School Support Services Newsletters
Christchurch College of Education Secondary ESOL Newsletter Term 3: 2005
News from Juliet Fry
Adviser for ESOL/Literacy in Secondary Schools.
He honore tenei ki ahau ki te mihi atu ki a koutou,
There are opportunities for secondary ESOL teachers to have a say about issues to do with ESOL issues in the next two terms. TESOLANZ will be making submissions about some of these on behalf of secondary ESOL teachers. If you wish to contribute to the TESOLANZ submissions and are not a current member you can join by going to www.tesolanz.org.nz.
The first issue will be a discussion document that will come from NZQA to schools and TESOLANZ about the University Entrance standards, including literacy requirements. This will be sent to schools and will be posted on the NZQA website any day, I understand. It will be very important to be involved in this discussion, as the CANTESOL branch has been instrumental in generating the consultation. There will be a relatively short time in which to reply, I think, and it will be necessary to call special regional TESOLANZ secondary (and tertiary?) regional meetings and to be involved in school-based responses. If possible it will be important to get responses from various ethnic groups represented in your schools.
Your school Principal’s Nominee will have been given a questionnaire at a recent meeting entitled Electronic Translators in External Examinations. You could usefully contribute to this discussion, again getting some feedback from students/families.
Another key issue relates to the Curriculum Project and the place of ESOL in the school curriculum. It will be useful to be aware of current developments, which can be viewed on www.cmp.ac.nz . Consultation should happen in Term 4.
Clusters
This year there is a new MOE (ESOL International) initiative that supports regional cluster meetings. A small amount of funding has gone to the following teachers to support these clusters. They are organised by Gillian Barron, Senior Adviser ESOL International whose email address is Gillian.barron@minedu.govt.nz. In some regions, the clusters are loosely associated with TESOLANZ branches.
| Christchurch | Gary Johnston | Shirley Boys |
|
Nelson Marlborough | Rick Ussher | Nelson College |
|
S Canterbury | Mary James | Timaru Girls |
|
Mid Canterbury | Tina Wylie | Oxford Area School
|
In response to some requests from Blenheim, Ashburton etc, we did contact the MOE to ask about extra travel & release money for those of you who have long distances to drive. The response was that there was no extra money but that some of the money given to support the cluster could go to your travel expenses. Otherwise, ask for regular PD money.
The Christchurch cluster/CANTESOL secondary sector has three meetings lined up:
| Date | Topic | Time | Place |
|---|
| 31 Aug | Moderating writing standards | after school | Shirley Boys |
| 8 Sept | Moderating reading standards | after school | Shirley Boys |
| 15 Sept | Coffee & exploring computers | 4:00 | South Learning Centre
(66 Colombo St) |
For the moderation meetings, please bring a few copies of your own student’s work that you want to cross mark with other teachers, along with your assessment schedules and assessment activities. For the South Learning Centre, bring $ for a cuppa at the library café (4:00pm) and your favourite urls to share in the Learning Centre (4:30pm). There is no need to book in for these meetings. They are sort-of CANTESOL secondary sector meetings and you just turn up.
In relation to the clusters, if anyone has any objections to your email address on this email list being used by the cluster coordinators, could you let Juliet know.
Resources
- Attached is a list of books that are being used in the region by English classes, especially for those external English standards. You might find it useful.
- Resources that have arrived in your school in the last week from Learning Media: Selections - 2 readers (Coping with Crises and Animal Rescue)
These sets of readers have been especially put together for ESOL. They are a reconstituted selection of texts, mainly from Part 1 Journals, reformatted for older readers. The Teacher Notes should be used because they have been especially written with opportunities to teach language though the texts.
- ESOL Progress Assessment Guidelines have also arrived in your schools. They were addressed to your Literacy Leader & HOD English.
- A copy of Many Voices has arrived in your school in a new format, with useful information and articles. If you have trouble tracking it down, make sure you establish yourself in the loop for future copies. It is item # 10903 and enquiries can be sent to orders@learningmedia.co.nz.
Professional Development
ELLF Trail
Three Christchurch secondary schools are trialling this English Language Learning Framework for the Ministry of Education. It is also possible for you to do this independently and if you want to do this, contact helen.nicholls@minedu.govt.nz .
Professional Development through Teacher Support services
I am planning now for Term 4 and 2006. I can offer some courses but the Ministry of Education want advisers to work in primarily in a few schools, in an in-depth way.
In-school professional development: The focus would be on raising achievement of ESOL students. My work would include helping establish good practices across the school e.g. systems, inclusive practices, English language teaching and learning, maintenance of first language, pastoral care. I would need to work with ESOL teachers but also across other subject areas, and with deans and senior managers. If you think your school would benefit from this kind of professional development please contact me this term.
Courses: What are your suggestions for courses for later in the year, following through to next year? I have had a few requests and would like to get some steer on what you really want.
TESSOL SCHOLARSHIPS 2006
TESSOL fees scholarship applications for 2006 open early in Term 4. Mainstream curriculum teachers are being strongly encouraged to apply, especially in the secondary sector. Could those past and present (and intending) TESSOL training enthusiasts please share the advantages of TESSOL training with mainstream colleagues, so they can support YOU in meeting the language needs of English language learners in the mainstream. It also supports the Secondary Literacy Strategy so watch out for applications and information. You can get these scholarships for the face-to-face Cert TESOL through the Christchurch College of Education. It can be done by distance through Massey.
Note: Primary teachers are also strongly encouraged to apply, but they currently are represented in TESSOL courses in greate
