Ric Dressen Reading Minutes

Superintendent Dr. Ric Dressen participated in the reading minute in hours 1, 2 and 3 today. Dr. Dressen read from Daniel Pink's book A Whole New Mind about the need for creative thinkers in the 21st Century and beyond. In addition to reading an excerpt from Pink's book, Dr. Dressen explained the differences between right and left brain thinking, and pointed out the fact that EPS is fostering an academic culture of creativity to meet the right-brained needs of the 21st Century. Dr. Dressen also spent time asking students about their creative activities at school and about their future career paths, commenting on how those career paths would involve "A Whole New Mind" to be successful. Thanks Dr. Dressen for the great reading minute.

Reading Minute: Jenni Norlin-Weaver

Jenni Norlin-Weaver, EPS's Director of Teaching and Learning, spent the afternoon of election day reading to English 10 students. She read a few excerpts from a book called Disrupting Class that explained the future of education that would encompass a greater emphasis on student-centered instruction and online learning.

Katy Kessler Reading Minute

Katy Kessler, EHS Coordinator of the Choice is Yours Program and Adviser of the Hip Hop Dance Club, spent Monday, Oct. 27 visiting each English 10 class. Katy read a selection from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. Many students were so hooked by Katy's reading that they vowed to purchase the book and read the entire thing.

Katy emailed the following after her day with the sophomores: "I had such a great time reading to your department’s 10th grade classes yesterday. I came across this poem this morning and it seemed beautifully appropriate. Please pass it along for me."

To the Woman
(We Think You’re a Teacher)
with the Books on the 2 Train

By some anonymous students

On the platform for the 2 train
you stand with a book in your hand
the pages open
Which is how you enter the train
Reading

Sometimes you smile, or frown
Once you even cried
on the train
when you were reading Night
and a man sitting across the aisle
said he cried too, when he read that book
and we thought,
we want to read that book
so we did

And then you were reading all those
basketball books
by Walter Dean Myers
so we read those too
speeding along on the 2 train
one time you saw us reading Slam
and you said
I love that book
and do you think Slam is going to make it in high
school?

We do, we think he’s going to make it
Then you were reading some really hard stuff
Epistemology of the Closet, Postmodern Narrative
Theory
and we tried those, but we think you have to have read
the books those authors have read, if you want to read
their books

Our favorite is when you are reading poetry
Picnic, Lightning
and you lean back against the seat
and smile
and keep reading the same page
again and again
we do that now and it’s really nice

Last week you were reading The Life of Pi
and we rushed out to buy it
So we could be in the lifeboat
adrift in the blue, blue sea
with the boy, the Bengal Tiger, and you

If we don’t see you next year
on the train
Maybe sometime we’ll bump into each other on the
platform
You’ll know us because
we’ll have books in our hands

Mike Walker's Reading Minute

Mike Walker, the high school technology integration specialist, read a blog post to the students on using Facebook in educational settings. Mike read the blog post from his laptop as if the computer was a book. The opening to the post from the Mankato school's technology specialist stated that websites, like accused criminals, should be innocent until proven guilty. After reading the blog post, Mike solicited feedback from students on whether or not they felt that Facebook had educational value. Student opinions were mixed with reactions ranging from "with proper teacher direction Facebook could be educational" to "Facebook would be distracting at school." After students wrote their reading minute thesis statements, one student shared hers: "Blocking a website without really knowing it is like judging a book by its cover."

Gwen Jackson Reading Minutes

Gwen Jackson, EPS's Director of Human Resources and Administrative Services, read on Monday, Oct. 13 from a book on women of influence, including a selection on Susan B. Anthony. The selection also included information on the disparity of pay for women vs. men.

Jenny Johnson Reading Minute

Activities Director Jenny Johnson visited fourth hour classes this week for the reading minute. She entertained the students not only with a description of her reading habits, but also with her reading selections from SeinLanguage by Jerry Seinfeld. Jenny read brief comedic quips about limos, answering machines, and remote controls. One student asked for Jenny to repeat the title of the book since he wanted to go out and try to find it at a bookstore.

Janet Schank's Reading Minute

Dr. Janet Schank, the school district's chemical and mental health coordinator, participated in the English 10 Reading Minute today. Dr. Schank read a letter that was written by her great, great, great-grandfather during the civil war. The letter was addressed to his soon-to-be wife and detailed his feelings and experiences as a union soldier. One student in Ms. Roehl's classroom shared her thesis statement for Dr. Schank's reading: "Capturing memories is important because your family may learn from them someday."

Reading Minute Star

Today Mary Manderfeld, Assistant Director of Administrative Services for Edina Public Schools and former EHS Assistant Principal, joined English 10 classes as a guest reader. She read an essay, written by her 6th grade daughter, that makes a strong case for changes in elementary lunch room offerings. The essay brought us back to the days when our most pressing issue was the food in the lunch room...

Thanks for sharing, Ms. Manderfeld!

The Reading Minute

English 10 classes are appreciating the act of reading and the diversity of texts available to readers by beginning each class hour with a minute of reading. This week, guest readers began making visits to classrooms. Our first guest reader was Dr. Bruce Locklear who visited the classrooms of Mr. Cheng and Ms. Jarrett.

Besides reading from a book about educational leadership, Dr. Locklear also spoke to students about his experiences with both reading and writing. Regarding his growth as a writer, Dr. Locklear said, "I learned two things – clarity and intentionality – about my writing."

Animal Dreams Reading Schedule

All English 10 students will follow the same reading schedule for Animal Dreams. Be sure to pick up a bookmark with the schedule from your teacher.

The date indicates the due date for the reading selection. Be prepared for discussion or a quiz each day.

Sept. 8: pp. 3-50
Sept. 9: pp. 51-78
Sept. 10: pp. 79-98
Sept. 11: pp. 101-118
Sept. 12: pp. 119-142
Sept. 15: pp. 145-170
Sept. 16: pp. 173-204
Sept. 17: pp. 205-225
Sept. 18: pp. 226-249
Sept. 19: pp. 253-284
Sept. 22: pp. 285-323
Sept. 23: pp. 324-342

English Teachers Just Want to Have Fun

Some English 10 students may have Ms. Nimmo for World History, so you know that she has two guests in her room. Ms. Tholen, Ms. Roehl and Ms. Jarrett took the opportunity this week to talk with Obama and McCain while they were here at EHS. We just wish that Mr. Cheng was on our floor because we have not been able to catch him talking to our friends. But watch for future updates. We will capture Mr. Cheng on film soon.

Bubble Map Paragraphs

English 10 students completed a bubble map that they used to describe themselves. The frame of the bubble map included specific information that supported or proved each adjective. Then students wrote one paragraph that detailed one of their adjectives.

These bubble map paragraphs and hall of fame paragraphs will be the first entries on the personal blogs that students will create next week. Both paragraphs will be great introduction pieces for the University of Minnesota graduate students who will be reading and commenting on your blogs. As a student in Ms. Tholen's class said today, "We'll have blog pals like pen pals." Yes you will. This will be great fun for all.

Hall of Fame Plaques

All English 10 students completed a hall of fame plaque (described below). Next week the English 10 teachers will be inducting a few students each day into that classroom's hall of fame. We can't wait to see all of the wonderful plaques and paragraphs.

“If you want sweet dreams, you’ve got to live a sweet life.”
Loyd Peregrina, Animal Dreams


Hall of Fame Plaque

Scenario:
It is the year 2061, 50 years since you graduated from Edina High School. Because you have accomplished so much since you graduated, Edina High School would like to honor you with an induction into the Edina High School Hall of Fame.

Objective:
Create a plaque that Edina High School may make for you in 50 years. Your plaque must adhere to the following requirements:

--Must be written in third person point of view
--Must be written in past tense
--Must contain at least 6 COMPLETE SENTENCES.
--Your paragraph should contain ZERO grammar, mechanics, usage, or spelling errors.
--MUST BE TYPED (Honestly, do you think EHS would honor you with a handwritten paragraph?)
--Include a picture of yourself.
--Make it pretty to look at—your classmates, as well as many future students, may view your plaque!

FYI: your plaque paragraph will be read by the teacher and displayed in the classroom.