We need a new home

Dr Rod's English Blog has become a huge success, but we are totally frustrated by our limitations of being a Blog. The Blog acted really great in the beginning but as we have grown and our readership increased from 50 to over 19000 in 4 months we realize we need a different format and to offer many other things that we just cannot do.

We have identified areas where students from across the world need to work together - to collaborate, so see other kids work. We have seen teachers crying out for varied resources as well as original ideas. We never thought of our self as UNIQUE, yet we have become so. Every day I get letters asking for help on essays, exams, Shakespeare and hundreds of other things and yet many have to go unanswered.


So we need HELP! We cannot do this by a Blog any longer. I know Front Page and can work well with that. I would love to develop this site into an open resource linking together students of all ages from Year 5 through University. But they cannot search through Blog entries after Blog entries. So please, if there is anyone out there who can help us with a dedicated site - sorry we have NO money! And can help us get going for three months before the new school year begins PLEASE contact us here!


Write today! The possibilities are endless and the audience as you can see in UNIVERSAL not just USA, Europe but from Mongolia to Lesotho, Columbia to Yemen, Russia, Hong Kong, the lists is over 120 different countries. If your company today can help us PLEASE let me know.


Thanks Dr. Rod

Write to me here!

Year End Paperwork

 

The last day of school will be FRIDAY JUNE 6th, 2008

REPORT cards will be issued on FRIDAY JUNE 13th, 2008 and should be collected by students on that date.

 

SUMMER SCHOOL: students will be advised who 'should' attend summer school during the next 2 weeks. Summer school will be held between MONDAY 9th of June and FRIDAY 20th of June between the hours of 09:00 and 12:00 - Monday - Friday only.

QCA List of Authors every teenager should read.

QCA recently published a list of authors they believe EVERY teenager should - whether it is reading an entire novel or through an anthology examples of their writing. Reading is fast becoming a lost 'art', so often children and teenagers spend more time in front of their computer, DVD or PS3 than they do reading. Yet reading is the essence of the English language and as such must be encouraged. Here is the new list of authors - note the influence of world literature reflecting the need for understanding of different cultures.

How many of these authors have you read or know?

From Meera Syal to Charles Dickens: Ken Boston's list for 14- to 16-year-olds

Contemporary writers

Douglas Adams, Richard Adams, Fleur Adcock, Isabel Allende, Simon Armitage, Alan Ayckbourn, JG Ballard, Pat Barker, Alan Bennett, Alan Bleasdale, Bill Bryson, Angela Carter, Bruce Chatwin, Brian Clark, Gillian Clarke, Robert Cormier, Jennifer Donnelly, Keith Douglas, Roddy Doyle, Carol Ann Duffy, UA Fanthorpe, John Fowles, Brian Friel, Mark Haddon, Willis Hall, David Hare, Tony Harrison, Susan Hill, SE Hinton, Jackie Kay, Harper Lee, Laurie Lee, Andrea Levy, Joan Lingard, Penelope Lively, Liz Lochhead, Mal Peet, Philip Pullman, Peter Porter, Willy Russell, Jo Shapcott, RC Sherriff, Zadie Smith, Arnold Wesker

English literary heritage

Matthew Arnold, Jane Austen, William Blake, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Robert Browning, John Bunyan, Lord Byron, Geoffrey Chaucer, William Congreve, John Clare, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Wilkie Collins, Joseph Conrad, Daniel Defoe, Charles Dickens, John Donne, John Dryden, George Eliot, Henry Fielding, Elizabeth Gaskell, Oliver Goldsmith, Thomas Hardy, George Herbert, Robert Herrick, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Henry James, John Keats, Christopher Marlowe, Andrew Marvell, John Milton, Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, RB Sheridan, Edmund Spenser, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jonathan Swift, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Anthony Trollope, Henry Vaughan, HG Wells, Oscar Wilde, William Wordsworth, Sir Thomas Wyatt

Twentieth century heritage list

Kingsley Amis, WH Auden, TS Eliot, EM Forster, Robert Frost, William Golding, Graham Greene, Seamus Heaney, Ted Hughes, Aldous Huxley, Elizabeth Jennings, James Joyce, Philip Larkin, DH Lawrence, Katherine Mansfield, Sean O'Casey, George Orwell, Wilfred Owen, Harold Pinter, Slyvia Plath, JB Priestley, Siegfried Sassoon, Peter Shaffer, George Bernard Shawe, Stevie Smith, Muriel Spark, Dylan Thomas, Edward Thomas, RS Thomas, William Trevor, Evelyn Waugh, John Wyndham, WB Yeats

Writers from different cultures and traditions

Chinua Achebe, John Agard, Monica Ali, Maya Angelou, Moniza Alvi, Isaac Bashevis-Singer, James Berry, Edward Brathwaite, Anita Desai, Emily Dickinson, F Scott Fitzgerald, Athol Fugard, Jamila Gavin, Nadine Gordimer, Arthur Miller, Doris Lessing, Les Murray, Beverly Naidoo, RK Narayan, Grace Nichols, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Wole Soyinka, John Steinbeck, Meera Syal, Bali Rai, Mildred D Taylor, Mark Twain, Derek Walcott, Walt Whitman, Tennessee Williams, Adeline Yen Mah, Benjamin Zephaniah

IGCSE English as a Second Language

 

This course is designed for students who have English as their second or additional language. It is a full IGCSE course that is accepted at A-Level and Universities around the world as a valid English Language qualification.

The IGCSE ESL is a skills based course that aims to enable students to do the following:

• To develop the ability to use English effectively for the purpose of practical communication in a variety of situations.
• To form a sound base for the skills required for further study and employment using English as the medium.
• To develop an awareness of the nature of language and language learning skills along with skills of a more general application, (e.g. writing for specific purposes, analysing and synthesizing material).

Students are examined on Reading and Writing for 2 hours and on Listening Skills for 40 minutes. There is also a 15-minute oral examination.

All students are currently required to take the English Language (First Language) exam – which takes place in May at the end of Year 11. The IGCSE ESL exam is therefore taken in November, soon after students enter Year 11 and offers students an additional English language qualification.

What are the advantages of taking IGCSE ESL ?

• No long coursework assignments – improve your speaking confidence with the 15-minute oral assessment.
• Better English Language reading and writing skills that are useful in all subjects.
• Improved general knowledge and vocabulary from exposure to newspapers and magazines.
• Exposure to radio and television excerpts to enhance listening skills.
• Developing Oral confidence and speaking skills through short group discussions, presentations and speeches.
• Summarizing, skimming, scanning and note-taking skills.
• Writing in different registers, both formal and informal. Writing for specific purposes - reports, business letters, letters of complaint, persuasion, transactions, arguments etc.
• Less examination pressure in May, because you take this one in November. Lots more time after November in Year 11 to work on improving subject coursework in other subjects and developing revision and study skills.
• Two useful English Language GCSE grades – IGCSE ESL and the English as a First Language.

 

For Further Information :

Please see Dr. Rod

English and English Literature at MIST

 

IGCSE – English Language – (OCR 0500)

IGCSE – English Literature – (Edexcel 4360)

During the two year course, all of you will study for two IGCSE qualifications- English and English Literature. Although examined separately, these will be taught as one course during your weekly lessons of English.

IGCSE stands for International General Certificate of Secondary Education. As an international school, with many different cultures and beliefs, we feel that this course offers a greater range of opportunities and challenges that relate well to our students. The IGCSE qualifications are run by Edexcel International and Cambridge University in England and are fully recognised by universities and centres of higher education worldwide.

In the English Language component you will study a wide range of fiction and non-fiction, examining how writers construct texts, as well as extracting information for your own writing tasks. Imaginative, personal and creative writing will also be important elements of the course. You will be asked to write in a variety of ways and for different purposes, ranging from descriptive to informative and argumentative writing. Every piece of work that you complete in English could count as coursework, which makes up 50% of your final mark.

Another area of English Language that you will study is Speaking and Listening. You will be asked to use appropriate language in a variety of situations, including personal anecdotes, speechmaking and debating. You will develop an awareness of how language changes depending on situation in both speech and writing.

In the English Literature component you will read a novel, a play and a selection of poems. You will be asked questions on two of these texts in your final examination, which makes up 70% of your final mark and to write an analysis of poetry for your coursework, which makes up the remaining 30% of your final mark. There will be an emphasis on learning about the literary techniques and language used by authors as well as looking at themes and ideas in a variety of texts. You will be asked to make comparisons between texts and to relate the ideas and issues that are raised to one another.

When you receive your examination marks at the end of Year Eleven you will be awarded three final grades and three qualifications as a result of this. One grade will be for English Language and with this will be a separated Speaking and Listening grade; the third grade will be for English Literature. It is possible to be awarded different grades in all three areas.

English Language and Literature are subjects that both allow a great deal of creativity, imagination and personal writing. However, they also both require hard work and determination. With these pre-requisites we believe you have every chance for success.

 

For Further Information :

Please see Dr. Rod

Teacher Talk for Parents

 

Teacher talk

Here are some of the words and phrases you may hear teachers use - and what they mean.

attainment target

Each National Curriculum subject has one or more attainment targets. Attainment targets help teachers decide how well students have learned what they have been taught. Each attainment target is made up of eight level descriptions and ‘exceptional performance’. They are a kind of measure. Each level is like the rung of a ladder - students should move up through the level descriptions as they grow older and make progress

breadth

National Curriculum subjects have a section about ‘breadth of study’.

This says that your child is entitled to be taught through a range of important learning experiences. For example, in English the National Curriculum says that your child should study drama, fiction and poetry, from classic and contemporary writers, and from different cultures and traditions. These deepen and broaden your child’s experience of the subject.

CATs

Cognitive Abilities Tests. These are tests which we run for all students at the start of year 7 and year 9. They come from the British based National Foundation for Educational Research and give a snapshot of students’ acquired abilities in thinking with number, with patterns and with words. We use these to help us to identify and build upon students’ particular strengths and preferred ways of working and to provide an indication of their potential in various areas of the curriculum in order to set challenging but realistic targets. Broad results of these are reported to parents with the usual school reports.

English as an additional language (EAL)  English as a Second Language (ESL)

Students who speak English as an additional language, rather than as their first language, may need extra help with their reading and writing tasks across the curriculum. They will need lots of opportunities to talk with English-speaking adults and other students about their work, thoughts and feelings. Often what they need most is varied, vibrant teaching that involves visual resources, sound, speaking and writing to make it easier for them to learn in English while developing their academic skills in the language. We may recommend that some students take separate EAL lessons while others receive extra support in their other lessons. Some students for whom English is an additional language may also have special educational needs.

ICT

This stands for information and communication technology, which includes the use of computers, the internet, and video and sound recording equipment. This subject used to be called ‘information technology’.

key stage

A key stage is a block of years in your child’s schooling. Key stage 1 covers the first two years a child spends at school (aged 5-7), key stage 2 the next four (aged 7-11), key stage 3 ages 11-14, and key stage 4 ages 14-16.

levels (level descriptions)

Each level is a measure teachers use to check how much your child knows, understands, and can do. See ‘attainment target’ above.

Programme of study

Every National Curriculum subject has a programme of study. This sets out what your child is entitled to be taught in schools. The main part of this guide summarises the programmes of study and the attainment targets (see above).

‘SATs’

Many people call National Curriculum QCA tests and tasks by the name of ‘SATs’. Some schools use National Curriculum optional tests in other years, to track students’ progress.

Special educational needs (SEN)

Students have special educational needs if they have learning difficulties that make it much harder for them to learn than most students of the same age. SEN includes students with a range of physical or sensory difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties or difficulties with speech, language or social interaction. These students may need to be helped more than other students of the same age, and perhaps in different ways. If you think your child has SEN your first step should be to talk to your child’s form Home Room teacher.

year 7, year 8 (etc)

Because students in a school year have birthdays in different months, it is simpler for schools not to talk about the year by referring to the age of the students in it. Instead, they talk about the number of years since students began key stage 1.

Parent Conference Round Up

On Wednesday we hosted the Year 9 - 11 parent conference. Turnout was lower than expected however I would like to thank all the parents who took their time to visit with me and discuss their child's progress in English.

I remind parents that they can always contact me via a note in school, by phone or through email. The last 7 weeks of school are upon us and therefore the end of year exams are on the horizon. please encourage your child to work hard and complete all their homework and class assignments. The weather will be getting hotter and the classrooms having their own 'Greenhouse effect!' Please ensure your child has water to bring to class.

Again thanks for coming and your support!

English Progress Reports

Rationale:

In keeping with the National Curriculum Key Stage 3 and 4 objectives and standards I have created a simple progress report that takes each standard in English KS3 and KS4 so that the teacher can give a report which is comprehensive in nature and probably more useful to parents than the standard semester report card.

In the report the teacher is going to indicate the attainment level of the student within MIST, that is within their class. Additionally there is a mark for where the student would 'fit' or be rated IF they were attending school in the United Kingdom. The second grade is therefore based upon the opinion of the teacher and his/her experience in teaching NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS. It would be anticipated that in many situations the MIST grade would be higher than that of a comparison with a Native English Speaking child of the same age.

The report shows all competancies that are to be covered within year Key Stages 3 and 4. (Other teachers are encouraged to use these forms and your comments would be appreciated. If you want a pdf of these papers please write to me.)

Parent Conference Day

There will be a parent conference for the students in Years 9, 10 and 11 on Wednesday, 16th April, 2008 from 15:00 - 17:00 at the school. Teachers will be available to discuss the mid semester progress of your children.

Some Parent Conference Pointers (For Parents)

The most important part of the conference is the ride home in the car.

It is important to approach your child in a positive way. Even if the conference was discouraging or disappointing to you, a punishing or faultfinding attitude on your part is not going to be part of the solution.

Parent conferences are one of the more valuable parts of your child's educational experience. I can recall being a young teacher and meeting the parents of my students. The wonderful people I met over the years amaze me. I, like many other teachers, have stories of enlightening conferences that allowed me the privilege of gaining insight into a child's life and background. Like other teachers, I sat and waited for the parents of a struggling student hoping to meet an ally who could help me engage this child in a meaningful way. The parents who did not attend the conferences sometimes told me more about the child than those folks who dutifully attended. In short, there is nothing you can do that will encourage your children and ensure success more than to be an involved partner in their education.

To enhance your conference experience, be prepared. Ask your child how school is going. Your student has a pretty good idea of whether he understands the material and is completing homework and keeping up in class. See if he has any concerns that he wants you to bring up. However, save the really heavy-duty problems for another time when the teacher is not so pressed for time. It is also a good idea to take a pen and paper along to take some notes. Just like any other important meeting, it is easy to forget to ask about something you wanted to know.

Please introduce yourself to the teacher. Even if you have met her before, she may not recall your name. I can't tell you the panic that grips a teacher's heart at the end of a long day of conferences when a parent says that they are Jimmy's mom and dad and you draw a total blank.

"Hi, we are Jim Smith's parents Mary and Tom," not only identifies you and your child but also gives the teacher an opportunity to switch gears from the previous conference and focus on you.
Here are some questions that you might ask the teacher.

• Is my child respectful?
• Does he or she listen carefully and follow directions?
• Is homework completed?
• Does my child participate?
• How can I help?
• If I need to contact you, how can I do that?

The most important part of the conference is the ride home in the car. It is important to approach your child in a positive way. Even if the conference was discouraging or disappointing to you, a punishing or faultfinding attitude on your part is not going to be part of the solution. Chances are that your child has a pretty good idea that things may not have gone so well, and your child is probably anxious to hear what the teacher had to say. Returning home with a positive attitude is most productive for your child. This is a prime opportunity for you to become part of the solution rather than someone who is criticizing.

More specifically, always catch your child being good. Begin your comments with something positive. Be conscious that you are very important in your child's life and that your approval is necessary. Shouting, finding faults and punishing simply lower self-esteem. First, praise. Find something good to say, then plan with your child how to remediate problems. Substitute the plan for punishment. Let the plan fit the problem. Remember that when we as adults "blow our top" when we are frustrated with our children we actually feel better because we release some of our tension. However, many things said in anger can remain with a child a long time and can harm your relationship with your child.

For example, if you are upset that your child talks too much in the classroom and interrupts the teacher, formulate a plan to help him manage behavior and be responsible for his actions. You may decide to tell him to sit in the front of the room (you'll need teacher cooperation for this to happen, of course). He may have a Post-It note on his desk that says, "Quiet!" There are also behavior cues that a student can give himself to maintain control. The plan should fit the problem and to ground your child for the weekend for bad behavior in school does nothing about the conduct in school except build resentment. Instead, teaching him self-control by spending an hour in the evening quietly reading and teaching him to calm down and be patient is much more productive.

It's important that you start off on the right foot with your children's teacher, be supportive of what she is trying to accomplish with your students, and look for ways you can form a collaboration and an alliance. Establish some goals for your child, and by all means keep it positive and not confrontational.

Linda Olsen
Linda Olsen has taught high school English for 25 years. She was a high school guidance counselor for 9 years. She has a master's degree in clinical counseling and has been an adolescent mental health therapist. Her comments are based on theory, experience and common sense. Material for this column is prepared in collaboration with our own team of Dubuque School District Guidance Counselors. Any specific information regarding your students or teachers should be directed to your school building's counselor.

The Value of Attendance, (For PARENTS)

Are your children attending school regularly?


Do your children make excuses to stay home from school?


Do you miss work because you don't feel like going to work?


Imagine this:


Your child is prompt, ready to go to school. Everything is packed in the bookbag. Homework is complete. Breakfast is over and the dishes are in the dishwasher. Your child is eager to get out of the house and off to school. From the moment you woke up this morning, everything at your household went smooth without any problems.

Who are we kidding? This scenario is a dream of every parent.

The reality is somewhat different. Getting off to work and school in the morning can be a nightmare. In some households from the time the alarm goes off till the front door is locked, parents find the greatest challenges of raising children.

To alleviate some of the morning hassles, try the following three steps:

• Stop and think about your own attitude when it comes to attending your job.

Do you look forward to your job?


Do you start your morning with a new and bright outlook on the day?


When give the choices of a positive or negative outlook, you can choose a frame of reference that can be contagious to your children. Remember modeling is the key to parenting.


• Talk with your children about the benefits of good attendance.


Let your children know that attending school has long lasting benefits. The payoffs include:


• Life long learning. If I miss school, I miss the learning opportunities.
• Job routine. Going to school regularly will prepare you for attending your job regularly.
• If you want to be successful, your attendance will be an indicator of your future success.
• Help your children to see that morning will set the tone for the whole day.


Do something to set a positive morning tone in your household.

Be creative.

Maybe it is breakfast or music or cheerful conversations. Teach your children that what happens in the morning can and will effect the rest of the day.

Sometimes we take the little things for granted. We can be so focused on appointments, the activities after school, or the next holiday, that we forget the simple things in life that can make a world of difference. Make the morning and attendance of your job and the children's school a top priority. Start your day with an attitude that today will make a difference in the lives of everyone who resides under the same roof.

Sandy Ragona and Stefani Weber are Guidance Counselors at Kennedy Elementary School in Dubuque. Sandy has recently authored a book entitled, " Please Stop, I Don't Like That!” and it's available from Amazon.com Sandy is one of the district's foremost authorities on bullying behavior.

What is HOMEWORK?????? (For Parents to understand!)

Does the mere mention of the word “homework” send chills down your spine? Do you envision sitting at the kitchen table for hours helping your child complete their homework? Is it a battle of the wills to even get your child to sit at the table to start doing homework? Do you get so frustrated you do the work for your child? These are situations that can occur in any household. How to end the homework “hassle” is a question asked by parents.

Questions to Consider:

• Whose responsibility is it to do the homework? Yours or the child?
• Does your child understand the assignment given?
• Is there a routine time and place set for the child to do homework?

Homework is meant to be practice for children of concepts they learned in school that day. Homework reinforces the learning and gives children a chance to independently practice what they have learned.

Tips to Remember:

• Homework is between your child and the teacher. If the child does not complete their homework, this allows the teacher to discover the reason – didn't understand, chose to do other things, or whatever. The child needs to take responsibility for what was not completed.
• Don't help unless your child asks. Only explain what they need to do, resist doing the work for them. Otherwise what lesson has your child learned ? If I whine and say I can't do it long enough, mom or dad will do it for me.
• Avoid the urge to rescue your child. Whether your child completes their homework or not, is not a reflection on you. It does say something about the child. When children are allowed to experience the consequences of their actions, they internalize the message.
• You can assist your child by making sure they have a regular time and place to do homework. Make sure they have the necessary supplies – paper, pencils, erasers, crayons, etc.
• Smile and encourage them. Let them know you believe they are capable and responsible. You know they will do a good job.

Sandy Ragona and Stefani Weber are Guidance Counselors at Kennedy Elementary School in Dubuque,Iowa, USA. Sandy has recently authored a book entitled, " Please Stop, I Don't Like That!” and it's available from Amazon.com Sandy is one of the district's foremost authorities on bullying behavior.