Nauman, M, ETL411, 2012, Ass 1

Integrating Literacy

ETL411
Fall

08

SS12 Assignment One: Curriculum Through Literacy

Mohd Nauman

School of Education

Teaching context, pedagogy issues and selection of published digital instructional materials:
For this assignment, I am working with an independent school situated in Melbourne metropolitan where majority of my students are from migrant families who have moved to Australia within the last decade. Their families maintain strong cultural ties with their native lands and in most cases speak a language other than English at home. That makes English their second and in some cases even their third language. This scenario will be focused on their literacy education, of which learning effective communication skills will be an integral part. About a quarter of my students in this context have recently arrived in Australia, and for some attending an Australian school is a whole new experience. About three quarters of my students were either born in Australia or arrived here when they were not yet of schooling age, and therefore their communicative and lateritic abilities seem to be better developed in comparison. In our ever changing and increasingly digital world, students and teachers are constantly subject to information overload and the resultant noise it generates. Literacy teachers are ought to cope with larger cohorts and more disparate communities. Increasingly, information communication technologies are being used to address these issues and it becomes clear that new skills are required to operate effectively in the learning environment (Madigan & Martin, 2006). Carrington and Robinson (2009) suggest that institutions should start investing in developing literacies and putting them into the context of the changing educational landscape. Interestingly this notion is balanced between the need to develop hard (computer) skills and soft (communication) skills. For Information Communication Technology to succeed, it seems there is a requirement for learners and teachers to

learn how to communicate effectively, without regard for the communication medium. Even though our independent school receives limited government funding, it is still generally low on available funds, so practically making full and effective use of the available resources is very important, as point out by Constable (2011). We have selected a set of four inter-related YouTube videos (published digital instructional materials) to target two specific curriculum content areas in English & Communication for our students working towards Level 4 in Victorian Education Learning Standards (VELS). YouTube as a learning resource effectively makes ample use of audio and visual animations in assisting the learner. It as an instructional media adopts latest technologies in developing the skills and the mental capabilities of the students (Cerone, 2012) and it meets the requirements for the Education Reform Agenda in digitalizing education in Australia.

Digital Instructional Video 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azoAPF5Dw4I
Publication Description: Learning how to disagree with someone politely in English. In this lesson,
students experience two friends reviewing a movie they have seen together. They do not share the same opinion about the movie. Students learn how to ask what someone thinks about something and how to share their opinion in a polite way.

First we will analyse whether this digital instructional material meets the required standards set by the Australian Education Curriculum; whose emphasis, according to McPherson (1995), is on importance of knowledge, understanding and skills of learning areas. The used modules will be analysed in respect to their ability to enhance literacy level of the learner. The assessment of this pedagogy is based on the specific needs of students working towards VELS Level 4. This is done with an

understanding that every student has special capabilities that must be harnessed. This module is mostly about exchanging differing opinions. The learner is in a position to understand effective ways in which one can disagree with another without having to cause friction. The disagreement in this case has been done in a way that is least offensive to the other party. This tool manages to help the learner fully understand fruitful ways of asking for another persons opinion & positively exchanging ideas in a constructive manner. Students using this learning module will also meet the curriculum requirement of constructive response of verbal and non-verbal audience. Learning this aspect is useful to all kinds of students. This explains how the curriculum has been designed to accommodate unique interests and abilities of students. Walsh (2010) reiterates that the success of a curriculum is in the meeting of individual needs of students. Another requirement under speaking and listening for VELS Level 4 students is the variation in tone and pace in order to add emphasis. It also has to do with the choice of words during a meaningful communication. This is effective to express feelings about the subject. The learner using this tool is in a position to master these communication facets. They have been clearly illustrated through the conversion in the video. How quick a student is able to master this is dependent both on the capabilities of the student and the teaching context.

Digital Instructional Video 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xKnOe8hirA
Publication Description: Learning how to combine adjectives with prepositions to talk about your
fears. In this lesson, students will see two people talking about making presentations at work. One person enjoys public speaking but the other is afraid of being in front of so many people.

This video is about expression of feelings of which our major emphasis will be upon learning prepositions and adjectives. By using this video, the learner is in a position to quickly master the use of prepositions. The video does not only focuses on teaching the students about prepositions, but the setting also allows the student to master other areas of the curriculum. It focuses on enriching the learner on various aspects. In teaching the learner about English, there is a demonstration of the structure of a sentence. The students learn that a sentence structure should be an adjective followed by a preposition in that order. According to the assessment by Donnelly (2004), this tool is using an integrated approach to assist the learner understand and absorb the literary content in a larger context. The content in this video also meets the learner goal alignment. This is true in relation to some of the objectives set for Level 4 students. Donnelly (2004) asserts that this approach has minimized mismatch between learning and subsequent assessment. For instance, the teaching of prepositions is in tandem with the writing objective of how to organize main and subordinate ideas. In relation to communication, the focus is on listening, viewing and responding. Another objective in relation to effective communication is asking relevant questions to stimulate better understanding. Silverman and Poynter (2004) demonstrate how this framework provides a heuristic approach suitable for digital resources. The way students learn communication is practical, social and intriguing. Through this module, the student benefits greatly with facial impressions that accompany the message being delivered.

Digital Instructional Video 3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW3rTX6tXvI Publication Description: Learning how to describe the latest high-tech gadgets in English. In this
lesson, students will see people talking about mobile phones, PDAs and computers using compound adjectives. Students will learn several of the most common compound adjectives for describing technology and how to form their own compounds.

In this module, the students are equipped with a variety of learning skills that are necessary in daily life settings (Pomerantz, 2001). The teacher using this material will realise better outcomes due to the potent blend of face-to-face and digital learning. The use of discussing media technology to teach a variety of skills helps meet the needs of different categories of students. Donnelly (2004) illustrates how this approach effectively addresses active and reflective learners; global and sequential learners. Walsh (2010) says that the fruition of this is based on the understanding of the fact that whatever a student learns is always less than what the teacher teaches. The blend adopted in this approach therefore focuses on maximizing student learning. More so, this approach suites most of the learning contexts in which the learning might be taking place. This video also assists VELS Level 4 students to learn about morphemic knowledge, visual and phonic patterns (Lyons, 2002). The knowledge of the learner will be enriched starting from the simple words to compound phrases. The learning process of students especially at this level reaches apogee when all the required elements have been observed and they can be manifested in the learners. The presentation skills acquired in this module are in relation to use of appropriate comments and queries to provide feedback on others presentations. Feedback is one very effectual way of gauging communication effectiveness.

Digital Instructional Video 4:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0zBXxTWcpg Publication Description: Learning how to describe yourself and your best professional qualities in a
job interview. In this lesson, students will watch a man interviewing for an accounting job. He uses several compound adjectives to describe his skills and personality. Students will learn how to form compound adjectives by combining two nouns, adjectives or adverbs.

This module relates to preparation and subsequent presentation in an interview. A number of items can be learnt from this particular video-stream. One critical thing in an interview is always the choice of words. According to McPherson (1995), this is one way of reaching a student at this level with a whole spectrum of learning styles. This has been really highlighted by the interviewee in this particular module. According to Victorian Essential Learning Standards, the use of analysis and discussion of perspectives in varying contexts is important in meeting the curriculum requirements. Walsh (2010) explains how such an instructional material could be successful in shaping these analytical and discussion skills. The analytical skills of the student are modeled through observing this interview. The student is in a position to quickly understand the specific items of literature that the interviewer is targeting from the interviewee. With regards to communication, this aspect of learning has also been addressed by aid of this digital teaching material. The curriculum content for VELS Level 4 students in relation to this video covers the aspect of using simple criteria and strategies to evaluate others presentation. The use of words like: it sounds like, obviously, etc. is useful in assessing the presentation of the other party. The practicality of the examples used in this module of teaching must be very appealing to middle school students. Another skill that a teacher will be able to help the students easily grasp is in relation to relevant questioning to improve

understanding. In spite of the fact that the interviewer had some information about the interviewee, there is a way in which she asks the questions in order to stimulate further detailed responses. The student at this level will require this to help him in his progression academically; this includes during group discussions and other forums.

Two Targeted Curriculum Content Areas Communication - VELS Level 4 Progression Points 3.25 / 3.5 / 3.75
http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/support/progression/communication.html#lev4 Listening, viewing and responding: At Level 4, students ask clarifying questions about ideas and information they listen to and view. They develop interpretations of the content and provide reasons for them. They explain why peers may develop alternative interpretations. They describe the purpose of a range of communication strategies, including non-verbal strategies, and evaluate their effectiveness for different audiences. Presenting: At Level 4, students summarise and organise ideas and information, logically and clearly in a range of presentations. They identify the features of an effective presentation and adapt elements of their own presentations to reflect them. Using provided criteria, they evaluate the effectiveness of their own and others presentations.

English - VELS Level 4 Progression Points 3.25 / 3.5 / 3.75

http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/support/progression/english.html#lev4 Speaking: At Level 4, students plan, rehearse and make presentations for different purposes. They sustain a point of view and provide succinct accounts of personal experiences or events. They adjust their speaking to take account of context, purpose and audience, and vary tone, volume and pace of speech to create or emphasise meaning. Listening: At Level 4, when listening to spoken texts, students identify the main idea and supporting details and summarise them for others. They identify opinions offered by others, propose other relevant viewpoints and extend ideas in a constructive manner.

Additional statement: What have I learnt in attempting this assignment?

In the process of preparing this assignment, I have come to realize how digital media and internet access continues to offer important opportunities for educational learning and so a new form of literacy is becoming increasingly important in Australian society. Educational institutions need to be able to respond to current and future literacy needs in their communities and be in a position where they are able to recognize and take advantage of the new opportunities for teaching and learning. As information and communications technologies continue to develop further and in the process change radically, educational institutions need not just to be flexible but also be sustainable in their approach to these emerging technologies. Flexibility and

sustainability can be achieved through community wide participation in ongoing action research, enhanced by the educational organizations support for a wider range of software and hardware, and through encouragement to engage with open and internationally networked communications and information exchange. As pointed out by Kajder (2010), I have realized that digital literacy isnt just all about technology either, but its also about the teaching practices that technology enables. Instead of focusing on where to point and click, the emphasis needs to be on the ways in which teachers and students work together to navigate continuous change and what it means to read, write, view, listen, and communicate effectively in the twenty-first century. I have also come to explore topics such as the schism between teachers' and students' technology use, definitions of literacy in a variety of settings, and the uses of technology in developing personal identity. These topics are important not only because of the percentage of middle school students who are using technology, but also because these new technologies are forcing teachers to think differently about reading, writing and communicating in a digital age.

References Carrington, V., & Robinson, M. (2009). Digital literacies: Social learning and classroom practices. London, UK: SAGE Publications. Cerone, F.H. (2012). Digital learning object repositories. OCLC Systems & Services, 28(1), p14-16.

Constable, M. (2011). Origination and Exploitation of high-quality digital materials for courseware development: A student-centered approach. Digital Creativity, 12(4), p215. Donnelly, K. (2004). Education Agenda. Institute of Public Affairs Review, 56(3), p29. Kajder, S. (2010). Adolescents and digital literacies: Learning alongside our students. Urbana, Illinois: NCTE Publishing. Lyons, M. (2002). K-12 Instructions and digital access to archival materials. Journal of Archival Organization, 1(1), p19-34. Martin, A., & Madigan, D. (Eds.). (2006). Digital literacies for learning. London, UK: Facet Publishing. McPherson, G.E. (1995). Integrating the arts into the general curriculum: An Australian perspective. Arts Education Policy Review, 97(1), p25. Pomerantz, L. (2001). Bridging the Digital Divide: Reflections on teaching and learning in the digital age. History Teacher, 34(4), p509. Silverman, F.H., & Poynter, D. (2004). Self-publishing textbooks and instructional materials: A practical guide to successful and respectable self-publishing. Gloucester, MA: Atlantic Path Publishing. Walsh, C. (2010). Systems-based literacy practices: Digital games research, gameplay and design. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 33(1), p24-40.