Kia ora koutou,
Welcome to the October 2010 newsletter for English, ESOL and Literacy Online, and all the best for the final term of the year.
Highlighted below by our facilitators are some of the new resources that have gone up on the three websites, and their scan of the materials that may assist and inspire you in your respective areas of work.
Nga mihi,
Dr Phil Coogan - Project Director
Maria Lute – Project Manager
Cognition Education for the NZ Ministry of Education.
In this issue
News from:
Literacy Online
English Online
ESOL Online
Literacy Online
Kia ora and welcome from Chris Henderson
Mailing list discussion: Focus on science and te reo Māori
Recent discussion in our forum has related to literacy teaching across the curriculum. There are a number of sites that support teaching literacy within the context of science. The science postcards is a wonderful resource developed by Warren Bruce and Chris Astall, showing how literacy teaching sits alongside the teaching of the big ideas in science. I also re-discovered a book I had bought recently entitled ‘Ask Dr K Fisher about animals’. It presents scientific facts in the form of a letter in response to a question from an animal, for example,‘Why does everyone want to eat me? Why am I so tall? How can I get rid of my spots?’ Children will love the humorous and engaging way this book has been written and presented.
A second focus on the forum began with a request from a NZ teacher now teaching in Australia who wanted some suggestions of support for the teaching of te reo Māori for her Māori students. TKI has many of these resources on line.
Digital resources
There are many new resources available to support our work as teachers. I wonder what system you have in place in your school to ensure that these are noticed? Do you share the responsibility of checking out new resources and bringing them to everyone’s attention? I hope you are all aware of the instructional series, especially the What’s New section, where there are some wonderful examples of teacher notes set out like the National Standards illustrations.
NZRA
Each year the New Zealand Reading Association offers a research scholarship and travel fellowship to NZ educators. There are more details on the NZRA website.
Ngā manaakitanga o te Runga Rawa ki a koutou katoa.
Kind regards,
Chris Henderson
Facilitator: Primary Literacy Community
Secondary Literacy
Kia Ora and welcome from Denise Hitchcock. I hope the term has started well for you.
New resource
- Leading Professional Learning about Adolescent Literacy. This resource consists of five modules aimed at secondary school leaders and literacy leaders. The material provides ideas and support for beginning a literacy professional learning focus as well as support where literacy is ongoing. Literacy Leaders, teachers across the curriculum and senior managers will find material here to support their work.
- Consultation to review University Entrance: Literacy. The Ministry of Education has advised that NZQA have now started consultation on proposals to review university entrance requirements. The consultation period is 18 Oct - 06 Dec 2010. Discussion paper 5 deals with literacy . The universities have voiced concern about the low standard of literacy of some students and have asked that the literacy component be strengthened. The proposed literacy component (for the 2013 Year 13 cohort) is 10 credits – 5 in reading and 5 in writing which could be met through a number of options. The proposal needs consideration by teachers across the curriculum and feedback is vital.
Kind regards
Denise Hitchcock
Facilitator: Secondary Literacy Community
English Online
Secondary English
Kia ora and welcome from Mike Fowler
As November looms, conversations this month have taken on an exam theme with many creative and diverse approaches to revision.
- Planning using inquiry. Using Inquiry to Plan Secondary English Programmes - has just been launched on English Online, providing guidance, resources and examples to support the planning process. This resource should form part of programme reviews and preparations for 2011.
- Much Ado About English. English teachers will need to break their ‘conference in July’ habits in 2011. There is no NZATE English conference next year. Instead, NZATE will be hosting the IFTE (International Federation of Teachers of English) conference Much Ado About English at the University of Auckland in the term 1 break, 18 -21 April. NZATE council member Sean Hawthorne has also requested that teachers thinking of attending or offering a workshop get in touch with him to help planning.
Kind regards,
Mike Fowler
Facilitator: Secondary English Community
ESOL Online
Primary ESOL
Kia ora and welcome from Gaylene Price
Mailing list discussion: meeting and sharing ideas
This month the discussion in the primary ESOL forum has centred on the value of learning from and sharing ideas with others. This topic was triggered by the recent Community Languages and ESOL (CLESOL) conference in Dunedin. Some online participants reflected on the value of getting together with other like minded people. We especially welcomed the significant input of keynote speakers such as Pauline Gibbons speaking about ‘Learning in the Challenge Zone’, a clear reminder that teaching needs to be cognitively challenging and relevant to English language learners.
As one contributor noted, ‘For literacy and ESOL teachers who were unable to attend this year, I would strongly encourage you to set your sights on the 2012 conference. We have very few opportunities in our sector to get together at a national meeting point to discuss issues of common concern and to hear plenary speakers who are world leaders in their field.’
Key references:
Gibbons, P. (2002). Scaffolding language scaffolding learning: Teaching second language learners in the mainstream classroom. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Gibbons, P. (2009) English Learners, Academic Literacy, and Thinking: Learning in the Challenge Zone. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Watch out for conference proceedings which will be available through Paardekooper conference and events organiser.
TESSOL scholarships
Mainstream teachers as well as ESOL specialists are encouraged to apply for TESSOL scholarships to enhance their knowledge about English language learners and additional language acquisition. It is a good idea to encourage two people from your school to apply. The closing date for applications is 29 October 2010.
Useful resources on ESOL online
- Principles of effective teaching and learning for English language learners.
- Our Cultural Village has a wide range of information, online dictionaries and teacher information for Myanmar, Afghanistan and the Philippines. If you have students from these countries in your school, this space on ESOL online will be extremely useful.
- Supporting English Language Learners (PowerPoint). This is an up-to-date list of ESOL resources to help teachers become familiar with the range of materials available for teaching English language learners effectively.
Kind regards,
Gaylene Price
Facilitator: Primary ESOL community
Secondary ESOL
Kia ora and welcome from Breda Matthews
This month has seen discussions on ESOL unit standards including requests for expired standards. Teachers can continue to use the expired standards for a period of time to give them the opportunity to transition to the revised standards and to allow teachers and students to complete assessments for a standard using the same version of the standard. However the revised version of the standards should be used the next time the standard is used for assessment.
ESOL unit standards: NZQA draft assessment materials now available for trial
I am seeking teachers who would be willing to trial draft assessment materials for a range of level 3 and level 4 NCEA ESOL unit standards. It would involve one task per standard only and the assessor and students would be asked to complete a brief feedback form. For writing and speaking standards permission would be needed to use a range of student work as exemplars.
The assessment materials need to be trialled as soon as possible although this may be term one next year.
Draft assessment materials are available for the following standards
| Level 3 standards | Level 4 standards |
| 17370: Write expressing a viewpoint 17142: Participate in a discussion 17361: Read recounts 15009: Understand spoken information in different contexts 17359: Talk about self in a formal interview 17140: Complete spoken exchanges to obtain information, goods and services 15010: Understand spoken instructions in different contexts |
17367: Write discussions 15011: Identify ideas expressed in extended speech |
If you are interested in taking part in the trial, please contact Jenni Bedford
A new water safety resource
WaterSafe Auckland has produced new illustrated water safety resources (go to website for free teaching downloads) in a number of languages and an ESOL Water Safety Teaching Kit.
Refugee Stories Symposium
The Refugee Stories Symposium will be held in Auckland next month. Twelve former refugees from a variety of countries including Afghanistan, Burundi, Burma, Colombia, Eritrea, Rwanda, and Sudan will present testimonies about various aspects of the refugee experience and life in New Zealand.
Date: Sunday 21 November
Time: 9.30am -4.00pm
Venue: AUT Wellesley Street Conference Centre, Auckland
For registration and further information please visit AUT University or email.
Language help lines for earthquake support are now available in a variety of languages.
The Ministry has advised that NZQA have now started the consultation on proposals to review the University Entrance requirements. The consultation period is 18 Oct - 06 Dec 2010.
Kind regards,
Breda Matthews
Facilitator: Secondary ESOL Community
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