In this pre-recorded FLEX class, the goal is to foster in students a love of writing while developing critical writing and communication skills through creative writing. Please note that this is a FLEX class and there are no live meetings, although the instructor does communicate with the students through messages, feedback on work, and classroom postings. 

Each week, students will watch an engaging video, complete the in-video exercises, and then submit their assignment to the instructor for feedback. During the week, the instructor will communicate with the students in the Classroom by posting activities and questions designed to encourage communication and interaction among the students. 

WEEK 1: How quickly can you write? Can you write an entire story in one minute? How about in ten words or less? We'll examine the concept of flash fiction and how we can use an economy of words to tell a story. Often called postcard fiction, this is a great way to discover what it crucial to your story. 

WEEK 2: I have a really good feeling about this class! See how I foreshadowed what a great time we'll have leaving hints for our readers? We all know what spooky music means in a movie: Something bad is about to happen! In this class, we'll use the written equivalent of spooky music -- foreshadowing -- to add depth and intrigue to our fiction. 

WEEK 3: Every culture has myths. Many of these explain the large questions, like why the sun shines or why the moon disappears during the day. We'll write about those, but we'll also use myths, along with plenty of metaphors, to explain some slightly sillier questions, like why oranges are called oranges but lemons aren't called yellows. 

WEEK 4: Guess what? I always lie. If that's true, then I'm lying, right? Come to class and try to wrap your brain around that and other paradoxes, and then we'll see how we can create characters and situations that use paradox in interesting ways. Perhaps a superhero is terrified of flies... or a highly-trained dog doesn't sit on command. 

Each video-based class begins with a warm-up activity, followed by three vocabulary words that students should try to integrate into their assignment. Then, the instructor introduces the literary device for that class and gives students opportunities to practice it creatively. All activities lead up to the final assignment, and the instructor gives examples every step of the way. 

Because learner interaction is an integral part of a FLEX class, interaction between learners and the instructor will occur in the following ways: 

1) Students are encouraged to post their weekly assignments in the Classroom and to constructively comment on their classmates' work. 

2) Mid-week activities that encourage interaction, such as Nearpod games, a quizlet (updated weekly) that uses the vocabulary words, and instructor posts that challenge students to write and think creatively.