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Tid Lit Talkers - Dan Bell and “4C Transformative Learning”

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It’s always a treat to walk down memory lane with a friend and colleague; it’s practically a gift when you get to run an interview with such an individual, especially when the topic of the day is something you’re both so passionate about. Dan and I went to university together and although our paths veered in different directions, they have crossed once again in this inspiring discussion about the impacts of empowering students to find their voice and their place in a classroom.  There are some key points in this meander though such definitive educational concepts - the importance of reflection, feedback, and language for both teachers and students is certainly the point which resonates with me most.  If every student can begin their literacy journey by understanding the true power of language, and in turn every educator can provide an equitable platform by which students can obtain and master language… well we might not even need something like NAPLAN. You can check out everything “4C
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How to create reading opportunities for high school students.

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Finding time for reading can be difficult for even those of us who are hand on heart obsessed with it. There are nights where everything takes a little too long, or days that take a little too much out of you; or probably the worst scenario, which is that you’ve read so much during your day you just can’t bear to look at another word. Probably the equivalent of eating too many brussels sprouts and not having any room for dessert.  One of the age groups that has been flagged again and again for having poor reading habits are teens. Understandably so, as this group are not only going through extreme physiological changes but are also juggling the expectations of their schooling, extra-curricular hobbies and changing identity - all while being constantly prepped for their next stage of life, 'adulthood’.  Teenagers will already have a LOT to read from their subjects at school; unfortunately these materials are rarely their own choice and are often linked to homework or assessments. Al
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Metalanguage for Literacy

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Have you ever been to a party with your partner or friends who know individuals in completely different fields of work/study to your own? Have you nodded knowingly in the conversations you’re an audience member of, actually totally clueless to what’s going on? Perhaps you’ve been in a consultation with a professional like a doctor, lawyer, tradie who begins to use words you’ve never heard to try and explain something you need to know, that you cannot understand at all.  “Can you use plain English for me?” is a line I have been privy to and have also uttered many times.  This my friends, is the power of metalanguage and jargon which can unite and divide any individual that comes across them. For a breakdown of metalanguage, Richard Nordquist does a great job, but if you’re less of a linguist I’ve got a wonderful example from AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership) where a Marylyn Pett is giving an explanation of her awareness of the power of metalanguage. Notice
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Tid Lit Talkers - Tanya Grambower and "Literacy for Boys"

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After reading her bio on the Literacy for Boys website I was a little nervous for my very first Tid Lit Talkers interview with Tanya Grambower, little did I know we’d leave the e-meet as two individuals who could have been mistaken for old friends. Our chat about literacy, equitable access to educational opportunities, and the power of humble upbringings went for over an hour but a short snippet is presented for you below. Tanya speaks passionately about the need for differentiation in classrooms, especially when it comes to the learning styles of girls and boys. Having been an educator for over 20 years in both Australian and international spaces, Tanya’s focus has been on giving boys a step up into literature, and a real go at literacy. Her empirical evidence about boys being disengaged by certain topics and teaching styles hits close to home as she speaks honestly in relation to her experiences with her own two son’s changing reading patterns over their adolescent years. I can empa
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Who is responsible for the development of Literacy?

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  If we assume that a majority of all individuals understand the definition of Literacy to be the ability to read and write, then we can begin to understand where the following assumption stems from; the responsibility of developing these skills rests predominantly with English and Literature teachers. Most English teachers I have met across Australia will attest to this assumption, while rolling their eyes or huffing with discontent. And rightly so. If the literacy of an entire class, school, town, city, state, and even nation depended on the very small percentage of people who teach English then we’d all be in the metaphorical creek without paddles (unable to articulate what a paddle is or why we need it to those on dry land watching us drown). Similarly, this group should not be scapegoated when poor literacy is discovered in a school, town, state, or nation. If you’ve never come across the African proverb "it takes a village to raise a child” then I hope you scan back and rer
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What is Literacy?

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  In my years as an educator I’ve come across many formal definitions of literacy; however, it's in my personal interactions with family and friends that I have formalised my own definition of this complex term. There are three seminal experiences I want to transport you to before I present you with the ‘dictionary definition’ you probably came here for. It is my first year of university in my bachelor’s degree in secondary education and we are in a tutorial writing a letter to ourselves as a graduate teacher. I am passionate beyond my caffeination and vow to give every student an equal opportunity to read and write competently by the time they leave school. Fast forward to the moment I reopen this letter and realise how narrow minded I was. It is my second year in the classroom and I am marking draft creative writing pieces from my standard* English students. My most disengaged student has finally produced a piece of work which I personally find brilliant. I am immediately dishear
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Tid Lit Introduced

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Literacy is a word thrown around by governments, parents and teachers who all have strong opinions. It’s also a hot topic for the media, especially when the news cycle is slow… This blog is designed to provide readers with a tid bit of literacy related material every week, to help address the misconceptions it continues to generate among educators and non-educators. The first blog will address the definition of Literacy and how we can better understand what is means in the different contexts its used.  Blog posts will be published each Wednesday! Photo by  Ismail Salad Osman Hajji dirir  on  Unsplash
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