Week 2 Term 2 - English Department: TOD: Planning for NCEA Level 1 English 2024 (May 1 - May 2)

Preparing for the new changes to NCEA and the curriculum refresh is a focus for the English Department. For our most recent TOD, we used this time to focus on the changes to NCEA Level 1 English program and to continue our discussion around the new achievement standards. We spent time revisiting the new achievement standards that we covered in 2022 and also explore the new external assessments that are on offer. We were able to do this as well as flesh out a draft plan for our new NCEA Level 1 English program 2024. Change can be challenging thing if one is not prepared, so using this time to prepare for next year and to discuss what we want to do with the new program was exciting for all of us. I am going to reflect on how what we covered and what our next steps are. 

English Department TOD May 1 2023

Our journey so far (NCEA Changes 2024)

We started our journey towards the NCEA refresh in 2022. Over the course of two TOD (Term 2 and Term 4) we looked at the two out of new achievement standards. I reflected on this last year (see Alby Blog Entry - 08/24/22 & Alby Blog Entry - 13/11/22). During this time we were able to unpack two achievement standards (internal assessments) - 1.1/1.2. As a department, we spent each session going through both assessments and unpacking it focusing on five areas which we have documented and kept on file as we are starting to create new resources and unit plans for the achievement standards. The five areas that we focused on and explored were: 

What is the assessment?

Key words and concepts from the assessment

Opportunities

Potential barriers

Next steps

Focusing on each area allowed us to understand the assessment more. We were able to flesh out what the assessment and look at the opportunities namely connecting what we are currently doing to see if it fits under the new umbrella of assessments. We spent some time to revisit the two internal assessments that we covered in August 2022 and November 2022, to see what we have done and what our next steps are. It is important to reflect and look back on what you have done, especially when you are preparing for change, to appreciate the journey. Here is a summary of what we have covered for both new achievement standards - 1.1 and 1.2. 

1.1: Demonstrate understanding of how context shapes verbal language use (5 Credits)

Texts:

• Extended Text Study: Of Mice + Men (John Steinbeck)
• Local iwi stories

Assessment:

• Formal Writing: Response to text essay, Text review
• Create a visual text: Slideshow presentation on the text
• Speech: Oral presentation that coincides with the slideshow

Other:

• Genre study - look at texts that fall into the same genre as Of Mice + Men (connect to assessments above) 
• Reality context - look at other texts relevant to student experiences (cultural) and connect to the assessments above

1.2: Create a verbal and visual personal response to an independently studied text (5 Credits)

Texts:

• Visual Text Study: Edward Scissorhands (Tim Burton)

Assessment:

• Formal Writing: Response to text essay, Text review
• Create a visual text: Slideshow presentation on the text

Personal Responses

• Creative Writing + Create a Visual Text: Write a sequel to the text etc (creative writing) and use book creator to make an actual book to accompany (create a visual text)

Other:

• Teacher to teach 4 texts
• Students to choose ONE that they want to study
• Students to complete an assessment (multi model)

Unpacking the new external assessments: 1.3 and 1.4

The English Department spent Week 1 Term 2 unpacking the new external assessments (1.3 and 1.4). We used to TOD to feedback about the external assessments. Much like what we covered last year, the department looked at the same five areas when unpacking the assessment - 

• What is the assessment? 
• Key words and concepts from the assessment
• Opportunities
• Potential barriers
• Next steps

The department were broken up into two groups - each group looking at the new achievement standards (1.3 and 1.4). I will provide a summary of what each group shared for the new external assessments. 

1.3: Mr Spruyt, Mrs Williams + Mr Hoosein

This is an external assessment worth 5 credits. The assessment will run in Term 3 assessment. We are encouraged to use Term 1 + Term 2 to prepare the students for the external (use 1.1 to help prepare the students) 

Assessment:

• Writing Portfolio - Write two essays - response to two texts (studied texts, articles, speech poetry, etc) based on two prompts
• Teacher gets the prompts @ the beginning of Term 3. Offer prompts to students and they work on it during T3 
• Students work on the assessment for 8 weeks and submit their final two pieces (350-500 words) in week 9

1.4: Ms Latu, Ms Kolo, Mrs Harde + Mrs Ahmed

This is an external assessment worth 5 credits. The assessment will take place in Term 4. 

Assessment: 

Integration of two externals - unfamiliar text - 1+ 2 sections AND Studied written/visual text essay - x1 Essay
2 hours to sit two sections (under exam conditions online) tagged for literacy
The assessment will take place in Term 4. This assessment echoes the current external assessment that we currently do.

This was a great session as each member of the department shared their understanding of the assessment and what it can look like for us. 

Planning our NCEA Level 1 English Program 2024 (first draft)

Once we revisited the internal assessments and shared information on the external assessments, we started to plan our first draft for our NCEA Level 1 English program 2024. We reviewed the four new achievement standards and had a look at what we covered so far. 

Summary of the new achievement standards

From here we discussed and planned for 2024 with the new achievement standards. We discussed where each standard should be placed, what text we want to study and what approach we will do in terms of the assessment with our akonga. 

Draft Schedule for NCEA Level 1 English 2024

This was a great session as we were able to collaborate and plan our year for our NCEA Level 1 akonga. We were had a good discussion around the texts that we want to cover. Initially I wanted to use the same texts as we already have the units in place. However, it was clear in our discussion that the new achievement standards needed new texts that not only supported the assessment but more importantly aligned with our akonga and community. 

Next Steps: 

• We are going to look for appropriate written texts for 1.1. There was a discussion around changing the text focus (we are currently using John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men'). Our homework over this term is to find a text or texts (collection of short texts) to use for 1.1. We are going to read through The Platform: The Radical Legacy of the Polynesian Panthers - Melani Anae and see if this the right text for 1.1.
• Our next lot of homework (next step) is to watch the film Muru. We will discuss the film @ our next department meeting (Week 4) to see if this film is suitable for 1.2. 
• We want more time to plan our units for each new achievement standard and specifically for each text. We have requested for time to do this during Term 2. We want to refine our plan so that we can lock in the final details at our next TOD (slated for Term 4). 
• The new literacy requirements are around the corner as well. We are going to do a pilot of the new literacy standard with a select group of Year 10 students in Term 4. We would like to use the time during our hybrid learning day (Monday) to work with this group and prepare them for the literacy standard. We have selected students who are at the top end of Asttle Writing Level 4 (4P - 4A) and lower end of Asttle Writing Level 5 (5B).