Kaye Lowe
“I think shame is a word we don’t speak about enough in education.” She reflects on how we have to take notice of students when they don’t fly - there must have been a moment in time where they felt they didn’t succeed.
She says that kids need time to read and write - at least 20 minutes of sustained silent reading. They also needs 20 minutes a day to write. And in order to fly, they need the support of others - their teachers. Student conferences are also important. They are not about feedback - they feed forward.
Kaye explains research that says every classroom should have 200-300 books, and that students should be reading books of their choice - a choice from a range of quality texts, but still a choice.
She says we need teachers who see themselves as readers and writers. Teachers should be passionate and enthusiastic about reading and writing so they can share that positive message with their students. Then, students are entering a community of readers and writers.
Oliver Phommavanh
Oliver says that as a teacher and an author visiting schools, he finds that conferencing is a major part of getting kids to write and read. He wants to focus on getting that spark and leap of faith that lets students begin to write.
He tells us that you can read what you love, and write what you love. “If students want writing to be fun, they can write about something fun.”
He then asks how we can possibly encourage kids to read if adults in their life around them aren’t reading. Parents and teachers need to be reader too.
Next, he provides writing tips for students: to focus on their audience, and the end goal.
Brett Healey
Brett starts by saying that teaching writing is about the belief you need to fly, but we also must teach them the tools to fly (the fairy dust that helps make children fly alongside their belief).
He says that student conferencing and listening deeply are the best way to reveal the next step in teaching writing, so that we can direct individual students forward.
Cindy Valdez-Adams
Cindy tells that as a migrant, a daughter, an EAL/D specialist and mentor, her end goal is to make sure everyone who walks through school gates feels valued and accepted.
She compares her experiences as a migrant with that of students who are refugee learners; even though their experiences of coming to Australia were very different. “How do we ensure each learner experience is supported? That we don’t dumb things down but amplify?”
She’s found that, through the arts, many of her EAL/D students can begin to see themselves, understand themselves, and gain back the skills to identify their boundaries and their ability to learn. Through the arts students learn that they are resilient. They learn to tell this story to themselves. As educators, we need to decide what story we will tell, and how we can make things better for our students.
Dr Lorraine McDonald
“Yesterday, Dr Bronwyn Parkin reminded us about context and consciousness when learning to read. What social, cultural and literary repertoire does each reader, and author, bring to a text?”
Having students discuss the experiences they bring to the text - their repertoire - and share them collectively, helps to build a community of readers.
“Paying conscious attention to the craft of the book allows for deeper understanding of the text.”
