acec2012 writestuff

Above all, boys want to feel and be competent. Boys want to look good and sound smart. Thus, focusing on teaching the tools and skills of the writer’s craft rather than focusing on the person or choice of content seems to be critical in supporting boy writers.

Anne F. Goiran-Bevelhimer"Boys and Writing: Implications

for Creating School Writing Curriculumand Instruction that is Boy-friendly"

‘’Wednesday, 3 October 12

Levins, Martin24601

[email protected]

Wednesday, 3 October 12

• Bare Facts

• Course Language

• Textual References

• Extreme Violence

www.oflc.gov.au


http://www.oflc.gov.au/special.html?n=269&p=171

http://www.oflc.gov.au/special.html?n=269&p=171

TheArmidaleSchool

ICTDefinitionsExamples


Reading

Writing

Spelling

Grammar &Punctuation

Year 7 NSW

State

State Boys

TAS


Year 7 NSW Reading

Writing

Spelling


State

State Boys

TAS


Reading

Writing

Spelling


Significantly better than State Boys

Year 7 NSW

State

State Boys

TAS


www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/BoysEducation/Pages/Belsfinalreport.aspx


http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/BoysEducation/Pages/Belsfinalreport.aspx


www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/BoysEducation/Pages/Belsfinalreport.aspxWednesday, 3 October 12



‘’

The school will continue to be a technologically-enabled environment where technology is used to maximise academic performance and communication.


Strengthen the currency and depth of teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and skills

Increase their capacity (through interactions with students) to provide all students with opportunities to access and apply relevant learning in ICT?

Goals


The central purpose of the project is to conduct action research on the efficacy of strategies to improve boys’ substantive communication (definition for purpose of this is complex writing and use of multimedia to communicate). Traditionally, boys are not very good at producing writing in volume. We aim to increase quality and volume of writing so that neither is compromised, by using a range of evidence-based ICT strategies.


Improve teaching of writing

Improve writing outcomes for boys, particularly through the use of ICT

Learn to deploy successful strategies such as those outlined in “Boys’ Education Lighthouse Schools Stage Two Final Report”.

Use these strategies to perform action research in writing improvement

Document these strategies and their outcomes using peer review and collaboration

Aims


blogs.ludus.meWednesday, 3 October 12

Measurement tools/processes

Discussions between teachers

Surveys

Literature reviews

Examples of student work


The project also focused in the development of writing and visual literacy skills, particularly the production of multimodal texts.

Students studied The Hunger Games and persuasive language techniques, and produced a suite of advertisements, including a video, print media, social media and radio ads.

‘’Wednesday, 3 October 12

-20%

-1%

18%

37%

56%

75%

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21

Torch Differential


0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Confident Sophisticated Clear Logical Fluent Coherent

I am this sort of writer

Survey OneSurvey Two


0

3

6

9

12

15

18

21

24

27

30

OK Hesitant Awkward Disorganised

I am this sort of writer

Survey OneSurvey Two


Survey 1

I enjoy the following types of writing

Survey 2

0.0%$

10.0%$

20.0%$

30.0%$

40.0%$

50.0%$

60.0%$

70.0%$

80.0%$

90.0%$

Analy3cal$(essays$or$reports)$

Fic3on$ Nonfic3on$ Poetry$


Survey One

I like to use the following technology when I write

0.0%$

10.0%$

20.0%$

30.0%$

40.0%$

50.0%$

60.0%$

blogging$

tex4ng$

instant$messaging$

podcast$

power$point$or$keynote$

emailing$

word$processing$

wiki$

pen$and$paper$

forum/chat$

Survey TwoWednesday, 3 October 12

0.0%$

10.0%$

20.0%$

30.0%$

40.0%$

50.0%$

60.0%$

70.0%$

80.0%$

90.0%$

1$ 2$

a$pen$

my$computer$

I prefer to write using

Survey Survey


I draft and edit my work

0%#

10%#

20%#

30%#

40%#

50%#

60%#

70%#

80%#

90%#

Always# Some7mes# Never#

Survey#1#

Survey#2#


I know how to use ICT tools to make editing easier

0.0%$

10.0%$

20.0%$

30.0%$

40.0%$

50.0%$

60.0%$

70.0%$

80.0%$

Surrvey$1$ Survey$2$

yes$

no$


The comments on my work help me understand how to improve my writing

0%#

10%#

20%#

30%#

40%#

50%#

60%#

70%#

Strongly#agree# Agree# Disagree# Strongly#Disagree#

Survey#1#

Survey#2#


The comments on my work help me understand how to improve my writing

0.0%$

10.0%$

20.0%$

30.0%$

40.0%$

50.0%$

60.0%$

70.0%$

80.0%$

90.0%$

100.0%$

Parents$ Teachers$ Friends$ Classmates$

Survey 1 Survey 2Wednesday, 3 October 12

I am a good speller

0%#

10%#

20%#

30%#

40%#

50%#

60%#

Strongly#agree# Agree# Disagree# Strongly#disagree#

Survey#1#

Survey#2#


Clauses are colour-coded in a word processor


Susan Cooper expresses righteousness in “King of Shadows” and motivates responders to do the right thing. An example of this is shown when Nathan saves Roper from choking to death, even after he had tried to kill Nat. Roper’s debt to Nat is clearly stated when Roper exclaims, “I thought I was dead! Tha saved my life.” Nat’s actions change Roper’s perspective on Nat, and his envy evaporates. Righteousness is a key theme in “King of Shadows” because responders see that acts of selflessness, like Nat’s, reverse negativity in others.


Susan Cooper explores many “big questions” and themes through “King of Shadows” such as righteousness, friendship and family. These themes and questions are expressed through the characters of the book and their relationships with each other.

There is more to a book than the plot, as the context is certainly very important. Themes included in the context challenge readers to consider significant issues about real life, such as, how we behave ethically, the importance of family and the value of friendship.

Cooper explores ethical behaviour in “King of Shadows” and encourages readers to do the right thing. An example of this is shown when the protagonist, Nat saves a fellow actor from choking to death, even though he had tried to kill Nat. Roper’s gratitude and debt to Nat are clearly shown when Roper exclaims, “I thought I was dead! Tha saved my life!” Nat’s actions change Roper’s perspective on him and Roper’s hatred and envy of Nat evaporates. Morality is a key aspect and theme in “King of Shadows” and shows that doing the right thing can reverse negativity in others, just as Nat reversed Roper’s heavy veil of despise by doing the right thing.

Loss is expressed throughout the text by Cooper and gives an understanding, for those who have had to cope with loss. An example of this is shown when Nat bursts into tears on stage whilst rehearsing with William Shakespeare, crying about his mother’s death and his father’s suicide. “I tried to be enough for him but I wasn’t, I wasn’t enough.” Nat finds refuge in Arby’s troupe, as he feels that they are his new family. Whilst he is in the 16th century, he feels that the Chamberlain’s men are his new family as well. Acting gives Nat a sense of belonging and safety, to place himself in someone else’s shoes. Acting also takes Nat to another place, a place where he can forget the trauma associated with being orphaned. Loss is a key theme explored throughout “King of Shadows”, it challenges its audience to consider, the broader issues and questions associated with grief & loss.

Friendship is also explored by Cooper in “King of Shadows” and gives an example of why friendship is important. The theme of friendship is woven throughout the text. Readers are introduced to Nat’s present friends and to the concept that Nat requires to form friendships in the 16th century, in order to survive socially. Nat is overwhelmed by one of the friendships he forms in “King of Shadows” when he first meets William Shakespeare. “Greet Master Shakespeare boy.” It was as if he’d said, “Say hello to God.” This clearly states that Nat’s friendship with William Shakespeare means so much to him, Shakespeare becomes somewhat of a father to Nat. Friendship is a key aspect in “King of Shadows” as it challengers readers to consider why people need friends, not just want them. This is observed through “King of Shadows”, particularly through William Shakespeare as he is reminded of his son, whom he needs through Nat.Rivalry is conveyed throughout “King of Shadows” and asks readers to contemplate why some feel more superior at one activity than others, and why that allows them to show arrogance toward others. An example of this is when Roper attempts to upstage Nat in the acrobatics demonstration. This rivalry is demonstrated after Roper finishes his demonstration, “Roper jumped lightly down from the stage and landed at my side. I said impulsively, “That was great!” He looked at me with a twisted little smile that had no pleasure in it, just malice.” Roper does not make any attempt to encourage Nat and tries to take Nat’s courage and integrity away. Rivalry, as a theme, gives “King of Shadows” quite the basic complication and challenges readers to consider the negative effects of other people’s arrogance.

Cooper attempts to reflect real life throughout her novel “King of Shadows”. She attempts to motivate readers to do the right thing by expressing the importance of morality throughout the text. She shows a detailed understanding into loss and other issues and questions associated with loss. Cooper weaves friendship throughout the text and expresses this in a very socially realistic form. She delivers the realistic interpretation of everyday competition through the text. The scenarios Cooper creates reflect real life situations and explore important questions about life, such as, arrogance, the need for friendship, the effects of loss and how emotional scars can be healed. All these questions are asked and challenge readers to consider and think about the book after they have read it.


The value of blogging

• Parents are able to access the work tasks and engage

• Students are able to access the class materials beyond the school room

• The act of posting their work to a live audience… (provides) an incentive not only for prompt completion but also for due effort and quality in the finished product


Term 1

Term 2 www.online-utility.org/english/readability_test_and_improve.jsp


Teacher1 - starting to teach writing better - explicitly working with boys editing work etc.

Multiliteracies - boys posting complementary material

Have we made progress towards improving the teaching of writing?


My professional belief is that the use of ICT has enhanced student learning.

one-on-one laptops allow students to process, edit and enhance their expressive capacity utilizing the word processing functions.

They are increasingly accessing and utilizing the dictionary functions to improve their vocabulary, while students challenged by reading are utilizing the text-to-voice functions to assist in their processing and understanding.


Teacher 2 - teaching of text types - form - analysing features of texts

purpose, audience, language features - now make one, concrete way of teaching form to boys with gratification and understanding clear.

Have we made progress towards improving the teaching of writing?


Teacher 3 - Explicit scaffolding - use of Word application template with hidden text that tells boys what to do.

Didacticism is still important in skill development, esp. for boys

What else is possible?


Multimodalhttp://wordpress.as.edu.au/ldonalds/2012/06/05/the-hunger-games-video-ad/

Socialhttp://www.classtools.net/fb/87/kMEAfS


http://wordpress.as.edu.au/ldonalds/2012/06/05/the-hunger-games-video-ad/




http://www.classtools.net/fb/87/kMEAfS

http://www.classtools.net/fb/87/kMEAfS

Martin Levinsmartin.levins.net

[email protected]

@martinlevins

bit.ly/LEVINS22


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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