ETAQ State Conference

August 16, 2014 Lourdes Hill College

Great Expectations: stability and change in English teaching

“We changed again, and yet again, and it was now too late and too far to go back, and I went on. And the mists had all solemnly risen now, and the world lay spread before me.” (Charles Dickens, Great Expectations)

In the world of Australian Curriculum: English, media scrutiny of English teachers’ work and an emphasis on high stakes testing, English teachers feel the weight of great expectations to produce quality curriculum and quality results.

Following an intense period of implementation, 2014 seems an appropriate time for reflection on how we might provide a balance between the renewed emphasis on explicit and direct instruction and the creative and critical literacy work English teachers do.

TwitterTwitter seems to have become the tool of choice for teachers wanting to build an online professional learning network. If you have always wanted to use Twitter but were too afraid to start, this year’s state conference may be just the nudge you need to get tweeting.

Kathleen Morris, a teacher from Victoria, has written a comprehensive guide to using Twitter: http://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/2011/06/21/pln-challenge-3-using-twitter-to-build-your-pln/

The guide doesn’t specifically mention hashtags (which can be a little confusing to new users). A hashtag (#) followed by a word or acronym is created by a twitter user to identify topics of particular interest to a group. It is important to note that these tags are not created by Twitter itself. Hashtags are frequently used by conference participants to tweet conference proceedings. All you need to do is put this hashtag in the body of your tweet and all comments will be grouped together. The hashtag for the conference as a whole is #etaq14.

Example of a conference tweet: Keynote address by Dr Anita Jetnikoff in progress #etaq14

The ETAQ challenge to new Twitter users is to join up and follow @ETAQld.

Cover design by Craig Amos.

Cover image by Jodie Weller: Harry and Eugenia is part of a series of works relating to historical or literary characters. All of the characters in the series are women and many have committed violent crimes or are notorious figures in Australian history. This particular image relates to the case of Eugenia Falleni, a woman living in Australia in the early 1900s. Eugenia secretly lived much of her life as a man (Harry Crawford) and was later tried and convicted of the murder of her wife. The drawing alludes to some of these details and depicts Eugenia’s daughter Josephine, most likely conceived when Eugenia was in her teens and working as a male on a ship. Josephine was put into care as a young child, later rejoining her mother (then living as Harry Crawford), his wife Annie Birkett and her son. Stuck in between her mother’s two worlds, Josephine sits atop a pile of household goods and mementos, which she reportedly sold upon learning of Birkett’s murder.

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Conference ScheduleTime Activity Room

8:15 Registration Good Samaritan Centre

8:45 – 10:30

Welcome – Fiona Laing, ETAQ President

Presentation of Botsman Award to Katie Lipka, St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane

Keynote – Dr Anita Jetnikoff

Good Samaritan Centre

10:30 – 11:00

Morning tea Verandah – Good Samaritan Centre

11:00 – 12:00

Workshops Session 1 Various

12:10 – 1:10

Workshops Session 2 Various

1:10 – 2:25

Lunch with Performance by Grin & Tonic Good Samaritan Centre

2:25 – 3:15

Presentation of Life Membership to Paul Sherman & Jim Buckley Memorial Scholarships

AATE Matters & Members’ Forum

Good Samaritan Centre

3:15 – 3:45

Afternoon tea Verandah – Good Samaritan Centre

3:45 – 4:45

Workshops Session 3 Various

5:00 Post-conference drinks (cash bar) Oxford 152

152 Oxford St, Bulimba

This activity constitutes 4.5 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Map of Lourdes Hill College

A map of the college will be placed on www.etaq.org.au after 23 July.

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Katie Lipka is an outstanding teacher of English whose innovative curriculum design and delivery encourage students to fully engage in a range of traditional and contemporary literacies. 

As a classroom teacher at St Laurence’s College, Katie has shown exemplary dedication to her students, to the school, to her colleagues and to the teaching of English. She is a teacher whose love of English is seen every day in her classroom. She is a passionate, engaging and enthusiastic teacher, who models

inclusive education in her classroom practice and has been both very generous in sharing her practice with other teachers and very active in curriculum development.

Katie highly values professional development and has shared her classroom practice at both State and National Conferences, showcasing the work she has done on including Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in the English Curriculum, allowing students to develop a stronger appreciation of Indigenous Australian culture, past and present, their nation’s history and the value of hearing the stories of Australia’s “first families”. Katie has made invaluable connections between local elders and our school community in an endeavour to enhance student understanding of the Turrbal and Jagera peoples. Katie also has a keen interest In Native American and Environmental Literature.

Katie is, indeed, a most worthy recipient of a Botsman Award in the school category.

Paul Sherman was already well established as a highly successful classroom English teacher when the oldest member of the current ETAQ Management Committee did practice teaching at Banyo State High School (now Earnshaw College) in 1968. After a stint as a cadet journalist and study at the University of Queensland, Paul began work as a high school teacher of English and drama in the late 1950s. During his career with the Queensland Department of Education he taught in state high schools at Murgon, Banyo, Kedron and Pine Rivers and also served as a lecturer at what was then Kedron Park Teachers College.

Paul was an inspiring classroom teacher and his students benefited from his passion for, and deep knowledge of literature. In addition, he was able to bring to bear the special perspectives of being both an accomplished and experienced actor and a published poet and playwright. Students who had Paul Sherman as an English teacher were very fortunate indeed.

Paul is now long retired from full-time teaching but he continues to generously donate his time to present one-man shows that bring literature to life in classrooms for today’s students. Many schools have had their English programs significantly enriched by Paul’s lively performances of Australian poetry and scenes from Shakespeare. His enthusiasm, talent and deep knowledge coupled with friendliness and an engaging sense of humour ensure the active participation of students and bring the words of classic texts off the page and into action.

Paul has been a long time member and supporter of The English Teachers Association of Queensland and has been a regular contributor to its journal Words’Worth. Just as many individual students over many years have gained from Paul’s work, the profession of English teaching in Queensland as a whole has been richer for the high quality contribution of this outstanding English teacher. He richly deserves the award of ETAQ Life Membership.

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2014 Botsman Award WinnerKatie Lipka

2014 Life Membership - Paul Sherman

Abstract

Curriculum is always in a state of flux and so often the moves to ‘reform’ it are political rather than pedagogical. So often in these days of accountability we focus on the learner. I want to focus on the teacher in this presentation. As English educators we have to ‘fit’ whatever new policy model comes our way.

The Australian curriculum seems to have tried to please every stakeholder in its process and as such has been formed without a single, unifying coherent theoretical basis. How do we challenge this paper tiger? We have to find the pedagogical models within the current framework and see what still works in practice. At the chalkface there are still teaching, learning and assessment practices in English surviving from the last few decades of pedagogical change; and there is also room for accommodating new practices. Embracing and adapting the old and the new may be the key to staying creative and passionately engaged with our subject area.

PresenterAnita Jetnikoff is a senior lecturer in English Curriculum Studies within the School of Curriculum in Education at QUT. Anita is a passionate educator of subject English who has worked across all sectors of education. She has particular research and publication interests in the creative uses of digital media and literature in English, creative pedagogies, and the professional identity of English teachers. Anita serves on the QSA State Review Panel for Senior English. She was one of the writers of the QSA 2010 Syllabus and serves on the editorial review boards for the journals English in Australia and Screen Education. Anita was the recipient of the ETAQ Peter Botsman ‘excellence in teaching’ award, beyond school division in 2012.

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Keynote – The teacher as chameleon Dr Anita Jetnikoff, QUT

Session 1: Workshops 11:00 – 12:00

No Title Presenter1A Over their voices we stretch: breathing life into student poetry Simon Kindt

Adam Davy

1B Positive psychology in the English classroom Sam Lobascher

1C Creating character and influencing emotion through a detailed analysis of the verb group

Beryl Exley

1D “Well, hang on. They’re actually much better that that!”: disrupting the deficit discourse about EAL/D learners in senior English

Jennifer Alford

1E Persuasion texts for global citizenship: exploring multimodal literacy Rod Yule

1F Love poetry for Years 11 and 12: an experiential workshop on writing and appreciating poetry (Part I)

Rosanna Licari

1G Story your life: an introduction to stand-up storytelling Kaitlyn Plyley

1H Teaching oral communication skills Adrian PauleyKevin Ryan

Details follow

Workshop 1AOver their voices we stretch: breathing life into student poetry

Abstract

By embracing contemporary performance poetry and by acknowledging that many of our students are prolifically creative, we have successfully developed a student-driven culture that values the power of the spoken word. In 2013, we embarked on a metaphor-fuelled adventure that has enhanced our curriculum, inspired student performances at school and in the broader community, and helped to cultivate an ever-expanding network of creative minds from both Australia and overseas. Now, our students recognise that they are poets, and that a love for poetry is nothing to fear. In this session, we will share our experiences and offer practical strategies for incorporating a dynamic performance-oriented approach to poetry in a Secondary School curriculum context as well as outlining a model for developing a community of student writers and performers that connects them with a vibrant world of writing and spoken word.

Presenters

Simon Kindt is a Secondary English teacher with 9 years’ experience, as well as a writer and performer in the Brisbane spoken word community. His students have found their voice through poetry.

Adam Davy is the Head of English at Kelvin Grove State College, a P-12 learning environment. He is passionate about developing curriculum opportunities that are meaningful and engaging for students and staff.

Workshop 1BPositive psychology in the English classroom

Abstract

Positive Psychology is a branch of psychology that, in the words of its chief exponent Martin Seligman, seeks to equip people with the tools to flourish. Positive Psychology thus differs fundamentally from the traditional psychological model of addressing mental illness as it shifts the focus to positive emotions, virtues and strengths,

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and positive institutions. The aim of developing the attributes required to lead a fulfilling life, and equipping institutions with the systems that allow their staff to prosper, are thus a natural fit for educational institutions. Embedding Positive Psychology within schools was pioneered by Geelong Grammar School and dubbed Positive Education, and is now being implemented at The Southport School on the Gold Coast as the Habits of Wellbeing. This workshop will explore the experiences and outcomes of an action research project that embedded the key pillars of positive psychology, articulated in the acronym PERMA (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishments), into the English classroom. PERMA provided a guiding principle for a narrative unit in which students wrote short stories exploring adolescent concerns. Seligman’s principles informed the pedagogical approach, interpersonal interactions, the choice of texts, and the way content was approached. The great expectation: to equip students with the attributes to enhance their well-being.

Presenter

Sam Lobascher is currently employed as the Assistant Head of English and an Associate Dean in Innovative Curriculum at The Southport School on the Gold Coast where he has taught for the past five years. After finishing a Bachelor of Education at Griffith University Sam taught English at Worthing High on the south coast of England. Upon returning to Australia Sam actively explored concerns regarding boys’ engagement in literacy, and the potential effects of standardised testing on literacy education, while completing a Masters of Education, also at Griffith University.

Workshop 1CCreating character & influencing emotion through a detailed analysis of the verb group

Abstract

According to the Australian Curriculum: English, students in the middle years of schooling should continue to practise, consolidate and extend what they have learned from previous years. To ensure the knowledge about language gained in the formative years of schooling is capitalised upon, this workshop briefly introduces teacher

participants to the way that knowledge about the verb groups is explored in the primary years of schooling where students are expected to understand that verbs represent different processes, for example doing, thinking, saying, and relating and that these processes are anchored in time through tense. The workshop then moves into what knowledge is required about the verb group for the ‘responding to literature’ and the ‘examining literature’ substrands of the Australian Curriculum: English in Years 7 and beyond. Special attention will be given to the way that skilled authors employ particular forms of the verb group to create character, and to influence emotions in narrative texts. Discussion will centre on the purposes and appeal of different verb choices for different events in a written narrative. The case study text will be a passage from ‘Refugee Boy’, the powerful novel by Benjamin Zephaniah that not only renders visible the suffering and the struggles of asylum seekers, but also their endurance.

Presenter

Beryl Exley works in the Faculty of Education at QUT. She has a special interest in the teaching of grammar in classroom contexts, especially as it interfaces with multimodal texts and demands for engaging pedagogies that allow students to explore and create new texts. Details of Beryl’s research publications are available at http://eprints.qut.edu.au/view/person/Exley,_Beryl.html.

Workshop 1D“Well, hang on. They’re actually much better than that!”: disrupting the deficit discourse about EAL/D learners in senior English

Abstract

EAL/D learners have been given a considerably high profile in recent national curriculum documents. However, EAL/D learners, in Australian schools, are often circumscribed by a discourse of deficit. Deficit refers to student “lack” and is common among many teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse students, even among well-meaning teachers. A deficit discourse is grounded in the view that the underperformance or underachievement of non-dominant culture

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students is due to the nonalignment of the cultural practices of the home with that of the school. Attributing failure to individual students’ traits, including their cultural backgrounds and home languages, has led to labelling students as ‘at risk’ and ‘low achievers’ and even ‘problems’. This is particularly true for learners from refugee backgrounds with interrupted schooling. In this presentation, I report on a case study research project conducted with four, experienced teachers of senior high school EAL/D learners in Brisbane. I show how they offer new ways of talking about their learners that mitigate the deficit discourse while still recognising their learners’ needs in relation to the QSA English syllabus. These new ways of talking about their learners are made possible because of the particular pedagogy they employ when teaching senior English. Their pedagogy allows them to see what their learners can do, not just what they can’t do. Making their pedagogy visible is crucial to enabling other teachers to cater for EAL/D learners.

Presenter

Jennifer Alford is coordinator and lecturer of the Bachelor of Education EAL/D Curriculum area in the Faculty of Education at QUT, Brisbane. Prior to this, she was a mainstream English and English as a Second Language teacher in various high schools in Queensland. She has recently submitted her PhD which investigated the ways in which teachers of senior English view and teach critical literacy with EAL/D learners. She has taught EAL/D learners, and teachers of EAL/D learners, for over 25 years.

Workshop 1EPersuasion texts for global citizenship: exploring multimodal literacy

Abstract

This workshop explores the deconstruction and construction of persuasion texts in the classroom. Using short multi-modal digital texts, cartoons, posters and speeches, the session integrates real world issues (e.g. child labour, fair trade) with critical literacy skills and opportunities for informed and active global citizenship. Students from Year 5 - 10 find the material engaging and challenging. The workshop addresses cross curriculum perspectives including ‘Australia’s engagement with Asia’ and ‘Sustainability’ as well as a range of

general capabilities including ‘Intercultural understanding’ and ‘Ethical behaviour’.

Participants enjoy free fair trade chocolate and receive a copy of the latest issue of ‘Get Connected’.

Presenter

Rod Yule is the Manager Global Education with World Vision Australia. A teacher for 12 years, Rod has written and produced a range of curriculum aligned classroom resources including Global Words: English for Global Education and Get Connected. He also conducts professional development sessions for teachers and pre-service teachers across Australia.

Workshop 1FLove poetry for Year 11 and 12: an experiential workshop on writing and appreciating poetry (Part I)

Abstract

Terrified of the “p” word? Don’t be. This is an experiential workshop that dispels fears or inadequacies to teaching and using poetry as a tool in the classroom. In this workshop participants will learn strategies to engage students in creative writing in order to nurture an appreciation of literature, and connect students with literature of all genres. Using the theme of love, teachers will be shown how to get students to think and write about love by using simple, practical methods. Participants will have the opportunity to practise these creative writing methods and strategies, and share their writing with other workshop members. The methods and strategies included in this workshop are applicable in any classroom and will be linked to texts with similar themes in the English curriculum such as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

The workshop will use poems from the anthology Australian Love Poems, edited by Mark Tredinnick and published by Inkermann and Blunt as a starting point.Presenter

Rosanna Licari is a poet, editor, publisher and teacher. Her poetry collection, An Absence of Saints (UQP), won the Thomas Shapcott, the

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Anne Elder and the Michel Wesley Wright Poetry Prizes. It was also shortlisted for the Mary Gilmore Award. Her work has been included in the anthologies Australian Love Poems 2013, now in its second edition titled Australian Love Poems, and the Best Australian Poems 2013. She was shortlisted for the 2013 International Montreal Poetry Prize. Website: <www.rosannalicari.com>

Workshop 1GStory your life: an introduction to stand-up storytelling

Abstract

Everyone has a story to tell. This workshop – led by performance poet and raconteur Kaitlyn Plyley – helps participants delve into their personal histories and learn how to craft one hell of an entertaining anecdote. The oral storytelling tradition has seen a recent surge in popularity, with storytelling nights popping up all over Australia – from ABC Radio National’s Now Hear This, to local group Yarn: Stories Spun in Brisbane. The format is simple: true stories, told live and without notes. With its emphasis on authenticity, and roots in observational comedy, it’s no wonder stand-up storytelling is drawing an ever-growing crowd. ‘Story Your Life’ introduces participants to this format, exploring the elements of good storytelling – from character development to story arc, stage presence to audience connection. How do you present yourself as a ‘character’ for the audience? Which details do you share, and which do you leave out, to sketch out your back story? Participants learn strategies for finding the ‘story-worthy’ moments in their lives, whether they be funny, sweet, poignant, or all of the above. Stand-up storytelling combines skills in story writing, public speaking, and something that takes even more bravery – vulnerability. You don’t need to be a performer or a creative writer to tell a great story. Everyone’s life is ‘story-worthy’ – it’s all in the telling. This workshop gives participants the tools to get started on telling their own lives.Presenter

Kaitlyn Plyley is a writer and raconteur who has performed stories from her life at Brisbane Writers Festival, Perth Fringe Festival, and National Young Writers Festival. She is the workshop facilitator for Yarn: Stories Spun in Brisbane (QLD) and a founding member of Barefaced Stories (WA). Kaitlyn has trained in storytelling under teachers from The Moth (USA) and Upright Citizens Brigade (USA). She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Communication Studies, and has studied Education at QUT.

Workshop 1HTeaching oral communication skills

Abstract

Oral Communication Skills come in a variety of formats. The Persuasive Oral, Story Telling and Readers Theatre are three areas that will be covered in this workshop. It will assist teachers who want to learn the latest and most effective techniques to use in teaching these genres. You will find out:

• How to introduce Classroom Practice Activities, Audience Analysis, Speech Planning and Construction, Delivery Skills and the Use of Narrative.

• Strategies to introduce the Persuasive Oral.

• How to teach students the skills of speaking in a format called Readers Theatre which enhances their ability to participate in the classroom.

Presenters

Kevin Ryan & Adrian Pauley have over 15 years’ experience teaching students the skills and techniques for successful oral presentations. They have distilled this experience into strategies that can be used in the classroom - by any teacher. They have co-authored the following books: Speaking Out, Speaking and Debating with Style, Primary Speaking and Listening and CDs Speak Well, Impromptu Speaking and Teaching the Persuasive Oral.

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Session 2 Workshops: 12:10 – 1:10No Title Presenter2A Breaking ground with the Bard Part I Grin & Tonic

Qld Theatre Co2B Flourishing in creative spaces with English Jill Margerison2C Primary school teachers are from Mars, senior school teachers are

from VenusPeter Hoens

2D The ‘Brave New World’ of Senior English: functional grammar as a tool for intervening in literary texts.

Melanie Wild

2E Creating media animals who ‘consume with care’ Fiona LaingCara GleesonErin Geddes

2F Love poetry for Years 11 and 12: an experiential workshop on writing and appreciating poetry (Part II) This is a continuation of 1F

Rosanna Licari

2G Teaching oral communication skills Repeat of 1H Adrian PauleyKevin Ryan

2H Identity Interrupted Holly StilesHannah Eldridge

2I The place of poetry in Secondary School English – a panel discussion Paul ShermanPetronella KlinckePeter WebbMick LeighChe WaideSimon Kindt

Details follow

Workshop 2ABreaking ground with the Bard (Part I)

Abstract

The Grin and Tonic Theatre Troupe together with The Queensland Theatre Company will present a two part series on approaches to Shakespeare in the classroom. We recommend you take both parts, to get the most out of this master class; however you can participate in each part individually, if necessary. Teachers will be guided through the motivations of Shakespeare’s rich, complex and natural characters. Using classroom friendly exercises, participants will find powerful ways to break down the blocks and habits when delivering the text and discover the intuitive, visceral quality the language demands. Together we’ll explore the fertile ground of the language, structure and most importantly the direct connections we can make between students and William Shakespeare.

Presenters

The Grin and Tonic Theatre Troupe and the Queensland Theatre Company

Heidi Irvine is currently the Education Program Coordinator at Queensland Theatre Company. In 2014, Heidi will chair the Australian Major Performing Arts Groups Education Network Conference in Brisbane.

Jason Klarwein is a producer, director and actor who works nationally and internationally with Australia's leading theatre companies. Jason has been an associate member of Grin and Tonic for over fifteen years. 2014 marks his fourth year as Artistic Director. In 2014 Jason starred in the title role Macbeth with acclaimed British Theatre director Michael Attenborough.

Kellie Lazarus has actively worked with the Queensland Theatre Company from 2001 in Michael Gow's production of Richard the Second and was a proud member of the Emerging Artists program in 2002. Kellie is a qualified secondary drama and dance teacher with over eight years’ experience with the Department of Education, Having worked with excellence students in Performing Arts Schools through to facilitating workshops for the Bell Shakespeare Company, her work includes industry-recognised experience with national theatre companies.

Workshop 2B10

Flourishing in creative spaces with English

Abstract

This presentation demonstrates how a participatory culture in year 8 and 10 English classrooms developed through the use of electronic portfolios. It draws upon the "maker space" theory of Seymour Papert and James Gee's work on "affinity spaces" to highlight how students flourished in spaces that were designed to promote creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and autonomy.

Presenter

Jill Margerison has a PhD in Political Science and International Relations from The University of Queensland. She has worked for the Japan External Trade Organisation and speaks Japanese. Her interest in digital literacy and how it impacts the arts and humanities influences her current work at The Southport School.

Workshop 2CPrimary school teachers are from Mars, senior school teachers are from Venus

Abstract

2015 is nigh and with it the transition of Year 7 into secondary schools across Queensland. For many schools it may not only be the students who come to secondary school, but also some primary school teachers. Primary and Secondary teachers often have different understandings of English and different pedagogy; sometimes it feels like primary teachers are from Mars and secondary teachers are from Venus. However, the challenge posed by the Year 7 transition is to bridge this intra-galactic gap, specifically primary teachers’ need to transition from thinking about reading, speaking and writing as literacy to thinking of these modes as English. This workshop will be of particular interest to Heads of Department looking to support former primary teachers in their transition from primary to secondary education.

Presenter

Peter Hoens has been Head of English and Drama at Ormiston College since 2010. Prior to this he was English Co-ordinator Middle School at Ryan Catholic College for 3 years. Peter drew on his experiences of developing curriculum with teachers from Years 5 to 12 to shape this workshop.

Workshop 2DThe ‘Brave New World’ of Senior English: functional grammar as a tool for intervening in literary texts

Abstract

In Queensland Senior English, the narrative intervention is a popular assessment task. This type of assessment requires students to both critically analyse the way readers are positioned by the text and construct their own narrative text that fills a gap or silence in the novel. Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) provides a framework for teachers to enable Senior English students to interrogate how literary texts create meaning and then apply this to their own creative work. This workshop will examine the role SFG can play as a tool for Senior English students to be critically literate at a time when they are studying complex literary texts yet required to be more independent in their assessment work. It aims to provide teachers with practical activities for classroom use through an SFG analysis of a passage from Brave New World, a popular novel studied in Year 12 English, and a language for critical discussions of students’ own work. These activities can be applied, not only to literary interventions, but any task where students are required to analyse or construct literary texts and to any literary text studied.

Presenter

Melanie Wild is an English teacher at Corinda State High School and a member of the ETAQ Management committee. She is currently undertaking her MEd in Literacy at QUT.

Workshop 2E

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Creating media animals who ‘consume with care’

Abstract

As we help to develop our students’ to manage a world of ever-changing technology, it is essential for students to understand their place in the new media landscape. Rather than gullible consumers, we require students who are not just savvy with news technology but who appreciate the history of news creation and its raison d’etre. Our journey will show how our senior English news analysis unit has had to change with the times. It takes on the digital news world but seeks to maintain the essential focus of teaching students to second-guess the creation of news, to create students who understand what was not said and the possibilities in any story as well as the impact of all journalistic choices.

We want our students to have great expectations of their media providers and to be ready to advocate for quality media in the future. To be more than just passive consumers, they need news literacy as an essential in their critical toolkit.

Presenters

Fiona Laing is a media hound who enjoys taking this passion into the classroom. Currently HOD English at Forest Lake State High School, she enjoys working with passionate colleagues and with hungry students. She enjoys the challenge of reimagining English teaching to keep it alive and fresh.

Cara Gleeson is a beginning teacher in her third year at Forest Lake State High School. She encourages a socio-cultural critical approach to English and strives to foster a ‘question everything’ attitude to media in her students.

Erin Geddes (BEd, MEd) is a teacher and teacher-librarian at Forest Lake State High School and teacher at QUT in the School of Curriculum. She has presented a number of state and national level workshops on reading and has written for Words'Worth journal.

Workshop 2F

Love poetry for Year 11 and 12: an experiential workshop on writing and appreciating poetry (Part II)

This session is a continuation of Workshop 1FSee details on page 7

Workshop 2GTeaching oral communication skills

This session is a repeat of Workshop 1H – See details on page 8

Workshop 2HIdentity interrupted

Abstract

Creativity is as important in education as literacy, and it should be treated with the same prestige (Robinson, 2006). This senior unit entitled Identity Interrupted is designed to foster independent and co-operative creativity. The notion of identity is important for diverse students who are in the process of transitioning into adulthood. This unit will focus on the theme of identity, by evaluating meaning and creating a range of visual, written and multimodal texts. The parent text The Fault in our Stars written by John Green, speaks directly to young readers, assuming that they are intellectual, something which many teenage novels fail to do. The learning experiences will take students’ previous knowledge to a deeper understanding through utilising a variety of genres such as: graphics, visuals, music, art, poetry slams, monologues, interactive dialogues and physical theatre. Exploring a variety of texts allows students to examine the concept of coming of age across a range of cultures and mediums. It is a culmination of students’ English schooling experience, which draws on the five Senior English QSA organising principles: continuity, increasing complexity, range, increasing independence and inclusion of cultural, social and individual differences (Queensland Studies Authority, 2010).

As well as exploring the notion of adolescent identity, the unit will facilitate the exploration of digital identities. Social media is a daily part of

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students’ lives, however there is no formal education on responsible digital discourse. Therefore this unit endeavours to develop students’ awareness of the digital representations and the process of portraying ourselves and other people (Dezuanni & Jetnikoff, 2008, p. 10).

The texts used delve into a variety of cultures, including Asian and Indigenous, making cross-curricular links (ACARA, 2014). This therefore allows students to creatively challenge the great expectations set within dominant and cultural representations of adolescents. Ultimately recreating meaning in a creative approach.

Presenters

Holly Stiles and Hannah Eldridge are fourth year secondary education students at Brisbane’s University of Technology. They both share an avid passion for English, especially for designing creative and innovative learning experiences. Next year will be an exciting opportunity for them, as first year teachers to implement the skills they’ve learnt in their own classrooms.

Workshop 2IThe place of poetry in secondary school English – a panel discussion

Abstract

Prompted by an opinion piece by Melbourne-based teacher and commentator Christopher Bantick, this panel will discuss the programming and teaching of poetry in contemporary high schools. Bantick’s article was entitled Dying light of poetry and was published in the weekend edition of The Australian for 15-16 March this year. In the article, Bantick claimed that few schools taught poetry and that it was badly taught or not taught at all. The panellists think the teaching of poetry is important and vigorously challenge Bantick’s claims. The session will begin with brief presentations (about 5 minutes) from panel members and then all attendees will be invited to contribute comments on the place of poetry in the curriculum and their approach to teaching it. Some recitations of favourite poems would also be welcome.

Panellists

Paul Sherman is a retired English teacher, poet, playwright, actor and ETAQ’s most recent Life Member. Petronella Klincke is the Head of English at Chisholm Catholic College. Dr Peter Webb is an English teacher at Chisholm Catholic College. Mick Leigh is the English HOD at Kedron State High School. Che Waide teaches at Kedron State High School. Simon Kindt is a teacher at Kelvin Grove State College as well as a writer and performer in the Brisbane spoken word community.

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Session 3 Workshops: 4:00 – 5:00No Title Presenter3A What is the relevance of Shakespeare in 2014?

Breaking ground with the Bard Part IIGrin & Tonic &Qld Theatre Co

3B “The Cure” and other ancient remedies John Acutt

3C Deconstructing an exemplar text generated from a poem Garry Collins

3D Re-imagining the Classics: accessible and practical approaches for using classic literature in the multimodal 21st Century Classroom

Cheryl MooreFiona Roush

3E Appraisal: a powerful tool for teaching English Simon Le BreuillyLaura SignoriniJonathon StuartStevie Whitton

3F Reality Bites ... a critical and creative community feast Louise FrancisMelanie Myers

3G Narrative and argument in digital forms: expanding the repertoire Catherine Beavis

3H Critical friends have a chat Ray McGuireJane GreenwoodHeather FraserMary Swayne

Details follow

Workshop 3AWhat is the relevance of Shakespeare in 2014? (Part II)

Abstract

The Grin and Tonic Theatre Troupe together with The Queensland Theatre Company will present a two part series on approaches to Shakespeare in the classroom. We recommend you take both parts, to get the most out of this master class; however you can participate in each part individually, if necessary. A panel of consisting of Jason Klarwein from the Macbeth Production at QPAC, combined with English Teacher Daniel Osmolowski and Queensland Theatre Education Program Coordinator Heidi Irvine and General Manager of Grin and Tonic Theatre Troupe Kellie Lazarus will lead a forum on, What is the relevance of Shakespeare in 2014? Together we will open a discussion with teachers across the state on the approaches, traps and tricks when teaching the Bard.

Presenters

Heidi Irvine see page 9.

Jason Klarwein see page 9.

Kellie Lazarus see page 9.

Daniel Osmolowski is currently a teacher of junior and senior secondary English and Film, Television & New Media at Capalaba State College. He holds a Postgraduate Degree in Education from the University of Queensland (2003) and a first–class honours Bachelor of Arts, degree in Media Studies from QUT (1999). In his 11 years of teaching Daniel has acted in various Head of Department roles in the arts, senior schooling, English and LOTE. He is currently an executive committee member of the Australian Teachers of Media Qld, and is the Brisbane East District Review Panel Chair for Film, Television & New Media. Daniel is passionate about making literature accessible and fun for young people

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Workshop 3B“The Cure” and other ancient remedies

Abstract

This workshop will demonstrate a number of simple and effective strategies used in the process of building an analytical exposition (the average, ordinary essay; stable and unchangeable) from the ground up. Being able to master this art is a vital weapon in the armoury of any scholar. Participants will learn the ancient technique called, “The Cure”; a ridiculously common-sense way to take down and organise notes and ideas. The planning and structuring of an essay will then be demystified and a process explored to ensure students develop clear, concise, and articulate paragraphs.

Presenter

John Acutt is the Head of English at Ipswich Grammar School. He has worked in both the public and private sectors and has always been a strong believer in teachers sharing their ideas and expertise. He has presented at numerous conferences and his ideas have been published in a variety of English and educational journals. John is also a writer of musicals and advocates that all teachers need to be active practitioners of what they teach – “Do what you ask the students to do.” In 2012 he was the winner of ETAQ’s Peter Botsman Memorial Award (school category).

Workshop 3CDeconstructing an exemplar text generated from a poem

AbstractIn this workshop, participants (the human rather than the grammatical kind) will be guided in the identification and labelling of the features of written texts generated from a narrative poem, Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shalott”. In the first instance, attendees will have the opportunity to propose writing tasks in a variety of genres that could arise from a junior secondary unit of work based on the poem. The group will then work with a text that, as they used to say in television cooking shows, the presenter has prepared earlier. The format to be used involves a three-column layout with the exemplar text in the centre. The left hand column is devoted to comments on the

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stages of the generic structure and the right hand column to information about the language features. Here, annotations will be grouped under headings derived from the last four of the five sub strands in the Language Strand of the Australian Curriculum: English (AC:E), i.e. expressing and developing ideas, language for interaction, text structure and organisation, word structure and spelling (sound and letter knowledge). The pedagogical purpose is to make the features of exemplar texts explicit for students. Like the AC:E itself, this workshop draws on systemic functional linguistics. The central text is a classic one and can be seen to represent stability in English teaching while a renewed focus on grammar can be seen as part of the change accompanying the implementation of the AC:E.

Presenter

Now retired from full-time teaching, Garry Collins taught secondary English for 35 years, mainly in EQ schools but also on two separate, year-long exchanges in the US and Canada. Immediate Past President of ETAQ, he is now President of the national English teacher body, AATE. He is currently a part-time teacher educator at the University of Queensland and has previously worked in that role at the Australian Catholic University’s Brisbane campus. Garry is keen on both poetry and functional grammar.

Workshop 3DRe-imagining the Classics: accessible and practical approaches for using classic literature in the multimodal 21st century classroom

Abstract

What do Wall E and Oliver Twist have in common? Can Austen feature as a poster on a teenager’s wall? The continuing rapid evolution of technology has meant that teachers of English have had to think quickly when it comes to engaging students. At times, however, we may review our unit planners with scepticism as we ponder, ‘is this activity for entertainment or education?’ In this workshop participants will be shown practical ways a range of multimodal texts can be used to reinvigorate classic literature and enhance students’ depth of learning. From anticipatory sets to extension ideas, the session will demonstrate how to use visual texts to bolster lessons. Direct

links to the Australian Curriculum will be outlined for each classroom idea presented.

Presenters

Secondary English teachers Cheryl Moore and Fiona Roush have been colleagues at Sunshine Coast Grammar School for ten years and, combined, are the ideal Yin and Yang of English teachers. One a former Hollywood script writer the other an experienced Head of Faculty, both are keen life- long learners, eager to share their ideas for the English classroom.

Workshop 3EAppraisal: a powerful tool for teaching English

Abstract

The undertaking of Senior English aims to prepare students for a world of rapid cultural, social, economic and technological change. These circumstantial factors place complex demands on students and indeed citizens to be literate (QSA, 2010, p. 1). Media literacy falls within these demands, and effective teaching of media invites students to understand the relationship between institutions, texts and audiences, encouraging them to become more powerful readers/viewers. An emerging and compelling way this can be achieved is through Appraisal, an evaluative framework that enables students to become agents working actively on their own world (McGuire, 2010). Appraisal theory is concerned with the interpersonal in language and so it offers not only an intellectual engagement with texts, but also caters for emotional involvement and participation (Martin & White, 2005; McGuire, 2010). In essence, it provides an easily accessible and valuable platform and metalanguage upon which students become aware of the powerful influence of texts and their ability to empower or disempower. The focus of this workshop will be to offer strategies and activities for teaching Appraisal not only within the context of a Senior English Media unit but also across other English classroom contexts. This will involve becoming familiar with the three major elements of the Appraisal framework (attitude, graduation and engagement) and then exploring how this can be implemented through examining how the media constructs identities in selected articles.

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Presenters

Simon Le Breuilly, Laura Signorini, Jonathan Stuart and Stevie Whitton are preservice teachers currently completing their final year at QUT under Senior Lecturer in the school of Curriculum Studies, Dr Anita Jetnikoff. Having attended previous ETAQ conferences, and with Anita Jetnikoff’s endorsement, the quartet are excited to share their university unit with their soon-to-be colleagues.

Workshop 3FReality Bites … a critical and creative community feast

Abstract

The popularity of creative non-fiction provides diverse opportunities for students to critically examine the notion of truth, and explore the creative tools used to re-create it. And then what happens when students are partnered with Australia‘s premier literary non-fiction festival, Reality Bites? This workshop explores how the local Reality Bites Festival both inspired a school-community partnership, and informed local English curriculum. It will focus specifically on Year 11 Creative Non-Fiction Unit where students self-select a CNF study text. From the dilemmas associated with ‘truth’ telling, the power of and diversity of voice, to the aesthetic appreciation of figurative devices. This session will explore these relationships and strategies for teaching Creative Non-Fiction. Students create a spoken presentation suited to a Reality Bites Festival audience. They have direct involvement in the festival through author visits to the school and festival activities in the community. Festival competitions provide a stimulus for students to showcase their work in the community and beyond. Students have interviewed authors for local radio, been published in Hoopla magazine, attended business lunches with local business identities and national celebrities. For a socially motivated generation we can only expect some great things to happen.

Presenters

Louise Francis is English Head of Department at Noosa District State High School, having taught English for 25 year in various states and sectors. Her involvement with Reality Bites Festival began

with a casual conversation with festival organiser Annette Hughes, and she has since grown passionate about connecting students with writers.

Melanie Myers is Artistic Director of the Reality Bites Festival. She is a Brisbane-based writer and editor. Melanie teaches creative writing and acting at the University of the Sunshine Coast where she is also completing doctoral studies in Creative Arts.

Workshop 3GNarrative and argument in digital forms: expanding the repertoire

Abstract

The expansion of English and literacy curriculum to encompass multimodal texts and literacies presents rich opportunities to explore new forms of argument and narrative made possible through the incorporation of diverse forms of literacy, and the creation and analysis of hybrid texts of many kinds. However, balancing the study of texts and literacies such as these with familiar content and subject matter, and long-standing values at the heart of English and literacy curriculum is sometimes challenging. This workshop looks at three instances of digital textual forms - online advertising, Twitter-mediated current affairs TV programs, and narrative and non-narrative computer games. It considers ways in which argument and narrative are constructed within and across each of these, and invites discussion about English curriculum and teaching possibilities.

Presenter

Catherine Beavis is a Professor of Education at Griffith University. She teaches and researches in the areas of English and Literacy Education, the changing nature of text, and young people and digital culture. Her research has a particular focus on videogames as new narrative and communicative forms, and the implications of young people’s engagement with digital culture and videogames for education.

Workshop 3HCritical friends have a chat

Abstract

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Implementing the Australian Curriculum must be much more than being handed a brief on what to do. An effective teacher will move beyond passive compliance and knowledge of theories underpinning English is critical. They will actively seek to forge links with past and current theories and develop the capacity and confidence to explain and defend what they are doing. This will involve finding and pursuing worthwhile options in teaching different aspects of English and the planning and skill needed to translate theory into meaningful learning activities for students in the classroom. Experience has shown that ongoing contact with like-minded critical friends can play an important role in these pursuits. ETAQ seminars provide ongoing and useful practical help. Close contact with people developing curriculum materials provides assistance in getting inside cutting edge theories informing English and helps bridge the gap between syllabus frameworks and teaching them in classrooms. Access to the work of university lecturers makes available new theorising, the chance to interrogate current practices, and access to new and challenging ones. Curriculum project in-service workshops give teachers the chance to internalise new theories through participation in hands-on focused learning activities. Above all, it is necessary to keep firmly in mind that one never quite arrives. Absolute success is an ideal and at times one must just press on in the face of complaint, criticism and failure.

Presenters

Ray McGuire was HOD English at both Ipswich SHS and Bremer SHS. An ETAQ member since the 1970’s he was an inaugural (1998) Peter Botsman Award winner. He was a long time English Panel Chair and member of the English Subject Advisory Committee. Recognising the importance of English curriculum development, he forged ongoing links with Ed Qld Curriculum Branch personnel. As a literacy consultant he helped implement state wide and district literacy projects and in-serviced the Ed. Qld. 1994 Years 1-10 English syllabus. Retiring in 2000 he lectured and tutored at Griffith Uni and has continued to work on AC: E consultancy projects.

Jane Greenwood is an English Honours graduate of the University of Queensland —where, both as student and staff member, she also enjoyed taking part in English Department drama productions —

and an English teacher of more years’ standing than she cares to remember. She has taught English and Drama at all levels of schooling and English at tertiary level, and, for many years, was HOD English at St Peters Lutheran College in Brisbane and President of ETAQ. After leaving school for the last time in 1997 (better late than never!) she spent three years at The Queensland University of Technology as Research Assistant to the Queensland team of the Australia-wide STELLA Project which investigated and defined standards for English teachers in Australia. Following this, she returned to university teaching as a tutor in Secondary English Method and Creative Writing in the Education faculties of UQ and QUT, also writing text books on grammar for Years 8-10 for Jacaranda Press.

Heather Fraser has been HOD English in three schools since 1987. She completed a Masters in Critical literacy under Dr Pam Gilbert and won an Australian Curriculum Educational Leadership Award for the highest result in a post graduate degree in 2003. She won a Peter Botsman Award in 2002. She has been Panel Chair in Queensland 1998- 2011 and a member of QSA panel system since the mid 1980’s. Heather has lectured at tertiary level in English curriculum. She has taught primary, secondary, TAFE and in other states. She edited Challenging the Text which was later nominated for an excellence in teaching award. She has been President of the Townsville Branch of ETAQ 1997-2014 and one of the founders of the Townsville Branch of ETAQ in 1981. Heather has organised ETAQ state conferences and local English teachers’ conferences. She is currently Co-ordinator of English at St Margaret Marys College Townsville.

Mary Swayne has been English HOD at Bremer, Oxley and Kelvin Grove, a sessional lecturer at Griffith, and was the project officer for the QCT’s Networks@Work which researched how networks operate to promote professional knowledge and practice. Some of the rewarding and productive networks she has been part of include district and state panels for English and English Extension, the English SAC where she was involved in writing syllabuses for both Senior English and English Extension, the management committee of ETAQ, and teams of teachers at every school in which she taught. In 2003 she received a Peter Botsman Award in the school and beyond-school categories.

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Workshop Selection

Name ...........................................School .......................................

Intending registrants should note that maximums apply to some workshops. Places will be allocated as registrations are received.

Number Title

Select 1 and 2 for each session

Workshop Session 1

1A Over their voices we stretch: breathing life into student poetry

1B Positive psychology in the English classroom

1C Creating character and influencing emotion through a detailed analysis of the verb group

1D “Well, hang on. They’re actually much better that that!”: disrupting the deficit discourse about EAL/D learners in senior English

1E Persuasion texts for global citizenship: exploring multimodal literacy

1F Love poetry for Years 11 and 12: an experiential workshop on writing and appreciating poetry (Part I)

1G Story your life: an introduction to stand-up storytelling

1H Teaching oral communication skills

Workshop Session 22A Breaking ground with the Bard Part I

2B Flourishing in creative spaces with English

2C Primary school teachers are from Mars, senior school teachers are from Venus

2D The ‘Brave New World’ of Senior English: functional grammar as a tool for intervening in literary texts.

2E Creating media animals who ‘consume with care’

2F Love poetry for Years 11 and 12: an experiential workshop on writing and appreciating poetry (Part II)

2G Teaching oral communication skills Repeat of 1H2H Identity Interrupted

2I The place of poetry in Secondary School English – a panel discussion

Workshop Session 33A What is the relevance of Shakespeare in 2014?

Breaking ground with the Bard Part II

3B “The Cure” and other ancient remedies

3C Deconstructing an exemplar text generated from a poem

3D Re-imagining the Classics: accessible and practical approaches for using classic literature in the multimodal 21st century classroom

3E Appraisal: a powerful tool for teaching English

3F Reality Bites ... a critical and creative community feast

3G Narrative and argument in digital forms: expanding the repertoire

3H Critical friends have a chat

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