Google Docs

I love the way you are using Google Docs! It is a super way to share assignments with me.

It can get confusing though. So..

I have some guidelines I would like you to follow when submitting your assignments by Google Docs.

Please title your pages like this:
FirstNameLastInitial
Subject
Assignment #

Example:
TamsenB Eng4 #12

Also, please consolidate as much as you can from each assignment into one document. You can put many parts of an assignment in the same document. For example, if you are working on English, go ahead and put all of one assignment in one document and make subtitles for the sections.

This will make it much easier to grade and keep track of your work.

Thanks!

Welcome Back

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. It can be difficult to start back up with work on these chilly dark days, but we must. Grab a cup of hot chocolate, settle in with your computer and your books and knock out a few assignments. Trust me, getting behind will not help :) You should be starting up with your LP4 work today. Your assignments are up in Launchpad and if you have any questions, give me a call. Remember to check your grades in Engrade regularly and contact me with questions. See you soon!

BTW...At our next meeting we will be deciding on the classes you will take for Spring semester and creating your Spring MAs. Give a thought to what you might like as electives so we can make sure you are getting the best from your year!

Book Fair and Student Pictures

Scholastic Book Fair
December 6 - 9, 2011
Tuesday - Thursday: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Carmichael Resource Center
4762-A Manzanita Ave, Carmichael, CA 95608


Click here to see the flyer for the Book Fair!

Lifetouch Photography - Student Picture Opportunity
When: Thursday. December 8, 2011
Time: 10:00 am- Noon and 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: Main Visions Offices. Building A.
(Home School Orientation Room)

Once again, Lifetouch Photography will be on campus if you would like to have portraits taken of your student(s) and siblings. To purchase with a credit card, go online and purchase your picture package before coming to the school.

Bring your printed receipt for the photographer. Online purchasing gives you a much bigger selection of backgrounds to choose from to create the perfect picture package.

Visit www.mylifetouch.com and enter Visions picture day ID number CR011461Y0. Packages purchased the day of the photo shoot must be paid in cash or check. See linked order form for pricing.

You can also get student school pictures at the book fair from Lifetouch. Click here for the Lifetouch order form.

Word Squad

Visions Students,

The Word Squad, a new online publication of VIE student writing, is seeking student writing submissions. The Word Squad will be a digital publication that will showcase our student writers. We need your writing! We are looking for exemplary writing from any of the English 1, 2, or 3 major writing assignments. Your CT has a complete list of all of the categories for which we are seeking submissions. You can submit writing that you have already completed this school year or any upcoming assignments. You are encouraged to submit writing from more that one category.

During the 2011-2012 school year, we will collect writing submissions. In the spring, a group of teachers will decide which of these submissions will be published in our first edition of The Word Squad. Students whose writing has been chosen for publication will be notified before the end of this school year. In the fall of 2012, Visions in Education will launch The Word Squad with a celebration event that all published writers will be invited to.

Students whose work is selected for publication will receive a certificate of achievement, an invitation to our celebration event, entrance into a raffle for a chance to win a variety of prizes, and best of all...the pride that comes with being a published writer.

There are two easy steps to submitting your writing:

Step 1) Fill out information about yourself and your writing in this Google form. Be sure to read the information at the top of the form.

Step 2) Send your submission to thewordsquad@viedu.org. You can email your writing to this Word Squad email address or "Share" it with this email address through Google Docs.

Please include your name, category(writing assignment description), grade, and teacher's name on your writing.

That's it! Once your writing has been received, you will receive a confirmation email and a certificate of participation.

Come on....send us your writing. By next fall, you could be a published writer! We can't wait to read your work!

The Word Squad Staff

Student Work

Make sure to check out some great student work. Just click on the links to the pages under the Blog heading. I will keep adding things all year!

Upcoming Important Dates

• Friday, November 18 - Last Day of LP3
• Monday, November 21 through Friday, November 25 - Thanksgiving Break
• Monday, December 25 through Friday, January 6 - Winter Break

Student Work

I am so impressed with the quality of work I am seeing in the English projects and writing assignments! You are all doing such an amazing job. I will be sharing some student work on the blog next week. Make sure you came back to take a look!

This Week's ONLINE Meetings

Remember, meetings this week are online. Make sure you have followed the instructions on how to prepare, then just click on the "My Elluminate Room" link on the left at your meeting time. 


Tuesday - Online
Audrey - 12 noon
Jalila - 3:30 pm

Wednesday - Online
Ana - 9:00 am

Thursday - Online

Haven - 12:30
Michelle - 1:30
Tylor - 2:30


Friday - Veteran's Day!

Progress Grades

Learning Period (LP) 2 progress grades have been posted.

To see your Progress grade:

• Log in to Launchpad
• Click on the My Info link (I think this has changed. I can't see what the student sees so please let me know what it is now. I think it might be More Information.)
• Click on My Progress Grades
• Make sure to set the LP. You may have to change the number in the drop down box and click “Set LP”

Look in the progress grade column of your assignment summary

Don't worry about the assignments average and assignments complete columns. They only refer to work done and graded in launchpad. The progress grade column is accurate. 

Your Engrade grade may be different from your Progress grade as it may include work that has been done in the new LP.

Let me know if you have any questions!

This Week's ONLINE Meetings

Remember, meetings this week and next are online. Make sure you have followed the instructions on how to prepare, then just click on the "My Elluminate Room" link on the left at your meeting time.

Monday
Christy - 1:30

Wednesday
Anthony - 11 am
Andrea - 12 noon
Angie - 3:00 pm

Thursday

Belinda - 12 noon
Sara - 1:30 pm


Friday
Alissia - 12 noon

Alex - 1:30 pm
Margaret - 3:30

Upcoming Online Meetings - This Week and Next!

 

How to prepare:

Meeting online is easier than it looks. There are a few things to do to make sure your computer is ready though. These things take about 15 minutes, but it is important to do them way in advance of our meeting time so you have plenty of time to troubleshoot if you need to.

• Go to: http://support.blackboardcollaborate.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=8336&task=knowledge&questionID=1279  
• Step One: Check system requirements. The page will do this automatically and give you recommendations or let you know you are ready. 
• Step Two: Configuring Your System. Visit the configuration room to see what our classroom will look like and set up your audio. 
• Step Three: Training and Resources. Click on the link that says “Recorded Introduction”. Your computer may ask you if you want to accept the files. Make sure to say yes. 

Other things to keep in mind when we have online meetings:

• Make sure you are organized and ready to go when the meeting starts. Have all of your work available, and make sure your folder is easily accessible for your assignment sheet and any logs you need.
• You may need to print new assignment sheets, logs or other paperwork, make sure you have a printer available if possible. 
• Use Google Docs for journals, essays, and as much other written work as possible. This way we can both view it during the meeting.
• Do as much of your work as possible on launchpad. This way I can have it graded and ready for questions during the meeting.
• Scan photos, pictures of projects, paperwork, etc. We can share files and images in the classroom.
• You can also share links with me and we can look at things together. For example, if you have created a Prezi, a Glogster, a timetoast, or any other web based project, have the link ready for out meeting so we can look at it together.

GoAnimate!

GoAnimate4Schools.com: English Project by Tamsen Bryon

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate4Schools. It's free and fun!

Holiday Card Contest

Check out the prizes:

• First prize - 9-12: $500
• Second prize - 9-12: $350
• Third prize - 9-12: $150

Download the Flyer

Celebration for Student Success

Visions students who scored proficient or advanced on either the ELA or Math section of last year's CST have been invited to a celebration of their success. This year there were over 900 Visions students receiving this honor. Visions is holding one celebration in Sacramento this evening and the other, for those of us who live in the Bay Area, in Concord on Thursday.


Join me in congratulating the students from our class that have been invited:

Alissia

Ana

Jalila

Margaret 

Sara

I hope to see you there!

Google Docs (repeat post from last week!)

Are you using Google Docs yet? If not, try it out. We will be sharing work using Google Docs more and more as the year progresses.

You need a Google account. If you don't have one, please get one before our next meeting.

Go to:
http://docs.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=49008
To get an overview of Google Docs.

And go to:
http://docs.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=47597
To learn how to set up an account.

Make sure you have an account set up by our next meeting so I can show you how to create a document, presentation, or spreadsheet and share it with me!

Worth Watching

"The death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, has renewed interest in the commencement address he gave at Stanford University in 2005, which drew considerable attention for its content and because Jobs so rarely spoke in public about himself." ~ NPR

I found it very inspiring :)

SAT/PSAT

What is the SAT?

The SAT is an important step in applying for college and making your college dreams a reality. It is the most widely used college admission test.

When is the Best Time to Take the SAT and Subject Tests?

The SAT and SAT Subject Tests are offered several times a year. Most students take the SAT for the first time during the spring of their junior year and a second time during the fall of their senior year.

Where do you Take the Test?

You register through the college board website and choose a location near you when you register. 

How do you Register?

Go to http://sat.collegeboard.com/home for information about registering, test schedules and more.


PSAT
If you are interested in the PSAT click here: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html

Comment Test

I just want to see if you can comment on a post. I might use that ability this year. See if you can comment on this post for me please?

If you could add a course to Visions curriculum, what would it be?

GoAnimate! for English 3 Projects

Are you in English 3 and considering using GoAnimate for your project?

It is super fun!
Check it out:
http://goanimate4schools.com/school/visions

Your user name is your first initial and last name.
Your password is your launchpad user name.
Make sure to bookmark the site and write your user name and password down!

Once you get in, click on the button that says "Create an Animation" and it will show you a tutorial on how to use the program.

If you have any questions, drop me an email :)

Internet Explorer and Launchpad

It has come to my attention that Internet Explorer is not compatible with Launchpad.

Some of the issues students have encountered with Internet Explorer are:

* student answers that contain raw html code.

* missing functions in the students' text editor toolbar.
* disappearing student answers when the worksheet is submitted.
* start and end times indicated in the Quiz/Test Overview but no blue dot or student answers to indicate completed work.

Please use the most updated version of either Firefox or Chrome instead. Thanks!