KAMEHAMEHA SECONDARY SCHOOL ENGLISH DEPARTMENT COURSE SUMMARY FOR FICTION WRITING WORKSHOP FOR: MRS. W. J. BURBRIDGE SCHOOL YEAR 2007-2008 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). A Flash Drive to save and catalogue all writing. All writing submitted for formal grading must be wordprocessed. All writing must be 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. Writers Inc, a Guide to Writing, Thinking and Learning OR Write for College: To be purchased by each student. Text for purchase: A Venom Beneath the Skin, by Marcos M. Villatoro. Estimated cost: $10.00. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES I expect seniors to act accordingly in my classroom. As a graduate of Kamehameha, I have high expectations for you. I know you will not disappoint me. 1. 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. 2. Pay attention to the daily and monthly calendar. 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. You will be given a monthly calendar for the semester and I post weekly or bi-weekly calendars on the front board. There is no excuse for not knowing when something is due. 3. Due dates are non-negotiable. They are set up so that you do not fall behind or have several big
assignments due in one week. We only have a semester together and we have a lot to do, so when I give you a due date, it is not because I am trying to kill you with work, it is because I know what is coming NEXT. If you fall behind in one assignment that means you will have two assignments to catch up on and so on and so forth. It can become a vicious cycle. Don t let it happen to you. 4. Read all handouts even if not directed. Nothing is a secret with me. I don t read minds and I know you don t read minds. So I write everything out for you: you read it, you do it. It works out for us all in the end. 5. 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- if you do work on your home computer, you must email it to yourself (or me) so that you can access it at school for our workday. When you get a work day- USE IT FOR WORK. You can chat and gossip and text message your mom on your own time. If you use your class time wisely, then deadlines will be much easier to make. 6. Put things away where you found it OR where it belongs. Your mother does not live here nor am I she. Pretty simple, throw it away if it s trash, put magazines on the rack, dictionaries on the counter, portfolios in your class drawer ETC. 7. 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. 8. Computer problems are your problem. No notes from Ms. Hara, your mom/dad or any other person will convince me that is the sole reason why your paper is late. Back up your work, bring your notes/research or your drafts to prove to me that you were ready to turn it in if you really have a problem. Better yet: email me your paper the day before or the morning of and I ll by that the printer ran out of ink/the computer crashed/your hard drive erased/the server crashed/your flash drive died ETC. E-mail is my friend. Anytime you want to email me a paper to be on the safe side- best laid plans are emailed papers. 9. Use the restroom/use your cell phone/run your errands/listen to your I-pod/ eat your lunch and wear your hats on your own time. I do all of the above on my own time. I will confiscate I-pods, cell phones, hats and food if you do not abide by my requests. You may have back whatever I confiscate at the end of the day. Detention will be given after three confiscations. If you HAVE to eat (b/c you will shrivel if you don t get nourishment) please let me know and you can finish your meal before class or quietly at your desk. Please do NOT share with others. Take off your hat when you enter my classroom. Take your ear buds OUT of your ears before you enter my class. Put them away for the duration of class. Please do not listen to your I-pod/mp3 player or CD player in my classroom at anytime. Use the restroom during your lunch or free periods. Do not ask to go to the restroom during class. Do your business before or after class. Use your phone outside of my room. Turn off your phone when you enter my room and leave it in your bag. You don t need the phone to sit on your desk to know that you have one. If there is an emergency, come and talk to me privately during 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 minutes of class so I need to know where you are at all times. 10. The class website can sometimes save your life. Check out the site and your individual class page to check on the class calendar, extra credit opportunities, and all handouts or assignment sheets can be downloaded off of the website: http://kapalama.ksbe.edu/faculty/weburbri. 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: 75% 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 The grade for each of the two quarters in the semester counts 40% and the final examination counts 20% of the overall semester grade. 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 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 Blue Slips, administrative excuses, visits to Hale Ola, Counselors or Administrators. ***Students may have parents drop off papers, email or fax their work the same day they are absent without penalty. *** E-mail: weburbri@ksbe.edu Fax: 843-3351 Late Work Policy 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 every day late, there will be a reduction of 10% of the possible points available for the assignment, i.e. a 100 point assignment would lost 10 points per day it is late, until no points are possible. For example: paper due on Monday turned in on Wednesday earns an 82% -- the official grade will be a 62%. 2. All work should be turned in during the class period to be considered on time. 3. 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. 4. The last day of the quarter is the cut off day for all missing assignments. NO EXCEPTIONS. "Extra credit" information: Various extra credit assignments will be offered during the semester. Students may take the opportunity for such credit only if all assignments for the quarter/semester have been completed. They may clear any zeroes at any time during the semester. Clearing zeroes entails their completion of work they did not turn in for an X. The X 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.
Policy on absent/make-up work: Students have the same amount of days they were absent to complete assignments. They are given a semester calendar with all assignments listed so they can make up/keep up with work if they are absent. Extra time can be negotiated with the teacher depending on the circumstance/severity of the absence. If the work is not made up in the time agreed upon, the grades for missing assignments will be ZEROES. When a student is absent: It is the student s responsibility to make up work, to find out about missed work and to make up exams. If the student fails to make arrangements with me about work missed-- their zero will stand. Tests must be made up the day they return. Any homework due during their absence from class is due when they return. Papers/writing/projects are due even if the student is absent see Writing Grading Policy. If work is assigned before an absence and due either the day of the absence or the day of return that assignment is still due upon the students return to class. Students can often keep up with class work and assignments when they are absent by using the class website. Blue Slip Activities Policy: Students need to complete a Blue Slip/Activities Form before presenting your blue slip to Mrs. Burbridge. They can be found in the shelves against the windows on the back cabinets. I will sign blue slips if the student: Does not have more than 6 absences. Is in strong academic standing (have a 70%, or higher, average). Completes class work, exams or quizzes that are to be given on that day BEFORE they go on their blue slip trip. Turns in papers/major writing assignments due that day BEFORE they go on their blue slip trip. Turns in all homework before they go on the field trip. Students may also get class work assigned that day beforehand so they do not lose points. 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. Any student that does not keep that appointment without a phone call or a note will be given detention. I prefer appointments to be made with me so that I can make sure I am in my office and not otherwise occupied with other students or activities. If an appointment is not made a student may not be able to find me in my office or classroom. I am usually available periods 3, 4, 7 and 8 in the English Department Office in Smith 003. Students can make an appointment with me for those periods or try and catch me to set up a study help session. 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. How to contact Wendie Burbridge: English Department, Smith 003, phone: 842-8530, school FAX: 843-3351 E-mail: weburbri@ksbe.edu Website: http://kapalama.ksbe.edu/faculty/weburbri Please feel free to contact me at anytime. Email is always best or phone calls during my out of class periods (usually between 10:00-11:10 or 1:45-3:00 daily.)
I have read the Course Summary for Fiction Writing Workshop and understand the classroom policies. Student Name: Please Print Period Signed: Student Signature Date: Parent/Guardian/Dorm Advisor Name: Please Print Signed: Parent/Guardian/Dorm Advisor Signature Date: Please complete: Parent/Guardian/Dorm Advisor contact information: Work/Day Phone: Home/Eve Phone: E-mail: