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This site is designed for students and parents of Steve Chisnell’s programs at Royal Oak High School (MI). Public readership is welcome. You are welcome to use portions of Steve Chisnell’s posts with appropriate credit or citation. Student-authored work may be used by permission only.
Most Recent Class Units
From Our Blogs
Missing Where I Used to Be
TESS YOUMANS – I have always been comfortable with the discomforts that come along with travel; cold showers, unexpected weather, language barriers, running out of currency, the list goes on.
A Simpler Life
EMILY VANHAITSMA – We adjusted to the altitude together, bargained in the markets together, and hiked up mountains we thought were impossible to climb.
Fanny Packs and Bucket Hats
KEIRA GROBBEL – While some visited the Temple of Sun, and others toured the coffee museum, I, along with Tess, Alex, Charlie, and Emily, wandered the streets of the city.
Classes
I teach Language Arts courses at Royal Oak High School. Here are links to these classes, including some that I am not currently offering. Students and parents will find all of the necessary information about their courses here!
Clubs
Being a part of the broader ROHS community means connecting into some of its many extra-curricular activities. I sponsor several, including Royal Oak Model United Nations, Interact youth Rotary, The Roost Student Union, and student service trips.
Resources
It doesn’t matter what class you’re in: understanding basic technology use, learning some writing tips, or refining your presentation skills–here are some ideas for everyone.
About Me
What I’m reading, where I’m traveling, how I work to stay eco-friendly, and where to find me in various organizations and social media.
Teaching Philosophy
While my main goal with students is to improve their literacy, what that means becomes a bit complicated. Literacy means thinking critically–both deeply and broadly–about the culture in which we live and learn. Literacy means composition in traditional written forms but also oral performance, close reading skill, and digital composition. Developing literacy is a process rather than an end (I am still learning!), so experimentation, risk-taking, and failure are common: but growth as a writer composing within a dynamic world is not optional. This means authentic assessment projects, cross-disciplinary challenges, democratic participation and service, collaborative teamwork, professional discourse, and an inherent desire to learn are expected behaviors of the literate student.
Blended Learning
Most all of my classes and clubs operate online as much as they do in live classroom meetings. Live human interaction is important, but students involved in online learning, communication and collaboration, portfolio production, and multimedia publishing is also a large portion of my courses. This frees our in-person class time for relevant discussion, teamwork, and student-driven inquiry rather than quiet work-time.
Standards-Based Evaluations
This is a fancy phrase which simply means that students are rewarded primarily for achieving success in several key areas of the curriculum (standards) and not by the number of points they earn from doing extra “work” or the amount of time it takes to learn that success.
Therefore, a student who earns an “A” on the seventh effort of an essay earns the same amount of credit as the student who earned it on the second try. It’s the success that matters. Equally, doing 100% of the assignments at 60% skill level does not demonstrate successful learning, and doing “extra credit” at the same level of performance may have once earned “points,” but points are not entirely relevant to grades. See the individual class pages to see how this is handled in each class and on MiStar.
Academic Growth
My expectation is that all students succeed, but I recognize that not all students succeed in any skill on the same timetable. Therefore, any scores that fall below the “successful” standard (a “B,” a 3 of 4 pts, or a 6 on the AP 9-pt scale, etc.) may be revised until success is achieved. The conditions for revision vary for each assignment.
Learning By Controversy and Inquiry
MYP and College Board
Gamification
Technology Access Expectation
Recent Resources:
Ayn Rand Essay Contests
Literally hundreds of winners every year in the Ayn Rand Essay Contest!
College Guides and FAFSA Help
Looking for some places to find programs for colleges, rankings, and straightforward approaches to financial aid?
Cover Letters
Cover Letters Sometimes I will require you to add a cover letter to your writing, but I’ve found that it’s always a good idea to do so. It reflects well on you as a student and thinker, someone concerned about success in a thoughtful way instead of just for “points.”...
Education is Freedom.
- Paulo FreireWhat will destroy us:
When dialogue ends, everything ends.
- Mikhail BakhtinContact Me
The school email is the best choice: chisnells@royaloakschools.org
