Steering the Agentic Vehicle: Exploring English as an Additional language (EAL) Teachers’ Professional Agency since the 2021 Victorian EAL Curriculum Reform November 22, 2023 from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm,…
Summary
This session explored the vital role schools play in the settlement journey of migrant and refugee-background students. Mollie Daphne (Secondary School Teacher & PhD candidate, Victoria University) unpacked key frameworks which support the conceptualisation of settlement as a multifaceted, multidirectional process shaped by various factors. Throughout the session, participants were invited to consider the roles schools can play, through collaboration with other services, towards supporting the academic and social and emotional needs of newly arrived children and young people.
The session also including an engaging panel of presenters who all currently work in schools, supporting newly arrived students: Elena Di Mascolo, Sarah Douglas, Meagan Becker and Megan Salter. The panel discussed the challenges schools face in seeking to address settlement needs and shared examples from their own extensive professional experience of practical ways schools can advocate for and support young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds.
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Participants had the opportunity to learn about Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre (LMERC) and the resources and assistance available.
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Resources to Come
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The VCE English/EAL New Study Design 2024 session was attended by people across sectors and was very well received. Kellie Heintz provided an extremely detailed presentation moving through each outcome for Units 3 and 4, highlighting the differences between the old and new curriculum as it is to be implemented in 2024. She offered not only possible resources to support us, and a range of ways to approach some key aspects of outcomes but also a wonderful scope of teacher and student agency in the teaching and learning opportunities, especially in relation to the new Outcome, Creating texts. It is an exciting new Study Design and very much worth watching for ideas and resources not only for VCE but in 7-10 also! A must see for new and experienced English and EAL teachers.
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Links to Youtube clips for EAL
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Summary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AoTU2YvOR0
Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck
Overview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIPOx0AzHQk
Flames by Robbie Arnott
Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPEdGitxhLg
We Have always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Commentary & analysis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4iO_CT_als
Rainbow’s End by Jane Harrison
Overview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=judMYrYf3J4
Issue
Open Plan Classrooms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9fa7wXNA4A
Summary
The professional learning session on digital transformation in the VET sector for EAL teachers by Tanja Rykovska on 26th July was highly successful in introducing the European Framework for Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu) and SELFIE for Teachers – an online self-reflection tool designed to evaluate their digital literacy skills within the context of professional engagement, teaching, assessment practices, and supporting learners’ digital skills development. Participants engaged in hands-on experience with SELFIE for Teachers, using the tool to self-reflect on their current digital competencies. The tool guided teachers through a series of questions, enabling them to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
Participants left the session with a renewed enthusiasm for leveraging digital technologies in their classrooms and a clear path for enhancing their digital competencies. The practical insights and discussions fostered collaboration and professional growth, positioning teachers to create meaningful and engaging learning experiences for their EAL adult learners.
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Links
https://ecas.ec.europa.eu/cas/eim/external/register.cgi
https://education.ec.europa.eu/selfie-for-teachers
On 24 May, teachers from two schools presented on VCE Bridging EAL Units 1 & 2 and how this course has been implemented in their settings.
Lucy Nguyen and Carlo Cosner from Mount Ridley Secondary College outlined the Bridging EAL study design and then detailed how they use the course to best suit the students at their school. The subject plays a key role in supporting their students and it is compulsory for all EAL students at the school to take the subject concurrently with EAL in Year 11. They demonstrated how this subject complements EAL Units 1 & 2 and English language learning across the curriculum and for practical purposes.
Rabecca Mphande from Hampton Park Secondary College then discussed the approach to the implementation of the subject at her setting. She explained the whole school approach to supporting EAL students and provided a number of practical strategies for supporting students’ language skill development in the VCE Bridging EAL classroom.
We are exploring the possibility of running further sessions in relation to this subject and providing opportunities for current and prospective teachers of VCE Bridging EAL to connect and we encourage you to contact us if this is something you would be interested in. Resources for this session are now available to members on the VicTESOL website.
Presentation 1 – Lucy Nguyen and Carlo Cosner
Presentation 2 – Rabecca Mphande
This presentation was delivered by Ruth Woolven at the LMERC Resourcing and Networking Event on 11 May 2023. 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. At the session, the attendees were able to browse the resources, sign up for membership to borrow the resources and network with the other participants!
Introducing a new series of three videos from VicTESOL on using Chat GPT to support EAL teaching and planning. Join us as we explore how to use Chat GPT to create a range of educational materials that are tailored to the needs of EAL learners. In these videos, we will show you how to create a worksheet, a differentiated model text, and a science unit for EAL learners on the topic of climate change. Watch and learn as we demonstrate how Chat GPT can help you to provide engaging and effective learning experiences for your EAL students.
Please note the above description was generated by Chat GPT!
Meet the Assessors Online Jenna Gomes and Michael E Daniel 2 March 2023 from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm Summary In this online event, Assistant Chief Assessors Jenna Gomes and…
