Speed Dating / Getting to Know: / 2014 /

In the present world of speed and frenzy, speed dating is the instant solutionfor busy people. In a classroom, with up to 30 potential strangers (including the teacher), we can use the same format to start getting to know one another. Using the questions that you created in groups you will get to know one another.

If you could have any superhero's powers, whom would you choose? (Mr. Findley)
If you were a song, what song would you be? (Sophie Fujii)
If you were a time travler,what would you bring with you to proof you were from 2014?(Wee So Kim)
If you can enter any fictional reality(novels, movies, animes, etc), what would it be? Why? (Charis Wang)
If you could have any real job in the world and it'd pay extremely well, what would it be? (Steph Wu)
Which movie has touch you the most emtionally? (Jenny Yoon)
What do you wish you could do more often if you could manage the time? (Willy Choi)
What natural space do you find most beautiful? (Jennifer A)
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why? (Natalie J)
What is one thing you can't live without? (Melanie T)
If you could improve a skill or quality about yourself, what would it be? (Erica J)
If you had the choice to become any animal, what would you be? (Patrick Liu)
When you are stressing out about something, what do you do? (Yoshi Nakui)
What is your favorite highschool memory and why? (Sabrina N)
If you could be born in any time, other than the one you were born in, when would it be? (Dylan Araki)
If you could be doing anything right now, no limits, what would you do? (Carlin Bannister)
If you could pick a song to be played at your own funeral, what would it be? (Kristina Akester)
If you could be roomates with one person, historical or fictional, who would it be? (Jason)
What are your favourite and least favourite words? (Brita)
If you can change a law, which one would you choose, and why? (Yang Liu)
How would you describe your peers in one word? (Jade)
Why are we so quick to give up our privacies for "false freedoms" (Dylan)
What would you be doing right now if you were not in school? (Nicholas)
How do you feel about technology? (Amy)
If a genie could grant one wish, what wish would that be? (Logan)
What do you like most about yourself? (Emily)

In the present world of speed and frenzy, speed dating is the instant solution for busy people. In a classroom, with up to 30 potential strangers (including the teacher), we can use the same format to start getting to know one another. Using the questions that you created in groups you will get to know one another.

If you could have any superhero's powers, whom would you choose? (Mr. Findley)
What quality or trait do you value most in a person and why? (Stephanie Nguyen)
What would you define having a successful life as personally? (Kristina Stump)
What is your favourite way to spend your free time? (Robyn S)
What is one thing you'd rather pay someone to do than do it yourself? Why? (Sarah Lee)
If today was the last day of your life, what would you do? (Trevor Z)
If your house was on fire what three things would you bring with you? (Theo Ang)
What is your most treasured possession? (Jess S-L)
If you could live the rest of your life out at any age, what would it be? (Sophia Chan)
What is your favourite time of day (e.g. morning, afternoon etc.) and why? (Karen Lau)
What would you do, if you were given $1,000,000? and, why?(Amir Soheilsayar)
If you could change an event in the past, what would it be? (Momoka Koshikawa)
If you could instantly learn any language, which would it be and why? (Sara McMahon)
If you own a cow, sheep, and horse but you must sell off two of the animals to get money, which two would you sell and why? (Ntori Nyamekye)
If you could reincarnate as a fictional character, who would you be & why? (Jasmine P)
If you fell in love with someone but the whole world oppose you(including your family), will you still insist on and be loyal to your beloved one? Why?( Ada Liu)
What types of situations/books/movies/songs kindle the strongest emotion from you? (Katie Shin)
What is it that you fear? If there are multiple things that you are afraid of, choose the thing that scares you most. Why did you choose it and why are you afriad of it? (Zack Hawkins)​
What would be the title of your biography? (Hannah)
If you had to be someone else for a day, who would you be and why? (Chelsea)
What is your greatest regret? (Kevin)
If you found someone unconscious on the middle of the road, what would you do? (Chris)
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? (Noah)
If you could freeze time, what would you do? (David)
Who are you closest with in your family, and do you consider them a friend?
If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?

Who Are You?
Really...who are you? What makes you more than just a lumpy bag of water and various elements?The first stage of the class will use a Speed Dating process to help you learn how to plan, organize, and write a personal narrative essay that will be the foundation for a personal presentation. This process is to help you practice and prepare the skills you will need to use throughout the semester of questioning, gathering, organizing, writing, refining, preparing, presenting, and reflecting.

Stage 1: Questioning: Speed Dating Questions: DONE

Stage 2: Gathering: Answering the Questions: DONE

Stage 3: Organizing

  • Look over your answers and cross out responses that you are not wanting to share and put checkmarks or highlights beside those responses that you feel say something meaningful about yourself
  • Looking over your responses ideas, themes, and concepts to see if there's a recurring theme, idea, or concept about yourself
  • Develop one or two sentences that provide a mission statement/thesis/theme/ 'This I Believe'/central concept that expresses what you believe/care/want/desire/require of yourself and of the world which will serve as your thesis.
  • Using the organizational template (see below & in our online portfolio), create a copy in your portfolio and fill in your statement/thesis.
  • Looking over your responses and thinking about yourself, come up with a clear point form list of details/anecdotes/short stories/vignettes/long story that will help you PROVE how your thesis/personal belief is relevant. Provide quotes or VERY SPECIFIC and relevant information that can further support your points.
  • Look over TAG TIQs CE and further refine your outline which will be used to write an in class narrative essay which will be assessed using the Composition Rubric.

Stage 4: Writing

  • On a predetermined date/time, you will be writing a 1st draft of your personal narrative using your outline. For this assignment, you will use your portfolio so that all your changes can be viewed and tracked (likewise, so your work can be viewed and edited by your peers in the next stage). You will have an opportunity to refine and improve your work at a later stage.

Stage 5: Refining

  • After your 1st draft essay has been written, it will be given feedback/comments so that you may make revisions/ improvements.
  • Your 2nd draft will be edited and peer assessed by the class (the editing that you do will also be tracked in your portfolio in a new page called Peer Editing.
  • You will then revised your work for your 3rd and final draft. You will add an appropriate picture to your completed essay.

Stage 6: Preparing

  • Using your final draft of your essay as the basis for a speech, you will copy/paste a copy into MS Word.
  • Take ONE minute and see how far you get in reading your text at a reasonable and comfortable pace. After one minute, that will help indicate your reading rate. Looking over how much more of your speech there is will now help you realize the number of minutes you will be presenting. Ideally, it should be a 2-4 minute presentation. (Also once you know your WPM - words per minute rate - you can use to calculate the length of your speech.)
  • Increase the font size so that it can be comfortably read at arm's length. If you wish you may prefer to put it on notecards or revise it into point form (depending on your skills and abilities with oral speech delivery). Print a copy.
  • With your speech text, create a visual that will both compliment your presentation and provide a visual focus.
  • Practice your speech many times so that you are comfortable with what you are saying, focusing on volume, enunciation/pronunciation, gestures, eye contact, and showing your visuals. Ideally your presentation should be 2-4 minutes.

Stage 7: Presenting

  • On a predetermined day/time, you will present your speech in class that will be assessed using the Individual Oral Presentation Minor Rubric. Remember you should also include at least one visual element to be shown on the screen behind you (please avoid using text). You may use Prezi.com, Flickr, Facebook, PowerPoint, or any other appropriate visual media as a means to convey the information.

Stage 8: Reflecting

  • After you have given your presentation, you will be asked to look over your feedback and reflect on areas of strength and areas that require further improvement. Enter this information into your portfolio so you can remember what to do for your next presentation.

Thesis/Mantra/Main Idea
Intro Statements/Idea
You may prewrite this in sentence form
Supporting Topic 1 / Supporting Topic 2 / Supporting Topic 3
Point Form Details / Point Form Details / Point Form Details
Supporting Quotes/Specifics / Supporting Quotes/Specifics / Supporting Quotes/Specifics
Concluding Statements/Idea
(try to include an epiphany)
You may prewrite this in sentence form

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