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 on pronunciation at all levels of teaching with the main goal of instruction being achieving intelligibility. The session gave a brief overview of the different…
Wednesday 28 October, 4-5pm
Panel Discussion and Q&A
Laurence Guttmann, Rosemary Abboud, Margaret Corrigan, and Julia Lippold
Some resources that were shared within this session:
- Carringbush Education teacher training videos which are available at: https://www.carringbush.org.au/resources
- Foundation House: https://sifr.foundationhouse.org.au/ and https://foundationhouse.org.au/ There is an upcoming Calendar Professional Learning Session ‘Introduction to the Refugee Experience/Schools in for Refugees’ on November 19th 9:30 – 12:00. You can register here https://learn.foundationhouse.org.au/workshops/
- Choi, J., & Ollerhead, S. (Eds.). (2018). Plurilingualism in teaching and learning: complexities across contexts. New York: Routledge.
- VCAA Video Resources: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/curriculum/foundation-10/resources/english-as-an-additional-language/Pages/EALImplementationVideoResources.aspx
- Gibbon, P. (2015). Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning: teaching English language learners in the mainstream classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
- Swan, M., & Smith, B. (2001). Learner English: A Teacher’s Guide to Interference and Other Problems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- EALD Learners are Plurilingual: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/support/diversity/eal/Pages/EALD-learners-are-plurilingual.aspx
- PETAA (The Primary English Teaching Association Australia) – PETAA Papers: Pen 95 ‘What is a functional model of language?’ By Robyn Ewing
- Dr Jenny Barnett’s webinar on graduate EAL teacher standards: https://victesol.vic.edu.au/index.php/2020/09/08/meeting-graduate-standards-for-working-with-eal-d-learners-dr-jenny-barnett/
- Dr Sue Ollerhead’s (Macquarie University) webinar- Translanguaging in the Classroom (Please note: This is a VicTESOL member resource – Click here to become a member – Free for students and teachers in their first year of teaching)
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.
https://thestellaprize.com.au/
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.
https://lmerc.softlinkhosting.com.au/oliver/home/news
Finding culturally diverse literature:
- Finding culturally diverse literature – databases, organisations, journals/blogs
- 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 https://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.
Jennifer Peck’s presentation:
Lenny Robinson- Stella Schools Manager:
LMERC text lists:
- Culturally diverse fiction K-12 list
- Culturally diverse fiction – adults (EAL)
- LMERC Suppliers list (Languages, EAL, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and culturally diverse fiction)
Group Presentation Resources:
- 6-12 year old readers– Raff Grasso:
https://padlet.com/grassr/2qvzrijrajxkn8nm
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 https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ecuworkspost2013/1892
Upcoming Professional Learning:
VicTESOL:
https://victesol.vic.edu.au/index.php/events/
SLAV:
Picture Book Showcase
8 October, 4 to 6pm
https://slav.wildapricot.org/event-3934920
Masterclass – Powering Learning – Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives
Joint event with LMERC
13 November, 9.30 to 12.30
https://slav.wildapricot.org/event-3871570
Virtual Conference – The Power of Reading
27 November, 8.30 to 3.30
ttps://slav.wildapricot.org/event-3696748
In this workshop, Dr Sue Ollerhead discussed the important role that students’ home languages play in their classroom learning. She explored the rationale for using translanguaging as a pedagogical approach and present some key classroom translanguaging strategies used by teachers to create more inclusive and engaging learning experiences for multilingual learners. The session was aimed…
Skye Playsted Thursday 14 May 2020 When we think of the term ‘culture’, it can be easy to focus on concrete elements such as art, music, clothing or food. However, these visible aspects are only the tip of the cultural iceberg (Ting-Toomey & Chung, 2011). Deeper cultural assumptions are hidden from view and are not…
The ideas compiled here are from teacher comments and discussions during a number of professional learning sessions that VicTESOL has run since the move to online and remote learning began. The teachers who participated were from primary and secondary schools and from the adult education sector.
Like the teachers in this session, we hope the ideas and resources in this list help you to also feel more confident about supporting EAL learners remotely. This list includes the positives (what’s working), some challenges, tips, strategies and resources. We hope you find them both useful for, and affirming of your experiences and practices. Thank you to all the participants for sharing their ideas and to the session facilitators for compiling them.
EAL information for schools is outlined on the Department website at:
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/support/diversity/eal/Pages/default.aspx
Click here to access information relating to:
- New EAL curriculum
- Students
- Schools
- Teachers
- Program planning
- Assessment and reporting
- EAL in Victorian government schools
Online discussion forum and mini-presentations
Tuesday 5 May & Thursday 7 May, 4:00-5:45pm
- Clare Blackman & Jessie Sambell (Blackburn English Language School)
- Emily Tucker (Carringbush Adult Education)
- Nathan Chong (Brunswick English Language Centre)
- Jennifer Peck (Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre- LMERC)
VicTESOL provided an online space for teachers to come together to discuss their experience of teaching and supporting EAL students remotely during the COVID-19 crisis.
The session began with a number of mini-presentations with presenters sharing what they have implemented so far and their reflections on the experience of remote teaching and learning. This was followed by small group discussions between participants in which there was an opportunity for participants to share their experience and also hear what other teachers are implementing, sharing tips and advice for future learning. Librarian Jennifer Peck from the Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre (LMERC) then presented some of their multilingual and EAL online resources.
Click here to access the information shared by Jennifer Peck from the Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre (LMERC).
Click here to view the ideas and the resource list compiled from teacher comments and discussions during these professional learning sessions.
Click here to join the teacher discussion forum on Facebook ‘LBOTE Families and home learning’. Click here to access further information on the VicTESOL website about this discussion group.
Click here to access information relating to the Department resources.
Wednesday 4 March
Functional Multilingualism/Translanguaging are currently popular terms being researched, discussed and adapted to diverse learning settings. This webinar was a practical response to the current interest in Translanguaging, suggesting ways this might look in EALD classrooms and what teachers might consider when developing Translanguaging activities. With the intention of bringing students’ linguistic and cultural knowledge to the fore through redesigning Australian Curriculum and SACE task, four tasks, along with samples of student work, were presented and discussed.
Janet Armitage currently works for the South Australian Department for Education in the role of EAL/D Hub Coach supporting teachers in professional development that recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander EALD learners. Janet undertook action research in a large secondary school in South Australia where she was an EALD teacher and EALD & Languages Coordinator. She is also a PhD candidate in Applied Linguistics with the University of South Australia and has been part of a team providing professional development to Languages teachers across the state.
