We go live!

Dear English Colleagues,

Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.

The three sites - English Online , ESOL Online and Literacy Online - were launched at the Learning@School Conference in Rotorua last week and are now available. Save them to your Bookmarks, Del.ici.ous etc. and have a look around. The sites are still in their infancy but now that the community can begin to use them, we can ensure that they are truly responsive to the needs of their users. Sites such as these, I believe, should be continually ‘under development’. The Community areas are currently in the final stages of development, so the Forums on the 'retired' site are still live and the Students' and Leaders' sites are to be explored by the Ministry this year.

The sites are aligned to the NZ Curriculum and are structured within a framework intended to support you as you reflect on and refine your practice. For more information on this, see About this site.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the huge commitment and hard work that went into building and fostering the English / ESOL Online communities over the last decade, both online and face-to-face. Without the dedication and commitment of Phil Coogan and his team, together with all the contributors and users across NZ and abroad, it is hard to know whether the communities would be as strong as they are today. I hope that we can continue to 'carry the torch' and work with you all as effectively as they did. We are open to feedback, of all kinds. Frequently Asked Questions will be shared with the community via the Update and Forums.

I feel proud to be your community facilitator, and I am looking forward to continuing to work with you all.

Ngā mihi nui,

Karen Melhuish
English Online Facilitator

karen.melhuish@learningmedia.co.nz
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On English Online:

Book Backchat has finished for this term, and will not be run in terms 1 and 2 of 2009. These features, or improved versions of them, will be available again when the student sites are re-launched later in 2009. Redevelopment of the student sites will begin in July 2009. New leader-focused sites will also be in development at that time.

Thank you for your continued support of these important sites while they undergo re-development.

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OUR CONFERENCE

This year’s NZATE conference is being held at St Peter’s School Cambridge. The committee is working hard to bring you inspiring keynote speakers and lots of practical ideas to take back to your classrooms. In order to do this the committee needs you to come along and present a workshop. Too busy to do this? Then get together with a colleague and run a joint session.

Call for Workshop Presenters
NZATE
New Zealand Association for the Teaching of English
Annual Conference
Theme: Inspiration Inc. From Inspiration to Creation
Venue: St Peter’s School, Cambridge
Dates: July 8-10 2009

The Waikato English Language Teachers’ Association is pleased to call for workshop presenters for this conference which aims to professionally develop and inspire classroom teachers to meet the needs of the 21st Century learner. Topics of interest to conference participants might include: inspiring reluctant readers and writers, turning theory into creative classroom practice, responding to student voice, Maori and Pasifika achievement, e-Learning, Media, NZ Curriculum, assessment, differentiation etc. To register interest, contact Margaret Black (blackm@paradise.net.nz)

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OUR NEWS

A round-up of stories relevant to English teachers that have been recently published in the press...

• Literacy Standards: Anne Tolley's speech that she gave last week at the national Numeracy conference (17 Feb 2009), addressed concerns regarding the potential introduction of National Literacy and Numeracy standards. A central idea seems to be that "There is not going to be one test, one tool, one teaching programme, or one professional development programme. Part of being a capable teacher is being able to choose the right approach at the right time for individual students." She discussed how teachers might use assessment to drive decision-making and provides assurance that there won't be the introduction of a single test. http://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/national+standards+and+numerac

• Reading levels soar at low-decile schools: New research from The University of Auckland’s Faculty of Education led by Professor Stuart McNaughton has achieved remarkable increases in reading comprehension at seven decile-one schools in south Auckland (9 Feb 09)..(to read full story: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0902/S00021.htm

• No Magic Bullet For Maori Educational Achievement: The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa says National Standards on literacy and numeracy will not provide a magic bullet in raising Maori educational achievement. (12 Feb 09)... (to read full story: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0902/S00040.htm

• Recovery package great start for education sector: The New Zealand Principals' Federation says the education sector is grateful to have received the lion’s share of the recovery package announced today by John Key...(11 Feb 09)...(To read full story: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0902/S00035.htm

• Keeping Children Motivated To Stay In School: Approximately 50,000 5-year-olds are starting school this year, taking their first big step into education. At the same time, alarmingly thousands of teenagers will also leave school this year with little or no formal qualifications...11 Feb 09. (To read full story: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0902/S00034.htm)

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OUR CURRICULUM

• Teacher-only Days, and PPTA “Jumbo Days”: There will be two further teacher-only days for state secondary schools to allow principals and teachers more time to work together on developing their school’s curriculum using The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. These teacher-only days are in addition to the one announced in November 2007.

• Readiness to Implement The New Zealand Curriculum - ERO report 2009: You can read the ERO report into schools' readiness to implement the curriculum, which also includes four factors that underpin the good progress made by schools who are well advanced in their preparations. http://ero.govt.nz/ero/publishing.nsf/Content/readiness-nz-curric-jan09

• NZ Curriculum Online website can be accessed here, and you can sign up for monthly emailed updates on new additions to the site: http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/

• Resources to support English:http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/nzc_resource_bank

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Our RESOURCES: Information Literacy

• All About Explorers: this site was developed by a group of teachers as a means of teaching students about the Internet. Although the Internet can be a tremendous resource for gathering information about a topic, they found that students often did not have the skills to discern useful information from worthless data. The site is a deliberately flawed site for use in class and comes with Teacher Notes. [Information Literacy] http://allaboutexplorers.com/about.html

Our RESOURCES: Literature

• Pink Monkey: Over 460 Free study Guides, book notes, book reviews, online chapter summaries, notes and analysis for literature titles. www.pinkmonkey.com

• Shmoop: According to their site, Shmoop wants "to make you a better lover (of literature, history, poetry and writing). See many sides to the argument. Find your writing groove. Understand how lit and history are relevant today. We want to show your brain a good time. Our mission: To make learning and writing more fun and relevant for students in the digital age." Check out their detailed resources to support a wide range of literature and poetry.http://www.shmoop.com

Our RESOURCES: Language

• FreeRice: Test your knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary - and help a charity at the same time. FreeRice is a sister site of Poverty.com. FreeRice has two goals: 1. Provide education to everyone for free and 2. Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free. For each answer you get right, rice is donated to a food programme. http://www.freerice.com/about.ht

Our RESOURCES: Teaching and Learning

• Public Lecture Series Targets Boys’ Learning: University academics, school principals and boys’ learning experts are set to deliver the latest research and study results of boys’ learning at an upcoming course in March held at The University of Waikato. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0902/S00039.htm

• Te Reo For Absolute Beginners – On Maori TV: A teaching resource that has already taught te reo Maori to tens of thousands of absolute beginners is set to get a new life as a free-to-air show on Maori Television. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0902/S00051.ht

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NCEA and us

• Best Practice Workshops for Secondary Teachers: Understanding National Standards. These 4 hour workshops will be conducted by NZQA secondary moderators. http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/for-schools/bestpractice/index.html

• Survey of Teachers - NCEA External Assessments 2008
  The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) would like your views on the 2008 NCEA external assessment. The feedback provided will benefit students by helping NZQA to make improvements in future assessments. The surveys seek teachers' views on a variety of topics around the assessments including: the administration of external assessments and the marking process. Survey responses can represent your opinions as an individual or can represent a number of teachers at your school. Please complete the survey by 13 March 2009.

• NZQA and English: all the NCEA resources, gathered on one handy page. http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/resources/english/index.html

• 2009 Examination timetable:http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/for-students/exams/examtt.html

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ICT and us

• E-learning Research Network: This network is a place for teachers, educators and researchers to share the evidence about the impact of
  on teaching and learning. http://elearningresearchnetwork.ning.com/

• Noodle Quest: this is an interesting starting point for students who are finding information on the net. "One of the hardest parts about doing academic research on the Internet is figuring out where to start! A search engine or subject portal is usually the first thing to try, but which are the most useful for your research need? Fill in the short form below, and we'll point you in the right direction." http://www.noodletools.com/noodlequest/index.php

English blog...

• Mr. B-G's English Blog: A high school teacher and his students live the revolution. http://bgenglish.blogspot.com/

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OUR EVENTS & COMPETITIONS

• Short Story Competition: Books to give away to creative writers.

Who: Students Years 4-8
What: Theme: New Zealand Great Outdoors
Story length 250-350 words.
Could be a story about camping, playing a sport, going for a picnic to the bush, climbing a tree, or doing something positive for the environment. Options are endless as lon as set in NZ and based outdoors
Entries close; 5pm 20th March
Email to: promotions@academy.net.nz
or post to: Principals Today, Short Story Competition, PO Box 1879, Christchurch
Competition participants must provide contact details, school name, teacher's name and year level. The story will need to be verified by the teacher that it is an original piece of work and entrants own work. Winner will be notified by phone by April15th

• Elsie Locke Writing Prize 2009: Learning Media and the Elsie Locke Memorial Trust are proud to announce a new annual competition for original writing by year 7 & 8 students. The theme for 2009 is ‘Living Together – in peace and friendship'. The winner will receive a cash award of $400 and $100 book tokens. The winning entry will be published in a Part 4 School Journal. Entries close 24 April 2009. Further information at: http://www.learningmedia.co.nz/nz/online/elsielocke

• •Words on Wheels 2009: Five writers, six days, one very windy road. Words on Wheels is off again from 2-7 March, visiting libraries, schools, and the odd town hall on the road from Christchurch to Queenstown. On the bus this year will be Anna Mackenzie (Teen Fiction), Vanda Symon (Fiction), David Geary (Scriptwriting), Janet Charman (Poetry) and Steve Braunias (Non-fiction). From Lincoln to Methven, to tiny Fairlie, no town in the Selwyn and Mackenzie districts will remain untouched during this highlight of the Book Council's calendar in 2009. http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/events/new/20081003-elizabethknoxAKL.htm

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OUR BOOK NEWS

• Book Reviews on Radio NZ Nation in April: http://www.radionz.co.nz/genre/books/ninetonoon/reviews/books_in_march_2009

• International Children’s Library: an international site that seeks to make the best children's literature available online. http://en.childrenslibrary.org/

• The Future of Reading: In Web Age, Library Job Gets Update: The third article in a series exploring how librarians and teachers can help students access texts using 21st century literacies. For the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/books/16libr.html

• Children’s Book Awards Reveal Major New Talent: Emerging authors and illustrators battle it out with our long-time writing heroes in the nation’s most prestigious children’s book awards this year. The finalists in the 2009 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults include names loved by generations of Kiwis including Joy Cowley, Maurice Gee and Jack Lasenby. Alongside them are some exciting new talent in New Zealand children’s literature, admired by the judges for their humour and creativity. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0903/S00030.htm

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OUR THEATRE EVENTS

• Summer Shakespeare productions all around the country http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/theatre/events/new-zealand

• Totally Shakespeare NZ09: Compleate Workes: In 2009, it’s time to celebrate Shakespeare’s Sonnets turning 400 by endeavouring to perform the whole canon in Wellington and embracing everything Shakespeare in New Zealand throughout the year! Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand (SGCNZ) fosters festivals in schools and beyond, and encourages fun with Shakespeare in his infinite variety. Encompassing international, professional, emerging professional, educational, community and allied troupes, organisations, companies and activities, Compleate Workes 2009 will present a feast of the Bard. From the international premiere of Cardenio to performances in a multitude of site specific spaces, the programme will even full the airwaves with the Sonnets being broadcast weekly all year. http://www.compleateworkes.co.nz/

• Shakespeare in Schools 2009 Nationwide Tour – Term 3 ‘Lear and his Daughters’ and ‘Macbeth’ by the Kore Theatre Company Bookings: Dr Lilicherie McGregor, Artistic Director, Kore Theatre Company, 2031 Ngunguru Rd, RD 3, Whangarei 0173; ph (09) 955 1170, (021) 296 2910; email koretheatre@gmail.co

• 2009 University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival: preparations will, no doubt, be underway for this wonderful event. For more information on your region, go to: http://www.shakespeare.org.nz/wiki/index.php/Applicatio

• National Youth Drama School 2009 (NYDS): 11–19 April 2009 at Havelock North High School. Fantastic fun and great learning opportunity for 15-20 year olds. Eight days, full-time - 21 classes in acting, voice, Shakespeare, film production, radio drama, circus skills and much more. Billet and hostel accommodation available. For more information booklets or posters email admin@nyds.co.nz or go to www.nyds.co.nz

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IN OUR REGIONS: AUCKLAND

• Tim Bray Productions presents "Peter Rabbit and other Tales" - Live on Stage! Peter Rabbit and other Tales Based on the classic tales by Beatrix Potter Live on Stage. Peter, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-Tail, Benjamin Bunny, Mr McGregor and all their friends come to life in this charming stage adaptation. Great discounts for school and pre-school groups. Free tickets for teachers (one per 20 children). Free Teachers' Resource Guide. PumpHouse Theatre. 30 March - 9 April 2009. Bookings: ph 489-8360; email boxoffice@pumphouse.co.nz; website www.timbrayproductions.co.nz

• The Gardener 2009 (Years 1-8): The Gardener’s popular programme enthuses and motivates children to use their literary skills. The 2009 programme includes new content, more stories, and plenty of fun and participation. Delivered to the whole school at once in a one-hour session, this very successful programme is sponsored in most of the areas listed below, so is free apart from a $50 per school administration charge (except where specified). REAP subsidies may be available in some other areas. Please contact us for details. We encourage Y1-8 Principals to book now for inspired storytelling by this popular character (limited to 8 schools in each area).

• Term 1: (dates inclusive): 9–15 February – Whangarei; 16–22 February – Pakuranga; 23 February to 1 March – Browns Bay; 2–8 March – Glen Eden; 16–22 March – Whakatane; 30 March to 5 April – Tauranga
• Term 2: 27 April to 3 May – Hobsonville; 3–10 May Hobsonville (2 weeks); 18–24 May – New Plymouth; 25–31 May – Levin; 8–14 June – Rotorua; 15–21 June – Hamilton; 29 June to 3 July – Napier
• Term 3: 10–16 August – Wellington; 17–22 August – Plimmerton
• Term 4: 12–18 October – Palmerston North; 19–25 October – Taupo; 9–15 November – Welcome Bay

To make a booking, please contact Jeannie McCook, ph (021) 160 7798; email bookings4stories@yahoo.com.au, with your school name, physical address, contact name and phone number and school roll numbers. For other inquiries, contact Wayne Lim, ph (07) 823 6522; email mkteers@wave.co.n

• Auckland Fringe: From February 27 to March 22, performing arts venues across Auckland are set to come alive with the sounds and sights of Auckland Fringe – Auckland’s first Fringe festival. Dance, theatre, comedy, cabaret, music, visual arts and outdoor adventures all combine to unleash the unconventional on Auckland for three exciting weeks.
  http://www.aucklandfringe.org.nz/

IN OUR REGIONS: WELLINGTON

• Children's Arts Festival, 7-23 March 2009: The 2009 Capital E National Arts Festival presents an exhilarating line-up of performers from all around the world with a wealth of theatre, dance and music that promises to inspire and entertain. Newly created work ranges from dance performances for very young to a new theatrical music experience in the The Opera House, Kia Ora Khalid. http://www.capitale.org.nz/whats_on/festival_09/arts_festival_09.htm

IN OUR REGIONS: DUNEDIN

• The 2009 Dunedin Fringe Festival will be held over eleven action-packed days from March 26 to April 5. This is the largest festival of its kind in the South Island of New Zealand and is a highly anticipated event in Dunedin. The Festival incorporates all art forms and features artists from throughout New Zealand and overseas. http://www.dunedinfringe.org.nz/