Leading Literacy Session 2

Two Year Action Research

Leading Literacy

for

School Improvement

Day 2: Understanding Project Elements

Developing a Global View

of

School Improvement

Developing a Global View of School Improvement

Appraising Your Research problem through:

Literacy and school improvement Pedagogy and school improvement Leadership and school improvement

Clarifications

To support individuals teachers working together school improvement

Findings may support colleagues school

Intellectual capital is yours Consultant Modality:

in the indicative and subjunctive mood not the imperative

Research Problem So Far

In School Groups Identify each individual’s research

problem(s) Name the research group’s (current)

overarching research problem How can the individual’s research problem

support the group’s research problem?

Context: SACS Literacy Strategy

…key will be an overarching and stronger awareness on the growing

diversity of our students and the complexities of the literacies’ demands professional development on

multi-literacies literacy as social practice critical literacy multi modal literacy and effective pedagogies

Context: The 4 ‘Approaches’ to Literacy

1. Requirements for literacy in the future SACE

2. Evaluation of each student’s literacy needs

3. Literacy in all subjects

4. Enhancing teaching and learning of literacy

Context: SACS Literacy Strategy

Literacy

is the flexible and sustainable mastery of a repertoire of practices with the texts of traditional and new communications technologies via spoken language, print and multimedia

Context: New SACE Literacy Definition

Literacy is defined as:

the ability to understand, analyse, critically respond to, and create

spoken, written and visual communications and use information communication

technologies

in different contexts.

Multiliteracies

A metalanguage that describes construction of meanings through discourse and language games (genres) as design elements:

Audio design Spatial design Gestural design Visual design Linguistic design (oral and written) Multimodal design

Multiliteracies

Discourse: constructs aspects of reality domain of human endeavour / knowledge represents particular positions or point of view represents particular interests language (design element) shapes and shaped by social

practice Can be named:

Preventative Health Market Economy AFL Football Action research Assessment

Subject to change and appropriation through relation to other discourses

Multiliteracies

Genres: language games

Identified, described and characterised by: purpose cultural and social context language choices relation to other texts (intertextual) known and evolving social practices

Multiliteracies

Genres: language games

Categories defined e.g. Church Liturgy subject to appropriation and change e.g. Church Liturgy

across time particular purposes

Use of language (design elements) and text construction can mix genres e.g.

Medical examination Counselling session Informal conversation

Multiliteracies

Discourses and genres:

...characterisations of texts in terms of genres and discourses are best regarded as provisional approximations, because they are cultural interpretations of texts that depend on the analysts fuzzy but operationally adequate feel for culture, as well as specialist knowledges … (Cope and Kalantzis)

Text

Working definition:

A text is a unit of communication (such as a single word, a

sentence, a play) constructed and presented in a particular medium

(print, oral, visual, performance, electronic, multi-modal)

in relation to other texts representing one or more ideas interpreted in context.

Text Practices

Encoder < -- > Text < -- > Decoder

Text consumer: reading practices The decoder is the audience member/members who view

or read the text with a preferred reading a negotiated reading an oppositional reading

Text composer: creative and analytical practices encoder fits purpose to beliefs influenced by decoder to suit their piece to the audience engages in deliberate choices

The research as a question of literacy

Guiding Question In what sense has my research problem engaged with the

SACCS and SACE literacy strategies and definitions?

Prompting Questions Which text practices has my research problem identified? Can I use one or more multiliteracies design elements in

my research design? How will you name and explain my research problem as a

single or set of discourses? In what ways is the research problem going to build into

my existing work on literacy?

Researching Literacy

Mixed groups: Jigsaw reading of either

Critical Literacy for School Improvement Action Research: a Vehicle for Inspiring

Multiliteracies

School groups Key questions

What I have I learnt about researching literacy from this article?

Which aspects could I / we use in our research design?

The research as a question of pedagogy

RiPIN Project Teachers working with students for

engagement with knowledge to produce learning

About educative relationships between students and teachers that support formation of knowledge and identity

Challenges

Learning experiences that are intellectually demanding along with appropriate pedagogy that supports student success

Connecting to and respecting student lifeworlds

To integrate lifeworld and subject discipline knowledges that don’t trivialise the other

Lifeworld knowledge for strong connectedness

Funds of knowledge Place Student literacy practices Popular culture Out of school learning sites

Subject discipline through challenging relevant learning tasks

Vocabulary Deep understanding Thinking Skills Understandings: knowledge Literacy practices

Influences on pedagogy

An ensemble of factors which constrain and provide possibilities Architectural forms Institutions, regulations, laws, administrative measures What is understood as the truth about teaching and

learning Ideas bout good pedagogy Technology Te logic of practice Teacher biography / identity Student identity

Logics of Practice

School organisation: How does school organisation support or constrain redesigning pedagogy? Timetable structure Teaching teams / faculties Architecture PD opportunities Rules for student support Assessment and reporting Resources for learning

Logics of Practice

School culture: How does the school culture constrain or support redesigning pedagogy? “That’s the way we do things around here” What is the truth about the students and their

communities? What is commonly understood as ‘good’

pedagogy? Politics of voice.

Logics of Practice

Pedagogy: How does pedagogy constrain or support learning? Having to cover specific content Keeping students engaged Lesson by lesson ; short / long tasks The logic of writing Literacy and learning Students as researchers Students as learners, in and out of school

Pedagogy and Connectedness

Performing learning through strong connectedness and challenging relevant learning tasks Planned pedagogical sequences Sequences that are linked Significant outcome / product produced Negotiation built in at various stages Emphasis on what is most important


Strong Connectedness Generative themes from the concerns of the

students and their communities Classroom functions as a research centre Students are involved in producing their own

knowledge Authentic assessment for social action


Diet / fast food Biography of older family member Youth culture eg goths / emo; identity

research Researching local community Peer tutoring to ofrm a band Science in local wetlands Exploring safety through maths Class newspaper


Performing their learning Photostory Claymation Podcasts in science Powerpoints in Maths Model making in maths Exhibiton assessment / group individual

presentations


Questions about Pedagogy How do I negotiate the curriculum? Which strategies do I use for building relationships with

students and connecting student lifeworlds to curriculum?

How do I support student reflection? How do I support students talk about themselves as learners?

What do we mean by explicit teaching and scaffolding? How do we give feedback on the quality of work? What do we give feedback on?


Traditional Pedagogy : focus on teaching CAC Scripted curriculum Content syllabus


Student Centred: focus on learning Negotiating the curriculum 1 Curriculum justice Learning process Do it yourself learning


Effective Pedagogy: focus on teaching and learning Negotiating the curriculum 2 Accountability / outcomes Explicit teaching Scaffolding


The Pedagogical Challenge How do I sustain high expectations for student

learning and positive relationships? How can I make my research into student life-

worlds pedagogically viable? How can I prepare my students to perform their

learning for an authentic audience? How can I scaffold student learning that enables

them to become independent learners? How do I negotiate the curriculum?

Processes for connected learning

Researching Designing Communicating Transforming Performing Reflecting

Researching

Students and teachers research

community funds of knowledge personal funds of knowledge negotiate rich learning tasks connected learning tasks

Designing

Planning and Negotiating

Students and teachers negotiate and collaborate to design learning activities assessment structures classroom operation

Communicating

Instructing and Teaching

Students and teacher communicate through a variety of modes to share understandings and offer explicit instruction

Transforming

Practising, exploring and investigating

Students actively interact with their worlds and transform knowledge gained through this

interaction into a variety of media

Performing

Testing

Students perform their learning and act upon their worlds in high stakes situations

for a variety of school and community audiences

Reflecting

Assessing and Evaluating

Students and teachers reflect on their learning, celebrating successes, ‘feeling the quality’, and identifying future challenges

Connectedness in the research

In school groups consider how might design your research to address: Learning experiences that are intellectually

demanding along with appropriate pedagogy that supports student success

Connecting to and respecting student lifeworlds To integrate lifeworld and subject discipline

knowledges that don’t trivialise the other.

The research as a question of leadership

Demonstrating leadership through my work My knowledge My experience How do I initiate improvement?

My work with colleagues and leaders How will my research engage with questions of

leadership?

Leadership in the research

Mixed Groups: Jigsaw The Leadership Challenge Section 1 and 4

or Distributed Leadership and School

Improvement

School Groups What have I learnt from these readings? Where can I use this information in my research

design?

Next Steps: Day 3

Using School Data: Naplan; Ways of using data to support project Sharing draft research design Determining norms / criteria for evaluation Evaluating another schools design

Next Steps: Readings

Data Transforming inquiry and action: Interweaving 27

flavors of action research: Chandler and Torbert

Evaluation Participatory action research and the public sphere,

Kemmis

Design: Community mapping as a research tool with youth ,

Amsden and Wynsberghe The development of apt citizenship education

through listening to young people’s voices, Warwick

Next Steps: School Visits

Day 1 Understanding school context and research problem

Day 2 Furthering the question Ethics documentation Possible observation of classroom practice / meetings

Day 3 Evaluating the question Manageability ‘Doability’ Drafting the proposal / research design for third central

PD day

Education

Leading Literacy Session 2