[English] Re:vels reporting

Thu May 25 12:32:07 EST 2006

Gail - I don't see this as a separation of the good from the bad. Too
often student reports are descriptive of what they have done. If we can
use the comment section to talk about their performance - picking up
strengths and weaknesses - I think the  areas of improvement  can be
written as actions students should take. For example, develop their
notes on text work before they write essays, or practice their talk at
home before presenting to class. 

Cheers

Mary

>>> reynolds.gail.g at edumail.vic.gov.au 25/05/2006 11:04 am >>>
I am in avoidance mode obviously.

The thing that is worrying me at the moment is the new VELs reporting 
system, in particular the comments section which separates the good
from the 
bad.  I have some experience with writing reports in this style and it
is 
cumbersome, adding to the workload, but more to the point, seems to 
encourage a focus on the negatives if one is not extremely careful
about how 
the needs to improve section is written.   The reports themselves don't
ask 
anything that we haven't already been doing, but precludes the "X does
this 
well but... " linked ebb and flow of praise followed by suggestions for

improvement which I have always found to be a powerful tool.

My previous school required us to write this style of report for our
Year 
12's. The first set of this style of reports I wrote resulted in a 
distressed student worrying that they were hopeless because he only
read the 
needs to improve section.  I learnt to be much more circumspect and to
make 
those links in that section.

I am wondering why it is that we don't stand up and shout that these
reports 
are not appropriate for secondary schools?  Are we such well trained
bunnies 
that we meekly just take it?  Seems I am.
Gail

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kathy Skidmore" <skidmore.kathy.l at edumail.vic.gov.au>
To: "VCE English Teachers' Mailing List" <english at edulists.com.au>
Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2006 10:25 AM
Subject: Re: [English] Important .. New English List Information .. 
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> Yes, I also value the conversations on this list - even if I just
look and
> don't respond.
> However, is anyone else feeling a tad snowed under? Marking SACs,
dealing
> with new reports, checking units against VELS, dealing with a new VCE

> course
> next year, keeping up with professional reading... How is everyone
else
> dealing with it? Some people seem to be finding it to be quite a
battle at
> the moment. What are the long-term implications of this? As we know,
our
> correction load is really demanding - especially at this time of
year.
>
>
> On 25/5/06 10:14 AM, "Gail" <reynolds.gail.g at edumail.vic.gov.au>
wrote:
>
>> Thank you Stephen and Kevork.
>> I really value the sharing of information that this list
facilitates. 
>> How
>> nice it is when people come to me for information and I have it at
my 
>> finger
>> tips because either someone on the list has provided it or has
alerted us 
>> to
>> its existence.
>>
>> Gail R
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Stephen Loosley" <stephen at skyoptic.com.au>
>> To: <english at edulists.com.au>
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 9:10 PM
>> Subject: [English] Important .. New English List Information ..
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>> ThisEmail
>>
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