Sharing literacy learning across the Pacific: an International initiative

Sharing literacy learning Sharing literacy learning across the Pacific: an across the Pacific: an International initiativeInternational initiative

My experiences as a My experiences as a participant in the participant in the

LEAP programLEAP program

The matchingThe matching

Ontario• O’Connor Public

School, Toronto• Approx. 250 pupils K

– 5• Ten classes and a

behaviour class• Inner city school

NSW• Yates Avenue P.S.• 256 students P – 6• Nine classes K – 6

with Pre school and an Early Intervention class

Both Schools had:-Both Schools had:-

• Literacy as a major target

• An interest in how data could be used to improve student literacy outcomes

• A wish to develop an international dialogue about school improvement

• Staff who were interested in finding out about practices used overseas to teach literacy.

Yates AvenueYates Avenue

O’ConnorO’Connor

The Australian LegThe Australian Leg

Visit activitiesVisit activities

• Working with, and observing teachers and classes at Yates Avenue.

• Visit to Matthew Pearce P.S. and Lane Cove West P.S.

• Visit to Sydney Secondary College, Balmain Campus

• Meeting with School Education Director

O’ConnorO’Connor• School literacy program based on “New

Moves”

• Emphasis on the students being the heroes of their own story

• Students have knowledge of the structure of writing and the language they use

• Importance of poetry

• Message is constant

In CanadaIn Canada

My ExperiencesMy Experiences• Observe the ways literacy structure was taught

at O’Connor • “Heroes of the Round Table”• ANTHROPOMORPHISM• “Displacing” a story• Anatomy of a story – home, adventure, HOME

(lack/desire, problem, conflict, fulfil the “lack”)• Comedy or Tragedy?• Basic needs– Food, Health, Freedom, Love,

Shelter, Clothing, Home

My ExperiencesMy Experiences

• Students can gain a great deal from the exchange even if it is to discover that although many things are the same there can be some major differences

• Major question posed at both schools was – “Who has the accent?”

After the LEAP ExperienceAfter the LEAP Experience

• Exploring ways of starting meaningful communications between our two schools.

• Use of technology to promote literacy learning

• OUR HOPE –

“From little things Big Things GROW”(Kev Carmody and Paul Kelly)