English texts and multimodal texts for VCE and Years 7-10

It’s that time of the year when we have to decide. We have been thinking about it, but – will we change our texts for 2019? Has our text for VCE been removed from the list? Are we a little tired of teaching the same text? Do we have a copy of the new film as text? Book lists are due, what to do? There is so much preparation required to introduce something different.

I speak to English teachers on a regular basis. Their passion for books and reading is palpable in every conversation. As a relatively “unread” Science teacher, I am not fully across the English curriculum. However I have been inspired every time I walk into schools, libraries and see evidence of what reading a novel can achieve.

I fondly remember several school experiences revolving around the anniversary of Harry Potter. Pakenham Secondary College first inspired me as I walked into their amazing library via Platform 9 & 3/4 and saw the work undertaken to embrace the anniversary and inspire students to read. Not long after, I stared with amazement at the library entrance of St Paul’s Anglican Grammar in Warragul, where teachers had made a wonderful effort to dress up and be photographed – somewhat like the moving pictures on the walls of Hogwart’s. What a spectacle! I was blown away. Then, in Officer Secondary College, Hogwart’s invitations for students and letters fell from the library roof, much like those delivered by owls from the series.

Could I go back into teaching???

But I digress! This blog post is about novels and films as text. In any case, the power of the written word and ability to analyse the multimodal text is reinforced in my mind.  So, how can I help you to move your students towards that new inspiring novel or film?

Well as I mentioned, I am not a teacher of English. But I am an Advisor at ClickView and can tell you all about our amazing resources for English. I picked out a few titles that I know are studied in schools currently, and researched how ClickView can help. I surprised myself with what I found.

I thought I was finished, but no; lying awake in the middle of the night I knew there was more. Suddenly it was my mission to find other titles that English teachers may want. I enlisted the help of Amanda from the ClickView Production team to assist. Together we have compiled a list below of all the novels mentioned/studied/investigated by videos available to you in the ClickView subscribed library from the last five years. Please take a look. They can be found on the ClickView Exchange or in the Secondary Library. Some are titles made by our very own ClickView Production team which include student resources and lesson plans. Others are accompanied by ATOM study guides, and sometimes all three. There are sure to be other titles not on this list that you use, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Oh, and don’t get me started on Shakespeare – there is a plethora of material available within ClickView, too! Check out our fantastic Shakespeare Workbook available at Shakespeare: Lesson Plans for the ClickView Curriculum Library.

So, I encourage you to change to that text you have been considering, or to enhance the experience of a text you are already teaching. Our job is to help, your colleagues are helping too.

As for me, I am available to assist with ideas for junior Science, Biology or Psychology however let’s be honest – ClickView is the master!

VCE English and English as an Additional Language (EAL) Text List 2018

• Novels
  • Le Guin, Ursula, The Left Hand of Darkness: 2 flipped lessons from Steven at Brunswick SC
  • Shelley, Mary, Frankenstein: 4 interactive clips as part of a ClickView Original series produced especially for the text
• Plays
  • Shakespeare, William, Measure for Measure: Shakespeare Lesson Plan book, and 3 interactive clips in the ClickView Original series ‘The Life and Times of Shakespeare’
• Poetry/Songs
  • Donne, John, Selected Poems: 2 videos on the ClickView Exchange about the metaphysical poets
• Films
  • Hitchcock, Alfred (director), Rear Window: available on our Exchange

 My Text/Film list

• Animal Farm: 2 different film versions and a ClickView Original production on the novel
• Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas: ATOM  Guide
• Holes: ATOM  Guide
• Rabbit-Proof Fence: ATOM Guide & interactives by your colleagues
• Ned Kelly (starring Heath Ledger): ATOM  Guide
• The Princess Bride: Interactives by your colleagues
• Gattaca: film available on ClickView Exchange
• Looking for Alibrandi: ATOM Guide & interactives by your colleagues
• 10 Things I Hate About You: Interactives by your colleagues
• The Secret River: ATOM  Guide & interactives by your colleagues
• Cloudstreet: film available on ClickView Exchange
• Jasper Jones: ATOM  Guide
• The Book Thief: Interactives by your colleagues
• The Great Gatsby: 2 different film versions available on ClickView Exchange with ATOM  Guide (Robert Redford, Mia Farrow version) and Screen Education resource ( Leonardo Di Caprio, Tobey Maguire version)
• To Kill a Mocking Bird: Interactives by ClickView and your colleagues
• The Crucible: ATOM Guide
• Pride and Prejudice: 4 interactive clips in a ClickView Original series, plus ATOM Guide
• Romeo and Juliet (Franco Zefferelli): ATOM Guide, 2 interactive clips in ClickView Original Series ‘This is Shakespeare!’, plus interactives by your colleagues
• Tomorrow When the War Began: ATOM  Guide
• The Sapphires: ATOM Guide
• The Dressmaker: 3 interactive clips as part of ClickView Original series on Analysing Cinematic Texts, plus ATOM Guide
• Puberty Blues: ATOM  Guide
• The Hunger Games: ATOM  Guide
• Mao’s Last Dancer: ATOM  Guide
• The Black Balloon:  ATOM  Guide
• He Named Me Malala: ATOM  Guide
• Macbeth: 2 interactive clips in ClickView Original series ‘This is Shakespeare!’, plus interactives by your colleagues

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