Student Notebooks

To access your writer’s notebook, click on your name below.

Trish

Richard

Jason

IK2W World Entrance

Bank & Mercantile Access

To join your Zoom class meeting, please click the button below.

The passcode is: 888626

Zoom Meeting Link

Academy Logbook – Weekly Warm Up

Every week, you will add a new entry to your Academy Logbook as you explore the world of IK2W. You might uncover a mystery, discover a hidden piece of Academy history, solve a problem, or help shape what happens next.

But here is where it gets interesting: you are not just reading the history of the IK2W Academy. You are helping write it.

Throughout the quarter, I will choose some of the most creative, thoughtful, and well-written student entries to become part of the Official Academy Logbook, where they will be published for others to read. Will one of your entries become part of Academy history?

Click the button below to open the Official Academy Logbook and see what has already been discovered. (Note: It will take a week of two for entries to start appearing)

The Academy Archivist believes the missing pages contain one of the Academy’s most significant discoveries. Write the missing journal entry while maintaining a consistent voice, supporting your conclusions with evidence from the journal, and explaining the long-term impact of the discovery.

Academy Logbook

Project #2

We will be writing a Halloween story that is beyond the obvious! Your story will be a minimum of 2700 words and a maximum of 3500 words. And the best part is, this will be a competition. The judges will be none other than our own Young Writer’s Alliance.

Step 1 = Imagine

Step 2: Question

Once you have your idea, it’s questions time:

What familiar assumption or expectation does this idea challenge?
What contradiction or tension makes the concept compelling?
Whose perspective would make the story most powerful?
What internal and external conflicts might emerge?
What competing values or motivations could complicate the situation?
What unexpected consequences might arise from an apparently reasonable decision?
What difficult choice could reveal something important about the protagonist?
What larger human question could the story explore?
How might the concept support more than one interpretation?

What we are building this week…

Homework

Week 5:

Homework is due by 7 am on the day of your class. Any homework submitted after that is considered late. That means, you are not allowed to finish it right before class. If you do, it will still be incomplete as I will have already checked your work. Please plan ahead!

Logbook entry: Finish what you did not complete in class. See above for assignment details. (Week 5 Logbook). Don’t forget to follow the 1/5 rule and use concrete words.
Journal: Keep working in your journal. Remember, if you are stuck, go to the “What goes in here?” page in your notebook for ideas. (Entry 5)
Grammar: Finish your prepositional phrase sentences in your notebook (W5 Grammar). Don’t forget to double check your work! And if you have corrections to make to week 1,2, 3, and 4, you are responsible for that.
Project 2 work: Finish step 1 and 2. (Step 1 = Project 2 tab, Step 2 = Question tab)
Project 1 work: Make final revisions to your project 1 piece using my comments. Next week, this will publish as is.

Note: I have listed in parenthesis ( ) where each assignment should go in your notebook. If it is not in the correct section, I will think your homework is incomplete.

Archives

Week 4:

Logbook entry: Finish what you did not complete in class. See above for assignment details. (Week 4 Logbook) Finish revising all three weeks to make sure they follow the 1/5 rule.
Journal: Keep working in your journal. Remember, if you are stuck, go to the “What goes in here?” page in your notebook for ideas. (Entry 4)
Grammar: Finish your adverb sentences in your notebook (W4 Grammar). Don’t forget to double check your work! And if you have corrections to make to week 1, 2, and 3, you are responsible for that.
Project work: Finish step 5. (Step 5 = Refine)

The Academy Council must decide whether the Garden of Wonders should remain open to visitors or become a protected research garden. Write a recommendation supporting one option while addressing both the benefits and possible consequences of your decision.

Step 5 = Refine

Week 3:

Logbook entry: Finish what you did not complete in class. See above for assignment details. (Week 3 Logbook) Finish revising all three weeks to make sure they follow the 1/5 rule.
Journal: Keep working in your journal. Remember, if you are stuck, go to the “What goes in here?” page in your notebook for ideas. (Entry 3)
Grammar: Finish your adjective sentences in your notebook (W3 Grammar). Don’t forget to double check your work! And if you have corrections to make to week 1 & 2, you are responsible for that.
Project work: Finish step 4. (Step 4 = Draft)

The Academy Council is accepting proposals for one lasting addition to the Field of Possibilities. Write a formal proposal recommending your idea, explaining why it deserves to become part of the Academy, and addressing any concerns the Council might have before approving it.

Week 2:

Start exploring the IK2W World! This week: The Writer’s Grove, The Lantern Library, and the Ink & Ivy Cafe. Of course, you are welcome to visit more locations. The button to enter the world is at the top of this page.
Logbook entry: Finish what you did not complete in class. See above for assignment details. (Week 2 Logbook)
Journal: Keep working in your journal. Remember, if you are stuck, go to the “What goes in here?” page in your notebook for ideas. (Entry 2)
Grammar: Finish your verb sentences in your notebook (W2 Grammar). Don’t forget to double check your work! Make sure to correct your week one work as needed.
Project work: Finish step 3. (Project 1 step 3 = organize)

This Week’s Assignment:
You have been appointed to the Academy Discovery Committee. Write a formal recommendation explaining whether the compass should be explored immediately or preserved for future study. Consider both the potential benefits and the possible risks before reaching your conclusion.

Step 3: Organize

Week 1:

Start exploring the IK2W World! This week: The Story of Flicker, Introduction, IK2W Academy, and The Firefly Path. Of course, you are welcome to visit more locations. The button to enter the world is at the top of this page.
Logbook entry: Finish what you did not complete in class. See above for assignment details. (Week 1 Logbook)
Journal: Keep working in your journal. Remember, if you are stuck, go to the “What goes in here?” page in your notebook for ideas. (Entry 1)
Grammar: Finish your noun & pronoun sentences in your notebook (W1 Grammar). Don’t forget to double check your work!
Project work: Finish step 1 & 2. (Project 1 School for step 1 & Question for step 2) The questions you need to ask and answer are above. Make sure to copy and paste them into your notebook and put a lot of thought into your school. Be ready to explain it next week.

This Week’s Assignment:
The Academy continues to grow each year. After touring the campus, write a recommendation to the Academy Council identifying one strength of the Academy and one opportunity for improvement. Support each recommendation with clear reasoning.

Step 1: Imagine

Imagine that you have been given the opportunity to build an educational system from the beginning. You do not have to keep something simply because “that’s how school has always worked.” At the same time, different students have different needs. A system that sounds wonderful for one student might make learning more difficult for another.

Begin by imagining what education could be.

What should the purpose of education be?
What should every student know or be able to do before graduating?
What would make students excited to learn?
What should students have more opportunities to do?
What might students need less of?
What skills will students need for their futures?
What should the role of a teacher be?
How much choice should students have in what they learn?
What parts of traditional school would I keep?
What would I completely rethink?
If I could build an educational system from the ground up, what would it look like?

Begin with your vision, not a list of things you dislike about school. “What should education accomplish?” Your goal is not to create a school that is simply easier or more entertaining. Your goal is to imagine a system that helps students learn.

Step 2: Question

Now challenge your vision. A system is made of interconnected parts. Changing one part can affect many others.

Questions help you discover whether your ideas can work together.

At what age should formal education begin?
How should students be grouped?
Should traditional grade levels exist?
What subjects should every student study?
What subjects should students be allowed to choose?
What should a typical school day look like?
How long should the school day and school year be?
What role should teachers have?
What role should technology have?
How should students demonstrate what they have learned?
Should there be tests?
Should there be grades?
Should there be homework?
How should students move from one level to another?
How should students with different strengths and needs be supported?
How much independence should students have?
What responsibilities should students have?
What happens when a student struggles?
What happens when a student is ready to move faster?
What should happen when a student breaks the rules?
How should schools prepare students for college, careers, and adult life?
How will your system make sure students actually learn?
How will you know whether your educational system is successful?