These stories provide examples of ideas and approaches some schools are using in their English programmes.
Learning to learn in English
Thorsten Harms from Wellington College discusses some of the strategies he uses in his English classes to help students to learn how to learn.
Curriculum design and review
Natalie Cowie, head of English at Katikati College, takes us through the process her department used to develop a vision for teaching and learning.
Aligning the standards in English
Judy Maw, from St Hilda's Collegiate in Dunedin, explains that taking the time to unpack the new curriculum and the aligned standards is essential.
Students first in English
Iain McGilchrist, head of English at John McGlashan College in Dunedin, discusses how student voice helps plan the content of what they are going to teach. Iain also discusses how student voice guides assessment opportunities.
Putting students first in English
Hamish Chalmers, from Albany Senior High School, provides examples of how his students are at the forefront when designing English courses. He says the important thing to remember is that it is all about the students' own learning, their engagement, and ownership of that learning.
Big curriculum concepts in English
Hamish Chalmers, from Albany Senior High School, discusses the construction of a course to provide students with access to a depth of learning. He explained how links were made across standards, and across units of work, as well as links to the outside world and other authentic contexts.
Smart planning for NCEA
Iain McGilchrist, Head of English at John McGlashan College, discusses planning for NCEA. After investigation, his team decided to design their programmes so that the external assessment preparations fed into the internal assessments.
Theme courses in English
Hamish Chalmers, from Albany Senior High School, discusses the introduction of theme-based English courses in years 11-13. He outlines the benefits for both students and teachers.
Two approaches to differentiation
Two secondary schools were invited to demonstrate their approaches to differentiation in junior English classes. Massey High School and Tamaki College share their approaches.
Stories that inspire ideas, and promote discussion.
Empowering Students Through Multimedia Storytelling
By telling their stories through multimedia, students develop skills in critical thinking, writing, research, and collaboration, as well as owning their learning and effecting change.
The Flipped Mobile Classroom: Learning "Upside Down"Beth Holland of EdTechTeacher considers the mechanics and benefits of flipping both an English and a science class, and suggests a variation on the flipped model for younger or less connected students.
Updated on: 09 Dec 2020
