Last class of the term

Tomorrow, Tuesday 14 June, will be our last English class this school year. Please return your book Shortcuts 1 if you haven't done so already.

It's been a pleasure being your teacher this year. Good luck to everyone and have a great summer.

Grades

I have talked to most of you about your final grade already. Please return your course books to me. Tomorrow there are no classes. Thursday we will have some sort of English activity in the classroom, and that goes for next week as well. If you can think of any good ideas, please let me know :)

The remaining English classes

Wednesday, 1 June, I would like to collect your English books (Shortcuts 1). I will be in the classroom at 12:00. If you don't show up for class then, please return the books in class Tuesday 7 June or come by my office (B212).

Tuesday 7 June I will return your essays on the movie The Freedom Writers and also let you know your final course grade. See you then.

Course, performance & blog evaluation

Today you did an evaluation of the course, the blog and your own performance in the course. These were the questions I wanted you to respond to:

1. How would you evaluate your own performance in English class this year? What did you do well and what could you have done better?

2. How often have you visited our English class blog?

3. What do you think about using a blog in class?

4. Has the blog helped you in any way in your English studies? If so, how?

5. Have you ever refrained from (avstått från) writing on the blog for any reason? If so, explain why.

6. Do you think we should have used the blog more than we did, less than we did or was it just enough?

7. Is there any other way we could have used your laptops/the Internet more in English class? Give me ideas!

8. How would you evaluate the English classes in general this year? Consider the content, the course book, novel(s), movies, tests, teaching methods, student activity etc. 

Return your books, please

Please bring your course book (Shortcuts 1) today.

I would like you to do an evaluation of the blog, the course and of your own performance in class as well.

See you then!

Music quiz

Today we played this music quiz in class. You can find the quiz here.

Please e-mail me today's homework if you haven't done so already. What homework? See post below.

No English class Tuesday 24 May: Writing assignment on the movie Freedom Writers

Tomorrow, Tuesday 24 May, there will be no English class in the afternoon. Instead I want you to use that time to write an individual response to one of the questions below.

Your response is due Thursday 26 May at the beginning of class. Hand your text to me or e-mail it to me via Pednet.

You will have Wednesday's class as well to work but I want you to come to class then.

Here are the questions. Write a response to ONE of them. Length: 500 - 700 words. 

1.    1. Pick a couple of important scenes in the movie and discuss them in relation to the movie as a whole. Why are these scenes important in the story according to you?

2.    2. Describe, compare and discuss some of the backgrounds/stories of the individual students in the movie. In what ways did they change and what made them change?

3.    3. Describe and discuss the role of the teacher in the movie. In what ways does she bring about change? How does she change? Is she a good or a bad teacher?

4.    4. Describe and discuss the background to the movie. Find out what the racial riots were. Describe and discuss the situation in LA in the early 1990s following the Rodney King riots.

5.    5. Music plays an important role in the movie and in the students’ lives. Analyze the soundtrack. Listen to some of the songs and discuss why these songs were chosen. How are the lyrics related to the movie’s theme?

6.    6. Describe and discuss your personal experience of the movie. What did you like/not like and what did you learn?