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<DIV>Thank you for forwarding this initiative, Kathy. I hope many contribute. I have written a note to Jean Baird applauding the initiative but also encouraging her to considering including Canadian DRAMA in the list of genres to be included in secondary school reading lists....</DIV>
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<DIV>Glen</DIV>
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<DIV>President, CATR/ACRT</DIV>
<DIV>Département d'anglais<BR>Université de Moncton<BR>Moncton, N.-B. E1A 3E9<BR>Tél: (506) 863-2017; Fax: (506) 858-4166</DIV><BR><BR>>>> Kathy Chung <kchung@CHASS.UTORONTO.CA> 2007-12-13 01:33 >>><BR>Hello All,<BR><BR>Thought you might like to see this. It's a request for the support for a change in the English Language Arts curriculum in BC high schools to include more Canadian literature (see details below). I checked with Jean Baird and she is collecting messages of support from individuals and organizations both within and outside BC. <BR><BR>IMPORTANT: If you are interested in supporting the initiative, please send your replies to Ms Baird, not to me or the discussion list.<BR><BR>cheers, <BR><BR>Kathy Chung<BR><BR>-------- Original Message -------- </DIV>
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<TH vAlign=baseline noWrap align=right>Subject: </TH>
<TD>CanLit in BC secondary schools</TD></TR>
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<TH vAlign=baseline noWrap align=right>Date: </TH>
<TD>Fri, 7 Dec 2007 12:50:59 -0800</TD></TR>
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<TH vAlign=baseline noWrap align=right>From: </TH>
<TD>Jean Baird <A class=moz-txt-link-rfc2396E href="mailto:jeanbaird@SHAW.CA"><jeanbaird@SHAW.CA></A></TD></TR>
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<TH vAlign=baseline noWrap align=right>Reply-To: </TH>
<TD>Canadian Literature / Litterature canadienne <A class=moz-txt-link-rfc2396E href="mailto:CANLIT-L@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA"><CANLIT-L@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA></A></TD></TR>
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<TH vAlign=baseline noWrap align=right>To: </TH>
<TD><A class=moz-txt-link-abbreviated href="mailto:CANLIT-L@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA">CANLIT-L@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA</A></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><BR>This initiative may be of interest (and concern) to those listserve members living in BC
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<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">REQUEST FOR SUPPORT FOR A CHANGE TO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM IN BRITISH COLUMBIA<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><B>Reply requested by December 21, 2007<O:P></O:P></B></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Over the past few years several national research studies have documented the<SPAN style="COLOR: red"> </SPAN>lack of attention paid to Canadian literature in Canadian schools. Currently our classrooms are dominated by some British but predominately American novels. <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">A report for The Writers’ Trust of Canada that was commissioned by the Canada Council made a series of recommendations about what could be done to improve the situation.</SPAN><A title="" href="#_ftn1" name=_ftnref1><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><SPAN>[1]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"> Through ArtStarts for Schools, a project is being developed and a group of stakeholders has been identified and has met to address these recommendations.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Part of the work has included a survey to BC teachers of English Language Arts. In that survey completed at the end of October 2007, 97.8% of responding teachers indicated that they think it is important to teach Canadian literature in secondary schools. 88.9% indicated that<SPAN style="COLOR: red"> </SPAN>they think more Canadian literature needs to be taught.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Both the teachers and the stakeholders noted that a key to achieving a higher presence for CanLit in the classroom is <B><U>clear direction from the provincial curriculum</U></B></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">. Currently only Saskatchewan has a mandated CanLit course, the grade 12 course. Elsewhere in the country it is possible, and often probable, that a student can graduate having never studied a Canadian novel during high school. <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=LOsub-bullet style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.3in; TEXT-INDENT: 0in"><SPAN lang=EN-CA style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">The BC Ministry of Education has posted a draft of the new English Language Arts Curriculum for grades 8 to 12. We will be taking the opportunity to respond to the new curriculum and have suggested that in each year from grade 8 to 12 each student should “read, both collaboratively and independently, to comprehend a variety of literary texts, including <SPAN style="COLOR: red"><B>one or more significant works of Canadian literature</B></SPAN><B>.”<SPAN style="COLOR: red"> </SPAN></B></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">The proposed amendment allows for the study of a play, several short stories, a collection of poetry or poetry by three or four different poets, one or two novels, or work by Canadian literary critics.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></P>
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<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">We believe the Ministry needs to know that the publishing and writing community, parents, and educators are concerned about the decline of Canadian literature in our schools. This is your chance to voice that opinion by replying with your support.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Please respond indicating your support (to Jean Baird, email address below) with the following information:<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Contact information<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Position (i.e., writer, publisher, educator, parent)<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">A formal response to the draft with the above recommendation will be send to the Ministry of Education and also to Premier Campbell and Shirley Bond, Minister of Education.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Please forward this email to anyone who may be interested in supporting this curriculum change<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Thanks<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Jean Baird<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Consultant, ArtStarts in Schools<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">CanLit in BC Schools Project<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=MsoFootnoteText><A title="" href="#_ftnref1" name=_ftn1><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN>[1]</SPAN></SPAN></A> The executive summary of the report is posted on the Canada Council website at <A href="http://www.canadacouncil.ca/publications_e/research/aud_access/di127234254927656250.htm">http://www.canadacouncil.ca/publications_e/research/aud_access/di127234254927656250.htm</A><O:P></O:P></DIV></DIV></DIV><!--EndFragment-->
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