The English Teachers Association of Queensland Inc. (ETAQ)
www.etaq.org.au
Seminar 2 - 2017
Diversity and Differentiation in the English Classroom
Saturday 27 May, 2017
Mount Alvernia College, 82 Cremorne Road, KEDRON
ETAQ Seminar 2-2017.
4
The English Teachers Association of Queensland Inc. (ETAQ)
www.etaq.org.au
Keynote Address
English Additional Language/Dialect teaching – more than just ‘good teaching’
Dr Misty Adoniou is an Associate Professor in Language Literacy and TESL at the University of Canberra. She is a past-President of the Australian Council of TESOL Associations, and is currently on the Board of Directors of TESOL International, an affiliation of 116 teachers associations around the globe. She was the lead writer for the Australian Curriculum’s English as an Additional Language Teachers Resource and has been an advisor on Equity and Diversity in the Australian Curriculum. She delivers professional learning to teachers around the country and internationally, from Anchorage to Washington DC, and from Athens to Hong Kong.
She presents and writes regularly on education for the online news site The Conversation https://theconversation.com/columns/misty-adoniou-107235
Abstract
Too often, EALD teaching is conflated with literacy teaching. As a consequence, resources earmarked for EALD learners are redirected to general literacy initiatives. The underlying rationale is that every learner benefits from ‘good teaching’.
In this presentation I will describe the ways in which EALD teaching is more than just good mainstream teaching and outline the consequences of not providing these learners with targeted language instruction. We will also consider the ways in which we can harness the marvelous diversity in our classrooms to the benefit of all.
Program
Time / ActivityFrom 8:40 / Registration & tea/coffee
9:00 – 10:15 / Keynote address + questions
10:20– 10:55 / Morning tea, perusal of resources and networking
11:00 – 12:00 / Workshop Session A
12:05 – 1:05 / Workshop Session B
This activity constitutes 3 hours 30 minutes of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
Workshop Sessions
Details of the workshops on offer are shown below. Participants will have the opportunity to select two x one hour workshops from the following.
See summary on page 6.
Workshop A
Teaching writing with EAL/D learners: the value of a well-designed “joint construction” phase. – Jennifer Alford
Abstract
In this presentation, I show how one English /EAL/D teacher utilised the “joint construction” phase of the genre teaching/learning cycle with Year 11 EAL/D learners to mediate the production of a highly valued senior English text: the written analytical exposition. The data is drawn from a larger case study conducted in two metropolitan high schools. The learners were from diverse language backgrounds and were a mix of refugee-background, migrant and international students, and they were of mixed ability in writing (ESL Bandscales 4-6). Using the concept of mediation as a lens, this presentation will “unpack” one video-recorded lesson in detail to demonstrate how the teacher established a collaborative learning environment that drew on “skilled others” (Vygotsky, 1978) – himself and the students themselves. The lesson shows the potential of the joint construction phase to help learners explore and reflect on their written language choices developing awareness of their own and each other’s writing practices through on-going, collaborative text production. It also invites us to consider taking the joint construction phase beyond simple internalisation of the genre form, to create a space for EAL/D learners to question the power certain “immutable” written genres possess.
Participants in this session will watch segments of the video of the teacher teaching, use an observation table to guide their viewing, and be involved in collaborative analysis of the lesson.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1934/1978). Thought and language. (Translated by A. Kozulin.) Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Presenter
Dr Jennifer Alford (PhD) is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education at QUT and was a high school English/ESL teacher in Queensland for over 10 years. She teaches on the B.Ed (English curriculum, EAL/D pedagogy across the curriculum) and the M.Ed TESOL. She researches EAL/D teacher knowledge and practice, curriculum and policy for EAL/D learners, and has a special interest in critical literacy for EAL/D learners.
Workshop B
Differentiation for EAL/D students in the secondary classroom – Going beyond the Band-Aid treatment. – Amanda Handy
Abstract
As of 2017, EAL/D support in secondary schools is dependent on new funding criteria, which in many cases does not address the language needs identified in classrooms. Craigslea SHS, north of Brisbane, has 20% EAL/D students, a quarter of whom are full fee-paying students with the remainder migrant or refugee students. EAL/D funding allocation for the school in 2017 is .12 EAL/D FTE and 1.7 hours of EAL/D teacher-aide time per week. With varying degrees of allocated, qualified EAL/D support in schools, increasingly the onus is on subject teachers to differentiate for a range of needs in their classrooms. Rather than a Band-Aid approach to assisting EAL/D students at the assessment stage of a unit, this workshop will focus on a comparison of the realities and the possibilities of differentiation in the secondary classroom. This focus will address four key areas: unit planning, assessment adjustments, classroom strategies and communication. Participants will be given the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the workshop to identify obstacles (language and other) in an assessment text; both adjustments and appropriate strategies for EAL/D students to support classroom practice and assessment.
Presenter
Amanda Handy is currently teaching Year 10 English, to a class that resembles the United Nations, and supporting EAL/D students at Craigslea State High School in Chermside West. Her 17-year career in the field of English language education has seen her teaching a range of programs in Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and Brunei.
Workshop C
Co-teaching for Differentiation – Sacha Carney and Katie Pacey
Abstract
Differentiation and diversity in the twenty-first century classroom is part and parcel of an English educator’s role. In any classroom, on any day, English teachers are adjusting their vocabulary, resources, presentation skills and assessment items to meet the needs of students from a range of cultural, cognitive, social, emotional and health backgrounds. Katie and Sacha are two educators with diverse and wide-ranging English teaching experience; with a background in running Literacy projects; and experience in Learning Support, who have joined forces to co-teach in the English classroom. Their seminar will be a frank and open explanation of the practices and the processes which enabled differentiation to take place, and the success they experienced working together to teach English as a team. The seminar is designed to inspire you to examine your own contexts and consider how you might trial similar practices. The session will be aimed at those teaching English to all year levels (7-12).
Presenters
Sacha Carney is currently in her third year as a Teaching and Learning Guardian for Years 9 and 10 at Mount Alvernia College. Prior to this role, Sacha was the Curriculum Leader for Languages (English, Italian and Japanese) at Mount Alvernia College for seven years, and she is now in her twentieth year as an English teacher. Her experience has been in a co-educational setting in England, an all Boys’ College in Brisbane and most recently teaching all girls at Mount Alvernia College. She is a passionate and energetic educator.
Katie Pacey is currently a Teaching and Learning Guardian Years 7 and 8 at Mount Alvernia College. Prior to this role, Kate was a teacher in the Student Enrichment and Advancement Centre for five years. This was supported by a Graduate Certificate in Special Education. Kate also worked as a NET teacher in the Hong Kong education system for 5 years. Here she led local English Primary teachers in implementing the new English Curriculum, and facilitated the professional development of staff with the pedagogical practices necessary to support this. Kate has worked across both primary and secondary, in both single sex and coeducational settings for over 16 years. She has a firm belief that, with the right tools, all students can achievement their academic best.
Workshop D
Catering for the Gifted Learner in the English Classroom – Emily Dunleavy
Abstract
With the average, mainstream classroom including students with a vast range of academic abilities, the daunting question for English teachers can often be: how can I cater for all of these students? With differentiation being a key focus in education and a word that is often used in policy documents, PLCs and the Australian standards, teachers are often at a loss as to what this looks like in the classroom and how to create lessons that provide academic rigour and extension for gifted students, whilst still being accessible for other members of the class.
This workshop will provide tactical strategies that provide extension and opportunities for creative thinking whilst improving students’ skills in: reading, writing, higher order thinking and collaboration. Participants will be required to engage and participate in a range of strategies that can be taken directly into the English classroom.
Presenter
Emily Dunleavy is currently on staff at Marsden State High School and has taught both Junior and Senior English to a diverse range of students. She currently coordinates Marsden’s Academic Excellence program and has led the restructuring of curriculum and assessment to cater for gifted students.
Workshop E
Pushing the limits - How to cater for Gifted, Highly Capable and Twice Exceptional students in the English classroom (a year 10 English test case) – Erin Clare
Abstract
When we set out as teachers to meet our first set of students most of us have had explicit training on how to cater for the strugglers. The kids who won’t understand what you are trying to teach. As teachers, we work in a ‘care giver’ role. This implies that we care. We do! Most of us work very hard to scaffold and support and encourage our lower end kids. But what about the kids at the other end of the spectrum? The ones who are compliant, bored, disengaged, fed up. Who caters for them? Are we as compassionate towards the disgruntled bright kid as we are with the disgruntled struggling child?
As a Gifted Education advocate I am constantly surprised by how often these students are missed. Did you know 7-10% of students at your school are likely to be gifted? By that I mean, that they are operating at least 2 years above their age peers. What about the twice exceptional child who needs two sets of case managers to make it through the day? How are we differentiating for the kids operating well above the others?
This presentation will give you some opportunities to:
· Understand DET policy around giftedness and what it means in your classroom
· Develop knowledge of various types/ domains/ ways of being gifted and what these children look like in your class
· Examine how to cater for these students in the English classroom
· Explore an example of targeted gifted differentiation in a year 10 English Honours class
Presenter
Erin Clare has been an English Teacher for 15 years. She has taught in Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, and the United Kingdom. She currently works as the Gifted and Talented program coordinator at Corinda State High School and teaches the Honours program there.
Workshop F
Differentiation and Comprehension – A Practical Way for the Classroom – Narelle McBride
Abstract:
A teacher based study was conducted in 2015 that divided the class into three groups with an emphasis on comprehension. Along the way other skills were enhanced, including writing. The study included aspects of the Accelerated Literacy Program from Griffith University and the Williams Model for Gifted Learners. The researcher used practical school and classroom activities for pre and post tests. The aim of the study was to engage all students, challenge them, and improve their comprehension. The study is now a part of my classroom activities at times and incorporates ICT - nearpod and collection of data through different activities and applications
Presenter
Although Narelle McBride have been teaching for quite a while she is new to teaching English. She has recently completed a Masters in Gifted Education and was the Head of Learning Support for ten years. Her background is varied. She is currently involved in an Apple Project at Aquinas College, Ashmore.
Workshop G
Fair does not mean equal – designing inclusive teaching and assessment so all students can demonstrate their learning - Dr Jennie Duke
Abstract
This workshop allows teachers to explore theories of fairness and the principles of inclusive assessment through discussion, reflection and active design. Fairness is an important concept relating to assessment in an equitable and socially just education setting. Reflecting about our understanding of fairness is important because this understanding impacts on the way teachers approach assessment design. Inclusive assessment principles, such as timing, scheduling, response etc., will be presented and explored by participants. Inclusive assessment principles, when applied appropriately, assist teachers to plan so all our students can demonstrate their learning. In this workshop, practical implications of these theories and principles will be explored and applied to English assessment opportunities. Participants will 1. Reflect on how the concept of fair influences design of assessment; 2. Use inclusive assessment principles to evaluate assessment tasks; 3. Locate resources that assist the planning of inclusive assessment opportunities
Presenter
As a teacher of students (years 1-12), Head of Special Education Services, Advisory Visiting Teacher and Regional Project Officer (School Renewal), Jennie Duke developed in-depth knowledge of curriculum. She later applied this knowledge as a Deputy and Principal in special and general education. Jennie then completed a Master’s Degree and PhD in Inclusion. As a Lecturer in Inclusive Education, she currently teaches pre-service and graduate teachers in the areas of inclusive education; learning difficulties; reading difficulties; and teaching strategies.
Workshop H
Pedagogy of hope – moving English teaching beyond high expectations. - Dr Jennie Duke