Developed by the Australian Literacy Educators Association (ALEA)

Background:

Two teachers at Unley Primary School researched a meaning-based approach to teaching spelling through structured inquiry informed by the work of Peter Bowers, Christine Topfer and Misty Adoniou. The evidence-based approach to teaching spelling has now been adopted across the whole school through a process of practitioner inquiry and sharing good practice.

Researcher mentor:

Dr Jill Colton, University of South Australia

Teacher researchers:

Amy Reid and Tam Jarowyj, Unley Primary School

Guest Researcher:

Lyn Wilkinson, Flinders University (retired)

Developed by the Foundation for Learning and Literacy (FFLL)

Background:

Associate Professor Misty Adoniou has been working with teachers and leaders at Strathmore North Primary School in Melbourne for 3 years around a focus on improving student’s writing. In these two videos she firstly chats with Assistant Principal Clare Spillane about the strategic planning the leadership team has undertaken to manage the change and improvement process each year and how the staff have been supported and empowered through targeted professional learning and year level PLCs to collaboratively work with new strategies.

In the second video, Misty chats with classroom teacher Emily Dropuljic about the shifts in student writing outcomes that have been achieved using high expectation, high support strategies and quality literature.

Researcher:

Associate Professor Misty Adoniou - Adjunct, University of Canberra, Principal Fellow, Melbourne Graduate School of Education

Teacher:

Emily Dropuljic

School Leader:

Clare Spillane

Developed by the Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA)

Background:

What happens when you focus as much on the language, as the science of climate change? In this interview, year 6/7 teachers, Michael Cannavan and Louise Kelly talk about working with PETAA researchers to teach students the technical language needed to explain the enhanced greenhouse effect. Understanding the greenhouse effect and how human activity contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect, is central to understanding climate change. Louise and Michael discuss how they strategically develop the language students need to talk and write about what’s happening in the atmosphere and how that’s warming our planet. The discussion highlights the language and literacy demands of the primary science curriculum.

Researcher mentors:

Ms Julie Hayes and Dr Bronwyn Parkin PETAA

Teacher researchers:

 Michael Cannavan and Louise Kelly, Cowandilla Primary School

The following are some FFLL resources linked to this conversation:

• The language of climate change science

Developed by the Australian Council of TESOL Associations (ACTA)

Background:

The research project developed resources and a professional learning program in order to create capacity for primary school teachers to implement the plurilingual strand of the new EAL curriculum in Victoria. The resources and professional learning were designed to align with the English curriculum. The project supported the learning of a range of students in diverse classrooms ‒ including EAL students and students proficient in English. The approach taken also supported teachers’ and students’ use of digital technologies and literacies. The professional experience teachers brought from different teaching and learning contexts was invaluable in making this initiative a success. In the project, student and teacher engagement was investigated through lesson documentation, teachers’ written reflections, group discussions, students’ work samples and interviews. The project was funded by the Department of Education and Training, Victoria.

Researcher team:

Dr Marianne Turner, Dr. Anne Keary and Dr. Katrina Tour

Teachers:

Michelle Andrews, Dan Thomas, Ryoki Fukaya and Hien Webb