Once upon a time, a good learner was one who could just recall and repeat knowledge. However, in contemporary education we expect learners to do so much more – to locate, evaluate, articulate and create information individually or collaboratively. Reflecting this, Inquiry-based Learning (IBL) has become a popular pedagogical approach in Australian schools. Yet IBL presents unique challenges for EAL/D learners due to the complex language demands involved in problem solving and higher order thinking, as well as those required to work cooperatively with others. This workshop explored how to help EAL students participate and engage in IBL through effective planning and targeted teaching strategies that scaffold understanding, organisation and expression of ideas.
Following 14 years as a NAATI accredited translator then tertiary Spanish lecturer, April Edwards went on to gain a Master of Teaching as an EAL/D and English secondary teacher. She later took on roles as an EAL Coordinator, EAL specialist mentor to English teachers and Teaching and Learning lead teacher. She is currently training undergraduate and postgraduate pre-service teachers in the School of Education at La Trobe University as well as having worked as an EAL consultant to both the DET and the VCAA. April thrives on sharing her knowledge about 1st and 2nd language acquisition with colleagues and students alike. She does so in the belief that when Culturally and Linguistically Diverse students are supported to use their whole linguistic and cultural repertoire they can participate fully in any classroom setting.
Michelle Andrews is a Primary EAL specialist, currently coordinating the EAL program at Preston North East Primary School. Before moving to the mainstream in 2017, she worked for many years in the New Arrivals Program at Blackburn ELS, taking on a variety of roles including student wellbeing coordinator and Primary curriculum leader. She is passionate about supporting English Language learners to engage, learn and thrive in Australian schools.
http://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00Association Officerhttp://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngAssociation Officer2021-05-12 20:23:162021-06-06 19:14:30Supporting EAL students in Inquiry-based Learning
Glynis Rose & Rosemary McLoughlin Tuesday 16 February 2021, 4-5:30pm, Online event In this session, Glynis and Rosemary provided feedback on student performance in the 2020 VCE EAL exam, including…...
This content is available for VicTESOL members. Become a Member
Stephanie Georgiou & Maddy Oh Tuesday 9 February, 4-5:30 pm Online Event Presenters: Stephanie Georgiou has more than 18 years of experience in teaching EAL. She has worked in the…...
This content is available for VicTESOL members. Become a Member
http://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00Association Officerhttp://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngAssociation Officer2021-02-09 21:13:222024-01-02 10:01:10VCE EAL Reading and Creating Texts – Online presentation and small group discussions
Jacky Springall Tuesday 10 November 2020, 4:00-5:30pm AEDT Online Workshop This practical workshop was based on the premise that EAL teachers need to be pro-active in integrating a focus…...
This content is available for VicTESOL members. Become a Member
http://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00Association Officerhttp://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngAssociation Officer2020-11-11 09:19:562024-01-02 10:00:37Teaching Pronunciation: It’s never too early – Jacky Springall
Stories are powerful. They shape the way we think about the world, ourselves and each other. The stories we choose to present to students at school, as teachers and librarians, profoundly affect how students perceive the world and their place in it. We want to help you choose culturally diverse resources that reflect students’ diverse lives, promote inclusion, challenge stereotypes, confront racism and ultimately strengthen our multicultural society.
This series of professional learning events is a result of collaboration between staff from the Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre (LMERC), the School Libraries Association of Victoria (SLAV), Stella Schools, and VicTESOL.
About the Organisers:
The School Library Association of Victoria (SLAV) offers dynamic and inspiring opportunities for teacher-librarians and library teams to build their essential role in engaging and developing lifelong learners. Through leadership, advocacy and collegiality and an extensive professional learning and publications program.
Stella is an organisation that champions cultural change through recognising, elevating and celebrating Australian women’s writing. It includes the annual Stella Prize award for women’s writing, the Stella Count, which examines gender bias in book reviewing and Stella Schools, which develops programs that seek to inspire and empower young people to find their own creative voices, challenge stereotypes and imagine a future not limited by their gender.
The Languages & Multicultural Education Resource Centre (LMERC) is for educators across all sectors K-12. LMERC provides resources in the areas of English as an Additional Language (EAL), Languages other than English, the Intercultural Capability and the cross curriculum priorities areas of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia, and Sustainability. The library holds an extensive collection of over 25,000 resources in all formats for educators across all sectors and at all levels, early childhood to adult. Library membership is available free to teachers from these educational settings: early childhood centres (in receipt of government funding), schools F-12 across all sectors, pre-service teachers and lecturers (in the areas of EAL and languages), homework clubs and community language schools. Home school parents, teachers of adults and community workers in education roles are also welcome to join.
LMERC suppliers list – booksellers who specialise in CALD resources.
Stella has a couple of wonderful resources to support your text selection around gender diversity and writing from the intersection. If you would like to know more you can contact Lenny Robinson: schools [at] thestellaprize.com.au and visit http://thestellaprize.com.au/.
In Part 3 of this Professional Learning Series (7 October 2020), groups discussed:
Auditing and Selection:
Have you audited your collections or text list?
What is your current process for selecting texts for the library or classroom study?
Do you have a selection policy? Is it ratified by the school administration?
What is included in text selection criteria?
What is the text selection process? How do you ensure input from all stakeholders?
How do you get input from students?
Have you set targets for the text list? What factors impedes reaching targets?
What changes are you considering making to your text selection process to improve it?
How do you make sure the texts you select are accessible to EAL learners at your school/institution?
Wider reading:
Beyond set texts, how do you promote diverse literature for pleasure reading?
Wider reading programs allow access to a wide range of resources. In what other ways can we support students to access culturally diverse literature?
What strategies do you have for engaging EAL learners in wider reading?
Suggestions:
What suggestions do you have for culturally diverse literature?
What suggestions do you have for finding quality, diverse literature? (eg. Suppliers, websites etc)
Multilingual resources – Suggestions?
What changes are you considering making to the texts in your collection or text lists?
In Part 2 of this Professional Learning Series (15 September 2020)
In part 2, we discussed possible ways to audit your current text lists or collections, and give resource recommendations for you to consider introducing at your school or institution.
Jennifer Peck took participants through the resources available through LMERC, including lists of culturally diverse texts.
Stella Schools Manager Lenny Robinson introduced the audience to two resources developed by Stella Schools to support diversity in text selection: The Read Up Reading Guide, developed in partnership with the Victorian Government, and the Stella Sparks Reading Guide, one of several resources included in their Resource Kit for Stella Sparks schools program.
We then split into groups facilitated by SLAV and LMERC librarians who took participants through some resource recommendations. This part of the session was not recorded.
Participants were asked to read the article ‘Assessing and selecting culturally diverse literature for the classroom’ by Helen Adam and Laurie Harper (2016) prior to attending this professional learning event. The article can be accessed by clicking here.
Adam, H., & Harper, L. (2016). Assessing and selecting culturally diverse literature for the classroom. Retrieve from http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ecuworkspost2013/1892
http://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00Association Officerhttp://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngAssociation Officer2020-10-07 15:00:102024-11-02 16:30:08Culturally Diverse Literature
Online Presentations and Discussion Rooms, Tuesday 6 October, 4-5:30 pm
Naomi Weiler, Stephanie Georgiou, and Maria Papasotiriou
Are you preparing students for the VCE EAL exam? Get ideas and strategies from three experienced EAL teachers and join us afterwards for small group discussions.
Presenters
Stephanie Georgiou has more than 18 years of experience in teaching EAL. She has worked in the adult, Catholic and government sectors, continuing her ongoing tenure at the Department of Education and Training. She has managed and coordinated multiple programmes throughout her career. This includes setting up a government funded bridging program for refugee students and most recently as Language Centre and EAL coordinator managing the learning of international students and teaching staff within that program. She has run numerous in-house in-services for staff on teaching strategies for EAL students.
Maria Papasotiriou is the Head of EAL at Wellington Secondary College, a large government secondary school in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne. She is an experienced VCE EAL teacher and has taught local and international students from culturally diverse backgrounds, including refugees with disrupted schooling. She has previously presented at the VATE Conference and has been an English assessor for VCAA.
Naomi Weiler is the EAL Unit 1-4 Coordinator and Gifted Learners’ Leader at St Francis Xavier College. Naomi has ten-years teaching experience in English, EAL, Humanities and Accelerated Subjects. Naomi will be presenting on Section A of the exam. Her approach to the Listening Task is based on the explicit teaching of skills and knowledge to aural content.
Session Resources
Section A Resources – Naomi Weiler, St. Francis Xavier College
http://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00David Kezilashttp://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngDavid Kezilas2020-10-06 16:19:052020-10-08 11:38:10Preparing students for the VCE EAL Exam
If you expect to work with EAL/D learners in your teaching career, then you will want to be familiar with the EAL/D Elaborations of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. In this webinar, Jenny went through some of the thinking behind the document and showed how it can serve teachers both in their preparation and their practice. As convenor of the original writing group, she aimed to bring the EAL/D Elaborations to life, and to answer questions from the participants.
This webinar was aimed at Initial Teacher Education students and pre-service teachers.
Dr Jenny Barnett worked for many years in TESOL teacher education at the University of South Australia, offering pre-service and in-service courses with a focus on inclusive pedagogies and curriculum design. Her research interests have centred on learning and teaching English in settings ranging from multilingual city schools to remote Indigenous communities and South East Asian universities.
http://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00Association Officerhttp://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngAssociation Officer2020-09-08 16:17:082021-06-06 19:10:56Meeting graduate standards for working with EAL/D learners – Dr Jenny Barnett
Julia Lippold, Lauriston Girls School Thursday 30 July 2020 Online webinar http://youtu.be/BDVk8gVXHzI [gview file=”https://victesol-19e016.ingress-alpha.ewp.live/wp-content/uploads/Teaching-Grammar_-A-Deductive-Approach.pdf”] ‘Students working things out for themselves.’ This principle is at the heart of Julia…...
This content is available for VicTESOL members. Become a Member
