In Flanders Fields

This week I read a picture book called ‘In Flanders Fields’, written by Norman Jorgensen and illustrated by Brian Harrison-Lever. I found that I was initially drawn to the book because of Harrison-Lever’s beautiful and detailed illustrations. When I opened the book to read it, I was not disappointed by the text.

The story (which shares its title with the famous poem by John McCrae), takes place at Christmas time in the trenches of World War I. Jorgensen tells of a young soldier who risks his life to free an injured bird from some barbed wire on the battlefield. The text takes on a simple tone, describing the setting and events with a quiet honesty. I liked this style of writing as I found that it emphasised the humanity of the soldier’s act (by describing the scene simply and somewhat bluntly-Jorgenson gives a sense of the bleak reality of war, and subsequently emphasises the soldier’s bravery). I also thought that the simple style of writing gave the book a respectful feel – not going into too much graphic detail, however- not ‘glossing over’ the  harshness of the subject matter either.

I would definitely use this book in the classroom; however I’m not sure what year level I would introduce it at. While my initial instincts told me to avoid showing this book to very young children, I do not believe in “cushioning” students too much. I remember learning about Remembrance Day quite early on in my schooling and I do not think that reading this book could do any real harm. That said; I think I would wait at least until students know a little background knowledge about war/soldiers etc. (I also believe that this would allow them to get the most out of the book). Additionally, I noticed that some of the illustrations include imagery that could be inappropriate for very young children (eg, a skeleton and some bodies of deceased soldiers are visible in the background of some drawings. The realistic style of these drawings may make them slightly too graphic for small children). My main concern with this book is that it could upset children who are not quite ready to be introduced to it (and I would hate for any book to become a negative experience for a child).

I would have no hesitation at all in reading this book to middle/upper primary students – it could even be used at a high school level, if students were to look closely at the themes in the story (eg. humanity, compassion, futility of war, etc). There is also a lot of symbolism evident in the writing and illustrations, which older students could analyse (eg. the red robin- which is almost the only example of colour in the illustrations, the white handkerchief used by the soldier to symbolise peace, the rifle which the soldier forgets to bring back from the battlefield, the barbed wire etc.).

I really loved reading this book. I think Jorgenson’s writing and Harrison-Lever’s illustrations come together beautifully, complimenting each other to create a poignant reminder of the futility of war, and the human capacity for both good and evil.

Introduction and Welcome to my Reading Program.

Hello, my name is Sarah Nicholls and I am currently studying Primary/Middle school teaching at the University of South Australia. Within these studies I am also specializing in English and SOSE, two areas which I am extremely passionate about. I believe I am passionate about these areas because of  own experiences while being at school. The teachers I had for these subjects were so encouraging, helpful and inspiring and made everything we learnt enjoyable allowing us to gain so much from every lesson. I can only hope that one day I will be as knowledgeable and inspiring, allowing m own students to love what they are learning.

Before University, home for me was 800kms North of Adelaide in a small country town where everyone knew everyone. I believe this aspect of my life has also inspired me to become a teacher as I can understand how disadvantaged rural students can be. I hope to one day be able to give something back to the town where I grew up and go back to be a teacher myself to continue to support students in rural and remote areas.

My chosen novel for week 1.

This semester, I am studying the English course "English Language and Literacy." I am excited to be taking part in this course because as I said above I am very passionate about English. Within this course we are required to start a group blog. This blog will showcase my reading program which will include several posts with the literature that I have read. This week I decided to revisit the text I studied in year 12 English which was "My Sister's Keeper." written by Jodi Picoult. This novel for me was extremely moving and I loved how Picoult had written the book from several different characters perspectives. I felt I was able to really connect with each character because they were all given their own "personal" perspectives regarding the issue of Anna's fight against her family and Kate's cancer.  Picoult's use of descriptive language and imagery allows the reader to build pictures in their mind about who the characters were, exactly what they were going through and how horrible it must have been for each of them. I believe that reading the text a couple of years on allows me to connect in a different way. As this illness has affected people around me in recent months, I feel a much more personal connection to the characters as I feel like I can relate to exactly what they are going through rather than just presuming and thinking that I do know what it is like. I still appreciate the different perspectives that Picoult has included in this novel, as I believe that when going through an issue like this, it is important to hear about how everyone is feeling, not just the "main" character. It will be interesting to explore more of Picoults work to see how her other books are written and whether or not I enjoy them as much as I did with My Sisters Keeper.

Between the Lines

The first book of which I can add to my list of read books is “Between the Lines”. This book was co-written by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha van Leer. It is a classic fairy tale with a uniquely modern twist, with the main question being ‘What if the fairy-tale prince wanted to live happily ever after…with you?’

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale

Like many of Picoult’s other books, they write the book through the two main character’s views combined with sections of the fairy-tale in question.

I read this book within 3 hours and absolutely loved it! The way that the writing flows throughout the whole novel and how the reader becomes engaged in the novel and can connect with either one or both of the main characters. 

Who am I? Introduction

Hi my name is Ruth and I am currently in my second year of a four-year degree studying a Bachelor of Education (Primary/Middle) at University of South Australia. With the new changes in place next year, this will allow me to teach from Reception to Year 10. My two general studies are Mathematics and Health & Physical Education. My decision for these two generals was greatly influenced by my high school achievements and my own passions. I have always loved mathematics, as there is normally only one answer, and if you don’t get that, you know you have done something wrong.

I am a very competitive person in all areas, especially when it comes to Physical Education. I believe it’s the thrill of winning which keeps me motivated and competitive.

I also work in a school about 5 minutes from my house as a teacher’s aide (SSO). At this present time, I work and shadow a 5 year old autistic boy in Reception and also work with a few more students in other year levels. I obtained this job at the start of my first year of university after volunteering during year 12. My job is very useful when trying to apply theory to practice and as I learn new strategies, ideas and more, these are then also applied within my work.

With this new semester of university, I have enrolled in an English course “English, Language and Literacy” which asks us to start a blog in groups. The main purpose is for us to become familiar with a range of literature, and to draw on the concepts and ideas we are introduced to throughout the course. We also have to keep a personal reading program, which consists of each of us reading a mixture of children and adolescent books.

Introduction and Reading Program

Hi, my name is Tamara I am currently undertaking studies in Bachelor of Education (Primary/ Middle) at the University of South Australia. Within these studies I am able to focus on two main areas mathematics and science which I am extremely passionate and excited about.  I was born and raised in a small country town 200km north of Adelaide, and enjoyed all subjects at school which started my passion for teaching and making a difference to children’s lives.

Currently I am studying an English Curriculum course which this blog will be used for to showcase my reading program and reflections. I always enjoyed English at school and as someone who has passion and interest in the subject; hopefully I will be able to further extend my knowledge on the English language and literacy so that the students I will teach in the near future will also be excited about the subject.

Whilst on midyear break I decided to read ‘The Hunger Games’ series by Suzanne Collins as I had heard alot of hype around the series. I enjoyed these books so much that I finished all three in a week and have chosen to re-read them as they are so captivating that you cannot put them down once you start. The story bases around the nation known as Panem, which consists of the Capitol and twelve surrounding districts. As punishment for rebellion against the Capitol in which a thirteenth district was destroyed; one boy and girl aged between 12-18 would be selected from each district to participate in ‘The Hunger Games’ in which only one lone victor remained.

The Hunger Games is a futuristic Joan of Arc and I really enjoyed how relevant the book is to the possibilities of history repeating itself in the future and that the story of Katniss Everdeen (the girl on fire) is an important one to be told.

Introduction and Welcome

Hello, my name is Alicia and I am studying Primary/Middle teaching – (specialising in the areas of English and SOSE). This blog will give a commentary of the reading program which I will be completing as part of a course called ‘English Language and Literacy’. I look forward to participating in this course- as children’s literature (and literature in general) is something I feel strongly about and value very highly. English was the subject which I personally preferred during primary and high school, and reading is still a favourite pastime of mine. As someone who feels passionate about English, I hope that I will be able to help my students experience the same enjoyment which I gained (and continue to gain) from language and literature.

This week I have decided to revisit a book which was a favourite of mine when I was in grade seven. The ‘Series of Unfortunate Events’ books captivated me as a twelve/thirteen year old as they used interesting language, exciting imagery and really captured my imagination. I quickly grew to love the three main characters; the Baudelaire children (Violet (14), Klaus (12) and the infant Sunny). These three children are orphaned by a fire which destroys their home leaving them under the care of their evil uncle Count Olaf.  Olaf devises many schemes to get hold of the fortune which was left to the orphans by the Baudelaire parents. While the children do not stay with Olaf for the duration of the series,  he always seems to find a way to get to them.  The first book of the series “The Bad Beginning” introduces the three main characters, describes the tragedy of the house fire and focusses on Olaf’s first scheme; attempting to marry Violet as a way to procure the fortune.

Re-engaging with the text has been an interesting experience for me as I am finding that I now enjoy the book differently. As an adult reader, a certain amount of the story’s ‘magic’ has diminished as I am less able to relate directly to the characters; however I have developed a new appreciation for the book as a wonderful and rich piece of literature for broadening children’s vocabularies, encouraging imaginative thought and fostering a love of language.

Hello and welcome to my reading program

Hello, firstly I would like to introduce myself to you all as Katina. I am studying at the University of South Australia and have two strong passions these being Health and Physical Education and Home Economics. In the near future I would hope that I am able to work within these faculties within the metropolitan area. I was born and grew up in a country town near the Spencer Gulf where I attended a Catholic School for all my schooling years. When I was growing up I played many sports and my favourite was hockey, I was able to represent my town, area and state throughout the years. In the holidays I was able to go back to my home town and live back with my family and eat lovely home cooked meals. Watching football is also a major part in my life and enjoyed doing this on the weekend back home as my brother plays for a local club. I also worked at Kmart where I have been there for almost four years know. As well as working and relaxing throughout the holidays I attended a course for Active After School Communities where I am able to teach sport to students in OSHC programs.

The book I am currently reading is Matilda; now although I have read this previously I find it rather interesting how it is a book that is called upon in lectures within the English faculty. I am in hope that reading this book again I am able to further analyse the context as well as various other aspects. Roald Dahl I believe is a famous author and would like to read one or two other books to make and see connections or differences. I believe that it is important especially for myself that when reading these books I will extend my English capabilities and build on prior knowledge. I am learning that English is a ever changing and complex subject and believe it is important as a pre-service teacher to ensure I have a large knowledge base.