english faculty wsc

Report on Literacy In-service . 24th November. 2010 Mercure Horsham

Professor John Munro

Session 1

Kids must know the vocabulary of subject. Get them to use synonyms.  Get them to read the topic sentence.  Summarise key knowledge.

These are literacy strategies.

Convert the text into their knowledge and always review lesson at end of each lesson.

Explicitly teach how they can learn the meanings of words. Teacher is to link students’ knowledge one piece at time.  Place for explicit teaching as scaffolding

What is literacy knowledge? Converting text to knowledge

Content is different from knowledge.  Bring kids knowledge together at start of lesson to show it is valued.

Literacy is the skill of converting information to knowledge

Treat Friday differently from a Monday.   Change voice, scaffolding, repeat, positive feedback more.

Bend with the political wind, whole language v phonics.  Teach the same just alter the language.  Don’t be an isolate.

Knowledge is the totality of how we see the whole world and includes spirituality, emotional, self, literacy, subject literacy etc.

Paraphrase as they read.  Sentence by sentence.  Summarizing as a regular feature improves literacy.  Read sentence to sentence one student at a sentence, then discuss.

What do students know at beginning of lesson.

All tasks are means for students to know more, not an end in themselves.

Always ask what they have learnt from the thinking tools.

Thinking is to solve problems

We use our knowledge to make sense of what we see etc.

Y chart allows for prior knowledge.  Sometimes prior knowledge can be a barrier as it blocks our new knowledge.  Don’t present text without unpacking it.  Have class work on meanings of words etc.

Is the school motivated to improve literacy.

Punctuation picks out the meaning of texts.  They show the significant parts. We give kids new texts for kids to learn new things therefore they have to have strategies: scanning, grammar, prior knowledge, paragraphing, reading repeatedly etc all these strategies.

Session 2

What characterizes low achievers?  Co-relation between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension.  Fifty percent related.  Increase vocabulary knowledge should able to say and read new word.  Vocabulary knowledge can be assessed at beginning and at end of term.

The more vocabulary you have the more you can learn as you have more hooks.

Teach yourself the meaning of new words without using dictionary.  We can speculate about meaning. Use texts on board and show the connections eg adjectives with their nouns.  Get them to pick out the meaning by inspired guesses?  Speculate on the meaning using the context.  Teach them how to deal with unfamiliar words.  Start with simple texts with key word, get small groups to work out the meaning and to explain their strategies.

Read aloud then paraphrase and ask questions of what you want to do?

If students can deal with the unfamiliar they are becoming active learners. Review key vocabulary at end of lessons.  Let them visualize what you want. Give them examples of persuasive text and then show them a creative story. Let them discuss.

1. Work out the topic of a text.  Paraphrase the topic.

2. Understand new words.

3. Paraphrase sentences

4. Look at picture

5. Main idea of paragraph.

6.  What does the three paragraphs mean.

Sentences the key to literacy. What are their purposes?  Kids need to convert them to an accessible meaning.

Ask “what is this sentence or paragraph about?’ Reinforces literacy.

Always teach the strategies to comprehend so what they read fits with what they know.  Let them believe that the reading is useful and that they can be successful.  Not only knowledge and content but strategies.

Take steps in your teaching to link new knowledge at end of period. Write down what they have learnt.  Have key words on board.

Get them to visualize by using your body to visualize.  Get them to

picture things in their minds.  Put texts on white board as well as in assignment.

Get students to review and consolidate so they have changed their knowledge.

Get weak kids to say in sentences what they see in their minds.  Speak what they visualize.  By putting it in words they connect to the text.  Kids often weak in literacy strong in experiential experiences visual, imagery, motor skills symbols etc. Talk about their experiences before the kids begin to read. If kids tell you what they are to do over the next couple of minutes they are more likely to finish task.  Get them to say what they are going to do.

Distribute page 4 of notes.  Stress the attitudes we want them to build

If you do not visualize your topic you are less likely to do as well.  Even for strong kid. Build their visualization skills, improve inferring and note any changes.  Creativity requires this visualization.  Imagine they are there.

Don’t just close text, ask what they have learnt, what they

now know!

Literacy program – Target words, sentence meaning, paragraph meaning, topic, paraphrase for three weeks each.

Session 3

Year12 with vocabulary does better as has broader knowledge and can imagine what the final answer will look like.

Year 11 and 12 must talk in full sentences and paragraphs in class activities.  It will be quicker in exams.  Lack of vocabulary not recognized by examiners as a variable.  Not as fluent in connected prose is a disadvantage when writing.

For vocabulary synonyms are important.

As we introduce this idea get kids to provide feedback for staff.  Always discuss text, what they think about it, what it could be about, before you start. Part of reading strategies eg cover, blurb, remembering as in Bloom.

Scaffold reading aloud, paraphrasing and visualizing and bet students to see. See page six and seven of handout.  Kids must say the strategies as it becomes self-help.

Before any reading get students to discuss the topic eg on the rain forest talk about it being wet.  ’In the mind’. Put up key words and get the kids tell what the topic is possibly about.  Get them to under line words they aren’t sure about.  Ask them for strategies to work out meaning of words.

Say and repeat unknown words.  Always ask for synonyms.  Start reading and after first sentence ask “what do you see?’  Go over sentence until students have worked out what the words, sentences mean.  Ask when the skills have been learnt where that skill can be further used.

What does a summary look like?  Get them to summarize in small groups. Get them to explain how to summarise.  Scaffold what they have learnt.

Program their brains to think in a particular way.

Get the students orientated to the page and its content.  Heading, pictures, title etc.

Use topic sentences to scaffold possible meaning of rest of paragraph.  Stress importance of topic sentences.

Note in handout the Vels literacy continuum for literacy knowledge.  This document is relevant to all learning areas and domains.

Must stress the importance of developing an attitude positive to reading.

Get them knowledge ready.  Stimulate their brains to be ready and eventually to lead to independent action.  Page 8

Always review reading.page 8

How to reach reading independence?

Scaffold and paraphrasing page 10, say it in their own words and how if helps them. This motivates them.  Have them say what they will do before they cue themselves into comprehending the text.  Link automatically to other strategies they already know.  This is the road to independence. See page  9.

Relevant to Maths and VCE.  These are tools for learnning and will give their llearning focus.

Split a comprehension exercise in two.   First section has stanard questions, the second section scaffold and then ask which questions were easiest to correct.

Professional LearningPlan. See p12. Build procedures into topics to be taught. P17.  Plan this.

Minutes of Faculty Meeting 7^th September 2010

Texts 2011 –

We had an animated discussion regarding texts.

Sue Lawson’s Book ‘After’ is to replace ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ at Year 10.

‘Alice in Wonderland’ – the recent film – is added to the class list for Year 9.

‘My Sister’s Keeper’ the film of Jodi Picoult’s book to be added at year 11.

’Mao’s Last Dancer’ the film at year 10.

‘On the waterfront’ could be the film text at Year 12.

‘Coraline’ the film would also be good – at year 8.

‘Bird and Sugarbird’ by Sophie Laguna for Year 8.

‘1984’ to be used at year 11 as it finishes on the year 12 list this year.

‘The Lion King’ and ‘Finding Nemo’ are getting a little old in the junior levels if we are still doing them?
  Suggested replacements include:  Lemony Snicket, Harvey Crumpet or Wallace and Gromit.

A vigorous discussion took place over the role of ‘Macbeth’ in the Year 11 course – some argued that it took too much time and did not prepare for Year 12.  Others argued that it did and it works.  Unresolved.

It was raised whether we should keep ‘When did you last speak to your father’ also in Year 11.  Some feel that it is too remote from our students.

Decisions still need to be made on what book does ‘1984’displace?  While we have extended the films to be included we still have the written texts to be finalized.

It was felt that the two current books for Imaginative Landscape, ‘Tirra Lirra by the River’ and ‘Island’ work but one more text at least to be nominated for Part A.

People were happy with ‘Boy Overboard’, ‘Flour Babies’,'Two weeks with the Queen’ and ‘Sadako’

Agenda

1.  National Curriculum Years 11 and 12.  See our blog site for details etc:

http://opi4.edublogs.org/

2.  English Comp

3.  Texts for 2011.  Can I foreshadow my suggestion of After by Sue Lawson instead of Alibrandi at Year 10!  Sue spoke to our students last day of Term 3.

http://www.suelawson.com.au/

4.  Writing competition – you might like to circulate this competition.

http://education.theage.com.au/pdfs/wavflyer_100519.pdf

5.  Scot Gardner visiting 31st August 2010, Literacy Week.5.  Mail

6.  general Business

Close

Check previous post for ACARA address for copy of Senior EQnglish Curriculum.

Debbie De Lapps – Presenter

2012 for unit 1 and 2

2013 for 3 and 4

So start in 2014.  Next draft available in February 2011.

Issues raised by my ‘group’, include:

NAPLAN could become driver of course and course material. Lack of focus on skills in English.  What is meant by Aesthetic sensibilities.  Some discussion about Aborigines and Asian.  Are we turning backs on Greeks and Italians etc?

Jammed packed content comment.  It is almost tick a box.  Range of texts must mean short stories, articles, poem etc.  surely.  Cut some of the content!!  My table agreed.

Felt that there was no theory of learning behind this.  We are going to have to choose our texts so carefully!

It is almost as if we repeat in Yr11 and 12, year 10 and 9?

Good point about Lit and English being too similar and why do 2 subjects?.  We have kids who look for something different in Lit.

Group wants state text lists but that goes against spirit of national curriculum.

Size of school a real issue.

Overview from other groups.

-         changes concerned over the naming of the four units.  Feeling that units too content driven. Units lack a connection between content and learner and content and teacher.

-         Is sustainability too politically correct?

-         Too strong an emphasis on tertiary pathway.

-         What will states do with this document?

-         No knowledge of the assessment task – but not driving the curriculum.

-         Aesthetic sensibilities value laden and country students disadvantaged.

-         Narrowing of multi cultural nation just to kooris and Asians

-         Lacks pedagogy.  To mandate it might be dangerous but there is a close relationship between pedagogy and curriculum

-         Will grammar take up too much time.

-         ‘ethical behaviour’ – whose ethics? how do you teach it? Belongs in Religion.

-         Literature – problematic ordering and aesthetic really problematic.

-         Lack of sequencing in Literature from Unit 1 to 4.  Change names of unit to promote coherence.

-         Literature -Struggled in Unit 4 to find anything students could do or would want to.

-         Esential English really just a holding pen, no effort at lifting their literacy.

-         New ESL course does not meet needs of International students let alone new settlers.

VATE will do a survey but still to be discussed how they will respond to ACARA.

Dear friends

There are two items on this agenda.

1.  Please push English Competition.  Form going home on Friday’s newsletter.

2.  National Curriculum – Senior English.  Most of the meeting time will be constructing our collective responses.  Add to the comments to this posting.  Thanks.

Richard

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home

You must register to log in.

Please place as a comment your individual work on your chosen section of the Australian Curriculum.   Hopefully, it should not take longer than this faculty meeting.  I will then put together a faculty response to ACARA.  I am choosing Year 9 Literacy.

Notes taken at In-service Saturday 14^th March 2010

Speaker Ross Huggard on the Exam Creating and Presenting Question

Prompt avoids aiming at the” one” text.   Students are to explore the issues raised, to consider, reflect on considered views & opinions.  Explore is VIP..

The texts to supply elements, evidence or quotes and the prompt is not a topic.  Teachers are to consider student interests and provide students with other texts, multi modal etc.  See page 25 of the study design.

Students are to reflect on arguments, to open up ideas and produce work of original writing.They are to explore Contextual ideas or arguments related to and relevant to unseen prompt.  Ideas or detals from at least one text

COHERENCE, keeping on purpose, an awareness of audience are important.

Good writing is about Order and Coherence, controlled and accurate language and expression.  Let examiners see their cross outs.  No whiteout or obliterating scratches.  (shows the process).

Explore the Assessment Report.

Discuss with students the quality of writing and the quality of ideas.  Discourage formulaic writing as it is limiting.   Memorised responses  ignore the prompt.  Students must avoid retelling plot.  Use “speech”, argumentative pieces rather than essay.

Transference of ideas

Incorporate elements from text, practise writing in a range and explore outside texts.  Do not write explicitly on texts – see them as an ideas umbrella.  Learn some quotes (don’t have to use them. Think Voice rather than metalanguage.

The prompt should invite conjecture. Prompt and elicit writing in diverse genres.

There is no predetermined or agreed position

Students are to develop ideas.

Teachers must advise students about styles and forms of writing.  Get students to  show big ideas rather than tell story.  Commentary, scene, dialogue, editorial, expository essay, feature article, hypothetical, imaginary account/ interview / letter,letter to editor, monologue, narrative speech, textual Continuation / insert.  These last two very tough and to be discouraged.  No poetry at all.

Remember while there is no specific audience studnets still need to reflect for whom they write as well as the what and how, especially in persuasive speech or feature article.

Any visual response stimulus is to be seen as a ‘springboard’ despite demonstrative  link.  It is about effect use of prompt / stimulus effectively.

A visual stimulus is supposed to extend student thinking on the prompt and show a possible way.  They could be cartooons, photographs, appropriate news article.  Teachers can use images on power point.

Do not use plot or characters in another time.  Avoid generic discussions on context with only passing reference to prompt.  Provide students with visual stimulus.  Students with better conceptual understanding suggests more focused teaching with no preferred formula

2009 prompt sets up an implied conceptual tension to be reflected upon.  Show students how prompts 2008/2009 have changed.

Teaching approaches: news story relating to context and then 2 forms of

Writing, list of potential quotations and comments relating to the context drawn from array of non-textual Sources.  Environmental issues for imaginative landscape.

Topic: Newspaper article on which is better, Melbourne or Sydney. Small number will want to write creative pieces – tell them no!

Practise a number of strategies in case prompt not what hoped for.

Do not pre-plan. Adopt a persona to write an opinion piece etc.  That automatically creates an audience etc.

Do not refer to a List 1 text.

Each paragraph does not need to Ink directly text.  Nor is it  better to refer to more than one contextual text.  Don’t start by referring to the set text.  Don’t use dictionary definition of Key terms either in prompt or connected to Contexts.  Write to your strength

No written explanation of style or purpose etc.  That’s the SAC.  Language and Ideas are both VIP.  This not a text response.

Stimulus could be a group of key words with prompt between.  Again, avoid creative responses.  Hybrid persuasive allows for argumentative feature etc.

Get students to proof read by swapping around and using red pen.   Develop writing skills, speed, accuracy, variety of styles.  Model on eboards.

Explicitly teach language and structure.  He suggested Picture Books to demonstrate context.  Students should give a detailed introductory paragraph to have something to build on.  Key contextual ideas might be:  location and environment, self-awareness, tradition, alienation, connectedness, individuality, contentment, spirituality etc.

One of the session that I attended at the recent VATE Co-ordinators’ Conference looked at this issue of grammar.  The presenter, Professor Katrine Love, knew her stuff.

We are to ‘study’ grammar in context.  Long exercises on grammar are not wanted.  The presenter analysed President Obama’s inauguration speech.  This was presented to us as a unit on class talks.  She noted the use of inclusive pronouns, the use of an anecdote, the repetition of key words, how adjectives and adverbs determined the meaning, how audience determines vocabulary, how the choice of the article alters meaning.  Note that the grammar elements are raised in context.

It works.  I tried pronouns with our critical analysis article in Yaer 12.  The students noted the absences of ‘I’.  The reader, they felt, would have seen author as know all.  They noticed the preponderance of the  pronoun ‘We’ which they recognised as inclusive and that is of course an argumentative device.

I suggest that from now on we incorporate a discussion or dialogue on aspects of grammar in each of our units to get into the habit.  For example – a discussion on the author’s use of adverbs, or how the conjunction works in the sentences etc. Put it in context.

Sorry for the delay.

1.  At the February meeting we had a quick look at the Australian Curriculum and determined to submit a Faculty response to reinforce our sense of ‘ownership’.

At the Co-ordinator’s Conference on March 19th (more about this later) they suggested that faculty members take a section of the Australian Curriculum and study that specifically.   For instance:  I intend to ‘study’ the Year 9 Literacy ‘strand’ and the Writing Achievement standard and see how they fit together and bas my contribution on that.  Please inform me of which area you wish to study.

2.  With the emphasis on grammar creating a stir, I proposed that the faculty buy for each staff “The Grammar Guide for Secondary Students” by Blaxell and Winch.  They have arrived an have been distributed.

3.  Copies of new texts for Year 12 English in 2011 have been purchased.  Any volunteers see RO.

ENG KLA Minutes – 28^th January 2010

 1.  Mail:  circulated

 2.  Faculty Blog site:  http://opi4.edublogs.org/

 To be used to discuss issues between meetings, to respond to key issues, to allow for suggestions, to develop our social media skills.  Try to promote it as the central communication document of Faculty.

 3.  Teacher tube and ‘social media revolution’.  This short video says it all and ties in with Ultranet.  http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=123139&title=Social_Media_Revolution

A good reason to begin incorporating social media, web 2.0 tools into the curriculum

 4.  Literacy Policy

 A draft report.  Add new ideas as you think of them, via blog.  Will change with the introduction of the national curriculum

 5.  NAPLAN results:

 Some students may benefit from smaller more focused lessons. To be decided among level teachers.  Use results to inform your teaching.  Ask for detailed student reports to aid decision making.

 6.  Visiting author – Scot Gardner (Literacy Week) – 31^st August 2010.

 7.  Class Sets – suggestions to blog.  (Replacements etc)

 At least one set of class novels that meet the reading needs of the weaker students as part of point 5 suggestions.

 8.  Scope and Sequence

 Due next week.

 9.  General Business

 Year 12 English trip to Horsham, Literary Competition to be earlier, Domains and Dimensions for Semester 1 reports to be decided at next meeting.  Purchase copies (student/staff) Skillworks levels 8 and 9 as staff references.