Plot? What Plot?

Is there a plot against English literature, Australian literature, the values of the print media? Miranda Devine, in today's Sydney Morning Herald, English Teachers have lost the plot, slags the ETA and asserts that Sophie Masson's sons didn't enjoy English for their HSC. This article hardly shows a considered response to a complex syllabus and an even more complex subject. Subject English has a number of components, it is not just the study of literature. It is fundamentally a subject which explores how texts make meaning. And yes texts can be printed, visual or multi-modal.

Maniacal laughter follows...

According to the article, the English curriculum has become so broad, for many teachers, and students, the joy of English literature appears to have been eroded. I find it extraordinary that Devine's assertion supposes students can complete the HSC Advanced or Extension English courses without reading! Both these courses require detailed reading from a wide range of texts, including the bastions of English literature: Shakespearean Drama. So let's just support the notions that Shakespeare is civilising, Australian texts are important in nation building and every other contemporary text has no merit or value! (Oh, by the way I'm using hyperbole purposefully here!) The fundamental element that stops students enjoying the study of English is the Higher School Certificate exam - prescriptive, archaic and stress inducing for both teachers and students. This is the cause of the lack of creativity in the English curriculum.

It is a simple thing to lambast an organisation like the English Teachers' Association but Devine and other pundits of 'English is literature campaign' (and predominantly Australian literature at that) need to look at how the world is changing, how information has changed and the ways in which creativity is learned and taught in English.

Trundling through Web 2.0 for teaching

Time clatters by... I've constructed a wiki as part of our school Professional Development day on 29 August. It has been pretty quick really and not too many hiccoughs except for the forums... I think I've nearly figured it out and the materials are all available through the wiki which means the PD can be used all over the place and revisited, if of course teachers are interested. Still struggling with the forums...Arrrrggggghhhhh! But I will put on my manga attack expression and overcome any difficulties!

Pulling it together

I've been creating (a bit like a maniac) a range of different resources for teachers and students for 2009 HSC Area of Study Belonging. You can access the links in the dot pointed bits below:

* a Webquest using Shaun Tan's picture books and other stuff,
* a pathfinder (resources include YouTube ones - so if your school doesn't allow access to YouTube the videos include Bra Boys Trailer, We are One - Telstra Advertisement, a show from SBS on Sudanese immigrants in Australia, the opening sequence of Friends and some others,
* a link to some Google Docs presentations and teaching resource I've been working on. The teaching resource is the one below so don't waste your time checking out the link if you're already looked at the Analysis of Bra Boys Trailer.

Check out Google Docs - they provide a great way to collaborate using online documents.

If anyone does use the resources: I'd like feedback to see if they have proved useful to English teachers out there. Cheers.

Analysis of Bra Boys Trailer for Belonging

Working on the concept of belonging for next year's HSC English students and teachers.

CeltX

I've been playing with the CeltX application over the last couple of days. Such an easy thing to use, quick download and have used it in my Year 10 Drama class as they realise a group devised performance they've been working on. Looks good to me. If anyone has tried it out and have any results that are sensational, could you let me know please?

Anyone for Croquet?

This is a really cool open source thingy - which seems to provide educators and students a whole range of different opportunities to explore aspects of the world, real and imagined.

The Webquest is done!

I've completed the webquest on How do we belong?
REPRESENTATIONS OF BELONGING - using Shaun Tan's books as stimulus. Good links with the quest and the link to the approved and finished quest is HERE

Comments and feedback are greatly appreciated.