Author Archives: jfeiger

8th Grade Seminar Update — Week of 4/6

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Here’s the plan for next week.  Again, all guided read-alouds are optional, but encouraged.  I hope they have been helpful so far!

MONDAY 4/6 —  8th Grade Seminar Daily Read-Aloud:  Google Meet Link.  Chapter 13

TUESDAY —  I’ll be teaching about the connection between eugenics and TKAM during class.

10:00-10:20 — 8th Grade Seminar Block 1:  Google Meet Link.

10:30-10:50 — 8th Grade Seminar Block 2: Google Meet Link

Noon — 8th Grade Seminar Daily Read-Aloud:  Google Meet Link.  Chapter 14

WEDNESDAY at NOON — 8th Grade Seminar Daily Read-Aloud:  Google Meet Link.  Chapter 15

THURSDAY

9am — HOMEWORK (Home Learning Survey #2  Due)

Noon — 8th Grade Seminar Daily Read-Aloud:  Google Meet Link.  Chapter 16

FRIDAY — We do not meet, but I am always available for extra help if needed — just email.  Always happy to hop onto a google meet meeting as well.

 
I miss you!!!  Best, -JF

Plants and Zombies — Week of 4/6

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Students will be creating 3D Models of their LTP Future Organisms this week.  Here is the Task Description
Upcoming dates:
I’m always available for a quick google meet as needed or just to check-in.  Students are welcome to reach out via email.
Sending everyone lots of good wishes!  Thank you for all your support and for your AMAZING students.
Best,   -JF
Ps.  If you are looking for additional life science extension projects to do at home, there are a bunch of ideas located here.

8th Grade Seminar — Quick Update 4/1/20

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Hi Excellent Eighth Graders,

Just a quick update…. tomorrow (Thursday), we’ll be reading/annotating chapter 12 at noon.  As it is our first significant introduction to the African-American community in Maycomb, I would like you to either handwrite or copy this chart digitally prior to tomorrow’s reading. We’ll be completing the chart during our read aloud.  If you aren’t able to join us, no worries — you will want to do this independently as you read though.

Character Actions/Words –

Specific Evidence

 Significance (What do these characters express about African American Society in this story?)
Lula
Reverend Sykes
Zeebo

You all are awesome.  I so appreciate all of you.

Best, -JF

Ps.  If you haven’t turned in home learning survey #1 yet, it is due tomorrow.  (Most of you have already)

Pps.  Friendly reminder that we’ll continue read-aloud  (chapter 13 — my least favorite one!) on Monday at noon.  There will not be any noon reading sessions on Fridays.

Plants and Zombies Update — 3/30

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Hi Plants and Zombies folk!
I miss you all and I’m excited to reconnect with you!  Our class will be meeting every Monday 11:30-11:50am through Google Meets at this link.  This link is also posted on Google Classroom.
A few ponderings about class:
1) Science is CHALLENGING to do remotely.  It is so collaborative and it is hard to let go of some of the hands on projects that were planned. The good news is that from a material standpoint, we have covered most of the life science curriculum already.  At this point, less is more.  This upcoming week will be heavy simply due to the LTP, but my hope is to keep work meaningful and lighter during home learning.  Students are welcome to reach out to me at any time with questions.
2) With the exception of the LTP work (which should be mostly done), I am also going to try and keep most of the learning “offline”. There is only so much screen time that is healthy for middle school, and Science is a good excuse to get a bit more “maker-space-ish” with the learning.  Your students may need access to materials — but there is no “set” list.  They are encouraged to get creative.
3) This week — our focus will be twofold.
              A) LTP due via Google Classroom by Friday at 8:30am.  If students want strong draft feedback on their LTPs, they can email me before Wednesday at noon and I’ll try to turn it around within 6-12 hours. The LTPs should have been mostly written prior to our hiatus, but I know some students still have significant work to do.
              B) Our first project is for students to simply grow something or try a botany experiment.  Here’s the task description. First post to Padlet is due Tuesday, April 7th.
Upcoming Dates of Note
After we finish the LTP, we’ll be developing ecology boardgames.  More details on that in the next update.
Thank you so much for your support.  -JF
Ps.  Students — if you have NOT used Google Meet before, you may wish to connect with a peer and give it a try before classes start.  It’s really simple to access through the “9-dot” menu in the top right area of any Google Screen.
Pps.  Corbin, one of the students in the class, made this very fun poster.  Just wanted to share!  Microbes-Corbin

8th Grade Seminar Update — Week of 3/30

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Hi Excellent Eighth Graders.
So away we go with online learning…!   Yay!
The following sentence is one I never expected to write.  One of the BEST things about To Kill A Mockingbird is that it has absolutely nothing to do with viruses.  We are about a third of the way through the book, and there is nothing like 1930s Alabama to help us take our minds away from current news.
I realize that many students may not have access to their books, so I was able to create a Google Document with To Kill A Mockingbird text.  (You won’t be able to access this without a BVSD account.)  Students without books are encouraged to make a copy of this document and use it for annotations.
Here are the Google Meet links for each of the classes.  These will NOT change.  Our first meet will be primarily just to check-in and for problem solving.  Students are welcome to read/annotate independently or join us for the 8th Grade Seminar daily read aloud.  The read-aloud is OPTIONAL, but encouraged.  We’ll be reading and annotating a chapter each day.  Here’s the schedule for the week.
MONDAY 3/30 — Class does not meet.
TUESDAY
  • 10:00-10:20 — 8th Grade Seminar Block 1:  Google Meet Link
  • 10:30-10:50 — 8th Grade Seminar Block 2: Google Meet Link
  • Noon — 8th Grade Seminar Daily Read-Aloud:  Google Meet Link.  We’ll be reading and annotating chapter 10 together.  All read alouds are optional, but encouraged.
WEDNESDAY at NOON — 8th Grade Seminar Daily Read-Aloud:  Google Meet Link.  Chapter 11
THURSDAY
  • 9am — HOMEWORK (Survey) due
  • Noon — 8th Grade Seminar Daily Read-Aloud:  Google Meet Link.  Chapter 12.
FRIDAY — We do not meet, but I am available for extra help if needed.
MONDAY, 3/6 at NOON — 8th Grade Seminar Daily Read-Aloud:  Google Meet Link.  Chapter 13
DUE DATES:
Thank you so much for your support as we figure all this out.   I miss you all!
Best, -Josh Feiger
Ps.  If you have NOT used Google Meet before, you may wish to connect with a peer and give it a try before classes start.  It’s really simple to access through the “9-dot” menu in the top right area of any Google Screen.

Co-op Update — Week of 3/30

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I miss you all!  I hope you are staying well during these crazy times.  A few updates:
  1. Here is our co-op Co-op Google Meet link   We will be meeting on Mondays from 11:00-11:20am.  We’ll just be checking-in… will be very low-key.  I will also put a copy of this link on Google Classroom just in case you lose this email.
  2. Portfolios — we recognize that many of your physical portfolios are at school.  For now, no worries.  Portfolios are on pause for at least a few weeks.
  3. Your NEW homework in Co-op is to conduct AT LEAST one hour of Community Service each week.  This is really open as to what this could look like — and can simply be helping your family with extra chores.  I brainstormed a quick list of ideas here —Home Service Learning Ideas.   The document is open-edit — so If you have additional ideas, just add them to the document.
  4. If you are having username/password issues, connect with Cheyne Keith — bradford.keith@bvsd.org .
If you have NOT used Google Meet before, you may wish to connect with a peer and give it a try before classes start.  It’s really simple to access through the “9-dot” menu in the top right area of any Google Screen.
Can’t wait to virtually see you all next Monday!
Best, -Josh
Ps.  Even though we only meet for 20 minutes of “in-person” co-op time — if you all need anything or if I can help in anyway, please connect with me.  I’d love to hear from you!
Pps.  If you misplaced the new CHOICE Home Learning Schedule, here it is…
Screen Shot 2020-03-26 at 9.36.23 AM.png

Co-op Update — 3/20

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I miss you all!  We are planning for home learning commencing March 30th.  This will be an adventure for all of us!
Co-op will meet once a week every Monday starting on March 30th from 11am-11:20am through Google Meets.  I will post a link prior to our first meeting in Google Classroom.
There will be a CHOICE Weekly coming out in the next 24 hours with full details on the home learning schedule.  Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or just to say hello.
Happy (almost) Spring Break!
Best, -JF

8th Grade Seminar Update — 3/20

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Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to reach out and tell you that I miss you all!  We are planning for home learning commencing March 30th.  This will be an adventure for all of us!  Schedule is still being sorted out, but I’m excited to reconnect with you all.
We are still working out details of what class looks like — but here are initial 8th Grade Seminar thoughts:
Tuesday 10-10:20:  Block 1 — Just to connect as community and answer questions.
Tuesday 10:30-10:50: Block 2 — Just to connect as a community and answer questions
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday at Noon:  I will be conducting a “guided” read-aloud through Google Meets.  Each day, we’ll be reading ONE chapter of To Kill A Mockingbird.  This will start with chapter 10 on Tuesday, March 31st.  Attendance is encouraged for the read-aloud, but optional. If you wish to read/annotate on your own, that’s fine.  
Outside of class:  Other projects and assignments TBA.
I know that many of you do NOT have copies of TKAM.  If you have your book, great.  If not, I have copies of the book in Google Docs for our class only.  I will share a link for this on Google Classroom on or before March 30th.
In the meantime, please keep reading at least 30 minutes a day.   Find a way to carve that reading (or audiobook) into your daily routine. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or just to say hello.  
Happy (almost) Spring Break!
Best, -JF

Plants and Zombies Update — 3/20

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Just wanted to reach out and tell you that I miss you all!  We are planning for home learning commencing March 30th.  Schedule is still being sorted out, but I’m excited to reconnect with you all.
Scary how all the virus work we did in January has become so prescient!  I hope you and your family are staying well, enjoying one another, and not doing too much screen time!
I think we are going to be virtually meeting as a whole class integrated class every Monday (starting 3/31) from 11:30-11:50am through Google Meets.  I will then be available via email or Google Meets throughout the week as needed.
In the meantime, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or just to say hello.
Happy (almost) Spring Break!
Best, -JF

8th Grade Seminar Update — 3/12

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Dear Excellent Eighth Graders,

Please note that all LA assignments (including any TKAM work) are suspended until after school resumes.  Do not stress.  Do keep reading (or listening) 30 minutes a day with your choice novel — I’m always available for book recommendations.
Most importantly, be with your family.  Stay safe. Get outside, don’t read too much news, and take care of yourself.
Thank you for all your hard work.  Best, -JF
Ps.  No time like the present to sharpen your Scrabble game!