Real-World English for Future Leaders
What's included
26 live meetings
23 hrs 50 mins in-class hoursHomework
2-4 hours per week. Students have 1-2 hours of homework per week. This level of in-class and at-home work means they finish an entire semester of ELA in just 13 weeks.Letter Grade
Letter grades can be controversial, so it is good to know how we approach grading ahead of time. As I (Karen Lemons) homeschooled my children without formal tests and grades, they had difficulty adjusting to college. I realized that as a teacher, I need to give tests! Further, students on Outschool are more likely to complete their work on time if there are grades. They need to learn to perform under a little pressure, and this will bring out the best in them! Therefore, all students are formally graded, and parents have access to those grades. We use the Outschool-approved, COPPA-compliant Google Classroom LMS for this.Progress Report
Parents get a 1-1 live meeting to discuss their learner's progress. This is at no additional cost!Grading
All students receive specific feedback on their work. We are intentional about putting a little pressure on them and teaching them how to handle that pressure. They will rise to the occasion with mental toughness and confidence because they will know what to do, how to do it, and are absolutely capable of pulling it off. We are building leaders who will take on the world as high achievers.Class Experience
US Grade 7 - 9
Beginner - Advanced Level
๐ฅ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐: Live, 1-1 Parent Conferences are included at no additional cost. Your teacher will meet with you to talk about your learner's progress. We support your homeschooling efforts! ๐งบ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: Purchase semesters A and B in September and get a $50 discount on semester B. ๐โโ๏ธโโก๏ธ This course has precise units, so students can join late if spots are available. We make newbies feel welcome! :) ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐: โ๐๐๐-๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ธ ๐๐ ๐ฃ ๐ฝ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ค: ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ: ๐ง inspire learners to think, create, and study hard. ๐ expose learners to different sectors in the real world. ๐น๏ธ get students to reduce gaming time. ๐ช encourage learners to do something great! ๐ง help learners develop a curiosity that will drive lifelong learning and skill development. ๐ฏ equip learners for state testing and their future learning journey. ๐ maximize student learning despite the hurdles posed by ADHD. ๐ teach kids how to conquer laziness and to create new habits that lead to success. ๐ teach young scholars to dress, look, and act professionally when presenting. ๐ set and work to achieve high standards. Our learners are active, engaged, and they work! This course lays the groundwork for effective communication and critical thinking skills, essential for future leaders. Through a combination of literature, writing, and oral communication activities, students develop a strong foundation in language arts, the bedrock of all other content area studies. Students learn reading, writing, speech, research, and technology skills through explicit, direct instruction, and then they apply their knowledge while creating projects and presenting them to the class. This class is different in that we focus on real-world application of ELA skills and content. We talk about how to give presentations, how to make a good impression while pitching a proposal, and students learn to use 21st century literacy skills to deliver quality work. ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐ช: ๐๏ธ Investigative Journaling and Podcasting ๐ธ Poetry & Music Videos ๐ฆ Time Capsule Project ๐๏ธ Comic Strips Modernized with Reels ๐ธ ๏ผณ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ผณ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ผฏ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ: Students will: --present 4 major class presentations --read research on a true crime --write and present a podcast --complete grammar and sentence writing exercises each day --learn to edit video along with poetic devices --produce a music video --learn to research a historical time --write a technical piece of writing --participate in a Poetry Slam --plan, edit, and produce a video version of a comic strip --create a time capsule of the year of their birth ๐ท SNAPSHOT OF OUR DAILY ACTIVITIES: -To create and maintain a friendly environment, we start class by briefly getting to know each other or catching up with life. -Students practice a short and sweet grammar/writing mini-lesson -The instructor explicitly teaches the day's concept or skill, which includes modeling. We often have workshop time where students can get things done and ask questions. -Students complete their projects in class and for homework. -Some days include student presentations. ๐จ๏ผฉ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ผฎ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ : All students receive specific feedback on their work. We are intentional about putting a little pressure on them and teaching them how to handle that pressure. They will rise to the occasion with mental toughness and confidence because they will know what to do, how to do it, and are absolutely capable of pulling it off. We are building leaders who will take on the world as high achievers. ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ค๐ฃ๐จ-๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ-๐๐ข๐, ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ! CLICK THROUGH TO GET A SURPRISE COUPON CODE! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JwlFnta1ZYAlNn8t2GMMA8Bb6dd0ums1IbdtpzZwuRc/edit?usp=sharing ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ & ๐๐ค๐ค๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐๐น๐ฑ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ช๐ต ๐ต๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ ๐๐ณ๐ข๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ช๐ค ๐๐ณ๐จ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ป๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐๐ข๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ฌ--The back-and-forth work between a student and teacher significantly benefits a student if done well. We follow best practices in designing class time, assignments, and routines. According to Pennington Publishing, effective writing feedback (or grading) is: โข Specific, not general โข Immediate, not postponed โข Routine with a revision / feedback cycle โข Explanatory โข The right amount โข Targeted to the most critical issues โข Varied (written, audio, and video comments) โข Holding students accountable ๐ฉโ๐ซ YOUR TEACHER & A FREE CLASS: Nervous about the commitment to an entire semester? We offer a little taste in a reading comprehension class. If you take that class and enroll in this one, we will credit you the tuition you paid for the reading class, essentially getting it for free. You just need to send an email asking for it, so we don't miss it! Ages 11-12: https://outschool.com/classes/reading-comprehension-6-steps-to-understanding-paraphrasing-e5lcv2lF?usid=0BAnv5zn&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link Ages 13-14 https://outschool.com/classes/reading-strategies-6-steps-to-understanding-paraphrasing-FtXMQBAT?usid=0BAnv5zn&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link ๐ฅ To see teacher introduction videos, go to the Lemons-Aid profile page where you can view the video and also read bios. https://outschool.com/teachers/Karen-Lemons?usid=0BAnv5zn&signup=true&authTrigger=follow_teacher&follow=true&utm_campaign=share_leader_link
Learning Goals
Use technology in the context of hands-on projects.
Develop a strong, working understanding of English standards (reading, writing, grammar, and communication).
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created CurriculumStandards
Aligned with State-Specific Standards26 Lessons
over 13 WeeksLesson 1:
Setting a Standard for Excellence
55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Investigative Journalism & Podcasting: True Crime!
Class Podcast: "Kids on the Case" by the website ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐๐ณ๐ช๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ.
Students learn journalistic language arts, investigate crime stories, and practice voice recording and editing. The final project entails creating a podcast episode featuring an investigative story.
55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Investigative Journalism & Podcasting: Research and Reading for Information
55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Investigative Journalism & Podcasting: Research and Reading for Information
55 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Students need to have a Google account. Parents can set Google accounts up for children under age 13 here: https://accounts.google.com/signup/v2/kidaccountinfo?flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=ServiceLogin
We show students various AI tools but they are not required to use them.
Pre-Requisites
Students should know how to use Google products and be able to tackle extensive technology tools with perseverance as they learn new tools.
Supply List
Learners will need their own copy of the class novel Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe. https://amzn.to/48ouhQL They also need to have a free Canva and Google account. Parents can set Google accounts up for children under age 13 here: https://accounts.google.com/signup/v2/kidaccountinfo?flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=ServiceLogin
Teacher expertise and credentials
5 teachers have teaching certificates
New York Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Washington Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Washington Teaching Certificate in Foreign Language
Washington Teaching Certificate in Social Studies/History
Missouri Teaching Certificate
Tennessee Teaching Certificate in Science
2 teachers have a Graduate degree
Master's Degree in Education from Liberty University
Master's Degree in Education from Western Governors University
10 teachers have a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's Degree from Purdue University
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Philadelphia College of Bible
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Millersville University
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Liberty University
Bachelor's Degree in English from Florida State University
Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Missouri State University
Bachelor's Degree in Music from Western Connecticut State University
Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Government from Patrick Henry College
Bachelor's Degree in Biology/Biological Sciences from Middle Tennessee State University
Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from University of Northwestern - St. Paul
Mrs. Lemons, who developed this course, has a B.A. in English Literature, a minor in Education, and a Master's in Education Administration. She has her teaching certificate and principal's license, and she is certified to teach English / Language Arts and History / Social Studies. She has many years of experience at the middle and high school levels. Further, she is an adjunct faculty member at Colorado Christian University, supervising teacher candidates in their undergraduate and graduate programs. She is a teacher of teachers. All that being said, middle school is her jam!
All teachers that teach this course also think middle school students are awesome! Further, they have English degrees and teaching certificates. They are qualified experts who love kids!
Reviews
Live Group Course
$42
weekly or $545 for 26 classes2x per week, 13 weeks
55 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-16
4-15 learners per class