A place where I'll post up some thoughts and ideas - especially on literature in education, children's literature in general, poetry, reading, writing, teaching and thoughts on current affairs.
Monday, 9 March 2020
Tweets about 'free speech' and Trevor Phillips
(I'm not in the Labour Party) Trevor Phillips has been free and is free to say a whole raft of things about Muslims. An organisation or institution is free to say that it doesn't want someone who writes what he writes as a member. The IHRA code works in the same way.
There are two different areas that govern free speech: the law and the noise of the mass media. The second has decided that the Trevor Phillips case is a breach of free speech and implementing the IHRA code and the 'Ten Pledges' is not a breach of free speech.
Very interesting that 'free speech' is suddenly an issue again. When the IHRA code was argued about, various people said that it raised 'free speech' questions. The fact that they did raise it, 'proved' that they were antisemitic. Apparently. Interesting topic is 'free speech'.
As only certain news stories gain prominence then there is also 'free speech in reverse' e.g. how little attention is paid to things e.g. why we haven't had the Arcuri report.
If anyone reading this sees or hears on the media the question of the IHRA code or the 'Ten pledges' being raised as part of the 'free speech' issue, could they please tweet it to me?
Sunday, 8 March 2020
Now it's me, raised eyebrows, and the Jewish Chronicle...
The Jewish Chronicle on me being affirmed by Show Racism the Red Card as a judge of their children's poetry competition says:
"The choice of Jewish children’s author Michael Rosen, another well-known defender of the Labour Party against antisemitism allegations, raised eyebrows."
This is an important point. Presumably, the Chronicle's journalists have been out and about doing eyebrow checks, going up to people and saying,'Excuse me, have you heard? Michael Rosen has been chosen by Show Racism the Red Card as a judge of a children's poetry competition!' And then they stand back to see if eyebrows are raised.
Then again, I'm not sure whose eyebrows were raised. The article doesn't specify. I mean i know people who have at least one eyebrow raised all the time. Like the Everton Football Club manager, Ancelotti. Would that count? Or does the eyebrow have to go up?
Even so, who are these eyebrow raisers? And when do they get to take their eyebrows down? In my experience, I've found it hard-going standing about keeping your eyebrows raised. Is there a qualifying time? Do you have to have your eyebrows raised for a minimum length of time for it to count as raised? Or can a quick eyebrow flip - up-down - count too?
Anyway, please can you go out today and say to someone, 'Michael Rosen is a judge of children's poetry for Show Racism the Red Card' - and see what happens to the eyebrows?
Get back to me. Let me know how it goes on the eyebrow front. It's a big thing, eyebrows.
Thursday, 5 March 2020
Teachers: some great notes for 'The Missing'
Hello teachers.
If you have my book 'The Missing' and are reading it with your pupils you may want to use some wonderful notes written by Nikki Gamble from Just Imagine. You can get the notes from:
They are also available from the following websites:
Just Imagine
Reading Agency
Schools Library Association
Read for Good
TES
Reading Agency
Schools Library Association
Read for Good
TES
And Roving Books have hard copies.
Monday, 2 March 2020
Grand old Duke of York - English test paper
The grand old Duke of York
He had ten thousand men.
He marched them up to the top of the hill
and he marched them down again.
When they were up, they were up.
When they were down, they were down.
And when they were only half way up,
they were neither up nor down.
1. How many men did the Duke of York have? (ten thousand: one mark)
2. Where did he march them ? (Up to the top of the hill and down again: two marks)
3. Where were they, when they were up? (Up: one mark)
4. Where were they, when they were down? (Down: one mark)
5. Where were they, when they were half way up? (Neither up nor down: one mark)
6. Write down the order in which the Duke of York marched his men. (Up then down: two marks)
7. Why did the Duke of York march his men up? (To get to the top of the Hill: two marks)
8. Why did the Duke of York march his men down? (To get to the bottom of the hill: two marks)
9. What does 'neither up nor down' mean? (Only half way up: one mark)
10. Why did the Duke of York do all this? (Not possible at this stage to assign a mark to this question.)
He had ten thousand men.
He marched them up to the top of the hill
and he marched them down again.
When they were up, they were up.
When they were down, they were down.
And when they were only half way up,
they were neither up nor down.
1. How many men did the Duke of York have? (ten thousand: one mark)
2. Where did he march them ? (Up to the top of the hill and down again: two marks)
3. Where were they, when they were up? (Up: one mark)
4. Where were they, when they were down? (Down: one mark)
5. Where were they, when they were half way up? (Neither up nor down: one mark)
6. Write down the order in which the Duke of York marched his men. (Up then down: two marks)
7. Why did the Duke of York march his men up? (To get to the top of the Hill: two marks)
8. Why did the Duke of York march his men down? (To get to the bottom of the hill: two marks)
9. What does 'neither up nor down' mean? (Only half way up: one mark)
10. Why did the Duke of York do all this? (Not possible at this stage to assign a mark to this question.)