Back to School Letter

Our Class

This year we will work with a modified block schedule. This means that we will see each other twice a week for two consecutive class periods, and once a week (on Wednesdays) for our 20% time - more on this later. Bearing this in mind, be ready to work on your projects outside of class, and always come prepared. If you need to have something ready, make sure you do have it, since you will not get a chance to recover at a later class.

Classroom Expectations

Project Based Learning

We will continue to use project-based learning tasks as our staple delivery, in order to grasp the relevance of the curriculum and obtain college and career readiness skills. It is imperative that all assignments, homework, and readings are completed well BEFORE deadlines and due dates. The level of rigor in this class will allow NO TIME TO WASTE. You are in control of your own learning!

If you are curious about some of our projects, visit the Adventure website where you will find links to exemplary projects from previous years.

Paperless classroom

As much as possible, I try to run a paperless classroom. In order to do this, I will teach you how to use several cloud-based tools in order to gather, sort, analyze and communicate information. Some of the tools you will learn to use effectively are Google Drive, Blogger, Wix, Prezi, Diigo, Edcanvas, Glogster, Smore, GoAnimate and Edmodo. You will learn more about these tools as we need them; and I will be giving specific instructions for their use. Please review the AUP included in the green sheet carefully, as you must abide this policy in order to maintain a professional online presence.

I love new tools, so if there is something you would like to use or see, let me know, and we can see about integrating it.

You also must know that this does not mean that you should not have a notebook and writing materials with you at all times. Your notebook is where you will gather your experimental data, as well as any notes that can then be uploaded as needed.

This also means that any paper given to you is important. If someone took the time to make all those copies, and I broke my own "paperless" rule, it is for a reason.

EDMODO

Edmodo is where you will find all assignments, quizzes and classroom resources. It is vital that all STUDENTS sign up in order to have full access to our classroom resources. Parents can sign up, too. Edmodo will help you to keep up with due dates, tests, quizzes, and more. It will serve as your personal at-home tutor as I will often post videos of instruction, as well as additional materials and simulations to enhance your learning experience. You will also use Edmodo to work collaboratively with other students in class, and in other classes. This year, all students will join two groups for science class:

1. 13/14 AdVENTURE 20%

2. 13/14 ADV________ (your cohort group)

I will be giving out codes soon, and will expect you to join ASAP. Remember, all of our assignments are EDMODO assignments.

Those of you totally new to Edmodo might want to watch the video below, (created by a wonderful Edmodo teacher, Travis Monk of Indiana U.S.), to get a good understanding of how you can get the MOST out of your Edmodo student account.

7 HABITS STARTING THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

(Created by an amazing EDMODO educator, SANDY KING)

AdVENTURE 2013/2014 Green Sheet

For more information regarding grading, late work policy, AUP, rituals and routines, etc. click on this link to get to theGreen Sheet.

Contact information:

Students, it is always faster if you post your questions or comments on Edmodo.

Parents, I make a concerted effort to answer all schoolloop e-mails within 24 hours; you may also use my district e-mail (mgarcia2@ogsd.k12.ca.us), but it usually takes me a little bit longer to respond. Phone calls, especially during school hours, are harder for me to get to.