[English] Study Design and Expected Qualities
Mary Mason
mary.mason at bigpond.com
Sun Sep 9 21:26:58 EST 2012
The difficulty in using TEEL is developing an argument so that it builds and
deconstructs the text in subtle and nuanced ways but it is also voice which
I think is the most important thing in student work. . Students must have
their own readings of texts and feel passionate about their readings.Then
they will have language to express those ideas. I always used to tell my
students to plunge into the question - get rid of 'In the novel the
Reluctant Fundamentalist' by... and come out with something which takes them
in the centre of their arguments they wanted to make and startle their
marker with their authenticity. I know too we all get students to come up
with their own readings of the text and then to find supporting evidence
quotes. Libbi Gorr calls this a fact file. I like that. A fact file allows a
student to look at a prompt/question and work out how she/he will structure
an argument about the novel and manipulate the question to show their
reading, using their factfile. To go back to the original question put about
the range of interpretations. In a novel like The Reluctant Fundamentalist
the author Hamid deliberately leaves the novel as ambiguous - he invites
multiple interpretations - of course that is my one interpretation of it! I
agree though that the study design is ambiguous here and needs more
clarification. But perhaps the student is required to see the possibility of
other interpretations even though they go down the path of one? Interested
in your thoughts.
Mary
-----Original Message-----
From: english-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:english-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Jackson Bates
Sent: Sunday, 9 September 2012 8:58 PM
To: english at edulists.com.au
Subject: Re: [English] Study Design and Expected Qualities
Hi all,
Jan, I am sorry to hear that that is your faculty policy. You must be
horribly frustrated?
I'm so glad to hear this distaste for TEEL being voiced. I have so many
articulate and intelligent 18 year olds sounding like utter morons because
they are trying to stick to TEEL. While the misconception that they link to
the next paragraph is bad enough, I also hate the way it seems to train them
to make a point, support it with one piece of evidence and then move on to
their next point. So few seem to build thorough arguments or interpretations
following the TEEL model.
I would like to round up the inventor of TEEL with whoever it was that
started telling students that they always have to write an introduction,
three body paragraphs and a conclusion, or write one paragraph per key
character, and lock them in a room with an eternity's worth of mediocre
Creating and Presenting essays to mark as a punishment!
What we need to be teaching students is how to read the prompt and offer a
thoughtful response to it. And if I hear the phrase "but my tutor said..."
one more time I will scream!
(I feel somewhat better now. Bring on Monday.)
Regards,
Jackson Bates
Waverley Christian College
On 09/09/2012, at 8:41 PM, "english-request at edulists.com.au"
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> 1. Re: Study Design and Expected Qualities (Jan May)
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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2012 10:40:12 +0000
> From: Jan May <Jan.May at stleonards.vic.edu.au>
> Subject: Re: [English] Study Design and Expected Qualities
> To: "VCE English Teachers' Mailing List" <english at edulists.com.au>
> Message-ID:
> <F565901B-79CC-4823-9008-3B464E23E509 at stleonards.vic.edu.au>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"
>
> You've encapsulated my thoughts perfectly, Mary. I didn't express myself
clearly enough when I mentioned scaffolding.
> Not easy though when you have to follow fac policy of TEEL and you
disagree with it. So I just agree to disagree and don't use the acronyms.
> And you are right - there's been a surge in prescriptive formulas. Leave
them to mathematics.
> Jan
>
>
>
>
>
> On 09/09/2012, at 8:05 PM, "Mary Mason"
<mary.mason at bigpond.com<mailto:mary.mason at bigpond.com>> wrote:
>
> Can I say how much I agree about the difference between scaffolding and
TEEL. I cannot think of anything more able to deaden a student?s voice than
TEEL. That is not to say that some students need structure but to inflict
this on the whole class is a recipe for disaster. Every year the examiners
talk about how students should not write formulaic responses. Yet it
continues. In fact, I would say that TEEL is more prescriptive now than when
I started teaching. Perhaps it was called something different then.
>
> Mary
>
> From:
> english-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:english-bounces at edulists.com.au
> > [mailto:english-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Reynolds, Gail
> G
> Sent: Sunday, 9 September 2012 3:19 PM
> To: VCE English Teachers' Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [English] Study Design and Expected Qualities
>
>
> I think there is a difference between scaffolding and formula, one is a
coathanger for the students' interpretations, the other is a prescriptive
format. There may be a (hopefully temporary) place for the former but none
for the latter...
>
> Gail
>
> ________________________________
> From:
> english-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:english-bounces at edulists.com.au
> >
> [english-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:english-bounces at edulists.com.a
> u>] on behalf of Jan May
> [Jan.May at stleonards.vic.edu.au<mailto:Jan.May at stleonards.vic.edu.au>]
> Sent: Sunday, 9 September 2012 2:55 PM
> To: VCE English Teachers' Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [English] Study Design and Expected Qualities Well said
> about formulas, Gail. We don't want all our students to become 'clones'.
Individual interpretation makes reading and writing about texts more
engaging.
> Instead of TEEL, we need EII. Encourage Individual Interpretation.
>
> I'd better add a disclaimer. These are my personal views and not
necessarily those of others with whom I work. Although, I do acknowledge
that some weaker students do benefit from having a clearly scaffolded task.
>
>
> Jan May
>
>
>
> On 09/09/2012, at 1:53 PM, "Reynolds, Gail G"
<reynolds.gail.g at edumail.vic.gov.au<mailto:reynolds.gail.g at edumail.vic.gov.a
u>> wrote:
>
> Janny is absolutely right, but I'd also add that your interpretation
> may not be the same as my interpretation but both could be valid if
> properly supported through reference to the text. Students should be
> encouraged to develop their own 'reading' of both text and questions
> ... and firmly disuaded from formulaic answers like those that a rouge
> tutor (and bane of my teaching life) is 'teaching' far too many of
> our students! (grrrrrrr!!!)
>
>
>
> Back to SAC marking
>
>
>
> Gail
>
> ________________________________
> From:
> english-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:english-bounces at edulists.com.au
> >
> [english-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:english-bounces at edulists.com.a
> u>] on behalf of
> mccurryj at netspace.net.au<mailto:mccurryj at netspace.net.au>
> [mccurryj at netspace.net.au<mailto:mccurryj at netspace.net.au>]
> Sent: Sunday, 9 September 2012 11:39 AM
> To: VCE English Teachers' Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [English] Study Design and Expected Qualities I assume
> that the proposition in the topic represents an interpretation. The range
of possible topics suggests a range of possible interpretations, giving more
or less weight to different aspects of the text. I would not assume that,
in a given response, the student is necessarily required to 'provide a range
of interpretations' but to show the ability to discuss a specific claim
about a text. These ideas are picked up again in the specifications to
Section A of the exam in the material that prefaces the 2009 sample exam-
the famous four dot points. .
>
> Cheers, Janny
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From:
> "VCE English Teachers' Mailing List"
> <english at edulistscom.au<mailto:english at edulistscom.au>>
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> To:
> "VCE English Teachers' Mailing List"
> <english at edulists.com.au<mailto:english at edulists.com.au>>
> Cc:
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> Sent:
> Sun, 9 Sep 2012 11:00:16 +1000
> Subject:
> [English] Study Design and Expected Qualities
>
> People may remember my discussion on Expected Qualities a while back. Well
looking at the current study design I wonder why a key element in the
flagship statement:
>
> ?On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse,
> either orally or in writing, how a selected text constructs meaning,
> conveys ideas and values, and is open to a range of interpretations.?
> (My italics.)
>
> Is not being represented in the Expected qualities at all? Namely,
question of students providing a range of interpretations.
>
> The idea of interpretation being a key element in the course is mentioned
again in the skills list:
>
> ? discuss and compare possible interpretations of texts using evidence
> from the text;
>
>
> Any thoughts?
>
>
> (extract from current study design below)
>
>
> Reading and responding
>
> This area of study focuses on the reading of a range of literary texts
> to develop critical and supported responses.
> Students examine the structures, features and conventions used by
> authors of a range of selected texts to construct meaning They
> identify, discuss and analyse these in order to explain how meaning is
> constructed through textual elements such as language and images. They
> also examine the ways in which the same text is open to different
> interpretations by different readers; for example, the ways in which a
> text can be read differently in a different time, place or culture.
> They describe and analyse the way in which social, historical and/or
cultural values are embodied in texts, and develop oral and written
responses to a selected text, using appropriate metalanguage. The term
?selected text? refers to a text chosen from the list of prescribed texts in
Text List 1 published annually in the VCAA Bulletin.
>
> Outcome 1
> On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse,
> either orally or in writing, how a selected text constructs meaning,
conveys ideas and values, and is open to a range of interpretations.
> To achieve this outcome the student will draw on knowledge and related
> skills outlined in area of study 1.
> Key knowledge
> This knowledge includes
> ? an understanding of the ideas, characters and themes constructed by
> the author and presented in the selected text; ? the structures,
> features and conventions used by authors to construct meaning in a
> range of literary texts; ? methods of analysing complex texts and the
> social, historical and/or cultural values embodied in texts; ? the
> ways in which the same text is open to different interpretations by
> different readers; ? strategies and techniques for constructing a
> supported analysis of a text, including a knowledge of the
> metalanguage appropriate to the analysis and to the text type; ? key
> elements of oral language conventions and usage in a range of text
> types; ? features of spoken texts which successfully engage audiences;
> ? techniques for managing feedback and leading discussion; ? the
conventions of spelling, punctuation and syntax of Standard Australian
English.
> Key skills
> These skills include the ability to
> ? critically analyse texts and the ways in which authors construct
> meaning; ? analyse the social, historical and/or cultural values
> embodied in texts; ? discuss and compare possible interpretations of
> texts using evidence from the text; ? use appropriate metalanguage to
> construct a supported analysis of a text; ? plan and revise written
> work for fluency and coherence; ? apply oral language conventions in a
> chosen oral text type; ? engage an audience through interested and
> varied language use; ? respond to audience interest and engagement; ?
> use the conventions of spelling, punctuation and syntax of Standard
Australian English.
>
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