5th and 6th need this due to Aspire Monday and classes not meeting on Tuesday.

DOL Check Today! Only 4th, 5th, and 6th have done this! Aspire testing messed up everyone else.

DOL Check Today!

Note: New Aspire testing schedule, due to technical difficulties forcing a rearrangement. We are now doing the Writing test today, Thursday, the 23rd of April. Please remember that you do NOT take any electronics or anything else to the computer lab, and do NOT start a topic sentence with a pronoun, such as, "She should..."

Pronoun-Antecedent Review and TEST

Friday, you will do the Aspire writing prompt, which is supposed to be argumentative. I'm going to give you some reminders, but first, I'm going to show you what you did with the argumentative prompt from weeks ago: Should teachers "friend" students on Facebook or other social media? Why or why not?

It was a very divided issue. 53% were for teachers and students being Facebook friends, while 47% were against it. Here are some of the listed reasons...

For being friends on Facebook: s o teachers can send reminders or messages about grades and give extra help, if necessary; so teachers can contact parents; so you can know each other better and relate better, becoming closer; because I have nothing to hide and don't care if teachers see what I post; so you can keep up with each other after the student moves on;

For being friends on Facebook: s o a student can tell teacher what happened when there was a sub or if there's something very personal he or she wants the teacher to know without discussing it at school; to share news about class work, school events, make-up work, grades; because students use social media more than they use ; because some students don't have cell phones for the Remind texts, but they probably have a computer available at home; because most teachers are responsible enough to keep personal lives/things off of social media, so that won't be a problem.

For NOT being friends on Facebook: b ecause it opens the door to inappropriate stuff going on; because students post inappropriate stuff that can cause problems; because students may pester teachers about grades; because what students/teachers post may affect how they feel toward each other, like making them prejudiced for or against them; because teachers should base their opinion of you on class behavior and performance, not on your personal life; because kids may get into the teacher's personal life;

For NOT being friends on Facebook: b ecause teachers should have a personal life/space where they aren't bothered by students; it blurs the lines as you get friendly; drama; no privacy; possibly unsafe; not professional; the teacher is grown, and the student's a kid; contact parents, not a kid; teachers may do things they don't want kids to talk about or see; it could lead to favoritism or cheating; you'd have to watch everything you post because they'd see it; social media should be a way to forget all about school; once you friend them, they can see stuff you've posted in the past; teachers have families and stuff to do

This student did a great job with the prompt! I do not think that teachers should "friend" students on Facebook or other social media. We students don't want our teachers to know what we do outside of school. Most students would probably say we should have our teachers as friends in case we have to message them to ask an important question. If that's the issue, then the teachers should make a page for school-related stuff. Also, we don't want to know our teacher's business, either. This was good because she brought up what others would say and then countered it with a solution. The only thing she didn't do was clinch it with a strong conclusion. good topic sentence

This student did a great job with the prompt! I do not think that teachers should "friend" students on Facebook or other social media. We students don't want our teachers to know what we do outside of school. Most students would probably say we should have our teachers as friends in case we have to message them to ask an important question. If that's the issue, then the teachers should make a page for school-related stuff. Also, we don't want to know our teacher's business, either. This was good because she brought up what others would say and then countered it with a solution. The only thing she didn't do was clinch it with a strong conclusion. good topic sentence Students and teachers should keep their lives separate.

Teachers should be allowed to friend students on social media. Many people might say no for fear of child endangerment, as if something were to happen to the child, and the first person to blame would be the teacher. But the chances of this happening are very low. One reason I believe teachers should be allowed to friend students on Facebook is because it's a way for teachers to inform their students on school activities. This can also bring teachers and students close to each other, which means the students would respect the teacher more. Students can be called or ed by their teachers, thanks to I-Now, so why not Facebook? Also, it's the teacher's life, so if it's their choice to "friend" a student, why is that the school district's business? Teachers should "friend" students if they choose.

Things to Remember: 1. Read the prompt carefully and be sure to answer all parts of it. 2. Write a topic sentence that states your opinion and STOP. Some of you keep going, and that changes the topic sentence into just one small aspect. 3. When you bring up the opposing view, counter it. Shoot it down. That makes your position stronger because you have considered other points of view, not just your own. 4. Write a good, strong conclusion.

Writing Prompt: As you know, school shootings happen sometimes. Do you think teachers should be allowed to carry guns on campus if they are licensed gun users?