CAPITALISING ON CURIOSITY ‘ninggi warrguu’– look and ask why Nurturing Inquiring Minds
AATE & ALEA Joint National Conference § English Literacy Conference Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ‘Ngunna Yarabi Yengue…you are welcome to leave your footprints on our land’ Invite a famous Australian author into your classroom.
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Convenors’ Welcome 2
AATE President’s Welcome 3
ALEA National President’s Welcome 4
Artist Statement: Leah Brideson 5
General Information 6
Social Media 9
Program Overview 11
Social Program 30
Conference Keynotes 32
Garth Boomer Address 32 Donald Graves Address 34 Opening & Closing Plenary Addresses 36 Conference Keynotes: Biographies 37
Awards 41
Authors, Illustrators and Book Signings 46
Saturday 4 July: Abstracts and Biographies 49
Sunday 5 July: Abstracts and Biographies 69
Monday 6 July: Abstracts and Biographies 97
2015 Conference Convenors & Committee 121
Call for Presentations for the 2016 Conference 122
Sponsors & Exhibitors 123
Exhibition Hall Floor Plan 124
Map of National Convention Centre 125
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 1 Convenors’ Welcome
Welcome to Canberra and the National Convention Centre for the AATE/ALEA Joint National conference, Capitalising on Curiosity: Ninggi Warrguu – look and ask why; nurturing inquiring minds. We know you will enjoy following the many pathways of inquiry and curiosity that Canberra has to offer: from its traditional custodians and cultures, the Ngunnawal people, to its cultural institutions that archive the nation’s memories and provoke us to examine our national identity. We first identified ‘curiosity’ as a key theme because Canberra is far more than just a political town – it’s a city that nurtures creativity and inspires intellectual pursuits. A few years on from the introduction of the Australian Curriculum: English, its review and many iterations, we pause to take stock. Have we become slaves to meeting outcomes and improving standardised test results at the expense of creativity and inspiration in the classroom? Author, educator and literacy consultant Stephanie Harvey suggests that curiosity is a key skill for the 21st century; and, judging by the range of keynotes and workshops offered in this year’s conference, passion, curiosity and inquiry are alive and well in our nation’s classrooms! We believe there is something for everyone at this conference, with acclaimed international and national speakers, revered authors and passionate educators sharing their practice under the three strands: nurturing curiosity in practice; nurturing inquiry through research and nurturing creativity in curriculum. Curiosity is key as we open our classrooms to a global context of continual social and cultural change with new communication technologies. Curiosity is central in guiding learners to imagine new possibilities. In order to nurture and inspire learners in the classroom, we must connect with them personally, connect with their families, and connect with the community in which they live. This year’s conference is grounded in community, starting with the artwork by local Aboriginal artist and Education student Leah Brideson and the support from the United Ngunnawal Elders’ Council, who approved our use of some words and phrases from Ngunnawal language. We’re also proud to showcase local performers providing entertainment throughout the conference and we invite our school communities on Saturday to meet Gary Crew and Graeme Base. Associations like the Australian Association for the Teaching of English and the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association exist to nurture and inspire members through professional dialogue and sharing of best practice. We sincerely thank all those who have contributed to this National Conference: our speakers and workshop presenters, association members who have worked on organising committees for several years, our volunteer guides, our sponsors and conference partner, ACT Education and Training Directorate, the tireless workers in ALEA and AATE National offices, and of course, the schools and delegates who have supported the conference by registering. We hope you will leave feeling nurtured and inspired to be curious, inquiring educators, and we look forward to meeting again in Adelaide, 2016.
From the Conference Convenors: Debbie Martens, Principal, Charnwood-Dunlop School ACT State Director, ALEA Michelle Morthorpe, Deputy Principal, Gold Creek School President, ACT Association for the Teaching of English (ACTATE)
2 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 AATE President’s Welcome
AATE President’s welcome for 2015 Canberra conference program We’ve curiously come to Canberra for a feast of professional learning; Since Darwin a full year ago, it’s for this we have been yearning. I am pleased to have this opportunity to join with my counterpart at ALEA, Professor Robyn Ewing AM, in issuing a warm welcome to all participants in this year’s AATE/ALEA joint national conference. AATE is the national umbrella organisation unifying the autonomous English teacher associations that exist in each of the states and territories. With AATE now embarked on its second 50 years, we are again delighted to be involved in this joint national conference endeavour with the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association (ALEA). Associations like AATE and ALEA are largely about providing opportunities for professional sharing and this conference is a prime platform for such sharing in face to face mode. The two national associations get to have their brands associated with this event as it moves around the country and valuable support is rendered by Wendy Rush and her staff at the national office. However, the conference is only possible through the hard work of members of the local embodiments of the two organisations. On behalf of all those who will benefit from the conference, I wish to pay tribute to the efforts of all members of the organising committee ably led by the co-convenors, Michelle Morthorpe from ACTATE, the ACT arm of AATE, and Debbie Martens from ALEA. If we fully embrace the invitation to capitalise on our curiosity about English and literacy teaching, I am sure that we will all enjoy a pleasant and professionally productive conference.
Garry Collins President Australian Association for the Teaching of English (AATE)
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 3 ALEA National President’s Welcome
Welcome conference delegates! It’s wonderful that you’ve been able to postpone your holiday break to attend the 2015 AATE/ALEA Capitalising on Curiosity conference. I’m sure you’ll agree that the program looks exciting from both professional and social perspectives. This year we’re also celebrating ALEA’s 40th birthday so it seems highly appropriate that we’ll be focusing on curiosity and creativity – so essential for English and literacy educators in such a rapidly changing world. At the same time there’ll be opportunities to learn from the wisdom of those who have worked so hard for the language and literacy development of children and young people in this country. So let’s be ready to challenge each other, ask the big questions and engage in rich professional conversations so we’ll feel renewed and refreshed to continue our important work over the coming year. Such an impressive program only happens through years of planning and consistent hard work. Our warmest congratulations and deep appreciation to co-convenors Debbie Martens and Michelle Morthorpe and their committed and enthusiastic conference team. We hope you have an opportunity to really enjoy the conference too. With best wishes on behalf of ALEA National Council.
Professor Robyn Ewing AM National President of the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association (ALEA)
4 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Artist Statement: Leah Brideson
The central circles represent the child. In addition, they are a symbol of Canberra’s meaning, ‘meeting place’ (Ngunnawal), and subtly embody the parliamentary triangle; looking at what is right under our feet and using the land and our first custodians as a tool for learning. The white dots (outer circle) represent dreaming, thinking, doing. The pathways are a two way street: 1. Nurturing – pathways to the child’s mind through different avenues, awakening interests and opportunities to channel their curiosity. Providing different ways of learning/viewing the world through all the dimensions of learning. Supporting their learning in every direction and providing guidance. Personalising learning by knowing the child. 2. Curiosity – the child taking the steps, in charge of their learning, their interests, different options in all directions. Wondering what could be down each pathway and using their curiosity and inquiry skills to take them on the journey in any direction they choose to go. The two way street provides a safe area for the children to ‘look’ and ‘ask’. The outer square shape is ‘stepping outside of the square’, taking curiosity into the unknown, taking risks in learning and inquiring about what is next. The black pathways are open ended.
Artist’s Biography Leah Brideson is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Officer at Ngunnawal Primary School in Canberra, ACT. She is a Kamilaroi woman with links to family in Gunnedah, NSW and has lived in Canberra most of her life. Leah is currently completing her primary teaching degree and would ultimately like to complete further study in the arts and specialise in teaching Indigenous art.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 5 General Information
Conference venue The conference is being held at the National Convention Centre on Constitution Avenue. We have exclusive use of the Centre for the duration of the conference. §§ Registration in the main foyer; downstairs §§ Trade displays in the Exhibition Hall §§ Food and beverage in the Exhibition Hall §§ Plenary and keynotes are in the Royal Theatre, the Bradman, Menzies, Nicholls and Sutherland Theatres §§ Concurrent sessions will be in all theatres and gallery rooms and two rooms at the Crowne Plaza – Crossings Rooms 1 and 2 §§ Luggage storage will be provided in the main foyer area Please refer to the map on the conference website and app for details.
Entrance to the National Convention Centre There are two entrances to the Convention Centre – one on the Constitution Ave side and one at the rear accessible from Glebe Park.
Disabled access There is disabled access inside the National Convention Centre, as well as ramps located on the Constitution Avenue and Glebe Park entrances to the building and disabled accessible lifts in the car park.
Registration desk The conference registration desk is located on the ground floor in the main foyer and will be open: §§ Friday 3 July from 5pm §§ Saturday 4 July from 8am §§ Sunday 5 July from 8am §§ Monday 6 July from 8am
Conference volunteers Conference student volunteers can be recognised by their black t-shirts with the conference logo front and back. Conference committee members can be identified by their green and orange pashminas and those Canberra locals willing to answer delegates' questions are identifiable by the green and orange ribbons on their lanyards.
6 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Special dietary requirements If you have advised the organisers of any special dietary requirement, this information has been forwarded to the catering staff. There will be a special area within the Exhibition Hall for you to collect your meals.
ATM There is an ATM just inside the front entry of the main foyer.
Internet access Access for the complimentary Wi-Fi for delegates: 3. Turn on Wi-Fi and select NCC wireless on your device 4. Open your preferred web browser i.e. Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari 5. The log-in page will open automatically; if it doesn’t occur please type in: portal.reivernet.com into your URL. Internet code: 1. Select click here 2. Type ACCEPT into the text box and select connect *Please note: complimentary wireless entitles you to 3 hours of access, 4 times per day.
Mobile phones As a courtesy to fellow delegates and speakers, please ensure your phone is switched off or is on silent during all conference sessions.
Lost property All lost property can be handed in/collected from the registration desk.
Luggage storage If you require luggage storage at the National Convention Centre while you are attending the conference,there will be a designated space near the registration desk on the ground floor. While due care and attention will be taken with your luggage, AATE and ALEA will not be responsible for any loss or damage to your luggage. Delegates are responsible for their own travel and luggage insurance. It is recommended that you do not leave any valuables or computer equipment with your luggage.
Parking There is a public car park underneath the National Convention Centre. The rates are: Full Day (Mon–Fri) 5am–5pm $18.00 Up to 2 hours before 5pm $ 6.00 Up to 4 hours before 5pm $10.00 Multi Exit $21.00 Weekend & After Hours $ 3.00
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 7 Public transport The following Action bus services drop off and pick up at the entry to the National Convention Centre: 4, 5, 265, 267, 701, 702, 703, 704, 710, 737, 768, 769, 788. There is also a taxi rank outside the Constitution Ave. entrance (see the information page of the mini-program inside your lanyard for taxi numbers).
Smoking policy Please note that smoking is prohibited within the National Convention Centre.
Restaurants There are many restaurants easily accessible by conference delegates. Many are located in the CBD or in Braddon, both within walking distance of the National Convention Centre. Join a friendship dinner on Sunday night, and ask some locals for recommendations.
8 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Social Media
The 2015 AATE/ALEA National Conference will be a wonderful platform for professional networking. However, in our connected world, the networking we do isn’t always face-to-face. There are many ways you can connect via Social Media; these connections will last long after the conference ends.
Connect via Facebook Many delegates have been following the conference Facebook page in the lead up to the conference. Why don’t you join them? Search for AATE ALEA 2015 National Conference on Facebook and like the page. https://www.facebook.com/EngLit2015 Delegates can use Facebook to connect with others at the conference by: §§ liking the conference page §§ posting images, links, or comments on the timeline §§ adding comments to other posts §§ liking our conference page will result in information and updates about the conference appearing on your Facebook Newsfeed
Tweet about the Conference Our conference Twitter handle is @EngLit2015 The conference hashtag is #EngLit2015 (use this when tweeting about the conference) https://twitter.com/EngLit2015 Conference delegates can: §§ follow the AATE/ALEA 2015 Conference on Twitter @EngLit2015 §§ search for the hashtag #EngLit2015 to see what people are tweeting about the conference §§ include the hashtag #EngLit2015 in your own tweets to share your 140 character insights with others You may also like to follow AATE @englishteachers and ALEA @literacyed The Twitter and Facebook feeds can be viewed via the conference app, which is yet another platform through which delegates can connect.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 9 Instagram You could be the official photographer of the conference by joining in on Instagram. Upload your photos and follow the conference on Instagram using the #CapitalisingonCuriosity tag. Keep up to date with all the beautiful pictures of ALEA ACT by following alea.act on Instagram. If you are participating in the event “Curious Quest About Canberra” on Sunday night you will need to upload your photos of your adventures using the #CuriousQuest tag.
Program app The 2015 AATE/ALEA National Conference app is freely available to download, at no cost, for Apple and Android platforms. The app will provide delegates with up-to-date information about the conference. The app will allow you to: §§ study the program (session and presenter details) §§ plan your schedule §§ take notes §§ access speaker handouts digitally §§ locate rooms in the Convention Centre §§ connect with fellow delegates using direct messaging or via social media §§ receive announcements from conference organisers §§ recognise conference sponsors Delegates are encouraged to engage with the app and connect with one another by creating a personal profile. To help delegates navigate the conference app, there will be a hands-on information session on Friday 3 July between 5pm and 6pm, just before the Welcome Reception. This will be a very appy conference. Delegates can access the app content and functionality via this URL: https://crowd.cc/englit2015 This may be useful if you do not have an Apple or Android platform.
10 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Program Overview
¢ Pre-Conference Program: Friday 3 July
Additional cost and booking required
Friday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 1.00pm–4.00pm National Cultural §§ Australian War Memorial Buses provided Institutions Tours (featuring Peter O’Connor) to and from §§ Lu Rees Archives National (featuring Graeme Base) Convention Centre §§ National Gallery of Australia §§ National Museum of Australia §§ National Portrait Gallery §§ Museum of Australian Democracy §§ National Library of Australia 3.00pm–5.00pm ALEA ALEA leadership workshop Swan 5.00pm–6.00pm Conference Conference Registration Registration Registration App tutorial Desk; and Welcome Convention Reception Centre, Main Foyer 5.30pm Music, drinks, canapés Convention Centre, Main Foyer 6.00pm–7.30pm Opening Welcome Convention ALEA Book Launch Centre, Main Foyer Peter Freebody, Provocation: What curiosities in English and literacy should we be curious about?
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 11 ¢ Program: Saturday 4 July
Saturday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 8.00am Registration Conference Registration Registration Desk: Main Foyer 8.45am Official Opening Conference opening Royal Theatre 9.15am Opening Plenary Douglas Fisher Unstoppable learning Royal Theatre 10.15am Catering Morning tea Exhibition Hall 11.00am–12 noon Keynote ALEA AWARDS Royal Theatre ALEA/PETAA Donald Graves Address: Children Writing With New Technologies Lisa Kervin Keynote A Conversation with John Bell OBE, AM Bradman Theatrette Keynote Asking Better Questions: Ballroom The power of wondering Peter O’Connor 12.10pm–1.10pm Workshop Teaching Reading Comprehension Royal Theatre Strategies (PS) Sheena Cameron Workshop Berry School Book Clubs in a Team Murray Teaching Classroom Setting (PS) Jan Turbill, Susan McAuliffe & Brett Sutton Workshop Guiding and scaffolding reluctant and / Ballroom or struggling middle school readers (MS; JS) Alison Davis Workshop Improving Student Literacy Outcomes Bradman through the Development of Dialogic Classroom Talk Practices (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS) Geoff Bull & Michèle Anstey Workshop Themes, metaphors and motifs: Crowne Linking students’ life worlds to Crossings 1 English through personal narratives (MS; JS; SS) John Acutt & Stewart Riddle
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
12 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Program: Saturday 4 July
Saturday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 12.10pm–1.10pm Workshop A whole school approach to developing Derwent jointly constructed assessment rubrics (JS; SS) Ken Platt & Monica Bergan Workshop Home: Getting creative through Crowne community engagement Crossings 2 (MS; JS; SS) Helen Coolican, Matthew Roden & Garigarra Mundine Workshop How miscue analysis challenges and Nicholls transforms teachers’ understanding of the reading process (EC; PS; MS; JS) Gary Kilarr & Brian Cambourne Workshop English teaching and Aboriginal Torrens education: Effective strategies and strategic resources (MS; JS; SS) Paul Grover Workshop Feedback to grow and develop teaching Swan and learning strategies underpinned by visible thinking (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS) Bev Steer Workshop Book Club: An instructional framework for Sutherland nurturing children’s inquiry with literature (PS; MS) Cynthia Brock, Fenice Boyd & Julie Pennington Workshop Exploring the writing process for Menzies digital literary text construction (PS; MS) Kylie Lipscombe, Lisa Kervin & Jessica Mantei Workshop Shakespeare in the Classroom Fitzroy (PS; MS; JS) Teresa Jakovich 12.10pm–1.10pm Publisher Comic serials: Creative curriculum Murrumbidgee presentation resources (JS; SS) Andrew Cranna & Prue Greene
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 13 ¢ Program: Saturday 4 July
Saturday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 12.10pm–1.10pm Special event Community event with Graeme Base Main Foyer and Gary Crew Poster Readers’ Workshop at Fraser Primary School Gallery Foyer: Presentation (EC; PS) First Floor Linda Francis & Kylie Evans Poster Use of Writer’s Notebook in a high school Gallery Foyer: Presentation setting First Floor (MS; JS; SS) Rebecca Platten & Toniya Siemionow Poster Work hard, play hard, be kind Gallery Foyer: Presentation (EC) First Floor Lyons Early Childhood School: Mary Hutchinson, Katie Brown, Lauren Richardson, Sharon Craft Poster Promoting online collaborative writing Gallery Foyer: Presentation through wikis among ESL students in First Floor Hong Kong (JS; MS; SS) Barley Mak Poster Talk around texts: Complex and Gallery Foyer: Presentation challenging work First Floor (PS; MS) Sue Wilson Poster Harrison Writing Pathway Gallery Foyer: Presentation (moderating writing across Kindergarten First Floor to Year 10) Allison Edmonds & Jodie Rowell 1.10pm–2.00pm Catering Lunch Exhibition Hall 1.20pm Book launch Steve Shann, The Imagined Worlds Exhibition Hall and Classroom Realities 2.00pm–3.00pm Keynote AATE ALEA ILA – Presidents’ Panel Bradman Chair: Guy Bayly-Jones Theatrette The three association presidents will discuss national and international issues, opportunities and challenges for English and literacy associations and educators. Keynote The sky is inside us: Cultivating curiosity Royal Theatre in the classroom Kath Murdoch
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
14 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Program: Saturday 4 July
Saturday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 2.00pm–3.00pm Keynote The Teenage Castaway: Nurturing Ballroom Contemporary Teenage Curiosity into the Anxieties of an Extraordinary 19th Century Literary Fascination Gary Crew 3.10pm–3.55pm Workshop Curiosity, wonder and awe with literacy Fitzroy in preschool (EC) Jantiena Batt & Kelly Booker Workshop Sharing stories as a bridge to pre-service Murray teachers’ awareness of Aboriginal culture (PS; MS; JS) Glenda Cain Workshop Secret selves: Representations Derwent of ‘first contact’ and cultural narratives in early colonial texts (SS) Joanna Gardiner Workshop Creative role play: Exploring ethics and Crowne morality through an immersive classroom Crossings 1 (JS; SS) Matt Barry & Nick Maniatis Workshop Developing creative thinking and Swan understanding using artworks (EC; PS; MS; JS) Bev Steer Workshop Using focalisation to design meaning Torrens in visual narratives (MS; JS) Annemarie O’Brien Workshop Sharing our lives – past, present and future Bradman (PS; MS) Lynne Bury & Cheryle Bannon Workshop Our patchwork history: Exploring the Nicholls language of research through literature (MS) Claire Saxby Workshop Digital writing in the secondary years Ballroom (MS; JS; SS) Maryanne Pearce & Christina Cochrane
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 15 ¢ Program: Saturday 4 July
Saturday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 3.10pm–3.55pm Workshop Poetry, Postmodernism and Student Crowne Sensibilities Crossings 2 (SS) Judith Gazy 3.10pm–3.55pm Research paper Adventure literature: Engagement and Menzies curiosity (MS; JS) Don Henderson Research paper Explicitly teaching spelling strategies: Royal Theatre Does it lead to compliance or curiosity? (EC; PS; MS) Tessa Daffern & Noella Mackenzie Research paper Navigating the world of advertising Sutherland through integrating English and Health (PS) Chloe Gordon 3.10pm–3.55pm Publisher I see the differences but I want to know Murrumbidgee presentation why: Promoting cultural inquiry and global knowledge with the ‘Through My Eyes’ series (MS; JS) Lyn White 3.55pm Catering Afternoon tea Exhibition Hall 4.20pm–5.30pm ALEA ALEA AGM Nicholls Theatrette 4.20pm–5.30pm AATE leadership AATE Matters: getting the most out of Swan workshop your national ETA 5.30pm Conference close 7.00pm Dinner @ National Museum of Australia (buses available outside Convention Centre from 6.30pm)
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
16 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Program: Sunday 5 July
Sunday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 7.15am Literary Breakfast Literary breakfast: Anita Heiss Australian War Memorial Literary Breakfast Literary breakfast: Graeme Base National Museum My Dad Stays Home and Colours In of Australia 8.50am Plenary ALEA AWARDS Royal Theatre Plenary: Peter Freebody Ignorance Killed the Cat: What’s left out of literacy research and policy, and the implications for teachers’ knowledge and practice
9.50am–10.50am Workshop Red Room Poetry Object – Inspire, Fitzroy create, publish! (PS; MS; JS) Toni Murphy Workshop Enacting dialogic pedagogies: Ballroom Understanding the repertoire of “talk moves” to improve classroom discussions (PS; MS) Christine Edwards-Groves Workshop Nurturing a personal curiosity of words: Swan A focus on spelling (EC; PS; JS) Tessa Daffern Workshop Curious about documentaries Sutherland (SS) Shannon Allen & Maggie McPhee Workshop You’re so focused on what the Crowne curriculum wants, you forget about Crossings 1 what the children need (EC; PS) Anne Hey, Amelia Ruscoe & Carolyn Dorsman Workshop School leaders capitalising on curiosity: Murray ways of looking more deeply into classroom literacy practice in our schools (EC; PS; MS; JS) Jo Padgham, Judy Hamilton & Sue Norton
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 17 ¢ Program: Sunday 5 July
Sunday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 9.50am–10.50am Workshop Developing students’ understanding Nicholls of the concepts of English (PS; MS; JS) Eva Gold & Prue Greene Workshop Writing for ALEA’s journals: Practical Derwent Literacies: the Early and Primary Years, Literacy Learning: the Middle Years and the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS; TS) Beryl Exley, Linda Willis, Robyn Henderson, Jennifer Rennie & Jessica Mantei Workshop Minding more than the mechanics: Crowne An assessment tool for emergent Crossings 2 and early writers (EC) Janet Hunter Workshop Write time, write place: Writing in History Torrens and Geography (PS; MS; JS) Patricia Kershaw & Maree Whiteley Workshop Reading Australia for secondary classrooms Royal Theatre (JS; SS) Zoe Rodriguez & Phil Page Workshop Beating the National Minimum Standard Menzies (NMS) in early years reading (EC) Sue Hamilton-Smith, Pam Gargett & Grant Webb 9.50am–10.50am Research paper An effective model of reading instruction Bradman for adolescent learners: A collaborative approach (MS; JS) Georgina Barton, Margaret Baguley & Loraine McKay 9.50am–10.50am Publisher Explorations: Strategies for Murrumbidgee presentation comprehension for informative texts (JS; MS) Alison Davis 10.50am Catering Morning tea Exhibition Hall
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
18 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Program: Sunday 5 July
Sunday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 11.20am–12.20pm Keynote AATE AWARDS Royal Theatre AATE Garth Boomer Address: New Media and New Learning Bill Cope & Mary Kalantzis Keynote Intercultural curiosity and storytelling Bradman Eeqbal Hassim Theatrette Keynote Responding Creatively: considerations for Ballroom supporting children as authors of digital multimodal literacy texts Jessica Mantei 12.30pm–1.30pm Workshop Nurturing student writing through Crowne responding to texts Crossings 1 (PS; MS; JS) Joanne Rossbridge & Kathy Rushton Workshop Teaching the craft of digital writing: Derwent What’s missing? (PS; MS) Nicole Sprainger & Kathy Ferrari Workshop Reading Australia: Online teacher Fitzroy resources for early primary classrooms (PS) Zoe Rodriguez & Wendy Bean Workshop Building deep comprehension for Torrens children with multiple learning challenges (EC; PS) Allison Chapman & Sharon Moloney Workshop Nurturing future wordsmiths: A focus on Swan vocabulary (EC; PS; MS; JS) Noella Mackenzie Workshop ICT in the ACT: Imagining pedagogical Crowne possibilities in uncharted territory Crossings 2 (PS; MS; JS) Louise Cullen & Alex Galland Workshop The writing lesson: Making it work for Ballroom teachers and students (PS; MS) Sheena Cameron & Louise Dempsey Workshop Thoughtful spelling – setting up for success Murray (EC; PS; MS) Christine Topfer
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 19 ¢ Program: Sunday 5 July
Sunday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 12.30pm–1.30pm Research paper Sustaining creative literacy pedagogy Sutherland (PS; MS) Robyn Ewing AM & John Saunders Research paper Comparing image-language relations in Royal Theatre school science and history: Implications for multimodal subject-specific literacies (MS; JS) Len Unsworth Research paper How do learner-writers learn to control Bradman and apply all complex knowledge, skills, and attitudes that effective writers need? (EC; PS, MS; JS, SS) Brian Cambourne Research paper Teachers turning-around to the Nicholls affordances of digital games (MS; JS; SS) Christopher Walsh Research paper What does grammar have to be like if it’s Menzies going to be good for school English? (PS; MS; JS) Mary Macken-Horarik 12.30pm–1.30pm Publisher Food4Thought: Oxfam’s free education Murrumbidgee presentation resource combining English, ICT and Sustainability (JS; SS) Annalise De Mel
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
20 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Program: Sunday 5 July
Sunday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 12.30pm–1.30pm Poster Deadly Literature: An Investigation Gallery Foyer: Presentation into the use of Indigenous texts in First Floor the classroom (JS) Anissa Jones Poster Pedagogy Circle: A tool for inquiry Gallery Foyer: Presentation in school improvement in literacy First Floor (EC; PS; MS) Jenny Howard, Jantiena Batt & Anna Thorpe Poster Building creativity and capacity through Gallery Foyer: Presentation the ‘Brains Trust’ of collaborative case First Floor conferencing (EC; PS; MS) Natalie Smith & Robyn Kiddy Poster Connecting the dots Gallery Foyer: Presentation (EC; PS) First Floor Sarah Aulich, Annamaria Zuffo, Sue Love & Fiona Chesterfield Poster Nurturing and transforming literacy Gallery Foyer: Presentation outcomes in the middle years using First Floor a Lesson Study approach (MS; JS) Deidre Clary, Susan Feez, Amanda Garvey & Rebecca Partridge Poster Leading literacy coaching to improve Gallery Foyer: Presentation student outcomes First Floor (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS) Kirrally Talbot & Sylvia Headon 1.30pm–2.15pm Catering Lunch Exhibition Hall 1.40pm Book launch Gary Crew, Strange Objects 25th Exhibition Hall Anniversary edition
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 21 ¢ Program: Sunday 5 July
Sunday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 2.15pm–3.15pm Keynote ALEA AWARDS Royal Theatre Visual Read-Alouds: How Curious Are You About Illustration? Diane Barone, ILA Vice President / President Elect
Keynote Nurturing creativity while embedding Bradman Indigenous Studies into the National Theatrette Curriculum Anita Heiss Keynote What do teachers of literacy do? Ballroom The importance of speaking up, speaking out and speaking loudly Misty Adoniou 3.25pm–4.10pm Workshop The making of the English language Crowne (MS; JS) Crossings 2 Viviane Gerardu Workshop The Creative Mind: A writing workshop Crowne on responding to literary texts in the Crossings 1 senior secondary classroom (SS) Madeleine Coulombe Workshop Jeremy needs a new leg: Picture books Swan as an inspiration for teaching design and technology in primary schools (PS; MS) Carmel Turner Workshop Scaffolding adolescent literacy Bradman (MS; JS) Christopher Witt Workshop Pod-casts and memes as literature Fitzroy (JS; SS) Anthony Young Workshop Creating character & influencing emotion Royal Theatre through a detailed analysis of the verb group (PS; MS) Beryl Exley
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
22 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Program: Sunday 5 July
Sunday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 3.25pm–4.10pm Workshop Visual Literacy: The anatomy of Torrens an illustration (EC; PS) Tony Flowers Workshop Boy oh boy...let’s write! Murray (EC; PS) Malvina Rogers, Vicki Favelle & Jo Pearce 3.25pm–4.10pm Research paper Dialect difference: Can awareness Sutherland improve outcomes for struggling readers? (EC; PS) Janice Belgrave Research paper Nurturing young writers: Creating Ballroom multimodal texts from the beginning (EC) Noella Mackenzie Research paper Developing inquisitive and creative Menzies literacy teachers: Using productive conversations to engage pre-service teachers with children’s literature (EC; PS; MS) Ryan Spencer & Kylie Robson Research paper Talking-walking avenue to literacy: Oral Nicholls scientific description and its graphic representation as potential breakthrough activities for underachieving primary school children (PS) Pen Layton-Caisley Research paper Partnerships in professional learning: Derwent engaging with secondary teachers to nurture and transform literacy outcomes (MS; JS) Deidre Clary & Susan Daintith 4.10pm–4.35pm Catering Afternoon tea Exhibition Hall 4.35pm–5.35pm Fireside chat Bill Cope and Mary Kalantzis Ballroom Fireside chat Graeme Base and Gary Crew Bradman Theatrette 5.35pm Close 6.00pm Social event A Curious Quest and Friendship Dinners
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 23 ¢ Program: Monday 6 July
Monday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 7.15am Literary breakfast David Malouf Crowne Plaza 8.50am–9.50am Keynote Daily 5 workshop Royal Theatre Gail Boushey & Joan Moser (The Two Sisters) Keynote Deepening Comprehension through Ballroom Digital Inquiry, Collaboration and Participation Julie Coiro Keynote Launch of Reading Australia (CAL) Bradman David Malouf Theatrette 10.00am–10.45am Workshop Stories of longing Crowne (JS; SS) Crossings 1 Meaghan Hird Workshop Leading teachers to inquire into their Murray literacy teaching and practices (EC; PS) Robyn Watson & Jenny Faul Workshop For the love of words: Fostering curiosity Fitzroy about spelling in the primary classroom (PS) Sami Wansink Workshop Aiming higher with poetry – in primary Menzies and middle school (PS; MS; JS) Harry Laing Workshop Internationalising the English Curriculum Sutherland (JS; SS) Geoff Piggott Workshop Using self-selected quality literature to Torrens teach reading (EC; PS) Mitchell Parker Workshop Using quality literature in the early Derwent childhood classroom (EC; PS) Kirsty Stewart & Lyndall Read Workshop Right – Let’s – Write Crowne (PS; MS) Crossings 2 Therese Cargo
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
24 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Program: Monday 6 July
Monday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 10.00am–10.45am Research paper Taking the Long View: Longitudinal Nicholls research about growth in literacy learning (EC; PS) Marion Meiers Research paper Globally Literate: Researching children’s Bradman multilingualism (PS; MS) Robyn Cox Research paper Broadening the concept of success: Swan An exploration of changes in students’ literacy practices as they transition through a reading intervention (PS) Joanne Quick Research paper Learning miscue science as an evidential Ballroom framework for the teaching and assessment of reading K-12 (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS) Jessica Mantei, Lisa Kervin & Brian Cambourne 10.00am–10.45am Publisher App, App and Away With Sunshine Classics! Murrumbidgee presentation (EC; JS) Paul George 10.45am–11.10am Catering Morning tea Exhibition Hall 11.10am–12.10pm Keynote Secondary English and our students’ Bradman lifeworlds: stories from the mythopoetic Theatrette margins Steve Shann Keynote CAFÉ Workshop Ballroom Gail Boushey & Joan Moser (The Two Sisters) Keynote On Dragonflies, Curiosity, Imagination Royal Theatre and Creativity: The Role of the Arts in Creative English and Literacy Education Robyn Ewing AM
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 25 ¢ Program: Monday 6 July
Monday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 12.20pm–1.05pm Workshop Why Haiku? Swan (PS; MS; JS) Cameron Hindrum Workshop Collaborative storytelling: Connecting Torrens communities with WePublish (EC; PS) Victoria Ryle Workshop Grammar in children’s Picture Books Nicholls (PS) Robyn English Workshop Capitalising on curiosity with Robert Ballroom Browning’s poem, ‘My Last Duchess’ (JS; SS) Garry Collins Workshop Supporting teachers to achieve change Bradman in pedagogy and practice through action research and inquiry (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS) Michèle Anstey & Geoff Bull Workshop The power of an inquiry based approach Derwent to teaching and learning in the English Classroom (MS; JS) Erika Boas Workshop Making grammar meaningful Crowne (PS; MS) Crossings 1 Elizabeth Baker Workshop Is there space for tailored learning Crowne in an off the rack world? Crossings 2 (PS) Sami Wansink 12.20pm–1.05pm Research paper Promoting English and literacy through Murray global education: Transforming student outcomes (MS) Linda Willis Research paper Orientation and mobility support for the Sutherland development of literacy for students with vision impairment: A qualitative study with three Queensland teachers (EC; PS) Katrina Blake
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
26 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Program: Monday 6 July
Monday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 12.20pm–1.05pm Research paper Teaching multimodal literacy: A focus on Fitzroy the comprehension and representation of gesture in oral interactions (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS) Thu Ngo Research paper Socially accomplishing group work Menzies in a Stage 3 classroom: conversation resources for co-production, collaboration and situated action (PS) Christine Edwards-Groves & Emma McLennan 12.20pm–1.05pm Poster Compliance to Curiosity: Nurturing Gallery Foyer: Presentation success for reluctant readers First Floor (PS; MS; JS) Jill Millar, Cindy Lau & Catherine Davis Poster The Bamir Language Gallery: Gallery Foyer: Presentation Nurturing and engaging young minds First Floor (SS) Kerri-Jane Burke Poster From WORD to DIGITALE Gallery Foyer: Presentation (MS) First Floor Carmel Le Lay Poster Supporting an inclusion model with Gallery Foyer: Presentation a focus on quality literacy teaching First Floor (PS) Iesha Siotis Poster English + Technology = Fun ... Gallery Foyer: Presentation I mean Learning First Floor (EC) Rebecca Trimble-Roles Poster Using funds of knowledge, virtual Gallery Foyer: Presentation schoolbags and teachers’ knowledge First Floor of students to differentiate via content process and product (MS; JS) Pam Fitzgerald Poster Engaging ICT Experiences at Canberra Gallery Foyer: Presentation Girls Grammar School First Floor Louise Cullen & Alex Galland 1.05pm–1.35pm Catering Lunch Exhibition Hall
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 27 ¢ Program: Monday 6 July
Monday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 1.35pm–2.20pm Workshop The power of words: Letters from the Fitzroy Holocaust (SS) Marie Bonardelli Workshop Lifting the lid on poetry Swan (EC; PS; MS) Alan Wright Workshop Using ‘Bump it Up’ walls as a tool for Ballroom improving student writing (EC; PS; MS) Christine Topfer & Brooke Pepper Workshop ‘Just sound it out!’ Derwent (PS) Charlotte Kewley & Kristina Pasalic Workshop Programming creatively for disengaged Torrens youth. Are you game? (SS) Ruth Doyle & Damon Eaton Workshop Designing structured inquiry tasks for Royal Theatre young learners (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS) Julie Coiro 1.35–2.20pm Research paper Research comparing spoken language Menzies and reading comprehension (PS) Ann Daly Research paper Transforming through story: Bradman A collaborative, multimodal arts approach (PS) Georgina Barton & Margaret Baguley Research paper Embedding the work of Cope and Sutherland Kalantzis: Planning and delivery through the Learning by Design Framework (EC; PS) Robyn Kiddy Research paper Teachers as writers Murray (PS) Muriel Wells
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
28 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Program: Monday 6 July
Monday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 1.35-2.20pm Research paper An exploratory study of home literacy Nicholls practices in three communities (EC; PS) Natalia Ward, Shana Ward, Rachel Saulsburry & Christy Evans 2.35pm–3.10pm Closing Plenary Douglas Fisher Royal Theatre 3.10pm–3.30pm Handover Conference handover: Adelaide Royal Theatre 3.30pm Close Buses to airport
¢ Post-Conference Program: Tuesday 7 July
Additional cost and booking required
Tuesday Event Title and Presenter/s Location 9.00am–1.00pm Post Conference Gail Boushey and Joan Moser Canberra Institute (The Two Sisters) Southern Cross Club, Woden
Key for Concurrent session codes: EC – early childhood § PS – primary school § JS – junior secondary § MS – middle school § SS – senior secondary
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 29 Social Program
Welcome Reception Friday 3 July Time: 5.30pm Venue: Convention Centre, Main Foyer If you have registered and confirmed attendance at the Welcome Reception, please join us at the Convention Centre for canapés and drinks to open the 2015 ALEA and AATE conference, Capitalising on Curiosity, ‘ninggi warrguu’ – look and ask why – Nurturing Inquiring Minds. Socialise with guests from around the country and join in the celebration of opening another fabulous conference.
Conference Dinner (Saturday): Saturday 4 July Time: 7.00pm Venue: National Museum of Australia Cost: $110 Enjoy good food, live music and great company at the National Museum of Australia. The conference dinner is an excellent opportunity to socialise and network with colleagues from across the country and beyond. Relax and let your hair down. Fine canapés and a two course meal will complement the views over our beautiful Lake Burley Griffin. Drinks will be served at bar prices. A free bus service is available between the Convention Centre and the National Museum of Australia, starting at 6.30pm. Please come and dine with us!
Literary Breakfasts (Sunday): Sunday 5 July Time: 7.15am Cost: $55 Complimentary bus service between the Convention Centre and venues is available. Bus pick up time: 6.30am.
Choose from two exciting breakfast events on the Sunday morning: Anita Heiss at the Australian War Memorial Café Join author, social commentator and Indigenous Literacy Day Ambassador Anita Heiss for breakfast at Poppy’s Café perfectly situated at the Australian War Memorial. Breakfast will be enjoyed whilst overlooking views of Anzac Parade and enjoying the architecture of the building itself, as well as scintillating chat with Anita. The complimentary buses between the Convention Centre and Australian War Memorial will ensure you are back in time for the Plenary Speech. Graeme Base at the National Museum of Australia One of Australia’s most popular authors and artists, Graeme Base will be speaking at the National Museum of Australia. Spend the best part of the day enjoying the views across the lake with a buffet breakfast. Participate in literature and art discussions with friends. The complimentary buses between the Convention Centre and National Museum of Australia will ensure you are back in time for the Plenary Speech.
30 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Sunday night entertainment
A Curious Quest About Canberra Sunday 5 July Time: 6.00pm Venue: Meet in the Convention Centre, Main Foyer. Wear warm clothes and comfortable shoes! Cost: $45 Have you ever wanted to be in an amazing race? Have you ever wanted to be in a scavenger hunt? Well, the Curious Quest may well address these desires: but be assured...no one will shave their hair off, no one will eat hairy spider legs, or swim Lake Burley Griffin. This Quest will have you looking around Civic, on foot, discovering some of the things Canberrans love about their capital. And at the end, dinner will be enjoyed! Organise your own team or come at 5.45pm and we will organise you into one. Have we piqued your curiosity?
Literary Breakfast (Monday):
Breakfast with David Malouf at Crowne Plaza. Monday 6 July Time: 7.15am Venue: Crowne Plaza, 1 Binara St, Canberra Cost: $45 Don’t miss this opportunity to meet David Malouf for breakfast. There is no better start to your conference on Monday morning than hearing from an esteemed author, internationally and nationally recognised as one of the finest and most versatile contemporary Australian writers. The Crowne Plaza is conveniently located adjacent to the Convention Centre.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 31 Conference Keynotes
Garth Boomer Address
Mary Kalantzis and Bill Cope
Mary Kalantzis Dr Mary Kalantzis is Dean of the College of Education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA. Before this, she was Dean of the Faculty of Education, Language and Community Services at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, and President of the Australian Council of Deans of Education. She has been a Board Member of Teaching Australia: The National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership, a Commissioner of the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Chair of the Queensland Ethnic Affairs Ministerial Advisory Committee, Vice President of the National Languages and Literacy Institute of Australia and a member of the Australia Council’s Community Cultural Development Board. With Bill Cope, she is co-author or editor of a number of books, including: The Powers of Literacy: Genre Approaches to Teaching Literacy, Falmer Press, London, 1993, Productive Diversity, Pluto Press, Sydney, 1997; A Place in the Sun: Re-Creating the Australian Way of Life, HarperCollins, Sydney, 2000; Multiliteracies: Literacy Learning and the Design of Social Futures, Routledge, London, 2000; New Learning: Elements of a Science of Education, Cambridge University Press, 2008 (2nd edition, 2012); Ubiquitous Learning, University of Illinois Press, 2009; and Literacies, Cambridge University Press, 2012.
Dr Bill Cope Dr Bill Cope is a Research Professor in the Department of Education Policy, Organization & Leadership, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA and an Adjunct Professor in the Globalism Institute at RMIT University, Melbourne. He is also a director of Common Ground Publishing, developing and applying new publishing technologies. He is a former First Assistant Secretary in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs. His research interests include theories and practices of pedagogy, cultural and linguistic diversity, and new technologies of representation and communication. He was Research Director then Director of the Centre for Workplace Communication and Culture at the University of Technology, Sydney and RMIT University, Melbourne. He was also involved in a joint Common Ground/RMIT University research initiative, Creator to Consumer in a Digital Age, funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources. Amongst his recent publications are edited volumes on The Future of the Book in the Digital Age and The Future of the Academic Journal, and with Kalantzis and Magee, Towards a Semantic Web: Connecting Knowledge in Academic Research.
32 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Garth Boomer Address
Title: New Media and New Learning Abstract: This presentation will trace the dimensions of new, digital media and the implications for our work as literacy educators. The differences between these media and older, mass media are striking. They are more participatory, in which we are as much creators of content as consumers, writers at the same time as we are readers, and social actors as often as we are receptive audiences. They are also multimodal, in which text sits in complex relationships to image, space, sound, gesture and objects. These changes in the world of communicated meaning suggest that we revise traditional notions of pedagogy in general, and practices of literacy teaching and learning in particular. In response, we suggest seven affordances offered by new media for education: ubiquitous learning, active knowledge production, multimodal knowledge representations, recursive feedback, collaborative intelligence, metacognitive reflection and differentiated learning. We provide an illustration of these new practices in the Scholar online platform—a multimodal, peer-to-peer writing and assessment environment that we have been developing over the past several years with the support of the Institute of Educational Sciences in the US Department of Education and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Garth Boomer (1940–1993)
No-one has contributed more to the teaching of English in Australia than Garth Boomer. A life-term member of AATE (awarded Life Membership in 1977), he was described as a “provocative and inspiring conference speaker, vigorous workshop leader, compelling writer, pace-setting president.” One of his secrets as a learner and educator was that he recognised that his own growth took place in conjunction with others. On many occasions he would quote from Tennyson’s Ulysses – “I am a part of all that I have met” – and he had a fondness for the poem’s final line – “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield” – which was inscribed on his funeral plaque. While many English teachers in Australia may not have met Garth, some may not have read his work, and a few may have not even have heard of him, his influence remains present and powerful. Garth graduated from Adelaide University and taught in state secondary schools, before becoming the first consultant in English in South Australia. He wrote a range of texts for English teaching and completed a Masters degree at the London Institute of Education. On his return to Australia, he became an education officer, an inspector of schools, and in 1980 Director of Wattle Park Teachers Centre (the curriculum and teacher development centre for the South Australian system). His influence spread quickly around Australia and overseas. In 1984 he became the Director of the Curriculum Development Centre Canberra, then the Chairman of the Commonwealth Schools Commission, then the interim Chairman of the Schools Council, one of four councils of the National Board of Employment, Education and Training. In 1988 Garth returned to South Australia as Associate Director-General of Education (Curriculum). He served as President of the Australian Association for the Teaching of English from 1981–1984, and for two years from 1983 was chair of the International Federation for the Teaching of English. Pedagogy was Garth’s driving focus. His writing captured a seminal revelation of action and reflection for teachers of yesterday, today and tomorrow, and remains to inspire us: The spitting image (with Dale Spender), Negotiating the curriculum, Fair dinkum teaching and learning, Changing education and Metaphors and meanings.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 33 Donald Graves Address
Lisa Kervin Lisa Kervin is an Associate Professor in Language and Literacy in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Wollongong. Lisa is an experienced primary school teacher and has held literacy consultancy roles. At UOW, Lisa is an active member of the Early Start Research Institute. Lisa’s current research interests are focused on young children and how they engage with literate practices and she is currently involved in research projects funded by the Australian Research Council focused on Digital Play (DP140100328) and the development and implementation of the Australian English Curriculum (DP1093826). She has researched her own teaching and has collaborative research partnerships with teachers and students in tertiary and primary classrooms and prior-to-school settings. Lisa has received a number of research awards including the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Research in 2011 and the International Literacy Research Fellowship for work in digital literacies from the International Reading Association in 2006. Lisa is currently the NSW Director for the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association.
Title: Children Writing With New Technologies Abstract: Writing is undergoing a period of great change in many classrooms. With new ways of producing texts and constructing meaning using new technologies, there is need to examine what these offer to text creation both in and out of schools. Donald Graves, a pioneer in helping us understand how children write, gave us clear messages about the importance of investing time in all stages of writing, children choosing their own writing topics, the need for daily writing and time to revise, and the value of learning the ‘mechanics’ of writing within the context of reading and writing experiences. Some decades after these original messages, we need to revisit them as we ponder what Donald Graves might say about new technologies, and the opportunities and demands they offer to children as they produce and share texts. New technologies allow for individual and joint construction of texts in multiple modes and media. Yet these social practices, and the wider learning opportunities afforded through the flexible and recursive ways in which children produce text with technology, have yet to be fully explored. Through analysis of children’s text samples we are able to identify a range of strategies they use as they go about a range of text production tasks. This presentation will explore learning to write from the perspective of young children as they engage with new technologies. Additionally, what this means for writing pedagogy and for literacy teaching and learning more generally will be examined.
Sponsored by
34 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Donald Graves (1930–2010)
Professor Donald Graves’ scholarly research and publication into how children learn to write revolutionalised the teaching of writing in the 1980s, particularly for practitioners working in the early years of schooling. When Don passed away in 2010, he had written 26 books, numerous articles and spoken at many professional gatherings and conferences. He communicated with passion, reframed and raised learning expectations around student achievement and galvanised all who heard him to reflect powerfully and personally on their deepest teaching beliefs. In one of his very early books, Don wrote: 'Children want to write. For years we have underestimated their urge to make marks on paper. We have underestimated that urge because of a lack of understanding of the writing process and what children do to control it. Without realising it we wrest control away from children and place roadblocks that thwart their intention.’ To honour the importance of Donald Graves’ contribution to the teaching profession, ALEA and PETAA have made an ongoing commitment to support The Donald Graves Address. It is our intention that, through this address, speakers will revisit key messages from Donald Graves’ writings and research and draw connections with contemporary practice: identifying the roadblocks thwarting children’s natural intent to express themselves; challenging current orthodoxies; maintaining writing as a central, powerful and exciting process at the heart of children’s meaning making.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 35 Opening & Closing Plenary Addresses
Douglas Fisher Douglas Fisher is Professor of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High & Middle College having been an early intervention teacher and elementary school educator. He is the recipient of an International Reading Association Celebrate Literacy Award, the Farmer award for excellence in writing from the National Council of Teachers of English, as well as a Christa McAuliffe award for excellence in teacher education. He has published numerous articles on reading and literacy, differentiated instruction, and curriculum design as well as books, such as Better Learning Through Structured Teaching, Rigorous Reading, and Text Complexity: Raising Rigor in Reading.
Opening Plenary Title: Unstoppable learning Abstract: We really can unleash student potential through systematic and intentional instruction. But what types of instruction give us the biggest bang for the buck? How can we balance teacher responsibility and student responsibility? Let’s focus on seven evidence-based components of learning that ensure high levels of achievement: planning, launching, consolidating, assessing, adapting, managing, and leading. This session takes the gradual release of responsibility to the next level, and builds a system around high quality literacy instruction.
36 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Conference Keynotes: Biographies
John Bell OBE, AM John Bell OBE, AM is one of the nation’s most illustrious theatre personalities and has been a key figure in shaping the nation’s theatrical identity over the past 50 years. John was co-founder of Sydney’s highly influential Nimrod Theatre Company. In 1990, he founded the Bell Shakespeare theatre company. Since then, John has taken interpretations of the works of Shakespeare to about 2.5 million Australians all over the country. Bell’s unique contribution to national culture has been recognised by many bodies. He is an Officer of the Order of Australia and the Order of the British Empire; has an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the Universities of Sydney, New South Wales and Newcastle; and was recognised in 1997 by the National Trust of Australia as one of Australia’s Living Treasures. In 2003, the Australia Business Arts Foundation also awarded Bell the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Cultural Leadership Award. John has also received a Helpmann Award for Best Actor (2002), a Producers and Directors Guild Award for Lifetime Achievement and the JC Williamson Award (2009) for extraordinary contribution to Australia’s live entertainment industry.
Associate Professor Peter O’Connor Associate Professor Peter O’Connor is an Associate Professor at The University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Director of the Critical Research Unit in Applied Theatre. His research has focused primarily on using applied theatre as a public education medium to address major social issues including public health, gender equity in schools and the development of inclusive, empathetic and critical school cultures. Recent applied theatre research includes national programs on preventing family violence and child abuse and parenting programs in Youth Justice Facilities. His work in Christchurch following the February 2011 earthquake led to UNESCO funded research and program development. In 2012 he was named A New Zealander of the Year by North and South magazine for this work and was awarded the Griffith University School of Education and Professional Studies Alumnus of the Year Award for his contributions to applied theatre and social justice. Peter is currently engaged in the ongoing debates about charter schools and the nature of quality public education.
Kath Murdoch Kath Murdoch is an experienced teacher, author, university lecturer and popular consultant who has worked for many years in schools throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, America and Europe. She is widely respected for her work in the field of inquiry based learning and integrative curriculum in which she has taught, researched and published for well over 20 years. Kath’s fascination in how students construct their understandings and her interest in the way questions and big ideas could drive curriculum has led to her passion for integrative and inquiry based methodologies. The methodologies in which Kath specialises are now central to curriculum frameworks in many parts of the world – including the popular International Baccalaureate, PYP program.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 37 Professor Gary Crew Professor Gary Crew is an Associate Professor in Creative Writing at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and is one of Australia’s most awarded authors. Gary has written over 70 illustrated books, short story anthologies, novellas and novels spanning a career of over 25 years in print. He has received the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year award four times: twice for his young adult novels (Strange Objects in 1991 and Angel’s Gate in 1993) and twice for his illustrated books (First Light in 1993, illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe and The Watertower in 1994, illustrated by Steven Woolman). Gary’s Memorial was awarded the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Honour Book in 2000 and short-listed for the Queensland Premier’s awards. Gary has been twice short-listed for the Crime Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Fiction award for Youth and was twice the recipient of Europe’s prestigious White Raven award for illustrated books. In 2004, Gary was the recipient of the Wilderness Award for Children’s Writing for his ‘Extinction Trilogy’ and also the Royal Geographic Society Whitley award for the same trilogy. In 2005, he received the Aurealis award for Speculative Fiction.
Professor Peter Freebody Professor Peter Freebody is an Honorary Professor at both the University of Wollongong and the University of Sydney. He has published in the areas of literacy education, educational disadvantage, and educational research methods, and he is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. He is a member of the Literacy Research Panel of the International Reading Association and has been awarded that Association’s 2014 W.S. Gray Citation for lifelong international contribution to research in literacy education.
Dr Eeqbal Hassim Dr Eeqbal Hassim is a well-published and sought after intercultural educator. Presently, he is Senior Manager for Research and Curriculum at the Asia Education Foundation, leading the organisation’s research arm. His intercultural education work includes UNESCO recognition and has been profiled in the media both nationally and internationally. Eeqbal works closely with ACARA as a member of its General Capabilities Advisory Group and Cross-Curriculum Priorities Advisory Group.
Jessica Mantei Jessica Mantei is a Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy at the University of Wollongong. Jessica researches children’s interpretations and responses as they read, view, write and create a range of texts. Jessica is Treasurer of ALEA South Coast Local Council and Associate Editor of Literacy Learning: The Middle Years.
38 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Professor Diane Barone Professor Diane Barone is a foundation professor of literacy at the University of Nevada, Reno. She is currently Editor of The Reading Teacher. She has served on the International Literacy Association Board of Directors, won the John Manning Award for Service to Public Schools in 2010, and served as Editor of Reading Research Quarterly. Diane teaches courses in literacy and qualitative research methods. Her research has always focused on young children’s literacy development and instruction in high poverty schools. She has had articles published in journals such as Reading Research Quarterly, Journal of Literacy Research, Elementary School Journal, The Reading Teacher, Gifted Childhood Quarterly, and Research in the Teaching of English. Some of her recent co-authored books include Reading First in the Classroom, Literacy and Young Children: Research-Based Practices, and Teaching Early Literacy: Development, Assessment, and Instruction. Diane has served as the Editor of Reading Research Quarterly and has just completed terms as a board member of the International Literacy Association and the National Reading Conference.
Dr Anita Heiss Dr Anita Heiss is the author of non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial women’s fiction, poetry, social commentary and travel articles. She is a regular guest at writers’ festivals and travels internationally performing her work and lecturing on Indigenous literature. She is an Indigenous Literacy Day Ambassador and a proud member of the Wiradjuri nation of central NSW. Anita is a role model for the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy and an Advocate for the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence. She is an Adjunct Professor with Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, UTS and currently divides her time between writing, public speaking, MCing, and being a ‘creative disruptor’. Anita was a finalist in the 2012 Human Rights Awards and the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards.
Misty Adoniou Misty Adoniou is a Senior Lecturer in Language Literacy and TESL at the University of Canberra. She is the lead writer for the Australian Curriculum’s English as an Additional Language document and support materials and an advisor on Equity and Diversity in the Australian Curriculum. She is the recipient of a national ALTC citation for her Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning.
Gail Boushey and Joan Moser Known to many as “The 2 Sisters,” Gail Boushey and Joan Moser are passionate educators and collaborators on a single vision—creating a replicable, reliable way to teach children how to be independent lifelong learners, starting in their earliest years. To that end, Gail and Joan are published authors of the best-selling books The Daily 5: Fostering Literacy Independence in the Elementary Grades (now in its Second Edition) and The CAFÉ Book: Engaging all Students in Daily Literacy Assessment and Instruction. Joan and Gail are known for engaging presentations, sharing the research behind their methods—and weaving fun into everything they teach and do. The sisters started their careers in Washington State in the U.S. They really are sisters—and elementary teachers with over 60 years of combined instructional experience between them in grades K-6, including Special Education, Reading Resource Specialist and Literacy Coach roles. “We want what every teacher wants. Effective teaching methods that can adapt as things change—and lead our children to a lifetime of learning. As long we keep finding new ways to make that happen, we’ll keep sharing!”www.thedailycafe.com
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 39 Associate Professor Julie Coiro Julie Coiro is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Rhode Island, where she teaches courses in reading and digital literacy and co-directs the Ph.D. in Education program. Julie’s research focuses on the new literacies of the Internet, online reading comprehension strategy instruction, and effective practices for technology integration and professional development. Julie’s work appears in journals such as Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher, Educational Leadership, and The Journal of Education. She also co-edited the Handbook of Research on New Literacies (2008) and co-authored Teaching with the Internet K-12: New Literacies for New Times (2004).
David Malouf David Malouf is internationally recognised as one of the finest and most versatile contemporary writers. David began writing as a child, publishing work in a neighbourhood newspaper when he was about seven years old. After reading the poetic works of Kenneth Slessor as a teenager, David became inspired to become a poet himself. Since his first collection of poetry in 1962, David has published novels, short stories, collections of poetry, opera libretti, a play and a volume of autobiography. David was the recipient of the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Prix Femina Etranger (1991) for his novel, The Great World. He was also the winner for the inaugural international IMPAC Dublin Literary Award book, Remembering Babylon. This work was also shortlisted for the 1993 Booker Prize. In 1997 David was declared an Australian National Living Treasure. In 2000, David received the Neustadt International Prize for Literature, while David’s Typewriter Music received the 2008 Arts Queensland Judith Wright Calanthe Prize for Poetry. David’s writing is distinguished by his use of concrete detail and arresting images, together with his preoccupation with such themes as history, memory and language. Other highly acclaimed works by David include: An Imaginary Life; Harland’s Half Acre; The Conversations at Curlaw Creek; A First Place; and The Writing Life.
Steve Shann Steve Shann has been a teacher (primary, secondary and in teacher education) since 1970, with a stint as a qualified psychotherapist during the 1990s. He has published three books (School Portrait, Their Other Lives and, earlier this year, Imagined Worlds and Classroom Realities: mythopoetic provocations for teachers and teacher educators). He has also been published in English in Australia and Changing English.
Robyn Ewing AM Robyn Ewing AM, former primary teacher and longtime academic in the Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, is passionate about the role that creativity, play, imagination and the Arts should play in learning at all levels of education. Her own research and writing includes a particular focus on drama and children’s literature.
40 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Awards
Citation for AATE Life Membership: Karen Moni 2015
Presented at the AATE/ALEA National Conference in Canberra, July 2015 Karen Moni has been a significant contributor to the work of AATE over many years, most notably during her 15 years of service on the AATE national council. Karen joined the council in 2000 and served as ETAQ delegate for five years, during which time she was also President of ETAQ and co-convened a successful joint national conference. She was subsequently elected to the position of Editor, English in Australia in 2005, and during the six years of her appointment was instrumental in raising the profile of the journal. Karen was elected President-Elect of AATE in 2011, serving as President from 2012–2013, and Past President in 2014. During her time on AATE Council, which included ten years at Executive level, Karen made an outstanding contribution to English teaching through her involvement in a number of areas. While Editor of English in Australia, Karen’s management of the journal’s Review Board gave her a high national profile within the profession. She initiated the change of numbering to volume and issue in response to a new system for evaluating quality publications within universities, which resulted in increasing the academic submissions to 70% of content. She also moved the journal from peer review to blind peer review. Another of her focuses was ensuring that English in Australia was included in important academic databases, giving the publication greater reach nationally and internationally. These efforts led to the A ranked listing in the then ERA rankings, placing it on a par with other highly regarded international journals in the field of English education. Karen’s work over six years in raising the profile of the journal ensured it was well-positioned to sustain its place as the premier journal in Australia for English education into the future. While President of AATE, Karen provided clear leadership and managed the deliberations of council in an inclusive and harmonious manner. Provision of feedback on the senior level of the Australian Curriculum, co-ordination of AATE’s response to the Copyright Reform agenda and oversight of the development of AATE’s new branding and web facility were just some of the key areas of activity during her term. Karen co-convened the AATE/ALEA joint national conference held on the Gold Coast in July 2005 titled Pleasure Passion Provocation: pleasurable learning, passionate teaching, provocative debates. This event was highly successful both educationally and financially. It is in recognition of these services to the Association and to the profession that AATE proudly awards life membership to Karen Moni.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 41 ALEA AWARDS
ALEA is awarding a number of awards to mark its 40th anniversary in 2015
ALEA Medal Jennifer Rennie – July 2015 Jennifer Rennie began her ALEA journey in the early 1990s when she took out her first subscription to the association. Since then she has been a strong advocate for ALEA by encouraging others to become members, presenting at local, national and international conferences, writing for various ALEA journals, and taking up active leadership roles within the association. In 1998 Jennifer joined the Northern Territory Local Council, taking on the role of Vice President in 2000. Despite being a relatively small local council it was very proactive within the Darwin community. Along with others in the group Jennifer planned and implemented professional development activities for schools and parents, participated in literacy and numeracy week activities and served on state and national committees and reference groups. Professional development activities included the popular weekly informal café chat PD sessions held after school in various coffee shops in the Darwin region, books for babies on International Literacy Day and professional development such as the Early Literacy mini course. From 2002 to 2006 Jennifer was the NT State Director on National Council. In this role she contributed to state and national initiatives and served on many committees including the National Literacy and Numeracy awards committee; teacher Bursary Selection panel and focus groups for the National Literacy Inquiry. She also co-convened the AATE/ALEA National Conference in Darwin in 2006 on the beautiful grounds of Darwin High School which attracted over 500 delegates. As a member of a small steering committee she assisted with the overall planning of the event and in particular the organisation of the program and speakers. Jennifer was instrumental in introducing a refereeing process for conference papers as a first for ALEA and led the preparation, editing and publication of the conference proceedings. In 2006 Jennifer took up a new academic position at Monash University and so was required to stand down from her position as NT State Director. In her new role she continued to advocate for the organisation by recruiting new student and teacher members through her work with pre-service teachers and schools. Jennifer frequently uses ALEA conferences and journals as a means to disseminate her research to others. Since 1998 she has presented at over nine conferences and more recently encourages her own PhD students to do the same. They now view ALEA as a ‘must go to’ conference each year. She also frequently uses and promotes the various ALEA journals with her own students. Her interest and belief in the journals as an important space for both teachers and researchers to disseminate their work led her to apply for the editorship of the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy in 2009. Since then she has worked with her editorial team to continue to enhance the national and international standing of the journal. During her editorship she has recruited a renowned national and international Editorial Advisory Board and Review board with members from Australia, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand and South Africa. This has led to an increase in the number of international contributions received. Acceptance rates for the journal have dropped to around 20% and issues have increased from four or five papers per issue to six. In recent months she has moved the journal to an on line submission platform. Whilst she prides herself in the work she has done to improve the overall quality of the journal she still takes the time to encourage and mentor new authors writing for the journal. Her leadership and commitment to AJLL have been instrumental in its growth and increased national and international standing. It is therefore with great pleasure that ALEA honours Jennifer Rennie with the ALEA Medal in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the association over many years.
42 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ALEA Medal Robyn Henderson – July 2015 Robyn Henderson is an active member of ALEA and has contributed at local, state and national levels. She has encouraged the sharing of classroom practice and research about literacy learning and teaching in multiple ways for the benefit of ALEA members and other literacy educators. A member of ALEA since the late 1980s, Robyn began her active involvement in the association in 2004 when she moved to Brisbane and, for the first time, had access to an ALEA local council. On joining the Meanjin Local Council, she became an executive member and treasurer. She was involved in the organisation of professional development workshops for teachers and presented at many of these. During her time with Meanjin Local Council, it grew to be the largest of ALEA’s local councils. On relocating to Toowoomba, Robyn was a member of the steering committee that re-established the Darling Downs Local Council in 2007. She again took up the roles of executive member and treasurer and, during that time, membership of the Darling Downs Local Council grew from 6 to 36 in 2007, to 50 in March 2008, then to 102 in June 2010, making it the fastest growing local council. Concurrently, Robyn was a member of the State Director’s sub-committee. At the national level, Robyn has contributed to ALEA through a range of editorial activities. She is currently the editor of Literacy Learning: the Middle Years. She co-edited the journal from 2008 to 2010 and then returned as editor in 2013. One of Robyn’s aims for the journal has been to achieve 100 per cent acceptance of articles. As a result, she provides support for first-time and inexperienced authors to prepare and revise their work to a form suitable for publication. She regards this educative work as building author capacity and enabling the sharing of ideas about literacy learning. Robyn’s leadership has seen the inclusion in Literacy Learning: the Middle Years of a new section for peer-reviewed articles, the establishment of an editorial review board, the revitalisation of the editorial advisory board, and a large increase in submissions from authors. Despite the changes to the journal and its operations, however, the journal has maintained its ‘feel’ as an illustrative journal that is suitable for a wide audience, including teachers, pre-service teachers and academics. Robyn has also built a working relationship with a range of publishers, resulting in a larger pool of books for review and the subsequent publication of those reviews in the journal. She encourages teachers and pre-service teachers to write reviews for their peers. Robyn has published in all three of ALEA’s journals. She was a Support Contributions Editor of Practically Primary from 2004 to 2005 and she is currently a member of the Editorial Review Board of the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy. Also at the national level, Robyn has been a long-term attendee and presenter at the annual AATE/ALEA conference. She has presented at ten conferences, has chaired conference sessions and was a member of the steering committee for the AATE/ALEA National Conference in Brisbane in 2013. Robyn’s contributions to ALEA have aimed at sharing information about literacy learning, teaching and research and at building the capacity of literacy educators. It is therefore with great pleasure that ALEA honours Robyn Henderson with the ALEA Medal in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the association at local, state and national levels.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 43 Citation for ALEA Life Membership Jo Padgham – July 2015 Jo is an outstanding educational leader with a deep theoretical knowledge and practical understanding of best practice in literacy. Her understanding of the national agenda and ability to operationalise priorities at a national and local level have resulted in future focused approaches that benefit whole systems, educators, students and families. Jo has been an active member of ALEA for 30 years. In this time she has worked in a range of roles including State Director (2002 to 2009) and National Vice-President. Her sustained commitment and dedication has resulted in positive changes to pre-service teacher education, early career teacher programs, developing Principals as Literacy Leaders (PALLs) and professional learning agendas. Jo has worked tirelessly on state and national committees and events that have served literacy educators both in Australia and abroad. She represents ALEA National Council on the board of the Australian Alliance of Associations in Education, co-ordinates ALEA’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early educator mentoring project and played a key role in developing and promoting the Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia (STELLA). Jo models to all educators the importance of research and sharing findings with the profession. She has published journal articles in the area of literacy portfolios, student reflection, writing and reading. Jo’s most recent focus has been on developing school leaders as leaders of literacy as a facilitator for the PALLs ACT. The tailoring of this program to the ACT context has most public schools in Canberra engaging with it, fostering leadership initiatives reflective of the collaborative relationship among colleagues in the program. Jo has brought the work of ALEA to the fore and embedded professional learning, such as the 2015 National Conference, into the program. In 2014 Jo established the ALEA School Leader Network linking leaders from around Australia and New Zealand which aims to challenge and support them in their journey. Jo provides resources and stimulates discussion amongst the network. The initiative encourages leaders to engage with ALEA and to promote the benefits of ALEA membership to educators. The ACT Local Council and AATE/ALEA National Conferences have benefitted over many years from Jo’s insight and in-depth knowledge. As a systems thinker and to aid in succession planning, Jo ensures that information is documented and shared. Jo has made significant contributions for ALEA in the international arena. She has created worthwhile and long standing connections with the International Literacy Association (ILA) presidents and board members to secure closer partnerships between ILA and ALEA. She was instrumental in re-establishing ILA presidents attending the ALEA national conferences. Jo has been a passionate advocate for ALEA and literacy education at several international events including ILA, NZLA, World Congress and ILA IDOC (International Development in Oceania Committee) Leadership Workshops. At many of these, she has co-presented on literacy leadership. Maureen Goodwin, when serving as IDOC chair, spoke highly of Jo’s warmth and ongoing connection at the annual ILA conferences. Jo’s work with Timor Leste was an example of strong dialogic partnerships between ALEA members and the people of Timor Leste. She visited Timor Leste on behalf of ALEA to assist with the launch of Mem Fox’s ‘Whoever you are’ published in the Tetum language, travelling to a number of schools and helping Mem to distribute copies of the book and 300 ‘read to me’ t-shirts (also in Tetum) which were donated by ALEA and AATE. It is with great pleasure that ALEA recognises Jo Padgham’s tireless and passionate work for the organisation over several decades with Life Membership of the Association.
44 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Citation for ALEA Certificate of Commendation to Local Councils (The Special Services Award) Carolie Wilson – July 2015 Carolie Wilson attended many ALEA professional learning events as a classroom teacher. She greatly appreciated ALEA as a professional organisation and became formally involved in 1995. As an advocate for quality professional learning, Carolie ensures that the needs of all educators are met, from early career teachers through to experienced leaders. A characteristic of Carolie is her encouragement and support for classroom teachers, enabling them to appreciate their strengths, and her willingness to mentor and guide them to further develop and enhance their skills. Carolie’s deep knowledge and understanding of literacy learning and teaching coupled with a commitment to her own learning led her to develop a strong rapport with Steve Moline which set the scene for teachers in the ACT to work with Steve on a special project trialling and writing factual and visual texts. Carolie not only connected teachers to Steve’s research but mediated transfer into classrooms across the ACT. This was done through her highly effective approach to mentoring and matching expert teachers to those who were new to this approach. Carolie went out of her way to build relationships with highly regarded literacy educators so they could be called on to enrich the professional development of teachers in the ACT. She served the Local Council in a range of capacities over the years including as Local Council President and ACT State Director on National Council from 2010 to 2013. An extremely loyal member of ALEA, she has sought to develop harmonious relationships which value each person’s contribution. This was particularly evident during the organisation of several AATE/ALEA National Conferences in Canberra. Carolie went out of her way to take new educators under her wing and encouraged and supported them to take on roles and responsibilities at a local level. This ensured that the ACT Local Council had a diversity of educators contributing to its initiatives, including new educators with a unique perspective on ideas for literacy professional learning. Carolie has always encouraged beginning to very experienced teachers to join the Local Council and to take on executive roles. Many current Local Council members were introduced to the advocacy and leadership work of ALEA by Carolie. She was able to build individual and collective capacity while ensuring that the work of the team was aligned to the beliefs of ALEA. In schools she has demonstrated exceptional knowledge of all aspects of literacy, from sound research to inform her practice in teaching and leadership. Carolie was at the fore of many system initiatives including training as a First Steps Writing facilitator in 2005. Carolie was among the first ten facilitators to be trained in the ACT and presented professional learning to many schools. Her commitment extended to supporting fellow facilitators in their role and connecting them to the work of ALEA at a broader level. Carolie provided practical feedback to teachers who were undertaking action research as part of national projects for ALEA, ensuring she was fully conversant with the aims and philosophy of the project. One such project was using Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia (STELLA) as a framework for professional learning. Her ability to share best practice in the ACT and at a National level is exemplary. Carolie has presented at many national conferences and has provided insight into many contemporary literacy issues such as the Australian Curriculum: English. Carolie took her love of ALEA to Papua New Guinea where she taught for several years. During this time she encouraged PNG teachers and schools to join ALEA and engage with current research and practice. In this role she ensured she built the capacity and confidence of many while building sustainable professional learning communities. Carolie is an outstanding educator who has left an incredible legacy for ACT Local Council. She is a worthy recipient of the ALEA Certificate of Commendation to Local Councils (The Special Services Award).
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 45 Authors, Illustrators and Book Signings
¢ Saturday 4 July, 12.00pm
Community Event with Graeme Base and Gary Crew, Main Foyer AATE & ALEA invite students and their parents to meet these renowned authors/illustrators, who will be available to share experiences, respond to questions and sign books. A range of their books will be on sale during the session.
¢ Saturday 4 July, 1.20pm
Book Launch: Steve Shann, The Imagined Worlds and Classroom Realities, Exhibition Hall
¢ Sunday 5 July, 7.15am
Literary Breakfasts: Anita Heiss, Australian War Memorial; Graeme Base, National Museum of Australia Join these eminent Australian authors for cosy conversation at two of our city’s premier cultural institutions.
¢ Sunday 5 July, 1.40pm
Book Launch: Gary Crew, Strange Objects 25th Anniversary edition
¢ Monday 6 July, 7.15am
Literary Breakfast: David Malouf, Crowne Plaza Breakfast and banter with this internationally acclaimed author will ensure you start the final day of the conference in style.
¢ Monday 6 July, 8.50am
Keynote: David Malouf, Launch of Reading Australia, Bradman Theatrette Reading Australia is a ground-breaking online initiative from the Copyright Agency that makes the very best of Australian literature more available for teachers and librarians. There are 200 quality books listed on the site, with many also having informative essays and valuable teaching resources that align to the Australian Curriculum.
46 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Authors, Illustrators and Book Signings
Graeme Base Graeme Base is one of the world’s leading creators of picture books, and has sold over four million books in Australia alone. His international bestsellers include Animalia, which has inspired an animated TV series, and The Waterhole. Graeme is also internationally recognised for his third book, The Eleventh Hour. Prior to becoming an author and illustrator of children’s books, Graeme studied a Diploma of Art (Graphic Design) at Swinburne University of Technology. His first novel for young readers,Truck Dogs, was short-listed for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards in 2004. Other favourite books include, My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch, The Discovery of Dragons, The Worst Band in the Universe, Jungle Drums, Enigma, The Legend of the Golden Snail and Uno’s Garden. In 2007 this last title featured in six major awards and was winner of three: Speech Pathology Book of the Year, younger readers; The Green Earth Book, USA; The Wilderness Society Environment Award. Graeme also composed an orchestral version of his book, The Sign of the Seahorse, which was performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 2001.
Gary Crew Gary Crew is an Associate Professor in Creative Writing at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and is one of Australia’s most awarded authors. Gary has written over 70 illustrated books, short story anthologies, novellas and novels spanning a career of over 25 years in print. He has received the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year award four times: twice for his young adult novels (Strange Objects in 1991 and Angel’s Gate in 1993) and twice for his illustrated books (First Light in 1993, illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe and The Watertower in 1994, illustrated by Steven Woolman). Gary’s Memorial was awarded the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Honour Book in 2000 and short-listed for the Queensland Premier’s awards. Gary has been twice short-listed for the Crime Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Fiction award for Youth and was twice the recipient of Europe’s prestigious White Raven award for illustrated books. In 2004, Gary was the recipient of the Wilderness Award for Children’s Writing for his ‘Extinction Trilogy’ and also the Royal Geographic Society Whitley award for the same trilogy. In 2005, he received the Aurealis award for Speculative Fiction.
Steve Shann Steve Shann has been a teacher (primary, secondary and in teacher education) since 1970, with a stint as a qualified psychotherapist during the 1990s. He has published three books (School Portrait, Their Other Lives and, earlier this year, Imagined Worlds and Classroom Realities: mythopoetic provocations for teachers and teacher educators). He has also been published in English in Australia and Changing English.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 47 Authors, Illustrators and Book Signings
Anita Heiss Anita Heiss is the author of non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial women’s fiction, poetry, social commentary and travel articles. She is a regular guest at writers’ festivals and travels internationally performing her work and lecturing on Indigenous literature. She is an Indigenous Literacy Day Ambassador and a proud member of the Wiradjuri nation of central NSW. Anita is an Adjunct Professor with Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, UTS and divides her time between writing, public speaking, MCing, and being a ‘creative disruptor’. Anita was a finalist in the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards.
David Malouf David Malouf is internationally recognised as one of the finest and most versatile contemporary writers. David began writing as a child, publishing work in a neighbourhood newspaper when he was about seven years old. After reading the poetic works of Kenneth Slessor as a teenager, David became inspired to become a poet himself. Since his first collection of poetry in 1962, David has published novels, short stories, collections of poetry, opera libretti, a play and a volume of autobiography. David was the recipient of the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Prix Femina Etranger (1991) for his novel, The Great World. He was also the winner for the inaugural international IMPAC Dublin Literary Award book, Remembering Babylon. This work was also shortlisted for the 1993 Booker Prize. In 1997 David was declared an Australian National Living Treasure. In 2000, David received the Neustadt International Prize for Literature, while David’s Typewriter Music received the 2008 Arts Queensland Judith Wright Calanthe Prize for Poetry. David’s writing is distinguished by his use of concrete detail and arresting images, together with his preoccupation with such themes as history, memory and language. Other highly acclaimed works by David include: An Imaginary Life; Harland’s Half Acre; The Conversations at Curlaw Creek; A First Place; and The Writing Life.
48 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Saturday 4 July: Abstracts and Biographies
9.15am Opening Plenary: Douglas Fisher, Unstoppable Learning We really can unleash student potential through systematic and intentional instruction. But what types of instruction give us the biggest bang for the buck? How can we balance teacher responsibility and student responsibility? Let’s focus on seven evidence-based components of learning that ensure high levels of achievement: planning, launching, consolidating, assessing, adapting, managing, and leading. This session takes the gradual release of responsibility to the next level, and builds a system around high quality literacy instruction.
11.00am ALEA AWARDS
11.00am Keynote: ALEA/PETAA Donald Graves Address, Lisa Kervin, Children Writing With New Technologies Writing is undergoing a period of great change in many classrooms. With new ways of producing texts and constructing meaning using new technologies, there is need to examine what these offer to text creation both in and out of schools. Donald Graves, a pioneer in helping us understand how children write, gave us clear messages about the importance of investing time in all stages of writing, children choosing their own writing topics, the need for daily writing and time to revise, and the value of learning the ‘mechanics’ of writing within the context of reading and writing experiences. Some decades after these original messages, we need to revisit them as we ponder what Donald Graves might say about new technologies, and the opportunities and demands they offer to children as they produce and share texts. New technologies allow for individual and joint construction of texts in multiple modes and media. Yet these social practices, and the wider learning opportunities afforded through the flexible and recursive ways in which children produce text with technology, have yet to be fully explored. Through analysis of children’s text samples we are able to identify a range of strategies they use as they go about a range of text production tasks. This presentation will explore learning to write from the perspective of young children as they engage with new technologies. Additionally, what this means for writing pedagogy and for literacy teaching and learning more generally will be examined.
11.00am Keynote: A Conversation with John Bell OBE, AM
11.00am Keynote: Peter O’Connor, Asking Better Questions: The power of wondering The easiest way to become a better teacher is to ask better questions. The best questions to ask are questions we don’t know the answers to. That’s true for teachers and students. If teachers and students are both asking genuine questions, we get to truly enquire together. Through the use of drama, story and our own curiosity teachers have the opportunity to shape classrooms that ask students and ourselves to look again and wonder. Strategies for how we might better ask questions and how we might better respond to questions is suggested as more important than the types of questions we ask.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 49 ¢ Saturday 4 July
12.10pm 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions 1. Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies (PS) Workshop Are you concerned about students in your class who can decode but have little or no understanding of what they have read? Current research indicates that we should be explicitly teaching reading comprehension strategies to students. This workshop takes this research and translates it into classroom practice and is based on Sheena’s experience of teaching strategies in a real classroom. The workshop will also cover: §§ Current reading comprehension research §§ Clarification of the strategies §§ The researched model for introducing and teaching strategies §§ Student activities that support strategy teaching §§ Practical examples of recording on-going learning §§ Practical vocabulary learning ideas Sheena Cameron is an experienced NZ teacher who has taught at primary, intermediate and tertiary levels. Sheena currently facilitates literacy workshops in New Zealand and internationally and is the author of a number of books including Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies (2009) and The Writing Book (with Louise Dempsey), (2013).
2. Berry School Book Clubs in a Team Teaching Classroom Setting (PS; MS) Workshop The Berry P.S. Book Club has been successfully operating for several years. In 2014 the Principal wanted to embed the concept within the classroom. Susan and Brett jumped at the chance and worked with Jan to run Book Club within a team teaching block each Monday for all children in 4/5S and 5/6Mc. We aimed to increase children’s passion and confidence as readers and writers and develop an awareness of ‘reading like a writer’. Children read two novels, and focused on poetry and picture books in 2014. We will share how we adapted the original Book Club concept into the classroom; discuss the organisation, the writing techniques highlighted and share students’ reflections and comments on what they learned from ‘meeting’ authors, poets and illustrators. Finally we will share student writing and provide participants with the opportunities for trying some of the ‘writing devices’ children learned to use. Jan Turbill is an Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Wollongong. She is the author of many books and articles and the Past President of ALEA. In 2008 Jan was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame. Jan works as an ‘academic partner’ in Berry Primary School. Susan McAuliffe is an experienced teacher in literacy education. She currently teaches Years 5/6 at Berry Primary School and team teaches with colleague Brett Sutton. Brett Sutton is an experienced teacher in literacy education. He currently teaches Years 4/5 at Berry Primary School and team teaches with colleague Susan McAuliffe.
50 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Saturday 4 July
12.10pm 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
3. Guiding and scaffolding reluctant and / or struggling middle school readers (MS; JS) Workshop The workshop will begin with an overview of key research of factors critical to raising achievement of students in the middle years. Alison will use information text instruction as the context to discuss effective practices that build on explicit instruction, student engagement and motivation and the importance of metacognitive teaching approaches. Participants will engage in group investigations based on informational text examples provided by the presenter. These activities will encourage participants to make links to their own classroom practices, the learning needs of their own students and research on characteristics of instruction associated with raising reading achievement for diverse students. Alison will explore with participants the multiple ways comprehension instruction can support readers to make and sustain gains in achievement. She will exemplify and provide opportunity to demonstrate how selection of materials that link to real world experiences and the matching of teaching approaches to student need can provide a context for raising comprehension. Teacher expertise is of central importance to supporting struggling readers and this workshop will provide a forum for critique, reflection and discussion of practice. Dr Alison Davis is well known and highly respected as a leading literacy researcher, writer, speaker and staff trainer. She is particularly well known for leading initiatives focused on accelerating and sustaining literacy achievement gains in reading comprehension and writing. She is the author of 7 teacher resources published through Eleanor Curtain Australia Ltd. One of her resources, Effective Writing Instruction: Evidenced Based Classroom Practices (2013) will be referenced in this presentation.
4. Improving Student Literacy Outcomes through the Development of Dialogic Classroom Talk Practices (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS) Workshop This workshop will provide teachers with resources for analysing and describing their classroom talk practices, moving from monologic to dialogic talk. In particular we will examine question and answer exchange patterns and discuss questioning types that support students to develop ideas and knowledge through inquiry, in-depth reasoning and critical thinking. We will examine transcripts of common classroom routines arising from classroom research that will help participants reflect upon their own talk practices. A range of dialogic talk practices will be presented to assist teachers to engage in collaborative learning to transform their practices and develop and sustain change. Dr Geoff Bull provides professional development in literacy and pedagogy throughout Australia and New Zealand. Formerly Associate Professor at the University of Southern Queensland, national president of ALEA and founding member of the Australian Literacy Federation, teacher in Queensland. Joint author Uncovering History using Multimodal Literacies: An Inquiry Process, 2013. Dr Michèle Anstey provides professional development in literacy and pedagogy throughout Australia and New Zealand. Formerly an Associate Professor at the University of Southern Queensland, Director of the Literate Futures Project for Education Queensland and teacher in Victoria, NSW and Qld. Joint author of Classroom Talk (PETAA, 2014).
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 51 ¢ Saturday 4 July
12.10pm 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
5. Themes, metaphors and motifs: Linking students’ life worlds to English through personal narratives (MS; JS; SS) Workshop In this practical workshop, teachers will engage with a number of tried and true narrative writing strategies. These strategies have been developed over a number of years that get students to draw on their cultural resources and reflect on important moments in their lives. Writing structures and techniques will also be shared that demonstrate how students can successfully capture these themes in colourfully-written and interesting vignettes. We will also share some findings from a small project that investigated how students in Years 8, 10 and 12 developed their mastery of this structure and learned to investigate their life worlds and express themselves as polished writers. John Acutt is the Head of English at Ipswich Grammar School. He advocates that all teachers need to be active practitioners of what they teach – “Do what you ask the students to do.” In 2012 he was the winner of the ETAQ’s Peter Botsman Memorial Award. Stewart Riddle is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Teacher Education and Early Childhood – University of Southern Queensland, where he works with pre-service teachers in literacy and English curriculum courses. Stewart is a member of the English Teachers Association of Queensland management committee and edits their journal, Words’ Worth.
6. A whole school approach to developing jointly constructed assessment rubrics (JS; SS) Workshop This workshop reports on the findings of an innovative literacy and learning project conducted by teachers from all curriculum areas at Richmond High School, NSW. As an extension of a highly successful partnership and research project with academics from the Australian Catholic University, Richmond High School has entered the second phase of creativity in the curriculum by developing a whole school approach to developing jointly constructed assessment rubrics. This presentation will focus on programming for effective assessment which is underpinned by the ‘4x4 literacy toolkit’ (Humphrey 2013) and pedagogically driven assessment (Wiliam 1999; Wyatt-Smith, Cumming & Elkins, 2005; Davison 2008). This session will examine various forms of assessment and how effective feedback can be used to develop a culture of students who reflect on their own learning and are motivated to ask questions about how they can improve. Ken Platt is Head Teacher, Teaching and Learning at Richmond High School. He has worked as a teacher for over 20 years, teaching in the areas of Geography, History, Commerce, Work Education, Work Studies, Business Studies, Business Services, Legal Studies, Society and Culture and Economics. Monica Bergan is an experienced teacher who is passionate about Science and improving literacy outcomes for students. As Literacy Leader at Richmond High School, she works closely with the Head Teacher, Teaching and Learning and is active in developing programs and units of work to improve literacy across the school.
52 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Saturday 4 July
12.10pm 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
7. Home: Getting creative through community engagement (MS;JS; SS) Workshop At The Sydney Story Factory during 2014, more than 270 people contributed stories, memories and ideas to a book about life in Redfern called Home. In this paper, The Sydney Story Factory will share the story of how this book came about and how it can be used as an amazing new resource in the classroom. With contributions from people from 7–70 years old, the book and interactive website present a broad collection of writing that will appeal to primary and high school students. The stories reveal the importance of place, the challenges, and the discoveries made in this rapidly changing suburb that has been called the Aboriginal heart and soul of Sydney. This text contains many opportunities to examine and investigate the concept of Discovery. Helen Coolican has more than 20 years’ experience in education. She’s Deputy StoryTeller at Sydney Story Factory where she programes and runs writing workshops including the Sunday Free Writer’s Guild. She was community co-ordinator for the Home Project and Home publication and continues to work closely with the Redfern community, young and old, at Sydney Story Factory. Matthew Roden is a Deputy Story Teller at Sydney Story Factory, where he programs and runs writing workshops, and works on marketing, design, community outreach and fund raising projects. He was the head designer and project manager for the publication of Home. Matt has spoken on panels and at conferences such as the National Young Writers Festival, Sparks NSW Librarian’s Conference, Equity Media Conference amongst others. He co-hosts a weekly radio show on Fbi Radio. Garigarra Mundine joined the Sydney Story Factory in late 2013 to work on the Home Project as an intern and is currently studying a Bachelor of International Relations at the Australian National University in Canberra. She is originally from Dubbo and is a Wiradjuri and Bundjalung woman. This was Garigarra’s first time completing a community writing project and she found her passion through the project for working with communities, focusing on Indigenous issues.
8. How miscue analysis challenges and transforms teachers’ understanding of the reading process (EC; PS; MS; JS) Workshop In this session we shall demonstrate how Miscue Analysis can be used to deepen and extend K-12 teachers’ understanding of the reading process. During this ‘hands-on’ workshop, participants will be introduced to the process of using miscues to analyse and evaluate reading behaviour of students. We shall also describe how the collection and analysis of miscue evidence supports and extends teachers’ (i) understanding of reading, (ii) classroom practice. Gary Kilarr has been researching and teaching the use of Miscue Analysis as a platform for helping teachers understand the reading process for many years. He has held positions in a range of Australian and US Universities. Brian Cambourne is a Fellow at the University of Wollongong. He has published widely and received numerous national and international awards for his research and theory building. Since 2004, he has played the role of ‘academic partner’ while supporting professional learning in several schools in NSW and Tasmania.
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12.10pm 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
9. English teaching and Aboriginal education: Effective strategies and strategic resources (MS; JS; SS) Workshop The Australian Curriculum highlights the importance of developing culturally respectful teaching and learning strategies and resources for our classrooms. As English teachers we require high-quality, student-centred and engaging teaching and learning Indigenous education resources for English teaching programs and classroom activities. This workshop session provides an authentic context for developing culturally aware and respectful teaching and learning strategies in secondary English, as well as a rich range of accessible and contemporary teaching resources to engage student interest. Nurturing inquiring minds and engaging students’ own cultural resources are valuable keys for classroom success. Ways to integrate Indigenous ways of knowing into classroom teaching and learning for all students will be explored and practical strategies that are inclusive and respectful will be shared. There will be opportunities for sharing resources and strategies in this workshop to build our cultural awareness and cultural capabilities for effective classroom teaching. Paul Grover is Lecturer in Education at Charles Sturt University, Albury and has been a secondary teacher and Head Teacher for 37 years. He has authored and edited a range of secondary English course books, including texts for the new Australian Curriculum. Paul presents at state and national conferences.
10. Feedback to grow and develop teaching and learning strategies underpinned by visible thinking (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS) Workshop What is powerful learning feedback? How we can we make this a powerful learning tool for staff and students? This workshop will present ideas for teacher to teacher, teacher to student, student to student including group feedback for both teachers and students, and student to teacher feedback. It will embed Visible Thinking Routines to empower both the teacher and the student. Teacher practice and student performance can be improved. This process is collaborative, guiding, motivating and supportive and a pathway for future learning is provided. This workshop will be interactive. Bev Steer’s long background in Gifted Education has empowered her understanding of how learners learn. She is currently assisting with Professional Development of staff. Her passions are teaching, learning and thinking philosophies. She presents at many conferences and is a sessional lecturer at Monash University.
54 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Saturday 4 July
12.10pm 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
11. Book Club: An instructional framework for nurturing children’s inquiry with literature (PS; MS) Workshop Although literature is one of the three central components of ACARA English, many teachers have questions about meaningful ways to engage children with quality children’s literature (McDonald, 2014). In this interactive workshop, teachers will experience a Book Club lesson and then step back and examine the components of ‘typical’ Book Club lessons. Teachers will leave this session with concrete plans for the following: (1) ways to use Book Club as an instructional framework to implement the literature component of ACARA in their classrooms, (2) ideas for incorporating Book Club into their overall classroom literacy program, (3) ideas for quality literature to use in primary, junior primary and middle school classrooms, (3) ideas for integrating Luke and Freebody’s (1990) four reading practices (code breaker, text participant, text user & text analyst) with Book Club, and (4) a list of references and resources for additional reading about Book Club. Cynthia Brock’s primary teaching interests include literacy instruction for children in the middle and upper-primary grades, literacy and diversity, and qualitative methods. She studies the literacy learning of upper-elementary children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Her current work focuses on disciplinary literacy teaching and learning in the primary grades. Fenice Boyd is an Associate Professor at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. Her research interests centre on literacy teaching and learning (reading and writing), diversity topics writ large, and teacher education. She will be a visiting scholar at the University of South Australia in 2015. Julie Pennington is a professor of literacy studies in the Department of Language, Literacy and Culture at the University of Nevada, Reno. She is the author of The Colonization of Literacy Education as well as articles and book chapters focused on issues related to literacy instruction in diverse settings.
12. Exploring the writing process for digital literary text construction (PS; MS) Workshop Creating text using digital resources presents new opportunities and challenges for what we know about the writing process. At a time of significant curriculum change, the teaching of writing demands careful exploration. This workshop will consider, describe, discuss and share examples of what the writing process can look like in a digital environment. As we do this, we aim to identify some key priorities for literacy educators as we discuss what it means to engage with planning, drafting, revising, and publishing digital literary text. Kylie Lipscombe is currently working as a Literacy Consultant for AISNSW. Former roles have included literacy lecturer, assistant principal and teacher. She is passionate about the role technology plays in literacy learning and is currently completing her PhD focussed in this field. Lisa Kervin is an Associate Professor in Language and Literacy in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Wollongong. Lisa’s current research interests are focused on young children and the ways they interact with digital technologies and on the literacy development of children. Lisa is currently the NSW Director of the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association. Jessica Mantei is a Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy at the University of Wollongong. Jessica researches children’s interpretations and responses as they read, view, write and create a range of texts. Jessica is Treasurer of ALEA South Coast Local Council and Associate Editor of Literacy Learning: The Middle Years.
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12.10pm 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
13. Shakespeare in the Classroom (PS; MS; JS) Workshop Introducing Shakespeare in the primary school classroom can be immensely rewarding, but also daunting. Bell Shakespeare has worked closely with primary education experts to develop an exciting new learning program that takes young children on an immersive Shakespearean journey. In this highly practical and fun workshop, teachers will learn how to bring Shakespeare’s words, characters and stories to life in a way that connects with and engages primary-age children. We will share with you interactive storytelling techniques and teacher-in-role activities that have proven highly successful, giving you the confidence and skills you need to take these amazing plays into your classroom. Teresa Jakovich graduated from the Acting course at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2006. Whilst there, some of her theatre credits include Goneril in King Lear and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. On graduating she played the lead in an ABC Radio National play, performed in Barking Gecko’s premiere production of Run Kitty Run and toured nationally with Young Australia’s Shakespeare on Trial. Teresa was a company member of the Bell Shakespeare Players in 2011 and 2012, taking on the role of Lady Capulet in their production of Romeo and Juliet at the Opera House. Her TV and online credits include All Saints, Rescue Special Ops, ABC’s comedy series Laid, SBS short Old War and Queen Elizabeth 1st in Google’s online Hang Out In History. Recent theatre credits include: ‘Sport For Jove Co’, playing Fabian in Twelfth Night and Violenta in All's Well That Ends Well and CDP’s The Incredible Book Eating Boy. In 2013 she completed her Masters of Literature and Creative Writing at Sydney University, graduating with merit. Teresa has been an Arts Educator for Bell Shakespeare for five years and has most recently directed their national touring show of Just Macbeth (abridged).
56 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Saturday 4 July
12.10pm Poster Presentations 1. Readers’ Workshop at Fraser Primary School (EC; PS) Poster During 2014, Fraser Primary School staff embarked on a journey to successfully implement Readers’ Workshops into their classrooms. After Professional Learning with Debbie Miller as part of the PALLs project, teams began to implement components of Readers’ Workshops as they had previously been using the Daily 5 model which complemented the workshops perfectly. Several pairs of teachers also had the opportunity to work with our Executive Teacher Professional Practice, being coached in successfully implementing Readers’ Workshops in their classrooms. The poster session includes the key elements and structure of Readers’ Workshop, the teacher’s role as well as strategies that are explicitly taught and used by students to increase their reading skills and abilities. Linda Francis is the Deputy Principal at Fraser Primary School. Linda leads the PLT teams to use and analyse data to effectively meet the needs of all students. The implementation of Readers’ Workshop has assisted teams to continue to meet student needs whilst increasing student engagement. Kylie Evans is the Executive Teacher Professional Practice at Fraser Primary School. Kylie coaches and mentors teachers across the school. During 2014, Kylie was instrumental in supporting teachers to establish Readers’ Workshop in their classrooms, whilst increasing student engagement and learning outcomes and empowering teachers.
2. Use of Writer’s Notebook in a high school setting (MS; JS; SS) Poster UC High School Kaleen is a unique small high school setting. Three years ago we developed a set of literacy programs into our weekly timetable that focused on developing students’ confidence and capacity as writers, through the use of the Writer’s Notebook: A writing process that is both flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of our students, and assists in changing their attitude and perception of themselves as writers. Students are given the opportunity to focus on writing in a range of genres. A crucial element of the program focuses on editing and publishing chosen pieces of writing. Our NAPLAN results have shown substantial individual student growth. In 2014, the Writer’s Notebook was introduced into other subject areas as a means to support students in developing research skills and to support their completion of assessment tasks to a higher standard. Rebecca Platten has worked as a literacy field officer in the high school setting. She has worked closely with teams and individual teachers to improve their skills and knowledge to address literacy across all subject areas. She has led UC High School Kaleen to develop a holistic approach to teaching literacy and supported the development of a program and school resources for teachers and students. Over five years this approach has seen students achieve promising growth between Year 7–9 in NAPLAN. Toniya Siemionow is the literacy coordinator at UC High School Kaleen. She is a dynamic and passionate English teacher who has actively contributed to the development of the literacy skills of students. Toniya has achieved this by leading by example, developing curriculum, contributing to the literacy program and developing the library into a dynamic reading hub. Over the past year students’ borrowing of books from the library has increased substantially. Students are more engaged and read for pleasure.
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12.10pm Poster Presentations
3. Work hard, play hard, be kind (EC) Poster ‘ninggi warrguu’ – look and ask why As educators is it possible to believe in the possibilities of play? Can we truly foster curiosity, stretch a child’s growth mindset & teach authentically? How can we make space to be creative and inspire the worlds beyond our curriculum requirements? Thoughtfully at Lyons Early Childhood School we say YES! Because we truly believe every child is capable, confident and an agent of their learning, we advocate ‘Yes’ through our Play Workshops. Be mindful; together let’s look and ask why, because honouring the hearts and minds of our youngest learners is our greatest endeavour. Lyons Early Childhood School has many inspired and wondrous early childhood educators. This presentation collectively draws on our Play By Design frameworks for learning, the voices & agency of our children and community and our connection to place. Many hands and hearts have collaborated, defined and created these posters. Lyons Early Childhood School hopes that you will begin to see, think and wonder a little more. Our journey to date will be shared by our school leaders: Mary Hutchinson, Principal; Katie Brown and Lauren Richardson, Deputy Principals; and Sharon Craft, Early Childhood Executive Teacher.
4. Promoting online collaborative writing through wikis among ESL students in Hong Kong (JS; MS; SS) Poster This poster session illustrates the use of wikis by Year 7 ESL learners in a secondary school in Hong Kong. The wikis were employed as a collaborative writing platform to produce – with minimal input and support from their teachers – written discourse to describe the different facilities and features of their school. After an initial overview of how wikis function in terms of editing and revision, the poster presents the process one group of learners went through. Samples are provided of the students’ intermediate and final drafts, as well as snapshots of the amount and the types of writing produced at each stage. The students’ final draft became a printed brochure of their ‘new’ school to be distributed to parents. In the light of this real ‘outcome’, the poster describes the place of authentic and collaborative writing, situated within the domains of creativity and task-based learning, in a school’s ESL programme. Dr Barley Mak is an Associate Professor and founding Director of the Centre for Enhancing English Learning and Teaching of the Faculty of Education at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. With over US$7million public funding, her main publications are in curriculum evaluation; language testing and teaching methodology; teacher professional development.
58 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Saturday 4 July
12.10pm Poster Presentations
5. Talk around texts: Complex and challenging work (PS; MS) Poster Engaging with literature in the classroom is of great value for many purposes; not the least being for developing understandings of self and one’s place in society. The Australian Curriculum for English – Literature requires students to analyse, critique and create a range of texts. Whilst it is recognised that a wealth of research provides educators with best practice implementation strategies, consideration of individual students’ backgrounds, abilities, interests and needs make this problematic. This poster session reports on four qualitative case studies with small groups of grade 5 and 6 students discussing two contemporary picture books. The project investigates issues of agency, identity and power relations using an analytical framework developed to interrogate interwoven themes around discourse, individuals and their relationships, pedagogy and what counts as knowledge. Close analysis has revealed that agency cannot always be utilised, and that the power relationships and identity formations associated with ‘doing school’ are inherently complex. Sue Wilson has 8 years’ primary teaching experience within southern metropolitan Melbourne and teaches sessionally within the area of literacy at Monash Peninsula. Her current PhD project stemmed from her honours thesis completed in 2009, and she studies under Jennifer Rennie and Evan Ortieb’s supervision.
6. Harrison Writing Pathway (moderating writing across Kindergarten to Year 10) Poster Harrison School is a Preschool to Year 10 School with an established community culture based on core values: respect, inclusion, teamwork, resilience, integrity and endeavour. High expectations for learning are achieved through a commitment to support all children in becoming curious and reflective thinkers. The Harrison Writing Pathway was developed by our teachers and is based on Australian Curriculum, the NAPLAN Criterion Referenced Writing Guide and the First Steps Maps for writing. Writing samples in developing the pathways came from Harrison School student work, Australian Curriculum Student Portfolio Summaries and North Gungahlin Schools (ACT) Network Writing Samples. The original intention of this tool was to further develop consistency in moderation for A–E Grades across the school. It has now been expanded to use as a writing pathway where students and teachers can identify writing goals, set targets and make adjustments in order for students to learn and progress as writers. Allison Edmonds is the Deputy Principal of the Junior School. Her expertise is centred in Early Childhood Education and Early Intervention. She is a dedicated music educator and is always excited about the opportunities to strengthen English Literacy understandings through singing, song writing and music making. Jodie Rowell is the Deputy Principal of the Senior School. Her expertise as the Literacy Coordinator across the whole school has been highly valued in establishing our English philosophy, English Handbook and positively impacting classroom practice.
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12.10pm Publisher Presentation (45 minutes) Comic serials: Creative curriculum resources (JS; SS) The NSW Department of Education and Communities’ iconic The School Magazine publishes quality texts, including engaging comic serials, to inspire a lifelong love of literature in young readers. Author, illustrator and educator Andrew Cranna’s Cyber Squad provides accessible, appealing material for the exploration of a range of literary techniques including narrative structures, characterisation, dialogue, tension and focus. They are ideal resources for understanding aspects of visual literacy such as salience, point of view, vectors and angle. Participants will explore strategies that enable students to appreciate, analyse and imagine these carefully-crafted works of literature, and will gain insights into the creative process of a successful creator. Andrew Cranna is an artist, educator and author who is currently based in Sydney NSW. His zany illustrations for The School Magazine Teaching Guides help make the teaching and learning activities accessible and fun. His popular Bloodhound Boys series of graphic novels are garnering international attention. Prue Greene was a Head Teacher of English in Western Sydney before taking up her current role as English Advisor 7–12, Secondary Education Directorate, Learning and Leadership at the NSW Department of Education and Communities. In this position she provides a range of Professional Development opportunities for English teachers in public schools and publishes teaching materials for teachers and students on various websites. She is an HSC and School Certificate marker, and Vice President of the NSW English Teachers Association. In 2008 she received the Professional Teachers’ Council award for outstanding service to the profession.
60 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Saturday 4 July
2.00pm AATE ALEA ILA Presidents’ Panel, Chaired by Guy Bayly-Jones The three association presidents will discuss national and international issues, opportunities and challenges for English and literacy associations and educators.
2.00pm Keynote: Kath Murdoch, ‘The sky is inside us’: Cultivating curiosity in the classroom Few would argue a case against the nurturing of curiosity in our schools – but, like its close relative, creativity, curiosity is something we seem more willing to talk about than to actually commit to doing something about. The truth is, most classrooms continue to be poor habitats for curiosity. Many learning spaces fail to foster real intrigue or a genuine ‘need to know’ while typical teacher-student discourse leaves little room for wonder, uncertainty and possibility. In this keynote, Kath will explore the pivotal role curiosity plays in learning. When ‘passionately curious’ the mind can engage in playful, critical and reflective inquiry – leading to questions that dig deeper and take thinking wider. Drawing on real classroom examples, Kath will share powerful strategies, texts and contexts to ignite and sustain curious minds.
2.00pm Keynote: Gary Crew, The Teenage Castaway: Nurturing Contemporary Curiosity into the Anxieties of an Extraordinary 19th Century Literary Fascination In her scholarly exploration of the castaway in English literature, Empire Islands: castaways, cannibals and fantasies of conquest (2007), Rebecca Weaver-Hightower claims that novels about castaways provide a medium for readers to deal with personal anxieties by ‘processing fantasies’. This paper will explore the arousal of the teenage reader’s curiosity—a primary theme of this conference—and the link between teenagers’ fascination with fantasy and the adolescent anxieties of isolation and loneliness. Gary Crew’s presentation will investigate the life values implicit in castaway novels and their relevance to the ‘life worlds of students’. Among other castaway stories, Crew will investigate the adolescent anxieties of Australian castaways such as 13 year-old Barbara Crawford Thompson (Warren 2004; Idriess 1947), 14 year-old Jack Ireland (Ireland 1845; Idriess 1945; Crew 2015) and 19 year-old Jan Pelgrom (Crew 2015). Crew’s primary intention is to arouse the curiosity of today’s youth to the anxieties experienced by isolated youth in times past.
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3.10pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions 1. Curiosity, wonder and awe with literacy in preschool (EC) Workshop This workshop provides insight into the journey of two preschools in the ACT who are designing learning experiences and crafting provocations that build the literacy learning power of all children. By increasing a child’s ability to use high-level thinking skills, making their thinking visible to others and applying what they have learned in new and increasingly complex situations, the children show a greater range of dispositions reflecting the intent of the Early Years Learning Framework and National Quality Framework. Intentional teaching episodes have supported children in understanding and building their curiosity, creativity and confidence to be active and responsible participants in their learning. The use of quality children’s literature, story stones and music in learning experiences can meet the needs of all children. This workshop allows participants to view the journey, engage with resources and see how curiosity, wonder and awe are alive in our preschools. Jantiena Batt is Deputy Principal at Maribyrnong Primary School and the Preschool team leader. She has a Masters in Professional Studies. Jantiena has worked as an instructional coach across 40 schools in Canberra. She has developed professional learning at school, cluster, state and national levels to further mediate the transfer of quality literacy teaching. Kelly Booker is Deputy Principal of Florey Primary School and is the Preschool team leader. She has a Masters in Education focused on literacy and is completing her PhD on reading failure. Kelly has strong interests in using quality literature to enhance literacy understandings and has presented professional learning at school, cluster, state and national levels.
2. Sharing stories as a bridge to pre-service teachers’ awareness of Aboriginal culture (PS; MS; JS) Workshop “Stories know no bounds … Stories provide a road to empathy, understanding and acceptance … we come to a deeper knowledge of content, of others and of ourselves” Lowe, K. (2002). What’s the story? Newton: PETAA. This presentation will share the stories from a service-learning experience that became the catalyst for change with all who participated. Pre-service teachers worked with Aboriginal students to plan, draft, write and edit their stories about themselves, their interests, family and community. These stories were then published into books that have become an invaluable resource for the school and hold pride of place in the library. Come and listen and follow the journey of how these stories came to be and the impact of this service-learning experience. Dr Glenda Cain is a Senior Lecturer and Literacy Coordinator at the University of Notre Dame, teaching in the undergraduate and postgraduate education degrees. She has recently completed her PhD on service-learning as a way of developing pre-service teachers’ knowledge, perceptions and awareness of Aboriginal culture. She has taught in schools for many years and now enjoys her teaching at Notre Dame University. She has a passion for improving the learning opportunities for Aboriginal people, and believes service-learning provides an important pedagogy and methodology for tertiary students.
62 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Saturday 4 July
3.10pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
3. Explicitly teaching spelling strategies: Does it lead to compliance or curiosity? (EC; PS; MS) Research Paper A shift in emphasis from rote learning of isolated words and Friday spelling tests, to intentional discussion and inquiry into the thinking processes and linguistic components associated with spelling is unequivocally powerful. This paper presents one case study from a mixed methods research project conducted through Charles Sturt University. It illustrates the importance of explicitly teaching strategies beyond ‘sounding out’ and ‘memorising’, as well as teaching the metalanguage associated with spelling. The study demonstrates how teachers can foster students’ curiosity about words and consequently improve their spelling. Using examples from the study, participants will be able to draw their own conclusions about how they can improve their students’ spelling. Pedagogical issues are addressed with practical suggestions provided. By the end of the session, participants will be able to reflect on and share their own responses to the question posed in the title. Tessa Daffern is a PhD candidate and Subject Coordinator in the Masters of Education at Charles Sturt University. She is an accredited provider of professional learning with the Teacher Quality Institute in the Australian Capital Territory and regularly works with teachers in schools as a literacy consultant and presenter. Dr Noella Mackenzie is a Senior Lecturer in literacy studies at Charles Sturt University, Albury. Her research into writing development is informed by her ongoing professional work with teachers in schools and her university teaching. Noella has received teaching excellence awards at state and national levels.
4. Secret selves: Representations of ‘first contact’ and cultural narratives in early colonial texts(SS) Workshop His grief, however, soon diminished: he accepted and eat of some broiled fish… and sullenly submitted to his destiny (Watkin Tench, ‘The Indians’, 1789). ‘Secret Selves’ is a Year 11 English unit which explores the complex relationship Australians have with our convict and early colonial history, and the voices, indigenous and non-indigenous, which define our cultural identities. Texts include the writings of Watkin Tench, Jacques Arago and Elizabeth Macarthur, whose journal entries and reports provide sturdy documentation of the curiosity and fear which characterised ‘first contact’ experiences. Paintings by Joseph Lycett, Conrad Martens and others, and Kate Grenville’s ‘The Secret River’, reveal the interplay of fact and fiction, people and place, and the way cultural narratives are shaped. This workshop will feature learning activities, samples of student work, and resources for unpacking the language conventions of historical texts and using digital technologies creatively to assess students’ skills and understanding. Joanna Gardiner is Head of English at Somerville House in Brisbane. She has co-authored several textbooks, including the series English is: English for the Australian Curriculum (Wiley) and Shakespeare Unplugged: Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet (Cengage). She is also a member of the District Review Panel for English Extension.
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3.10pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
5. Navigating the world of advertising through integrating English and Health (PS) Research Paper Students are surrounded by print-based and multimodal advertisements; on television, newspapers, magazines, radio, outdoor billboards, sports games, merchandise, shopping centres and the Internet. These advertisements can convey potentially harmful messages to students about health issues such as nutrition and alcohol consumption. There is a need to connect Health and English through a focus on media, in order to equip students with the skills and knowledge to respond to media messages. This presentation will showcase my experience of implementing a set of ten learning experiences with a Year 5 and a Year 6 class. The learning experiences aimed to respond to the new Australian English Curriculum to build students’ competence in reading, interpreting and responding to a broad range of multimodal alcohol advertisements. This presentation will discuss factors that facilitated and hindered the implementation of these learning experiences, illustrated with examples of student work samples and my own reflections as the teacher. Chloe Gordon: I have experience as a teacher in various paid and voluntary roles and I am currently pursuing my doctoral studies in the area of school-based media literacy programs to address underage drinking. My research interests include: alcohol abuse prevention, media literacy education, curriculum design and program evaluation.
6. Creative role play: Exploring ethics and morality through an immersive classroom (JS; SS) Workshop In this workshop participants will engage in a condensed version of a successful role playing unit in a secondary setting. We will look at how to set up a creative role playing unit in the classroom, the many benefits of engaging all students in the unit and the long term learning that is generated through reflective discussions, questions of morality and ethics, and the nature of society itself. The unit has been wildly successful in all levels of classes, with different teaching styles and is flexible enough to allow for vast modifications to suit student outcomes and needs. Participants will be able to view the work as both teacher and student and will allow you to develop your own units. Matt Barry is an English and Drama teacher at UC High School Kaleen in Canberra. Matt created and hosts a successful podcast “The Chattering Classes” where he discusses many things with his teacher friends. Matt has taught English, Drama, Circus and Japanese in Australia, Japan, and England. He has presented at the Canberra Writers Camp. He believes in creating energised classrooms with a whole lot of sharing. Matt has had articles published in the popular Japanese magazine, Metropolis. Nick Maniatis currently teaches English at Campbell High School in the ACT. As well as English he has taught media, stop motion animation, computing and science. Nick has presented collaboratively and individually at previous AATE/ALEA conferences and has written about his experiences for ACTATE. Nick is also the owner of The Howling Fantods, a website dedicated to promoting the works of respected US author David Foster Wallace. In 2014, an afterword he wrote for one of his favourite short stories, Incarnations of Burned Children, was collected and published in The David Foster Wallace Reader.
64 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Saturday 4 July
3.10pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
7. Developing creative thinking and understanding using artworks (EC; PS; MS; JS) Workshop Dialogue and artworks provide an opportunity to share thoughts and ideas. Selected relevant artworks can link strongly to teaching content, student learning and understanding. Exploration of the artist’s message and viewer meaning is explored. Dialogue involves interpreting the artist’s message, and generating ideas to support a point of view. This is a shared endeavour with many perceptions being explored. The skills of questioning, reflection and thinking critically are developed. Strong links are established with the Australian Curriculum strands of Language, Literacy and Literature, and Visible Thinking. Opportunities exist to address the General Capabilities of the Australian Curriculum. This presentation supports the written responses of students in any subject. This session will be interactive. Bev Steer’s long background in Gifted Education has empowered her understanding of how learners learn. She is currently assisting with Professional Development of staff. Her passions are teaching, learning and thinking philosophies. She presents at many conferences and is a sessional lecturer at Monash University.
8. Adventure literature: Engagement and curiosity (MS; JS) Research Paper The interest of young readers in adventure literature is well documented but tales of adventure have struggled for acceptance in high school English courses. Derided as all action and no reflection or vilified as imperial and masculine, adventure literature is often overlooked in favour of more issues-laden social realism. Stories with adventurous elements such as S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders and Louis Sachar’s Holes are popular in English courses but true adventure stories such as Treasure Island rarely see the fluorescent light of classrooms. This paper draws on my PhD thesis which focuses on the creation of plausible adventure spaces for young readers and explores the importance of adventure literature to student engagement and the development of curiosity. It also shares some ideas on how a classic adventure story like Treasure Island might be used in a contemporary English classroom. Don Henderson has taught high school English in South Australia and Victoria for thirty years. He has also written three novels for young adults – Half the Battle (Omnibus, 2006), Keepinitreal (Omnibus, 2009) & Macbeth, You Idiot! (Penguin, 2009). He has just completed his fourth adventure novel as part of a PhD in Creative Writing at The University of Adelaide.
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9. Using focalisation to design meaning in visual narratives (MS; JS) Research Paper Focalisation is the choice of lens through which a story is mediated to the viewer/reader. Focalisation enables the author to choose how to position the viewer/reader in relation to characters and events as the story unfolds. In visual narratives such as film, animation or comics, visual focalisation choices shape the design of meaning in every shot. This paper reports on research with middle-years students creating digital animation narratives. A systemic functional approach is used to identify focalisation choices which student authors can use to design interactive social relationships between the viewer and characters, and between characters in their narratives. It also identifies how these meaning choices can be realised using moving image semiotic resources. Findings show that teaching explicit knowledge of focalisation options, and a metalanguage to talk about it, enables students to make very considered and creative authorial choices. Annemarie O’Brien is Lecturer in literacy education, Melbourne (University) Graduate School of Education and an experienced teacher and literacy consultant. Previously, she worked at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and Australian Children’s Television Foundation. Consultancies include children’s television curator for Australian Screen (National Film and Sound Archive); and digital learning objects writer (Education Services Australia).
10. Sharing our lives – past, present and future (PS; MS) Workshop We use storytelling to communicate our lives; past, present and future. Stories are part of who we are and how we share who we are. Storytelling gives us scope to think and reflect on life, the problems we experience and then look ahead. Through learning about story and reflecting on their lives, students learn about themselves and their world. The internet and social media has become a natural platform for them to use to tell their stories and to share them with others. In this workshop Lynne and Cheryle share their experiences of working with ‘at risk’ and refugee students at Coolaroo South Primary and Dandenong Secondary College. Lynne Bury is passionate about students and literacy learning and has had extensive classroom and leadership experience in Victorian government schools. She has worked with the Victorian Department of Education, VATE and RMIT University and is a current member of the Victorian ALEA State Committee Executive. Cheryle Bannon is a secondary school classroom teacher with an art and EAL/D background. She implemented the Writer’s Notebook program across the year 9 cohort of 300 students at Dandenong High School in 2013 to support and build a student writing culture. The inaugural annual Writer’s Festival was launched in 2014 to support and improve literacy outcomes.
66 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Saturday 4 July
3.10pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
11. Our patchwork history: Exploring the language of research through literature (MS) Workshop My Name is Lizzie Flynn, a picture book for upper primary readers imagines the experiences of a young convict girl sent to Australia in 1841. Through Lizzie’s personal journey, the reader has opportunity to read between the lines, read the illustrations and imagine a different life. The story is based on the true story of convict women and ‘matron’ Kezia Hayter, a 23 year old travelling to Van Diemen’s Land to assess prison conditions for women on behalf of English prison reformer Elizabeth Fry. The quilt made on the journey still exists today. Explore the strong symbols, characters and cultural elements in the narrative. Cross curriculum links with history and art make the study of this book fit neatly into the exploration of the settlement of our nation. Includes handouts on websites/resources for further research. Claire Saxby is an award-winning author of fiction, non-fiction and poetry for children. Her work is published nationally and internationally. Recent books include Big Red Kangaroo, Emu, Meet the Anzacs, Meet Weary Dunlop and My Name is Lizzie Flynn: A story of the Rajah Quilt’.
12. Digital writing in the secondary years (MS; JS; SS) Workshop Digital writing has moved well beyond word processing but teachers are still concerned that technology should enhance learning, not dominate it. This workshop will look at the demands of writing today and some digital tools which will prove useful in the classroom. Real student work will be used as examples. Participants will actively consider technology ideas and tools to inspire and engage students in writing. Maryanne Pearce is an experienced secondary education consultant currently working in Victoria at a regional and school level to advise and support whole school reform and deliver on site teacher training programs. She has a particular interest and expertise in building capacity in teachers and leaders, with an emphasis on instructional leadership. Like Christina, Maryanne has a passion for the new literacies and their effective application in classrooms. Christina Cochrane brings many years of work with teachers to build effective classroom strategies within quality curriculum. She has 35 years as a secondary teacher and school leader in the ACT. Christina remains passionate about developing the multi-literacies of teachers and students through building capacity across all disciplines.
13. Poetry, Postmodernism and Student Sensibilities (SS) Workshop Poetic language has the power to stir students to reflect on their immediate experience, and on their unique, intimate relationship with the world. A range of literary theories is examined in senior English. A critical approach to 21st century messaging is encouraged. We also aim to send our young people forth with resilience and optimism to tackle the various forms of inequality they will inevitably encounter. A close study of poetry can inspire students to understand the world about them in more sophisticated terms: terms of morality, of compassion and of respect for their fellow human beings; also importantly, of respect for the natural environment. Poetry demands of us a consideration of what it means to be human. The presentation will focus on Donne, Wilde and Hopkins, making the point that language is ineffably powerful to inspire, inform, transform. Poetry conveys in cogent terms the complexity of human experience. Judith Gazy, an English teacher at St Mary MacKillop College, Canberra, has a strong interest in the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins. Judith is interested in the notion that poetic language has the power to inspire and arouse students to reflect, in original and compelling terms, on their own experience.
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3.10pm Publisher Presentation (45 minutes) I see the differences but I want to know why: Promoting cultural inquiry and global knowledge with the Through My Eyes series (MS; JS) Lyn, a former teacher-librarian and current EAL/D teacher is the series creator and editor of Through My Eyes, the popular six-book fiction series for readers 11–14 years that tells the stories of children living in contemporary warzones. Lyn will show how the texts support Australian Curriculum English Years 5–8, General Capabilities, Cross-curriculum priorities and Global Education. Her workshop addresses the Australian Professional Standard for Teachers: ‘Know students and how they learn’. Participants will explore the inquiry-based collaborative student activities in the teaching/learning guides Lyn has written, realising their potential to promote and satisfy students’ curiosity about other cultures and life experiences. These multi-themed texts provide literary catalysts for discussion of highly relevant global issues including cultural diversity, human rights, identity, refugees and social justice. The inclusive reading community engendered by the texts provides opportunities for storytelling and the sharing of cultural resources that enhance literacy outcomes. Lyn White, an experienced primary teacher-librarian and EAL/D teacher, is the creator and freelance editor of Through My Eyes, a series that takes middle school readers into the lives of children in contemporary warzones. Lyn works at Deakin University, Blackburn English Language School and is a professional development and conference presenter.
68 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Sunday 5 July: Abstracts and Biographies
8.50am ALEA AWARDS
8.50am Plenary: Peter Freebody, Ignorance Killed the Cat: What’s left out of literacy research and policy, and the implications for teachers’ knowledge and practice Over about four thousand years the technologies of inscription, and the beliefs and understandings that relate to them – which we summarise under the heading of ‘literacy’ – have both shaped and been shaped by many cultural changes. So we can think about the specific role literacy plays in sustaining the processes of contemporary formal education: What is ‘the school-literacy narrative’? What opportunities and responsibilities might that 13-year narrative present to teachers and researchers? In this presentation, Freebody will outline some versions of the narrative provided by educational linguists and ethnographers, and what educators need to know about the gaps that remain. He will argue that these gaps invite us to revise the criteria that are applied to useful and reliable research – revisions concerning who participates in literacy research programs, how programmatic medium- and long-term evaluations might be designed to answer questions about what works in literacy teaching, and how educators can be professionally strengthened by learning about the strengths and weaknesses of different kinds of ‘evidence’.
9.50am 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions 1. Red Room Poetry Object – Inspire, create, publish! (PS; MS; JS) Workshop “The whole universe is in your tiny mouth” ~ Saieesha, Year 6, Methodist Ladies’ College, WA. Red Room Poetry Object is a national poetry-writing competition for students in Years 3–10. Created by The Red Room Company, the project invites young writers and their teachers to submit poems about objects that are special to them. In 2014 over 130 schools participated; creating, publishing and broadcasting more than 2550 poems with our media partner ABC Radio National. This practical workshop shares creative strategies and Poetry Object resources that nurture student writing, encourage poetic exploration, creation, editing and publishing of poetry for authentic audiences locally and internationally. Discover more: redroomcompany.org/projects/poetry-object/ Toni Murphy is The Red Room Company’s Education Manager designing creative curricula for the Company. She has been managing and coordinating education programs for Australian Arts companies since 2008 with previous education management roles at both Sydney Theatre Company and Bell Shakespeare.
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9.50am 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
2. Enacting dialogic pedagogies: Understanding the repertoire of “talk moves” to improve classroom discussions (PS; MS) Workshop Participating in classroom discussions is an everyday schooling practice. Understanding the efficacy of these discussions as forums for reflecting and improving student learning remains a primary matter of concern for teachers and is the focus of this workshop. Through the use of practical classroom examples, participants will be assisted to understand the dimensions of a discourse-intensive classroom that support students to develop ideas and knowledge through deepening reasoning, engaging in active listening and critical thinking. Examining transcripts of classroom discussions will assist participants to identify particular “talk moves” which serve as strategic approaches for building a dialogic learning environment specifically aimed at supporting the development of language ‘for effective interaction and expression’ (ACARA 2013). The workshop will support teachers understandings of enacting dialogic pedagogies which encompass a range of productive interactional (relating), socialising (communicating and participating), and intellectual (knowing) functions in teacher-student interactions. Dr Christine Edwards-Groves is Senior Lecturer and key researcher for PEP International and the research institute (RIPPLE) at CSU. Her research interests include classroom interaction, multimodal literacy practices, pedagogy, professional learning and practice theory. She co-authored two 2014 publications: Changing practice, changing education and Classroom talk: Understanding dialogue, pedagogy and practice.
3. Nurturing a personal curiosity of words: A focus on spelling (EC; PS; JS) Workshop The diversity of students’ spelling achievements within a single class creates particular challenges for teachers who seek to nurture students’ personal curiosity of words in a way that leads to improved spelling. Informed by Triple Word Form Theory, this interactive workshop is founded on the view that students can be taught to evaluate and reflect on their own spelling in ways that empower and motivate them to improve. The session draws on findings from a research project, conducted through Charles Sturt University, which examined the spelling achievements of 1400 students across 17 schools in the Australian Capital Territory. As part of this research project, an analytical tool was developed and provides an innovative framework from which to examine students’ spelling errors in the context of their written compositions. In this workshop, participants will explore this tool by engaging in the spelling assessment of a student’s written composition and by considering ways in which students can learn to evaluate their own spelling in a meaningful way. A differentiated approach to spelling instruction will also be discussed and complimentary material will be provided. Tessa Daffern is a PhD candidate and Subject Coordinator in the Masters of Education at Charles Sturt University. She is an accredited provider of professional learning with the Teacher Quality Institute in the Australian Capital Territory and regularly works with teachers in schools as a literacy consultant and presenter.
70 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Sunday 5 July
9.50am 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
4. Curious about documentaries (SS) Workshop When studying documentaries, our focus may default to the ‘issue’ explored in the documentary rather than the text itself. This workshop will consider different approaches that may encourage students to engage with the genre on a deeper level. In this workshop teachers will share their own experiences of teaching documentary in the classroom as well as discussing a range of viewing practices such as: (i) Contextual approaches – how has the genre changed to address societal needs; (ii) Generic approaches – including Rockumentary and detective documentaries; (iii) Structural approaches – specifically considering the role of the focaliser; (iv) Critical approaches – considering texts that problematise the documentary genre. As the genre evolves and develops a wider popular audience, it is an opportunity to take advantage of some of the more contemporary and exciting texts being produced and to apply different viewing practices when studying them. Shannon Allen is an English teacher with 14 years’ experience in Government and Independent, country and metropolitan schools. She has completed her Master of Arts (Literary Studies) and the Certificate of Gifted Education. She is Head of Department at John XXIII College in Perth. Maggie McPhee is an English and Literature teacher with 9 years classroom experience across Independent and Government sectors. She is a member of the ETAWA Council and is studying her Master in Education at UWA. She is currently teaching at Perth College.
5. You’re so focused on what the curriculum wants, you forget about what the children need (EC; PS) Workshop This comment comes from an early childhood teacher participating in an action research project, collaboration between Edith Cowan University and AISWA. Creating Texts with 21st Century Early Learners, was created to assist early years teachers to nurture young children’s writing as they moved from mark making to becoming writers. Starting from the wonderings of children, taking time to listen to children and giving them a voice as they encountered school and the Australian Curriculum revealed what children thought about the writing process and learning to write. Learn how teachers then created environments where children were motivated to write for real purposes, where they were able to recognise themselves as real writers and develop this highly important tool to communicate. Listen to teachers share practical activities and their personal journeys from the project. Anne Hey has followed a career in education over the last 40 years in a wide variety of contexts including as a teacher, school leader, lecturer, consultant and parent. Anne’s current work as a consultant with the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australian (AISWA) is focussed on the areas of early childhood education, literacy, numeracy, primary curriculum and pedagogy and leadership. Amelia Ruscoe has over twenty years’ experience in early childhood education. She has a Master or Early Childhood Education and is currently a teacher educator and researcher with Edith Cowan University. Her research, teaching and publications are in the fields of emergent literacy, and visual arts education in early childhood. Carolyn Dorsman is an experienced early childhood educator that has a passion for learning and encouraging young children to take ownership of their own learning. Carolyn is currently teaching at Carey Baptist College in Western Australia.
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9.50am 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
6. School leaders capitalising on curiosity: ways of looking more deeply into classroom literacy practice in our schools (EC; PS; MS; JS) Workshop As school leaders, what should we look for to assess how effective literacy instruction is in our school and how do we get better at noticing what is happening with literacy learning and teaching practice in each and every classroom in order to support our teachers and students? Jo, Sue and Judy will present ‘ways of looking’, strategies, resources, research and models of inquiry that have been successful in their own schools and others they has worked closely with to bring about positive change in how teachers and school leaders work together to bring about improved student literacy outcomes. Jo Padgham is principal of Turner School, ACT. Jo is co-vice president of ALEA. Jo’s current focus has been on developing school leaders as leaders of literacy. Jo developed the ALEA documentary Principals Leading Literacy: What Works and Why. Jo is a facilitator of PALLs ACT, an adaptation of Principals as Literacy Leaders program. Judy Hamilton is a Network Leader in the ACT Education and Training Directorate. She is passionate about building teacher and school leader capacity, especially in literacy and is a facilitator of PALLs ACT, an adaptation of the APPA Principals as Literacy Leaders program. Sue Norton is principal of Fraser Primary School in the ACT. Sue’s recent school based action research has been how a whole-team approach to the use of different assessment tools for reading and how teachers plan for reading and writing. Sue is a facilitator of PALLs ACT, an adaptation of Principals as Literacy Leaders program.
7. Developing students’ understanding of the concepts of English (PS; MS; JS) Workshop Initiation into the discipline of English requires that students understand and apply its concepts. Such key ideas in the Australian Curriculum English as point of view, context, representation or characterisation have been mapped into a concept continuum. This session provides examples of particular concepts, their identification through the curriculum content and how the continuum may be used to trace students’ growing understanding of those concepts from Kindergarten to Year 10. We will also show how the continuum may be used to develop a scope and sequence of learning and how it can inform classroom activities that engage students at a conceptual level. This session presents the finding of a project undertaken jointly by the English Teachers’ Association of NSW and the NSW Department of Education and Communities. Eva Gold is Executive Officer of the English Teachers’ Association where she manages, writes and provides professional development for teachers of English in NSW. She was previously employed at the NSW Board of Studies as Senior Curriculum Officer and syllabus writer, developing the current NSW English syllabuses years 7–12. She has published several books and was one of the editors of Reviewing English, a standard university textbook in some undergraduate and graduate training of English teachers. Prue Greene was a Head Teacher of English in Western Sydney before taking up her current role as English Advisor 7–12, Secondary Education Directorate, Learning and Leadership at the NSW Department of Education and Communities. In this position she provides a range of Professional Development opportunities for English teachers in public schools and publishes teaching materials for teachers and students on various websites. She is an HSC and School Certificate marker, and Vice President of the NSW English Teachers Association. In 2008 she received the Professional Teachers’ Council award for outstanding service to the profession.
72 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Sunday 5 July
9.50am 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
8. Writing for ALEA’s journals: Practical Literacies: the Early and Primary Years, Literacy Learning: the Middle Years and the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS; TS) Workshop This workshop is to introduce prospective authors to the ALEA journal editorial teams of Practical Literacy: the Early and Primary Years, Literacy Learning: the Middle Years and the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy. Each editor will provide tips for generating and finalising articles for submission for their particular journal. Participants who have ideas for submissions will be invited to discuss their initial conceptions in small group situations with the relevant journal editor. Time will be allocated for audience members to ask specific questions. This session is for novice writers as well as accomplished writers seeking to be published in ALEA’s journals. Beryl Exley was appointed as the ALEA Publications Director in 2013. She is an experienced classroom teacher who is now an academic at the Queensland University of Technology. She co-authored Playing with Grammar in the Early Years with Lisa Kervin. Her publications are available at http://eprints.qut.edu.au/view/person/Exley,_Beryl.html. Contact email: [email protected]. Linda Willis is co-editor of Practical Literacy: the Early and Primary Years. She coordinates the Master of Teaching (Primary) program at UQ, having previously taught in state and private schools. Her tertiary teaching focuses on contemporary strategies for effective English and literacy teaching. See her publications at http://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/9046#tab_publications and http://eprints.qut.edu.au/view/person/Willis,_Linda-Dianne.html. Contact email: [email protected] Robyn Henderson is the Editor of Literacy Learning: the Middle Years. She is an Associate Professor in Literacies Education at the USQ, Toowoomba, and her teaching focuses on literacy pedagogy. She also researches literacies. Her publications are available at https://eprints.usq.edu.au/view/uniqueauthor/68.html. Contact email: [email protected]. Jennifer Rennie is the Editor-in-Chief of the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy. Jennifer Rennie is a senior lecturer at Monash University where she teaches in undergraduate and postgraduate programs in teacher education. Her significant research contributions are in the fields of Reading Instruction, Primary English Education and Indigenous literacies. Jessica Mantei works in the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong. Her research interests currently focus on children as critical consumers and creators of text and the ways teachers support their learning. Jessica is the secretary of ALEA South Coast and associate editor for Literacy Learning, The Middle Years.
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9.50am 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
9. Minding more than the mechanics: An assessment tool for emergent and early writers (EC) Workshop Teachers’ assessment of emergent and early writers (Pre-K – Year One) can often focus primarily on mechanical skills such as letter formation, letter-sound relationships and use of basic punctuation such as full stops and capital letters. While it is important for young writers to develop control over these elements, we should also give attention to other aspects of writing: a sense of audience and purpose, generation and organisation of ideas, vocabulary choices and use of written language structures. In this workshop, participants will explore an assessment tool which allows teachers to make some assessment of the degree to which young children can use these elements as well as their control of the more mechanical aspects of writing. The workshop will conclude by presenting some ideas for using oral language activities to develop these crucial understandings about writing. Janet Hunter teaches literacy education to post graduate and undergraduate students at Edith Cowan University, Perth. Recent research projects have focused on supporting early career teachers and the teaching of writing across all age groups.
10. An effective model of reading instruction for adolescent learners: A collaborative approach (MS; JS) Research Paper This presentation will introduce an effective model of reading instruction for adolescent learners. Evidence suggests secondary teachers are increasingly in need of strategies to support students’ literacy development, particularly reading. Secondary teachers however, are typically trained to be and often see themselves as disciplinary experts rather than literacy teachers. The presentation will draw on data from two research projects focused on improving literacy learning in the secondary context. Findings show strategies to improve and support students’ literacy learning, particularly reading, need to be student-centred and appropriate for adolescents. Additionally, there is strong evidence indicating the beliefs of school leaders, teachers and students should centre on a whole school approach that encourages a positive and collaborative culture. The researchers will share practical strategies for teachers and leaders to understand their own context and discuss recommendations for improved practice. A model of effective reading instruction that takes into account a collaborative approach, particularly one focusing on students’ needs, capabilities and aspirations will be proposed. Dr Georgina Barton is a lecturer in English and literacy in the School of Education and Professional Studies at Griffith University. She was a teacher in primary and secondary schools for twenty years. Her passion is supporting students in socio-disadvantaged areas, particularly in the arts and literacy. Dr Margaret Baguley is an Associate Professor in arts education, curriculum and pedagogy at the University of Southern Queensland. Her contribution to quality learning, teaching and research has been recognised through a series of awards. She has an extensive teaching background across all facets of education, in addition to maintaining her arts practice. Her research interests include creative collaboration, arts engagement, narrative inquiry, and visual arts education. Loraine McKay was a primary school teacher for over twenty years before moving into the tertiary sector. She currently lectures in inclusive education and reading intervention at Griffith University. Her research interests include teacher identity, critical pedagogy and improving outcomes for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
74 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Sunday 5 July
9.50am 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
11. Write time, write place: Writing in History and Geography (PS; MS; JS) Workshop In 2014, Maree and Pat initiated an action learning project with AISWA schools, which was based on nurturing student curiosity and promoting student engagement through the development of inquiries about historical or geographical places that held significance for individual students. Teachers were provided with essential skills and knowledge to support students to create fluent and engaging narrative or persuasive written texts from their inquiries, in line with the Australian Curriculum. This workshop will take you on a journey around different regions of WA where the AISWA consultants collaborated with local library and museum staff to engage with teachers from all sectors in professional learning developed from the project. The session will allow you to experience activities and provide you with materials relevant to developing an inquiry and supporting student writing in your classroom. Patricia Kershaw is an English/Literacy consultant with the Association of Independent Schools of WA. Experience as a secondary English teacher and a primary school teacher as well as research into language and literacy during her years as a university lecturer inform her current research and practice. Maree Whiteley is a Humanities consultant with the Association of Independent Schools of WA. An experienced primary teacher, with a passion for cultural heritage, social history and global education, Maree was involved in the development process of the Australian Curriculum: History, and is now a resource writer and professional learning presenter.
12. Reading Australia for secondary classrooms (JS; SS) Workshop Reading Australia is a major, online publicly accessible teaching resource developed by Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund in partnership with AATE and other professional teaching associations to bring significant Australian texts of all types and genres to life in the classroom. The project provides high quality teaching units mapped to the Australian Curriculum (English and Literature) with textual studies complemented by engaging essays by some of Australia’s best contemporary writers and academics. Each teaching unit is accompanied by a wealth of digital resources selected for their relevance and dynamism in appreciating some of Australia’s best literature. The resources provide teachers with a solid foundation from which to teach works with which they might not be so familiar, as well as offering fresh approaches to old favourites. All units are designed to enrich students’ learning experience and build a love of our unique and diverse writing culture. In this presentation teachers will learn about the motivations behind the Reading Australia project and the development and use of the resources themselves. Zoe Rodriguez is a lawyer engaged in policy discussion of copyright and other topics of interest to Copyright Agency’s 29000 author, artist and publisher members. She manages Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund and its landmark project, Reading Australia, which provides teachers with dynamic and teacher-friendly resources to help build a love of Australia’s great literature. Phil Page is the AATE Treasurer. A retired English teacher and high school principal, he has managed a number of national projects on behalf of AATE, including work for AITSL and the English for the Australian Curriculum project and is the Project Co-ordinator for the Reading Australia – Secondary Units.
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9.50am 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
13. Beating the National Minimum Standard (NMS) in early years reading (EC) Workshop This workshop will outline an ALEA and DETE collaborative learning project that focussed on building the capacity of early years’ teachers to better support those students most at risk of not meeting the National Minimum Standard in NAPLAN reading. Over the project year, sixty-five teachers of Foundation to Year 3 engaged in professional development and dialogue, data collection and analysis and identification and trial of high yield pedagogies, with the goal of boosting the progress of their lowest readers. During this workshop, the challenges and successes of the Beating the National Minimum Standard project will be shared, including how these early years’ teachers used data, professional development and networking to help fine-tune the instruction of their young students with significant reading weakness. Sue Hamilton-Smith is the ALEA Queensland State Director and Head of Curriculum at Fitzgerald State School, Mackay. Sue has been an organiser and regular contributor of local, state and national literacy professional development. She has been a Literacy Coordinator and Coach, classroom and distance education teacher at schools across Queensland. Pam Gargett has taught, coached and delivered professional development in Queensland pre-schools and primary schools for more than 25 years. Pam has lectured at CQUniversity where she gained her doctoral qualification. She is passionate about literacy in the early childhood years and enjoys contributing book reviews to the ALEA journals. Grant Webb has had extensive experience in primary and secondary schools as well as the tertiary sector. He has been a classroom teacher, Support Teacher, Educational Consultant, Principal and Divisional Director. He has served on national and state committees and has worked on a variety of educational projects and programs.
76 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Sunday 5 July
9.50am Publisher Presentation (45 minutes) Explorations: Strategies for comprehension for informative texts (JS; MS) Suitable for educators working with students from Year 2 to Year 8, and for teachers of ELL students in the upper grades, this session will provide an insight into this resource and the benefits of using Explorations: Strategies for comprehension for informative texts to improve students’ reading performance, through the development of their comprehension skills. Alison will outline the use of this new resource, demonstrating how it supports explicit teaching of eight essential comprehension strategies: §§ Making Connections §§ Monitoring and Clarifying §§ Predicting and Inferring §§ Questioning §§ Summarising §§ Visualising With the support of a practising classroom teacher, she will demonstrate the effective teaching of these strategies through the gradual release of responsibility process, using both digital and print materials from this easy to use resource. Explorations: Strategies for comprehension for informative texts comprises five Modules, catering for students with reading ages ranging from 7 to 12.5 years. Dr Alison Davis is well known and highly respected as a leading literacy researcher, writer, speaker and staff trainer. She is particularly well known for leading initiatives focused on accelerating and sustaining literacy achievement gains in reading comprehension and writing. She is the author of 7 teacher resources published through Eleanor Curtain Australia Ltd. One of her resources, Effective Writing Instruction: Evidenced Based Classroom Practices (2013) will be referenced in this presentation.
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11.20am AATE AWARDS
11.20am Keynote: AATE Garth Boomer Address: Mary Kalantzis and Bill Cope, New Media and New Learning
11.20am Keynote: Eeqbal Hassim, Intercultural Curiosity and Story Telling
11.20am Keynote: Jessica Mantei, Responding Creatively: Considerations for supporting children as authors of digital multimodal literary texts
12.30pm 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions 1. Sustaining creative literacy pedagogy (PS; MS) Research Paper The School Drama program is a co-mentoring teacher professional learning program developed and implemented by Sydney Theatre Company in partnership with the University of Sydney. Offered in over 40 schools in 2014, the program focuses on developing teacher expertise in and confidence using educational drama with imaginative literature to enhance student English and literacy outcomes in primary classrooms. This presentation will investigate the factors that facilitate the sustainability of such creative pedagogy using the experiences and understandings of participant teachers in several school case studies. Robyn Ewing AM is Professor of Teacher Education and the Arts, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney. Passionate about the role that quality arts experiences should play across the curriculum her teaching, research and writing in this area focuses on exploring imaginative literature through drama. John Saunders is Education Manager, Sydney Theatre Company. A former Secondary Arts Teacher and Head of Department, John’s experience in Arts Education is extensive and includes leadership of STC’s School Drama Program. He is a former President of Drama Queensland and Conference Co-Director of the 2012 Drama Australia National Conference.
78 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Sunday 5 July
12.30pm 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
2. Nurturing student writing through responding to texts (PS; MS; JS) Workshop Through providing quality language models and scaffolding the construction of written text, this workshop will consider ways to support students in developing creativity in their own writing. Literature will be used as the basis for investigating the choices writers make when achieving particular purposes. By looking explicitly at language choices students can be equipped to create their own choices by drawing on and applying knowledge of language features. Focus on supporting students prior to writing will be emphasised to highlight the role of spoken language and background knowledge. The interaction around text through joint construction will emphasise the role of classroom talk and the shift from spoken to written language through careful and deliberate conversation about lexico-grammatical choices. This will focus on the role of teacher knowledge in conjunction with support provided to students through sequencing of teaching and learning. Processes and strategies for fostering writing choices will be investigated. Joanne Rossbridge is an independent literacy consultant working in both primary and secondary schools and classrooms with teachers across Sydney and NSW. She has worked as a classroom and ESL teacher and literacy consultant with the NSW DET as well as several universities. Kathy Rushton is currently lecturing in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney. She has worked as a literacy consultant, ESL and classroom teacher with the DET and in a range of other educational institutions.
3. Teaching the craft of digital writing: What’s missing? (PS; MS) Workshop “We have all these devices and technologies available to us. How are we being intentional? How are we being thoughtful – taking time to craft writing with these digital tools?” Troy Hicks (2013). In this workshop we will explore whether in teaching students to effectively compose multimodal texts we are: Transferring good pedagogy from print to digital environments? Focussing on the craft or the technology? Capitalising on the affordances of the digital processes to create powerful texts? Join the conversation as we reflect on our current classroom practice in the teaching of digital writing. Through classroom vignettes, analysis of student-created digital texts and assessment products as well as reflective journals, we will identify some key principles for the intentional teaching of digital writing in online environments. Nicole Sprainger is currently the Project Leader for the iLearn Anywhere 1–1 iPad Project with Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta. She has been teaching for too many years to count. Her expertise is in the areas of Literacy, Learning and Technology. Kathy Ferrari is a Literacy Teaching Educator with Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta. She has been teaching for over 20 years and has also worked as an Assistant Principal. She is past president of Sydney North ALEA, and now also secretary of Sydney West ALEA.
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12.30pm 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
4. Reading Australia: online teacher resources for early primary classrooms (PS) Workshop Reading Australia is a collection of online quality teacher resources for the new to the very experienced teacher. It aims to provide new ideas for classroom practice and instill in primary school students a love of reading from the best Australian children’s literature. These publicly accessible resources are mapped to the National Curriculum making classroom planning easy. In late 2014 new resources were created for teachers of Foundation through to Grade 3 classes with the specific objective of appreciating the rich visual components of Australian children’s books and providing engaging classroom activities to extend students’ creativity. In this presentation teachers will learn about Copyright Agency’s motivations for initiating Reading Australia and from Wendy Bean (representing ALEA’s input to the project) about the development of the resources and how teachers can best use them in their classrooms. Zoe Rodriguez is a lawyer engaged in policy discussion of copyright and other topics of interest to Copyright Agency’s 29000 author, artist and publisher members. She manages Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund and its landmark project, Reading Australia, which provides teachers with dynamic and teacher-friendly resources to help build a love of Australia’s great literature. Wendy Bean is an education consultant who regularly presents at local, national and international conferences and has written several books for teachers. She taught in NSW schools, has worked on national government projects, and designed and implemented a range of professional development courses. Currently her work focuses on assisting teachers to meet the needs of children to improve teaching and learning.
5. Building deep comprehension for children with multiple learning challenges (EC; PS) Workshop How do teachers capitalise on curiosity and creativity to boost the comprehension skills beyond a basic level of knowledge for children with multiple learning challenges? This workshop will describe how we build a deeper level of comprehension in our children with special needs as they read texts, listen to stories and use multi-modal texts. We will take participants through a variety of learning experiences and strategies around building an awareness of the metalanguage of comprehension, creating schema, making explicit the reading and writing link though the use of multi-modal texts give access for children to make meaning, as well as working with the children to write literacy goals. Participants will engage with practical strategies used to support the process of building deep comprehension and making meaning for children with special needs. Allison Chapman is an executive teacher with 5 years of experience teaching upper primary students with special needs. She is currently the Disability Education Coordinator, overseeing all special education matters at Turner School. Allison has most recently presented at the first Asia-Pacific Congress on Creating Inclusive Schools. Sharon Moloney is an executive teacher at Turner School. She has taught both mainstream and special education over the last 12 years and is currently teaching a 3/4 special education class. Sharon has presented at a number of conferences such as National ALEA Conferences and the Asia-Pacific Congress on Creating Inclusive Schools.
80 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Sunday 5 July
12.30pm 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
6. Comparing image-language relations in school science and history: Implications for multimodal subject-specific literacies (MS; JS) Research Paper A great deal of research has described the similarities and differences in the language of school science and history. This has informed explicit teaching of student writing of different genres and explicit teaching of reading to learn. Some work has been done on the nature of images in these subject areas but there has not been any discussion of how images in science and history are similar and different. This session focuses on the comparative analyses of the meaning-making resources of images in science and history textbooks. While preliminary results suggest some commonality across subjects in representational structures in images as delineated by Kress and van Leeuwen (2001/2006), the distinctiveness of many images in the two areas align with Martin’s (1993a, 1993b) characterisation of knowledge building in science as technicalisation, and in history as abstraction. Implications of the analysis for teaching multimodal reading comprehension and text creation are discussed. Len Unsworth is Professor in English and Literacies Education at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney. His recent book publications include Reading Visual Narratives (Equinox, 2013) with Clare Painter and Jim Martin, and with Angela Thomas, English Teaching and New Literacies Pedagogy: Interpreting and authoring digital multimedia narratives (Peter Lang Publishing 2014).
7. Nurturing future wordsmiths: A focus on vocabulary (EC; PS; MS; JS) Workshop To participate fully in their community contexts and learn effectively at school, students need to understand the words that are used by adults (particularly teachers) and other students, as well as those used in books and multimedia. Students across primary and secondary school have the capacity to learn up to 10 new words a day. Improved vocabulary leads to improved decoding skills, reading comprehension and more creative and sophisticated writing. Teachers, who are interested in words, enjoy playing with words creatively, explicitly ‘teach’ words that students need, and who share the secrets of word power with their students can have a remarkable effect on their students’ interest in and capacity with words. This interactive workshop will provide examples of simple, but powerful strategies easily adapted for use across the primary and middle years of school. Dr Noella Mackenzie is a Senior Lecturer in literacy studies at Charles Sturt University, Albury. Her research into writing development is informed by her ongoing professional work with teachers in schools and her university teaching. Noella has received teaching excellence awards at state and national levels.
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8. ICT in the ACT: Imagining pedagogical possibilities in uncharted territory (PS; MS; JS) Workshop A literate person in the 21st century requires a vastly different and expanding suite of literacies to read and produce multimodal digital and non-digital texts. A significant pedagogical shift is necessary to meet these evolving demands. Using the SAMR model, this workshop will showcase examples of effective integration of technologies to enhance literacy learning in the primary school setting (which could easily be modified for early secondary years), including a variety of easy to use apps and web based tech tools. Participants will be inspired to implement fresh ideas in the design of digital learning experiences that will harness the curiosity of their students, and unlock future teaching and learning possibilities. Louise Cullen is a teacher librarian and Literacy Coordinator at Canberra Girls Grammar School. She is also an International Baccalaureate workshop leader and member of the ACT ALEA Local Council. Louise is a passionate educator and her current inquiry focus is transdisciplinary integration of Literature and ICT in the primary years. Alex Galland is a Year 6 teacher and Junior School ICT Coordinator at Canberra Girls Grammar School. She is a former English and Drama teacher, K-12 ICT integrator, and learning technologies consultant. Her Masters in Education degree focused on the use of ICT in education. Alex is an experienced conference presenter.
9. How do learner-writers learn to control and apply all complex knowledge, skills, and attitudes that effective writers need? (EC; PS, MS; JS, SS) Research Paper I’ve been observing and documenting how literacy is taught and learned in K-6 classrooms since the mid 70’s. In this session I shall summarise nearly forty years of naturalistic data to answer the question posed in the title. First, I will explore the complexity of knowledge that writers need to internalise, control, and apply in order to write successful texts. Then I shall explore the issues this complexity poses for instructional practice. Along the way I will summarise and compare what my data revealed about two significantly different instructional approaches to addressing these issues. Finally, I will explore implications for the teaching and learning of writing. Brian Cambourne is a Fellow at the University of Wollongong. He has published widely and received numerous national and international awards for his research and theory building. Since 2004, he has played the role of ‘academic partner’ while supporting professional learning in several schools in NSW and Tasmania.
82 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Sunday 5 July
12.30pm 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions
10. The writing lesson: Making it work for teachers and students (PS; MS) Workshop In this workshop Sheena and Louise with share a practical and achievable approach to teaching a writing lesson, which supports students to feel successful as writers and enjoy the writing process. They will discuss: ideas which engage and motivate students, short and long writing tasks which foster success in a writing programme, as well as strategies for promoting independent writing, and collaborative reflection. Ideas presented in this workshop are based on the material inThe Writing Book (Cameron & Dempsey 2013). Sheena Cameron is an experienced NZ teacher who has taught at primary, intermediate and tertiary levels. Sheena currently facilitates literacy workshops in New Zealand and internationally and is the author of a number of books including Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies (2009) and The Writing Book (with Louise Dempsey), (2013). Louise Dempsey is an experienced teacher, consultant and trainer who has worked in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. She facilitates literacy training around New Zealand and Australia and has completed a range of writing projects for NZ and English publishers, including the Department of Education in the United Kingdom. Louise is the co-author of The Writing Book (2013).
11. What does grammar have to be like if it’s going to be good for school English? (PS; MS; JS) Research Paper It’s very hard to find ways to make grammar attractive to English teachers and yet it’s increasingly part of core business in implementation years of the national curriculum. How do we conceive of grammar so that it is not only good to think with (and about) but also good for teachers and students to ‘cook with and eat’ in their classroom kitchens? Could it become a key resource in playful exploration of language systems, in interpretation, in the composition of rhetorically powerful texts and of interrogation of meaning making in verbal, visual and multimodal texts? In this paper, I highlight four conditions that appear necessary if grammar is to become really good for English, drawing especially on inquiring dialogues with school students after a period of exposure to functional grammatics. The paper proposes that a grammatics ‘good enough’ for primary and secondary English needs to be contextual, rhetorical, linguistically principled and portable. The voices of teachers and students highlight the salience of these conditions and underscore the need for ongoing research into the development of a culture of inquiry surrounding grammatical instruction. Mary Macken-Horarik is Associate Professor of English Education in the School of Education at the University of New England. She worked for several years as a teacher of school English and has been teaching pre-service English teachers about language since 1996. She has a special interest in systemic functional semiotics and has just completed a large Discovery project on grammar and praxis for English teachers.
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12. Thoughtful spelling – setting up for success (EC; PS; MS) Workshop When we enter a setting we talk, act and think in ways that are characteristic of the setting. When your students enter the classroom setting how do you help them to talk, act and think about words? This workshop will explore the discourse, paraphernalia and patterns of behaviour necessary for setting up for thoughtful learning about spelling. We will share ways to talk about our spelling thinking; discover the importance of noticing patterns in words; and consider how we can nurture a sense of wonder about words as we create a culture of curiosity. Christine Topfer is a Network Lead Teacher for literacy in Tasmania where she works with school leaders, literacy coaches and teachers. Christine has assisted many schools to develop a whole school approach to spelling. She has co-authored the book, Guiding thinking for effective spelling.
13. Teachers turning-around to the affordances of digital games (MS; JS; SS) Research Paper Digital games and school-based literacy practices have much more in common than is generally thought. This is because of digital games’ paratexts or the numerous print and multimodal texts about digital games that circulate in gaming culture. Drawing on action research projects with two Victorian teachers, I describe the role digital games can play to better connect students with literacy. I illustrate how these two teachers turned around to acknowledge the affordances of digital games by tapping into students’ gaming literacy and the diversity of multimodal literacy practices that remained invisible and packed away in their virtual schoolbags. By including the research, reading, writing and design of digital game paratexts and digital games in the literacy classroom, teachers can actively turn around histories of student literacy failure and disengagement. To help teachers understand pupils’ gaming literacy in relation to other forms of literacy practices, I present a heuristic for understanding gaming (HUG) literacy. I illustrate how the heuristic can be used to assist literacy teachers in identifying and talking about the elements of digital games that would be appropriate for the demands of the literacy curriculum. Christopher Walsh is an Associate Professor and Director of Education Programs at Torrens University Australia. He researches widely in the field of literacy education. Christopher’s primary concern is to enhance teacher education through applied research and by developing frameworks for analysing and conceptualising alternative visions of education in a time of unprecedented social and technological change. He does this intentionally to theorise and build sustainable educational futures that explicitly focus on improving literacy learning, schooling, student learning outcomes and fostering creativity.
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12:30pm Poster Presentations 1. Deadly Literature: An Investigation into the use of Indigenous texts in the classroom (JS) Poster Deadly Literature was written as a unit on Indigenous literature, specifically designed for Year 7 across all levels of ability. Deadly Literature was designed to share Aboriginal culture with students and was inspired by a presentation by Dr. Anita Heiss in 2013. Students are taken on a journey from the Dreamtime and the First Australians to the poems and songs of contemporary Indigenous Australians such as Bob Randall and Oodgeroo Noonuccul. This unit was written to incorporate requirements from the National Curriculum and has been trialled successfully within Alfred Deakin High School for the past 3 years. Anissa Jones is an English Teacher at Alfred Deakin High School and she has taught in both the government and non-government system for twelve years. She grew up in an Indigenous family and has had first-hand experience with Indigenous culture and its peoples.
2. Pedagogy Circle: A tool for inquiry in school improvement in literacy (EC; PS; MS) Poster Maximising professional learning is a vital strategy when undertaking action change for improved student learning. Doyle (2004) asserts that collaboratively creating a community of learners amongst teaching staff provides the greatest opportunity to effect and sustain change. Further, Stoll (1999) considers engaging staff in sustained conversation around student learning leads to interdependence through inquiry. The Pedagogy Circles Model empowers educators to be responsible for all facets of literacy in the school improvement cycle. Supporting teacher inquiry, this structure allows educators to analyse data, make recommendations, suggest improvements and map the journey using the Plan, Do, Study, Act Model. Educators are empowered to rigorously interrogate data from school systems and through peer observations. The use of Pedagogy Circles allows educators to see the integral part they play in the school improvement journey. As inquirers, educators pose questions about practice and pedagogy and seek answers as a collaborative professional learning community. Jenny Howard is Principal at Maribyrnong Primary School. Jenny holds an Honours, Masters and Graduate Certificate in Education, with a particular focus on mathematics and school improvement across all areas of school. Jenny is currently completing her PhD into the implications of mandated testing on student outcomes. She is passionate about engaging the whole community in school improvement and developing systems and processes to ensure shared authority and ownership over change management. Jantiena Batt is Deputy Principal at Maribyrnong Primary School. She has a Masters in Professional Studies. Jantiena has worked as an instructional coach across 40 schools in Canberra. She has developed professional learning at school, cluster, state and national levels to further mediate the transfer of quality literacy teaching. Anna Thorpe is Executive Teacher at Maribyrnong Primary School. Anna worked in a variety of schools and settings in the UK before settling in Canberra. She has Honours and Postgraduate degrees in Art History and Education respectively, and is passionate about engaging the whole school community in a creative and imaginative curriculum.
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3. Building creativity and capacity through the ‘Brains Trust’ of collaborative case conferencing (EC; PS; MS) Poster Case Conferencing, one aspect of our Response to Intervention model, is a structured focused meeting where teachers come together as a united team, where every child becomes the responsibility of the whole school. One teacher presents the profile and literacy data of a student whose skill acquisition has stalled. The ‘Brains Trust’ of professionals analyse data, clarify and suggest strategies to assist the classroom teacher to progress the student. This powerful inquiry approach combines the creativity and wealth of knowledge of experts that builds the capacity of the presenting teacher and all teachers involved, improving the outcomes of many students, a sustainable model. Data generated by these meetings highlights whole school needs. The strengthening of data usage focuses teaching instruction (rather than being about compliance) which builds the students’ skills to allow them to creatively engage in and interpret their world. The presentation will be a poster session with a video of a case conference. Natalie Smith is a passionate school leader who is focused on building the capacity of teachers to ensure every student is making progress. She has taught in country NSW, in a small rural community and the UK as well as volunteering in Tanzania and Ghana before coming to the ACT. Natalie is presently acting School Leader and still very connected to the classroom every day. Robyn Kiddy has been working in Public Education for 17 years and is currently acting School Leader B at Bonython Primary School. Robyn is passionate about building teacher capacity through supporting teachers from the planning stage through to the delivery of learning experiences. This has had a positive effect on student outcomes within the school and has resulted in the growth of school leaders from beginning teachers.
4. Connecting the dots (EC; PS) Poster Teachers at Lyneham Primary School are transforming their practice from beliefs. Connecting beliefs, professional learning and coaching have seen an improvement in teaching practice, student engagement and learning outcomes. As part of the Principals as Literacy Leaders (PALLs) ACT program and based on research Lyneham has made significant change to their Home Reading and whole school practice. The presenters will share their journey with practical ways to implement change. Sarah Aulich is and Executive Teacher at Lyneham Primary School. She is a Literacy coordinator, coach and mentor. Annamaria Zuffo is the Principal at Lyneham Primary School. She has 21 years teaching experience and presented at the National Conference in 1999. Annamaria was on the ACT ALEA Local Council between 1999 and 2007 and was a member of the National Conference Committee in 2007. Sue Love is an experienced Early Childhood Teacher in school, preschool and childcare settings. She is a mentor and coach in Literacy and classroom best practice. Fiona Chesterfield has over 20 years’ teaching experience in NSW and ACT. Fiona is a mentor and coach in Literacy and best practice classroom teaching.
86 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Sunday 5 July
12:30pm Poster Presentations
5. Nurturing and transforming literacy outcomes in the middle years using a Lesson Study approach (MS; JS) Poster As part of a school-university collaboration at a regional high school designed to enhance literacy outcomes across the curriculum, teachers chose the Lesson Study professional learning (PL) model to help them plan quality literacy lessons, extend their knowledge about language (KAL) and integrate KAL into their teaching. Teacher ‘teams’ from English, Science, PDHPE and HSIE participated in PL sessions with academic partners. Using an action research approach, the teachers: §§ collected baseline data §§ planned and implemented a literacy teaching sequence specific to their learning area §§ collected recordings of team meetings and lessons, lesson observation notes, student work samples, surveys and interviews §§ assessed student outcomes in relation to their research questions. §§ reviewed, reflected on, evaluated and improved the lessons. This poster session will present snapshots of teacher practice, and document the challenges associated with organising Lesson Study projects, as well as the success of this kind of activity including the benefits of a school-university collaboration. Deidre Clary is a Lecturer in English and Literacies Education at the University of New England (NSW). Her research interests include multimodal practices and disciplinary literacy. She taught at the University of South Carolina in Language and Literacy, and secondary English Education. She previously taught Secondary English in Canberra schools. Susan Feez is Senior Lecturer at the University of New England (NSW). She teaches and researches in the fields of language and literacies education, TESOL and Montessori education. She has collaborated on a series of recent education publications that reflect her interest in fast tracking into classrooms educational innovation derived from research. Amanda Garvey has taught Science at Armidale High School (NSW) for 10 years. Previously, she was a veterinarian. Amanda is interested in the teaching of literacy across all KLAs in secondary school. She coordinated the Write it Right project at Armidale High School in 2013–14. Rebecca Partridge teaches secondary English at Armidale High School (NSW), and previously taught at Coonabarabran High School. She has been teaching for 5 years. She recently completed a Master of Teaching (Secondary) and is interested in commencing further postgraduate study. She participated in the Write it Right project at Armidale High School.
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6. Leading literacy coaching to improve student outcomes (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS) Poster Implementing a strong coaching philosophy has been a focus at Palmerston Primary School, ACT. Through our structured approach to coaching we maximise the capabilities of our teachers’ practice to continually improve student outcomes. Part of this process involves leaders/educators observing teachers in the classroom and setting goals to improve student learning in curriculum areas. This involves providing feedback on teaching practice and linking this to the goals set by the educator. You will gain an insight into how we work shoulder to shoulder with educators to improve literacy practice, providing feedback and setting goals for leading learning. We will demonstrate how this effective process is improving teaching practice and student learning outcomes. Feedback templates used for classroom observations and how to set goals with educators around literacy will be made visible at our poster session. Kirrally Talbot holds a Bachelor of Education(Early Childhood) and Master of Education(Leadership). Commencing teaching in NSW(2000), Kirrally is School Leader C at Palmerston Primary(ACT) and has acted as Deputy Principal, leading the establishment of PLCs. Previously teaching in a P-10 school for nine years, collaboratively she led the implementation of PLCs/coaching/mentoring. Sylvia Headon holds a Bachelor of Education (Primary) and Certificate of Gifted Education. Teaching since 2009, she has taught K-6, specialising in gifted education and is currently at Miles Franklin as the School Leader C. In her current and previous roles as School Leader C and acting Deputy Principal she has led teams in improving literacy results. Sylvia presented at ALEA/AATE Darwin in 2014 and understands the importance of mentoring and coaching to improve student outcomes.
88 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Sunday 5 July
12.30pm Publisher Presentation (45 minutes) Food4Thought: Oxfam’s free education resource combining English, ICT and Sustainability (JS; SS) How do students make ethical and informed decisions to address real-world issues? How do they creatively express their ideas to create positive social change? This interactive presentation will take teachers through Oxfam Australia’s interactive online resource, www.Food4Thought.org.au, which aims to support students to become curious, ethical, informed and active global citizens through the study of English. Two English programs have been developed for Year 7–10 to engage with the three interrelated English curriculum strands of Literature, Literacy and Language, general capabilities and the cross-curriculum priority Sustainability, as outlined in the Australian Curriculum. Including youth-generated blogs, celebrity video-diaries, campaign materials, animations and more – Oxfam is uniquely placed to provide texts and data for study that present an authentic voice to explore social justice themes. Using ICT and an inquiry-based approach, Food4Thought provides flexibility for educators to align the learning sequences with their individual pedagogy and the needs of the learners. Annalise De Mel is Oxfam Australia’s Schools Program Coordinator. Annalise works with teachers to create exciting approaches to engage students across multiple curricula that encourage curiosity, critical thinking, creativity and active global citizenship. She’s an experienced presenter and facilitator, loves sharing ideas, not growing workloads.
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2.15pm Keynote: Diane Barone, Visual Read-Alouds: How Curious Are You About Illustration? This keynote session centres on the importance of the visual in picture books. We will engage in exploring the multiple interpretations offered by today’s illustrators. Be prepared to enter in conversation that is open to complexity, varied interpretation, and just plain enjoyment.
2.15pm Keynote: Dr Anita Heiss, Nurturing creativity while embedding Indigenous Studies into the National Curriculum This keynote address will demonstrate interesting, engaging and innovation approaches to embedding Indigenous Studies. The address will begin with an adaptation of James Wilson-Miller’s Koori IQ test and will put delegates into trivia mode to see just how smart they are in terms of Indigenous knowledge and pop culture. This activity can be adapted as an interactive approach to not only engage students through images, idols and symbols, but visuals are a great way to break down stereotypes of who we are and where we live today. Following the quiz excitement, conference delegates will be introduced to the art of storytelling in teaching as they are walked through a diverse range of resources including BlackWords database, individual literary works from K-12, YouTube videos and some simple activities that not only provide engaging lessons but to also get the most from students.
2.15pm Keynote: Misty Adoniou, What do teachers of literacy do? The importance of speaking up, speaking out and speaking loudly The conference theme this year is curiosity – or to translate from the local indigenous language – to look and ask why. In this presentation I want to address the importance of teachers looking and asking why, not just in our everyday practice, but in the broader social and political contexts we find ourselves working in. The courage to use our teacher voice outside the school walls is crucial. Our participation in debates about what constitutes good literacy teaching is vital. But what is it that we want to say, and how can it best be said? Teaching is a craft and a science. It is not a skill and a competency. What are the differences, and how do we articulate these differences to the broader public? Teachers of English and literacy make the difference between achieving in education and employment, and not. How do we make that difference and how do we explain it to the broader public?
3.25pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions 1. Nurturing young writers: Creating multimodal texts from the beginning (EC) Research Paper Children start school as experienced meaning makers, and creative thinkers with vivid imaginations. One of their biggest challenges upon entering school is learning how to write. Their teachers are faced with an equally enormous challenge – teaching these children how to write using the English alphabetic system and written language conventions, without dampening their creativity or devaluing the meaning making systems they brought with them to school. How teachers respond to children’s early attempts at meaning making and what they value helps to form children’s attitudes towards writing and determine the paths their learning journeys follow. A range of issues for supporting children’s creation of multimodal texts, from the very first days at school, will be discussed and suggestions for ways forward presented. Dr Noella Mackenzie is a Senior Lecturer in literacy studies at Charles Sturt University, Albury. Her research into writing development is informed by her ongoing professional work with teachers in schools and her university teaching. Noella has received teaching excellence awards at state and national levels.
90 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Sunday 5 July
3.25pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
2. Developing inquisitive and creative literacy teachers: Using productive conversations to engage pre-service teachers with children’s literature (EC; PS; MS) Research Paper Effective teachers of literacy draw upon their knowledge and passion for quality children’s literature in order to engage students in meaningful literacy lessons. This paper highlights the use of productive conversations with pre-service teachers in literacy subjects at the University of Canberra. These productive conversations are designed to broaden pre-service teachers’ knowledge of children’s literature whilst modelling effective pedagogies that can be transferred into their future classrooms. As Johnston (2012) suggests, productive conversations and language choices have serious consequences for students’ learning. While broadening the pre-service teachers’ knowledge and experience with a range of texts, rich opportunities are provided by which to effectively model examples of productive classroom pedagogy, such as reading strategy use, praise, feedback and guidance. Findings indicate that pre-service teachers’ level of self-efficacy towards literacy instruction is raised as a result. Ongoing feedback from pre-service teachers point to this approach is a major contributor to their increased efficacy in planning and delivering effective literacy instruction. Ryan Spencer is a Clinical Teaching Specialist in Literacy Education at the University of Canberra, tasked with equipping pre-service teachers with effective literacy practices. Previously, Ryan served as Program Co-ordinator and Literacy Advisor for the U-CAN READ program. Ryan has 12 years teaching experience in primary schools in NSW & ACT. Ryan is an executive member of ALEA ACT. Kylie Robson works as a Clinical Teaching Specialist at the University of Canberra. She specialises in literacy, mathematics and effective pedagogies. Kylie is an Executive teacher with the ACT Education and Training Directorate and has 15 years of experience in Primary schools. She is working towards a Master of Education (Research) and is a member of the ACT ALEA Local Council.
3. Talking-walking avenue to literacy: Oral scientific description and its graphic representation as potential breakthrough activities for underachieving primary school children (PS) Research Paper The satisfying experience of teaching spoken English to adults of non-English speaking background, by having them describe what they have recently seen, heard, smelt, touched or tasted, has led to my consideration of the possibility that the same task given to underachieving school children could result in their gaining the kind of language production practice that leads to the skills of writing and reading. Even if they have missed out on years of language nurturing enjoyed by their classmates, these children have the same sensory attributes. Helping them to experience the process of converting their sensory perceptions into spoken language first, then progressing to the written mode, could make up for any pre-school language deprivation they might have suffered. This is a proposed study and revolves around the nature of this language creation and production process and its relevance to literacy learning. Pen Layton-Caisley Qualifications: Teaching – NSW Teacher’s Certificate; Diploma Specialist Music Education. Other – BA (English, German); MA (Creative Writing); Master Applied Linguistics; Postgraduate Certificate Research Preparation; LMusA (Violin Performing); LTCL (Violin Teaching). Experience: classroom (Music), 8 years; ESL – 25 years focus on teaching adults Spoken English; recently children also.
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4. The making of the English language (MS; JS) Workshop Learning is enhanced if it is connected in meaningful ways to students’ lives, the world around them and to topics that matter. The Australian Curriculum English’s first content descriptor in the Language strand focuses on the evolution of the English language, and the influence and impact that English has on today’s students. This workshop is to help teachers engage students’ curiosity about the English language. Through fun YouTube clips, hands on tasks and group activities students learn that Australian English is a living language that continues to evolve, especially with the influence of new technologies. Examples of formative and summative assessment tasks will also be shared during the workshop. Participants will leave the workshop with lesson material for immediate use in classrooms. Viviane Gerardu is an English teacher and literacy co-ordinator with many years of experience. At present she is teaching at Canberra High School. She loves creating innovative and engaging units of work for her students which she has presented at numerous ACTATE conferences. She is passionate about the teaching of literacy across the curriculum, constantly updating her school colleagues with strategies and information and developing special programs for students.
5. The Creative Mind: A writing workshop on responding to literary texts in the senior secondary classroom (SS) Workshop What place is there for creativity in the senior secondary classroom? To what extent does the emphasis on compliance with curriculum and exam preparation undermine students’ perception of themselves as creative? This writing workshop is inspired by Raymond Williams’s The Creative Mind. Reflecting on the texts we teach and everyday experiences in the classroom, this workshop will explore Williams’ idea that ‘there are, essentially, no “ordinary” activities’ (Williams, 1961/2001, p. 54). The most ordinary classroom tasks may be imbued with creativity. In the context of engagement with literature, the work students do to interpret texts, would be regarded by Williams as a creative act. This session will suggest a series of practical routines that foster creativity and engagement with writing in response to literary texts. Teachers can use these routines in the classroom and also to extend their reflective practice. Bring writing materials and a willingness to share classroom stories. Madeleine Coulombe is Head of English at Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School, where she teaches English and Literature. She is also completing a PhD in Education at Monash University. Her research is concerned with investigating the teaching of writing in response to the study of literary texts.
6. Jeremy needs a new leg: Picture books as an inspiration for teaching design and technology in primary schools (PS; MS) Workshop This session will describe our progress in piloting a ‘literary bridge’ model for enacting the Australian Curriculum: Design and Technology in primary school classrooms. In this model, quality picture books provide a stimulus, and a means of framing a design and technology focused, problem-based learning sequence. This model aims to provide teachers with a means of employing their pedagogical strengths in the teaching of literacy to nurture the curiosity in their students through an engaging cross-curricula learning sequence. Carmel Turner joined the Australian Catholic University six years ago and is based in The Faculty of Education and Arts, Brisbane campus. Carmel has spent over 30 years as a teacher and principal in primary schools. Her research focus is the development of critical literacy skills using postmodern picture books.
92 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Sunday 5 July
3.25pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
7. Dialect difference: Can awareness improve outcomes for struggling readers? (EC; PS) Research Paper This research investigated the hypothesis that including a meta-awareness component to phonologically based early literacy intervention would improve acquisition for struggling readers and writers. The research involved 106 participants, in three studies over a two year period. All three studies involved providing literacy intervention, based on an experimental design, where achievement data were gathered before, midway and following the interventions. Participants who received focused meta-awareness strategies as part of their interventions, showed greater sustained improvements in reading of connected text, spelling and the ability to ‘code-switch’ in oral contexts. Janice Belgrave is currently a part time tutor in the College of Education at the University of Canterbury, in Christchurch, New Zealand. Previously a primary school teacher, she is now in the final stages of completing her Doctorate in Education, in the area of early literacy acquisition.
8. Scaffolding adolescent literacy (MS; JS) Workshop Scaffolding Adolescent Literacy is a literacy PL program that focuses on Reading Comprehension, Building Vocabulary and Oral Language. These are 3 key literacy strands that support students to meet the literacy demands of their learning areas. The workshop will provide participants with some key classroom strategies that teachers can program and use in their classroom. Strategies that improve comprehension, enable students to be metacognitive about reading, to build vocabulary and to provide opportunities for more meaningful classroom dialogue. During the workshop these strategies will be trialled so participants get to see and feel how they will work for their students. A handout will also be provided. Christopher Witt is a Literacy Consultant for AISWA. His work includes professional development for middle years and secondary teachers in literacy. He previously worked for STEPS Professional Development where he developed Tactical Teaching Reading and has recently developed a new secondary literacy resource, Scaffolding Adolescent Literacy.
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9. Partnerships in professional learning: engaging with secondary teachers to nurture and transform literacy outcomes (MS; JS) Research Paper Over the last 2 years, a Canberra high school has collaborated with an academic partner in professional learning designed to enrich teachers’ knowledge about language (KAL) and text types, and build teachers’ repertoires in ways that promote effective literacy teaching within their learning areas. In this session, presenters will demonstrate how literacy appropriate to each learning area can be embedded in the teaching of the content and processes of that learning area. Presenters will describe the process and the outcomes of a whole school approach to literacy that is motivating teachers to make small but measurable changes to their classroom practice in one area of literacy development – writing. Teachers will share their experiences using data collected; i.e. work samples, lesson observations, audio and video recording, surveys and interviews. The challenges and benefits derived from this school-university partnership will also be discussed. Deidre Clary is a Lecturer in English and Literacies Education at the University of New England (NSW). Her research interests include multimodal practices and disciplinary literacy. She taught at the University of South Carolina in Language and Literacy, and secondary English Education. She previously taught Secondary English in Canberra schools. Susan Daintith teaches secondary Japanese and is the Literacy Coordinator at Campbell High School. She has been teaching for 12 years. She completed a Master of Education (Secondary) and has recently completed a graduate certificate in Scaffolding Literacy at the University of Canberra.
10. Pod-casts and memes as literature (JS; SS) Workshop Grumpy-cat or Welcome to Nightvale don’t have to be relegated to the disposable entertainment or distraction of the internet. Using text types and popular cultural references in the English classroom is not only an effective engagement strategy but it helps students to navigate the complex literacies required to effectively interact with the increasingly complex media landscape. Understanding the discourse and creative processes of multi-modal and multi-media texts is not only part of the Australian Curriculum but a necessary skill in the modern world ... it’s fun too. Anthony Young is the Head of English at Braemar College in Woodend Victoria. He has a Masters in Literature and Creative Writing and is passionate about poetry, engaging students’ creativity and providing them with a voice of their own. He teaches through anecdote, digression and connecting with pop-culture.
94 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Sunday 5 July
3.25pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
11. Creating character & influencing emotion through a detailed analysis of the verb group (PS; MS) Workshop According to the Australian Curriculum: English, students in the middle years of schooling should continue to practise, consolidate and extend what they have learned from previous years. To ensure the knowledge about language gained in the formative years is capitalised upon, this workshop briefly introduces teacher participants to the way that knowledge about the verb groups is explored in the early years where students are expected to understand that verbs represent different processes, for example doing, thinking, saying, and relating and that these processes are anchored in time through tense. The workshop then moves into what knowledge is required about the verb group for the middle years. The case study text will be a passage from Refugee Boy, the powerful novel by Benjamin Zephaniah that not only renders visible the suffering and the struggles of asylum seekers, but also their endurance. Beryl Exley works in the Faculty of Education at QUT. She has a special interest in the teaching of grammar in classroom contexts, especially as it interfaces with multimodal texts and demands for engaging pedagogies that allow students to explore and create new texts. Beryl is the ALEA Publications Director.
12. Visual Literacy: The anatomy of an illustration (EC; PS) Research Paper Visual Communication in picture books is an evolving field. The style of illustrations and social content of books has progressed along with social and educational changes. Throughout these changes the constant theme of good design and clear narrative vision underpins every successful visual based publication for children. Over the last few decades, academics and industry commentators have explored the role of illustration in children’s literature in depth. The use of terms such as ‘visual literacy’ and 'visual text’ in recent years indicates a conceptual shift in general understand of the role of these books. I believe that before we can understand the visual narrative in any real depth, we must understand the components that create the visual narrative. The anatomy of illustrations: This can help educators build their own understanding of how to teach visual narratives and use them in the classroom. Tony Flowers is an internationally acclaimed illustrator. His drawings are loved in Japan for their detail and humour. He is currently undertaking a PhD conducting research into Visual Literacy in emerging reader chapter books: an illustrator’s perspective. Tony is the illustrator of the popular Saurus Street, Billy is a Dragon and Samurai vs Ninja.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 95 ¢ Sunday 5 July
3.25pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
13. Boy oh boy...let’s write! (EC; PS) Workshop Gender stereotyping can limit the development of the natural talents and abilities of boys and girls, their educational successes and life opportunities. Teachers know through research and personal experience that boys especially can struggle to engage in the writing process. The notion of gender stereotyping playing a role in education is not new, but how can we as teachers disrupt this discourse and nurture the curiosity of boys to help them confidently engage with writing? Tooling up the teacher is the essence of this workshop. In what way can we make writing more engaging and motivating, nurture positive attitudes and inspire boys to be responsible writers? Using classroom based action research and professional readings and dialogue, we discuss various strategies that teachers from early childhood and primary levels can implement to ignite and nurture curiosity in the writing process and improve the quality of writing in the classroom. Malvina Rogers has a range of teaching experiences; she has taught in Southern Africa, ACT and the Northern Territory. She has a Masters in Education focusing on promoting literacy through play. Malvina has a passion for looking at the various ways writing can be implemented to engage all students. Malvina has previously presented at ALEA conferences. Vicki Favelle has a range of teaching experiences in all areas. She has taught in NSW, Northern Territory and the ACT. Nominated in 2014 as Primary School Teacher of the Year, Vicki has a passion for teaching and this is reflected in her on-going commitment to early childhood education. Vicki has presented at ALEA and other conferences. Jo Pearce has a range of teaching experiences in all areas and is enrolled in a Masters program. Jo has a passion for using visual arts to support literacy development in her classroom. Her teaching interests relate to the writing development of younger students and EALD students; which was the focus of her previous ALEA presentation.
96 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Monday 6 July: Abstracts and Biographies
8.50am Keynote: Joan Moser and Gail Boushey , Daily 5: Establish Active, Curious Behaviors as the Foundation for Your Classroom Structure to Improve Student Learning This “how to” workshop, delivered by Joan Moser and Gail Boushey, helps promote engagement, curiosity and student learning. Focus is on the two foundational concepts that lead to success: 1) building stamina, 2) providing choice within a structure.
8.50am Keynote: Julie Coiro, Deepening Comprehension through Digital Inquiry, Collaboration and Participation The Internet has dramatically changed the way we think about reading, writing, and communicating. This session invites you to consider both the potentials and challenges of teaching and learning in a digital world. Promising practices for using new technologies to foster deeper thinking, collaboration, and personal voice will be explored while also considering how to address the needs of students who may struggle with aspects of Internet inquiry in an academic setting. Walk away with strategies and resources to keep up with new technologies in a changing world.
8.50am Keynote: David Malouf, Launch of Reading Australia (CAL) Renowned Australian author David Malouf will launch the website Reading Australia, an online initiative of the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) with support from both ALEA & AATE. Following the launch, David will address delegates.
10.00am 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions 1. Stories of longing (JS; SS) Workshop Contemporary short stories offer a rich literary experience and invite readers to engage with grand themes, while acting as models for students’ own imaginative writing. By applying a range of thinking exercises, students come to understand how a writer manipulates language and textual features to engage the reader in considering the variety of human longing. This workshop will offer a guide to these exercises as well as writing strategies which promote student experimentation with time, place, characters and ideas. The stories specifically used as models will beKatania by Lara Vapnyar (The New Yorker website), David by Maxine Beneba Clarke (Foreign Soil), and Love and honour and pity and pride and compassion and sacrificeby Nam Le (The Boat). Familiarity with one of these stories would be helpful in the workshop but this material can be readily applied to other short stories. Meaghan Hird has been teaching Secondary English in NSW for many years and currently works in a Sydney school. Her professional interests include developing the repertoire of strategies that teachers use in order to engage students in critical and creative thinking.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 97 ¢ Monday 6 July
10.00am 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
2. Globally Literate: Researching children’s multilingualism (PS; MS) Research Paper Recent theorising and discussion about globalisation affords a focus on the way childhoods are being affected by these forces and furthermore, how education systems can support children who have global childhoods and how schools can capitalise on these powerful experiences. The following paper demonstrates how one researcher has explored these forces in a research project which investigates heritage, language and culture in classrooms. The current research seeks to explore language use of a small sample of primary aged children who may speak English and another language/s. This study seeks to investigate how these children understand the use of different languages and how they report their own linguistic practices. The results which emerge may offer some insight into what influences classroom performance and pedagogical strategies in primary classrooms. The research will incorporate elements of the ‘children as co-researcher model’ and involve a series of four focus group discussions in two schools in Sydney. Robyn Cox is Associate Professor of Literacy Education at the Australian Catholic University at North Sydney. She has had a long career in Teacher Education in Literacy across the world and has returned to Australia recently. Robyn has published books in the area of Teaching of English Literacy and numerous referred journal articles. Her current research interests are in the area of multilingualism in the primary classroom. Robyn is currently President of the Primary English Teaching Association of Australia.
3. Leading teachers to inquire into their literacy teaching and practices (EC; PS) Workshop This workshop will outline how Turner School (ACT) has worked with its teachers to develop their capacity in planning, acting, noticing and reflecting to improve each child’s literacy learning. Effective literacy teachers do more than reflect – they take action and inquire into the effectiveness of their actions. They continue to engage in cycles of inquiry into their own practice. Effective literacy teachers are effective inquirers. Turner School will share its journey to build a vibrant and inquiring learning community where teachers, individually and collectively, actively engage in noticing and improving literacy practice. The workshop will present how this school goes about supporting teachers to be effective inquirers as teachers of literacy and how a coaching model supports this. Robyn Watson is deputy principal and professional learning coordinator of Turner School. Robyn has a focus on developing and supporting beginning teachers and has worked with teachers in differentiating learning through the incorporation of formative assessment strategies and reflective practices. Robyn presented Turner’s literacy journey at the ALEA National Conference 2014. Jenny Faul is an Executive Teacher and Literacy Coordinator and coach at Turner School. Jenny has a range of teaching experiences including Solomon Islands, Christmas Island and Canberra. She works with students at risk and coaches and mentors teachers. Jenny presented Turner’s literacy journey at the ALEA National Conferences 2013/2014.
98 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Monday 6 July
10.00am 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
4. For the love of words: Fostering curiosity about spelling in the primary classroom (PS) Workshop The Repertoire Approach to spelling celebrates the complexities and intrigue of words, spurring on an infectious inquisitiveness in learners. Traditional approaches to spelling instruction focus on the process of naming the letters of a word in the correct order. This perspective fails to recognise the complex nature of orthography and the multiplicity of skills and knowledge that an individual draws on when spelling. This workshop outlines an Early Career teacher’s personal inquiry into building a classroom culture of curiosity about language. Case-study methodology and thematic analysis demonstrated growth in students’ understanding of a broad range of strategies for accessing words, including sounding out, identifying morphemes, making connections to familiar patterns and considering the effect of word origin, in addition to increased enthusiasm for and curiosity about spelling. Sami Wansink is a primary educator in the ACT Education and Training Directorate and is currently teaching year 3/4 at Macquarie Primary School. As a third year educator, she is passionate about encouraging and supporting fellow Early Career teachers.
5. Broadening the concept of success: An exploration of changes in students’ literacy practices as they transition through a reading intervention (PS) Research Paper Success in reading, particularly for students in intervention settings, tends to be measured using assessments of skills such as reading book level, phonic knowledge, or sight words. An alternative is to consider whether the intervention has increased the number and frequency of literacy practices the student engages in outside the intervention setting. Examples of literacy practices include making lists, reading menus, engaging with digital devices, following verbal or written instructions, and reading for information or enjoyment. These contextualised practices matter because they demonstrate that students understand the purposes of literacy, and are using the skills developed in the intervention. This paper describes the methodology and initial findings of a study exploring Victorian primary school students’ home and classroom literacy practices: first as they complete an intervention to accelerate their reading, and then approximately one term later. Joanne Quick is an experienced primary school teacher, literacy intervention teacher, and literacy coach. She is currently engaged in doctoral research investigating students’ broad outcomes of literacy interventions.
6. Aiming higher with poetry – in primary and middle school (PS; MS; JS) Workshop This hands-on workshop will challenge teachers to re-think their approach to poetry. Strong poetry works on many levels – meaning is just one of these. But how to tune students to the qualities of rhythm and sound? Participants will gain confidence in selecting poems to inspire students. At the primary and middle school level, students come to poetry fresh and with open ears: they deserve to be stretched, challenged and delighted by adventurous language and startling metaphor. This workshop will also include helpful tips on how to excite students about poetry and there’ll be time for some quick poetry writing exercises as a way of demonstrating the kind of language and layout that make poetry distinctive. Harry Laing is a published poet, creative writing teacher and comic performer. He has worked in schools for 20 years. He presented at the 2013 National Conference and was subsequently published in Literacy Learning: The Middle Years. His collection of poems for 8–13 yr olds Shoctopus is due out mid-2015.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 99 ¢ Monday 6 July
10.00am 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
7. Learning miscue science as an evidential framework for the teaching and assessment of reading K-12 (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS) Research Paper Miscue analysis is a multipurpose research tool that allows teachers to (i) investigate the reading process, (ii) diagnose and evaluate reading behaviour, (iii) design specific reading strategies that support all students, (iv) deepen and extend their understanding of the reading process. In this session we will describe and evaluate how we taught two groups of in-service teachers the principles and practice of miscue science to (i) analyse and evaluate reading behaviour of all students K-12; (ii) use a strategy called “Retrospective Miscue Analysis “(RMA) as the basis for a new paradigm of “Guided Reading”. Finally we shall foreshadow how we intend to use eye movement technology with miscue analysis as forensic tools to gain deeper insights into “how reading works”. Jessica Mantei is a Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy at the University of Wollongong. Jessica researches children’s interpretations and responses as they read, view, write and create a range of texts. Jessica is Treasurer of ALEA South Coast Local Council and Associate Editor of Literacy Learning: The Middle Years. Lisa Kervin is an Associate Professor in Language and Literacy in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Wollongong. Lisa’s current research interests are focused on young children and the ways they interact with digital technologies and on the literacy development of children. Lisa is currently the NSW Director of the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association. Brian Cambourne is a Fellow at the University of Wollongong. He has published widely and received numerous national and international awards for his research and theory building. Since 2004, he has played the role of ‘academic partner’ while supporting professional learning in several schools in NSW and Tasmania.
8. Internationalising the English Curriculum (JS; SS) Workshop English is an Indian language, a Singaporean language, and a language of the many migrant groups who have settled in Australia. As English teachers, we have a great opportunity to promote open-mindedness by drawing on the cultures of our students through English literature. This workshop will explore how secondary English teachers can bring English literature from Asia into the curriculum, how we can avoid forced, tokenistic studies of culture, and how we can use the Australian Curriculum priority of Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia as a positive tool for inspiring students. Participants will be presented with: §§ practical ideas for classroom learning experiences and assessment §§ text recommendations §§ an interactive activity modelling an inquiry approach to a short text Geoff Piggott is Head of English at Canberra Girls Grammar School. He has previously worked at international schools in India and Laos and is currently studying a Masters of Asia-Pacific Studies at ANU. Geoff’s special area of interest is the teaching of Asian writing in English.
100 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Monday 6 July
10.00am 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
9. Using self-selected quality literature to teach reading (EC; PS) Workshop When students are provided with opportunities to engage in quality literature and given time and choice, they not only learn to read but develop a love of reading (Mere, 2005; Szymusiak, Sibberson & Koch, 2008). Participating in the self-selection process, reading and responding to quality literature in authentic ways supports students to develop confidence in engaging with the whole reading process. This workshop will explore the importance of using quality literature as well as perspectives and current approaches to using quality literature in classrooms. A model and structure for teaching students to self-select texts for reading instruction will also be discussed. Strategies for supporting struggling readers and implications on engagement and success in reading development will also be outlined. Mitchell Parker is an Executive Teacher at Florey Primary School in the ACT. He specialises in early childhood education with a strong focus on early literacy development, particularly reading development and children’s attitudes towards reading. Mitchell is currently completing studies towards a Master of Education specialising in literacy. He is an active member of the ALEA ACT local council committee.
10. Taking the Long View: Longitudinal research about growth in literacy learning (EC; PS) Research Paper Longitudinal research enables the identification of patterns of growth in children’s literacy development. While cross-sectional studies involve collecting achievement data at particular points in schooling, longitudinal research can investigate development and growth by following a cohort of children across several years of schooling. This makes it possible to identify changes in what children know and can do in a domain of learning. The ACER Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study of a nationally representative sample of 1000 Australian children commenced in 1990. On five occasions from school entry to mid-Year 2, data about critical aspects of literacy learning were collected in one-to-one interview assessments. A recent ACER study (2011–2013) traced literacy development in another cohort of children in the years spanning preschool and the first two years of school, again through one-to-one interviews. This paper reports on key insights into the wide distribution of growth and achievement in literacy learning in the early years. Marion Meiers is a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Council for Educational Research. Her research interests focus on the teaching and learning of literacy at all levels of education, including literacy learning, English curriculum, assessment, longitudinal research, program evaluation, and teachers’ professional learning.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 101 ¢ Monday 6 July
10.00am 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
11. Using quality literature in the early childhood classroom (EC; PS) Workshop Quality children’s literature has always been an important component in early childhood classrooms. This presentation focuses on the journey taken at Southern Cross Early Childhood School to embed the use of children’s literature in all elements of literacy teaching, utilising a number of structures, including The Daily 5 model. We will explore: §§ The definition of quality children’s literature §§ Structures and strategies that support the use of quality children’s literature in lieu of levelled books; §§ Issues surrounding beginning readers and ensuring they have the opportunity to read §§ The development of the SCECS ‘Book Baskets’, ensuring quality literature is accessible for all readers §§ Supporting family involvement and education in the reading process Kirsty Stewart is the Executive Teacher and Literacy Coordinator at Southern Cross Early Childhood School and is a passionate teacher of literacy and lover of children’s books. Lyndall Read is the Principal of Southern Cross Early Childhood School. She is a strong advocate for quality early childhood literature and ensuring that the ultimate goal for all children is that they choose to read.
12. Right – Let’s – Write (PS; MS) Workshop What do we expect from our students? What do we give of ourselves? In 2010 and 2011 I participated in a National Writing Contract, Teachers as Writers, with the University of Waikato lecturers; Professor Terry Locke, Stephanie Dix, David Whitehead and Professor Ruie Pritchard from North Carolina State University. During this time I travelled to Guildford University in Surrey, England with a group of American teachers to participate in a summer school paper; Writing and Technology. These experiences shaped my thinking about writing; motivating the writer and initiating writing in the classroom. I give much consideration to the importance of writing from personal experience (narrative) then the shaping of the writing (text) to suit audience and genre. I have taken these understandings and ideas into multicultural mainstream classrooms for the last five years, working with boys and girls of mixed ability from years 4 to 6. Come and experience a writing classroom program through participation. Therese Cargo: I was first a music teacher in a middle school (Years 7 to 10). My latter teaching career has been as a mainstream primary classroom teacher (Years 4 to 7). I have a passion for children, music and writing. The combination of these interests has over lapped with some unforeseen outcomes. Presently I am undertaking action research in our middle years syndicate using the writing classroom model I have coined.
102 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Monday 6 July
10.00am Publisher Presentation (45 minutes) App, App and Away With Sunshine Classics! (EC; JS) Digital technologies now offer educators an endless supply of apps aimed at every skill imaginable and sometimes selecting the best ones to support literacy learning can be the biggest challenge! This session will explore an exciting new app developed by educational publisher Sunshine Books. The app is called Sunshine Classics and features the titles from Sunshine Book’s original and highly successful early literacy program. Many of the titles in this program have been written by world-renowned author Joy Cowley. The program has now been re-launched as digital texts for use on iPads (via the app) or on computers (via the website) and offers a whole new reading experience for today’s learners. Paul George is an experienced educator now working as the Professional Development Manager for Sunshine Books. Having taught at all primary levels across several countries, Paul specialises in the area of literacy and technology. He has run many workshops for teachers and has presented at a range of national and international conferences.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 103 ¢ Monday 6 July
11.10am Keynote: Steve Shann, Secondary English and our students’ lifeworlds: stories from the mythopoetic margins The texts we have our secondary English students read, and the texts we help them write, are created in order to disclose what Maxine Green once described as ‘the ordinarily unseen, unheard and unexpected’. These products of experience, imagination and intuition – stories and poems, films and plays, and so on – bring our students into a greater appreciation of the nature and complexity of the internal and external lifeworlds they (and we) inhabit. But there are some signs that our subject is in danger of being side-tracked by the pseudo-scientific language of the measurable outcome. Could stories from our mythopoetic history help us value more strongly the work of so many English teachers working from what is sometimes seen as the margins?
11.10am Keynote: Joan Moser and Gail Boushey, CAFÉ: Empower Students to Take an Active Role in Setting Goals for Literacy Improvement In this workshop, Gail and Joan introduce the CAFÉ System of assessing individuals, identifying specific strategies, and using the information to guide instruction.
11.10am Keynote: Robyn Ewing AM, On Dragonflies, Curiosity, Imagination and Creativity: the Role of the Arts in Creative English and Literacy Education The Dragonfly symbolises how our dreaming can move us towards positive change in reality. With only a short lifespan, it makes the most of its time and lives its life to the full. International research constantly makes explicit links between the Arts and their relationship to curiosity, imagination and creativity. Embodying quality arts processes and experiences within the English curriculum can engage children’s innate curiosity, build their already powerful imaginative and creative potential and reshape the way learning is conceived and organised in schools. This keynote presentation will draw on a range of contemporary examples to illustrate how we can nurture both teachers’ and students’ curiosity, imagination and creativity to ensure they can, like the Dragonfly, realise their potential.
12.20pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions 1. Orientation and mobility support for the development of literacy for students with vision impairment: A qualitative study with three Queensland teachers. (EC; PS) Research Paper Adults with vision impairment are far more likely to be unemployed and have low levels of literacy than non-disabled Australians. Despite literacy being identified as a key area to help reduce this discrepancy very little research is available into how Orientation and Mobility (O&M) teachers align their teaching with inclusive practices. Qualitative research was used to detail the pedagogy three O&M teachers employ to capitalise the curiosity of, and consequently support literacy development in, primary students with vision impairment. In particular the research identifies and makes explicit the O&M teachers’ practices and underlying beliefs for literacy and students with vision impairment. Katrina Blake is a primary trained and an orientation and mobility teacher with a master in education and autism studies, who has worked in the area of vision impairment for over 25 years, taught as a classroom teacher and student with disabilities teacher and is currently and advisory teacher for orientation and mobility.
104 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Monday 6 July
12.20pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
2. Why Haiku? (PS; MS; JS) Workshop Haiku is in some ways a misunderstood poetic form. Its real value in English classrooms is in getting students to see with their words: encouraging economy and insightful brevity while engaging inquiring and curious minds with ways of observing that might not be otherwise valued. This practical workshop explores the craft of Haiku with a range of exercises, strategies and ideas designed to promote this poetic form as a means of paying gentle attention, and expressing the observed world in unique and compelling ways. Cameron Hindrum is an English teacher, Director of the annual Tasmanian Poetry Festival and a published novelist and poet. An experienced conference presenter, he is currently completing a Doctorate of Creative Arts through the University of Wollongong and developing a full length script for the Mudlark Theatre Company.
3. Collaborative storytelling: Connecting communities with WePublish (an App for the iPad) (EC; PS) Workshop This workshop will centre on using the WePublish app developed by Kids’ Own Publishing to harness the power of books and the publishing process to connect children, families and their communities. With particular reference to partnership projects with CALD and Aboriginal children both in school and out of school settings, this session will explore the potential of WePublish as a flexible digital literacy tool to promote collaborative learning, problem solving, creative thinking and language diversity. Through the use of this simple storytelling and publishing tool the workshop will offer a practical hands-on opportunity to try out strategies for nurturing creativity in the curriculum whilst providing a sustainable framework for children to engage in self-determined literacy activity. The workshop will focus on the question: how can we nurture creativity and make learning more relevant to the life worlds of students? Victoria Ryle is the co-founder of Kids’ Own Publishing. She has championed children’s community publishing for 30 years since first experiencing the power of children reading and sharing their own books and culture, and has delivered innovative publishing initiatives in diverse communities including Indigenous and in a range of languages.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 105 ¢ Monday 6 July
12.20pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
4. Promoting English and literacy through global education: Transforming student outcomes (MS) Research Paper This article explores a multiliteracies project with a global education focus in which a teacher and two parents collaborated to co-teach the topic of War and Refugees. It probes ways collaboration was enacted among the co-teachers, community members, and students to promote English and literacy teaching and learning. Particular attention is given to ways English and literacy outcomes were transformed by enabling students to: connect personally, experience empathy, act spontaneously, think critically, and develop a futures focus in relation to the topic. The article draws conclusions about the benefits of global education projects using collaborative curriculum approaches for bringing into relief the significance of literacy learning in ways that not only encourage but also enable students to become active and informed citizens. Examining ways to promote reflexivity and set challenging tasks are among recommendations for future research offered in the article. Linda Willis coordinates the Master of Teaching program at the University of Queensland where she teaches English and Literacy and Social Education courses. She researches innovative collaborative approaches to curriculum and pedagogy involving different educational stakeholders including parents, teachers, teacher educators, schools, and universities. Promoting global citizenship through combining teaching and learning in English and literacy and the Humanities and Social Sciences is one of Linda’s particular interests. Linda is co-editor of Practical Literacy and a committee member of the Brisbane Meanjin Local Council of ALEA.
5. Grammar in children’s Picture Books (PS) Workshop Many quality picture books are ideal launching places for discussions about grammar and vocabulary. This presentation provides some practical ideas to use in primary classrooms and demonstrates how a wonderful story can be a beginning point to deep conversations and study of the English language. Picture books are manageable texts that draw students in and demonstrate some outstanding uses of language. The session aims to provide a study of language without losing the delight of the story. It reminds us of the teaching power of that well-worn strategy, innovation on a text. Robyn English is the Assistant Principal at Boroondara Park Primary School, a school of over 600 students in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. She conducts a range of professional learning workshops for teachers in areas such as literacy, is a published author and is the current reviews editor of the ALEA publication Practically Primary.
106 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Monday 6 July
12.20pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
6. Teaching multimodal literacy: A focus on the comprehension and representation of gesture in oral interactions (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS) Research Paper In the Australian Curriculum English and the NSW English Syllabus, the importance of the communication of emotions and opinions via the face-to-face channel is acknowledged in the aims and objectives, for example, ‘explore different ways of expressing emotions, including verbal, visual, body language and facial expressions’ (ACELA1787). In order to respond well to such demands, students also need to be taught about gesture as an additional powerful mode of meaning making, which can complement the meanings made by verbal language in different ways. This presentation demonstrates how gesture takes on the three meta-functions and complements verbal language in expressing and amplifying attitudes in semi-casual oral discussions. The presentation concludes by discussing pedagogical practices using drama and technology in teaching the comprehension and representation of gesture as part of the multimodal literacy pedagogy. Dr Thu Ngo is a lecturer in Literacies, TESOL and Languages education at the University of New England. Her research interests are evaluative language – the Appraisal framework; evaluative meaning across cultures, multimodality and the Vietnamese language.
7. Capitalising on curiosity with Robert Browning’s poem, My Last Duchess (JS; SS) Workshop This workshop will outline some activities for teaching Robert Browning’s poem My Last Duchess in secondary school English classrooms. It will be suggested that, with this poem, students should be encouraged to take on the role of literary sleuths or text detectives, capitalising on their curiosity to make deductions from the incomplete evidence available in the text and to determine if a crime has been committed. Integration of the Language, Literature and Literacy strands of the F-10 Australian English Curriculum will be modelled, in particular, the teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling in context. With minimal adaptation, the proposed activities could be suitable for Years 10, 11 or 12. Garry Collins: Now a part-time teacher educator at the University of Queensland, Garry Collins taught secondary English for 35 years, mainly in the Queensland state system, but also on exchange in the US and Canada. Currently AATE President, he is keen on functional grammar and poetry and enjoys integrating them.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 107 ¢ Monday 6 July
12.20pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
8. Supporting teachers to achieve change in pedagogy and practice through action research and inquiry (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS) Workshop This workshop will report on long term professional learning that supports teachers to successfully change their literacy pedagogy in sustainable ways. We will demonstrate how long term professional learning involving teachers in action research in their classrooms is much more successful in changing literacy pedagogy than individual day-long seminars. This action learning cycle provides a whole school focus and facilitates school renewal. Participants will be introduced to specific tools that have been developed to assist teachers in achieving their identified literacy and pedagogical goals and case studies of actual projects will be presented. Dr Michèle Anstey provides professional development in literacy, and pedagogy throughout Australia and New Zealand. Formerly an Associate Professor at the University of Southern Queensland, Director of the Literate Futures Project for Education Queensland and teacher in Victoria, NSW and Qld. Joint author of Classroom Talk (PETAA 2014). Dr Geoff Bull provides professional development in literacy and pedagogy throughout Australia and New Zealand. Formerly Associate Professor at the University of Southern Queensland, national president of ALEA and founding member of the Australian Literacy Federation, teacher in Queensland. Joint author Uncovering History using Multimodal Literacies: An Inquiry Process, 2013.
9. Socially accomplishing group work in a Stage 3 classroom: conversation resources for co-production, collaboration and situated action (PS) Research Paper This research paper reports on a study investigating how students socially accomplish group work to complete a classroom poetry writing task. The study drew on conversation analysis (CA) as a method to examine the interaction resources a group of five Stage 3 students used in their moment-by-moment interactions to successfully produce their poem. The study involved analysing a transcript (using Jefferson Notation) developed from a video recording of the interactions among the group. CA showed with a fine-grained level of detail that the particular students implicitly drew upon their knowledgeability of both their situation and common-sense conversation resources to produce, analyse and make sense of their social, literate and educational worlds. For instance, interaction practices such as turn-taking, managing interactive trouble, showing agreement and alignment emerged as contributing talk patterns enabling the students, in ‘co-production’, to ‘become a group’, and at the same time ‘talk their poem into being’ (a poem). Dr Christine Edwards-Groves is Senior Lecturer and key researcher for PEP International and the research institute (RIPPLE) at CSU. Her research interests include classroom interaction, multimodal literacy practices, pedagogy, professional learning and practice theory. She co-authored two 2014 publications: Changing practice, changing education and Classroom talk: Understanding dialogue, pedagogy and practice. Emma McLennan is currently studying for the Bachelor of Education (Honours) Degree at CSU. Her dissertation, entitled The social accomplishment of group work among students in a Stage 3 classroom, uses conversation analysis to examine the resources students utilise to jointly produce a poem without the presence of their teacher.
108 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Monday 6 July
12.20pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
10. The power of an inquiry based approach to teaching and learning in the English Classroom (MS; JS) Workshop Interested in developing inquiry lessons and activities that are engaging, fun and substantive? Interested in ways to explore texts in investigative ways? Interested in project-based learning and helping students create knowledge artifacts (culminating projects) that display their learning? Interested in using digital tools to scaffold and support learners? Then this is the presentation for you! Attendees will be shown examples of how Australian English Curriculum requirements have been successfully framed as inquiry in order to maximise student learning and engagement. Sample learning sequences and teaching ideas that have been framed by Essential questions and directly linked to AC-English outcomes, will be shared. In this workshop, the journey that one school has taken towards mapping and framing the curriculum to suit the school context through the use of digital resources will be shared. Erika Boas is the Head of English at Ogilvie High School, where the teachers have fully implemented the Australian Curriculum since 2012. Erika is also the President of her local ETA, TATE, where she has been actively involved in the delivery of Professional Learning across the state and National level.
11. Making grammar meaningful (PS; MS) Workshop Would you like to teach grammar creatively while still addressing the curriculum? Then this workshop is for you. Making Grammar Meaningful will provide you with practical solutions to embed functional grammar teaching into classrooms, across year levels. A traditional view of grammar follows a prescribed set of rules; however, as language changes so does grammar. This challenges teachers and confuses students. Functional grammar focuses on language in context, rather than seeing grammar as a ‘set of rules’, allowing students to understand concepts and apply meanings across a range of texts. During this workshop participants will construct foundational functional grammar knowledge; discuss one of the main building blocks of functional grammar; investigate clauses; consider theme and rheme and how these elements can be used to transform writing and reading for students. Each element of the session will link to my personal experiences of teaching functional grammar. Elizabeth Baker has been teaching in ACT primary schools for five years. She is an ALEA ACT Executive Council member helping to coordinate International Literacy Day celebrations and professional development. Elizabeth has recently completed her Masters of Education through the Queensland University of Technology, focusing her studies on literacy education.
12. Is there space for tailored learning in an off the rack world? (PS) Workshop This workshop focuses on promoting community engagement through the formative reporting of personalised literacy goals. I will share how I structure classroom routines through The Daily 5 in order to support student-teacher conferencing and goal setting using the CAFÉ strategies. I will also include how technologies, such as Google Drive, support the documentation and reporting of formative assessment. The outcomes reveal quantifiable results for individual students towards targeted goals, increased caregiver engagement in reflecting on and pursuing individualised learning objectives with students and enhanced student ownership of learning. Sami Wansink is a primary educator in the ACT Education and Training Directorate and is currently teaching year 3/4 at Macquarie Primary School. As a third year educator, she is passionate about encouraging and supporting fellow Early Career teachers.
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12.20pm 45 Minute Poster Presentations 1. Compliance to Curiosity: Nurturing success for reluctant readers (PS; MS; JS) Poster Despite our knowledge and information available to us, in the last 10 years there has been NO improvement in comprehension scores in most OECD countries. A pilot project was undertaken in several Western Australian schools, with a focus on Aboriginal and EAL/D students, where teachers implemented a simple guided reading routine that personalised the learning and moved students from compliance to curiosity across the curriculum. Join two teachers as they discuss their journey of taking students beyond passivity towards becoming skilled comprehenders. See how the establishment of these simple, yet powerful routines for guided reading comprehension, has nurtured engagement and success for reluctant readers. Participants will have an opportunity to see the routines in action and participate in the power of this teaching for all students. Remove the risk, focus the strategy, and watch students grow as teachers nurture comprehension and curiosity beyond the text. Jill Millar is a Literacy Consultant for the Association of Independent Schools in WA. A passion for improving literacy outcomes for Aboriginal students has led to her working extensively in remote contexts in WA and the NT as teacher and school leader. Jill has a Masters in School Leadership. Cindy Lau is in her third year of teaching. She has taught middle and upper primary. Cindy has a Masters Degree majoring in Special Education. She has a special interest in extending literacy through ICT and using ICT to support students with special needs. Catherine Davis is a secondary English teacher and has just completed her first year of teaching. She has been teaching English across all grades from years 8–10. Catherine has a special interest in engaging learners at their point of need through effective intervention strategies.
2. The Bamir Language Gallery: Nurturing and engaging young minds (SS) Poster The Bamir Language Gallery is an ambitious project to support the language learning and literacy aims of Moss Vale High School. It incorporates local Gundungurra language by using the traditional word ‘bamir’ for ‘long’ which describes the corridor space. Teachers nominate one lesson per week to create bunting for display outside our classrooms and invite reflections on the use of language and literacy learning. Hear about our success in improving student engagement and the positive shift of English as ‘fun’ rather than compulsory endurance. Action Research has supported our belief that collaborative learning, through the creation and construction of bunting, makes education a rewarding experience for both students and teachers. During this interactive workshop, participants will explore a range of successful strategies to create their own bunting in various forms: vocabulary, poetry, narratives. Take a peek at what we are achieving on our blog: http://www.bamirlanguagegallery.wordpress.com Kerri-Jane Burke is Head Teacher English at Moss Vale High School, and an Executive Director of the NSW English Teachers Association. Her interests include collaborative writing and literacy learning through engaging texts. She regularly contributes to professional journals and presents at conferences. Find more teaching and learning strategies at http://www.multimodalme.wordpress.com
110 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Monday 6 July
12.20pm 45 Minute Poster Presentations
3. From WORD to DIGITALE (MS) Poster This is a display of the literacy journey of year 7 students who have been identified as poor readers, speakers and writers. Through their engagement with texts, they produced entertaining multi-modal narratives. Adolescent students with learning difficulties had the opportunity to tell stories from their hearts using accessible digital communication technology. Students listened, viewed, read, retold, and wrote their autobiographies in Term 1, and Greek myths in Term 3. The final multi-modal products are the result of evidence based practices, in particular, direct instruction, where the teacher and student began with the exploration of each word. Instruction graduated to sentence structure, paragraph structure and narrative structure. The teacher and students collaborated and cooperated in the ‘I do, we do, you do’ scenario throughout the process. In the final projects students used the mediums of Lego, play-dough, recycled materials, photographs, film, music and word to demonstrate their creative imaginations, expressing their intelligence beyond words. Carmel Le Lay is a classroom teacher at a rural school in the Northern Territory. She has specialised in the field of adolescent literacy intervention. Carmel is an education graduate of Charles Darwin University, NT and Flinders University, SA. She is currently undertaking a Masters of Education (Cognitive Psychology and Educational Practice).
4. Supporting an inclusion model with a focus on quality literacy teaching (PS) Poster How do we cater for all of the diverse learning needs in an inclusive classroom environment? This poster display will describe the story of a mainstream classroom teacher and a special needs teacher who implemented a model of joint integration, with the explicit aim of improving literacy outcomes for all students. The model was informed by the works of Debbie Miller, Ralph Fletcher and Christine Topfer. Explore the strategies that we implemented to support the diverse needs of all students. This poster session will outline our journey and prompt you to consider how these strategies could improve the outcomes of all students in your class. Iesha Siotis is a mainstream classroom teacher at Turner School. She has gained experience teaching in the primary years across the NSW and ACT education systems. Iesha has worked closely with new educators in mentoring roles and in 2014, she participated in an Action Learning Set to explore strategies and research to engage and improve outcomes of reluctant writers. Iesha is currently a classroom teacher, coach and mentor where she works passionately with her colleagues to enhance outcomes for all students.
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12.20pm 45 Minute Poster Presentations
5. English + Technology = Fun ... I mean Learning (EC) Poster The use of ICTs has become common place in the lives of students of today. The Australian Curriculum, ICT capabilities states that students need to develop ICT capability as they learn to effectively and appropriately access, create and communicate using ICTs to meet their learning needs. Teachers are finding the need to equip themselves to effectively integrate a range of electronic devices like iPads and Interactive Whiteboards (IWB) as tools for learning in their classrooms. In this presentation, Rebecca will share how she uses iPads, iPad apps and IWBs in the classroom. During the presentation, the effective use of these tools will also be linked to the Australian Curriculum: English, making this session invaluable for educators in the Primary Years. During this presentation Primary Years educators will have an opportunity to share their own ideas about using these tools in their classrooms. After this session, teachers should have practical ideas to hit the ground running on Monday morning. Rebecca Trimble-Roles is the Principal/Lead Teacher at Yarranlea Primary School, a multi-age school catering from P-6. She integrates the use of technology and literacy into her classroom across all curriculum areas. She is currently President of the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association – Brisbane Local Council Meanjin and Secretary of the Early Childhood Teachers’ Association.
6. Using funds of knowledge, virtual schoolbags and teachers’ knowledge of students to differentiate via content process and product (MS; JS) Poster Effective teachers understand that meeting the needs of every child in a diverse class is essential. Translating this belief into classroom practice that works is the real challenge. This paper describes a project where a Science teacher and the researcher (formerly a Learning Support Coordinator) collaborated to use what they know about students in Year 7 to differentiate a unit on Chemistry so that all students could access the learning experiences at an appropriate level. The data showed that students responded positively to active and practical lessons, opportunities for creativity, cooperative learning and choice in how they worked and what they produced. This research highlights the importance of getting to know students well and understanding how they respond to different learning situations. It provides educators with tools for learning about their students and practical strategies for the classroom that scaffold learning for students who struggle and extend it for those who are capable. It has implications for changes in teaching practice that support embedded and proactive differentiation, rather than the ancillary approaches of extension and remediation. Pam Fitzgerald has taught in schools (K-12) for 28 years and has a PhD in Literacy and Special Education. She has also worked online for Walden University (USA) for 12 years and is currently a Lecturer in Education (Reading and Literacy) at Torrens University, based in Adelaide.
112 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Monday 6 July
12.20pm 45 Minute Poster Presentations
7. Engaging ICT Experiences at Canberra Girls Grammar School Poster Staff at Canberra Girls Grammar School are integrating ICT effectively to enhance learning opportunities and increase student engagement in the learning process. They have developed their ICT capabilities and a suite of pedagogical possibilities in a spirit of collegial collaboration. With increased confidence, teachers have taken a quantum leap designing technology rich learning experiences using a variety of easy to use apps and web based tech tools. Visitors to the poster session can access digital samples (via QR codes) that demonstrate how teachers can untap student curiosity and unlock future teaching and learning possibilities. Louise Cullen is a teacher librarian and Literacy Coordinator at Canberra Girls Grammar School. She is also an International Baccalaureate workshop leader and member of the ACT ALEA Local Council. Louise is a passionate educator and her current inquiry focus is transdisciplinary integration of Literature and ICT in the primary years. Alex Galland is a Year 6 teacher and Junior School ICT Coordinator at Canberra Girls Grammar School. She is a former English and Drama teacher, K-12 ICT integrator, and learning technologies consultant. Her Masters in Education degree focused on the use of ICT in education. Alex is an experienced conference presenter.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 113 ¢ Monday 6 July
12.20pm Publisher Presentation (45 minutes) Flying Start to Literacy (EC; JS) Suitable for educators working with students from Foundation to Year 4, this session will provide an insight into this easy to use resource and the benefits of usingFlying Start to Literacy to support the systematic development of reading strategies and skills in young readers. Lyn will outline the unique features of this resource, including its high -interest connected paired books, Vocabulary Starters to support English learners and the systematic and graduated introduction of both high frequency and content vocabulary. Flying Start also includes a digital component with over 1,000 activities which reinforce foundational skills at the Emergent Level. With the support of a practising classroom teacher, Lyn will demonstrate how to use these materials in your literacy program, to ensure a solid foundation for reading success. Flying Start comprises 244 student books organised into 7 developmental stages, supported by easy to use teacher lesson plan cards. Lyn Reggett is a literacy consultant currently working in schools in Australia and the U.S. Beginning her teaching career in New Zealand, Lyn was one of the first Reading Recovery Tutors. She has been associated with Eleanor Curtain Publishing since 2009, pursuing her interest in literacy teaching and learning in schools.
114 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Monday 6 July
1.35pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions 1. Research comparing spoken language and reading comprehension (PS) Research Paper The research investigated the relationship between spoken language and reading comprehension of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students from remote, provincial and metropolitan schools. Students with a range of reading scores were asked to ‘think aloud’ about multimodal texts in the reading section of NSW Basic Skills Tests (BST). The interview transcripts were scored for inferences and the students’ spoken language was analysed using measures of complexity of grammar and vocabulary. Significant Pearson’s Correlations were found between the amount of complexity in students’ talk, the number of correct inferences they made and their reading comprehension scores. This research supports the research findings and recommendations of Munro for a stronger focus on developing spoken language to improve the reading comprehension skills of struggling readers, as outlined in his book, Teaching Oral Language: Building a firm foundation using ICPALER in the early primary years (2011). Dr Ann Daly taught in primary schools for ten years, developed literacy tests for ten years and conducted her PhD research into the comprehension of multimodal texts and complexity of spoken language used by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students in metropolitan, provincial and remote schools in NSW.
2. The power of words: Letters from the Holocaust (SS) Workshop This session will explore how letters reveal the personal dimension of the Holocaust. These letters form a special and poignant aspect of the Museum’s collection as they allow victims’ voices to be heard through their last written words to loved ones. Having students interact with these letters allows them to not only appreciate the power of words, but also gain a greater understanding of how language both shapes and reflects the world around them. Classroom resources will be provided and can be used as a challenging and stimulating related text for the HSC English Area of Study: Discovery, Advanced English Module A: Comparative Study of Text and Contexts, Standard English Module A: Experience through Language and Module C: Texts and Society. All resources also meet curricular outcomes for English students in Year 10 and 11. Marie Bonardelli is an Educator at the Sydney Jewish Museum. She educates primary, secondary, and university students at the Museum. Marie completed her degrees in History, English, and Indigenous Education in Vancouver, Canada. Marie was a secondary school teacher before she began her role at the Museum three years ago.
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1.35pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
3. Transforming through story: A collaborative, multimodal arts approach (PS) Research Paper Literate practice in the arts encompasses both aesthetics and creativity. It is also multimodal in nature and often collaborative. This paper presents data from a small multi-aged school where the children learnt deeply about story through a multimodal and creative approach to literacy learning. The children were studying Graeme Base’s story The Sign of the Seahorse, presenting it as an end of year show. Using a mentoring and collaborative approach the children worked together to present the story through drama, dance and song. The research highlighted the importance of expressing knowledge and meaning through multiple modes; not just through language alone. It also demonstrated that creative and collaborative expression can improve engagement and be a powerful tool for learning and understanding story. Dr Georgina Barton is a lecturer in English and literacy in the School of Education and Professional Studies at Griffith University. She was a teacher in primary and secondary schools for twenty years. Her passion is supporting students in socio-disadvantaged areas, particularly in the arts and literacy. Dr Margaret Baguley is an Associate Professor in arts education, curriculum and pedagogy at the University of Southern Queensland. Her contribution to quality learning, teaching and research has been recognised through a series of awards. She has an extensive teaching background across all facets of education, in addition to maintaining her arts practice. Her research interests include creative collaboration, arts engagement, narrative inquiry, and visual arts education.
4. Lifting the lid on poetry (EC; PS; MS) Workshop This workshop will focus on presenting a range of poetic possibilities that encourage all students to become actively involved in the writing and presentation of poetry. Lifting the lid involves making poetry accessible to all students across all grade levels. Ideas for arousing curiosity and interest in students into writing poetry will be investigated in detail. §§ Highlights include: §§ Poetry as performance §§ Structuring poetry to support inexperienced poets §§ Poetry writing in many forms §§ Publishing poetry using technology. Alan Wright is an experienced Education Consultant, author and blogger who has worked extensively in Australia and the U.S in Literacy. Author of Igniting Writing – When A Teacher Writes and more recently Searching For Hen’s Teeth (Poetry).
116 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Monday 6 July
1.35pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
5. Embedding the work of Cope and Kalantzis: Planning and delivery through the Learning by Design Framework (EC; PS) Research Paper The Lanyon Cluster engages the pedagogical framework of Learning by Design to design, scaffold and deliver engaging learning experiences, taking students through a transformative process based on the four knowledge processes as outlined by Cope and Kalantzis. This ensures inclusivity and builds upon students’ prior knowledge. It brings to life the domains of the Quality Teaching model. Learning by Design provides teachers with a powerful tool that supports them to design and scaffold best practice in the teaching of literacy through a gradual release of responsibility model where learning is transparent and co-constructed with and by students. Cooperative learning structures / David Langford tools and Dylan Wiliam formative assessment strategies and structures are used through the knowledge processes to ensure and monitor student accountability and differentiated learning. Students are given agency to demonstrate their learning through a variety of mediums that suit their learning style, connecting to their life world. Robyn Kiddy is an experienced School Leader with a wealth of teaching experience in Victoria and ACT. She is passionate about Learning by Design and ensuring that the learning is designed to meet the needs of every student in every classroom. Robyn spends her day working collaboratively with teachers so that students experience the joy of learning.
6. Using ‘Bump it Up’ walls as a tool for improving student writing (EC; PS; MS) Workshop Teachers are often heard to say, ‘go back and make your writing better’ without providing appropriate scaffolds and feedback to help students improve their writing. Creating a ‘Bump it Up’ wall has proved to be a useful tool from Kinder to Year 10 as it makes ‘better’ writing visible and possible. A ’Bump it Up’ wall consists of writing samples that can be analysed and annotated with the students. These samples show gradual improvement in one or many aspects of writing. The purpose is to provide a model for what next steps in writing might look like. In this session teachers will share the process they used to create a ‘Bump it Up’ wall in their classrooms K-8. You will learn how they actively involved students in the process, empowering students to see themselves as successful writers. Christine Topfer is a Network Lead Teacher for literacy in Tasmania where she works with school leaders, literacy coaches and teachers. Christine has assisted many schools to develop a whole school approach to spelling. She has co-authored the book: Guiding thinking for effective spelling. Brooke Pepper is currently the Assistant Principal at Woodbridge School in southern Tasmania with a responsibility for leading literacy across the school from Kinder to Year 10. Brooke is an experienced primary teacher with an avid interest in improving student learning outcomes.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 117 ¢ Monday 6 July
1.35pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
7. Teachers as writers (PS) Research Paper This presentation reports preliminary findings from a study of ‘Teachers as Writers’ drawing on data collected from, and about, practising teachers’ involvement as writers, the forms of writing they engage in including digital forms, and their perceptions of the impact this has on their teaching of writing. It takes up the general notion that teachers of writing need to be writers themselves. This argument is based on two assumptions: 1) that participation in writing brings a greater level of overall awareness to the teaching of writing and 2) that writing is risky business especially in the digital age. We question whether teachers who take on the real work of writers in the digital age gain experiences that position them to better support their students as writers and to eventually become more confident and successful writers. Dr Muriel Wells’ research is located in the areas of digital literacies, the use of mobile technologies to enhance literacy learning in primary schools, the use of emerging technologies in education generally and teacher professional learning.
8. ‘Just sound it out!’ (PS) Workshop When young learners rely solely on sounding out, their confidence and independence to decode and spell words successfully can be limited. This interactive workshop will describe our journey of action learning research into fostering a word conscious classroom and encouraging children to be risk takers through explicit teaching of spelling strategies. We will provide examples of a variety of activities that demonstrate this strategies-based approach to teaching spelling, with a main focus on interactive writing, which can be adapted according to the needs of your students. This workshop will make reference to a range of resources that were the driving force in our action learning research, including Topfer & Arendt, Scott and Hornsby. We will also outline the student growth reflected in our data, including a shift away from sounding out, whilst encouraging a word conscious classroom and implementing this strategies-based approach to spelling. Charlotte Kewley is a classroom teacher at Turner School and has previously taught in NSW schools. She is an exemplary teacher who demonstrates a passion for teaching literacy to build independence and success for children. In 2014, Charlotte co-presented her work on implementing the Daily Five and Debbie Miller’s strategies. Kristina Pasalic is a classroom teacher at Turner School and has previously taught in schools across ACT, NSW and London. She is dedicated to providing positive and differentiated classroom experiences that cater for individual learners. In 2014, Kristina co-presented her work on implementing the Daily Five and Debbie Miller’s strategies.
118 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 ¢ Monday 6 July
1.35pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions
9. Programming creatively for disengaged youth. Are you game? (SS) Workshop Engaging adolescents in learning is often challenging and even more so by the time they get to upper secondary education and are enrolled in the General (Essential) English Course. This workshop will examine how two teachers have developed a program of work for such students who often have had limited success with English and come to class expecting to be bored and uninspired, only to leave having been excited, thrilled and even wanting to come to the English classroom. Learn how they created classroom experiences that engaged students through a unit of work based around Gaming. They will explore the program, share their experiences, share some of their resources and answer questions you may have. You will leave this workshop equipped with some practical strategies that will activate the potential of every student. Ruth Doyle has been teaching English and Drama for the last 15 years across years 7–2. With extensive experience Ruth has also focussed on lower stream classes to develop strategies to encourage student engagement in all areas of English, but in particular reading and writing skills. Currently Ruth is developing a game based unit of work aimed at engaging students in Year 11 General (Essentials) English has been both interesting and eye opening. Damon Eaton has over 17 years of experience in teaching English from Years 7 to 12 in remote and urban schools. Damon teaches and develops courses in English, Media and Vocational Education.
10. An exploratory study of home literacy practices in three communities (EC; PS) Research Paper Recognising the need to account for the home advantage that some children bring to school (Lareau, 2000), educators’ engagement in dialogic conversations surrounding the home literacy practices for students in different communities is critical. Drawing upon the work of Reyes and Azuara (2008), the purpose of the present study is to explore the home literacy practices of elementary school children in three diverse communities: a community of Hispanic parents and caregivers whose children are identified as English Language Learners, a community of parents and school caregivers of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, and a community of parents and caregivers of children in a rural mountainous region. Photovoice is utilised as a methodology as it supports a close collaboration of participants and researchers while supporting our goal of highlighting commonalities and differences among all three communities and within each individual community. Implications for teaching community will be discussed. Natalia Ward is a doctoral student in Literacy Studies at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She earned her BA in EFL Education from Kaluga State Pedagogical University in Russia and her MS in ESL Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Natalia has taught ESL in an elementary school setting. Shana W. Ward is a doctoral student in Literacy Studies at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She earned her BA in English/Literature and MS in Deaf Education from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Shana has taught Deaf/Hard of Hearing students in both the itinerant and elementary school settings.
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1.35pm 45 Minute Concurrent Sessions Rachel Saulsburry, EdS, MS, is a graduate research assistant at the University of Tennessee working with Dr. Kimberly Wolbers exploring Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction with deaf and hard of hearing children. She taught deaf and hard of hearing students as an itinerant teacher for six years and is now a PhD student in Literacy and English as Second Language Education. Christy Evans is a doctoral student in Literacy Studies at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). Her BS is in Elementary Education and her MS and EdS are in Reading Education from UTK. Christy has taught elementary aged English as a Second Language for seven years.
11. Designing Structured Inquiry Tasks for Young Learners (EC; PS; MS; JS; SS) Workshop Inquiry-based learning engages students in collecting information, analysing data, and crafting presentations that create solutions or make arguments. In this session, you will be introduced to a series of underlying design principles, digital tools, and instructional techniques that actively engage young children in the beginning stages of inquiry using the Internet while building skills in reading comprehension, productive dialogue, and critical thinking. View several examples of structured inquiry tasks in various disciplines and learn how to design your own tasks and integrate them into your regular literacy routines. Julie Coiro is an associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Rhode Island, where she teaches courses in reading and digital literacy and co-directs the Ph.D. in Education program. Julie’s research focuses on the new literacies of the Internet, online reading comprehension strategy instruction, and effective practices for technology integration and professional development. Julie’s work appears in journals such as Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher, Educational Leadership, and The Journal of Education. She also co-edited the Handbook of Research on New Literacies (2008) and co-authored Teaching with the Internet K-12: New Literacies for New Times (2004).
120 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 2015 Conference Convenors & Committee
The conference steering committee and sub-committees comprised volunteers from ACTATE ACT ALEA Local Council. Conference co-convenors, Debbie Martens (ALEA ACT State Director) and Michelle Morthorpe (ACTATE President), along with Jantiena Batt (ALEA), Kelly Booker (ALEA), Jo Padgham (ALEA) and Cara Shipp (ACTATE) formed the steering committee which oversaw the finances and the conference sub-committees. The sub-committee chairs, or convenors were: §§ Kelly Booker (ALEA) – Finance §§ Wendy Cave (ALEA) – Program §§ Kathy Griffiths (ACTATE) and Liz Bobos (ALEA) – Venue §§ Jenni Holder (ACTATE) and Karen Western (ALEA) – Social & Hospitality §§ Cara Shipp (ACTATE) and Louise Cullen (ALEA) – Publicity §§ Jantiena Batt (ALEA) – Sponsorship §§ Robyn Frencham (ALEA) – Trade/Exhibitions The Program sub-committee was the largest sub-committee, made up of Wendy Cave (ALEA), Michelle Morthorpe (ACTATE), Jo Padgham (ALEA), Debbie Martens (ALEA), Jann Carroll (ALEA), Robyn Watson (ALEA) and Tessa Daffern (Charles Sturt University). In addition, other association members and volunteers contributed to the review of abstracts lodged for consideration for the concurrent sessions program. We extend special thanks to our families and other volunteers across the ACT, and to Wendy Rush and Lucy Carberry (AATE and ALEA National Office). Thanks also to colleagues across the states and territories who passed on knowledge from their own National Conferences.
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 121 Call for Presentations for the 2016 Conference
National AATE and ALEA Conference in Adelaide: Weaving worlds with words and wonder…
AATE and ALEA invite applications to present a 45 or 90 minute workshop, research paper, or publisher presentation to assist English and literacy educators to explore our Conference Strands: Narrative, Creativity and Language & Inquiry.
Narrative Narratives help us create maps of ourselves, and reading other people’s narratives enables us to become citizens of the world. One person’s story is often the springboard to other people’s thinking. How can teachers sharing their stories of practice, and how they weave their way through the competing demands of schools, systems and students, help us all become better, self-reflective practitioners?
Creativity Creativity and innovation are tools our learners need to flourish in an ever changing, connected and increasingly outsourced world. Teachers foster creativity, empowering learners to see their world in new ways, and to use a range of modes to create their visions. As practitioners, how can we continue to build on our current pedagogy and embrace innovative approaches to engage and inspire our students and ourselves?
Language & Inquiry What do we wonder? Language is a key means of communicating that wonder. Students need to have the opportunity to inquire into the things that matter to them, and the tools to critically evaluate the language that shapes the myriad of texts they encounter on their journey to understanding and creating. As teachers, how can we enhance our own knowledge of the power of language to help learners navigate the complex linguistic world they inhabit as they inquire into things that matter to them? To register your interest in presenting, complete the Conference Presentation Proposal online submission form at by 18 January 2016. Go to: http://www.englishliteracyconference.com.au/ All submissions will be acknowledged and a decision made by the end of February. Please note that presenters will be required to pay for registration to the conference.
Key Dates: 3 August, 2015 Call for Presentations opens 18 January, 2016 Call for Presentations closes 29 February, 2016 Notification of Presentation Acceptance
We look forward to your contributions to supporting teachers across the nation as we look at, ask about and collaborate towards leading literacy research and practice.
122 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 Sponsors & Exhibitors
See Conference App and Website for full details of our exhibitors.
Conference Partner – ACT Education and Training Directorate
The Australian Association for the Teaching of English and the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association are grateful for the support of the ACT Education and Training Directorate and its contribution to the National English Literacy Conference, 2015.
Sponsors
Copyright Agency Reading Australia is a ground-breaking online initiative from the Reading Australia Copyright Agency that makes the very best of Australian literature more available for teachers and librarians. There are 200 quality books listed on the site, with many also having informative essays and valuable teaching resources that align to the Australian Curriculum.
www.readingaustralia.com.au
Lego Education LEGO® Education offers playful learning experiences and teaching solutions based on the LEGO system of bricks, curriculum-relevant material, and physical and digital resources to preschool, elementary, middle school, and after school. In partnership with educators for more than 35 years, we support teaching in an inspiring, engaging, and effective way. Our educational solutions, which range from the humanities to science, enable every student to succeed by encouraging them to become active, collaborative learners, build skills for future challenges, and establish a positive mind-set toward learning.
http://education.lego.com/en-au/
Education Perfect Are your students into online learning? Education Perfect is aligned with the Australian curriculum and is also fully customisable. Available on subscription all year round or you can try it for free during the English Championships! Drop in a registration at the Education Perfect stand, your students will love it!
http://worldseries.educationperfect.com/english.html
Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015 123 Exhibition Hall Floor Plan
Also see interactive map on the conference app.
124 Capitalising on Curiosity § Canberra 3–6 July 2015
www.englishliteracyconference.com.au
Twitter: @EngLit2015 § #EngLit2015 § @englishteachers (AATE) § @literacyed (ALEA) Instagram: #CapitalisingonCuriosity § #CuriousQuest § instagram.com/alea.act