Government
Departments and Agencies
Department for Education and Skills
(originally the DfEE)
The funding organisation behind the poetryclass
initiative . "Poetry is one of
the many ways we can understand and enjoy language. As it
is part of literacy the more teachers can encourage the
appreciation and use of poetry the more it will help our
drive in schools towards better written and verbal
skills. This initiative is not about trying to turn
everyone into poets. It shows that having fun with poetry
is a great way to help improve pupils' abilities in both
reading and writing as well as speaking and listening.
Teachers with less confidence in poetry will be able to
use it in class to develop creative writing and extend
childrens' literacy experience at all Key Stages."
See the DfES's comprehensive literacy targets on-line at http://www.standards.dfee.gov.uk/literacy
National
Grid for Learning
Of
particular interest is the resource centre for literacy at the Virtual
Teachers' Centre, found at http://vtc.ngfl.gov.uk/resource/literacy/index.html
National
Literacy Strategy
Includes
a detailed literacy framework for each Key Stage.
National
Literacy Trust
Contains
a database of articles and research findings related to literacy in
schools and society;
also contains resources for improving literacy.
OFSTED
The
Office for Standards in Education website contains downloadable
publications about all phases of education including publications to
do with Teacher Training and Local Education Authority.
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
Poet
Laureate
Andrew
Motion
Poetry-Active
Schools
Graveney
School Poetry Profile
Morpeth
School Poetry Profile
Selwyn
School Poetry Profile
Arts
Councils and Regional Arts Boards
Organisations
devoted to poetry
Poetry
Book Society
Bringing the best new poetry books hot off the press for
7-11 year olds - ideal for classrooms, libraries and home
use.
The
Poetry Library
Located at Royal Festival Hall, The most
comprehensive collection of modern poetry books and
periodicals containing all twentieth-century work
published in the U.K., a very wide selection from other
English speaking countries and an unrivalled collection
of translations. Extensive selection of childrens poetry
books and audiotapes. Free membership.
Poetry
Society
Leading the way for online poetry news and innovative services, www.poetrysoc.com
is at the heart of all Poetry Society activities. It features poets and
poetry in the news, extensive education resources, current activities by
the Poetry Society and Poetry Cafe, excerpts from the latest Poetry
Review, Poetry Places archive, a members' arena to meet other poetry
enthusiasts, information on the National Poetry Competition and National
Poetry Day and an extensive links section including a rotating 'Lively
Links' featuring work or publishing opportunities for poets. We
continually update and expand our site, so it's always worth logging on
to see what's new.
Organisations
that also promote poetry
The
Arvon Foundation
The
British Educational Communications Technology Agency
Included this website in the BECTA English and ICT
Newsletter...we will work together to create links from
BECTA's English and Literacy sections to poetryclass.
Jane Spilsbury, Education Officer - English
The
Book Trust
"Children need poetry and live it when it's
taught well. A taxi driver once said to me, 'I've enjoyed
reading poetry ever since my teacher taught us Yeats at
school'. Another told me, 'I learnt to hate poetry at
school - I was hit for getting it wrong.' Book Trust is
delighted to support this brilliant initiative to help
young people - and their teachers - to read and write
creatively."
Chris Meade, Executive Director
See
also:
www.booktrusted.com
This web site is managed by Booktrust to help teachers,
librarians, parents and young people choose books. Comprehensive links
within the site or to outside organisations, giving advice for
parents, children's book organisations, book lists by subject, search
for author, "booktrusted" recommended titles, children's
book events, prizes, awards, publishers directory, and bookshops
specialising in children's books.
EdExcel
"Edexcel will work closely
with over 30,000 teachers this year through its
Professional Development Programme. poetryclass
gives us the opportunity to focus on a specific part of
the curriculum. I hope this will inspire teachers and, in
turn, the young people they teach. Creativity is
important and we welcome this opportunity to be involved
in such an exciting initiative."
Beryl Jeffreys, Head of External Relations
English
Association
The aim of
the English Association is to further knowledge, understanding and
enjoyment of the English language and its literatures and to foster good
practice in its teaching and learning at all levels. This website
contains current news, conference and prize information, resources for
students, and an extensive index to graduate courses and papers. Look
for a poetry competition coming soon, to be run by our fellowship. Helen
Lucas, Chief Executive, The English Association, University of
Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH
English
Resources
Provides free resources for teaching and revising English Language and
Literature; this site is an approved content provider for the National
Grid for Learning.
NALD
National Association of Literature Development Workers
NATE
(National Association for the Teaching of English)
Dedicated to good practice in the teaching of
English.
NAWE
(National Association of Writers in Education)
A searchable directory of writers who work in
schools, colleges and the community, plus a wealth of
supporting information.
Times
Educational Supplement
"As an established supporter of the
teaching of poetry via our regular column for young poets
and its associated book, The TES Book of Young Poets, The
TES is delighted to welcome this DfEE/Poetry Society
initiative. We look forward to receiving even more poems
by imaginatively-taught young writers."
Caroline St John-Brooks, editor of The TES
The
Windows Project
Run by writers with over twenty years experience
of work in the community, the Project provides
opportunities for writers to train and work within the
community and workshops and information sessions to
encourage and assist teachers, librarians and others
working in play or community. It provides advice and
guest writers to a variety of writers' groups and runs
open advice sessions in libraries. Liverpool-based, it
also provides advice by post and phone to a large number
of individual enquiries.
Other
interesting links
Digitalbrain - a resource for schools
www.digitalbrain.com/teachers/web/index.htm
Teachit
- lesson plans for teachers, including poetry.
www.teachit.co.uk
And,
for an innovative use of poetry in education, do visit
the www.mathsyear2000.co.uk
website. Click on 'Numberland' in this website
and you will arrive at the list of integers from 1-100 -
click on any number and find out amazing facts, including
a poem written by one of the five 'online laureates':
Michael Rosen, Grace Nichols, Jackie Kay, Carol Ann Duffy
and John Agard.
A
literary journal out of Canada called The Claremont
Review accepts poetry and fiction from writers aged
13 to 19. "When students read what other people
their own age are writing, it offers an incredible
freedom to explore what is important to them and
consequently, we are formalizing an archive of teenage
life, captured as it is happening. Our motto is to become
a better poet, you need to read what's out there. And
they do." This is a non-profit group, mostly
teachers and writers who create the review in their spare
time. The website is www.members.home.net/review.
Artzone
at BBC Online - Visual poems, audio poetry, poet-in-residence, and a
poetry message board. http://www.bbc.co.uk/artzone/poetry/index.shtml
Kids on
the Net http://kotn.ntu.ac.uk/
The
Children's Haiku Garden http://www.tecnet.or.jp/~haiku
Glossary
of Poetic Terms http://www.poeticbyway.com/glossary.html
Suggestions
for poetry-teaching in the classroom
http://www.meadowbrookpress.com/excitedpoetry.cfm
http://www.poetryzone.ndirect.co.uk/teacher.htm
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