Standard 2:

Know the content and how to teach it

According to Hattie (2018), 'teacher credibility' is one of the biggest influences on student achievement. Content and pedagogical knowledge are key to teacher credibility.

My tertiary studies have equipped me with deep content knowledge of English, History and Philosophy, and I am interested in integrating these three passions/subject areas where relevant. I would also endeavour to master the content knowledge of other subject areas should I teach them.

No matter which subject area I teach, I believe in the relevance and importance of critical pedagogies and teaching for critical multi-literacies. Luke and Freebody's Four Resources Model (1999) offers a framework for critical pedagogy: students should learn how to be effective code-breakers, text-participants, text users and text analysts.

Another key insight comes from Kelcey and Carlisle (2013), which is that different skill areas require different instructional methods or actions. I believe in being pedagogically adaptable and pairing teaching strategies with the content being delivered.

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Evidence 1: Learning Tasks

Item 1: Poem Scribble Sheet

Poetry analysis is a matter of code breaking: deconstructing 'what' the poem is trying to convey and 'how' it does this (the poetic techniques employed by the poet). For this I used scribble sheets, which are meant to be messy and formative. They give students the opportunity to deconstruct poems and brainstorm possible meanings before producing a formal analysis or commentary.

For a Yr. 10 English poetry unit I deconstructed every poem I taught beforehand and used my own scribble sheets as models, showing the class what it means to highlight techniques, including rhyme scheme, metaphor, alliteration, rhythm and meter. Note I've also put the definitions of archaic words in the bottom left corner as extra scaffolding (focus areas: 2.1, 2.5, 3.3, 3.4).

Item 2: Visual Literacy Exercise

A key skill in the Humanities is being able to code-break and analyse visual texts. I integrated History source analysis work into an English unit on Poetry and Propaganda, having students compare and contrast WW1 propaganda posters and evaluate their effectiveness.

The purpose was to develop their critical literacy skills and provide context for the war poetry we were studying. This task led into a fruitful class discussion about what comprises effective propaganda.

In the future I would like to rely less on printed worksheets and use ICT tools like Microsoft Teams to facilitate these activities (focus areas: 2.1, 2.5, 3.3, 3.4).

Item 3: Character and Setting 'Maps'

Here are Year 9 student work samples from an assessment task during a novel study.

Children of the Dust is a structurally complex post-apocalyptic Science Fiction novel wherein characters are connected across generations. Characterisation and setting are devices the author uses to develop ideas and themes in the novel. To scaffold student understanding of these literary devices I crafted an integrated task which developed ICT and Numeracy abilities at the same time as preparing students for their summative essay, which prompted students to analyse how the author uses literary techniques to develop the theme of survival.

Students had to use concept maps to chart the relationships between characters, provide character descriptions from the text, and represent the novel's settings visually. Students were given freedom in how they presented their 'maps', and there was much variation in the final products, with some students using digital apps, while others opting to hand draw both map and setting elements. This was a highly engaging task for most students and an effective way to get students re-reading parts of the novel to improve understanding (focus areas: 1.5, 2.1, 2.5, 2.6, 3.3, 3.4).

Item 4: Moral Dilemma Activity

In the novel Children of the Dust, which was the text for a Yr. 9 novel study, there are some confronting images and ideas which raise some serious ethical and moral questions. To scaffold our reading of these moments and use them as learning points, I embedded a lesson on Utilitarianism into the English unit.

I lead students through the "trolley dilemma", which raises questions about the value of human life and personal responsibility, two key ideas explored in the novel. The purpose was to prompt students to think about and discuss the complex decision making processes which are activated when confronting moral dilemma.

I had students discuss the first part of the trolley dilemma in small groups (the composition of which I had carefully chosen) and write their intuitive responses on the worksheet (left). I then showed them part of a Ted Talk which gave more context to the activity, before getting them to flip their worksheets over (bottom left), which raises the personal stakes of the dilemma. This activity prompted high engagement in small group discussion; as I circled the room I overheard some impassioned discussions. Based on the ideas they raised, I asked several students to share their thoughts with the class.

Afterwards, I linked this activity back to the novel by reading aloud passages containing moral dilemmas from Children of the Dust and having students discuss the characters' decisions in light of the insights provided by the trolley dilemma activity. See my liaison's comments below regarding the success of this activity/lesson (focus areas: 2.1, 2.2, 2.6, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2).

Evidence 2: Novel Study Unit Plan

Evidence 2: Before beginning my final placement I planned a 6-week unit for a Yr. 9 novel study of Children of the Dust, a text which the students had chosen from among three options (I had surveyed them in the previous term, giving them the blurbs of three novels and asking students to choose the one which was most appealing).

I read the novel twice and selected relevant learning requirements and criteria from the Australian Curriculum (see above), ensuring the requirements I selected were aligned with the unique language devices and themes in the novel. I developed my KUDs (Knowledge, Understanding, Skills) with close attention to the text and in consideration of the novel's context, genre and narrative mode.

It is typical of long English units that two assessment pieces are required of students, therefore I crafted a mid-unit assessment piece--a Character and Setting Map (see above for explanation)--which constituted formative work for the final essay but was also to contribute to students' term grade. The format of the final summative task was non-negotiable (my mentor wanted students to write an essay), however note the comments to my mentor in the plan above, which seek her input and advice .

I wanted this unit to include anticipatory activities; opportunities to explore context; social interaction (i.e. small group work and class discussion); essential questions to guide thought; Kahoot quizzes to encourage engagement; project-based learning; opportunities to use ICT and tasks to develop students' language analysis skills.

The unit I devised has a logical sequence: anticipatory and predictive activities to stimulate interest are followed by a group 'Expert Panel' task to explore historical context. I then scaffold understanding of the language and literary devices through an annotation task before giving students opportunity for in-class reading. Students are introduced to the Character and Setting Map early on and class time is dedicated to a combination of video hooks, individual (or group) reading, quizzes, and individual work on projects before we move on to planning, drafting and writing essays (in my plan I factor in time to scaffold essay writing using explicit instruction, modeling, examples, digital planning tools and one-on-one conferencing).

I won't reflect on the execution of this plan here (see Standard 3 for a detailed reflection on a SACE Stage 1 English unit), other than to say that it was followed relatively closely, though time constraints and the need to respond to students' learning needs as they manifested meant alterations were made ad hoc to the plan.

Focus areas: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 6.3.

Evidence 3: Teaching Indigenous History and Perspectives

The Rabbits

I use John Marsden and Shaun Tan's picture book The Rabbits to teach Yr 8 English and EAL students about Indigenous perspectives. I use a range of cohort-dependent instructional strategies to ensure students understand the layered meanings of the text (focus areas: 1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 2.4).

Rabbit Proof Fence

I show the film Rabbit Proof Fence to my international EAL/D students when teaching them about colonial history and the stolen generation. Paired with excursions, comprehension tasks, and discussions, they gain an understanding of the experiences of First Nations peoples and the challenges they still face (focus areas: 2.4). I used the ACMI Study Guide as a resource when teaching the film (focus area: 3.4)

Bay Discovery Centre

I have taken international EAL/D students on excursions to the Bay Discovery Centre where they complete a scavenger hunt to learn about colonial and Indigenous history. During this experience they watch a Dreaming story and answer questions about Aboriginal culture. This is paired with lessons about Australian colonial history (focus areas: 2.4).

Standards Covered:

1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities

Proficient: Develop teaching activities that incorporate differentiated strategies to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities

2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area

Proficient: Apply knowledge of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area to develop engaging teaching activities

2.2 Content selection and organisation

Proficient: Organise content into coherent, well-sequenced learning and teaching programs

2.3 Curriculum, assessment and reporting

Proficient: Design and implement learning and teaching programs using knowledge of curriculum, assessment and reporting requirements

2.4 Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians

Proficient: Provide opportunities for students to develop understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages.

2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies

Proficient: Apply knowledge and understanding of effective teaching strategies to support students' literacy and numeracy achievement

2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Proficient: Use effective teaching strategies to integrate ICT into learning and teaching programs to make selected content relevant and meaningful

3.3 Use teaching strategies

Proficient: Select and use relevant teaching strategies to develop knowledge, skills, problem solving and critical and creative thinking

3.4 Select and use teaching resources

Proficient: Select and/or create and use a range of resources, including ICT to engage students in their learning

4.1 Support student participation

Proficient: Establish and implement inclusive and positive interactions to engage and support all students in classroom activities

4.2 Manage classroom activities

Proficient: Establish and maintain orderly and workable routines to create an environment where student time is spent on learning tasks

References:

Hattie, J. (2017). visiblelearningplus.com. Cited in Waack, S. (2018), Hattie's 2018 updated list of factors related to student achievement: 252 influences and effect sizes (Cohen's d). Retrieved from:

https://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/

Luke, A., & Freebody, P. (1999). A map of possible practices: Further notes on the four resources model. Practically Primary, 4(2), 5-8.

Kelcey, B., & Carlisle, J. (2013). Learning About Teachers’ Literacy Instruction From Classroom Observations. Reading Research Quarterly, 48(3), 301-317.

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