Writing advice

Please Do Now:

1. Read this document: more writing
2. Post your answers as comments to this post.

Today, students will:

1. Read the following story: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/beaches/story/1239444.html
2. Discuss: style, structure, lede, attribution, objectivity.
3. Learn the inverted pyramid and basic attribution.

Tonight’s homework is:

1. Second drafts due Tuesday
2. Veterans: Final drafts due Tuesday

Welcome Parents

Please Do Now:

1. Click the link to subscribe to this website.
2. Click the link to your child’s blog on the Blogroll on the right of the screen (if it’s not there, that’s a red flag).
3. Click the link to subscribe to your child’s website.

Hopefully your child already did some of this for you.

Today, parents will:

1. Learn how to follow their child’s work in Journalism class.
2. Learn what is required to succeed in class.
3. View copies of The Beachcomber.

Tonight’s homework is:

1. Open the confirmation emails in your inbox and follow the instructions.
2. View the assignments from the beginning of the year, and see how your child has performed on them.
3. View your child’s grades in the Parent Portal to see if they line up.
4. Pass The Beachcomber’s advertisement rate sheet around the office.

Hi Mom!

Please Do Now:

1. Point your browser to http://feedburner.google.com
2. If you have a Google account, sign in.  If you don’t have one, create one.
3. Type the url of your blog in the field titled “Burn a feed right this instant” and click “Next” three times. 
4. Click the “Clickthrough” and “I want more!” boxes and click “Next”.
5. Click the “Publicize” tab, click on “Email Subscriptions,” and then click the “Activate” button.
6. Select and copy the second block of code, underneath “Preview Subscription Link.”  Do not copy the first block of code.
7. Open a new browser window and go to www.wordpress.com .  Log into WordPress and go to your dashboard.
8. On the lefthand side, click on the ”Widgets” link under “Appearance.”
9. Drag a “Text” box from the “Available Widgets” box to the very top of your sidebar.
10. Title the text box “Subscribe to this site by email”.
11. Paste the block of code you copied into the body of the text box, click “Save” and then click “Close”.
12. Click, “Visit site” at the top of the page and test the link you created.
13. Fill out your parent’s email and the captcha for the link you just creates, and then do the exact same thing for the link on the Weiss Journalism main page.
14. Fill out the link on the Weiss Journalism main page again, with your email information.
15. Go back to the Feedburner window.  Click “Save” and then close the window. 
16. Pat yourself on the back.  Help your less computer-savvy friends and neighbors. 

Today, students will:

1. Watch excerpts of Bob Schieffer interviewing President Obama http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5324437n&tag=morephotovideo
2. Discuss: What kind of questions does Mr. Schieffer ask?  What kind of information does he bring to the interview?  How does President Obama respond to his questions?  How does Schieffer follow up?  What is the general tone?
3. Read the following story: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/beaches/story/1239444.html
4. Discuss: style, structure, lede, attribution, objectivity.
5. Learn the inverted pyramid and basic attribution.
6. Business meeting and editorial meeting.

Tonight’s homework is:

1. Section editors must edit J1 articles by the beginning of class Thursday.  You will need to make recommendations to Josh, Helen, Madison and Amanda by the next editorial meeting.
2. J1 and J2: subscribe to the Weissjournalism link.  Make sure your parents are subscribed to your link and to the Weissjournalism link.

Notes and Quotes Day

Computers!

Please Do Now:

1. Read and answer the questions: SAT Writing
2. Post your answers as a comment to this post, and correct the problem with each sentence.

Today, students will:

1. Complete notes and quotes sheets – due at the end of class today
2. Business staff – Finish business plans with contact information by the end of class today
3. Veterans – Second drafts due at the end of class today

Tonight’s homework is:

1. Newbies: first drafts due on your blog before class Tuesday.  Please post as a word doc and text.
2. Veterans: help and supervise your newbies
3. Section editors: veteran edits due to Josh by Tuesday

A note from your News Editors

Hey everyone, we just wanted to let you know how interviews with Sidener are going to work from now on…

Instead of bombarding her with an interview for every News article, the two of us will conduct one big interview for all of the articles. Anyone who has questions to ask Sidener should turn them into us before this appointment (2:00 on Friday 9/18).  Please remember that Dr. Sidener’s time is limited, so you should try to get MOST of your questions answered by other staff members.

Your News Editors,

Rachel and Nadine

Taking care of business

Sit with your group at a computer.

Please Do Now:

1. go to www.newsroom101.com
2. Set 3, newsroom 22: http://www.newsroom101.com/NR_exercises/newsroom022.htm
3. Post your scores as a comment

Today, students will:

1. Writers: conduct interviews and fill out notes and quotes sheets
2. Business staff: work with Mr Schwartz to target companies
3. Veterans: Work on second drafts.

Tonight’s homework is:

1. Notes and quotes sheets due on newbie blogs by end of class Friday.
2. Business proposals due on blogs by end of class Friday.
3. Veteran second drafts due by end of class Friday.

Interview Day

Please Do Now:

1. Go to www.newsroom101.com
2. Set 3, newsroom 21 (http://www.newsroom101.com/NR_exercises/newsroom021.htm)
3. Post your score as a comment to this post

Today, students will:

1. Veterans: hand in assigned first drafts to relevant section editors (Amanda please record this)
2. Present voice recorders and flash drives to Amanda, so she can record that you have them (J1 and J2!)
3. Review interview planners in groups
4. Conduct interviews – Veterans please help newbies.
5. Fill out Notes and Quotes sheets (under forms tab – Josh and Amanda please explain)

Tonight’s homework is:

1. Section editors: return J2 stories with comments by Wednesday
2. Groups: Notes and Quotes due on newbies’ blogs by Friday end of class (grade is recorded for all members of group, so veterans stay on top of this)
3. Groups: First drafts due by Tuesday

There will be a brief editorial meeting after school Wednesday.

Interview Day

Please take seats at the computers in your groups.

Please Do Now:

1. Read the questions: SAT 3
2. Answer back as a comment to this post. 
3. Correct the problem with the sentence – don’t just write the letter of the answer!

Today, students will:

1. Discuss interview techniques.
2. Workshop news and interview planners.
3. Role play interviews.
4. Discuss alternatives to in person interviews.
5. Conduct intitial interviews.

Tonight’s homework is:

1. Veterans: First drafts due Monday.
2. All: voice recorders and flash drive check Monday.
3. Helen: press passes and cell phone stickers due Monday.

Article Assignments & Groups

Here are all the assignments (with a few exceptions) and the groups, in case you had forgotten!

J2 & higher:

A& E:

• rock ensemble- Maria
• marching band- J1

Opinion:

• role of sophomores- Patrick
• Julia Tuttle- Jesse?
• AP class encouragement b/c of school grade- Lauren

Sports:

• fall sports- Brittany & Jessica
• steven ross- Aaron

Features:

• leo club- Kelsey
• chess club- Lena

Editorial:

• Mom murder plot?- Josh & Amanda

???:

• carmen
• nadine
• rachel

J1:

• new facilities- Lucy
• beach becomes a magnet- Alex E & Sarah
• new turnitin.com- Alex R
• lunch situation- Jean & Ana
• football team- Willy
• textbook delays- Barbara & Lise
• recycling- Jessica
• volleyball game- John
• overpopulation- Kaiya & Laura & Leigh & Rhonda (Who’s writing what here?)
• traffic issues- Maria M
• marching band- Pelinsu
• Samantha?- Story was assigned, just not sure what it was.

Groups:

• Alex E & Amanda
• Alex R & Lauren
• Maria & Lucy
• Willy & Aaron
• Lena, Brittany & Kaiya
• John & Helen
• Barbara & Rachel
• Sarah & Carmen
• Jessica & Laura
• Samantha & Patrick
• Kelsey & Maria M.
• Leigh & Nadine
• Jesse & Jean
• Wendy & Lise

Comment settings- MUST DO

Hey guys, it’s Amanda.

Just one more change to the blog set-up.

Go to your dashboard, click settings, then discussion, and un-check these boxes. (the ones with the red arrows next to them).

It’s so that you won’t have to approve comments every time you get one!