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misswallo
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| Posted: May 23 2013 at 10:14am | IP Logged
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Hi ladies, I am wondering how many papers you require. We use MODG for History/Literature and Religion. It seems like they require a lot of papers, I don't remember writing a ton of papers in high school, but maybe that's not a good thing. We aren't enrolled, so I can adjust the assignments as I see fit, but I also want to make sure I am preparing my daughter well. Thank you.
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SallyT
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| Posted: May 23 2013 at 12:25pm | IP Logged
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Missy, I typically ask for far more informal than formal writing -- keeping a reading/narration journal, doing short weekly compositions, no more than a page, when we have a formal composition component as part of our coursework. So, a lot of writing, but not a lot of it graded or even "finished," as a polished paper. Typically I assign two larger papers per term -- usually in the neighborhood of five pages, with or without outside research. The smaller composition-assignment papers cover a range of subjects, depending on what my student is studying; the larger papers generally are focused on either literature or history (though I have at least once assigned a large science-themed research paper).
My theory is this: the (relatively) effortless production of writing is an essential skill at this level, so I ask for a lot in order to push my student to acquire that habit. Much of it, however, is more or less private "thinking in writing" -- which really I guess is the essence of the essential skill! The other part of my theory, which maybe is where I become kind of CM-ish, is that it's better to do fewer finished papers well at this stage, than to do a lot of them not as well.
Depending on your child's eventual college major (assuming college is in the future), obviously the time will come when she might be juggling lots of papers at once -- my oldest is now an English major with a concentration in medieval and Renaissance studies, and she writes a LOT of papers every semester. I don't see that it's any harder for her, or any more stressful for her, than it would have been had I made her write that many papers in high school (I think I'd be way stressed out by her workload, but she handles it). I think that concentrating on 1) thinking in writing via informal assignments and her own independent projects (she likes to write anyway), and 2) really emphasizing the process of the papers she did write, and producing her best work, was valuable preparation.
I should also add that I'm great at assigning things, not so great at attentive follow-up, particularly with my second, who is often away from home during school days doing outside classes. Fortunately he's hyper-conscientious and does get things done. I'm also very open to changing assignments -- if a kid has developed some interest and has started researching and writing a bit about it independently, great. Call *that* the paper I was going to assign, and push it to be a finished project . So I really have to qualify all of this by emphasizing that my assignments are one thing, but my reality is kind of loosey-goosey.
Sally
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Wheatheartaca
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| Posted: July 16 2013 at 2:27pm | IP Logged
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misswallo wrote:
| Hi ladies, I am wondering how many papers you require. We use MODG for History/Literature and Religion. It seems like they require a lot of papers, I don't remember writing a ton of papers in high school, but maybe that's not a good thing. We aren't enrolled, so I can adjust the assignments as I see fit, but I also want to make sure I am preparing my daughter well. Thank you. |
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I understand how you feel. My up-rising 8th grader is fully enrolled with MODG & will begin her 1st year with them in the fall. I have spent so much time looking at the syllabus wondering if we will be able to handle all the requirements and writing. She can "handle" it but I don't think it will be fun or helpful for our relationship. I'm seriously re-thinking MODG.
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leanne maree
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| Posted: July 16 2013 at 9:57pm | IP Logged
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We have in the past required a written topic for each assigned English type work.
Now as dd 15, is quite a good writer and has a command of the Written English, we tend to just select varied topics for assigned writing.
ATM we are concentrating on IEW themed projects. Australian based history. It has oodles of writing in it.
Dd does a lot of informal writing. Blogging, emailing, assignments for her dance teacher.
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Leanne
Loving wife to Dermot and Adoring mother to Louise, Kristie, Kieran & Brid
http://leannemaree.blogspot.com/
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4Real Forums : High School Years and Beyond
Topic: How much writing do you require?
