FAQ
- How are assignments graded?
Grades are based on homework, classwork, tests and quizzes, Genius Hour Project, and many other forms of formative and summative assessments.
All assignments will be graded on a points system. Each assignment will be worth a certain number of points. The points will be clearly labeled on each assignment
Please see Late Work and Missing Work policy below for details regarding penalties assigned to work turned in late.
Extra credit assignments are available each unit. Please see the World History Extra Credit page for assignments and guidelines for completion. - What is your late work policy?
Homework may be turned in up to TWO days after the due date with NO penalty if extra time request is turned in on due date. All other assignments will be assigned a due date and a deadline.
Assignments may be turned in UP TO the deadline if extra time request is turned in on the due date. Any assignments turned in after the deadline will receive an 8 point reduction per day late off their grade and require a late work form.
Students missing three consecutive assignments without documentation will be required to attend tutorial. - What is your Missing Work Policy?
Student is responsible for checking what may have been missed while absent on Ms. Osborn’s website or via Google Classroom. Students are responsible for retrieving work missed while absent from Ms. Osborn.
Students who missed an assignment due to absence should complete an absent work form and turn in work due during absence when they return. If student will need additional time on assignments that were due or assigned during absence student should fill out an extra time request on due date or upon return.
All assignments must be turned in NO LATER than assignment deadline. - How can I keep up with due dates, deadlines, and assessment dates?
Parents and students can keep via Remind and Google Classroom. These two apps will be used regularly for announcements and assignments. Google Classroom will hold all assignments as well as our classroom calendar. Please see the syllabus or class webpage for class codes. - How do I keep up with my child's progress in class?
Students and parents both have PowerSchool log in's so that they can keep up with their grades and assignments in real time. I will update PowerSchool weekly with grades. Interim reports will go out on the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th week. Please call the front office to gain access to PowerSchool. If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to email me here. - How do you define plagiarism?
Definition: copying the language, structure, or idea of another and representing it as one's own work.
Consequences:
1st offense: Student will be asked to have a conference with Ms. Osborn and will be offered an alternative assignment.
2nd offense and beyond: Student receives an administrative referral and will be offered an alternative assignment.
Refrain from even the appearance of plagiarism. When in doubt, cite your sources! Do not google terms or assignments or share work of any kind with other classmates. - How do you use technology in your classroom?
We will be utilizing various resources to access the Internet to research, review material, and for other purposes. You must hold yourselves to high expectations when you use these resources. Your time must be spent well.
Unless it is specifically stated by the teacher that cell phones may be used for an assignment cell phones must be kept away at all times. If a cell phone is visible or used during class at an inappropriate time or in an inappropriate way it will be given to administration immediately.
Students are expected to follow HSHS BYOD Policies. - What is the best way to contact you?
The best and fastest way to contact me and get a speedy response is via email. Please email me by clicking here. I can also be reached by phone via the school at 919- or by phone and text on my Google Phone at 919- . Please see my contact page for more details.
- What is a Growth Mindset? How can I implement growth mindset terminology at home?
Over 30 years ago, Carol Dweck and her colleagues became interested in students' attitudes about failure. They noticed that some students rebounded while other students seemed devastated by even the smallest setbacks. After studying the behavior of thousands of children, Dr. Dweck coined the terms fixed mindset and growth mindset to describe the underlying beliefs people have about learning and intelligence. When students believe they can get smarter, they understand that effort makes them stronger. Therefore they put in extra time and effort, and that leads to higher achievement.
The way we praise our children can have a profound impact on their mindset. Research on praise and mindsets shows that when we praise children for being smart, it promotes a fixed mindset. It sends a message that their accomplishments are trait-based, and tied to something innate. In contrast, praising kids for working hard promotes a growth mindset. To see ways to cultivate a Growth Mindset at home please see my Growth Mindset page for more information. - What is Genius Hour?
Students will be allowed to choose a specific topic of their choice in World History and complete an argumentative research project that is composed of three parts: research paper, product, and a presentation. The research paper will be based off of a driving historical question that will guide the student’s inquiry throughout the project. The product will reflect what the student learned about their particular topic. The presentation will give the student the opportunity to share what they learned about their topic and their product with others.
The project is called “Genius Hour” because it will take place over the course of the semester during a teacher selected one-hour period every week. This “Genius Hour” time will vary from week to week. It is the expectation that 90% of the work on this project will be completed during this time in class. Resources during this time will be available on the basis of the project. Some “Genius Hour” periods will be spent in the classroom, some in the computer lab, and some in the school library. If a student misses a “Genius Hour” class period they may be required to make up the time during a HOT Lunch tutorial.
See my Genius Hour page for more information. - What is flipped learning?
The basic concept behind a flipped classroom is that what was traditionally done in the classroom becomes homework and what was traditionally done at home (homework) is done in the classroom. See my flipped learning page for more information! - What does flipped learning look like in your classroom?
The direct instruction or lecture portion of the class will become the homework. This will primarily be in the form of watching videos via my Youtube Channel. As students watch the video, they will take notes on vocabulary, main concepts, and some examples (how they go about watching, rewinding, and taking notes will depend on the student and what they need.) Encourage students to try different strategies until they find their “best fit.” Students will be provided with a guided notes sheet, however, they are welcome to take their own notes in either outline or cornell format.
When students come to class the next day we will briefly discuss what they heard in the videos and answer any questions they may have. The rest of the class time will be used for applying the concepts from the video (homework in the traditional setting) through working with primary and secondary documents and other activities intended to enrich the curriculum. By moving the direct instruction portion of the lesson to homework it frees up more time in the classroom so that I can interact more with my students and provide more individual help.
There will still be assessment of student learning through formalized quizzes and tests. In addition, there will be some additional outside work such as reviewing for quizzes and tests, and occasionally finishing work that could not be completed in class.
See my flipped learning page for more information!