I'm just curiouse as to what people think about this "Formative Task" that we did today.
For Goodwin: the formative task was an essay that we wrote in class responding to three texts. Two being prescribed and one of our choosing (could be from class but didnt need to be). This essay was written responding to a question thats something like "All people are subject to change but what different is their response." And this was a "practice" because next week we have to do that same thing, except one of the prescribed texts are different, the question is slightly altered, we have 2 days i think to prepare in our own time, and then have 45 mins to write as much as we can without any notes or texts.
Personally i think its not that good a way to go about it, considering we have to remember direct quotes, and if you're having a bad day, you're screwed. But today wasnt to bad. I got cramps in my arm and couldnt help but feeling that the topic of "Change" is just as stupid as the question we had to answer. They are so ambiguose that you find they push you into a corner. I know that that contradicts what i said, but if you think about it, they dont give you enough time to explore the other spaces in enough depth to sound convincing. Therefore you're stuck writing the same essay as 400 other students. And that says to the teacher that you're not all that smart and you have a very narrow way of thinking, thus giving them a sense that they need to help you more, when really all they need to do is stop teaching you how to write a body paragraphs and give you a topic of substance.
I sit in the front row and the other day all i did was try to focus in on the reflections on the white board and tried to count how many people were sleeping, talking, and texting. My book is filled with drawings that have shading. Time consuming shading. If i've learnt anything in these past 6-7 weeks i've learnt how to zone out and dread going to a class that isnt science. I've learnt that i dislike Kenneth Slessor and how to become invisible as far as class discussions are concerned.
But, I really would like to hear your views on the formative task and the actual assesment yet to come.
Amy
-Sorry this is long
I think it's rubbish that we're expected to write everything from memory, I think they should either allow us to bring in one piece of paper with notes, or just make it an assignment so we can do it outside of school. That being said, I feel I went quite well in the practice one. And I agree with you about the topic, I hated it how all of our topics as St Josephs were so broad (difference, boundaries), and I hate it equally this year. I also think that we should be aloud to chose any poem we want, rather than just what the teacher has given us. It would just add that little bit of difference to our essays. Which is why for my chosen text, I decided that I would do a text that I can guarantee nobody else in the school would even consider doing. After ditching my idea for "ferris Bueler's day off", I went with a japanese film called "Audition", so ha, I win again shitty education system that wants us all to be sheep...
ReplyDeleteI hear what your saying amy, and I argee with josh on the assignment and or bringing notes into class. The stimulas that we listened to was shit! i couldnt understand it and there were little techniques, my teacher said thats a difference between an A and a C. but nearly the whole class was going huuuuuuuhhhh? I dont really like yr 11 english but i can tell that my wrighting is already starting to improve which is the only plus!
ReplyDelete"my wrighting is already starting to improve" haha, oh the irony... And yeah, our teacher tried to convince us that the use of background noise was a technique in the documentary. Pretty sure it was just natural...
ReplyDeleteOk, so while i hate any task in English that is written i can see the point in this. In like 18 months time we'll be sitting the HSC and guess what, we'll be doing the exact same thing. no notes, limited time and shit material, but thats what ever other person in NSW has to do, so get over it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't mind this task tbh. i never thought i could write a 4 page essay but i did! and it was awesome. Now we jsut wait to see what The Mack thinks of it.
Either way. stop ya whinging amy :)
1- Maybe the entire HSC system needs to change?
ReplyDelete2- Love it that I've gotten u to call her the Mack, lol.
3- I agree, Amy, your whinging is getting to be a bit of a nuicence.
Melbourne people called hooking up "Macking" ie: "Getting his Mack on with that girl" (Just a bit of vaguely related trivia)
ReplyDeleteWhat is it with senior school and in-class assessments?! (I really, really hate them.)
That Koto text was stupid... an extract from a novel and a play.... that we could work with but some super-vague radio report about a cafe in Vietnam. If they want us to write an ENGLISH-style essay then they should give us an ENGLISH-style text!
=(
I believe they call it macking in America as well, because I heard it on Scrubs one time...
ReplyDeleteOh yeah! They say it in Gossip Girl too! lol.
ReplyDeleteThe word Macking reminds me of the fish (mackarel)....
ReplyDelete