English Community

Riveting Reads: Boys into Books 11–14

Make use of this list of books designed to attract and enthuse boys about reading for pleasure. It includes classic novels with a variety of themes as well as fact-based books, history, and humour.
http://www.sla.org.uk/boys-into-books-overview.php
18-09-2008

Book BackChat

Check out the books for Book Backchat for term 4, and encourage your students to participate in these discussions.
http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/bookchat/next.php
18-09-2008

PISA 2006: Reading Literacy – How ready are our 15-year-olds for tomorrow's world?

Read this report describing New Zealand’s results for reading literacy in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006, which covers 57 countries. It expands on information already released in international and national reports in December 2007.
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/series/2543/pisa_2006/29190
/29191

18-09-2008

New Zealand Post National Schools Poetry Awards

The 2008 winners of this award were announced on Friday 22 August. Visit the site to view the media release and read the winning and shortlisted poems. The judges' reports discuss the winning poems and offer advice for emerging writers.
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/modernletters/activities/school-poetry/schools-po
etry.aspx

27-08-2008

Essay competition for Māori learners

Encourage your year 7–13 Māori students to participate in the Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board Essay Competition. Check out the website for more details.
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/educationSectors/MaoriEducation/Initiatives/Ngari
muEssayCompetition.aspx

26-08-2008

Create Readers

Check out this National Library blog about children's and young people's literature (especially from New Zealand), literacy research, and ways to encourage enthusiasm for reading. The site contains social software and user-contributed content. It is recommended that teachers are discerning when using with students.
http://createreaders.natlib.govt.nz/
20-08-2008

Ki te Aotūroa Improving Inservice Educator Learning and Practice

Explore this set of learning materials developed for inservice teacher educators (ISTEs) who support classroom teachers and school leaders in their professional learning and development. The materials discuss generic areas of ISTE knowledge and expertise, and examine what effective ISTE practice and learning look like and how to achieve it.
http://www.instep.net.nz/
19-08-2008

e-Learning Teacher Fellowships 2009

Applications for the e-Learning Teacher Fellowships for 2009 are now open. Up to 10 classroom teachers and early childhood educators using e-learning in innovative ways will be selected. The theme for the projects in 2009 is literacy. Guidelines and the application forms are on the website. Applications are due 15 September 2008.
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/educationSectors/Schools/Initiatives/ICTInSchools
/ICTStrategy/LatestICTNewsAndReleases/ELearningTeacherFellowships.aspx

13-08-2008

School Journal Teachers' Notes for Parts 1–4

From this year School Journal Teachers' Notes will no longer be printed and distributed with each journal, but a selection will be available in an online format. One of the main teaching purposes of the notes is to support students in developing their comprehension strategies. See the introduction for more details.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/literacy_numeracy/professional/teachers_notes/schoo
l_journal/index_e.php

06-08-2008

Success for Boys

Create opportunities for all boys at your school to succeed. This site is designed to help school leaders look at teaching-learning relationships with boys in classrooms, create supportive learning environments for boys, and provide a range of approaches and tools to address the diverse learning needs of boys so they can achieve to their full potential.
http://success-for-boys.tki.org.nz/
04-08-2008

Enhancing the English Curriculum

Explore this website supporting English teachers in implementing the New Zealand Curriculum. The resource offers a closer examination of the pedagogy and practice for each of the English achievement objectives, with links to lesson and unit plans, teaching strategies, and student work.
http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/enhancingtheenglishcurriculum/
12-12-2007

Te Pātaka Matihiko Our Digital Storehouse

The Digistore collection contains many interactive learning activities for English, each with specific learning objectives. This growing collection is developed by The Le@rning Federation, a collaboration between the governments of Australia and New Zealand, and comprises a set of quality learning objects to be used in the classroom. Use your school’s registration to access these resources.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/digistore/
01-12-2007

Literacy Learning Progressions

The draft Literacy Learning Progressions sets out the specific literacy knowledge and skills that students need if they are to meet the reading and writing demands of the New Zealand Curriculum. The literacy learning progressions are a professional tool for teachers and describe the knowledge and skills that students need to have developed at specific points in their schooling if they are to engage with the texts and tasks of the curriculum, and make the expected progress.
http://www.literacyprogressions.org.nz/
29-11-2007

NEMP National Education Monitoring Project 2006 Reports

View the National Education Monitoring Project reports on Writing, and Listening and Viewing. The reports examine the achievements of years 4 and 8 students, and are based on assessments carried out in 2006 as part of the fourth year of the third cycle of testing. Read the forum comments by teachers, subject specialists, representatives of national organisations, and government agencies.
http://nemp.otago.ac.nz/
18-09-2007

Studyit – student study support for NCEA English

Encourage your students to use this study support site for English at levels 1, 2 and 3. Students (and teachers) can find out what they need to know about each achievement standard, including revision and practice material. They can also access study and exam advice, encouragement, and a discussion forum, as well as email an expert English teacher.
http://www.studyit.org.nz/
21-01-2006

Standards fulfilling the literacy requirement – university entrance

This NCEA page explains the English and Te Reo Māori and Te Reo Rangatira Achievement and Unit Standards fulfilling the literacy requirements for university entrance.
http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ue/litreqs.html
17-01-2006

Literacy Requirement for NCEA Level 1 (PDF 40KB)

Download this information about the sub-fields and unit standards that satisfy the literacy requirements for NCEA level 1.
http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/acrp/secondary/docs/literacy-reqs-ncea-l1.pdf
17-01-2006

Information Literacy Online

This site from Unitec in Schools includes professional readings, links to key information literacy sites world-wide, a listserv for educators to discuss issues to do with information literacy, and Gwen Gawith’s 3 Doors to InfoLiteracy learning model and programme.
http://infolit.unitecnology.ac.nz/
13-09-2005

Digital Conversations

Digital Conversations is a free videoconference programme, which enables teachers and students to meet and speak with local and international experts across the curriculum. To join the mailing list, receive email notification of upcoming video conferences, and make suggestions for conversations between your students and a particular expert, email digitalconversations@cwa.co.nz
http://www.digitalconversations.org.nz
12-09-2005

asTTle–Assessment Tools for Teaching and Learning

Take a look at the writing resources that can be used in conjunction with the asTTle CD-ROM or as a standalone resource. http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/what_next/table_e.php
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/asttle/index_e.php
22-06-2004

TKI Kete

Have you ever used "Favourites" or "Bookmarks" to store your favourite websites so you can find them again later? TKI Kete on Te Kete Ipurangi functions in the same way only better! And it's absolutely free! Using the TKI kete function, you can save different types of resources, including websites, in your own space on TKI. This way you can access your favourites from any computer with Internet access. To find out more, click on the link above.

If you wish to draw the online editor's attention to a web site then please email us.
http://www.tki.org.nz/e/tki/kete/admin/kete_index.php