Tumblr Portfolio- Scroll Down for the latest task!
This year, each of you will maintain a digital portfolio of your work. This is a place for you to collect pieces of writing you are proud of, analysis of texts that you read and your reflections about the year. I will start by reminding you that tumblr is public by nature. I strongly suggest you only use your first name, or have a nickname that you use for our work. You will share this page with your classmates, myself, other TYWLS students and people outside of TYWLS. There are ways to make parts of your tumblr private, which you can learn about below. You will start by creating and designing your page. This is going to be a portfolio of your work. What will potentially go on here:
The RUBRIC is at the bottom of the page!
*If you are already have a tumblr, I suggest you create a new blog just for this work. You can link your tumblrs, but it might be a good idea to keep the school on separate. This is your choice, but may keep things organized nicely.
Task 1: Create a tumblr. Here's a handy "how to" website to help you out: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/21896/create-a-beautiful-easy-to-update-blog-with-tumblr/
* Warning and reminder: This is for a school audience and should be an ElA focus
*Here's how you can make your tumblr PRIVATE if you'd like: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/22806/how-to-make-a-private-tumblr-blog/
Task 2: Your first post: In order to introduce yourself, write a few lines about who you are as a reader and writer. See my tumblr for an example.
http://www.tumblr.com/blog/christykingham
YOU DO NOT have to put a photo if you don't feel comfortable. As for the text, be honest- if you only read magazines or online, share that!
Task 3: Find a quotation and/or an image to post that you love and explain why!
Task 4: Become a follower of my tumblr! http://www.tumblr.com/blog/christykingham
Task 5: Take a photo of your life map and add it
Task 6: Put your 6 word memoir on your tumblr
Task 7: Reflection, so far....How's it going so far? What have you taken away from our first work together? Can you start to answer the question: What's My lens?
Task 8: Upload your favorite line or few lines from your This I Believe. You can add a link to the whole text later, once you've revised and submitted it (after feedback from Alex/Christy).
EVIDENCE: At this Point you will be assessed using our first rubric
Task 9: Before we begin our work with Book Clubs and high school required reading, please reflect on your independent reading so far.
- A brief reflection about your independent reading. How did it go? Have you found any texts you've loved? Were you able to keep up since your pages weren't "assigned"? What else did you notice?
- Share ONE commentary (copy and paste or screen shot) that you feel proud of because it's a good representation of your work around literary elements or one of the prompts. Be sure to explain what you're posting. (metacognate!)
Task 10: Book Club Reflection: Now that you've read (or are reading) two "classics" with your book club, take a moment to reflect about our work so far. Here are some of the essential questions we began with. Please respond to one (or some) of these. (I imagine a paragraph or two!)
Task 11: Critical Lens Reminders: We are going to come back and jump right in to Regents Prep. What do you want to remember for your critical lens essay writing? Make a quick list.
Task 12: Due by end of class Wednesday 3/12
You've just spent two weeks in another independent reading unit: Please write an entry in which you share how you're feeling about independent reading as an option for high schoolers. Some questions to consider:
Task 13: Travel writing:
Please share a few lines of your travel writing and reflect about that experience! Do you view travel as a travel writer or a tourist? What's the difference?
Task 14: It's time for student led conferences-
How are things going at this point? What are your goals for the rest of the year (reading wise? writing wise? outcome wise?) Here's what we have left:
1. Finishing Macbeth (Performance project)
2. Contemporary fiction book club (Literary analysis- book reviews)
3. Narrative non-fiction exploration (writing college essays)
4. Exploding the Canon- publishing an ibook for English teachers and graduate schools with our opinion and advice about how they should teach reading (iBook creation and argumentative piece stating your position/opinion)
*This is also a chance to say what you hope we get to in ELA going forward. Do you want more practice with a certain outcome? A certain type/genre of reading or writing? More socratic seminars? More book clubs or independent reading?
Task 15: Macbeth Reflection
Fair is Foul, and Foul is Fair…Look like the innocent flower…a drum, a drum..Macbeth doth come! And go. Sadly, our study of Macbeth is over. This is a chance for you to reflect about your work- both during our reading and study of subtext, and with your production company. Some prompts to help you reflect:
I will be grading you over spring break- so be sure you complete all tasks before then! Here's a link to the rubric:
- Pieces of your written work
- Book reviews
- Links to Books, films, art that inspires you
- Quotations
The RUBRIC is at the bottom of the page!
*If you are already have a tumblr, I suggest you create a new blog just for this work. You can link your tumblrs, but it might be a good idea to keep the school on separate. This is your choice, but may keep things organized nicely.
Task 1: Create a tumblr. Here's a handy "how to" website to help you out: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/21896/create-a-beautiful-easy-to-update-blog-with-tumblr/
* Warning and reminder: This is for a school audience and should be an ElA focus
*Here's how you can make your tumblr PRIVATE if you'd like: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/22806/how-to-make-a-private-tumblr-blog/
Task 2: Your first post: In order to introduce yourself, write a few lines about who you are as a reader and writer. See my tumblr for an example.
http://www.tumblr.com/blog/christykingham
YOU DO NOT have to put a photo if you don't feel comfortable. As for the text, be honest- if you only read magazines or online, share that!
Task 3: Find a quotation and/or an image to post that you love and explain why!
Task 4: Become a follower of my tumblr! http://www.tumblr.com/blog/christykingham
Task 5: Take a photo of your life map and add it
Task 6: Put your 6 word memoir on your tumblr
Task 7: Reflection, so far....How's it going so far? What have you taken away from our first work together? Can you start to answer the question: What's My lens?
Task 8: Upload your favorite line or few lines from your This I Believe. You can add a link to the whole text later, once you've revised and submitted it (after feedback from Alex/Christy).
EVIDENCE: At this Point you will be assessed using our first rubric
Task 9: Before we begin our work with Book Clubs and high school required reading, please reflect on your independent reading so far.
- A brief reflection about your independent reading. How did it go? Have you found any texts you've loved? Were you able to keep up since your pages weren't "assigned"? What else did you notice?
- Share ONE commentary (copy and paste or screen shot) that you feel proud of because it's a good representation of your work around literary elements or one of the prompts. Be sure to explain what you're posting. (metacognate!)
Task 10: Book Club Reflection: Now that you've read (or are reading) two "classics" with your book club, take a moment to reflect about our work so far. Here are some of the essential questions we began with. Please respond to one (or some) of these. (I imagine a paragraph or two!)
- What books should all high school students read before graduating?
- Should all high school students even have required reading?
- What do the lists of books you “should” read have in common?
- What does that say about what we value in America?
- What makes a “great work of literature” “great”?
Task 11: Critical Lens Reminders: We are going to come back and jump right in to Regents Prep. What do you want to remember for your critical lens essay writing? Make a quick list.
Task 12: Due by end of class Wednesday 3/12
You've just spent two weeks in another independent reading unit: Please write an entry in which you share how you're feeling about independent reading as an option for high schoolers. Some questions to consider:
- What did you read, and did you love it or no? Why?
- What do we naturally do when reading (without a teachers guidance)? Do you analyze literary elements?
- What was your experience "Close reading" beautiful lines
- Is anything missing from your experience because the text isn't shared?
- What is gained because of the experience?
- Were you more inclined to read, or less inclined to read because you had a choice?
- Do you think high school students should have in-class time for reading? What is your current opinion?
Task 13: Travel writing:
Please share a few lines of your travel writing and reflect about that experience! Do you view travel as a travel writer or a tourist? What's the difference?
Task 14: It's time for student led conferences-
How are things going at this point? What are your goals for the rest of the year (reading wise? writing wise? outcome wise?) Here's what we have left:
1. Finishing Macbeth (Performance project)
2. Contemporary fiction book club (Literary analysis- book reviews)
3. Narrative non-fiction exploration (writing college essays)
4. Exploding the Canon- publishing an ibook for English teachers and graduate schools with our opinion and advice about how they should teach reading (iBook creation and argumentative piece stating your position/opinion)
*This is also a chance to say what you hope we get to in ELA going forward. Do you want more practice with a certain outcome? A certain type/genre of reading or writing? More socratic seminars? More book clubs or independent reading?
Task 15: Macbeth Reflection
Fair is Foul, and Foul is Fair…Look like the innocent flower…a drum, a drum..Macbeth doth come! And go. Sadly, our study of Macbeth is over. This is a chance for you to reflect about your work- both during our reading and study of subtext, and with your production company. Some prompts to help you reflect:
- What are your take-away(s) from this unit?
- What outcomes do you think you worked on (regardless of my rubric!)?
- We were at the same pace every day for two weeks as a whole class. Did this work for you? Restrict you? Bore you? Engage you? (Think about our analysis of high school English curriculum…!)
- Reflect about your experience during the project part - this was asynchronous in that you had a project and were working towards a performance at your group's pace. Did you like this work? Why or why not?
I will be grading you over spring break- so be sure you complete all tasks before then! Here's a link to the rubric:

tumblr_rubric_genera.pdf |