EDLA642 - English and Literacy 2: Writing, Speaking and Creating (Birth - 12 Years)

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

EDLA542 English and Literacy 1: Reading, Listening and Viewing (Birth - 12 Years)

Unit rationale, description and aim

This unit develops pre-service teachers' capacity to plan and evaluate teaching programs and resources in English and literacy. This unit focusses on teaching, learning and assessment in the productive modes of writing, speaking and creating. It explores the nature of text across a range of print and digital formats; how text is constructed to make meaning; differentiating the use of texts for learners from diverse family, sociocultural and language contexts; and relevant State and National curriculum documents. The unit introduces understandings about pedagogical and technological innovations in English and literacy and the relationship of these to the development of curriculum, assessment and resources. Pre-service teachers apply this knowledge to the development of a range of appropriate resources and strategies, incorporating ICTs and digital resources, and teaching programs that support writing, speaking and creating for learners in early childhood and primary contexts. They will identify and analyse ways children can be supported in these programs as they transition from prior-to-school to school settings. They will also develop and demonstrate their capacity to differentiate teaching, learning and assessment to cater for learners from diverse backgrounds, particularly those from non-English speaking backgrounds and for those for whom English is an additional language.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL

On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:

ACECQA CRITERIA 

On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following specific knowledge: 

Content

The topics will include: 

• National and state curriculum documents for program planning and evaluation; including Early Years Learning Framework and Australian Curriculum: English  
• Application of children’s language and literacy development (Birth–12 years) to teaching, learning and assessment in writing, speaking and creating  
• The structures of text and language; syntax and morphology (grammar) for writing, speaking and creating 
• Children’s literature in print and multimodal formats and its application to teaching and learning in writing, speaking and creating    
• Teaching and learning strategies for developing writing, speaking and creating with early childhood and primary learners; from phonological awareness to making meaning    
• Supporting language and literacy development for culturally and linguistically diverse learners; covering speakers of other languages including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders learners 
• Technological and pedagogical innovations and teaching strategies in English and literacy; engaging 21st century early childhood and primary learners 
• Evidence-based monitoring and assessment of writing, speaking and creating with early childhood and primary learning; including standardised, formative and summative assessments and strategies 

An additional online master class module for the English and Literacy Specialisation will include: 

• Sources of professional learning for English and literacy teachers in early childhood and primary contexts 
• Leading professional learning in early childhood contexts 
• Contemporary pedagogical innovations in English and Literacy; focussing on transitions and early intervention 
• Quantitative and qualitative data; developing evidence of context, teaching and learning  
• Literature reviews; using research to inform innovation teaching and learning  
• Research designs, methodologies and methods for action research and critical praxis research 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Engagement for learning is the key driver in the delivery of this curriculum which is offered in online mode. A range of teaching and learning strategies are employed to reflect technology-enhanced learning in developing pre-service teachers’ knowledge and understanding of contemporary English and literacy learning pedagogies with a focus on the receptive modes of reading, listening and viewing as can be applied in early childhood and primary contexts. These include synchronous and/or asynchronous digital engagement in: interactive learning activities and experiences; student-led discussion forums and group work; directed reading activities; and ICT as a pedagogical tool for mediating across language and literacy.  

Pre-service teachers will follow guidelines to identify and engage in writing, speaking and creating activities that facilitate their knowledge of content and pedagogical content knowledge for engaging children with language, literature and literacy in print and multimodal forms as suitable for early childhood and primary contexts. Online learning activities and resources will facilitate pre-service teachers’ critical analysis and reflection of these experiences for developing pedagogies and practices for developing skills and positive dispositions towards writing, speaking and creating practices with learners in early learning and primary contexts. There will be an opportunity for the content to be applied in Professional Experience Studies where pre-service educators will draw on theoretical, practical and ICT considerations from this unit for planning and implementing learning sequences with during professional experience placement.  

EDLA642 also includes a master class that provides additional online learning experiences for pre-service teachers completing a primary specialisation in English and literacy. This focuses on the development of research and leadership knowledge and skills for supporting and leading quality learning in English and literacy for early learners, with a focus on transitions and early intervention. 

Technology Enhanced Learning  

The online teaching and learning in this unit will be offered via a Canvas unit site. Lectures, lecture summaries and/or tutorial activities may be recorded to support student learning. Pre-service teachers will be notified when an activity is being recorded prior to the commencement of the activity.  

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment tasks and weightings allow pre-service teachers to progressively demonstrate the course learning outcomes by demonstrating academic and professional standards through achievement against the unit learning outcomes. The Curriculum Studies units in this course focus on developing understanding of and skills in curriculum, pedagogy and assessment for a selected discipline with reference to the Early Years Learning Framework and the primary learning areas of the Australian Curriculum. Emphasis is given to demonstrating professional knowledge of the content and how to teach it (APST 2), and professional practice in planning and implementing learning (APST 3) and assessing learning (APST 5) in the selected area. In EDLA642 the assessment focuses on applying pedagogical content knowledge to learning in English and literacy for children from birth to 12 years with a focus writing, speaking and creating. The two assessment tasks are sequenced to allow feedback and progressive development in demonstrating pedagogical practice. The first task facilitates pre-service teachers demonstrating knowledge and skills in developing learning, teaching and assessment sequences. The second task is differentiated in relation to completing a primary specialisation in English and literacy. Pre-service teachers who are not completing this specialisation will apply knowledge and skills in using ICT tools in English and literacy by developing resources and related teaching strategies. Pre-service teachers who are completing the specialisation will apply knowledge and skills in research to design a plan for investigating and leading learning in English and literacy. The weighting of the tasks reflects the advanced application of knowledge and skills required in the second task.    

A range of assessment procedures are used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes and professional standards and criteria consistent with University assessment requirements. (http://www.acu.edu.au/policy/student_policies/assessment_policy_and_assessment_procedures). 

Minimum Achievement Standards 

In order to pass this unit, students are required to successfully complete all assessment tasks.  

Critical Tasks for Initial Teacher Education (CTITE): This unit includes a Critical Task for Initial Teacher Education (CTITE) for English and Literacy specialisation pre-service teachers. This is one of a set of tasks developed as culminating assessment of the Graduate Teacher Standards for use with all pre-service teachers. To pass this CTITE pre-service teachers will need to successfully demonstrate all Graduate Teacher Standards that are summatively mapped to this task. The description, criteria, standards and moderation of these tasks are mapped across the course to facilitate consistent and comparable judgements. Pre-service teacher data from these tasks is used to confirm achievement of the Graduate Teacher Standards, validate the tasks and evaluate and improve programs. 

Overview of assessments

CTITE9: Pedagogical Project Plan 

(for pre-service teacher completing an English and Literacy Specialisation) 

Prepare a research project plan for leading the implementation and evaluation of a pedagogical innovation that links research about student learning with innovative teaching strategies in a selected early learning context. The innovation should be in English and/or Literacy. The report should be supported by supplementary evidence that demonstrates the implementation of the innovation. 

The pedagogical innovation should be selected and designed on the basis of seminal and contemporary research and literature about the nature of learners and quality teaching and learning. The research design should be linked to relevant sources and literature about a recognised educational research methodology, such as action research or critical praxis research.  

The plan should include: 

• Context analysis evidencing the sociocultural and pedagogical context, learners and learning; 
• Literature review including a theoretical model for learners and learning within the pedagogical innovation; 
• Research design outlining the process for implementing and evaluating the innovation; and 
• Reflective analysis considering the implications of the project for evaluating teaching programs and improving student learning 

Representative texts and references

Required Text  

Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority. Early Years Learning Framework https://www.acecqa.gov.au/acecqa-approved-learning-frameworks-version-2.0-communications-toolkit

Australian Curriculum: English: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/english/rationale  

Recommended References 

Emmitt, M., Zbaracki, M., Komesaroff, L., & Pollock, J. (2015). Language and learning: An introduction for teaching (6th ed.). Oxford University Press. 

Fellowes, J., & Oakley, G. (2020). Language, literacy and early childhood education (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. 

Fleer, M., & Williams-Kennedy, D. (2002). Building bridges: Literacy development in young indigenous children. Australian Early Childhood Association : Department of Education, Science and Training.

Hertzberg, M. (2012). Teaching English language learners in mainstream classes.  Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA). 

Hill, S. (2021). Developing early literacy. Assessment and teaching (3rd ed.).  Eleanor Curtain Publishing. 

Pinnell, G.S., & Fountas, I.C. (2007). The continuum of literacy learning Grades K-8: Behaviors and understandings to notice, teach and support. Heinemann. 

Seely Flint, A., Kitson, L., Lowe, K., & Shaw, K. (2020). Literacy in Australia: Pedagogies for engagement (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd. 

Tompkins, G., Campbell, R., Green, D. & Smith, C. (2019). Literacy for the 21st Century: A balanced approach (3rd ed.). Pearson.  

Winch, G., Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L., & Holliday, M. (2020). Literacy: Reading, writing and children’s literature (6th ed.). Oxford University Press.