NaNoWriMo Preparation

Instructors Stephanie Verbockel Elizabeth Voights E-mail sverbockel@kornerstoneschool.org liz@kornerstoneschool.org

Course Description:
The NaNoWriMo Preparation Seminar is designed to engage students in real-world applications that go beyond the traditional classroom approach. Developing writers and emerging in community provide an opportunity to increase the skill of writing, develop cross-generations relationships, and learn English skills that will last a lifetime. Writing becomes the vehicle by which a student engages simultaneously in several disciplines: science, mathematics, technology, history, geography, communication, and culture.

School-Wide Essential Question for 2013-2014:

How can following my passions in my education lead me to college, university or other postsecondary education and prepare me for my profession of choice? Common Themes of Social Studies: 1.) How is the development of self and society present in authors work? 2.) How is the relationship of the individual and the community present in the authors work? Common Themes in Building Community: 1.) How does working together with a group of people make a difficult task more manageable? 2.) How does the writing process build and maintain cross generational relationships? 3.) How do people interact with technology? Does tech foster community or build barriers to building community? 4.) What brought people to #NaNoWriMo? Can the factors driving people on this quest be leveraged for other common adventures? 5.) How do people meet their goals?

Common Themes in the English:

1.) Communicate in appropriate, precise and objective language. 2.) Employ rhetorical strategies pertinent to the students field of study involving, for example, description, narration, explanation, argument, persuasion, summarizing, organization, research and documentation 3.) Write for an audience comprised of people with different points of view, interests and understanding by developing and organizing ideas into arguments and theses, and by revising and editing the work.

4.) Speak effectively by demonstrating sensitivity and flexibility in tone and diction. 5.) Read and listen critically so as to distinguish sound from unsound argument and to recognize rhetorical tone and bias. 6.) Perceiving and appreciating the significance of historical and cultural contexts. 7.) Developing a critical analysis that is distinct from a personal reaction or plot summary. 8.) Locating supporting evidence within the literary work, presenting it clearly and logically, and explaining how the evidence supports the thesis. 9.) Maintaining unity and coherence throughout the essay. 10.)Writing clear and error-free sentences

The Three Period Lesson & Writeshop:

This seminar will be presented as a Three Period Lesson. During the first period, at the beginning of the seminar, the teachers will tell a story, provide a foundational understanding, and give an overview of the schedule, mini-lessons, assignments, and project requirements. During the second period, students will become an expert through research, exploration, experimentation, and application of their topic in a paper, created piece, artistic expression, etc. During the third period, students will present their final creation to the class, sharing their knowledge and collecting the expertise of their classmates. Writeshop: Students write from 12:30 - 1:30pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday Friday, and 1:00-2:45pm on Wednesday. This time is sacred. In order to write 1,667 words everyday, people need chunks of time to write. At Writeshop, students are offered activities meant to help them reach their goal, and students are required to attend 4 Writeshops a week.

Grading:
Projects and papers will be graded through a narrative holistic approach. The learning community shall set grading benchmarks & accountability metrics by the end of the first week of the seminar. Assignments are directly tied to authentic learning by the student. All assessment is a dialog between the learners and facilitators and punitive grades are not involved.

Late Assignment Policy:

The Three Period Lesson relies on a set process of teaching, learning, and cooperation among students to succeed. Deadlines need to be final and attendance is essential. Projects will not be accepted late. If you are absent on a due date, a parent must call for a project to be accepted late. Academic Integrity: M.L.A. bibliography and source citing will be taught during the first until and will be required for every project and paper. Papers without proper notation will be considered plagiarized.

Evaluations:
Project Reflection Learners taking the course for credit or badge, must log word count daily & sign up for class course at: http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/node/1168767. Please email the instructor to get placed in the class. Deadline is November 2.

Writeshop & Write-Ins

Over the course November there are 5 writeshops offered per week. The writeshop model is harvested from Ian Randall Wilson. The facilitator acts as a coach/cheerleader during writeshop and encourages writers to keep writing. In writeshop, students will write for at least 60 minutes. Its important to protect the writing times. Students are required to log their word count each day under the course page: http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/node/1427126 Write-ins are community events in which National November Writing Month participants get together at a community place and write for an extended period of time. The facilitator attended multiple write-ins last year with students and found the events incredibly useful to finishing the quest. Each student is required to attend at least 3 write-ins.

Assigned Resources Bibliography:

First 3 Weeks Baty, Chris. No Plot? No Problem. N.p.: Chronicle Books, 2004. pp. 1-176. Print. TED. Kirby Ferguson: Embrace the remix N.p.: www.ted.com, June 2012. Web. 25 Sept. 2012. <http://video.ted.com/talk/podcast/2012G/None/KirbyFerguson_2012G-480p.mp4>. Or http:// www.ted.com/talks/kirby_ferguson_embrace_the_remix.html Sacks, Oliver. Chapters 7, and 8 in Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood. New York: Knopf, 2001, pp. 67-90. ISBN: 9780375404481. Malcolm, Gladwell. "The Televisionary." The New Yorker 27 May (2002): pp. 112-16. Web. 25 Sept. 2012. <http://www.gladwell.com/pdf/televisionary.pdf>. Robinson, Sir Ken. Out of Our Minds. 2nd ed. Capstone, 2011. pp. 20-27. Print.

http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/node/1427126

Individual Projects and Presentations can earn: Social Studies Science English Math Art

Course Outline:
Seminar: October 14th: -Introduction to seminar -Getting rid of inner editor -Developing good characters -Wrap up/ Review October 15th: -Two Truths and a Lie -Creating Conflict -Into to elements of plot - details, details, details -Wrap up/ Review October 16th: -Describe what character in a movie or book is like them, and why -Intro to elements of plot pt. 2 -Setting and mood -Wrap up/ Review October 17th: -If you were stuck on an island what five things would you bring with you? -Really good dialogue -Wrap up/ fare well (NaNo tips and tricks/ what its about) October 31st: -Planning and sub-plotting -Assign writing buddies -Kickoff (that night)

Workshop: November 1st: pj and pillow day -Make box of doom -Beginnings -Progress chart -Writeshop 1 November 4th: -Prompt -Writeshop 2 November 5th: - Walk to the Library - Writeshop 3 November 6th: -Writeshop 4 November 7th: -Transport children to coffeeshop -Writeshop 5 November 8th: pj/hot chocolate/ coffee day -Writeshop 6 -Progress chart November 11th: -Write so many words if... -Writeshop 7 November 12th: -Transport children to coffee shop -Writeshop 8 November 13th: -Writeshop 9

November 14th: -Walk to library -Writeshop 10 November 15th: pj/ crazy day -Writeshop 11 -Progress chart November 18th: -Music word war -Writeshop 12 November 19th: -Walk to the library -Writeshop 13 November 20th: -Writeshop 14 November 21st: -Transport children to coffee shop -Writeshop 15 November 22nd: pj/ sugar day -Writeshop 16 -Progress chart November 25th: -Write or Die day -Writeshop 17 November 26th: -Transport children to coffee shop -Writeshop 18 November 27th: -Writeshop 19

November 28th: -Walk to library -Writeshop 20 November 29th: pj/ dance party day -Writeshop 21 -Progress chart November 30th: -Extended write-in at the library 10:00am-10:00pm -TGIO party