ENGLISH MAGAZINE REPORT

Just about the only reliable fact in education is that there will be constant change – and 2015 has been no exception. The biggest challenge for staff and students alike has been the introduction of BYOD, the rolling out of wifi across the school and the commitment to using 365 for assessments and units of work across the school. All senior English classes completed all their preliminary and final work for internally-assessed standards in their class NoteBook. Teachers can give feedback and feedforward comments online as well. Much of this work is done outside class time which allows greater flexibility and better time management for students (if they use it well!) Junior classes have also been encouraged to complete work on line.

The fact that wifi coverage has proved to be uncertain in various rooms of the school has been an extra challenge with some teachers resorting to paper backups or relying on being able to use the two computer labs where access was more reliable. It is hoped that 2016 will see solutions to these issues. Student feedback has underlined the success of the emphasis placed on collaborative activities. These have ranged from a Year 10 group scripting, filming and editing an original Bear Grylls-style survival movie to a whole class preparing picture books to share with OLV students. Other projects included making topic-specific board games, newspapers, pamphlets and one brave soul even prepared and performed a piece of interpretative dance.

One of the most interesting real-world questions asked of the students was around solving the needs of the STC students through the rebuilding programme. Suggestions (which were always headed by a new gym) ranged over a marae, swimming pool, performing arts centre and more break out spaces to facilitate modern learning. One Year 9 class went further and used Minecraft to ‘build’ their visionary rooms. Others used more traditional modelling formats.

The English Faculty

Teachers are very much aware of the varying needs and abilities of students and there is encouragement to find new ways to present material to students. One Year 9 class was offered the set novel in traditional book form, as an e-book or as an audio book. Somewhat surprisingly the majority of the boys chose the traditional book. Students have also used recorded and uploaded speeches for assessment. It is hoped that more students will look at a variety of ways to present their work instead of always using a written essay for assessment.

2016 brings even more changes with an exciting new collaborative approach to the Year 9 courses. The English Faculty is spearheading these innovations and we look forward to development of 21st century teaching and learning across the school.

English Children’s Story Books…10JO

In week nine of term four 10JO went to OLV to test out their children’s story books to their target audience. The 10JO student’s task was to write, illustrate and put together their own stories and then take them to OLV to read them.

The boys spent many weeks on their books, getting their stories sorted, their language features in the correct place and finally matching their words with appropriate illustrations. The books included stories about go carts, a stegosaurus, a toad moving house, a dog finding happiness, a naughty dinosaur and a bumblebee named Barry.

After many weeks of work the boys were ready to tackle the task of reading their books to the ruthless but excited audience of room 9 and 10 at OLV. The boys started off a bit nervous and apprehensive but after a couple of readings to their mini groups they were in to it. The expressions and enthusiasm started to flow and the OLV students really enjoyed the books.

Overall it was a great success and the continuation of a good relationship with OLV. Thanks must be given to the OLV teachers, Susanne Stack and Krysia Waaka for letting us into their classrooms and sharing our work with their well-behaved students.