The English Teachers Association of Queensland Inc. (ETAQ) www.etaq.org.au

ETAQ Saturday Seminar 1-2015 Getting Reading Right Saturday 14 March, 2015 Corinda State High School, Pratten Street, Corinda QLD 4075

Keynote Address: “We read to know we’re not alone”: Enabling and nurturing our students’ reading lives

ETAQ Saturday Seminar 1-2015. The registration form is on the last page. The English Teachers Association of Queensland Inc. (ETAQ) www.etaq.org.au students’ reading and the story of their individual and shared reading lives? What insights, both practical and conceptual, does recent research offer us as teachers?

In this presentation, I will focus on the ‘what, how, when, where, and why’ of contemporary teenagers’ reading. I will draw on Australian and international research in the field of teenagers’ reading practices and preferences as a stimulus for reconnecting with the enduring questions about our role as teachers in shaping the quality of our students’ reading lives. Exploring students’ perspectives on their attitudes to Presenter reading and their reading habits can serve to reorient Associate Professor Jacqueline Manuel us to the key challenges we face as we seek to enable University of Sydney engaged, curious, accomplished and satisfied readers. Jacqueline Manuel is Associate Professor in English As teachers, our attentive and creative pedagogies can education in the Faculty of Education and Social Work ignite and reignite the fuse of wonder and excitement at the University of Sydney. She holds a BA (Hons 1) in about learning, being, connecting and knowing English, a Dip Ed and a PhD in English Literature from through purposeful immersion in language and the the University of New England. She has published expansive rewards of reading. widely in the field of English education. Her most recent book is Teenagers and Reading: Literary heritages, cultural contexts and contemporary reading Program practices (Wakefield Press/AATE, 2012). Jackie’s Time Activity research includes a focus on creativity and imagination From 8:30 Registration & tea/coffee in secondary English; teenagers’ reading; new teacher 8:45 – 9:20 ETAQ AGM motivation; and student engagement with literature. She is a former Member of the NSW Board of Studies 9:25 – 10:25 Keynote address + questions and has been Chief Examiner of NSW HSC English 10:25– 10:55 Morning tea (Standard & Advanced, 2006-2011). 11:00 – 12:00 Workshop Session A Or 2 hour workshop 12:05 – 1:05 Workshop Session B Abstract

In an age saturated by digital media and technology, This activity constitutes 3 hours 15 minutes of what are our students choosing to read and why? Continuing Professional Development (CPD). What determines their choices and invests them with purpose and meaning? What excites and motivates Workshop Sessions them when it comes to reading? When are they Details of the workshops on offer are shown below. reading and how are they reading? What are their Participants will have the opportunity to select either attitudes and responses to the reading we require of one two hour or two one hour workshops from the them in English? Do boys and girls approach reading following. See summary on page 7. in gender-specific ways? How much consonance or Workshop A dissonance exists between our expectations of our

ETAQ Saturday Seminar 1-2015. The registration form is on the last page. The English Teachers Association of Queensland Inc. (ETAQ) www.etaq.org.au Panel discussion – Jacqueline Manuel, Michelle Ragen habits of teenagers and the ways in which they and James Moloney, hosted by Lindsay Williams respond to literature. James Moloney has lived most of his life in Abstract Queensland. He was a teacher and a teacher librarian Our expert panel will further explore Seminar 1’s for many years but now writes full time in a shed theme: how best to help our students to share our tucked away in the back yard of his home in Brisbane. belief in the value of reading. A leading academic, an In recent years he has written fantasy and high English teacher and librarian, and an author will adventure for younger readers, but his passion discuss the challenges facing teachers and the changes remains the Young Adult novels for which he is best they’ve noticed in adolescent reading practices as they known. relate to contemporary learning environments. The panelists will also discuss the books teenagers are Workshop B choosing to read today and how we, as English It’s Alive! Re-energising reading through teachers, can continue to nurture our students’ belief transformed classics - Chelsea Parakas in the value of reading. Before concluding, the panelists will also recommend books for particular age Abstract groups. Their provocations, conclusions and When faced with a Year 9 class with declining literacy suggestions are sure to be helpful for teachers and levels and an indifference towards reading, the school leaders. prospect of teaching a classic text seemed all but impossible. However, through a reimagined approach to classic literature and the introduction of graphic Panel Chair novels and film, student interests were targeted, as was their understanding of the focus text Lindsay Williams is an educator with 30 years of (Frankenstein) through the utilisation of the Four experience, as an English teacher, HoD, panel chair, Resources Model and other comprehension strategies. tutor/lecturer, and consultant. He is undertaking a Students were then encouraged to explore a wider range of classics that have been transformed for PhD focused on the multimodal, interpersonal work modern audiences, promoting reading outside of the of presenters. Follow him on Twitter: @Lindsayguru classroom and connection between texts.

Targeted testing at the beginning and the end of the Presenters unit saw improvement in student comprehension skills and an overall attitude shift towards the subject of A/Prof Jacqueline Manuel English.

Michelle Ragen is an English teacher, teacher librarian Presenter and a curriculum assistant for English teachers in the My name is Chelsea Parakas and I have been working Middle School at Brisbane Grammar School. A in the small rural school of St Joseph's Stanthorpe for the past 6 years. When I started here, I fell in love passionate reader, Michelle is a member of both the with the community and the hard working nature of Riverbend Readers and Riverbend Secondary Schools' the students. Although faced with challenges that are book clubs. At Brisbane Grammar School, Michelle apparent in many rural communities (low-literacy; enjoys running the Apollo Club (a book club for year 12 school disengagement), in my current role of Head of Curriculum, I have made it my focus to develop units students) and the Aficionado Society (a film and that not only improve students’ basic reading and literature club for years 9 and 10 boys). Michelle is writing skills but also promote a love of classic and also very interested in the contemporary reading contemporary literature. Workshop C ETAQ Saturday Seminar 1-2015. The registration form is on the last page. The English Teachers Association of Queensland Inc. (ETAQ) www.etaq.org.au Getting reading right with Robert Browning’s poem She managed a research project on Indigenous My Last Duchess – Garry Collins students’ literacy acquisition that studied the effects of reading culturally inclusive texts written and illustrated by Indigenous people. Currently, Julie is Abstract investigating a pedagogical approach that involves the This workshop will outline some activities for teaching teacher bolstering instruction to enable all students to Robert Browning’s poem My Last Duchess in read complex texts. This is in combination with an secondary school English classrooms. It will be amplification of the teacher’s role in assisting students suggested that, with this poem, in order to get reading to access texts for increased independent reading. right, students should be encouraged to take on the She is completing her PhD research in this area. role of literary sleuths or text detectives, capitalising on their curiosity (a reference to the theme of this Workshop E – 2 hours year’s AATE/ ALEA national conference to be held in Canberra in early July) to make deductions from the Top Level structure – an oldie but a goodie! Pat incomplete evidence available in the text and to Hipwell determine if a crime has been committed. Abstract Integration of the Language, Literature and Literacy Much reading research in the 1980s and 1990s strands of the F-10 Australian English Curriculum will showed that an understanding of the way in which be modelled, in particular, the teaching of grammar, ideas are organised in non-literary texts contributes punctuation and spelling in context. With minimal greatly to making meaning from those texts. All texts adaptation, the proposed activities could be suitable have an organisational or top level structure. Examples for Years 10, 11 or 12. include relatively simple ways of organising information eg description, compare/contrast, cause/effect, sequence/process and problem/solution Presenter in the primary years; and more complex arrangements Now a part-time teacher educator at the University of eg proposition/support, inductive/deductive, and Queensland, Garry Collins taught secondary English investigation in the secondary years. Alerting students for 35 years, mainly in the Queensland state system, to the top level structure of text enhances their ability but also on exchange in the US and Canada. Currently to comprehend. It also contributes to memorising AATE President, he is keen on functional grammar and what has been read; identifying main ideas rather than poetry and enjoys integrating them. isolated facts (this contributes to summarising); and assists students as they compose written material where the ideas are organised in particular ways. Workshop D – 2 hours During this practical workshop, teachers will examine a number of texts with the purpose of identifying the High Reliability Reading: Building students’ top level structure. They will also develop a teaching comprehension before, during, and after reading - sequence to use with students to increase their Julie Bliss awareness of specific top level structures and incorporate the use of appropriate graphic organisers Abstract as visual representations of the linguistic relationships that exist within text. This session considers how we can create optimal conditions to help students deeply comprehend text by planning activities before, during, and after reading. Presenter These activities can be used in all subject areas to help Pat Hipwell is an independent literacy consultant and students construct their understanding of the content works for her own company, logonliteracy. She trained of texts used in class. as a high school teacher and taught Geography and Social Science in England and Australia for many years. Presenter Since starting a consultancy business eleven years ago, Pat has provided professional development to primary Julie Bliss is a Principal Education Advisor for the and high schools that are developing whole school Australian Curriculum in Metropolitan Region, approaches to literacy teaching and learning. She has Queensland. She has worked in regional and particular interest in designing quality assessment university positions in the areas of English and literacy. tasks and the literacy demands of school based ETAQ Saturday Seminar 1-2015. The registration form is on the last page. The English Teachers Association of Queensland Inc. (ETAQ) www.etaq.org.au assessment in Queensland and National Testing. Her increasingly sophisticated ideas about their own workshops are extremely practical and teachers leave individual differences and complex cultural identities. with ideas to implement in content area classrooms. Recently, Patricia has become interested in practical During the course of this presentation we will provide strategies for teaching vocabulary and the link examples of the learning that students participate in between vocabulary development and reading. She and the ways in which we bring the real world into the has written a number of books including, How to classroom through interactions with community Write What You Want to Say, which is a bestseller. groups and the integration of a resource rich environment – both of which encourage students to Workshop F explore and inquire in order to make connections Getting Reading Right with eBooks and ‘Born Digital’ between real and fictional worlds, determine the events and ideas that influence texts, and Narratives – Dr Cherie Allan communicate their own unique experiences.

Abstract Presenters This presentation aims to examine a number of Anthony Ingold is a teacher of English, Ancient History practices around reading digital texts. The session will and Modern History and has taught in state and provide opportunities for discussion of material independent schools in Queensland. He has covered and sharing of participants' classroom experience teaching in diverse classroom experiences. environments across middle and senior years. Ana Culic is a third year teacher who has worked in an Presenter independent school for the last two years. Her core area is English with a particular focus on Middle Cherie Allan has been a secondary teacher and, more School. recently, taught Children’s Literature at QUT. Her current research interest is related to reading digital texts. She is affiliated with the Children and Youth Workshop H Research Centre (CYRC) at QUT. Mr Darcy and That Wet Shirt: The Sequel – Natalie Fong and Heather Costello Abstract Workshop G Three years ago at the ETAQ March Seminar, Heather Costello and Natalie Fong proposed a Year 10/11/12 Making Connections Between Real and Fictional unit on Pride and Prejudice that would incorporate Worlds – Anthony Ingold and Ana Culic curriculum requirements of multimodal, multicultural Abstract texts (including Asian texts), the aesthetic, and intertextuality by looking at how classic texts are This presentation explores a middle school English interpreted by modern media. A great excuse to programme that engages and challenges students by analyse Colin Firth’s iconic wet shirt from the 1995 bringing fictional worlds to life. BBC series, and hopefully to encourage students in their reading by opening up classic literature. Over the course of Years 7, 8, and 9, students are exposed to a variety of texts that allow them to The premise of the unit was: Pride and Prejudice is a develop a love of reading. Through these texts popular classic that has spawned many film students engage with relevant, real-world issues; the adaptations (1995 BBC, Joe Wright’s 2005 film, core focus being the environment and sustainability, Gurinder Chadha’s Bride and Prejudice, The Lizzie refugees, and regimes. By integrating fictional and real Bennet Diaries, etc.), other imaginative reincarnations worlds, the programme encourages students to (Lost in Austen, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). This consciously consider texts, recognise textual ideology unit is intended to be a fun way of drawing students and understanding of self, through themes and into the world of this novel, through these adaptations individual reading processes. As learners recognise, and references, specifically Bride and Prejudice – reflect and interact, they are empowered to engage exploring common themes and motifs between the and empathise as responsible citizens in a multicultural society and are equipped to articulate ETAQ Saturday Seminar 1-2015. The registration form is on the last page. The English Teachers Association of Queensland Inc. (ETAQ) www.etaq.org.au Regency and Bollywood, and whether or not this classroom and cheat sheets for English teachers who adaptation stays true to Austen’s original intent. don’t read Young Adult material (but who probably should!). In 2014, Heather and Natalie were given the opportunity to teach this unit to two quite different Presenter classes – an extension class and a mixed ability class. Come and hear about: the triumphs and tragedies of Erin Geddes is an English teacher and Teacher- implementing a unit that tries to make the Regency Librarian who has presented numerous local, state and sexy, the best resources and reading practices, the life national workshops and been a sessional lecturer for skills learnt (e.g. what to look for in a potential QUT’s Teacher-Librarian Masters course. Her favourite spouse), as well as how the students benefited from achievement to date is increasing fiction borrowing in cultural immersion through Regency dancing. her school library by 62% in 2014. She believes in the power of books, pop culture, technology and is anti- shhhhing. You can follow her on her blog: http://thenotbrarian.wordpress.com/ or various Presenters Pinterest pages, including: Natalie Fong teaches English and History at Citipointe http://www.pinterest.com/thenotbrarian/notbrarian- Christian College. She is an avowed Anglophile, and in book-support/ 2013, spent 6 months completing an internship in the Education department at the Globe theatre in London. One of her teaching and research interests is marrying up classic texts and modern texts in order to “make old texts seem cool” for teenagers. Workshop J Heather Costello teaches English and History at ETAQ position on Senior Assessment and Tertiary Citipointe Christian College. She is staff coordinator of Entrance changes – Fiona Laing the 2015 Humanities Research Symposium for Youth. Heather has a love of classic literature and ancient Abstract history, and is still figuring out how those two work ETAQ has created a position on the Matters/Masters together! Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance Report, released October 2014. Since then the minister released his response to the report, agreeing with Workshop I much of it and also including the Parliamentary Ha! Ha! Made you Read – Erin Geddes (B.Ed, M.Ed) Education and Innovation Committee report on Assessment Methods for Senior Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics (Report No. 25). The minister Abstract decided to trial using Maths and Science as a basis for We focus so much on reading comprehension that deciding on the final system for English and the sometimes it’s important to stop and remember that humanities. ETAQ urgently needs to put together a reading can be enjoyable. If reading enjoyment is a position on this and it needs input from teachers in more important factor in academic success than a Queensland. Come to this session where we look at child’s socio-economic status (OECD, 2002), then it’s the options and you have your say. Our new vital that we become better at engaging and government needs to hear your voice. motivating students in reading! In this session, Erin will take you through both classroom and library-based Presenter practices that have been effective in motivating students to read for pleasure. The workshop will Fiona Laing is currently HOD English at Forest Lake include information on helping students to select State High School and president of ETAQ. She is engaging material, types of texts you may never have passionate about English teaching and standing up for thought about, building in extra reading in the English teachers.

ETAQ Saturday Seminar 1-2015. The registration form is on the last page. The English Teachers Association of Queensland Inc. (ETAQ) www.etaq.org.au

Session 1 Session 2 (11:00 – 12:00) (12:05 – 1:00) Session 1 only Workshop A Panel discussion – Jackie Manuel, Michelle Ragen and James Moloney, hosted by Lindsay Williams √

Workshop B It’s Alive! – Re-energising reading through transformed classics – Chelsea √ √ Parakas

Workshop C Getting reading right with Robert Browning’s poem My Last Duchess – Garry √ √ Collins

Workshop D High Reliability Reading: Building students’ comprehension before, during, and √ after reading – Julie Bliss

Workshop E Top Level structure – an oldie but a goodie! – Pat Hipwell √

Workshop F Getting Reading Right with eBooks and ‘Born Digital’ Narratives – Dr Cherie √ √ Allan Session 2 only Workshop G Making Connections Between Real and Fictional Worlds – Anthony Ingold and Ana Culic √

Workshop H Mr Darcy and That Wet Shirt: The Sequel – Natalie Fong and Heather Costello √ √ Session 2 only Workshop I Ha! Ha! Made you Read – Erin Geddes Session 2 only Workshop J ETAQ’s position on Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance changes – Fiona Laing

ETAQ Saturday Seminar 1-2015. The registration form is on the last page.