DO NOW​

• I don't get to see you folks anymore and that's lame. Tell me how you're doing and what's up with the daily check-in.

READ THE FOLLOWING
First off, thanks for being patient as the district, Senior High, and we as teachers figure out how to best facilitate distance learning, something we've never done before.

I do want to stress foremost that you should be taking care of yourself and your family. I understand that many of you will have to take over watching siblings during the day, and many of you or your parents may have lost hours or jobs due to the widespread closures. Know that safety and health come first, then school work. 

Currently, I'm hoping to stick to our current deadline of having our research project sources found, notated, and evaluated by March 27th. If all goes well and the closure is lifted we can come back together to turn in our notes and complete our annotated works cited pages together. Please know that I understand extenuating circumstances and will deal with deadlines as fluidly as possible. At this point, don't stress. Just do your due diligence to complete the tasks outlined as best you can to keep us generally on track for finishing this research paper.

Do keep in mind while schools are closed physically, this isn't a vacation. So, be sure to first keep yourself healthy and also continue to learn! Online learning might be the new normal for a while.

TWO WEEK PLAN
If you or your parents completed the Accessibility Survey, and if you have available internet access...

• FIRST! If you haven't finished the Way to Rainy Mountain Reading Assignments that were due February 27th. DO THAT! Not having this turned in is why you currently have an F or a D. Then you should...
• Check in daily to the classroom blog for instruction. I'll be linking instructional videos to help with the tasks below over the next few days.
• Check out the video posted below and continue working on research projects by doing the following:
  • Find at least 4 sources (two database and two internet)
    • Database login info
    • EBSCO username:  billingssenior
      password:  Br0ncDiscovery!
    • Issues and Controversies username: senior
      password: student
  • In the "Note Chart" on Google Classroom
    • Take notes on those sources 
    • Write objective summaries of those sources
    • Write a source evaluation for each source explaining it's currency, authority, accuracy, and perspective.
    • Create full-citations and in-text citations for each source.

If you don't have internet access or did not fill out the Accessibility Survey...

• I will be calling home starting tomorrow to communicate the following:
• I will be printing up some instruction packets and leaving them at Senior (location to be updated soon) detailing some assignments and activities on...
  • Finding, analyzing, and assessing claims
  • Writing source evaluations and objective summaries
  • and essay writing, which can be done by hand

​Also, here's some important information from Tumbleweed. Pass it along to those who might need it.
ATTENTION ALL YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS: While the building might be closed until March 27th, Tumbleweed is just a phone call away.  If you are in crisis, need to talk, have questions or just want to check in, please call 406-259-2558.   A staff person will answer 24/7, 7 days a week

Hey folks,

Given Gov. Bullock's direction to close schools statewide, I hope you and your families have a safe and healthy two weeks.  Remember, while the disease may not effect you severely as you are young, healthy, intelligent, and good-looking people, keeping yourself free of contagion helps those around you who aren't so lucky (like parents, grandparents, younger siblings, or those with challenged immune systems). So now's a great time to avoid crowds and practice good hygiene. Stay home and catch up on homework. Read a book. Hell, binge watch all the Netflix. All of it. Just be safe! Make good choices.

Online Class:
Personally, I'd love to try and continue instruction in our English classes through Google Classroom and this blog, but we're waiting on direction from the administration as to the appropriateness and possibility of that. For now, class is on hold.

Some things to think about:
Given the current topic of the novel corona virus and the wide-spread information surrounding it, I encourage you to look at some digital literary skills. From government and news reports, social media posts, rumors, and flat out ignorance, it's important we learn how to evaluate the information that bombards us in times like these.

• Check out this video on fact-checking by John Green. Take notes on what steps are helpful in fact-checking something you come across on the internet or social media.
• Then, to help cut through all of the political and medical shenanigans that goes on on the internet, click through  the Corona-virus fact checking pages by Politifact.com and  Snopes.com. Both are credible and non-partisan (meaning not-political) websites that are a great resource for fact-checking.
• And probably most importantly, follow these directions from the CDC (Center For Disease Control) and WHO (World Health Organization). Remember, these are governmental reports and while information about the novel corona virus is still new and may be changing, these are your best, most reliable sources for credible information. 

In the library again to finish learning about source types and credibility. 

We'll also be starting to learn how to access and use the research databases the library has access to. 

REMINDER! Have your final idea for your research project by today well.