Published in Literacy Learning: the Middle Years vol 19 no 2, June 2011
Abstract: This paper arose from a reflective challenge offered by Alfie Kohn, and an ensuing review of the literature base dealing with the concept of authentic learning. From our perspective, the role that emotional engagement plays in the learning process has generally been left out of the classroom learning equation for an array of reasons, mostly related to educator’s misconceptions and apprehensions. Thus, this paper discusses a qualitative investigation into the role of emotions in the learning process, as developed through one teacher’s praxis in a middle school classroom. Data was also collected from the student’s perspectives,  another missing perspective from the current research literature. What emerged from this data was a series of inter-connected socio-emotional reflective practices that were grounded in emotional reactions and subsequent  responses. From the student’s perspectives, these provided avenues for deeper engagement in the learning processes. The teacher as facilitator, as opposed to the traditional mode of teaching, was able to engender creative links and exploration of alternative outcomes and learning pathways through a deliberate focus on these emotional connections.

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Published in the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol 34 no 2, June 2011
Abstract: The development and implementation of the Australian Curriculum together with national testing of students and the publication of school results place new demands on teachers. In this article we address the importance of teachers becoming attuned to the silent assessors in assessment generally and in the National Literacy and Numeracy Program (NAPLAN) more specifically. Using the concept of literacies, we develop a method to conduct a literacy audit of assessment tasks that teachers can use to help both themselves and their students. Providing assistance to students as a consequence of such an audit is imperative to improve the outcomes for students and to address issues of equity.

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In this edition grammatical catagories have been reorganised according to how they construct meaning in context: expressing and connecting ideas, interacting with others and creating coherent texts.

This resource has an array of possibilities from which learners can make the most appropriate selection in order to generate and interpret meanings. It employs standard grammatical terminology, which will already be familiar to the teachers and the community, but it also uses terms which allow for a more functional interpretation.

Published in the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol 33 No 2, June 2010
Introduction:  The National Accelerated Literacy Program (NALP) operates, in the main, in an English as a second language (ESL) or English as a second dialect (ESD) medium across Australia, primarily targeting Indigenous students with low levels of English language literacy. With its distinctive pedagogy, it is backed by a sequence of teaching strategies and routines. Programs using this pedagogy have been implemented with different age groups and across a spectrum of rural, remote and urban schools in the Northern Territory (Gray, 2007; Gray & Cowey, 2001), Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia (Gray, Cowey & Axford, 2003), the ACT (Adoniou & Macken-Horarik, 2007) and Victoria and New South Wales, where it is promoted as the ‘Learning to Read, Reading to Learn’ program (Rose, 2005; Rose & Acevedo, 2006).

A Word on Words explores real English and real English language usage in an engaging, informative and accessible way. Helping readers to understand the puzzles of contemporary English, dictionary editor and linguistics specialist Pam Peters opens the door to a wealth of words and expressions. Her latest book tracks changing elements of grammar and new language phenomena, looking at language in the context of our culture and history. A Word on Words demonstrates the versatility and adaptibility of the English language, celebrating words and the applications - without moralising or politicising language. 

This series of three resources provides a practical framework for responding to the full range of student literacy demands within Science, The Arts, and Society and Environment.

These timely publications will help teachers to respond to the importance of literacy skills. Photocopiable sheets show a step-by-step method for identifying literacy demands across curriculum documents and teaching programs. There are also suggestions for using the resource in training and development activities.

Written for teachers in each of the three learning areas, and those teachers with a cross-curriculum literacy focus, these books are a practical resource which demonstrate that teaching the content of the learning area can be enhanced with the development of literacy skills relevant to that learning area.

This series of three resources provides a practical framework for responding to the full range of student literacy demands within Science, The Arts, and Society and Environment.

These timely publications will help teachers to respond to the importance of literacy skills. Photocopiable sheets show a step-by-step method for identifying literacy demands across curriculum documents and teaching programs. There are also suggestions for using the resource in training and development activities.

Written for teachers in each of the three learning areas, and those teachers with a cross-curriculum literacy focus, these books are a practical resource which demonstrate that teaching the content of the learning area can be enhanced with the development of literacy skills relevant to that learning area.

The first collection of Aboriginal and white poetic responses to the 'settlement' of Australia. Historical, and historic, in its sweep, the anthology begins with W.C Wentworth's apostrophic record of his encounter with the land and its inhabitants, published after the successful Blue Mountains crossing. This is followed by the more sobering reactions of Mary Gilmore, Jack Davis, Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Judith Wright (among many others), outspoken and elegiac in their protests over the destruction of Aboriginal tribes and lifestyles.

Published in Practically Primary Vol 16 no 2, June 2011
Using mnemonics to assist students in acquiring a solid knoweldge of letter-sound relationships in their first year of schooling.

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Soft white cotton t-shirts for new babies. 'Read to Me' on the front.

Article published in Literacy Learning: the Middle Years Vol 19 no 3, October 2011
Introduction:  According to Paratore (2005) ‘Effective classroom teachers help parents to learn about and engage their children in literacy practices that are closely related to success in school’ (p. 394). Families play a role in their child’s literacy development and children benefit from parental involvement in their literacy learning at school. An effective teacher motivates a child to learn, assesses and monitors their literacy development and modifies the program to suit the needs of the child. Also, an effective teacher communicates to parents about ways to engage their child in authentic literacy tasks at home, where reading for meaning is emphasised. This paper provides examples of my professional experience of supporting parents to implement strategies at home to improve their child’s reading, an examination of literacy teaching and a definition of children who are struggling to learn to read.

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Article published in Practically Primary Vol 16 no 3, October 2011
As a teacher entering the profession on the cusp of the National Curriculum, I wanted to know more about the ways I could prepare children for the literacies of today and tomorrow. When examining the draft of the Australian Curriculum: English, I was struck by the emphasis on quality literature, which the Board of Studies (2011) quantifed as a range of literary and factual texts, everyday and community texts, and digital texts.

Published in the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol 34 No 2, June 2011
Abstract: This paper describes an alternative approach to the ever popular rubrics-based writing assessment. The approach, called functional language analysis, provides a
set of analysis strategies that enable teachers to evaluate the content, organisation, and style of student writing based on tangible textual evidence.

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The authors present different voices and different approaches as they explore the history and latest research about reading process and pedagogy. They share their experience and knowledge about processes of learning to read, along with an extensive range of strategies and practical teaching tips and insights.

A practical resource for teaching film to students from Year 7 to 11.
Experienced teachers from around Australia and overseas have used classroom experience to provide a variety of approaches to films ranging from multiplex blockbusters to award-winning arthouse films. The units of work in the book, which include photocopiable work sheets, encourage students to explore and articulate how such things as film techniques, genre, audience and ideology shape their response to a film. Films include Moulin Rouge, Rabbit-proof Fence and Shrek

The six short plays in Break a Leg are based on Christine Harris's acclaimed adolescent fiction. While the central themes of these plays are essentially timeless, the strange, funny and thought-provoking plot twists will make the plays just as exciting to watch as they are fun to act. Students will relate to the characters because they are the people they encounter in their own lives: parents, older teens, friends or foes.

Published in Literacy Learning: the Middle Years Vol 18 No 2, June 2010
Introduction: In November 2009, ninety Western Australian educators including central office staff, high school principals and specialist literacy and numeracy teachers attended a Getting it Right (GiR) Secondary Forum to share experiences and celebrate successes associated with the state-funded pilot Getting it Right Secondary (GiR) Strategy. While this was an opportunity for these schools to tell their stories, the story of the GiR secondary strategy had begun four years earlier in 2006, building on the acclaimed GiR primary model that had operated in primary schools in WA since 2002.

Published in Practically Primary Vol 16 no 2, June 2011
‘Books can offer young people a window to new, unfamiliar territory_– a country or culture they have never been to or a mirror in which they see themselves and their own world.’ (Hateley, 2011)

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Published in the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol 33 No 1, February 2010
Abstract:  The article outlines the aspects of the research design that engage with teachers in schools and discusses some of the challenges and affordances that the relationships (between the teachers, the schools, the research partners and the researchers) experienced in the project, Literacy in the 21st Century: Learning from Computer Games. The article has a particular focus on the teachers’ work as co-researchers, their descriptions of working in the project and some of the issues for teachers and researchers in working in this way. The data used for the analysis includes the teacher writing, interview data and researcher observations. The teachers who participated in the project designed and delivered curriculum using computer games in various ways including making their own games, evaluating games, analyzing game structures, and examining the culture around games and the ways in which games and other technologies are merging. Some of these curriculum units are described elsewhere in this issue (Beavis & O’Mara, 2010). This article’s purpose is to follow the teachers’ professional learning experiences rather than detail these curriculum designs, which the teachers will describe elsewhere. The paper concludes with our personal reflections on the affordances and challenges of working this way for us in our different roles in the research team. 

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Revised and updated to support the Australian Curriculum, this edition includes over 30 Test Yourself exercises and covers:

• Punctuation
• Grammar, including all terms used in the Language strand of the curriculum
• Vocabulary and spelling, including borrowed words, and words from Latin and Greek
• Communication through writing, organised as in the curriculum under 'Imaginitive texts', 'Information texts' and 'Persuasive or argumentative texts'
• Communication through speaking and listening
• A comprehensive glossary of terms used in literature and language

This work provides teachers with successful strategies for implementing the full potential of ICT in middle and upper school classrooms. Each chapter is divided into three parts: the learning and thinking context; classroom strategies; wider applications and suggested activities.

Chapter topics include: Oral language – avoiding death by Power Point; On Line Discussion – a challenge for thinking skills; and Hypertext – a writing tool for lateral thinking.

Focusses on teaching grammar in the context of literary texts in the primary and middle years. The introduction discusses what is meant by "teaching grammar" in the context of literary texts in which the emphasis is placed in students developing not just skills and strategies but also knowledge and understandings about how language works. Outstanding classroom practitioners share their strategies, programs and in some cases whole units of work demonstrating how to work with literary texts.

Presents a concise introduction to the best Web 2.0 tools, providing suggestions on how to get started, practical classroom examples, lesson plans, activity sheets, tips and hints.

• The best tools for connecting (for connecting the school and for connecting to the global community)
• The best tools for communicating (podcasts, blogs, Google applications, Timebridge, live-blogging, back-channel chat and more)
• The best tools for creating (including wikis, blogs, voicethreads and more)

Cuts through the rhetoric about a national curriculum in order to raise important questions about the implementation of The Australian Curriculum: English. Key questions posed by this book are:

• How will it connect with the lived experience of teachers and students in Australian schools?
• How might the three strands - Language, Literature, Literacy - be integrated in a meaningful way?
• What challenges does it pose for developing and implementing curriculum at a school and classroom level?

The authors reconfigure critical literacy so that it can give proper consideration to the aesthetic, which involves paying attention to such things as individual identity, human emotion, creativity, and the value and productivity of texts. To demonstrate how the conjunction of critical literacy and the aesthetic can transform English classrooms, the au thors draw examples from various genres, media, and countries, including poetry by Donne, Shakespeare, Robert Lowell and Les Murray; To Kill a Mockingbird ; an episode of Friends ; and Huckleberry Finn.

A glossary of terms for students of English and English literature. Secondary students will find it a student friendly resource which explains terms using simple, accessible language with cartoons and examples to show how the terms are used. It covers not only literary terms, but also more general terms used in courses that focus on language, communication and culture.

Article published in Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol 33 No 3, October 2010
Abstract:  The arrival of increasing numbers of refugee students with a background of trauma and disrupted education in Australian schools has presented new challenges for schools. This paper describes a Literacy Transition Pilot Program (LTPP) that was designed as an intervention for 11 Sudanese students entering secondary schools in Sydney who were considered ‘at risk’. The LTTP was conducted in an Intensive English Centre (IEC) and required significant modification of existing institutional practices, curriculum content and teaching strategies. The paper reports on a case study within the LTPP of student outcomes and discusses some implications for school systems as well as classroom teachers. While ESL instruction has traditionally focussed on developing English language skills, it is clear that in the case of refugee children, schools also have to create a supportive environment to promote well-being, address gaps in cognitive skills, concepts of literacy and understandings about the world.

Published in Literacy Learning: the Middle Years vol 19 no 2, June 2011
Abstract: How is digital literacy important to human flourishing? With so many students today using online and digital tools such as Facebook, YouTube, iTunes and smartphones, this paper investigates the implications for educators in raising students’ levels of digital literacy. Using Pierre Lévy’s work on collective intelligence as my starting point, I explore
the types of digital literacies that both teachers and students will need to develop if we are to make the most of new technologies as humanity emerges into a new ‘knowledge space’. At a time when some fear that the digital age is taking the whole human person out of the teaching and learning nexus, I argue that we have a responsibility to raise our own and our students’ digital literacy as it is this that will help us follow what Paulo Freire famously called our ‘ontological vocation’ to become more fully human in the digital age.

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The author demonstrates how to make early literacy a fun and exciting process for children. She explains how to use games and activities involving books and familiar objects, to support young children's developing literacy skills

Provides 13 extracts from contemporary Commonwealth plays, in English. The anthology features issues closely related to student experiences such as unplanned pregnancy, family conflict, social class, racial prejudice, the search for identity, religious and political freedom, love of country, poverty, attitudes towards work, cultural conflict, love and friendship and human rights. Extracts have been selected not only because of their social, political, historical and literary significance, but also because of their themes related to moral and physical dilemmas. Accompanied by Drama Cuts: Teacher's Resource Book. 

Article published in English in Australia Vol 46 no 2, 2011
Abstract: Mandated literacy assessment is now a ubiquitous practice in many western educational systems. While educational researchers, principals, teachers and education unions continue to offer vociferous resistance in some nations, in others it is now commonplace in the educational landscape and built into the rhythms of the school year. This paper is taken from a current project in which we are looking ethnographically to see how national policies are mediated in different institutional contexts – specifically in state and regional policy sites and in schools. Here we discuss some of the ways in which mandated literacy assessment, specifically the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), is reorganising principals’ work. First, we examine the ways in which the principal is positioned in official policy documents to show the way that the actual uses of test result are euphemised in these materials, emphasising mainly individual support for students, while inserting principals into a web of responsibilities to mediate participation in the tests. We then move to examine the way that the work of one principal in a diverse school setting is impacted to show how a great deal of new work has arisen; work that is very complex in a setting where families are not confident with literacy themselves and having to deal with English as a second language. We show that principals, especially, are asked to take responsibility for both increasing school and student performance on the one hand, while maintaining the fiction that the tests are simply for student support on the other. Much of this work is becoming normalised and invisible even while the major burden is felt by professionals in schools serving poor or diverse communities. This paper attempts to make such processes more visible to scrutiny and evaluation by the teachers and school leaders.

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Article published in Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol 33 No 2, June 2010
Abstract:  Contemporary understandings of reading development acknowledge thecompilation and coordination of a range of skills and strategies (Paris, 2005).The development of both decoding and comprehension, integrated into readingacquisition processes, reflects this building of complementary reading skills.Hence, the research reported here aimed to examine early reading instruction togain insight into how skilled teachers incorporate this duality of purposes intoinstructional practices. In order to closely examine students at the  beginning stagesof reading instruction 16 Reading Recovery teacher/student dyads were observed,with book reading interactions coded and analysed to detail teacher attention.The results reveal how teachers guide students towards the co-construction of text meanings and highlights teachers’ and students’ active engagement in talkinteractions, as central to the instructional process.

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We welcome enquiries about articles that are not listed here. Please contact us on Freephone 1800 248 379. Full journals can be purchased in hard copy for $12.50 plus $4.00 postage. Annual subscription available (free with membership). Contact alea@netspace.net.au to order.

Article published in Practically Primary Vol 16 no 3, October 2011
There are many varied views concerning the nature and purpose of advertising, which I believe lie on a spectrum. On one end, advertising is seen as an insidious, manipulative
force that bends us to the whims of the corporate elite. On the other extreme, advertising is merely a means of providing consumers with information about products and services (a view often espoused, for those who watch ABC’s ‘The Gruen Transfer’, by Russell Howcroft). Whilst the nature of advertising is still very much a contentious issue, what is
clear is that children today are being exposed to signi³ cantly more advertising than ever before. In addition to television, radio and print-based media, the growth of the internet and multimedia modes of communication provides advertisers a greater and constantly changing playing ³ eld, offering increasing opportunities to convey their messages
to children. As educators we should not be afraid of these advertising-laden online environments and what they ‘do’ to children.

The Australian Government Summer School for Teachers of English program was announced as part of the 2007-08 Federal Budget Package: Realising Our Potential. More than two hundred English teachers attended Deakin University's Waterfront campus for a smorgasboard of keynote presentations, workshops and social events that is unlikely to be repeated in this country. English for a New MIllennium gives every English teacher an opprtunity to share in the richness of that experience, including contributions from Cathering Beavis, Ray Misson, Elizabeth Webby, Gabriel Matters and Clare Bradford.

As a student focused text, book 2 privileges student experience, creative engagement with texts, moments of reflection and opportunities for deep thinking. Drawing on an inquiry model of learning, it provides opportunities for students to write and create their texts, as they develop their knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of a host of literary and non-literary text forms. Book 2:

• Focuses on the importance of visual literacy.
• Extends language skills at word, sentence and text level, with activities in reading, writing, viewing, creating, listening and speaking.
• Encourages student writing across a variety of contexts, for a variety of purposes and for a variety of audiences.
• Provides opportunities for students to create their own multimodal texts.

Contains the essential knowledge and skills for successful English studies, including:

• Five sections convering the key areas of English, from the foundations of grammar to the skills of analysing literature and the media
• Numerous examples on a wide range of interesting topics showing how to apply the rules and conventions of grammar and punctuation
• Practical tips and guidelines for learning rules, developing vocabulary and building writing skills.

Article published in English in Australia Vol 46 no 1, 2011
Abstract: This article is a case study of how English teachers in England have coped with the paradigm shift from print to digital literacy. It reviews a large scale national initiative that was intended to upskill all teachers, considers its weak impact and explores the author’s involvement in the evaluation of the project’s direct value to English teachers. It explores how this latter evaluation revealed how best practice in English using ICT was developing in a variable manner. It then reports on a recent small scale research project that investigated how very good teachers have adapted ICT successfully into their teaching. It focuses on how the English teachers studied in the project are developing a powerful new pedagogy situated in the life worlds of their students and suggests that this model may be of benefit to many teachers. The issues this article reports on have resonance in all
English speaking countries. This article is also a personal story of the author’s close involvement with ICT and English over 20 years, and provides evidence for his conviction that digital technologies will eventually transform English teaching.

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Published in Literacy Learning: the Middle Years Vol 18 No 2, June 2010 (Practical Strategies Lift-out)
Abstract: This edition of Practical Strategies is focused on teaching English as an additional language to multicultural students in the middle years. There are four sections:
1. an introduction that discusses ways of teaching English to students with an established repertoire of home/community languages, including Indigenous students
2. an example of a program planned with teachers in a remote coastal Northern Territory school where all students speak an Indigenous language
3. an example of a language-focused program integrated with science, built around an investigation of a range of marine birds in the area
4. a brief summary of requirements for teaching EAL/D students in the middle years.

Supports teachers in acquiring knowledge about texts, communication technologies and how they design and re-design text.  Each chapter includes 'Theory into practice' whereby the content of the literacy curriculum may be investigated, explored and developed.  This book successfully guides the teacher in assisting the 21st century learner through the complexity of multimodal texts, knowledge and interrationships.

LIMITED OFFER (WHILE STOCKS LAST):  SPECIAL AATE & ALEA MEMBER PRICE $35.95 plus postage.  SAVE $9.00
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The books in the Exploring Genre series provide in-depth analysis and exercises to help students analyse, question, interpret and articulate their understanding of the text.
Each book starts with a detailed definition of the genre, followed by an examination of a wide range of texts. It also includes a wide range of student activities to suite different year levels, with emphasis on what is being said and how it is being said, with questiions and response tasks.

The books in the Exploring Genre series provide in-depth analysis and exercises to help students analyse, question, interpret and articulate their understanding of the text.
Each book starts with a detailed definition of the genre, followed by an examination of a wide range of texts. It also includes a wide range of student activities to suite different year levels, with emphasis on what is being said and how it is being said, with questiions and response tasks.

The speculative nature of science fiction has conjured alternative worlds, races and situations which often juxtapose the ordinary and familiar with the extraordinary and the unfamiliar: space travel, aliens, science and technology remain some of the better known motifs. A range of appropriate texts have been selected that seek to demonstrate the changing face of Science Fiction over time. Detailed analysis of the conventions, themes, techniques and contextual impact has been provided to help teachers develop and deepen student understanding, critical evaluation and personal interpretation. Includes:

• Background information that establishes historical, social and literary context
• Textual information and evaluation that highlights literary and media features
• Suggested strategies and resources for dealing with the texts
• Wide ranging student activities with an emphasis on what key ideas are developed and communicated and how these can be represented.

Teachers notes to accompany The Girl Who Married a Fly , AATE's wonderful collection of stories for Years 6-10.

Teachers will find that the stories, which work well with a range of abilities, promote thoughtful discussion and writing. Concepts such as 'unreliable narrator', 'ideology', 'satire', 'fable' and 'intertextuality' are introduced in meaningful contexts. All fifteen stories and the three 'mini-sagas' are photocopiable, and each of the book's sections is prefaced by an illuminating commentary on the stories, and suggestions for teaching them.

This resource book gives a detailed commentary for each story in volume 2 of the Exploring Short Stories anthology. It includes disscussion of the narrative techniques used by the writer, and practical suggestions for using the stories in the classroom.

Film-specific terminology is explained in a fresh, accessible style and in a logical sequence. Terms such as 'mise-en-scene', 'close-up' and 'canting', and techniques such as changing camera positions and focal lengths, lighting systems and types of edits, are defined and illustrated with original photographs and filmic examples.
As well as the technical aspects, there are sections on genre, narrative, and intertextuality (including adaptations from novels, comic books and television shows). The final chapter includes several annotated examples of how to write analytically about film.

This CD features Australia's most loved actor reading Australia's most loved poems and short stories.  The Campfire Yarns is a premium selection of Henry Lawson's short stories including The Drover's Wife and The Loaded Dog as read by Jack Thompson.

Australia's most loved actor (Jack Thompson) reads Australia's most loved poems including: Clancy of the Overflow, The Man From Ironbark, The Daylight is Dying, The Travelling Post Office and The Man From Snowy River.

Published in Practically Primary vol 16 no 1, June 2011

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Article published in Practically Primary Vol 15 No 3, October 2010
Introduction: St Peter’s Catholic Primary School is situated in Caboolture – approximately 100 km north of Brisbane (Queensland). The school is administered by Brisbane Catholic Education. The school has a full-time Principal, Assistant to the Principal – Administration (APA) and Assistant to the Principal – Religious Education (APRE). There are 60 teachers and school officers. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School is a co-educational Prep to Year 7 school catering for a student population of 595. An action research project was conducted at St Peter’s Catholic Primary School in 2009. A total of 19 Year 2 and 26 Year 4 students were involved in the project (45 students in total).

Article published in Practically Primary Vol 16 no 3, October 2011
Introduction:  Following the introduction of national testing of literacy and numeracy (NAPLAN) in 2008 and subsequent establishment of the MySchool website, during 2010 many primary and secondary schools across Australia in all sectors were involved in trialling the draft Australian Curriculum. Trial school consultation processes involved schools engaging with the draft document in one or a combination of activities which included: developing teaching programs; teaching, assessing and collecting work samples from a developed program; or testing the functions of the online curriculum portal (ACARA, 2010a).

Provides a ready reference tool to help students understand the rules that are needed for the correct use of English grammar within the context of various text types.

Article published in Literacy Learning: the Middle Years Vol 18 No 3, October 2010
Abstract:  Knowing how to begin teaching functional grammar can seem overwhelming. This paper attempts to provide examples of activities that can be used with middle to upper primary students to begin introducing principles of functional grammar to both students and teachers.

Article published in Practically Primary Vol 15 No 3, October 2010
Introduction: Nature and nature’s laws lay hid in night; God said ‘Let Newton be’ and all was light. – Alexander Pope
This ode to Sir Isaac Newton is a grammar experience in itself waiting to happen! Who or what are the participants? What processes has Pope made available to construe particular experiences for his audience? What are the circumstances of the processes? And to what effect? However, how do the structures and functions of language translate into the ‘real’ scientific investigations and explorations of knowledge to which Newton so passionately contributed? To many traditionalists, grammar begins and ends in the conventional English lesson. However, grammar is an integral part of all Key Learning Areas in the primary classroom, especially when current teaching practices focus upon and promote integrated learning experiences.

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Article published in Practically Primary Vol 15 No 3, October 2010
Introduction:  We all want the students in our class to become effective writers that craft meaningful texts. Developing writing skills happens gradually over a series of stages. It is imperative at those pivotal teaching moments within the learning sequence that the teacher releases control by choosing the appropriate writing approach. Teaching writing requires a scaffolded approach with specific techniques and strategies. Approaches widely recognised as rigorous practices are:
· Modelled writing
· Shared writing
· Interactive Writing
· Guided Writing
· Independent writing

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Article publish in English in Australia Vol 46 no 1, 2011
Abstract: This paper will present a brief overview of the recent shifts within English and EAL/D (English as an additional language/dialect) curriculum documents and their focus on critical literacy, using the Queensland context as a case in point. The English syllabus landscape in Queensland has continued to morph in recent years. From 2002 to 2009, teachers of senior English and English as an Additional Language (EAL/D) have witnessed no less than four separate syllabus documents that impact on their daily work. The Australian Curriculum, when finally implemented, will also require teachers to navigate through and grapple with its particular obligations and affordances. The combined effect of the shifts and tensions between recent policy documents has led to confusion about exactly how to cater for EAL/D learners in mainstream English. We discuss the possible effects of this on teachers as the agents of policy implementation and argue that in spite of such contradictions, EAL/D teachers can productively use syllabus frameworks to craft pedagogy to cater for their EAL/D learners’ language and literacy needs. Following this, we present aspects of the teaching practice of four teachers of senior EAL/D, who provide intellectually-engaging, critical literacy pedagogy that takes into account the language proficiency level of their learners, within the required curriculum. Such practice provides teachers with valuable pedagogic possibilities to meet EAL/D learners’ needs within continually varying policy terrain.

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Article published in Literacy Learning: the Middle Years Vol 19 no 3, October 2011
Abstract: The presentation of texts within a school environment has traditionally been heavily weighted towards print-based media. Outside of this environment, students are
increasingly exposed to multimodal texts as a result of a greater reliance upon, and use of, electronic communication technologies in their daily lives. It may appear that students are fluent in the control of these technologies, but this may not necessarily equate to adequate comprehension of the texts being presented by these technologies. This paper examines the role and potential effectiveness of a ‘traditional’ model for comprehension of print-based texts(Here-Hidden-Head) when applied to the comprehension of a digital multimodal text.

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Children benefit greatly from being read to by the adults in their lives. However, many adults don't feel very confident in their ability to read expressively to children and therefore both they and the child don't enjoy the activity as much as they might. How to Enjoy Reading Aloud to Young Children illustrates techniques, advice and practice on how to read aloud better - with obvious benefits for the child, and greater enjoyment for the adult.

The skills learned and the confidence gained from using How to Enjoy Reading Aloud to Young Children, offer a solid foundation for making sharing books a daily pleasure for adults and children.

Article published in Practically Primary Vol 16 no 3, October 2011
Student writers are often so excited to finish assignments that they never get past the first draft. They think their piece of work is wonderful, not because of what it is, but because they wrote it.  If you want your students to get top marks in writing assignments, you must teach them how to edit ruthlessly and efficiently.

AVAILABLE IN ARABIC, BOSNIAN, CHINESE AND VIETNAMESE.

These post-card size magnets provide practical ideas for parents who want to help their children with their reading. The cards, which can be attached to the home refrigerator, are suitable for Parent Literacy sessions, would make great inserts for school newsletters, or could be sent to parents with other pre-entry information.
Price is for 40 copies (inc. GST and postage).

These post-card size magnets provide practical ideas for parents who want to help their children with their spelling. The cards, which can be attached to the home refrigerator, are suitable for Parent Literacy sessions, would make great inserts for school newsletters, or could be sent to parents with other pre-entry information.
Price is for 40 copies (inc. GST and postage)

A collection of new and original stories from some of Australia's best writers, edited by two people with extensive teaching experience who wanted the stories to be as good to read as they were to teach.

These stories of love and desire, cloning, ostracism, memory, identity, conflict, life after death, the second law of thermodynamics, and the pursuit of happiness are set in the city, the outback, on the footy field, at home, school and university. The classic short story sits alongside the rap, as well as the narrative poem. The language is colloquial, humourous, allusive, realistic, poetic, and above all, alive!

There's something here for everyone.

The writers are: Ian Bone, Catherine Bateson, Paul Daffey, Archimede Fusillo, Michael Hyde, Cate Kennedy, Brian Matthews, Jaclyn Moriarty, Jenny Pausacker, Lauren Williams, Alexis Wright and Beth Yahp .

In the words of the distinguished Canadian, Emeritus Professor Patrick Dias, "the essays in Imagination, Innovation, Creativity: Re-visioning English in Education will restore and further develop seminal and significant insight's from our profession's corporate memory; articulate and explore exhilarating contemporary advances in our knowledge and practice; and open up exciting possibilities for the future of our English teaching profession. Perhaps, above all, in a world sometimes prone to despair and aimlessness these essays offer hope and direction." The chapters stress the importance of reconnnecting and re-engaging with what teachers love about English and its unique capacity to:

• engage the mind, the spirit and heart
• stimulate imagination, curiosity and creative capacities through meaningful immersion in the stories of humanity, and
• enrich and develop students' cognitive and affective command and understanding of language in all its expansive dimensions, contexts and purposes.

Research has confirmed that assessment for learning is a powerful tool that can raise teaching and learning standards—but how do teachers get started?

Improving Student Achievement: A practical guide to assessment for learning provides practical guidance for teachers in the way that they consider and use assessment in the classroom. The book highlights the learning partnership between students and teachers as they plan and set goals for successful learning and to ensure future success.

Students are introduced to key strategies, including:

• sharing of learning intentions and success criteria
• strategic questioning
• effective teacher feedback
• peer feedback and self-assessment
• formative use of summative assessment.

This is an essential resource for teachers of all levels who are looking to incorporate assessment for learning into their pedagogy.

• The essential persuasive language textbook for all students and teachers
• A dynamic exploration of newspaper texts for senior English students
• Covers television news and current affairs, radio taklback and internet issues
• Packed full of activities, sample newspaper texts, annotated student writing
• Full-colour 8-page insert including advertisements, photographs and cartoons

This text provides students with the language and tools for analysing and interpreting visual images. Each chapter provides teacher's notes as well as practical activities which can be used for class work, group work or individual study. These activities aim to assist students to develop a metalanguage for discussing and writing about images and show how texts rely on visual images to develop meaning. The conclusion offers a range of ethical questions which can be used in class discussions.

This is an easy-to-use writing reference for mid-primary students. It uses simple language and frequent examples to explain and demonstrate all aspects of language use in writing. It includes many helpful tips and notes on writing; extensive coverage of capital letters, confusing words, punctuation, spelling and the writing process; and descriptions of text types including purpose, structure and style.

This fourth edition continues to provide an accessible and comprehensive explanation of language acquisition and use. The aspects of language explored include: the purpose and uses of language, the linguistic basis of language, language learning, the influence of new technologies on language and learning, and the implications of language knowledge for teaching.

This comprehensive textbook is for all pre-service and practising educators. Addressing language and literacy development, and learning from birth to eight years, the book emcompasses the four main early childhood settings: the family and community, childcare, the pre-school years, and the early years of school. Current, and relevant to the Australian Curriculum, the text is based on the latest research and theories, complemented by practical strategies and activities designed to equip educators with the knowledge and skills they need to feel confident about their work in early childhood education.

Published in the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol 34 no 2, 2011
Abstract: The diverse needs of English as another language/dialect (EAL/D) students have been conceived of in ways that are often tokenistic in various subject English
curricula in Australia. This article highlights the importance of moving beyond ‘motherhood statements’ regarding inclusivity to developing an English curriculum
that genuinely supports and enables non native speakers. Reporting on a case study undertaken in a Queensland secondary school in 2008, this article presents an empirical text-based analysis of both native and non native speaker texts as written for the purposes of assessment in senior subject English. The study sought to move beyond the surface features of writing by detailing the topical structures of the students’ critical essays. The data reported sheds some light on the complexities posed by critical literacy for EAL/D students in a mainstream setting. The data also has a range of implications for the National Curriculum in English.

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Hilary Janks addresses these questions and many more in Literacy and Power - a landmark text that is both engaging and accessible:

• Is literacy a skill or a social practice?
• In what ways is literacy embodied?
• Do texts have designs on us and what can we do about it?
• How does language construct reality?
• What is 'linguistic capital' and who has it?
• Who gets access to new literacies and who is excluded?
• How is literacy implicated in relations of power and questions of identity within our daily lives?

Article published in Literacy Learning: the middle years vol 19 no 3, October 2011
Abstract: The Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study for Indigenous Students (ILLANS) tracked the growth in literacy and numeracy skills of a group of Indigenous students from 27 schools across Australia, from the beginning of primary school until the end of Year 6. At the time the study was conceived, longitudinal studies on the school achievement
of Indigenous students were comparatively rare. A desire to develop a broader picture of primary school experiences motivated data collection that included a range of other data from a variety of informants in addition to academic achievement data. ILLANS commenced in 2000, with the first phase of the study (2000–2002) reported in the monograph Supporting English literacy and numeracy learning for Indigenous students in the early years (Frigo, et al., 2003). The current paper focuses on some key findings on literacy development among children in Years 3–6, from the second phase of the study (2003–2006), that are reported in the monograph Literacy and Numeracy learning: Lessons from the Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study for Indigenous Students
(Purdie, Reid, Frigo, Stone & Kleinhenz, 2011).

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Explains the reasons for the often bitter disagreements between the critics who want to reclaim old ways of teaching literacy and the educators who emphasise the possibilities for creative change. It is a story of strong beliefs and deep divisions. It is also a story of the politicisation of the debates, which has repercussions for policy decisions and funding.

Intended for use as a supplement to courses in Literature and English. Includes brief activities which help students develop a working knowledge of the concepts. Divided into four sections: To Get You Thinking, Theory, Practice, and a final Summary. As well as introducing new terminology, the text also reviews many traditional terms in the context of contemporary approaches to the study of literature.

Annotated lists of novels which support the Australian curriculum and is sorted into Asian themes, Indigenous themes, Sustainability themes, Poetry books, Books suitable for class sets and Books suitable for reading aloud. It is designed to help the busy teacher and teacher/librarian easily find books that are suitable for the Australian English curriculum under those themes. The titles have been carefully selected by Fran Knight, children's literature speicalist.

Article published in the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol 33 No 1, February 2010
Abstract: Like all cultural forms, video games reflect aspects of the society in which they are produced; they also shape players’ perceptions and promote values both implicitly and explicitly. Discussions of games have often hinged on definitions: for instance, whether they are best understood in relation to ludology (the study of games, their forms and categories) or to narratology (how narratives work). I argue in this paper that games are hybrid products which incorporate narrative and game elements while engaging players in energetic action and (in many cases) interpersonal and social processes. As complex, evolving forms, they invite analytical strategies which take account of the multifarious ways in which they produce meaning and create subject positions for players.

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This resource is designed to provide teachers with the methodologies, content, resources and information required to develop a media studies program.
The format allows teachers to follow activities in a sequential order or select units that follow a specific topic or theme. All lessons are easy to follow and are supported by a glossary of terms.

Article published in Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol 34 no 3, 2011
Abstract: This article features Grade 7 students’ oral and written responses to The Red Tree (Tan, 2001), one of the picturebooks used during two multifaceted, classroom based research projects. As well as examining how the students responded to and interpreted texts with metafictive devices, the research explored how students transferred their knowledge and understanding of various literary and art elements in picturebooks and graphic novels when creating their own multimodal print texts. The discussion of one small group’s transcript excerpts and written responses reveals how the students engaged in collaborative talk as they worked to interpret the artwork and text in Tan’s picturebook, and how their exploratory talk affected their written work. The article concludes by exploring several factors that need to be considered when developing effective pedagogy for  classroom talk.

Provides insight into a broad spectrum of children's literacy learning. Motivation is the key theme and the authors show this can achieved through reading for pleasure; in writing activities at a number of levels; and through oral language development.

Article published in Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol 33 No 3, October 2010
Abstract: Changes to literacy pedagogy are gradually occurring in classrooms in response to contemporary communication and learning contexts. These changes are diverse as teachers and educational researchers attempt to design new pedagogy to respond to the potential of digital technologies within existing curriculum and assessment policies. This paper  discusses evidence from recent classroom research where 16 teachers worked in teams in nine primary school classrooms to develop new ways of embedding technology for literacy learning. Data from the nine case studies provides evidence that teachers can combine the teaching of print-based literacy with digital communications technology across a range of curriculum areas. Findings from this research confirm that literacy needs to be redefined within current curriculum contexts, particularly in light of the emergence of a national curriculum. New descriptors of language and literacy criteria are proposed within the framework of multimodal literacy, the literacy that is needed in contemporary times for reading, viewing, responding to and producing multimodal and digital texts.

Article published in Literacy Learning: the Middle Years Vol 18 No 3, October 2010
Abstract:  This article describes how a group of middle phase students utilised grammar to organise their thinking and to comprehend and compose text. More importantly, the article demonstrates how the timely introduction of the powerful language resource of nominalisation moved these students from the simple recounting of events to expressing an understanding of the complex issues behind a critical chapter of our nation’s story.

A pamphlet which outlines ways to engage babies and toddlers with print. Excellent for daycare centres, health clinics and kindergartens.
Price is for 25 copies (inc. GSTand postage)

Article published in English in Australia Vol 46 no 2, 2011
Abstract: In some places in the world teachers still receive professional esteem commensurate with the vital task they have chosen to fulfil. In the US this is not the currently the case. Even the lip service that used to be paid to teachers seems to have vanished as the perceived crisis in the schools is more and more blamed on teachers – and especially teacher unions who are seen as defenders of the tenure that keeps incompetent teachers in the classroom – and on teacher education that has failed to prepare them adequately in the first place. This paper will explore both the illusion and reality of the perceived failure of American schools – with a focus on the literacy testing mandated by ‘No Child Left Behind’ – and on the responsibility of teachers and teacher educators to be perceived to be par t of the solution, not par t of the problem.

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Article published in Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol 33 No 3, October 2010
Abstract:  This collaborative teacher-research study was conducted in children’s first year of school and explored ways young children’s use of oral language, vocabulary  and phonology connected with beginning reading. A play-based oral language intervention was implemented and an analysis of oral language and reading suggested that spoken language did not provide a neat, sequential base which can be easily mapped to written language. Questions were raised about the view that oral language neatly underpins reading development and the study concluded that learning to read written English is influenced by children’s oral language development as well as their experience and understanding about written language structures.

In this DVD Rom resource you will find beaut ideas to support primary and lower-secondary teachers addressing persuasive texts in the classroom. The resource includes: 12 digitised downloadable clips from a variety of children's TV productions, 44 teaching activities with associated student activity sheets, and links to current Australian curriculum documents and supporting resources.

Two great AATE publications for only $35 including GST and postage within Australia.  While stocks last. This Poetry Pack will get your students writing and enjoying poetry, and will help get their imagination flowing:

• Yield:  a practical guide to teaching Poetry Writing by John Malone - the first in AATE's new Top Drawer series. 
• A Book to Write Poems By, by Rory Harris & Peter McFarlane - a cookbook with 26 'tried and true' recipes for making poems.

A collection of almost 200 classic and contemporary poems for secondary school students selected by experienced classroom English teachers. The anthology aims to introduce students to important and interesting poems and poets from the canon of English literature and from other languages and cultures.

This practical 'how to' resource assists teachers to adapt typical classroom learning experiences for the ESL students in their classrooms. It helps students to be more fully immersed in the language models of their peers, while at the same time learning critical English content. Students are shown how to learn the key words, phrases and ideas associated with school life, home life and the important business of getting along with others and fitting in. The student activites encourage students to learn to read, write and say the words from the key words list, as well as learn basic information about the topic which will help them in managing on a practical, day to day level with life in a new society. 

Read, Record, Respond is a program that takes educators through a cycle of oral reading assessment, analysis of students' reading responses, identification of learning goals, and selection of instructional approaches to teach specific reading strategies. The program provides educators with a number of probing checklists as well as professional support videos, customisable activity worksheets linked to the Oxford Literacy guided reading texts, and accuracy-rate coversion charts. A Parents' Guide is included, which provides educators with a ready-made booklet of reading strategies to distribute to parents.

Highlights a wide range of literature that can excite, inspire, amuse and delight children from their very first year at school.  The selected literature, which can be read, listened to and viewed, takes the form of alphabet books, picture-books, pop-up books, novels, poetry, informational books, film and DVD.  The selections are followed by practical suggestions that show how they contribute to the growth of literacy competencies.  The author's long experience of reading with children illuminates the literature selections and their importance in children's literacy learning.

A practical and informative resource that will support learners in thinking, reading and writing with understanding. In becoming media literate, students will:

• Learn how and why media content is contructed,
• Think critically about the messages to which they are exposed
• Be able to recognise persuasive intent, stereotyping and bias
• Discover more about the roles of people who work in the media
• Practice conducting interviews, writing articles and other content, editing and proofreading

This book is designed for university students preparing to be teachers. but classroom teachers working in Primary Schools will also find it useful. It is framed by a holistic view of language and literacy learning in sociocultural contexts. It provides a comprehensive coverage of reading in terms of cracking the codes of texts, making meaning from texts, using texts for social purposes, and critically analysing texts. These practices are explained in accessible terms and illustrated with examples from real-life texts and experiences in and out of the classroom.

This book honours the wonderful authors and illustrators of Australian children's literature. It also gives an insight into what children think about books and reading. Use it as a resource for students who are doing author studies; as a way of finding book for students to read;  or as a source of useful activities to encourage reading.

Article published in Literacy Learning: the Middle Years Vol 18 No 3, October 2010
PRACTICAL STRATEGIES
Introduction: How is technology changing literacy? The National Capital Centre for Literacy Research (NCCLR) works with disengaged and struggling readers enrolled in U-CAN READ: Literacy Intervention Years 3–10 to support them attain literacy success and become motivated, engaged readers. U-CAN READ: Literacy Intervention Years 3–10 is a joint project with the ACT Department of Education. It is a collaborative parent education program that assists parents/carers to support their children struggling with reading. The Centre is research based and is focused on making use of technology to re-engage students in reading. Technology includes Kindles, iPads, computers, digital cameras and iPods. This paper outlines the features of the Kindle and promotes its use in the classroom as a motivator for literacy enhancement.

Article published in Practically Primary Vol 15 No 3, October 2010
Introduction:  Throughout 2009 and continuing into 2010, my school participated in an action learning project offered by the University of Wollongong. The aim of this project was to help us add what we called a ‘forensic level’ to our understanding of the reading process. From the perspective of classroom teaching, this meant that only data meeting stringent, rigorous, scientific standards of accuracy and validity would be used to evaluate our students’ reading ability. From this, we would design subsequent instructional procedures to support our students’ needs. At a whole staff level we believed that if all teachers were collecting and using the same data, our analysis and subsequent interpretations would not only be easily transferable but would be consistent across teachers.

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Article published in the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol 34 no 3, 2011
Abstract: Knowledge of students’ out-of-school literacies could provide importantinformation towards addressing primary school literacy attainment for Pasifikastudents. Fourteen Samoan children in a New Zealand primary school weretrained as ethnographers to document their own out-of-school uses of literacy.The students and three adult representatives from the church associated withthe students’ school were interviewed. Data from photographs, journals and interviews were analysed into patterns of sites and uses for literacy whichrevealed consonant and conflicting values and pedagogies between the sites. Rogoff’s three planes of analysis were used to examine the students’ practicesat personal, interpersonal and community levels and to offer the students’ ownperspective of areas of conflicting values. These findings highlight the need for teachers to know about their students’ out-of-school literacy practices to identify consonant and conflicting values as students negotiate between their various sites for literacy. Rather than construct differences as deficits, teachers can incorporate consideration of students’ out-of-school literacies into their classroom programs.Where there are conflicting values, this challenge should not be dismissed as too difficult. Contradictions may provide useful links for teachers even as they present a challenge for teachers’ professional judgments and adaptation of the school curriculum in order to make meaningful connections to school.

Volume 1 of the Survival Manual is packed with helpful information and practical, creative ideas. It includes plain English explanations of language use in social and cultural contexts; a checklist for starting at a new school; ideas for planning effective, well structured lessons; a special focus on literature and the development of imagination; and much more.

A ready reference tool for students, teachers and parents to assist in the production of over 30 different types of written texts. The guide also includes a glossary of terms, writing activities and a matrix of text types.

Revised and updated to support the Australian Curriculum, this edition includes over 30 Test Yourself exercises and covers:

• Punctuation
• Grammar, including all terms used in the Language strand of the curriculum
• Vocabulary and spelling, including borrowed words, and words from Latin and Greek
• Communication through writing, organised as in the curriculum under 'Imaginitive texts', 'Information texts' and 'Persuasive or argumentative texts'
• Communication through speaking and listening
• A comprehensive glossary of terms used in literature and language.

Speaking and Listening Skills examines all the major components of effective oral commuication and shows how students can use these elements.

It deals with a range of types of commuication which a junior secondary student might use--from everyday situations to more formal presentation types. (CD included)

Each unit includes:

• information and strategies for teachers
• photocopiable information pages for students
• practice exercises and activities

Practical resources for classroom teachers developed by the South Australian Department of Education and Children's Services.  Buy Spelling or ABC and receive Texts and Real Writing for 1/2 price!  Only while stocks last:

• Spelling:  from beginnings to independence - a resource for classroom teachers across all areas of study.  Can be used to support the spelling development of students from early years to senior secondary
• ABC:  Handwriting in the South Australian Curriculum - this book asserts that it is still important for children to learn to write by hand, thereby learning about the shape and sound of letters which is essential to reading
• Texts:  the heart of the English curriculum - 15 practical broadsheets to support R-10 teachers in selecting and using a broad and balanced range of texts in the English programs.
• Real Writing:  across the curriculum - practical guidelines for encouraging primary and secondary students to find relevance in classroom activities by writing for real purposes.

The journey from original idea to performance of a script is a bumpy ride - but it's also an exhilarating experience. Everything you need to know is covered here: story, structure, plot, character, dramaturgy, workshops, rehearsals and more. This is an indispensable guide for teachers and students of drama and creative writing on the intricate workings of the playwright's profession. Most chapters have practical exercises and activities.

Every teacher wants to see their students fully engaged, highly motivated, taking responsibility for their own learning, and experiencing greater success as a result. Robyn Adams and Toni Glasson share their research and classroom experience exploring assessment for learning strategies: sharing learning intentions and success criteria with the class, peer feedback, effective teacher feedback, strategic questioning, student reflection, self-motivation and self-assessment. When implemented consistently, these strategies lead to significant improvement in student achievement.

Four great books for only $20 including postage within Australia.  70 stories and over 500 pages combined!  Pack comprises four classic AATE titles:

• New Axe Handle and Other Stories
• The Crankworth Bequest and Other Stories
• Taste of Cockroach and Other Stories
• The Bad Deeds Gang and Other Stories

This exciting work offers an approach to poetry study that differs from most other textbooks. It argues that poetry is governed by conventions of thought and action that are embedded in historical and social contexts. By making some of these conventions explicit, the book tries to give students a clearer understanding of how poetry works.

Article published in Practically Primary Vol 16 no 3, October 2011
The study was funded by the ALEA Research Grant where we, (Jessica Mantei, academic partner, and I, classroom teacher) investigated the ways children could be supported through literature to be creators of literature. That is, the ways we could inspire and support them to become authors of children’s literature.

Article published in the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol 33 No 1, February 2010
Abstract: Few spaces exist in schools that require students to research, play and design digital games. This paper presents two suburban case studies exploring the introduction of digital games into the English curriculum with students who traditionally struggle with literacy. The students’ research, gameplay and design of digital games enhanced literacy teaching and learning because the curriculum resonated more closely with their lifeworlds. The article moves the field of literacy research forward by introducing the term systems-based literacy practices to describe youths’ new literacy practices emerging from their digital gameplay experiences. These practices reflect students’ proficiencies in programming as well as the technical, kinetic, social and linguistic knowledge necessary to play and configure different digital games for maximum gaming pleasure. Digital games are a medium requiring students to interact with machines across various platforms, to understand their interfaces and become familiar with different virtual worlds. The case studies illustrate how two teachers came to rethink digital games and students’ participation in digital game culture as valuable and integral meaning-making activities. The important findings concern the increased degree to which students engaged with the content of the English curriculum, the design of multimodal texts and their conscientious production of traditional school-based literacy practices still necessary for academic success. The paper argues students did this through transformed practice, where they transferred and re-created designs of meaning from, and across, one context to another drawing on their experiences as gamers and their systems-based literacy practices.

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The ALEA STELLA professional learning project was set up to explore ways of using STELLA as a framework for Teachers' professional learning. In 2005 the project gave teachers in three Australian states an opportunity to work with a mentor to explore the STELLA professional standards, to develop their own professional learning, and to share their stories with other professionals. The teachers' stories in this collection are firmly based in classroom contexts, and tell about a variety of professional learning experiences that led to improved classroom outcomes.

This timely resource explains the concept of multiliteracies and provides the literacy knowledge, resources, attitudes, and strategies elementary and middle school students need to succeed in a changing world. Chapters cover how teachers can rely less on print texts and respond to new trends in children's literature; balanced guided reading, out-based curricula, and schoolwide approaches to planning.

An extensive range of teacher- and student-friendly support material, including strategy-starter posters, photocopiable masters, bookmarks and cetificates, as well as information on how to introduce and teach strategies and how they fit into your literacy programme. Each strategy has its own chapter, with:

• an explanation of the strategy and how it supports comprehension
• the language we use when using a strategy
• guided and independent student activities that support teaching the strategy

All teachers use a range of strategies to structure their teaching of English and literacy. This book describes and lists the steps for forty different teaching strategies that can help consolidate and extend every teacher's repertoire. The strategies can be adapted for all year levels and to suit different students' interests, knowledge and skills.

An introduction to the Web 2.0 revolution. The authors introduce a range of new classroom tools including blogs, wikis, podcasts, social bookmarking and many free online applications and repositories that you can start using immediately. They discuss project ideas for primary and secondary schools and give practical advice on how to implement them. Case studies from around Australia and New Zealand illustrate what teachers are doing in their classrooms right now. Includes a CD which gives clear, step-by-step instructions on how to use RSS feeds and social bookmarking, how to create your own blogs, wikis and podcasts, and much more.

Article published in Practically Primary Vol 15 No 3, October 2010
Literacy coaches working across many classrooms have gathered the opinions and practices of a range of teachers and reported on their schools' ways of working with texts.

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Article published in the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol 34 no 3, 2011
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to describe and discuss the practices used by teachers of 10 – 12-year-old children, in Western Australian (WA) schools, and their confidence in the assessment of children’s reading comprehension cognitive strategies (RCCS) such as summarising, visualising, questioning, making inferences and
predicting. Such cognitive strategies are part of school curricula nationally and internationally and there is considerable literature on how they might be taught, yet there are relatively few research based guidelines about how they might best be assessed in classroom contexts, although it is clear that effective assessment is necessary in order to plan appropriate teaching.

This book provides early childhood professionals with a practical guide for interpreting and implementing Belonging, Being and Becoming - The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Central to the book are the five chapters that provide practical advice and strategies for supporting each of the learning outcomes - Identity, Community, Wellbeing, Learning and Communication.

Article published in English in Australia Vol 46 no 2, 2011
Abstract: This essay focuses on the National Mapping of Teacher Professional Learning (2008), a report that we co-authored along with a number of other researchers on the basis of extensive surveys and interviews relating to the policies and practices of teacher professional learning in Australia. The repor t is an update of an earlier survey conducted by David McRae and others, entitled PD 2000, and it registers significant changes in attitudes and practices relating to professional learning across Australia in the intervening period. Perhaps the most significant development is the way professional learning is now recognised as an important vehicle for educational reform by systems, schools and by teachers themselves, most notably the standards-based reforms that have had such a decisive effect on the policy landscape here in Australia and in other countries. The work of the AATE in developing the Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy (STELLA) is mentioned in the report. It was acknowledged that STELLA provides a generative framework for professional learning, sometimes in contradistinction to more managerial approaches. The question remains, however, of how English teachers as a professional community might locate themselves within the policy landscape described in this report. This essay is an attempt to promote this kind of discussion and to argue the distinctive nature of the standpoint that English teachers might bring to thinking about and planning for professional learning and practitioner inquiry.

Published in Literacy Learning: the Middle Years vol 19 no 2, June 2011
Abstract: Many young people use the interactive web, or Web 2.0, in their everyday lives, primarily for socialising and entertainment. Particularly empowering to learning are abilities to produce content on the world wide web, and a critical, reflective, metacognitive approach to using the web. In the face of a growing ‘participation divide’ between youth who have opportunities to engage in these higher order participatory and reflective literacies and those with fewer opportunities, there is an urgent need for teachers to expand literacy instruction. This article offers examples of classroom practices that draw on social elements of Web 2.0 that are favoured by youth to support less practised usages required for learning. Specifically, we describe ways of using new literacies and new forms of texts for locating and critically examining information, and ways of sharing and building knowledge within the participatory and creative landscape of Web 2.0.

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Article published in Practically Primary Vol 16 no 3, October 2011
Literature plays a pivotal role in supporting, sustaining and developing literacy and language learning. As teachers we know that it is impossible to separate language or literacy learning from literature. Students learn language that is relevant and meaningful for their current and future social interactions through talking, listening, reading and writing.

Think>Organise>Write will help students plan writing tasks using graphic organisers i.e. visual ways of representing, organising and communicating ideas. The book models how to use this planning to write full, detailed responses across a range of styles.

Article published in Practically Primary Vol 15 No 3, October 2010
Introduction: A Spotlight on the teaching of Literacy In busy classrooms around Australia, teachers are under pressure. A recent spotlight on falling literacy and numeracy standards has prompted the publication on the Federally funded My Schools website of national test results and overall achievement standards in schools across Australia. The Australian Federal Government claims that students’ results in National tests highlight areas where a State’s curriculum content and a school’s teaching approaches may be falling down when it comes to ensuring students in primary and secondary school are mastering sufficient skills to be functionally literate within mainstream society.

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Every classroom teacher is aware of that one student who is in danger of falling behind their peers in achieving expected literacy levels. In this volume, teacher recount how they were able to change their students' performance in the classroom and, in doing so, reflect upon their own practice.

The case studies in each chapter illustrate how the teachers implemented practical ideas and strategies and embraced students' interest in new technologies, encouraging students to actively take responsibility for their own learning.