Accelerating Student Achievement
Each level of knowledge is associated with a central question as well as action verbs that reflect the type of activities a student would do to demonstrate a given form of knowledge.
Pictured left, is a description of each of Bloom's six levels of instructional objectives in the cognitive domain, each in terms of the essential question with which it is associated. Furthermore, each level includes several representative action verbs that can be associated with that key question.
10%
Student Engagement
This category includes demonstration of active engagement in schooling through a variety of means, including students submitting work, revising work or creating weekly work plans to manage their time and tasks and completing their work plans. Work plans may include personalized revision or extension work, as needed. In addition, credit for evidence of listening, speaking, writing, interacting, and/or leading during class discussions or group activities will be included in this category.
50%
Practice & Application
This category includes all student work products that practice and apply discrete and cumulative skills acquired from individual lessons throughout a unit. Assignments allow students to integrate skills successfully and to acquire content through application and practice these tasks. Work in this area will increase in complexity over the course of a unit, building toward cumulative assessments. These assignments are completed in class or outside of class.
40%
Assessments
This category includes all formal evaluations of individual student skills, knowledge, progress, and proficiency. Assessments in the Required Curricular Tasks in the Canvas Course Companions – which are included in this category – range from traditional tests and quizzes to performance-based tasks that demonstrate student skill and knowledge of an entire unit. Assessments are completed independently, within a set amount of time, honoring accommodations, in a formal testing environment. They can be administered by the district or by teachers.
Weekly Asynchronous Learning Assignments
Each week, each student will be required to complete 3 assignments on an asychronous learning platform (either iReady or Reading Pluss). This will be graded as a Homework/Practice and Application grade. The 3 assignments must be completed by Friday at 4:30pm to receive credit for that week.
Take a Chance ...
"Chance Passes" are a student's currency in this ELA class. These are given at the teacher's discretion for positive student behavior/participation in class. These can be used for raffles/prizes, class incentives and privileges, and at the end of the marking period for extra credit.
Classroom Rules
- Students must be in their seat when the class period starts.
- Students should have all necessary materials for class.
- Food and drinks are not allowed in the classroom.
- Cell phones and personal devices are not permitted in the classroom.
- Students should raise their hand to speak and should not speak when the teacher or other students are speaking.
- Students should remain in their seat unless they have permission to get up.
- Respect is learned, earned, and returned. Students are expected to respect the teacher, their peers, as well as themselves.
Consequences
1st Offense:
Verbal Warning/Redirection
2nd Offense:
Teacher Conference w/ student
3rd Offense:
Office/Dean Referral/ISS and Removal from classroom*
4th Offense:
Parent-Teacher Conference
*If a student is removed from my classroom, they will receive no credit for their classwork for that period.
Welcome to McLaw's HOUSE
I sincerely believe that you and I both want the same thing for yourchild—for them to be successful in this class and for this course to teach them in a manner that appropriately prepares them for upcoming academic and social challenges. As such, it is important that we look at things realistically while navigating this virtual learning experience. Attendance is critical, and it is important for students to be in class, on time, ready to learn and complete their coursework. Additionally, it is equally as important for students to actively participate in class and complete their coursework in the timeframes that are given. While DCPS does allow students to redo certain assignments, it is important that if a redo is given that it is completed with 5 school days of the assignment being re-issued. Waiting until the last few days of the term, semester, or school year to complete make-up work for a grade is unrealistic and does not allow the teacher ample time to grade and offer feedback. These occurrences do not occur in “college and career” and, as such, will not occur here either.
Nearly everything in my class is graded, so that students have ample opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge of the content. Also, my classroom is very structured, with designated time limits for each segment of the class. This is to prepare students for the timed portions on standardized assessments, as well as time limits given to complete task in both the collegiate and workplace environments. In my approach to preparing your child for their next steps, this is not done simply by curriculum, but by the overall structure of the course and by my expectations of students.
And finally, I will always encourage my students to do their best, give their best, and pursue “Excellence without Excuses.”
Mr. Patrick McLaw
WJEC MS Lead Teacher/ELA 6-8
Your acknowledgement of receipt and understanding of this syllabus is REQUIRED, and it is your child's first homework grade. Please click the button to the right to acknowledge and E-sign.
