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<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black">Hi folks, </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; color:black">Past text list issues</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="color:black">The Reluctant Fundamentalist</span></i><span style="color:black"> was on,
<i>The Reluctant Fundamentalist</i> went off, <i>The Reluctant</i> <i>Fundamentalist</i> came back on. Now we have 21 texts on the list. Curious!</span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black">The story behind that episode has not been made public, leaving the situation open to speculation about the inclusion, removal, and replacement of a text which shows American capitalism and 9/11 at least partially
from an alternate point of view. Curiouser!</span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; color:black">Current film text issues
</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black">Now, <i>The Old Man Who Read Love Stories</i> has gone off after three years. The reason Sean Box current VCAA English Manager, has given is that few people selected the text.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black">Some of the original decisions for the selection of
<i>The Old Man Who Read Love Stories </i>might come into play here. </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black">My understanding is that</span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black">• there were concerns about the popularity of film texts such as
<i>Look Both Ways</i> and <i>Gattaca</i>. Apparently, it was deemed problem (by some at least) that so many students did these film texts , that they could be seen as easy access, and that a large number of the students who did them were not highly able students.
This apparently informed the decision to attempt to put on a film text that would not be a highly popular blockbuster.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black">• some people had issues with film text in the English curriculum in general, and thought that film texts belong in Media rather than in English. The decision was made to put on a film text is
was possibly worthy but not necessarily popular. If this is true, then an attempt to diminish the role of film in the English curriculum through text selection raises serious questions.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black">Many people were surprised by the selection of
<i>The Old Man Who Read Love Stories</i> and dismayed that the film text seemed aimed at a very narrow cohort.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black">I am really happy with <i>All About Eve</i>, and think it is a pretty good choice and my guess is that it will be popular. My problem is the process and the backstory.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b><span style="color:black">Anyone who is on this list and was on Text Selection Panel chaired by the previous Manager of English, Marion White, who has any specific knowledge might like to write in and tell us more about it.
</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; color:black">The broader issue
</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black">The broader issue that I want to raise again is that if texts are put on the list they should be there for four years. Even if only one teacher is doing it with one class, it needs to be there for the time.
This discussion needs also take into consideration that when teachers might have a text going off the list, they do not necessarily replace it with a brand new one, for instance, they may replace it with one that is in its second year, his gives even less
running time. </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black">I know sometimes texts are put up that turn out to have very few takers ie
<i>Voices and Visions</i>, but I want to support those colleagues who make brave choices and expand the way we think about the text list. So even if texts turn out to be poor choices, we need to leave them on for the four years. The only exception I can see
for this is if not a single student has written on it at the end of year exam, even then I would suggest that we think twice. If teachers cannot be guaranteed the time, then why would anyone select a new form, or different style of text.</span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b><span style="color:black">The Theme</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black">All of these threads combined could be read as a reflection of VCAA making very conservative decisions</span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color:black">Greta Caruso</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt; font-family:"Rockwell Light","serif"; color:black"><img width="434" height="39" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01CE2BA5.E759E6F0" alt="Description: cid:3409834952_8763038"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt; font-family:"Rockwell","serif"; color:black"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt; font-family:"Rockwell","serif"; color:#002F5B">355 Station Street, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia 3128<br>
T: +61 3 9896 1706 </span><span style="font-size:10.5pt; font-family:"Rockwell","serif"; color:#002E5A"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt; font-family:"Rockwell","serif"; color:#002F5B">E:</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt; font-family:"Rockwell","serif"; color:black"><a href="mailto:caruso.g@kingswoodcollege.vic.edu.au"><span style="color:blue">caruso.g@kingswoodcollege.vic.edu.au</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt; color:black"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"Rockwell","serif"; color:black"><a href="http://www.kingswoodcollege.vic.edu.au/"><span style="color:blue">www.kingswoodcollege.vic.edu.au</span></a></span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
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