you tomorrow, but if not maybe at 6 flags

Monday 5.9.11

Mon, 09 May 2011 14:22:15 -0400

I forgot to post over the weekend! my bad! (there wasnt much to post though so no biggie) Check out the link though, it’s about how to sell salsa using kitties (supercute)

We will be in the lab Tues-Thu, I suggest using your time wisely. I also need some people to do their scene analysis on Friday, you will get bonus points for going early :-)

Go Bruins!

Friday 5.6.11

Fri, 06 May 2011 14:58:18 -0400

I will post more tomorrow, I am in a rush. But……….

http://laughingsquid.com/how-to-sell-salsa-using-kittens/

Thursday 5.5.11

Thu, 05 May 2011 19:40:28 -0400

I’m not expecting too much from the outline/summary, but it should be detailed enough so I know where you are going with your paper :-)