Mary+Fahey

Mary Fahey

**Topic for your mini course:** Creative Writing 1

**ANALYZE**
 * How do you know there is a need for your course**  This is an elective course that is offered in both the Fall and Spring semester. It is always full, and some students get bumped because of schedule constraints. It could absolutely be done online asynchronously to meet demand. There is not enough opportunity for students to write creatively in ELA classes, which tend to focus on analytical and expository writing.
 * What types of learning you seek to achieve ** Students will expand their knowledge of genres and stretch their writing skills by mimicking the work of published authors, poets, and playwrights. The emphasis will be on craft, not content, although the two are integrated.
 * What prerequisite knowledge will be needed**  Students will need to have a decent command of the English language and enjoy writing. Knowledge of figurative language and poetic devices is helpful, but not required.
 * Who is your learner and what are her needs.**  Freshmen and/or Sophomores in high school who enjoy the chance to write creatively in school and crave frequent feedback on their writing. He/she needs an audience and exemplars as starting off points for his/her writing. Daily access to a computer is a plus, but a class notebook/journal works as well most of the time.

Performance Objectives Action statements (align with types of learning) ** By the end of this semester long course (20 weeks), students will: **
 * DESIGN**
 * ====read a variety of multicultural short stories, poems, and one act plays, both older and contemporary.====
 * ====craft an original short story of 750 words or less, applying what they have gleaned from class discussion, their own evaluation of different authors' craft, and their knowledge of the elements of a short story and enter it into Bennington Vermont Young Writer's Contest.====
 * ====practice peer editing skills by helping each other with ideas for and constructive criticism of their work.====
 * ====write a one act play.====
 * ====edit and revise their work based on teacher and peer feedback.====
 * ====write three to five original poems and mimic poems.====
 * ====create a poetry anthology website with poems of their choice which include 5 of their own.====
 * ====selectively publish their work to online audiences.====
 * ====create a digital portfolio of their work as final assessment for the course, increasing their knowledge of digital technology.====
 * ====participate in poetry workshop with published poet as part of Massachusetts Student Day of Poetry in March.====

Task Analysis  - Break down your objectives into smaller tasks or steps and consider the best order. ** Unit 1: Short Story **
 * ==== Formative assessments: in-class journals with writing exercises and drafts; participation in class sharing work aloud; peer editing comments on drafts as well as Voicethread and/or Google.docs; blog posts ====
 * ==== Summative assessment: Original Short Story submitted for a contest ====

** Unit 2: Poetry ** ** Unit 3: Drama - the One Act Play **
 * Formative assessments: model and/or mimic poems; in class journal writing exercises; participation in class sharing work; peer editing comments on drafts and Voicethread and/or Google.docs; blog posts
 * Summative assessment: Poetry Anthology Website to include self-selected pieces from published poets as well as 3-5 original poems with reflections on each.
 * Formative assessments: in class discussions of plays we will read together; in-class journal writing exercises; participation in class reading/acting of plays we read together in class; peer editing comments on drafts
 * Summative assessment: A One- Act (roughly 10 minute) original script to be acted out in class

**Final Exam:** Digital Portfolio of self-selected pieces of work from the semester with reflections on each piece What big and small theories will you draw from Strategies - What activities will learners engage in...   How will you make it available (wiki, moodle, google docs)

Gather your media and resources
 * DEVELOP **
 * Instructional strategy **
 * variety of short stories, some online and others in anthologies
 * ==== Janet Burroway's "The Art of Creative Writing" textbook ====
 * ==== lynda.com tutorials on "How to Write a Short Story" ====
 * ==== VoiceThread accounts for posting and commenting on each other's work ====
 * ==== GMail, Google.docs, Google.sites, Blogger accounts set up and emails shared ====
 * ====Symbaloo Webmix of Poetry Sites for students to use for research for their Anthology====
 * ====Videos of various poets reading their work or speaking about the value of poetry in their lives (YouTube, United Streaming, PBS Media, etc.)====
 * ====YouTube of "Awkward Silences," a one-act play performed by high school students====
 * ====http://www.one-act-plays.com/ - excellent website for exemplars of one-act plays====

Draft your activities Build out first unit or two Make frequent adjustments

Test the first unit or two on us
 * IMPLEMENT **

Feedback from classmates Assess the direction you are going and as a result finish course.
 * EVALUATE **

Reflection
 * Self Evaluation **

I don't know yet. I'm thinking about what would be useful to me in the coming term.