Novel Study: Reading and Discussing "1984" by George Orwell for Teens

These materials will be needed BEFORE the first day of class:

1.) A free PDF of the book is available for all students. It will be posted to the Outschool classroom, along with important announcements and further information, 2 days prior to the first live meeting. If you wish to search online and order a hard copy of the book here is the information so that you may order yours: "1984" by George Orwell ISBN: 978-0-451-52493-5. 

2.) Students will need to have and know how to use a word document program. Students will sometimes be submitting short essays or answers on a document in some questions, projects, or quizzes, and attaching them as a file. Documents will need to end in a .doc, .docx, or .pdf formats. Parents may need to help students learn how to save a word document in these formats. Links to Google slides, docs, or any other online work document programs are not allowed.

3.) Create free Adobe, Canva, and/or Google Slides accounts to make virtual posters (.jpg), and online slideshows (.mp4), download them to their computer, and then upload them to the classroom as an attachment. Parents may need to assist their students in creating an account for Adobe, and/or Canva, and/or Google Slides and review the different ways to create slideshows, presentations, and photo collages. This is a creative way for students to give their answers to homework and allows for their self-expression instead of just typing out answers. You can make an Adobe Spark account very easily by using this link: https://spark.adobe.com/. Students may also use Canva too. Here is the link for a free Canva account: https://www.canva.com/. Parents may also need to assist their learners in creating their Schoology Classroom account.

4.) We also play a Kahoot game in almost every live meeting and it's just for a fun review! Students will open a separate web browser on their laptop, iPad, or mobile phone, search "kahoot.it" and play the fun quiz all together during the live meeting.

It is important that the student become familiar with these materials before class begins, please.

NOTE: I will begin posting very important announcements in our Outschool classroom every day starting two days prior to our first live video meeting (3 postings total). Your teen will need to read these daily announcements and complete the items listed in them in order to prepare for the first live meeting. This includes downloading the PDF of the book, creating their Schoology account, the rules for my class, Adobe Spark and Canva information, and so much more. Parents will receive a letter from me the day before our first live meeting via private message too.

In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Adobe Spark
Schoology Classroom 
Kahoot
Canva
Google Slides

NOTICE: The book contains some political torture, some violence, and a very limited sex scene. 

Parents may need to assist their students in creating an account for Adobe and Canva and review with them how to create slideshows, presentations, and photo collages. Adobe & Canva are very easy to use once it is learned. You can find the links in the "Supply List". Parents may need to show their students how to save documents for various assignments of projects as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file to be attached in the classroom. Parents may need to help their students to create their free Schoology account too.

Note about the tuition:

This is a bit confusing for my classes. Your tuition not only pays for the weekly live video meetings but also includes the weekly assignments, projects, and quizzes done in the classroom by your student. Additionally, it includes my weekly lesson planning, grading of homework, research, participating in the weekly assignments, and projectsby adding feedback, more content, guidance, and deeper questions for students' submitted work, and responding to both student and parent private messages within 36 hours, giving private guidance and help for students, plus private, one on one, live video meetings if requested by a student or parent. I am personally in the classroom working to help students and answering private messages 7 days a week throughout the entire duration of the class. Basically, the weekly "$18 per Class per Learner" listed below the total tuition on the class listing is really "$18 per Week per Learner" in my class. Outschool also takes 30% of the total tuition for their expenses too.

The live video meetings, private messages between your student and me as well as private messages between you and me are all done on the Outschool platform. I also post weekly announcements in the Outschool classroom. The assignments, projects, and reviews are done on my Schoology platform. Schoology is much easier to navigate and is less confusing to use than the Outschool classroom for my particular courses. Students are able to create their own discussion threads rather than having one long thread that the Outschool classroom has. They also have more options and features that Outschool does not provide at this time. My Schoology classroom is locked down for privacy, trust, and safety against bad actors on the internet. Your student will create a very easy and simple Schoology account using a secret passcode that is given to them two days prior to the first live meeting in the Outschool classroom (Post 1 of 3). They will then create a quick and simple Schoology student account and send a request to join this particular class using the passcode and the same exact name that is listed on their Outschool account. I then double-check to be sure that their request to join Schoology is the same as their Outschool information and manually approve their request to join. After a student is enrolled in Schoology you can then send me a private message asking for the parent access code to Schoology if you wish. I will give you the link to make your quick and easy parent profile and you will receive a unique passcode to join that aligns with your student. Please note that Outschool Support and Outschool Trust & Safety departments have complete and total access to my entire Schoology platform in "teacher mode" so that they can see everything that I see and investigate any issues, concerns, or problems that may occur.

FROM: Outschool...
While our open community is our greatest source of strength, it also brings challenges. It is important to us that Outschool is a safe space for our users. Our members should treat each other without bias or prejudice across all pillars of diversity including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, and gender identity. Down below are Outschool's Parent and Learner guidelines that we ask our members to observe. Outschool members who do not meet these guidelines will be removed from the site.

PARENT CODE OF CONDUCT:

1. Learners should only attend class under their own enrollment, as themselves. It violates Outschool policy for a learner to use their sibling’s or another learner’s enrollment to attend class. Learns may only join a live meeting by using the green button in their class on their Outschool Learner Account. Educators are forbidden from sending links and passwords to Zoom live meetings.

2. Ask questions of teachers to clarify any missing details about classes, important information about your learner, and fill out your learner's profile such as age, gender preference, and any notes that the educator may need to know about your learner so they may help your learner throughout the class.

3. Make sure your learner shows up for their class; many classes depend on group conversation, and the absence of a single student can have a big impact. If a learner must miss a live meeting please have them notify their educator via a private message under the Teacher tab in their learner account as soon as possible, or you may notify the educator under the Message tab on your parent account.

4. Provide constructive feedback and reviews about your class experience, for the benefit of the teacher and other parents. The same goes for private messages.

5. Engage in civil conversation, and speak and act with respect for different opinions. Check for private messages from your learner's educators and respond promptly. All communication must take place and stay on Outschool.

6. Help keep Outschool a safe space for learners, families, and teachers from all backgrounds, beliefs, and locations. To that end, we encourage you to watch our Trust and Safety Code of Conduct video with your learner. Learners may not share personal information such as email addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers, gamer tags, social media, etc.

LEARNER CODE OF CONDUCT:

1. Join the class on time and be ready to learn. Have all of the tools, textbooks, handouts, notes, or anything else the educator has asked of you ready to go before class starts.

2. Be kind: Help all learners feel welcome and included. Give positive feedback to your fellow classmates.

3. Be safe: Keep your personal information private and never ask other learners for theirs (e.g., email address, mailing address, phone number, gamer tags, etc.). All communication must take place and stay on Outschool.

4. Be respectful: Treat others how you want to be treated. Dress in a manner appropriate for class; please be fully clothed with both a top and bottoms on and sit upright for the class. Treat the teacher and your classmates with respect. 

5. Engage & Participate: Contribute to a class environment in a way that is safe and welcoming for learners and teachers from all backgrounds, beliefs, and locations. Take responsibility for making each class a great learning experience for yourself and your classmates: participate, stay on topic, and avoid distractions. Check for private messages from your educator and respond back promptly.

OUTSCHOOL CODE OF CONDUCT:

1. We welcome members from all backgrounds, beliefs, and locations and are committed to creating a safe space for our users across all pillars of diversity.

2. We will listen to feedback from parents, teachers, and learners, and make changes accordingly. Send an email to support@outschool at any time!

3. We will create and enforce policies to create a high-quality, trusted, and safe community for learning. This may include removing content or users from the platform.

4. We will respond promptly to questions and issues that arise.

TEACHER CODE OF CONDUCT:

1. Offer classes only where you have the appropriate background or expertise.

2. Teach classes professionally: 

3. Be prepared, begin on time, and treat all learners with respect.  

4. Do not teach while impaired and do not model any behavior that a student age 18 or younger is restricted from doing.  

5. Respond promptly to parent questions and requests.

6. Communicate with parents and learners in a professional manner, both in messages and in-class.

7. Keep all communications on our platform; never provide personal contact information to parents or learners for “off-platform” communications, or in-person meetings (prohibited unless an Outschool-sponsored event). 

8. Adhere to our class content policy by only offering secular, objective, age-appropriate classes

9. Create a safe and welcoming space for learners and families from all backgrounds, beliefs, and locations.