ETL402 Literature Across the Curriculum

ETL402 Assessment 2 Part B: Reflective Blog Post

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ETL402 has greatly expanded my understanding of how children’s literature is more than a literacy tool only useful in the English classroom. This unit has built on the knowledge I’ve developed over the last 10 years as an English/History teacher and expanded my understanding of new literacies and text types that have evolved (largely due to new technologies) since I finished my Master of Teaching in 2011.

Literary learning – teaching curriculum content through literature – is a powerful tool to develop students’ multiliteracies. In a changing information landscape, it is crucial that we develop multiliterate students who are flexible, have the skills to reformulate knowledge and practice, and can make meaning via multiple modes and formats (Anstey & Bull, 2006, p.19-21; Gorgon & Marcus, 2013, p.42). Sometimes as classroom teachers we can get stuck in a rut and it’s hard to find the time to explore new developments. ETL402 exposed me to new, exciting text types such as digital narratives (Lysaught, 2022a, para.4-6) and emphasised that teacher-librarians, acting as a mediators for time-poor classroom teachers, should seek out, explore, and curate useful resources to ensure that our colleagues have the best tools possible to teach our students (Braun, 2010, p.47; Lysaught, 2022b, para.6).

While many ETL401 readings emphasised that libraries were about more than just books (Lysaught, 2021a, para.8-9; Lysaught, 2021b, para.7-8, 15), ETL402 reminded me about reading’s importance and the value of literature across the curriculum (Lysaught, 2021c, para.1, 5). Like my peers (Poyitt, 2021, para.1), it troubles me that so many teens I work with simply don’t read. ETL402 made me question my own practices, preferences, and habits (Lysaught, 2021e, para.1-2). Many readings and discussions explored the reasons why people read or don’t, leading me to create these infographics:

These readings gave me valuable insights and inspiring strategies to inform my future practice as I work towards building a whole-school reading culture (Fulton, 2021, para.1; Shaw, 2021, para.2-9; Lysaught, 2022b, para.5; Lysaught, 2022c, para.2-3; Lysaught, 2022d, para.4-6). Literary learning is a particularly exciting way to build whole-school reading culture which I plan to implement to benefit my school community, as summarised in my infographics which I plan to share with my colleagues:

Moving forward, I understand that as information specialist, curriculum leader, and literacy expert, I should:

  • Offer professional development opportunities for staff wishing to engage their students with literary learning;
  • Collaboratively plan for the implementation of literary learning with classroom teachers;
  • Implement literary response strategies with my own classes and support colleagues’ implementation e.g. Book Bento Boxes, Literature Circles;
  • Curate appropriate resources to support staff and student needs and interests;
  • Encourage further investigation and continued pleasure reading with a diverse, relevant, accessible collection;
  • Effectively display and promote relevant materials as well as successful literary learning units via parent bulletins, social media, staff meetings, and school reports;
  • Work with other stakeholders (e.g. Head Teacher Teaching and Learning, Literacy Committee Co-ordinator) to collect and analyse data determining the efficacy of literary learning;
  • Draw upon the expertise and strengths of numerous staff to build a more effective whole-school reading culture which supports students’ personal and academic needs;
  • Be responsive to the changing information landscape, time-pressures, and other issues (e.g. Covid restrictions) which may hinder implementation of collaborative practice

 

Bibliography:

Allington, R. L., & Gabriel, R. E. (2012). Every child every day. Educational Leadership, 69(6), 10-15.

Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (2006). Chapter 2: Defining multiliteracies. In M. Anstey & G. Bull (Eds.) Teaching and learning multiliteracies: Changing times, changing literacies. International Reading Association.

Barone, D. M. (2010). Children’s literature in the classroom: Engaging lifelong readers. Guildford Publications.

Braun, P. (2010). Taking the time to read aloud. Science Scope, 34(2), 45-49.

Brugar, K. A., & McMahon Whitlock, A. (2019). “I like […] different time periods:” elementary teachers’ uses of historical fiction. Social Studies Research and Practice 14(1), 78-97.

Carrillo, S. (2013, June 14). The power of a single story. Facing History & Ourselves. https://lanetwork.facinghistory.org/the-power-of-a-single-story/

Combes, B., & Valli, R. (2007). Fiction and the twenty-first century: A new paradigm? Paper submitted to Cyberspace, D-world, e-learning. Giving schools and libraries the cutting edge, 2007 IASL Conference, Taipei, Taiwan.

Daley, P. (2014, November 6). Anzac and Gallipoli are the novelist’s terrain as much as the historians. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/australia-books-blog/2014/nov/06/-sp-anzac-gallipolli-novelists-terrain-as-much-as-historians

Dickenson, D. (2014). Children and reading: literature review. University of Western Sydney, Australian Government, and Australia Council for the Arts.

Donnelly, D. (2017). Multi-platformed historical fiction: Literacy, engagement and historical understanding. SCAN 36(3), 43-47.

Earp, J. (2015, March 3). The power of a good book. Teacher. https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/the-power-of-a-good-book

Fulton, A. (2021, November 17). Re: 1.2: Affirmative action – examples of practice [Online discussion comment]. Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_58477_1&conf_id=_115076_1&forum_id=_259135_1&message_id=_3855912_1&nav=discussion_board_entry

Gaiman, N. (2013, October 16). Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming

Gorgon, B. & Marcus, A. (2013). Lost in transliteracy: How to expand student learning across a variety of platforms. Knowledge Quest, 41(5), 40-45.

Howard, V. (2011) the importance of pleasure reading in the lives of young teens: Self-identification, self-construction and self-awareness. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 43(1), 46-55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000610390992

Ipri, T., & Newman, B. (2017). Beginner’s guide to transliteracy: Where did the term transliteracy come from? Libraries and Transliteracy. https://librariesandtransliteracy.wordpress.com/beginners-guide-to-transliteracy/

Jorm, M. & Robey, L. (2020, December 7). Libraries as literacy leaders. National Education Summit. https://nationaleducationsummit.com.au/new-blog/librariesasliteracyleaders

Kidd, D. C., & Castano, E. (2013). Reading literary fiction improves theory of mind. Science 342(6156), 377-380.

Krashen, S. D. (2011). Free voluntary reading. ABC-CLIO, LLC.

Lysaught, D. (2021a, July 19) ETL401 assessment 1: What is the role of the teacher librarian? All You Read Is Love. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/allyoureadislove/2021/07/19/etl401assessment1/

Lysaught, D. (2021b, August 29) ETL401 3.2 the role of the teacher librarian: LIBERating our perceptions.  All You Read Is Love.

https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/allyoureadislove/2021/08/29/3-2-the-role-of-the-teacher-librarian-liberating-our-perceptions/

Lysaught, D. (2021c, July 19) ETL402 half-session reflections: The function of historical fiction in secondary schools. All You Read Is Love.

https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/allyoureadislove/category/etl402/

Lysaught, D. (2021d, December 26) ETL402 3.1 strategies to leverage a love of reading. All You Read Is Love.

https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/allyoureadislove/2021/12/26/etl402-3-1-strategies-to-leverage-a-love-of-reading/

Lysaught, D. (2021e, December 31) Top reads 2021. All You Read Is Love.

https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/allyoureadislove/2021/12/31/top-reads-2021/

Lysaught, D. (2022a, January 3) ETL402 5.1 practical idea and digital text to support literary learning. All You Read Is Love.

https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/allyoureadislove/2022/01/03/etl402-5-1-practical-idea-and-digital-text-to-support-literary-learning/

Lysaught, D. (2022b, January 10) ETL402 6.1-2 teaching and promotion strategies for using literature. All You Read Is Love.

https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/allyoureadislove/2022/01/10/etl402-6-1-2-teaching-and-promotion-strategies-for-using-literature/

Lysaught, D. (2022c, January 17) ETL402 6.3 responding to literature: The read aloud. All You Read Is Love.

https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/allyoureadislove/2022/01/17/etl402-6-3-responding-to-literature-the-read-aloud/

Lysaught, D. (2022d, January 17) ETL402 6.2 curriculum-based literary learning: Year 9 English power and freedom. All You Read Is Love.

https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/allyoureadislove/2022/01/17/etl402-6-2-curriculum-based-literary-learning-power-and-freedom/

Manuel, J., & Carter, D. (2015). Current and historical perspectives on australian teenagers’ reading practices and preferences. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy 38(2), 115-128.

Poyitt, B. (2021, November 29). Re: 1.2: Affirmative action – examples of practice [Online discussion comment]. Interact 2.

https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_58477_1&conf_id=_115076_1&forum_id=_259135_1&message_id=_3855912_1&nav=discussion_board_entry

Rodwell, G. (2019). Using fiction to develop higher-order historical understanding. In T. Allender, A. Clark & R. Parkes (Eds.), Historical thinking for history teachers: A new approach to engaging students and developing historical consciousness (p.194-207). Allen & Unwin.

Shaw, B. (2021, December 22). Re: 3.1: Strategy to leverage a love of reading [Online discussion comment]. Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_58477_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_115076_1&forum_id=_259138_1&message_id=_3855937_1

Smith, A. K. (2019, October 14). Literature has the power to change the world. Here’s how. Books At Work. https://www.booksatwork.org/literature-has-the-power-to-change-the-world-heres-how/

Stower, H. & Waring, P. (2018, July 16). Read like a girl: Establishing a vibrant community of passionate readers. Alliance of Girls Schools Australia. https://www.agsa.org.au/news/read-like-a-girl-establishing-a-vibrant-community-of-passionate-readers/

Taylor, T., and Young, C. (2003). Making history: a guide for the teaching and learning of history in Australian schools. Curriculum Corporation.

Wadham, R. L., Garrett, A. P., Garrett, E. N. (2019). Historical fiction picture books: the tensions between genre and format. The Journal of Culture and Values in Education 2(2), 57-72.

Whitten, C., Labby, S., & Sullivan, S. L. (2016). The impact of pleasure reading on academic success. The Journal of Multidisciplinary Graduate Research 2(4), 48-64.

Wu, Y., Mallan, K., & McGillis, R. (2013). Reimagining the world: Children’s literature’s responses to changing times. Springer.

Young, S. (2012). Understanding history through the visual. Language Arts 89(6), 379-395.

 

 

Creative Commons License The infographics in this post are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

ETL402 6.3 Responding to Literature: The Read Aloud

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Select one of the strategies for sharing or responding to literature and identify a subject learning area that you could apply it to. Share your thoughts on why you think this strategy could support literary learning in that discipline and provide a starting point for implementing it.

I love a good read aloud. The read aloud strategy was a great way for me to not only ensure that the students in my classes actually read the novel we were studying in English but also gave me an opportunity to engage them with the content and construction of the text through social learning.

Even high school, students who had never willingly read a book independently would listen, follow along, and engage with the discussion around the novel throughout the read aloud activity, and this would set them up nicely to examine the text in the ensuing modified literature circles activity. They’d say it was “cringe” when I’d do the voices, but secretly they enjoyed it (especially Gollum in The Hobbit, or if a character swore!).

ETL402 6.2 Curriculum-Based Literary Learning: Year 9 English Power and Freedom

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Consider a literature unit that you have taught. Provide a brief description and identify the theoretical stance taken. Share the highlights of this unit.

In my previous life as an English teacher I’ve had the privilege of being able to teach many literature units! Socio-cultural theories of learning underpin my approach to teaching in general, and as such I’ve always tried to consider the learning needs of my students and tried to create learning opportunities which rely on learning in a social context.

One unit which comes to mind was our Year 9 unit on the concept of Power and Freedom. When teaching this unit I generally elect to study the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I love using role-plays and simulation, and throughout the unit we play a ‘game’ where students are in a dystopia of sorts and have to obey ’10 Commandments’ to earn points. At the end of each week the students with the highest number of points gain the ability to change the rules (within reason and with my permission of course!) and getting other special treatments (silly things like being called ‘Exalted One’). Each year I’ve taught this unit it’s been a interesting way for students to connect with the novel and recognise the key concepts around power, freedom, and dystopia that I’m trying to teach. Factions form, students start negotiating with each other to pool points, coups are planned … it’s great fun.

I also often use a modified version of literature circles to help students form personal connections and interpretations of the novel. We’d read a section in class (if time allowed), then complete personal response questions:

  1. What do you think this was about (literally, thematically)?
  2. What did you like or dislike about it?
  3. Did anything confuse you? Were there any words or phrases you didn’t understand?
  4. Did you notice any patterns, techniques or connections which helped you make meaning?

While the unit parameters, time and access issues meant that I didn’t have the ability to give students free choice of text, they still took on roles (I used Summariser, Word Wizard, Character Captain, Literary Luminary, and Connector), examined the text in their ‘expert’ groups, then returned to their literature circles (or book clubs as I called them) to discuss and extend their understandings as a group. We then shared their findings through a whole class discussion. It was a far more effective strategy than the old comprehension chapter questions that I’d experienced as a student!

ETL402 6.1-2 Teaching and Promotion Strategies for Using Literature

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Reflect on your personal theoretical stance on the teaching of literature and how this is evidenced in your practice.

Reflect on your own and your professional colleagues’ knowledge of literature. Identify an occasion when you successfully connected a book with a child or group of students and how your knowledge of the book facilitated this process. Identify possible opportunities for a teacher librarian to respond to this research within the library and beyond to support teacher colleagues.

There are three theories regarding the teaching of literature. Transmission theories posit that the teacher transmits learning to the students, who are empty vessels willingly waiting to receive this information. While this approach can be useful for the direct, explicit instruction of certain aspects of literature (e.g. the definition of a literary device) the focus on the teacher at the expense of student involvement can limit engagement and higher order thinking. Student-centred theories put the focus back on students, allowing them greater control over their learning and thus more motivated to learn. However, student-centred theories are not without their flaws, since they fail to account for the social aspects of learning. Socio-cultural theories of learning fill this gap, arguing that learning takes place within specific social contexts and to serve specific needs. 

In my own teaching practice there is a definite focus on socio-cultural theories. Student ownership and engagement, adjustments to their zone of proximal development, and building strong relationships within the learning community of our classroom have been key elements that I have tried to implement in my own practice over the past decade. As such, I have been a strong proponent of literature circles in my time as an English teacher and have found that they can elevate the quality of literary understanding. This module has explored some other interesting strategies, some of which I’ve heard about before, some of which are new. I’m inspired to try a number or adjust of them in the context of the new understandings I’ve developed as a result of this unit: 

  • Publishing staff and student works in a school magazine (Reading Today [RT], 2010)
  • Writing competitions supporting curriculum outcomes (RT, 2010)
  • Silent and wide reading activities (Krashen, 2011; Fisher & Frey, 2018)
  • Read-alouds (Krashen, 2011; Jewett et. al., 2011)
  • Book displays (Krashen, 2011)
  • Food incentives (Krashen, 2011; Jewett et. al., 2011)
  • Recommendations or ‘blessed books’ (Krashen, 2011; Jewett et. al., 2011; Fisher & Frey, 2018)
  • Book clubs involving respected staff to model positive reading habits (Beach et. al., 2011; Jewett et. al., 2011; Fisher & Frey, 2018)
  • Book bento boxes (Bales, 2018)

I think that it is crucial for teachers to have a strong knowledge of children’s and young adult literature. However, the increasingly complex nature of teaching and escalating workloads often mean that staff have little time to read widely in these formats. This is where a well-read teacher librarian who prioritises this activity can show their value and provide displays and book lists to enable staff and students to make effective reading choices. Indeed, it is impossible to read all potentially engaging texts on one’s own, and this is where recommendations by trusted content creators such as Facebook book clubs, librarians on Instagram, GoodReads, practitioner blogs, and other publishers come in handy. Following hashtags such as #LoveOzYA, #booktok, and #WeNeedDiverseBooks can also benefit time-poor teachers looking to connect their students with meaningful, relevant literature.

Last year I can think of three separate occasions where I was in a position to have a positive impact on the reading choices of my students. The first was a Year 9 student who is already a voracious reader and had just devoured the Scythe series; I recommended the Obernewtyn Chronicles and the Throne of Glass novels, both of which spurred entrance into an additional fandom for this student. The second was a student in Year 7 who was looking for something to read for the Premier’s Reading Challenge. After a quick conversation I ascertained that her interests might be excited by Westerfeld’s Leviathan series, which presents an alternative steampunk version of WWI from the perspectives of a girl disguised as an British airman and the exiled son of the assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The third, and most rewarding, example was when I connected a disengaged Year 10 student (who had been forced to repeat) with The Story of Tom Brennan, and his English teacher told me later than he’d been talking about it in class. I was so proud of him and it was such a fantastic moment to see the impact that my recommendations could have on our students. 

It really comes back to the first two Australian Professional Standards for Teachers about professional knowledge: 1. know students and how they learn, and; 2. know the content and how to teach it. While we might not be teaching traditional content in a conventional classroom, our content is literature and we have to know our stuff and our students to effectively support our school’s learning needs. 

 

Bibliography:

Bales, J. (2018, September 24). Book bento boxes. JB on not Just Books [blog]. https://jenniebales.wordpress.com/2018/09/24/book-bento-boxes/ 

Beach, R., Appleman, D., Hynds, S., & Wilhelm, J. (2011). Teaching literature to adolescents. Taylor and Francis.

Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2018). Raise reading volume through access, choice, discussion, and book talks. Reading Teacher, 72(1), 89-97. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1691

Jewett, P. C., Wilson, J. L. & Vanderburg, M. A. (2011). The unifying power of a whole school read. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(6), 415-424. https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.54.6.3 

Krashen, S. D. (2011). Free voluntary reading. ABC-CLIO, LLC.

A culture of reading (2010). Reading Today [RT], 27(6), 38.

ETL402 5.1 Practical Idea and Digital Text to Support Literary Learning

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Explore a strategy, exemplified with a digital text, that will encourage teachers and/or students that would support literary learning.

Spinner, in his 2006 German article (translated into English by Anders, 2019), distinguished between the use of texts to support literacy development and the use of literary texts to support conceptual learning – what he termed literary learning. He argued that 11 aspects define effective literary learning:

  1. Developing the imagination when reading and listening
  2. Using the interaction between subjective involvement and accurate perception
  3. Active awareness of linguistic composition
  4. Understanding the perspectives of characters in literature
  5. Understanding narrative and dramaturgical logic of action
  6. Dealing consciously with fictionality
  7. Understanding metaphorical and symbolic language
  8. Engaging with the inconclusive nature of the process of constructing meaning
  9. Becoming familiar with literary discussion
  10. Understanding genres as prototypes
  11. Developing an awareness of literary history

I found this resource https://www.sbs.com.au/kgari/ on the English Teachers Association NSW Facebook group. It explores the story of Eliza Fraser, who was shipwrecked on K’gari (now more commonly known by its colonial name, Fraser Island). By presenting extracts of her sensationalised account alongside the perspective of the Butchulla people whom she portrays as “savages”, this interactive documentary encourages participants to “erase the myth that influenced history” by literally sweeping Eliza’s damaging lies off the page.

This would be a great resource for secondary students (some of the content may be a bit inappropriate for younger audiences). It presents Eliza Fraser’s story as Australia’s first example of ‘fake news’ and would therefore be a great resource to hook students into a study of news media or philosophical discussions about the nature of truth and representation. The dual perspectives challenge traditional narratives and representations of Australia’s First Nations peoples, which would serve a stage 4-5 English or History class well and develop students’ historiographical understandings, especially when contrasted with other primary and secondary sources. It presents strong links to the HSC Texts and Human Experiences Common Module, and could function as a potent related text. The importance of cross-cultural understanding and the issue of Native Title are also addressed, and at the end of the text it encourages participants to add their voice to the call to recognise the traditional name – K’gari – over the colonial name imposed in honour of a woman who lied about her treatment by the local Butchulla people.

This is a short resource; SBS states that it takes 10 minutes to view. Teacher notes, created by SBS in partnership with Reconciliation Australia, can be found here: https://www.sbs.com.au/sites/sbs.com.au.home/files/kgari_teacher_notes.pdf. In these teacher notes it provides a ‘mock trial’ activity where Eliza’s account is put on trial. Having conducted many of these in my past life as an English/History teacher, I can vouch for their incredible ability to engage even the most reluctant students. By using this interactive, multimodal documentary, teachers and teacher-librarians can explore many of Spinner’s 11 aspects of literary learning and develop their students’ conceptual, curriculum, and multiliteracy understandings.

ETL402 4.1 Digital Publishing Trends

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Identify one trend that you have experienced in an educational or library setting and reflect on how this could shape or inform future library services.

Just before she left and I took over, the previous teacher librarian at our school purchased an ebook subscription via Wheelers ePlatform for our library. It was slow to take off (possibly because of our school’s mobile phone/BYOD policy and DEAR procedures) but became more popular during online learning and in the school holidays, which suggests that many of our students enjoy the continued flexible access it provides. A lot of our staff have also taken advantage of the online library collection. During online learning I expanded the collection to include an Audiobook and Wellness package, though I’m not sure if these are providing value for money at the moment. Based on our current data over the past 12 months, it’s worked out at around $13 per resource that has been borrowed. I suppose it’ll take time, effort, and patience (as well as continued advertising and promotion!) to build a general culture of reading in our school, let alone one that relies on digital access! 

However, one issue associated with these online collections (apart from the inequities around technology and internet access) is that the Australian Government’s lending rights payments aren’t currently extended to digital formats despite their increasing popularity. It’ll be interesting to see how this issue proceeds over the next few years.

I’m personally really interested in how transmedia storytelling and gamification can help build engagement with literature. As a classroom teacher I’ve often relied on role-plays and simulations to engage my students and deepen their understanding of historical periods and concepts as well as literary themes. The year I advertised Year 11 Ancient History by stating we’d be investigating Assassin’s Creed: Origins we had enough students to create an extra class!  While a lot of the articles in the readings for this module focused on technology-based gaming as a resource, I think there’s a lot of potential in analogue, ‘old-school’ games too. For instance, a few years ago I was able to teach a unit on ballads and narrative poetry by getting my Year 8s to play Dungeons and Dragons. In my experience I’ve found that Mary Poppins was right, and regardless of the way the game is delivered, if it’s fun, they’ll learn.

One particular example I can think of where transmedia storytelling could be used in the library to support curriculum outcomes and pleasure reading is our Year 9 English unit on Survival. Students could play/watch the prologue of a digital game such as The Last of Us as a fun hook activity; honestly, this introduction is one of the best, most emotional examples of digital storytelling I’ve ever played. This could be supplemented throughout by a role-play/simulation that drew on elements of tabletop gaming to test their own survival skills. The library could provide the space/resources for these activities, and the TL could co-teach the role-play lessons to encourage engagement with library resources and staff.

ETL402 3.1 Strategies to Leverage a Love of Reading

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Consider the key arguments presented in the theory you have read and how this is evidenced in the varied activities incorporated in the Read Like a Girl project. Identify one strategy that you could leverage in your school or library to promote a love of reading.

 

The big takeaway I got from the readings on this topic was that access is the crucial first step in helping students develop a love of reading. Much like Kevin Costner’s character in Field of Dreams, if we offer enough opportunities for our students to engage with our collections then hopefully it will tap into the one of the 5 reasons Howard (2011) gave for personal pleasure reading: entertainment, escape, relaxation, imagination, and reassurance.

I work in a high school and since teenagers are naturally social creatures (despite their occasionally anti-social behaviours!) I’ve been trying to leverage their love of social capital with the activities I’ve implemented this year in the library, such as:

– Student Media Team which allows students to publish reviews and content that they’re passionate about

– Babble, Books and Breakfast which encourages students into the library space where they can catch up for breakfast with our Welfare team (and hopefully talk about and borrow reading materials while they’re there!)

– Staff and Student Book Club which I’ve been promoting via emails, social media and posters

Next year we’re unfortunately removing our DEAR program and shortening our roll calls to 10 minutes, which means that I’ll have to find new, creative ways to encourage students to read for pleasure. It’ll also be interesting to see if the current cohorting model remains in NSW, since this will drastically limit the scope of my plans. I’m taking a Year 7 English class in 2022, and I’m in discussions with the English faculty to encourage fortnightly lessons in the library which allow students to choose their own reading materials. I’m looking to implement new social gatherings such as First Chapter Friday (where I’ll read a chapter of a favourite book to our students; hopefully other teachers will also jump on board!) and fan-fiction competitions. I’d also love to show that our school values reading achievement in the same way it values sporting achievements, and have put in a budget submission to allow me to purchase and award medals to our monthly top borrowers. Fingers crossed that it gets approved, though even if it doesn’t I will probably take it out of the library budget anyway.

ETL402 Half-Session Reflections: The Function of Historical Fiction in Secondary Schools

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Throughout history, humankind has been drawn to create and engage with fictional worlds to explore powerful, complex ideas which force us to question our assumptions, to connect with others, and to uncover deeper truths about ourselves and our world. Neil Gaiman (2013) identifies two key functions of fiction: first, fiction acts as “a gateway drug to reading” (para.9) by opening new worlds and possibilities while developing our literacy skills; secondly, fiction builds empathy, a necessary skill for citizens in our global world (para.9-10). Fiction helps expand our knowledge of the lives, thoughts, and feelings of others, and inhabiting the mind of another person helps us recognise our similarities, thus affecting what we think and how we respond to the world (Giles, n.d. para.3; Kidd & Castano, 2013, p.377; Whitten et. al., 2016, p.49; Short, 2018, p.291).

Some popular themes and trends influencing young adult literature include innovation and playfulness with content and form, multiple narrators, verse novels, and series fiction (Barone, 2010, p.15-17; Short, 2018, p.288). New technologies and the rise of social networking have also impacted children’s literature, increasing the accessibility of texts and authors while leading to a push for greater inclusivity and diverse representations by consumers (Barone, 2010, p.15-17). In recent years this intersection of technology and social awareness has seen the development of hashtags such as #WeNeedDiverseBooks and #LoveOzYA which connect readers with relevant content and build communities of like-minded consumers (We Need Diverse Books, 2021; #LoveOzYA, 2021).

Historical fiction is a powerful tool which can transform students’ understanding of the past while vicariously broadening their understanding of themselves, of others, and of the world around them. Recent Australian young adult historical fiction, such as Nanberry: Black Brother White (French, 2011), Crow Country (Constable, 2011), Sister Heart (Morgan, 2015), Freedom Ride (Lawson, 2015), Our Race for Reconciliation (Heiss, 2017), and Benevolence (Janson, 2020), focus on the experiences of Australia’s First Nations peoples. Through their portrayals of past injustices, texts such as these can play a crucial role in undoing prevailing misconceptions while promoting diversity and reconciliation.

Historical fiction novels, despite their focus on real events, ultimately fictionalise these events, and it can be a fine line between constructing an accurate, sensitive representation of the past and oversimplifying or trivialising peoples’ experiences (Wadham et. al., 2019, p.60, 62). Although historical acceptance is a key aspect of Reconciliation (Reconciliation Australia, 2021, 21-23), there is also the potential for First Nations students to be exposed to confronting material detailing their historical trauma. Historical fiction novels attempting to portray Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, cultures, and experiences also run the risk of being didactic and tokenistic. Barone (2010, p.16) notes that didacticism has made a comeback in young adult literature, while McDonald (2013) observes that novels with cross-cultural friendships encouraging non-Indigenous characters to reject racism and embrace tolerance have recently become popular (p.120). Garrison (2019) rightly argues that any representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander characters should be genuine and sensitive to the realities of these cultures (p.21), while Heiss argues that many readers are turned off by tokenism in literature (as cited in Case, 2014, para.5). For this reason, many non-Indigenous authors now consult with Indigenous groups to ensure accurate, meaningful representation (McDonald, 2013, p.120). Author’s notes are another strategy employed by composers to add credibility and authenticity to their work and are increasingly popular because they provide much-needed contextualisation for readers keen to see how the fictional fits with the historical (Short, 2018, p.295; Wadham et. al., 2019, p.65). Historical fiction therefore provides educators with a rich stimulus for developing students’ skills in critical thinking and information literacy in addition to acting as a powerful tool to increase their interest, cultural literacy, and empathy.

Research repeatedly emphasises the social, personal, and academic value of reading for pleasure (Herbert, 2012, p.86; Earp, 2015, para. 2; Whitten et. al., 2016, p.48, 51). Yet secondary school teacher-librarians wishing to support their school community in this endeavour are faced with a number of challenges leading to a decline in students reading for pleasure in adolescence, such as lack of time allocated to pleasure reading, competing interests vying for student attention, and negative attitudes towards reading due to its perceived lack of value (Barone, 2010, p.2; Dickenson 2014, para.4; Manuel & Carter, 2015, p.116; Whitten et. al, 2016, p.57). Additionally, due to overcrowded curricula, novels are often used to teach literacy skills instead of as a means of understanding the human experience or for fun (Barone, 2010, p.2-3; Short, 2018, p.291). In secondary schools the so-called ‘educational silo’ mentality often impedes efforts at collaborative, cross-curricular planning (Sheninger, 2016, para.2-4), but teacher-librarians, who engage with a range of students, are uniquely placed to draw together the various syllabus strands into meaningful learning activities. Educators should utilise this expertise if they wish to create effective, authentic learning experiences for their students. Teacher-librarians should select quality resources for their collections which serve the interests and needs of our community (NSW DoE, 2017, p.8; Short, 2018, p.296), preferably from diverse publishers like Magabala Books, and build a culture of reading for pleasure which ideally includes staff, students, and parents by collaboratively teaching, promoting books via read-alouds and displays (both physical and digital), and encouraging activities prioritising student choice such as book clubs and literature circles (Clarke & Nolan, 2014, p.11; Manuel & Carter, 2015, p.124; Earp, 2015, para.15-20; Brugar & McMahon Whitlock, 2019, p.85; Victoria Department of Education and Training, 2020).

 

Bibliography:

Barone, D. M. (2010). Engaging teachers and their use of children’s literature. From: Children’s literature in the classroom: Engaging lifelong readers. Guildford Publications.

Brugar, K. A., & McMahon Whitlock, A. (2019). “I like […] different time periods:” elementary teachers’ uses of historical fiction. Social Studies Research and Practice 14(1), 78-97.

Case, J. (2014, November 5). ‘Getting it right’: Anita heiss on indigenous characters. Wheeler Centre: Books Writing Ideas. https://www.wheelercentre.com/notes/221927959a6b

Clarke, R., & Nolan, M. (2014). Book clubs and reconciliation: a pilot study on book clubs reading the ‘fictions of reconciliation’. Australian Humanities Review 56.

Dickenson, D. (2014). Children and reading: literature review. University of Western Sydney, Australian Government, and Australia Council for the Arts.

Earp, J. (2015, March 3). The power of a good book. Teacher Magazine. https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/the-power-of-a-good-book

Gaiman, N. (2013, October 16). Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming

Garrison, K. (2019). What’s going on down under? Part 2: portrayals of culture in award-winning australian young adult literature. The Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults 10(2), 1- 34.

Giles, E. (n.d.). Navigating the common module. Literary Worlds Blog. https://englishliteraryworlds.weebly.com/literary-worlds.html

Herbert, B. (2012). When english meets history: exploring the faction genre through action learning. Literacy Learning: the Middle Years 20(3), 85-95.

Kidd, D. C., & Castano, E. (2013). Reading literary fiction improves theory of mind. Science 342, 377-380.

Lawson, S. (2015). Freedom ride. Walker Books.

LoveOzYA (2021). About #loveozya. https://loveozya.com.au/about/

Manuel, J., & Carter, D. (2015). Current and historical perspectives on australian teenagers’ reading practices and preferences. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy 38(2), 115-128.

McDonald, L. (2013). A literature companion for teachers. Primary English Teaching Association.

NSW Department of Education [NSW DoE] (2017). Handbook for School Libraries. https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/learning-across-the-curriculum/school-libraries/your-library

Reconciliation Australia. (2021). What is reconciliation? https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation/what-is-reconciliation/

Sheninger, E. (2016, December 4). The silo effect. A Principal’s Reflections: Reflections on Teaching, Learning, and Leadership. http://esheninger.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-silo-effect.html

Short, K. G. (2018). What’s trending in children’s literature and why it matters. Language Arts 95(5), 287-298.

Victoria Department of Education and Training. (2020, December 24). Literacy teaching kit: literacy circles. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/english/literacy/readingviewing/Pages/teachingpraccircles.aspx

Wadham, R. L., Garrett, A. P., & Garrett, E. N. (2019). Historical fiction picture books: the tensions between genre and format. The Journal of Culture and Values in Education 2(2), 57-72.

We Need Diverse Books (2021). Programs. https://diversebooks.org/programs/

Whitten, C., Labby, S., & Sullivan, S. L. (2016). The impact of pleasure reading on academic success. The Journal of Multidisciplinary Graduate Research 2(4), 48-64.

 

*This post has drawn on extracts from my ETL402 Assessment 1 response.

 

ETL402 2B.1a: Representing Indigenous Voices in Our School Library Collection

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  • To what extent are indigenous OR multicultural voices represented in your school library or local public library collection?
  • Do you have an unstated or stated selection criteria in the provision of this type of resource?
  • Name children’s texts (2) that you could recommend as important additions to support either:
    • Cross currriculum priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures or Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia or another indigenous group relevant to your location or context
    • General capability of Intercultural Understanding

To determine the extent to which Indigenous voices are represented in our school library, I searched through our Oliver catalogue. 

A search using the subject “Aboriginal” received 611 hits while the subject “Indigenous” received 57. There were 28 results for “Torres Strait Islander”. A search for “First Nations” only turned up 3 results. However, the three results for the First Nations search were far more recent (2017-2021), whereas the majority of the results for the others were outdated, perpetuating negative stereotypes or using insensitive terms. For instance, several resources were listed under NON305ABO (if I’m cringing, I can only imagine how our students feel when they see that word!), while the oldest resource was from 1972 and used the term ‘Aborigines’. Results for resources on the local Gundungurra, Dharawal, and Darug peoples were likewise limited. The subject search “Aboriginal peoples – Fiction” produced 35 results dating from 1983-2021.

These searches revealed that our library hosts a mix of fiction, nonfiction, picturebook, and audiovisual resources in both our physical and digital collections. A subject search for “authors, Aboriginal” received only 7 results and confusingly included The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan, which suggests that our SCIS records are perhaps not up-to-date. 

Looking at the lists of texts and authors in the above searches, I conclude that our collection is largely outdated and seems to prioritise white representations of Indigenous cultures, histories, and experiences. As far as I have been able to determine, the school library does not have a collection development and management policy, let alone a selection criteria which guides the inclusion of relevant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources. I am in the process of completing ‘ETL503 Resourcing the Curriculum’ and will hopefully soon be in a more informed position to construct such a policy for the library. 

Some more recent texts which I’ve added to our collection and could support the Australian Curriculum’s cross-curriculum priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures are:

Sally Morgan. Sister Heart. 

  • This short verse novel details the experience of a young Aboriginal girl who is stolen from her family. This would be a fantastic cross-curricular resource for Stage 4 or 5 students. These teacher’s notes differentiate the text for older and younger readers: http://static.booktopia.com.au/pdf/9781925163131-1.pdf 

Anita Heiss. Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia.

Bruce Pascoe. Dark Emu and Young Dark Emu.

  • A controversial reconsideration of pre- and early-colonial Aboriginal Australian culture and farming practices. It would be interesting to consider the historiographical debates presented by contrasting it with Sutton and Walshe’s recent Farmers or Hunter-gatherers? The Dark Emu Debate. There’s a comprehensive teacher’s resource aligned to the Australian Curriculum available here: https://readingaustralia.com.au/lesson/dark-emu/ 

ETL402 2A: Introduction to Children’s Literature

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As an English teacher, I am already quite familiar with children’s literature and the benefits of reading for pleasure. Nonetheless, it has been interesting starting this subject to consider recent research and trends in this area.

One thing mentioned in the research that I can definitely back up with anecdotal observation is the trend for interest in reading for pleasure to drop off between the ages of 9-12. The research mentioned that this could be because of competing demands on children’s time as they get older and a growing sense that reading for pleasure isn’t valued as a leisure activity, especially in contrast with competing entertainment platforms such as the internet and gaming. I also think that for many students their identity as ‘non-readers’ and the perception that reading is something ‘nerdy’ only done by a specific type of person has been established by the time they hit high school. This issue seems to be compounded by the limited amount of books relevant to struggling teen readers (especially boys!). If a student has a lower reading ability in high school they are often limited to texts where the content (characters, events, themes) is more relevant for a younger audience; it would be nice if publishers recognised the need for age-appropriate content and cover designs on easy-to-read books. This is perhaps one area where the flexibility of ebooks and audiobooks could be highlighted by school librarians as a potential solution for students who perceive themselves as ‘struggling readers’.

Also supported by my own observations are the statements in the research about the continued popularity of series fiction. The students who regularly borrow from our school library are often borrowing texts from the same authors or series, which shows that once you hook a reader with a specific set of characters or world they are more likely to continue to engage due to the comfort of familiarity. Many of our manga series such as My Hero Academia,  Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Fairy Tale are incredibly popular and many of the students read them as a friendship group, which increases their cultural capital within that group. Teacher librarians could capitalise on this by promoting Book Clubs where students and staff read from a curated book list and discuss their experiences of reading these texts. These book clubs can also serve the purpose of reframing student perceptions about who counts as a ‘reader’. Series fiction is also incredibly popular, with titles such as the Wings of Fire and Arc of the Scythe series providing students a chance to engage with an imagined world over the course of several books. Teacher librarians can capitalise on the popularity of these texts by promoting fan-fic activities and through displays recommending their next reads based on their previous favourites.

It can be hard to keep up with trends in children’s literature. One strategy that teacher librarians can utilise is to follow websites and blogs such as Goodreads and Booktopia. Another is to use technology and social media platforms as a way of tracking popular resources, such as the #booktok or #bookstagram tags. A third is to regularly visit bookstores and local libraries (either the physical location or their online space) to see which books are popular right now and engage with the people selling and promoting these resources in a different setting. Most important is the need for teacher librarians to carve out time for their own reading of these texts. Not only will this allow us to engage in meaningful conversations with our students about these texts (increasing our own cultural capital i.e. ‘cool’ factor with certain groups of students!) but it will also allow us to show that reading for pleasure is a valuable activity that should be likewise valued by our school community. It’s hard for us to advocate for the importance of reading for pleasure if we aren’t taking the time to walk the walk (or read the read, as the case may be).