Professional Teaching Site

MRS. DEVRIEZE'S PLACE

Professional Teaching Site:

Ashley DeVrieze

Current Position: English Instructor

Oostburg High School, Oostburg, WI

B.A. English, 2004, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL.

Contact Information: [email protected]

Courses Taught:

American Literature - This course works through the development of American literature, starting with colonial works and progressing towards modern times. It includes the development of essay writing skills, work with language mechanics and usage, as well as research skills. Students will work with short stories, journals, poetry, novels, etc. 19th and 20th century American literature are studied as a reflection of various historical, social, political, and philosophic settings.

Media Critic - The course objective is for students to develop a critical understanding of mass media and its power to influence society through written, spoken, and visual language. Media will be studied as a literary art form, with attention given to news writing, radio, film, and the internet. With each piece, we’ll work to draw connections between written and visual techniques. We will take on the roles of critics and creators, researching the way that media has formed throughout history and evaluating its effect on the present. Emphasis will be placed on media analysis, creative presentation of ideas, and writing skills.

Novels - Novels is an advanced English course designed primarily for college-bound students. We focus on the novel as a literary form, reading and discussing famous historical works, as well as very recent texts. Students will learn and use various types of literary analysis, as well as practice college-level, critical writing. The class operates in small groups and as a whole class, building up to an independent spring reading project. This year we will read the following novels together: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Fountainhead and Anthem by Ayn Rand, Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. These books are supplemented with short stories, poetry, and excerpts, to further explore different authors and styles. Beyond these selections, there will be several small group and independent texts.

FOR STUDENTS:

American Literature Blogspot

PROJECTS:

The Gospel According to Larry - Media Critic Forum

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: An Interactive Webquest