Week 9 Term 1 - Context (Level 3 English - 91478 - Connections)

CONTEXT

the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood

Understanding the context of a written or visual text is important. Why? It informs the reader, the audience - whoever - on why the character behaves the way they do and why the plot is structure the way it is. Understanding the context around any text is beneficial for all students in that it not only broadens their perspective but it also enables them to experience the text through a more informed lens. 

AS: 91478 - CONNECTIONS

Respond critically to significant connections across texts, supported by evidence

This assessment is a written report. In this report the student is required to respond critically to to significant across texts. Key words - respond, critically, significant, texts. The premise of the assessment is based on the extended text The Things They Carried (Tim O'Brien). The students are to read three short texts from the novel - Speaking of Courage, The Man I Killed, How to tell a True War Story - from here they are to come up with the thesis statement that highlights the 'significant' connection across each text. In order for the students to 'respond critically' and identify the 'significant' thread that ties each of the 'texts' together - it is vital that the context of novel is explored first and foremost. 

The first text that the students will read through is Speaking of Courage. They say that first impressions last and with this particular story, the first read can leave one with a confused impression. To quickly summarize this story follows the journey of Norman Bowker (a Vietnam War Veteran) post war. His journey on is return home, the change in relationships since returning home, the strained relationship with his father, the PTSD he experienced since returning from war and from not being able to save his friend Kiowa, finally to his want and need to talk to someone about his experiences of grief and loss in the war - are all profound stages that color Speaking of Courage. Norman Bowker describes 'courage' as "not always a matter of yes or no. Sometimes it came in degrees, like the cold; sometimes you were very brave up to a point and then beyond that point you were not so brave. In certain situations you could do incredible things, you could advance toward enemy fire, but in other situations, which were not nearly so bad, you had trouble keeping your eyes open. Sometimes, like that night in the shit field, the difference between courage and cowardice was something small and stupid." This quote embodies the very essence of Speaking of Courage. It describes Norman Bowker almost confessing that 'courage' is something that is not black and white. There are moments where you feel like you have it but then you may loose it. He is trying to justify to his father why he was not able to save his friend. The guilt that he has over this only makes him question his own sense of courage. 

Before I get carried away with this analysis of the quote, I am fully aware that this analysis is a result of understanding the context - which brings me to my next point - how do I get my students to critically respond to a text? Through pre-reading and viewing texts that explore the social issues in the text and that surround the setting of the text (the year it is set, the social expectations and events happening at the time - to name a few) I have found two that have been really helpful in getting the students to understand the context of not just Speaking of Courage but also the other two short stories. 

War Veteran: PTSD

This article gives an insight to Vietnam War Veterans and the PTSD that they have experienced since returning from the war. There is information on what PTSD is, how it has impacted the veterans and what they want in order to heal. I read through this article with my students before we even discussed Speaking of Courage. I asked them three guiding questions post reading: 

1) What is PTSD?

2) What is a Vietnam War Veteran and what did they do?

3) When did the Vietnam War take place? What was society in the USA like in the 60s? (focusing on gender expectations)

3) What is the relationship between Vietnam War Veteran and PTSD?

I really enjoyed going through this article and talking about these veterans and the pressure that was placed on them during and after the war. It was particularly interesting to unpack the social fabric of the USA in the 1960s and what gender expectations looked like then - even comparing it to how both male and female function in society today. This is great Segway into Speaking of Courage - especially in making connections to Norman Bowker's journey. 

This video is an extension of the article. We did not watch the full video but focused on the last three min (23min - 26min time mark). The story of war veteran Willie, his experiences of the Vietnam war and how he felt afterwards - although three minutes, his story is profound and helped my students to understand the context of this war and the impact that it had all those who served. 

Understanding the context of the text is like any relationship that we have. Our strongest relationships are a result of knowing who the person is, where they come from, what they like or dislike, what they believe in, what they aspire for - everything. These relationships are strong because there is an understanding of the who, what and why. In order to analyze a text, knowing the background information allows anyone to appreciate the text. It can be really easy for teachers to jump into assessments as deadlines and time constraints that are tied into NCEA can be daunting. My approach this year with my teaching is to really prepare the students for the assessment, to take my time with it and to help them appreciate the 'context' of the text - to broaden their learning and how they experience the learning. 

Week 8 Term 1 - Culture, Language + Idenity

CULTURE

Culture is a term that describes 'the way of life' for groups of people. It is an integrated pattern of human knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, traditions and customs that is shared within a community of people. I am currently in the thick of 'culture' at the moment as I along with 57 students, 2 staff members and 5 tutors prepare for the ASB Polyfest 2021. After last year's cancellation, the festival is making a return this year in April. In preparation for this year's festival the team and I have had to really think about what our approach is, what our purpose is and WHY we are choosing to do this. When you enter a competition of course there is a desire to do well and to win, however after 10 years of participating in this competition the idea of 'winning' means more than just getting a trophy at prizegiving.

Learning, understanding and respecting 'culture' is one of my goals for the Samoan Group this year. The Samoan culture is characterized by Fa'a Samoa, as Annelie Hansen states "Fa’a Samoa, in the beautiful Samoan language, literally means “The Samoan Way.” The phrase refers to the Samoan culture and traditions that color the everyday lives of many Samoan people." The key concepts and traditions that color Samoan culture that I aim to integrate into the Samoan Group this year are: 

• Collectivism - Working together as team. As a community, Fa'a Samoa is a way of life that is inclusive and grounded on the efforts of the collective, the aiga, the family. When someone is suffering or celebrating, the collective comes together in support. For my Samoan Group, this is crucial. 
• Respect - A vital value not just in our cultural fabric but also in our school's mantra. Respect plays an important part in any relationship, without it there are no boundaries. This year's Samoan Group (like every year) is made up of students from different ethnic groups, different walks of life - it is important that in order for this to work, that all involved respect each other. 
• Reciprocity - Fa'a Samoa is often criticized by the nature in which reciprocity is shown. There is a focus on showing reciprocity through gifting of money to family and church. Yes, this can be stressful and demanding - that is a fact. However the principle with reciprocity focusses more on showing respect and love to those who have done the same to you. 

The students who make up this year's performance group differ in their experiences of Fa'a Samoa or in their experiences of their respective culture. Regardless of where they sit in terms of knowledge of their cultural customs and language - my goal is that the key concepts of Fa'a Samoa are visible and grounded in everything that we do. These concepts are transferable in any situation, in any relationship. I believe that this is the type of 'culture' that is needed and that young people thrive in. 

LANGUAGE

Something that I feel quite vulnerable with is that I am not fluent in speaking Samoan. Growing up with a large extended family (who are all fluent) and attending a Samoan church, I felt inadequate when it came to conversing with my family and friends. It is not until I got married and spent time with my wife's family that my conversational skills in Samoan have improved (they only speak to me in Samoan so I have no choice but to respond and understand - mistakes and all!) Rather than flog off my lack of, I have embraced it and have learnt to insert myself in Fa'a Samoa through my service to my family and church. I have grown to understand and appreciate the language through this service and this is something that I hope to grow into. 

Tamaki College Samoan Group 2021: Rehearsal

The Samoan Group performance is made up of six items. Five of the six items are sung so learning, singing and perfecting the language is key as it is an integral part of the performance. My goal is for the language - regardless if it is fluent or hard for the students - that they understand and respect the beautiful nature of the language. These words that they are performing have either been written specifically for them or have been passed on through villages - I want the students to appreciate the language in the hope that they will appreciate the intricacy of their own mother tongue. 

IDENTITY

Knowing who you are is a journey. I believe that this is an on-going, life-long journey that we grow into. I believe that events like Polyfest is a great platform to help students to understand who they are, where they come from and appreciate it in all their glory. I can remember one student in particular who joined the 2011 Samoan Group. This student was not Samoan but is Tongan and was 'removed' so to speak from her own culture. Joining a different group and learning about Fa'a Samoa and the language tied to it was not only a memorable experience but also a rewarding one as it helped her appreciate her own culture. This is a 'winning' moment that no competition or trophy can justify. My hope is that all students involved can feel a sense of belonging and also feel strengthened in who they are. They can feel a sense of achievement by doing something that is out of their comfort zone, through this the hope is that they can realize their own potential. 

Doing something like this can be incrediably draining. It is, the demands and stakes are high when you are preparing for a competition. How you approach it can determine how you will experience it. My goal to foster culture, language and identity through performing arts is what I am grounded myself on. Everything else that happens is a bonus. Just enjoy the ride! 

Week 7 Term 1 - Building a house

"You can't build a great building on a weak foundation. You must have a solid foundation if you are going to have a strong superstructure." Gordon B. Hinckley

2021 already has been a year of transformation and shift. Professionally one of the biggest shifts that I have experienced as a Year level Dean has been the transition into the new House system. The purpose of the House system is to build school spirit and to give the students a sense of belonging. Tamaki College prides itself on being a 'family school' and this new system is an approach that we have taken to support our family ties. I am not going to lie, it has been a bit of a transition for me. I have been a Year Level Dean for 5 years and for the last 3 years I followed through with the Year 11 cohort (from Year 9 in 2018 - to Year 11 in 2020). Initially I was really upset about not following through with them to their final year. I wanted to finish with them and see them right to the end. So when the new House system was introduced I was reluctant to it, I was reluctant to change. I was attached and invested in the journey with my Year 11 cohort. I still am. They were my distraction when I went through the grief of losing my daughter. in 2018 They were and still are, an awesome group of students. Regardless of how I felt, I knew that eventually I had to accept the reality of not moving on with them and embrace this new system. 

7 weeks into a new school year and new House system, it is safe to say that I can see how this new system can have an positive impact on the students and staff. School spirit (a competitive school spirit at that) is well and truly alive! My mental approach to the House system has been 'slow and steady'. What I have wanted to do from the start is to get my foundation - my vision/goal, my mentors and student's vision/goal - set, as this will be our base for 2021. 

The analogy of a house or a home has been something that I have used to help drive the house that I am responsible for, Totara House. Any building of a house requires a solid foundation. In order for a house to stand it needs a foundation that will hold it and keep it grounded. I have used this concept in my messaging to the students of Totara House, as a whole in our House assembly and then continued the conversations in their mentor groups with the student House Leaders leading the discussions. The focus question that was shared was 'Describe in ONE word what you think Totara House should represent'. The feedback has been good and I have enjoyed seeing what the students think. The most common words that came out of the discussions were 'teamwork', 'unity' and 'confidence'. 

Totara House Student Feedback 2021 

My goal and next step is to unpack the feedback, in particular with the top three words, with the student House leaders and talk what we can do to build and encourage 'teamwork', 'unity' and 'confidence' within the House. 

“You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it requires people to make the dream a reality.” Walt Disney

Totara House @ Athletics Day 2021

I am really grateful for the team of mentors that I am working for Totara House. I am really proud of the student leadership team for Totara House and how they have settled into their duty as leaders. Having the right people with the right attitude is key in the development of anything. These people are your key stakeholders and it is vital to spend time with them - note key word, WITH. Work WITH them and journey WITH them. I am looking forward to seeing the House system flourish into something that has impact and influence over our school. 

Week 6 Term 1 - Framing the answer (Level 3 English - 91480)

Spending time to unpack the art of close viewing a visual text has been beneficial. Beneficial in that the students are able to see that there is more to close viewing than just knowing plot of a film. It is more than knowing the film techniques used. It definitely covers that BUT there is so much more that is needed. Understanding audience and how the film impacts them is important, identifying the director's purpose and WHY they have made these deliberate choices in film techniques is important. Prioritizing this has allowed my students to understanding that there is an art to close viewing. The 'art' being that you are able to identify the key features and look beyond the text itself. These skills are totally transferrable with close reading a text - an important fixture in our Level 3 English program. So the next step now is how to use all of this and compile it into an answer. 

FRAMING THE ANSWER

In reflecting on my previous Level 3 English class from 2020 and how they responded to this assessment, I have collated a five step approach in how to frame an answer for close viewing. In the close viewing assessment the students will be given three different scenes from a visual text that is unfamiliar. For each scene there is a focus question that they will have to focus on and in addition they will have to provide at least film techniques that were used well in relation to the focus question. Up to this point we have covered all of those areas (knowing film techniques, looking at different focus questions, understanding audience and director's purpose) so from here I go through the framework for their answer. 

QUESTION ONE

Watch this extract from the film Wolf of Wall Street (2013) as many times as you need to in order to fully answer the question below.

• Discuss the way the film maker deliberately creates the character in this opening scene.
• Refer to at least TWO specific film techniques from the table above.
• Refer to the impact on the intended audience.
• You may choose to discuss the TWO techniques separately or discuss how they work together in the scene.

I have designed a five step approach - the five step approach is something that I cover before and after the viewing. This is to ensure that the students understand what I am expecting them to cover in their answer. The five step approach ticks the criteria for the question and prior to the assessment, the students have had time working through each step. 

Step 1: DESCRIBE THE SCENE

The students will provide a detailed summary of the text. Questions that they are to consider for this part are: what impression do you get from this scene? What mood or tone do you get from this scene?

Step 2:WHAT ARE THE TECHNIQUES THAT ARE USED WELL IN THIS SCENE?

The students will need to outline at least two film techniques that are used well in this scene. They are encouraged to use 3 - 4 visual and verbal techniques. Film techniques such as symbolism, motif, body language, dialogue, music, costume and some camera shots are what I have encouraged them to use. We covered these techniques in the pre-viewing activities leading up the assessment. Questions that they are to consider for this part are: what are the film techniques used? Explain what they look/sound like in the scene.

Step 3: LINK TO THE FOCUS QUESTION

Step three interlinks with step two in that the students have to explain how the techniques they have identified, deliberately create character. Questions that they are to consider for this part are: Explain how these techniques highlight or show the audience about the main character

Step 4: HOW DOES IMPACT THE INTENDED AUDIENCE

This where the learning for 'understanding audience' is vital. The students will need to first identify who the intended audience (they may need with this so having discussions around the intended audience in class is needed). This will help them understand how the intended audience is influenced as viewers of the film. This is going beyond the text. Questions that they are to consider for this part are: Based on the scene and the techniques used, who do you think the target audience of this film is? Explain how the techniques and their effect give you an idea of who the target audience is for this film?

Step 5: WHY - DIRECTOR'S PURPOSE

Here is where they continue to go beyond the text. The students will need to explain WHY the director used the techniques to create character and WHY the director has create this type of character for the intended audience. Questions that they are to consider for this part are: Put yourself in the director’s position - what do you think his intention is with this opening scene? What is he trying to tell the audience about the character, film, storyline? Why did the director do this? What is the director trying to tell the audience through this scene?

The students are currently working on their first question and second questions. I have gone through this framework with them and they are understanding what they need to cover. More importantly in my one on one conversations with them I am seeing that the pre-assessment preparation has been valuable as they are able to talk about the 'what' and 'why' with close viewing. I am really pleased with their progress so far! Next step - we will have a mid-assessment review and I will go through an exemplar and together, we will see how the previous students have responded to this assessment. 

Week 5 Term 1 - Understanding Audience (Level 3 English - 91480)

TOUGH CROWD

An audience that is difficult to please.

I have encountered a number of 'tough crowds' in my teaching years. Knowing how to work with this type of audience is a skill and it does take time and preparation. It also requires you to think on your feet and know how to deal with different personalities and dynamics, which can be a little daunting. 

When I think of 'tough crowd' I think of the Tamaki College Samoan Group and the performance for our favorite audience, our families and friends who attend our Fia Fia night (dress rehearsal performance). In every campaign for Polyfest, the favorite performance that we prepare for is for our family and friends however this audience, although family, can often be our toughest and harshest crowd to win over. Why? The families understand the standard that is required when performing for a competition and with the standard that Tamaki College has built over the years - our parents, siblings, everyone - will not shy away from giving us any type of critique. Knowing this and understanding that this is the type of audience that we draw every year helps to drive how we prepare for the competition. With that in mind, we understand that there is a need for quality items and training every day to ensure that we are ready for the audience. This is motivation for all involved. We want to put on a great performance (something that is worth watching), we do not want to waste anyone's time and we want to make our families proud. 

Tamaki College Samoan Group 2016 (Fia Fia Night)

Knowing your audience is vital in any situation. Whether it is for the stage or in the classroom, knowing who you are performing or writing to, helps to frame what you are doing. It gives you a sense of purpose and gives whatever text you are creating a focal point. 

AUDIENCE

the assembled spectators or listeners at a public event such as a play, film, concert, or meeting.

One of the key components to the Close Viewing Assessment (91480) is knowing and understanding who the intended audience is for the film. In preparing for this assessment one thing that I knew I had to cover was the audiences who watch film. Now this is something that we do not typically focus on in NCEA Level 1 and Level 2 English when it comes to Close Viewing. For NCEA Level 3 English, knowing the audience or 'intended audience' is an integral part of Close Viewing as it goes beyond knowledge of film techniques and the director's purpose but taps into the deep dive analysis of the text itself. 

Going beyond the typical critique of visual texts and understanding who the intended audience is and how the text impacts them is new ground. I shared an article with my students - Understanding Audience - this article outlines the four film audience categories and the nature of each audience. This article is a great piece to start with as it helps the students understand audiences who watch film and how they are grouped. Discussion around films and who audience is follows - but you are probably thinking, how can one identify the intended audience for a film? 

We looked at genre, type of characters, storyline, style of film (film techniques etc) - all of these factors, if you are aware of what they are can help anyone determine who the target audience is. We had some practice when we looked at a few more scenes from A Beautiful Mind for close viewing practice in particular identifying who the audience and how it impacts them. We looked at the closing scene and spoke about how this scene impacts the intended audience. 

A Beautiful Mind is a historical film based on a renowned mathematician John Nash. Films of this nature, with a mature character are tailored to an adult audience. In my discussion with the class we talk about this and how the target audience (adults) are impacted or influenced with this scene. Some of the questions we discussed were: 

1. How is the target audience impacted in this scene?
2. What message do you think the director is saying to the intended audience and why?
3. What techniques help to highlight this message for the intended audience?

We also kept a record of our close viewing in our Closing Scene Analysis document. 

Having these conversations and going beyond the text is valuable. It highlighted to me that there is more to assessments than credits. Yes, getting the credits is important. But the learning and the gaining of a new skill set (or adding to your skill set) is just as important. Knowing the audience for film and talking about this has been good for the students as they are becoming more aware of the intricacies with close viewing. Their analysis of film now enables to go deeper and has started to challenge them to justify 'why' the director has used this specific technique and 'who' this impacts. 

I look forward to seeing how the students respond to the close viewing assessment as they have already made a start. I will be reviewing their first question later on this week. I have read through some responses to the close viewing and I am pleased!