KAMEHAMEHA SECONDARY SCHOOL
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
COURSE SUMMARY FOR FICTION WRITING WORKSHOP
MICHAEL J. PULELOA, PHD: KUMU/TEACHER
Email:
SCHOOL YEAR 2014-2015
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OVERVIEW
Fiction Writing Workshop is a one-semester English elective for seniors. Students will read published short stories or short excerpts from published novels and write their own stories for homework and during class writing days. After some initial exercises with formal writing elements, there will be weekly writing assignments. Students may use prompts from their writing journal or negotiate a longer project with the instructor. Students will write regularly, generate several working drafts, get written and oral evaluations from their peers and teacher, and eventually publish their work in a class anthology and in their own books.
The entire class will read one fiction novel in order to learn professional writing techniques from a published text/author and will be required to submit their fiction to a contest, journal or publication of their choice.
COURSE GOALS
· To help students discern story elements (character, dialogue, conflict, point of view, and theme) integral to the creation of good fiction.
· To provide students with a common language to discuss these elements with a critical eye for their own fiction, their classmates fiction, and in professionally-written fiction
· To provide students with time and support to create their own stories and texts and time for written and oral evaluations critical for producing stronger writing pieces.
· To break down boundaries between "published" writing and the texts submitted by students for in-class workshops, peer and self-evaluation.
· To publish a class anthology (first quarter) and their own personal collections or novellas (second quarter).
· To archive all writing and final revisions/projects in their English Portfolio for future writing tasks and personal reflection.
COURSE MATERIALS
· Required stories from various sources and handouts from teacher.
· A bound notebook for a Writer’s Log (only for use in Fiction Writing).
· An award-winning novel (TBA)
· A laptop and flashdrive. You must make sure all writing is available to work on in class (as well as at home). Students may use the school server to save their work, but I would encourage using email as well as a back up. YOU MUST BE ABLE TO ACCESS YOUR WORK AT ALL TIMES.
Integration of Technology
· Kamehameha Schools provides access to many technological tools to enhance the teaching and learning process such as laptops, online resources, BlackBoard, probes, etc. We support the integration of technology as a critical component in preparing students to thrive in our global society.
· As appropriate to each course, teachers will provide further classroom expectations and guidelines as to the extent technology (e.g. laptops, websites, BlackBoard, etc) will be utilized for research, instruction, assessment, and communication purposes.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Use the restroom on your OWN TIME. You may sign out to use the restroom if it is an emergency/necessary-- but only after the first 20 minutes of class and until the last 15 minutes of class. This means you must be in your seat when the bell rings and no signing out in the last 15 minutes of class. Please sign out when you leave and sign in when you return so I know where you are during my period. You are still my responsibility during the 45 or 80 minutes of class so I need to know where you are at all times.
2. Your laptop should be open ONLY when I have asked you to use them. When the bell rings and I am making announcements- you should have it closed.
3. No use of CELL PHONES AND I-PODs/MP3 players.
4. Follow directions, written and/or oral. If I give a direction, I expect it to be followed. If I write it on the board, if I print it on a handout, if I write it on the calendar—you are expected to follow my instructions. Make sure you READ EVERYTHING and submit all your work correctly.
5. Pay attention to the daily calendar on the front white board. It will tell you when papers are due; tests are scheduled, when readings need to be prepared for class discussion, and what we are doing in class.
6. Read all handouts and posted information.
7. Use class time wisely. Class time, workdays, research days, writing days, library days are rarely given. You must be able to access your work at all times—make sure it is on your laptop or in your email so that you can access it at school for our workday. When you get a work day- USE IT FOR WORK.
8. Don’t be late. Get a tardy pass or bring a note from your last period teacher so you don’t get marked tardy. If you use the restroom before class and do not make it to class on time- you are still tardy.
9. Checking your email can sometimes save your life. Check your emails for reminders, and to check on extra credit opportunities, class discussion topics and articles, and other information.
10. Social Networks used in class
LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Communicate with your teacher. If you don’t talk to me, I won’t know what is going on with you and I won’t be able to help you. If you are lost or confused about what we are doing in class, have writers block, or just need help organizing yourself to get through my class, you have to tell me so I can help you. You can only fail this class if you fail yourself; grades are earned by you, not given by me.
GRADING PROCEDURES: Grades can be accessed via KS Connect at anytime.
The grade for each quarter is divided into four parts (please note: 50% of this class is based on WRITING).
35% Drafts with Draft Letters
15% Reading reflections and writing activities
10% Evaluations and Peer Editing activities
40% Revisions and Quarter Projects
Writing Grading Policy:
All writing pieces and projects must be turned in to complete this course. Students will fail this course if any writing is missing because of the grade weight of all major writing/papers/projects. Absences—excused or otherwise—do not excuse writing/papers/projects from being late. This includes absences due to field trips, administrative excuses, visits to Hale Ola, Counselors or Administrators.
***Students may have parents drop off papers or email their work the same day they are absent without penalty. *** E-mail:
The grading scale: The policies concerning the grading scale, make-up work, and the effect of attendance on grades follow those outlined in the Student Handbook.
Kamehameha’s Grading Scale:93% - 100% = A
90% - 92% = A-
87% - 89% = B+
83% - 86% = B
80% - 82% = B- / 77% - 79% = C+
73% - 76% = C
70% - 72% = C-
67% - 69% = D+
63% - 66% = D
60% - 62% = D-
0 % - 59% = F
LATE WORK POLICY and being ABSENT:
Late Work Policy for Homework, Classwork, Activities, Journals, Evals etc.
A big part of any English class is the discussion. You can’t learn from us and we can’t learn from you if you’re not here. Consequently, we don’t make-up SMALL assignments (homework, classwork and quizzes—50 points or fewer). If you miss the class period- you will not get credit regardless if your absence is excused or not. Attendance is VERY important. Please be in class so you can learn and participate. Like anything, it is your choice to be absent, but just know that it is YOUR responsibility to find out what you missed and deal with the repercussions of not being in class.
Late Work Policy for Writing Assignments: Major Papers and Projects.
If any major Writing Assignment (essay and research paper and/or project) is not turned in on the assigned due date, the following Late Work Policy will be put into effect.
1. For the first five days late, regardless of block days and weekends, there will be a reduction of 10% per day of the possible points available for the assignment, i.e. a 100 point assignment would lose 10 points per day it is late for 5 days. For example: paper due on Monday turned in on Wednesday earns an 82% -- the official grade will be a 62%.
2. After 5 days, it is will be worth 50% of the grade earned for the following 9 days (or the end of the quarter- whichever comes first). So you have 2 weeks (or until the end of the quarter), from the date due to turn in your paper/project.
3. After 2 weeks (or the end of the quarter, whichever comes first), the paper is no longer eligible to be turned in.
4. All work should be turned in during the class period to be considered on time.
5. Notes from parents or teachers do not circumvent the late work policy. It is the student’s responsibility to get work in on time-- not a parent, computer or teacher’s responsibility.
6. The last day of the quarter is the cut off day for all missing assignments. NO EXCEPTIONS.
"Extra credit" information:
Students may take the opportunity for such credit ONLY if all assignments for the quarter/semester have been completed. Various extra credit assignments will be offered during the semester. They may clear any zeroes at any time during the semester. Clearing zeroes entails their completion of work they did not turn in for a Credit. The Credit will allow the extra credit points to count toward their grade. Extra credit options are often listed on the class website. Sometimes extra credit can be obtained via extra work or community service projects. All opportunities are open to all students. Extra credit will only allow students 2% over their overall grade, so it is merely an opportunity to raise their grade from the minus to the whole or from the whole to a plus. It is in no way a substitute for late or missing work. You cannot pass my class by doing extra credit.
Study Help:
Regular study help is not usually held in my classroom during the Study Help period. Students may come to get study help as needed at a time agreed upon by teacher and student. Students are encouraged to make appointments for meeting with me during a mutual free period or after school at any time.
Policy on Plagiarism:
A student caught plagiarizing will receive a zero for the assignment and be referred to the Vice Principal.
Consequences for plagiarizing includes:
· Parent and counselor notification,
· Conduct probation.
Plagiarism includes: Copying homework, class work and essays; mosaic or paraphrasing; using ideas from other students/adults/sources and simply not citing your sources.
Guidelines for Writing Workshops:
In any class period, especially in those designed as workshops, it is important that consideration of and respect for others are the basis for classroom behavior. Since we will sometimes spend our time in class analyzing and commenting on each other’s work, you must understand that your role at these times will be to provide critical feedback; however, it is also important to understand that in order for your feedback to be well-received by the author of the work under analysis, you must convey your thoughts in a way that makes it clear that your critique is well-intended. To be sure of this, we will spend time during our first class periods getting to know each other, what we like, what our goals are in this class, what our strengths and weaknesses are as writers, etc. We will also devote time to learning the guidelines and requirements for our workshop sessions.