Student Peer Review

As the end of the year approaches final projects and papers are almost due. In an effort to integrate technology AND foster more peer collaboration and innovation I invite you to add peer reviews, and to make the process easier I’ve created an online template using Google Docs.

Visit the template here: https://drive.google.com/templates?q=final+project+peer+review&sort=hottest&view=author

By using the template you’ll be able to get a spreadsheet of the peer evaluations and keep them anonymous. To make the process even simpler, I suggest asking students to only evaluate 2-3 papers/projects. Getting started is simple:

1.       Log in to Google Docs. If you have a gmail account then use that login. If you don’t you can sign up easily. https://docs.google.com/‎

2.       Generate a Form using the “Final Project Peer Review” template by clicking on the link above.

3.       Modify the form if you like or use “as is”. Click “view live form” in the toolbar.

4.       Share the link for the “view live form” with your students.

a.       Check out the iPads and let students use those to evaluate, or

b.      Print a paper ballot and have students use your classroom computers to input their responses, or

c.       Create a QR code and allow students to use their phones to access the form and complete it.

5.       Go to your Google Docs homepage to see the responses, an additional spreadsheet will have already been created. You can download the sheet in excel or as a pdf.

Peer evaluation:

·         Fosters collaboration

·         Encourages positive peer pressure

·         Empowers students to take responsibility for their own work

Twitter Essay Contest

Did you know that 50 years after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling that schools in some cities are MORE segregated now than they were when the ruling came down? Write a 140 character essay (that’s twitter length) response to race and education in Atlanta schools. Send your essays to @satlantahigh or email them to samediacenter@gmail.com. The best response will be announced and win a prize pack. 

Deadline is Friday, April 25.

Read more in this article: http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/04/segregation-now/359813/

HornetCon 2014

HornetCon is almost here. May 5-9 we'll be getting our GEEK on with workshops, panels, a gaming tournament and more! Sponsorships are still available.

AP Students GoFundMe Fundraiser

Advanced Placement (AP) Test Fund by Shanna Miles - GoFundMe via kwout

AP Students in the School of Health and Medical Sciences are raising money to ensure that they get a chance to take all of the AP tests that they are eligible for. Most students don't have the money for testing fees and the state will only pay for one test per student. Support them in their effort to get the most out of their HS education.

Amnesty Week

April 1-4 is Amnesty Week at the library. That means you can get all of your overdue fees waived for one week only. Here are the rules:

$1- Return your book and check out another
$2- Bring in a friend to check out a book
$3- Volunteer for an hour after school or during Advisory.

College Goal Georgia

Families met for food, a little fun and more than a little bit of information on Thursday, March 13th at the School of Law and Social Justice at South Atlanta (LSJ). Participating Juniors and Seniors met with their parents in the courtroom to learn more about the Financial Aid Process and receive assistance in completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Facilitated by volunteers from LSJ’s Senior class and Mr. Ante Williams, Student Finance Commission State Representative, the meeting featured hands-on assistance, pizza, drinks and even a raffle for prizes.

“The process can be daunting for first generation students and their parents who have never been through the process themselves,” says program coordinator, Rita Cruz.

Over 90% of students at the South Atlanta Educational Complex receive Free and Reduced Lunch, an indicator that marks them eligible for federal student aid. In a recent visit to a Virginia high school First Lady Michelle Obama stated that, “ [completing the FAFSA] is the single most important thing you can do for your future.”

As college costs climb higher and higher it becomes even more important for families to be well informed about all of their options. Topics discussed included: Subsidized and unsubsidized loans, pell grants, forbearance, deferments, tax questions,  and how to file.

Bullying is Not Hot Tour

On Friday, March 21^st the Hot 107.9 Bullying is Not Hot Tour visited the campus of South Atlanta Educational Complex. A joint collaboration with the larger Atlanta community and the radio station, the tour visits local schools to spread the anti-bullying message and provide students with strategies to avoid negative peer pressure, gang violence and negative group behavior in an open forum.

“Bullying is a problem at South Atlanta. Certain students feel pressured to like everybody else,” says Junior, Timara Carter.

Local celebrities such as hip-hop artist, Tropakana and community activists such as Monique Rivarde, mother of bullying victim Bobby Tillman, spoke to students about the terrible consequences of group violence. Bobby Tillman was murdered in Douglassville in 2010 when a group of teenagers beat him to death at a party. Students also heard speeches from a motivational speaker and a local criminal defense attorney before being offered the opportunity to ask questions.

South Atlanta Educational Complex includes the schools of Law and Social Justice, Computer Animation and Design and Health and Medical Sciences. The schools serves approximately 900 students in grades 9-12.