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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-AU link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p>Hi Everyone<o:p></o:p></p><p>I have a need for some help in leadership <span style='font-family:Wingdings'>J</span> I have an English teacher that is being quite prescriptive ( she is quite presecriptive with most things) with the writing forms ‘expository, persuasive and imaginative’. She is not dealing well with the combination of possible forms and voices in written texts. She see them as three completely separate entities. Our teaching of this area of study has evolved over time – and we now see the students as having to ‘create’ as writers using what they know about the Context, text and their understanding of the concepts in a given prompt. This means we have moved away from strict structural controls for a 5 paragraph essay, although we do teach it for those students who need something to hang their work on as they cling to something of a model. In yr 11 we do focus on the three modes – in Unit one we focus on expository and persuasive, in Unit two creative. (We used to try and do all 3 in semester 1 but it became a workload nightmare) . In Units 3-4 students choose freely. <o:p></o:p></p><p>When we first started with context there evolved an understanding of the expository essay form and that wretched formula of third person formal style with 50% use of the text, 25% world and 25% self as a guide for students to structure their writing as informed by the ideas and issues of the set Context and text. While I have not said do not do this I have encouraged the flexibility and creativity of both students and teachers to see that the limits here are on the boundaries of the text and context not the ‘rules’ of a specific writing genre. I wonder if there are ‘rules’. The way I see it there are typical features of writing depending on purpose, audience and form and we need to teach those over the years so that in Yr 12 students are able to use this knowledge and their skills to write a response they feel comfortable with. In expository writing students can explore ideas, look at them from a number of angles, and draw conclusions. We are still experiencing confusion with this – students explaining their work as expository when it clearly argues a view, or vice versa, claiming they have done a persuasive piece that in fact has not clear line of argument and is even lacking a clear contention. The pick ‘persuasive’ simply because in the end they express an opinion. <o:p></o:p></p><p>Then there is that awful question – how much from outside the text has to be included? It seems the struggle with the grey continues with that 50/25/25 formula. I have – after PD recognised this is not the way to encouraged good creation of texts. Last years examiners report confirms this<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>On the other hand, it should be noted that:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:SymbolMT'>• </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>there still seems to be a dependence on formulaic responses, which suggests that some students believe that<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>rote-learning is sufficient. The study of English is concerned with developing students’ understanding and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>confidence in responding to the specific topics and prompts that are offered in the examination. Active<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>engagement with texts enables students to develop language awareness, articulate ideas and develop<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>communication skills<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:SymbolMT'>• </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>some students did not fully engage with the actual elements of the topics and prompts. Greater care needs to be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>taken in analysing and recognising the specific expectations of each topic or prompt – often this comes down<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>to a precise understanding of the words which comprise the task<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>In section B the commentary is quite clear<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>The most successful responses drew thoughtfully from the text; however, the least successful only used a scene or a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>feature of character in a superficial way or retold the plot of the text. This approach was not always relevant to the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>prompt. There can be no definitive advice on the success of relying on a single text or employing both (or more). Some<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>students used the two texts expertly to demonstrate exceptions and qualifications, while others did little more than use<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>the second text to add yet more of the same examples. While students writing using an expository approach tended to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>employ both texts, a number of students explored only one text. Students who used more than one source to illustrate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>their ideas often produced pieces with a strong sense of unity and purpose. This cohesiveness was contrasted by pieces<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>where one idea followed the next as students went through their list of examples. The product was more a plan for an<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>essay than a thoughtful, finished piece.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>The transference of ideas from the texts is critical. Students who understood and could convey sophisticated ideas from<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>their texts were the most successful, regardless of the approach to writing selected.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><a href="http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcaa/vce/studies/english/englishassess/2010/english_assessrep_10.pdf"><span style='color:windowtext'>http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcaa/vce/studies/english/englishassess/2010/english_assessrep_10.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p>Our focus has been much more on the concepts and ideas in the prompt and text than in writing to a specific formula. Our returning prescriptive teacher is more focussed on the required form and wanting rigorous specific supplementary texts included in the study. I will refer her to this examiners report and others have provided her with documentation from inservices– but can anyone offer useful definitions of the ‘three explicit’ forms because I can’t. I prefer to paint the grey lines and encourage students to create with the focus much more on the connection of the concepts and texts. In this instance the labelling of expository, persuasive or imaginative is squishing the potential to write from the heart and mind if it is done as this teacher is suggesting. SO…..<o:p></o:p></p><p>What suggestions do you have about what I should say to her other than to send her on PD to meet the examiners –I have not yet marked this section so I am at a bit of a loss and relying very much on my experience teaching it, PD and examiners reports. <o:p></o:p></p><p>Thanks<o:p></o:p></p><p>PS….to add to confusion some publications are now using the word exposition for persuasive writing – how do we deal with that? <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Jenny Gilbert<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>English Coordinator, St Joseph's College Mildura<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Linked IN<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://nenifoofer.edublogs.org/"><span style='color:windowtext'>Blog</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://msgsresources.wikispaces.com/"><span style='color:windowtext'>Wiki</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/nenifoofer"><span style='color:windowtext'>Diigo</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Jens <a href="http://livebinders.com/edit?id=6500"><span style='color:windowtext'>PLN at Live Binders</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Twitter - @nenifoofer<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>