All Good Things Come to an End.

This being the final week of C&I English 473, I’d like to say that my time spent in these tutorials has been very captivating, practical and thought engaging. The class has aided me to have a level of understading in english enducation and how to better myself as a prospective teacher.

This week took a look at poetry and how it can be applied in the classroom, because I came into this class about half an hour late (traffic, rain, the sun, moon and planets not being aligned) I came into class without an idea of what was going on. Placed into group of friendly strangers, we were given a simple task. Read the poem “I like that stuff” by Adrian Mitchell

An excerpt of the poem

I like That Stuff

“Lovers lie around in it
Broken glass is found in it
Grass
I like that Stuff
…

Elephants get sprayed with it
Scotch is made with it
Water
I like that stuff
…

Man made fibres and raw materials
Old rolled gold and breakfast cereal
Platinum linoleum
I like that stuff
…

Well I like that stuff
Yes I like that stuff
The earth
Is made of that stuff
And I like that stuff”

-Adrian Mitchell.

The task was to think about the conventions of the poem and how it can be viewed.
Form my analysis; this poem employs subjective binaries. The stark contrast between the romance of lovers and the broken glass creates an argument and could perhaps be the voice of different personas. One could read this as a conversation between three or four people. The poem is quite a cleaver one and therefore it can be approached at many different angles. When we performed this poem, as a group of six, our challenge was to find way in which the reading would include all members. Thus we stuck with the format of 2 stanzas each and a continuation of the line “I like that stuff” said by one group member.

So what was the importance of this activity?

I believe it displays the possibilities teachers have at approaching poetry, one can create a song, or an act or a monologue. The options for creative and performing outlets concerned with poetry are endless. I think the main point of this is to ‘let students go’ let them approach the topic from the direction they want. I believe this will make any topic more interesting and practical.

Hopefully, I can take these ideas with me and apply them to my practicum.

Week thirteen was an introduction to viewing texts. One point that was addressed is that the curriculum only considered visual texts into their planning in the early nineties. So we asked,

"why were viewing outcomes introduced into the curriculum?"

• Visual texts are more popular
• Most common text
• Need the skills to analyse
• Inter-textuality
• Complimentary
• Engages
• Market economy, value and attitudes.

This is just a short list of why these we should consider viewing as a part of the curriculum.

Skills and conventions
• Interpretation
• Themes
• Juxtaposition
• Lighting
• Sound
• Cinematography
• Editing
• Symbolism

This all ties in with the purpose and audience.

So putting this all into a context, we looked some picture books.

The rabbits by john Marsden & Shaun Tan outline the settlement of the Europeans through the device of fable. Using rabbits to represent the Europeans and possums to represent the natives. This is a text that conveys the message of settlement and its impact on the the environment. The message is conveyed through symbolism.



So who are picture books made for?

The answer to this question is subjective and the audience is not always limited on specific demographic. I believe picture books can offer a message to everyone. These meanings come in a visually engaging way and thus have the ability to capture a wider audience.

Picture texts can be taught to any age group and should be considered for future lesson planning.

Prac, good times..

This week allowed us to reflect on our prac.

This question was addressed to those who have experienced prac.

“What things did we notice while on prac”

Three things that I noticed on prac:

1. The office environment and teacher support.
I did my practicum experience in a lower socio economic area; there were quite a few students who would out quote a toll on teachers. Teachers would return from class with a story and those were quite entertaining, funny or sometimes, quite disappointing. In those cases where teacher had built up frustration, the cohort would support those who need it.

2. Diversity of student levels.
Students in my Year 10 class had achieved outcomes of level 3 all the way to level 5. This is quite a large difference. Thus students have t be taught at an individual level.

3. Kids love to watch movies…

There are some things I would like to address on my future practicum.

1. Have more of a presence in the room. While I am on prac, I want students to realise that I am a secondary teacher, rather than a teacher’s helper. Of course, my last prac was also my first, so it’s all a matter of time.

2. I need to understand the students on a more individual level, that means, knowing their levels and history in terms of education and personal life. Its about building trusting relationships with students.

One thing that was mentioned during this class

The first commandment: “Do No Harm”

It will be hard to live by those words, sometimes teachers want to tear a child apart in rage. We'll try our best.

Dip Ed-ers

This week was set aside for the Dip. Ed. students to engage in discussion on their adolescent reading lessons. Two groups were formed, consisting of around 7 to 8 people per group. Needless to say, the class was very loud. I’d say the adults are no different to year 8s. They teased, poked, yelled, joked at each other throughout the talks. Dip. Ed. students… fun.

On a more serious note, the content that was covered in this lesson was quite interesting. One such text that stood out to me was The Divine Wind By Garry Disher.



“On the eve of WWII, suspicion runs rampant in Hartley Penrose's small town. Even though they've done nothing wrong, the town is turning against its native Japanese residents--including Mitsy Sennosuke, the girl Hart loves despite himself. the result is a wrenching, unforgettable story of romance, betrayal and turmoil that rocks both the world and the heart.”　

ーshort blurb taken from http://www.msss.sd8.bc.ca/Library/newbooks.htm

Quite an interesting story, and I would like to read it for myself when I have the time.

Another observation throughout this lesson, is that a good way to start a novel is by looking at its cover.

As obvious as that may sound, many students neglect the importance of the cover and do not consider viewing it analytically.

Some things that should be analysed when viewing a cover:
• Significance of the title
• Characters
• Symbolism
• Size
• Orientation
• Setting
Not all book covers will reveal everything about the story, however, it is good practice to consider the meanings produced by these covers. In effect, the teacher is initiating a visual lesson, which can aid the achievement of viewing outcomes.

The Cay

This week was focussed on the B. Ed students and their adolescent reading tasks.
I will give a brief run through on what Rebecca and I presented and some of the interesting points which came up during the presentation.

The text that I chose for this teaching experience was The Cay. Taylor, T, (1969. America. Doubleday Publishing.



Review

…The story delves into racial prejudice and challenges readers acknowledge cultural diversity. Ironically, only through Phillips blindness is he able to see past the superficial, revealing the true character of Timothy. Readers will enjoy the development of Phillip and Timothy’s friendship as they struggle to survive against all odds. Their conversations will enlighten young and old readers and this story of survival, understanding and friendship and an unforseen ending makes for a memorable read.

The tasks that I had students engage in:
• Cover analysis
• Get students to write 3 sentences predicting the story.
• Chapter summaries
• Chapter titles
• Word list.
• Comparison of their predictions
• Book review
• Letter to the writer.

This is where I must change the approach to this learning program. Students find chapter summaries a daunting process. Often a chapter summary is mainly for teachers to know if students are reading the book or not. Having to rewrite what you have read can be a boring task. With ever task, students need to see the practicality of the task. I often hear the question from students “why are we doing this?” This question should not be taken as a sign of ignorance or stupidity. The question poses quite a complex problem on the teaching methods. If you ever hear that question being asked, as a teacher, I encourage reconsideration of your approach to the lesson. Authenticity and practicality should be obvious to students.
These ideas were discussed during the class. I will consider alternative ways to monitoring students reading in future; hopefully apply these on my next practicum too.

Source Books: Longmann and English Power 3

Longman with English Power!

This class involved us taking alook at English source books.
Under the title of
Longmann and English Power 3

English Power 3 is a source book designed for lower school English students. From initial observations, the text book is quite large and thus would not bee a source book in which students would need to buy. I would not recommend students purchasing this book, but rather, it should be used as a reference book. Pages should be photocopied and then handed out to students. One of the key advantages of using English Power 3 is that the wa it is constructed is quite aesthetically pleasing. The pages are colourful, large pictures and illustrations and the text does not look daunting. This is quite a bonus when handing these sheets out to a lower school group of students. However, one main concern with English power 3 is that the objectives and activities are quite text specific. This means there is less flexibility to apply your own texts to activities.

The Longmann English source book is designed for a year 11 group of students and in my opinion, presents a more in-depth look at texts. The activities are challenging and engaging whilst specifically stating the outcomes that are going to be addressed.

I would recommend using the Longmann books for a higher-level class as the source book approaches texts with quite complex topics.

One thing I must say, is that source books should not be used to replace teacher constructed lessons. I believe source books should compliment teaching programs and not replace them.

Different Types of Texts

PROMETHEUS
The story of Prometheus is quite a well know one, Prometheus was a demigod, one of the Titans, who was worshiped by craftsmen. When Zeus hid fire from man, Prometheus stole it by trickery and returned it to earth. As punishment, Zeus chained him to a rock where an eagle fed each day on his liver, which grew again each night.



This is a myth and thus serves a function. A question raised is, what is the purpose of a myth?

• Present morals
• Ethics
• Warn of consequences
• Explanation of creation
• Explanation for events
• Explanation for nature

So thus we have a dissection of a myth.
“myth |miθ| |mɪθ| |mɪθ|
noun
1 a traditional story, esp. one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.
• such stories collectively : the heroes of Greek myth.”

Prometheus is just one example of a myth and how it can present values, attitudes and beliefs.

Fables
fable |ˈfābəl| |ˌfeɪbəl| |ˌfeɪb(ə)l|
noun
a short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral.
• a story, typically a supernatural one incorporating elements of myth and legend.

Writing Outcomes in the Class

Addressing writing outcomes.
What aspects do we need to consider when addressing writing outcomes?

• The use of the text
• Contextual understanding
• Conventions
• Process and strategies
• Purpose and audience

Purpose and audience of a text is a key aspect when planning for writing. Some questions that should be considered are:

Who is my audience?
This falls under, age, cultural background, context, intellectual background, gender and a host of other less obvious demographics.

When starting writing tasks with learners, help them identify the key concepts associated with writing a story.
Some things to consider when writing a text:
• Characters
• Orientation, time/setting
• Problem/conflict
• Change
• Event/action
• Cause and effect.

Teaching a New genre

It is often difficult to engage students into a new genre, especially if they are in lower school, because they may not have had as much experience with a diverse range of genres.

Some aims for writing that came up during this class were:
• Immersion
• Guided reading
• Modelled writing
• Shared writing (joint construction)
• Providing Explicit feedback
• Using the writing process

Many teachers need to consider that kids do not even know how to write proper sentences or paragraphs, so the best way for a student to learn this skill is to model a paragraph for them. Identify punctuation conventions that construct a paragraph. Teachers cannot tell a student to do a task in which they do not know how to perform. Scaffolding is the key. Give students the background knowledge and skills for them to attain the desired objectives.

War, Rage, Pain, Curtin

PARKING AT CURTIN
• Unjustifiably high fees
• Long walks
• Fines
• Stalkers
• Road (read as. Parking lot) rage
• Luck of the draw



So this was a short snippet in which I had to describe the current Curtin parking situation.

Sons of Bentley, I am here and I see a whole army of my countrymen here in defiance of tyranny!

Many men have died in the struggle for their territory. Wars were fought, nations crumbled and rebuilt, lives shattered by the pain of defeat, suicidal thoughts stemming from the loss of all hope. The battle for our land has taken a toll on all of us. However, out of the ashes has to come a victor. The raging battle, machine versus machine, the blaring sirens of rage, the gazes of tactical positioning. One man, with one destiny, will rise to take his place.

This is war, this is rage, this is pain, and this is Curtin parking.

The Writing Process

WRITING TASKS
Each student was given a specific writing task.
This was mine.
“Write a scientific argument on the impact of organochlorins on the environment.”
“What the?”

Before one should even start writing , there is a mental process of questioning which allows us to break down the question to level at which we can comprehend.

Many students do not engage in this process and therefore, their answers to questions and writing tasks such as essays show little amounts of interpretation.

In response to this task, there were a few questions, which I had to ask myself.
Firstly, Scientific argument… How is a scientific argument structured? Will this be in the form of an essay or a report? What are organochlorins?

(An organochloride, organochlorine or chlorocarbon, is an organic compound containing at least one covalently bonded chlorine atom. Their wide structural variety and divergent chemical properties lead to a broad range of uses.)

Once you have dissected the question and broken it down into smaller concepts, then the process does not seem so daunting. I believe this is true with everything in life, When something find you in anxiety or confusion, break it down into something manageable.

The Reluctant Reader

ENCOURAGING READING
What are some way we can encourage reading?
• USSR (unsolicited silent reading)
• Subtitled movies
• Short stories
• Making reading a reward
• Allow for comics


• Magazines
• Audio books

Teachers should have to model reading. It becomes very tempting to sit down, do your won thing, mark tests and essays while students are silently reading. However, this may not be beneficial as you are the facilitators of their learning, they will follow your example. Therefore, when students are asked to read, you have to make an effort to read too. And of course, teachers are not limited to just chunky novels either.

One other important notion is that students need to identify their need to read. Give them a purpose for reading.

Reading Lesson Strategies

Tap into students prior knowledge!

This idea cannot be stressed enough, students are not as stupid as we think. Though they may seem that way, its most probably because the teacher has not tapped into their prior knowledge effectively. Within every child is a catalyst for a fountain of information that can be used. Students have interests, hobbies, experiences which they may want to share. It is our task to find out what it is and use it as much as we possibly can to aid the student’s achievement.

Questions for Students

TYPES OF QUESTIONS
This lesson we discussed the different levels of questioning in which students can engage in. These should be considered when asking questions for assessment, as they will determine the level of understanding a student will have for a particular concept.

Literal Questions
• What?
• Where?
• When?

Inferential Questions
• Why?
• What do you think?
• How?

Evaluative
• How does (cite specific topics)
• What would you have done (personal responses with specific topic)

When planning for assessment or evaluation, keeping these types of questions in mind will allow teachers to see what level of understanding a student has.

The Best Boots in the World

This lesson was an introduction into short stories.
We engaged into a close read of a short story “The Worlds Greatest Shoes”
Firstly, we analysed the cover, which had an illustrated picture of a pair of old basketball shoes.
This tells us, the shoes were, worn out, neglected.



Analysing the cover of a book or short story, we get insights into the story itself. This is always a great place to start before even reading a text.

Before, During and After Framework

BEFORE DURING AFTER
This is a framework for reading lessons and some things that need to be addressed before, during and after.

Before (preparation)
• Teachers need to find background information.
• Activate background knowledge of the student
• Link existing knowledge with new information
• Review the extent of knowledge and enrich.
• Give students an awareness of purpose
• Motivate
• Establish a context
• Establish a purpose for reading

During
• Thinking through organising
• Active reading
• Think through the ideas in the text
• Process information and extract relevant ideas
• Self monitor read and monitor reading of students.

After
• Use the new information
• Critically evaluate the ideas
• Demonstrate an understanding of the text and context

This framework should be used when approaching a reading task. Appropriate activities should be used to address these points.

The Bad Deeds Gang

This week we looked at a short story one of the many ways in which short stories can be introduced into the classroom. The activity was to take the short story and present it as a comic strip. This comic strip would consist of 6 scenes and thus challenge the students to find main events of the story. I believe this activity is one that actively engages students to think about the plot of the story. When reading short stories, it is important to give students a purpose for their reading, or at least an outlet for them to apply what they have identified. Therefore, this comic activity is a useful way to allow students to achieve those reading outcomes.

Another important part of this type of lesson is that it allows for integration of art. Using art as a way of allowing students to share their ideas is much less daunting that having them write statements. I believe this was the general consensus of the class. Everyone seemed the enjoy the activity thoroughly.

Back to School (uni)

So what are my thoughts on the first day of Ed 473? Well,,. Firstly, it’s nice to see some familiar faces. Even better to meet new ones!



The following blog will be of my thoghts and ideas on the concepts we will cover in class, stay tuned for more updates.