English Studies In 2017, students in Year 8 and Year 9 experienced English delivered as projects, sometimes integrated with Humanities and at other times, as a discrete stand-alone subject. This exciting approach to the delivery of English, not only encourages students to engage more deeply with text, but to work as a team to create products that are presented in real world settings.The implementation of Project Based Learning in core subjects, allows students to investigate topics, themes and issues in depth. The initial data from this year in terms of learning outcomes and engagement are very encouraging. With the implementation of the new VCE study guide, students in Year 11 and Year 12 have embraced the comparison of texts, analysis of language to persuade an audience and the opportunity to respond to texts in a creative way. The implementation of ‘Edrolo’ – an online flipped learning resource – has enabled Year 12 students to access content from expert presenters beyond the classroom. Year 12 students began the year with the study of the gothic classic, ‘Frankenstein’. In early Term 3, Josh Nelson’s engaging presentation on the comparative texts,‘Invictus’ and ‘Ransom’ prepared the students well for their School-assessed Coursework task. Michael Goss - English Curriculum Area Leader YEAR 7 ENGLISH In 2017, Year 7 students at St Joseph’s College were given the opportunity to engage with visiting authors Oliver Phommavanh and Michael Panckridge. Both writers shared stories of their families and childhoods, and explained how their experiences continue to inspire their writing. The boys also learned about what it is to be a published author and gained insight into the processes involved in writing a novel. Year 7 Reflections on meeting Oliver and Michael: I enjoyed it when Michael Panckridge came to Joey’s because when he was talking, it was mostly about when he was our age to inspire us to write stories. I was actually interested in what he was talking about because he was talking about footy and sports and stories from his childhood. – Adam Puglia Oliver was my favourite out of the two authors because he was really funny and brought lots of props when he talked to us. I also liked him because he had lots of energy when he ran around the stage. He was very entertaining and I enjoyed listening to his talk. – Oliver Telfer I thought that what Oliver said was very interesting about Oliver Pho
mmavanh
how he got his inspiration and I thought it was a bit funny. It made me want to read his book but then he told me that it wasn’t getting sold anymore and I was annoyed because it sounded really interesting. But I realised that I wouldn’t like to be a writer because it sounded like it was something that you need lots of patience for and I’m not very patient. – Tom Pearson Year 7 English Reflections In English this year, I enjoyed going to the library and writing my first essay. – Gabriel Brdar In English this year, I have been challenged by spelling and grammar. I have worked hard to overcome them and I think I am improving. – William Watt In English this year, I have developed my essay writing skills. I used detail, punctuation and editing skills. – Joshua Manly In English this year, I have enjoyed reading books like Thai-riffic! – Joseph Lucas YEAR 10 LITERATURE As a student of English Literature, it was a pleasant surprise when I was asked to write for the school about the subject and what literature entails, and have a chance to share my own experiences that I have gathered throughout the year. I was always keen on the idea of furthering my English abilities the same way it is possible to do so in Maths, so when I was offered the opportunity to be part of the extended English class for Year 10, it was something I couldn’t pass on. Most of the boys in the class will agree that the reason Extension English is such a successful class, is that all students who are involved love English and are actively trying to improve their skills. I didn’t realise how beneficial this united passion for the subject would be until I started the year, but it was something that I was positively surprised by. The curriculum covered in this course differs from mainstream English in several ways. Extension English students this year were given a wide variety of texts such as novels, plays and films ranging from Shakespeare’s classic “Macbeth” to an under the radar film “The Black Balloon” which focused on disability and the effects that it has. After having such a great year, it was hard for me to select my favourite moment, however my highlight reel consists of learning Macbeth in Term 2 and submitting my Heywire piece. Heywire is a challenge hosted by the ABC; the task was to
being “Th ai-Riffic”
Books by Michael Pankridge
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