Sophomore+English

School District U-46 recently revamped Sophomore English to meet new Illinois state legislation mandating that high schools develop a “writing intensive” course. Students must be good readers before they can become good writers; writing should be developed through //reading// well-written text and responding to that literature //with// text.

Throughout the semester, we read excerpts from various novels available in my classroom library and dissected those works using the Elements of Literature. Currently, we are mastering three-paragraph essay composition through in-class writing prompts responding to the novel __Shoeless Joe__ by W.P. Kinsella. We will continue to compose draft prompts in class, under rigid timing, to simulate the feeling of writing essay responses on timed standardized tests.

However, this process does //not// negate the importance of practicing of revision. A writer’s work is never done. To quote famous author John Irving, “I am not a writer; I spend 90-percent of my time rewriting. I’m only a carpenter. I am always building better stories.”

The purpose of this Wikispace is to give you a place where you can post your in-class writing prompt responses to specific questions about __Shoeless Joe__. After composing a writing prompt in class, revise it and post a draft to the appropriate area via the discussion tab of this Wikispace. You are encouraged to read other students’ responses and provide **specific feedback**. Please read the feedback other people post to your writing. You will receive points for your feedback to other people’s prompts. Additionally, you will be expected to revise your own writing based on the feedback left for you.

Congratulations—through this site, you writing is finally and immediately “published.”