ETL504 Assess 1

Posted on October 19, 2019 by belinda.dunn

 

PART A: Leadership: a concept map.

Leadership Concept Map

 

 

 

 

Part B: Critical analysis.

There is growing evidence to support the notion that effective leadership in schools is not only the key impact of retaining and developing staff but also of improving student achievement within the school environment (Centre for Education Statistics & Evaluation, 2015. p1). Highly effective principals, through their actions as leaders across the school community, are seen to raise the achievement of students in their schools. (Branch, Hanushek, & Rivkin, 2013. p63; Curriculum & Leadership Journal, 2012. p1). The success of students within the school does not lie solely with the principal, Hattie (2003. p2) notes it is what classroom teachers know, do and care about which accounts for up to thirty percent variance in student achievement. It is the effectiveness of principals to empower and engage staff through their leadership that ultimately leads to student achievement. The way leadership within the school is undertaken is important and related to the individual needs of the school environment, CESE (2015. p3) highlights that principals will combine elements of instructional, transformational and distributed leadership in response to their school community.

 

DET Director Public School – Transformational Leadership – School Principal.

 

Providing a support network and leadership structure between the school principal and the director of public schools is an ever increasingly valuable link in schools. Districts, which are managed by influential leaders, are shown to impact student achievement by up to ten percentile points (Barber, Whelan & Clark, 2010. p23). It is the director, through transformational leadership, that motivates and assist principals in their region to set a vision and create goals for their schools. The director also provides mentorship, intensive support and collaboration opportunities with other principals within their network. Identification and nurturing of talented potential leaders and providing these individuals the opportunity to take on leadership responsibilities has been highlighted as the greatest contributing factors to the development and ultimately employment as a principal. (Barber, Whelan & Clark, 2010. p12 & CESE 2015. p8). Transformational leadership leads to greater collaboration, between the director and principals, and ultimately inspires principals to take on new opportunities within their schools to build the performance of teachers and ultimately achieve greater student achievement. Principals will be able to more readily identify individuals within their schools with leadership qualities and utilise these individuals as change agents within their faculty and project teams.

 

Principal & Executives – Shared Instructional Leadership – Faculty & Project Teams.

 

Principals can account for 25% of a schools total impact on student achievement (Curriculum & Leadership Journal, 2012. p1). It is the principal’s ability to motivate his staff to achieve the goals of the school and promoting and providing teacher training and development that ultimately leads to improved student achievement. There are various leadership styles that a principal may utilise with staff and it often depends on the unique characteristics of the principal, their staff and the school. Collaboration with the principal, the executive team and key classroom teachers involved in various teams, either faculty or project, through instructional leadership or more specifically shared instructional leadership leads to greater learning opportunities and improvement in student outcomes. Marks & Printy (2003. p374) & Curriculum & Leadership Journal (2012. p6)  acknowledge that while the principal remains the leader of the school, teachers, who have requisite expertise or information, exercise leadership collaboratively with the principal and ultimately enhance opportunities for the school. This allows for two-way communication and a teamwork approach to solve identified issues within the school, it is also these individuals who will be in shared leadership positions, in various teams, across the school and targeted for professional learning opportunities related to leadership and promotion to leadership roles in the future.

 

The principal works collaboratively with staff to define whole school and faculty/team goals and provides opportunities for staff to be upskilled through training and development opportunities, as well as being provided with the necessary resources required to meet the goals, this is seen as the leadership practice which has the greatest impact on student learning and outcomes. (Centre for Education Statistics & Evaluation. 2015. p1 & Moir, S., Hattie, J. & Jansen, C.  2014. p36) By allowing staff to provide input into whole school planning as well as taking on leadership roles within the school there is increased motivation of staff to work toward meeting the goals of the school through a shared instructional leadership approach. Day et al., (2009 p31) found that  redesigning organisational structures and distributing leadership and management responsibilities more widely promoted greater staff engagement and ownership, and, through this, greater opportunities for student learning.

 

 

Classroom Teachers – Situational Leadership – Students.

 

According to Hattie (2003, p3) it is what teachers know, do, and care about which accounts for about 30% variance in student achievement. Teachers get to know their students and their abilities and adjust their teaching practises and management style within the classroom based on the individual students in each class. This leadership style is most closely related to the situational leadership style. Teachers are leaders to their students and need to be able to change their behaviours to fit the different individuals and situations they are presented with in the classroom. (Mcloughlin, M. 2016). It is the opportunities that teachers are provided with through training and development, as well as information provided to them in faculty and project team meetings, which allows them to provide deeper and more challenging opportunities for their students. Classroom teachers are increasingly providing students with more inquiry based collaborative learning tasks, which allow students to take ownership of their learning as well as develop their own teamwork and leadership skills.

 

Principal & Executive Team – Professional Relationship – Parent & Community Groups.

 

It is important for principals and executive staff to have a strong professional relationship with the parent and community groups associated with their schools. Day et al. (2009 p5) noted how effective leaders’ positive relationship with parents and the wider community had a substantial influence on pupil learning and raising student achievement. Proactive principals continuously seek to engage parents and the wider community as active allies in improving pupil outcomes.

 

The NSW Department of Education (2010, p4) is also committed to building community relationships to engage parents, Aboriginal Elders, local Aboriginal Education Consultative Groups and Aboriginal community organisations in school planning and decision making processes. It is important that the principal display leadership in ensuring that a professional relationship is formed between the school and parent & community groups through regular meetings, which act as forums where there is an avenue for two-way communication to take place between the principal and the parent & community groups.

 

 

Librarian & Library Space – Shared Instructional Leadership.

 

The librarian is the strongest change agent within the school, and acting as a catalyst, assists in leadership and promoting beneficial change within each of the above-mentioned groups. Dando (2016) noted that librarians are pros at promoting collaboration and aligning library learning outcomes with the goals of school improvement and district strategic plans.

 

The library, when well resourced, is seen as a central space where transformational leadership between the director public schools and principals in the region can meet and work collaboratively on the vision and leadership taking place in their individual schools. The librarian will be an active participant in faculty and project teams and are change agents that can be relied upon to provide knowledge and skills to individual teachers or teams through coaching and supporting their development in a shared instructional leadership capacity.  Librarians who build trust and respect within collaborative teams and have developed a well-resourced collaborative library/learning space are allowing teachers to feel safe to take risks and be innovative with their pedagogy (Moir, S., Hattie, J. & Jansen, C.  2014. p40) within a team teaching environment. The library spaces are also well aligned to student inquiry and collaboration projects.

 

Dando, P. (2016) noted that when librarians are provided with the opportunities to take on shared instructional leadership across the school, principals recognise partners whom they can consult, invest in, support and depend on to lead. It is important that librarians have skills and knowledge across KLA’s and are proactive in embracing new teaching methods, technology and curriculum changes. When librarians are proactive in their approach to changes they are seen as effective leaders and assist in developing staff to create a collaborative community of learners across faculties and the whole school community.

References

 

Barber, M., Whelan, F., & Clark, M. (2010). Capturing the leadership premium. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/social%20sector/our%20insights/capturing%20the%20leadership%20premium/capturing%20the%20leadership%20premium.ashx

 

Branch, G.F., Hanushek, E.A., & Rivkin, S.G. (2013). School Leaders Matter. Education next, 13(1).

 

Centre for Education Statistics & Evaluation (2015). Effective Leadership. Learning curve 10.

 

Curriculum & Leadership Journal (2012). The importance of leadership in high performing schools. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/leader/the_importance_of_leadership_in_high_performing_sc,35652.html?issueID=12676

 

Day, C., Sammons, P., Hopkins, D., Harris, A., Leithwood, K., Qing, G., … (2009). The impact of school leadership on pupil outcomes. Retrieved from http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/11329/1/DCSF-RR108.pdf

 

Hattie, J. (2003). Teachers make a difference, what is the research evidence. Retrieved from https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=research_conference_2003

http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/11329/1/DCSF-RR108.pdf  – need to do correctly

 

Marks, H. M., & Printy, S. M. (2003). Principal leadership and school performance: an integration of transformational and instructional leadership. Educational administration quarterly 39 (370) DOI: 10.1177/0013161X03253412.

 

Mcloughlin, M. (2016). Situational leadership in the classroom. Retrieved from http://sites.psu.edu/leadership/2016/02/10/situational-leadership-in-the-classroom/

 

Moir, S., Hattie, J. & Jansen, C.  (2014). Teacher perspectives of ‘effective’ leadership in schools. Australian Educational Leader, 36(4), 36-40. Retrieved from http://www.minnisjournals.com.au/acel/

 

NSW Department of Education and Training (2010). The New South Wales smarter schools national partnerships implementation plan. Retrieved from https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/nsw_summary_implementation_plan.pdf

 

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ETL504 Assess 2.

Posted on October 19, 2019 by belinda.dunn

Executive Summary

 

This report has been commissioned by Mr C. Future, the principal of Unicorn High School, to outline how the school library will be a well-resourced, technology rich learning common for collaborative teaching and learning. The report provides an overview of progress and developments surrounding 21st learning within the school, and seeks to provide a picture of current thinking about incorporating the general capabilities of the Australian curriculum into units of work. It addresses current issues and challenges facing adoption of evidence based practice in the school.

 

    Methods

The current library space and program was evaluated by the teacher librarian and library staff to consider how well the space and programs meet the needs of teachers and students for 21st century learning. A survey was undertaken with all teaching and support staff, as well as randomly selected students and the P&C to gauge an understanding of the present use of the library spaces, where teachers are experiencing success and where teachers are requiring assistance with the integration of general capabilities and the current level of collaboration within the school.

 

    Results & Findings

The results from the surveys were collated and used to construct a SWOT analysis which highlighted three main priority areas which need to be addressed:

  • Greater availability of technology access within the school.
  • Curriculum & learning.
  • Innovative learning spaces.

    Conclusions & Recommendations

This report identifies three key priority areas to be integrated over the next five years to ensure that Unicorn High School is equipping students with 21st century skills through collaborative teaching and inquiry learning practises. Recommendations include building the collective efficacy of staff through ongoing professional development and creating an innovative, well-resourced and technology rich 21st century learning space.

 

 

 

Contents

Executive Summary. 1

Methods. 1

Results & Findings. 1

Conclusions & Recommendations. 2

Rational 4

Library Vision Statement. 6

Strategic Plan. 7

Priority 1: Greater availability of technology access within the school 7

Priority 2: Curriculum & learning. 8

Priority 3: Innovative learning spaces. 9

Planning for implementation of change. 11

Summary of Final Recommendations. 14

References. 15

 

 

 

 

Rational

 

Education in the 21st century must provide students with the skill set required of them to work productively in a rapidly changing employment landscape. It is suggested that 65% of students entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types, on a global stage, many of which have not yet been created. (World Economic Forum, 2016, p. 11 & Bruniges, 2012, p.2). It is the responsibility of schools to ensure that students are equipped with the skills that will be required of them in future employment. In order for students to successfully develop 21st century skills it is important that schools are well resourced in regards to technology, spaces and provide mentoring, collaboration and support to classroom teachers to create, resource and deliver innovative inquiry based programs.

 

Scott (2017) and Lonsdale & Anderson (2012, p. 1) highlight that schools are now expected to prepare students for this complex and rapidly changing world. In addition to teaching subject content, schools are expected to develop young people who are information and media literate; critical thinkers and problem solvers; communicators and team players. With the introduction of the general capabilities under the Australian Curriculum (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2010) schools must lift the proficiency of all students and provide opportunities to develop the skills they need to approach the future with a dynamic and forward‐thinking mindset through collaborative, inquiry based and cross curricular learning. (Watson, 2017, p. 10 & Scott, 2017). Inquiry based learning provides students with the opportunities to assess what they know and be active creators in their own knowledge through constructivist pedagogy. Lupton (2012, p. 1) & Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2014 p. 1) have both noted that the benefits of constructivist pedagogy to meet the inquiry skills of the Australian curriculum. Lupton (2012, p. 8) also highlights how important it is for the teacher librarian to have an understanding of how inquiry is portrayed and sequenced across the Australian Curriculum in order to work collaboratively with classroom teachers to develop units of work that incorporate inquiry skills and can be successfully completed within a well-resourced and planned library space.

 

A major challenge for schools is to provide the space, technological resources and educational leadership related to curriculum and learning to ensure that students are provided with the skills required to prepare them for employment in the 21st century. The teacher librarian is well placed to assist in overcoming these challenges as they assist colleagues, through shared instructional leadership, to improve teaching practises by mentoring and supporting the development of teachers. Teacher librarians, through their active participation in various teams across the school, can provide knowledge and skills to individual teachers and teams by demonstrating innovative teaching and learning practises in collaborative learning environments. (Australian School Library Association. 2013, p.7).

 

The teacher librarian is also charged with the responsibility to create a space where 21st education can take place, NSW Department of Education and Training (2018) have highlighted the need for space and technology with the recent introduction of the eight learning modes for future focussed learning in the 21st century. The reimaging of library spaces, furniture and technology enables learning modes that coexist or can be quickly and easily transitioned, in line with the eight learning modes. This provides an interactive and open learning space where students and teachers can share ideas and work collaboratively with the teacher librarian on inquiry learning projects. Holland (2015, para. 11.) also highlights that the 21st century library provides a welcoming common space that encourages collaboration and allows for the co-construction of understanding from a variety of sources.

 

Library Vision Statement

 

We envision a flexible learning space that promotes and motivates lifelong learning, ensuring all students are equipped with 21st century skills. By 2023 the library will be a well-resourced, technology rich learning common for collaborative teaching and learning.

 

 

 

Strategic Plan

 

Priority 1: Greater availability of technology access within the school

Presently within the school there is a high demand for technology access with only a limited number of dedicated computer rooms available for use, many of which have permanent timetabled classes. The Australian curriculum (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. 2010) highlights information and communication technology (ICT) and critical and creative thinking as general capabilities which are embedded throughout all learning areas, through using ICT and critical & creative thinking students are developing 21st century skills that will be required of them in the workplace.

 

Teachers have highlighted two areas that require improvement in order to successfully embed ICT and critical and creative thinking into their programs:

  • Greater access to technology, hardware and software, including laptops, 3D printers, makerspaces, movie making & editing and virtual reality.
  • Ongoing professional development to teachers to provide support for greater inclusion of ICT and critical & creative thinking in programs.

 

Strategies for establishment:

  • Creation of a bank of laptops (25) which will have the required software desired by teachers for use in class, movement of the schools current 3D printer to the dedicated makerspace area of the library where two other 3D printers, secured through a grant, will be housed and accessible to the school community.
  • The teacher librarian collaboratively working with the ICT team through shared instructional leadership will develop and present professional learning opportunities formally to staff on a twice termly basis. Teachers will be provided with the opportunity to work collaboratively with the teacher librarian to team teach in the library with classes, which will further develop their ability to embed ICT and critical and creative learning tools into programs to use with classes.
  • Provide the opportunity and support to the librarian assistant to complete their diploma of library and information services. Allowing career progression for the librarian assistant as well as freeing up the time of the teacher librarian by assisting with non-teaching administrative and technology tasks (Department of Education & Training, 2018, p. 57).

 

Priority 2: Curriculum & learning

Surveying of staff highlighted the need for greater support and professional development in the area of curriculum and learning relevant to the Australian curriculum to improve student engagement. Specifically staff stated difficulty in weaving the general capabilities into their programs, difficulty accessing available resources and lacked confidence about how to develop programs the incorporated and assessed general capabilities. (Ithaca Group, 2016, p. 15 and Department of Education and Training, 2018, p. 57).

 

Teachers have highlighted two areas that require improvement in order for them to successfully meet the demands of the Australian curriculum general capabilities:

  • Greater support to access resources that are readily available for the Australian Curriculum general capabilities.
  • Support in developing units of work which embed general capabilities, encourage student engagement and have an emphasis on guided inquiry projects including cross curricular projects.

 

Strategies for establishment:

  • The teacher librarian will work with the head teacher curriculum & learning and the curriculum & learning team to create a local bank of resources on Google Drive of available resources that have been developed for the Australian curriculum. Each specific curriculum and stage area will have their own folder where existing resources can be placed and as further resources are developed they will be included in the folder. This provides ready access for teachers to lesson plans, units of work or inquiry projects specifically related to integrating the general capabilities.
  • Members of the curriculum and learning team and the teacher librarian will work collaboratively with classroom teachers, through shared instructional leadership, to assist in the development and delivery of specific units of work via team teaching within the library space. This will allow teachers to develop greater confidence in developing and delivering inquiry based programs and lead to greater student curiosity and engagement (Wheeler, 2018). As teacher confidence grows it is envisioned that cross curricular inquiry projects for each stage level will be developed and completed as a major assessment task in years 7-10.

 

Priority 3: Innovative learning spaces

It has been highlighted that space to undertake collaborative inquiry learning projects is at a minimum. Students are being exposed to innovative learning spaces in primary schools and both parents and students are expecting similar spaces within the high school setting.

 

The school community have highlighted the following improvements with regards to space to lead to greater ability to undertake collaborative inquiry learning projects within the school:

  • Well-resourced and functional areas which supports the delivery of units of work embedded with the general capabilities and the eight learning modes for future focussed learning (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2018). The space needs to be open and accessible for collaborative student inquiry units of work.
  • Availability of space for teachers to work collaboratively within teams, showcase student work and also has the potential to be utilised with wider community groups for school related information events. (Bored Teachers, 2018).

 

Strategies for establishment:

  • Working with the librarian assistant the teacher librarian will undertake a weed of the current collection of books within the library. This will lead to a collection of resources which is current, accurate and relevant as well as developing and sustaining a culture of reading, while also meeting the need of curriculum resources which cater for inquiry learning. (QLD Department of Education & Training, 2014 & American Library Association, 2017).
  • Through distributed leadership the teacher librarian will work with identified change agents who are members of the curriculum and learning team, the parent & citizens group and the student representative council to reimage the library space to include areas for the eight modes of learning which will allow students to successfully complete collaborative inquiry projects.

 

 

 

Planning for implementation of change.

 

Clement, (2014, p. 47) highlights that a school-orientated approach is often the most successful model when implementing changes within the school because it is inclusive of teachers and positively involves them in the change process. Understanding the present culture and finding a crisis (Combes, Croft, & Bales, 2017). has already taken place as the school community have been provided with the opportunity to voice their opinions through completion of surveys. The results of the surveys were compiled to develop a SWOT analysis of the current position of the school and identified three main areas requiring improvement. The survey also helped to identify individuals on staff which have implemented innovative programs with their classes or are interested in taking part in the proposed changes, these individuals are actively involved in various teams, display leadership capabilities and will be harnessed as change agents for this project.

 

It is imperative that the principal, through professional practice and transformational leadership, communicates the need and relevance of change, as shown in the three priority areas, to the whole-school community in an inspirational and logical way (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2015). This ensures that the school community has a strong understanding of the changes that will take place and can see how these changes will not only improve the engagement of students within the school, but will also develop support and collaboration between staff. The principal will distribute leadership to the teacher librarian, identified change agents and head teachers who are part of the ICT and curriculum & learning teams as well as faculty areas, encouraging all staff to build consensus and take responsibility for implementing change (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2015).

 

Harris, A (2014) identifies challenges of organisational trust, individual threat and the fear of giving others real, authentic responsibility when distributed leadership is used, however through the formation of strong collaborative teams leadership will be naturally and authentically distributed. Other challenges that may occur during this change process include:

  • Time constraints – it will be important that adequate time is provided to the leadership teams for planning and also to classroom teachers for integration of each strategy. Clement, (2014, p. 42) highlights that adequate time and opportunity to understand change before implementation is required for positive results. It is suggested that time be made available to the corresponding teams to be able to successfully implement the strategies into the school. This may involve professional development time, allocated time during school development days to present information about projects and a flexible timetable arrangement to allow a greater focus on collaboration and team teaching with classroom teachers through shared instructional leadership.
  • Inertia of teachers – when any change takes place in schools there is often negative responses by individual teachers, Clement, (2013, p. 41) highlights that teachers are concerned with the sense of compulsion they feel toward the changes, the lack of opportunity to make meaning of the changes before having to implement them and the transitory nature of changes. Fullan, Cuttress, & Kilcher, (2005, p. 55) and Brinson, & Steiner, (2007, p. 1) highlight that the change process is about establishing the condition for continuous improvement, through open lines of communication and ensuring, the plan is flexible and adaptable to unforeseen changes, in order to persist and overcome inevitable barriers, to do this collaboration between staff and the creation of collective efficacy will take place. Through shared instructional leadership strategies and providing the opportunity to build collective efficacy teachers and staff members will have a greater understanding of the programs and processes to achieve successful outcomes.

 

There may be further unforeseen challenges related to the proposed changes by the school community. However, by acting in a proactive manner to any issues that arise, ensuring that each stage of implementation is communicated to stakeholders and that the changes taking place are seen as relevant, with appropriate time and support being made available for the changes to be enacted, these challenges should be minimised.

 

 

 

Summary of Final Recommendations

 

It is imperative for Unicorn High School to act on this report to ensure students have and are adapt to utilising 21st century skills which will be essential for further education and employment. In order for successful integration of the three priority areas a flexible approach to timetabling will be required to ensure greater development of 21st century teaching material and allowing collaborative team teaching to take place. To reimage the library space and further integrate technology, funding must be made available through the resource allocation model over the next five years.

 

 

 

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010). General capabilities. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/

 

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2014). Luthern education: approaches to learning, inquiry learning. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/media/1360/lutheran-education-queensland-inquiry-based-learning.pdf

 

American Library Association. (2017). Collection maintenance and weeding. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/tools/challengesupport/selectionpolicytoolkit/weeding

 

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2015). Interactive leadership profiles. Retrieved from https://legacy.aitsl.edu.au/leadership-profiles/interactive-profiles/leading-improvement-innovation-and-change

 

Australian School Library Association. (2013). Future learning and school libraries. Retrieved from http://www.asla.org.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/2013-ASLA-futures-paper.pdf

 

Brinson, D., & Steiner, L. (2007, October). Building collective efficacy. The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED499254.pdf

 

Bruniges, M. (2015, November). 21st century skills for senior education. Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Retrieved from https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/publications/paper_snr_21c_skills.pdf

 

Bored Teachers. (2018). Are flexible learning spaces the future of education? Retrieved from https://boredteachers.com/blogs/the-faculty-room/flexible-learning-spaces-future-of-education

 

Clement, J. (2014). Managing mandated educational change. School Leadership & Management, 34(1), 39-51. doi:10.1080/13632434.2013.813460

 

Combes, B., Croft, T., & Bales, J. (2017). Change in organisations [ETL504 Module 3.1] Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_29926_1&content_id=_1991050_1

 

Department of Education and Training. (2018). Through growth to achievement: report of the review to achieve educational excellence in Australian schools. Retrieved from https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/662684_tgta_accessible_final_0.pdf

 

Fullan, M., Cuttress, C., & Kilcher, A. (2005). 8 forces for leaders of change. Journal of Staff Development. 26(4), 54-64. Retrieved from https://artseducator20.wikispaces.com/file/view/fullan_cuttress_kilcher.pdf

 

Harris, A. (2014, September 29). Distributed Leadership. Teacher. Retrieved from https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/distributed-leadership

 

Holland, B. (2015, January 14). 21st Century librarians: The learning commons. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/21st-century-libraries-learning-commons-beth-holland

 

Ithaca Group. (2016). Everybody’s core business: Research into the non-technical capabilities needed for successful participation in work or further study (Final Report). Retrieved from https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/everybodys_core_business_-_research_report.pdf

 

Lonsdale, M., & Anderson, M. (2011). Preparing 21st century learners: the case for school-community collaboration. Australian Council for Educational Research. Retrieved from https://www.acer.org/occasional-essays/preparing-21st-century-learners-the-case-for-school-community-collaboration

 

Lupton, M. (2012, June). Inquiry skills in the Australian curriculum. ACCESS. Retrieved from http://guidedinquirycommunity.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/79685111/Inquiry%20skills%20in%20the%20Australian%20Curriculum%20Lupton.pdf

 

NSW Department of Education and Training. (2018). Learning for the future. Retrieved from https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/learning-for-the-future/future-focused-learning-and-teaching/learning-modes

 

QLD Department of Education & Training. (2014). Role of the school library. Retrieved from http://education.qld.gov.au/library/support/role.html

 

Scott, M. (2017, June 29). Preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s world. NSW Department of Education. Retrieved from https://education.nsw.gov.au/our-priorities/innovate-for-the-future/education-for-a-changing-world/thoughts-on-the-future/preparing-todays-students-for-tomorrows-world#Education1

 

Watson, R. (2017). On education in the 21st century. NSW Department of Education. Retrieved from https://education.nsw.gov.au/our-priorities/innovate-for-the-future/education-for-a-changing-world/media/documents/exar/On_Education_RichardWatson.pdf

 

Wheeler, S. (2018, May 15). Let the technology serve the curiosity not the other way round. TeachThought. Retrieved from

Let The Technology Serve The Curiosity, Not The Other Way Around

 

World Economic Forum. (2016, January). The future of jobs. Retrieved from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs.pdf

 

 

Part B – Reflective practice

As a member of Group 4 I have enjoyed the experience of developing a group wiki, our group worked well within the context of what was required and most individuals regularly provided contributions toward the final posting. In the initial stages of organisation within our group two areas stand out as being beneficial and ideas that I would use again if the need arises, these were:

  • the creation of the page within our wiki ‘study availability for contributions’ (Brickwell, 2018) this allowed all group members the opportunity to put down the days and times they were most likely available to work on each case study and developed a timeline of when contributions would be made.
  • Utilising different coloured fonts for each individual as they posted to the groups working document, as stated by Ollis (2018), this provided a more visual display of members’ contributions and created a more meaningful flow of ideas and contributions within the working document.

 

Our group regularly communicated and individuals volunteered to complete various tasks that were required of the group. This in turn developed our collaboration and teamwork skills, ultimately our leadership could be described as shared instructional, with each member feeling a sense of empowerment through their postings, and this created a culture of learning and shared knowledge. Over time within the group our understandings about the case study and strategies to overcome issues developed and contributions began showing this deeper understanding with greater referenced material being used effectively in the final contribution which was posted (Kovacs, 2018). Working within the group also provided another avenue to further deepen my understanding of course material as well as looking at scenarios from the different viewpoints of other individuals in the group. The group work also encouraged me to read further articles which members of various groups had referenced within their postings, again deepening my knowledge and understanding of the course content and providing me with the opportunity to evaluate and reflect on my own learning.

 

While my initial contributions were purely within the working document, the group postings allowed me to further develop my technological skills by creating the case study 5 working doc and final contributions pages of the wiki. While some trial and error took place, creation was ultimately successful and has provided me with essential skills to develop my own wiki in the future. I also found the actual case study to be beneficial in providing a real life example of what we may be faced with as a teacher librarian in a school setting, there were times when I had to laugh at how closely the case study was to people working in school libraries and the personalities you may be working with and with a little brain fog at times when I read the case study scenarios I did have difficulty remembering this wasn’t written about my current situation. The group forum postings do provide some excellent ideas and resources on how to overcome some of the challenges that are ever present in the life of a teacher librarian.

 

Reading and contributing to forum discussions has also been a beneficial learning opportunity throughout this course, I will admit I am definitely more a reader than I am a contributor, some of the fantastic information provided by my peers within the forum discussions has continued to help develop my knowledge and understanding as a teacher librarian as leader. I enjoyed working on the practicalities of locating my school’s vision and mission statement and using this in Forum: Module 5, this allowed me to use the course material and suggested videos to create a meaningful vision statement for my school. (B. Dunn, 2018a). The understandings I gained from completing this forum posting and also reading others contributions such as Jackson’s (2018) forum posting through Thread: 1a Bonnyrigg allowed me to develop a good sense of what was required when completing the library vision statement for assignment two. I also found it empowering to be able to respond and contribute ideas to other individuals forum postings, to provide them with ideas, materials or events that may be useful to developing their understanding and providing opportunities for further training and development they may not have been aware of (Dunn, 2018b).

 

 

References

 

Brickwell, H. (2018, March 6). Study availability for contributions [Online discussion comment]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/Bb-wiki-BBLEARN/wikiView?course_id=_29926_1&wiki_id=_19654_1&page_guid=dc69246f8962426da3d2b2936373b642

 

Dunn, B. (2018a, May 4). Locate your school’s vision and mission statements [Online discussion comment]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_29926_1&conf_id=_56307_1&forum_id=_112647_1&message_id=_1782935_1&nav=discussion_board_entry

 

Dunn, B. (2018b, May 1). Re: secondary:opportunity:upskilling through opportunity [Online discussion comment]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_29926_1&conf_id=_56307_1&forum_id=_112648_1&message_id=_1777004_1&nav=discussion_board_entry

 

Jackson, S (2018, April 24). Bonnyrigg [Online discussion comment]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_29926_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_56307_1&forum_id=_112647_1&message_id=_1594930_1

 

Kovacs, S. (2018, May 11). Group 4 response [Online discussion comment]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_29926_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_56307_1&forum_id=_112644_1&message_id=_1797214_1

 

Ollis, D. (2018, March) Case study 2 working document [Online discussion comment]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website:https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/Bb-wiki-BBLEARN/wikiView?course_id=_29926_1&wiki_id=_19654_1&page_guid=73e7ec91ec3248e384477c910fb3ee73

 

 

 

 

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INF533 – Critical Reflection.

Posted on October 5, 2019 by belinda.dunn

INF533 – Assessment 4 – Part C – Critical Reflection – 700 words.

In my first blog post for INF533, I stated how little I knew about digital story telling processes and the types of digital tools available for creating digital stories (Dunn, 2019a). Throughout this journey, I have found my knowledge and understanding of digital literature environments, tools and uses have improved. I am now excited about the possibilities of embedding digital literature into curriculum units and collaborating with classroom teachers to bring digital stories to life with students within various subjects and stage levels. It is important to remember, as Ross (2019) stated, that teachers are often scared to use digital elements. It is through our role as Teacher Librarian that new technology and ideas are brought into our schools and to assist in decreasing the anxiety of using these new tools through collaboration and team teaching.

Integration of digital literature in education provides an outstanding opportunity for educators, not only through the use of digital stories within classes but also through the creation of stories by students. As I stated in the Module 2 Forum I had already advocated the use of audio and eBooks for all students, in particular for the schools EAL/D students and students who are struggling with literacy (Dunn, 2019b). I will admit that, through completing this unit, I now have a greater understanding of the benefits for students of using audio and Ebooks including the ability to manipulate the many settings of the books. Slowing the pace of reading of audio books assists students to follow along as well as allowing students to hear words defined or pronounced benefits students understanding and learning (Lamb, 2011). When using Ebooks being able to increase the font size on screen leads to greater space between letters and lines and this ultimately leads to a more immersive and improved reading experience for students (Delamater, 2012 & Anguera, 2015). This knowledge now provides me with a greater ability to advocate the use of digital books and to continue the subscription of a digital library to enhance our traditional school library.

New technology is being created and used at a phenomenal rate with students often the first to engage and use new technology as it becomes available; as Travassaros (2019) highlighted new technology is not enough to keep students engaged and we have to work with the technology to improve interest and motivation. It is essential that we stay abreast of these technological and social changes in order to keep students motivated and to learn essential 21st Century skills while they are engaging with technology. Digital storytelling is an excellent opportunity for students to engage with new technology and trends while also practicing and mastering 21st Century skills (Porter, 2019 and Sinclair & Loera, 2019). Students are presently using their devices to create digital stories through a number of apps, with TikTok the newest digital story telling app; it is therefore important to tap into these creative means of expression to engage and assist with learning (Dunn, 2019c).

It is an exciting time to be engaging with digital literacy and to use digital literacy as a tool in education. As stated by Khyiah Angel (as cited in Taylor 2018), we know that students are reading they are just reading and engaging with literacy in different, and what could be termed, non-traditional ways. I am looking forward to providing avenues to digital literacy that the printed word cannot (Dunn, 2019b) and have already planned collaboratively with our Science and HSIE faculties a digital literacy enrichment activity with Stage 4 classes. The students will be creating their own digital stories utilising software and the techniques I have experienced and demonstrated in Assessment 4. Students can choose to create their story, focusing on either Science or History. The students will be learning 21st Century skills while embedding digital literacy skills and citizenship in the creation of their final product. Collaboration will take place between classroom teachers and myself that will provide classroom teachers with a greater understanding of the creation of digital stories as well as digital citizenship. I am looking forward to continuing my journey with digital literature, as I put my learning into action with the students and teachers of our school.

 

References

Anguera, X. (2015). Multimodal read-aloud eBooks for language learning. Retrieved from https://www.isca-speech.org/archive/interspeech_2015/papers/i15_1884.pdf

DeLamater, W. (2012). How larger font size impacts reading and the implications for educational use of digital text readers. Retrieved from http://www.ereadia.com/research/How_Larger_Font_Size_Affects_Reading.pdf

Dunn, B. (2019a, July 28). Digital literature = an exciting engagement tool [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bellid/2019/07/28/inf-533-assessment-1/

Dunn, B (2019b, August 1). The times they are a changing… [Online discussion comment]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_39502_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_76005_1&forum_id=_159419_1&message_id=_2398153_1

Dunn, B (2019c, September, 2). Tapping into digital storytelling. [Online discussion comment]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_39502_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_76005_1&forum_id=_159422_1&message_id=_2458200_1

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and leading with technology, 39(3), 12-17. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/ login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=67371172&site=ehost-live

Porter, B. (2019). Digital storytelling across the curriculum. Creative Educator. Retrieved from https://creativeeducator.tech4learning.com/v05/articles/Digital_Storytelling_Across_the_Curriculum

Ross, L. (2019). Module 4.1 digital storytelling. [Online discussion comment]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_39502_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_76005_1&forum_id=_159422_1&message_id=_2504992_1

Sinclair, H. & Loera, M. (2019). 5 reasons to integrate digital storytelling into your teaching. Eschoolnews. Retrieved from https://www.eschoolnews.com/2019/08/29/5-reasons-to-integrate-digital-storytelling-into-your-teaching/2/

Taylor, A. (2018, September 16). ‘Technology can bring books alive’: Harry Potter inspires novel with moving images. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/technology-can-bring-books-alive-harry-potter-inspires-novel-with-moving-images-20180915-p50407.html

Travassaros, E. (2019, August 10). Challenges of using digital literature in the classroom. [Online discussion comment]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_39502_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_76005_1&forum_id=_159420_1&message_id=_2419331_1

 

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INF533 – Assessment 4 – Part B – Digital Story Telling Project: Reginald James Chard – An Australian War Hero.

Posted on October 5, 2019 by belinda.dunn
Go to this Sway

For optimal viewing of this digital story please use Internet Explorer.

All underlined words are links which provide further information – for any links to WorldBook Online please use username: hhs2173 and password: hhs2173.

Please use the following symbol to view stacked photos full screen.

Please use the following symbol to listen to audio

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INF 533 – Assessment 4 – Part A – Context for Digital Story Telling Project.

Posted on September 24, 2019 by belinda.dunn

INF533 – Assessment 4 – Part A – 823 words.

Holsworthy High School has strong military ties within its local community due to its proximity to the Holsworthy Army Base. Over ten percent of the student population are from military families (NSW Government, 2019). Reginald James Chard is a World War II Veteran and has always been an integral part of our school and the wider community, Reg’s life and commitment to our school will be the main focus of the digital story Reginald James Charles – An Australian War Hero.

Today’s students are termed ‘digital natives’, due the high exposure to digital technology in their lives (Helsper & Eynon, 2010, p.503). Students are using digital tools in their everyday lives to create and produce their personal digital stories through multiple social media sites including Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Within the Australian Curriculum, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a general capability from Foundation through to Year 12. The ICT general capability has been included across all subject areas to assist in providing students with 21st Century skills they will require for further education and employment. Digital storytelling can meet the ICT capabilities of information creation &  presentation, communication and creative expression at all levels of schooling (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2010).

Digital storytelling embedded into the curriculum will provide and promote a bridge between an educator’s curricular knowledge base to the digital learning sphere of students; which will reflect authentic uses of literature and technology beyond the classroom, enhance literacy learning and foster 21st Century skills. (Loera & Sinclair, 2019, Laflan, 2013, p.54 and Mills & Levido 2011, p. 81). Digital storytelling creation has been shown to increase the engagement of students, through multiple learning styles and connects student’s interest with technology to desired learning and curriculum outcomes. (Educause Learning Initiative, 2007 and Mills & Levido 2011, p. 87). Reginald James Charles – An Australian War Hero has been created with Microsoft Sway. Holsworthy High School has a goal to increase technology usage across the school and has committed to providing Chromebooks to their Year 7 Enrichment class next year. The use of Microsoft Office 365 is being promoted for use with all classes due to the innovative features of the products, ease of use and simplified sharing and saving of work. Reginald James Charles – An Australian War Hero will be able to be accessed by individuals and classes through sharing of the link. Sway is a user friendly platform to create digital stories and will be the initial basis for staff and students to utilise in their creation of digital texts. Within the book, there are opportunities to further expand and engage students with the use of photos and links to WorldBook Online; which students are encouraged to use for assignments, the Australian War Museum and the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway. Through the inclusion of the photos and links, discussion will be fostered around the learning of WWII in the classroom.

The book will be used within a number of stage and curriculum areas through collaboration between the Teacher Librarian and classroom teachers. The creation of the digital stories will take place in the flexible learning spaces of the  library, with the Teacher Librarian providing guided lessons on the use of digital tools for classes and upskilling classroom teachers in the use of digital tools. 

 The book will be included, but not limited to the following curriculum and stage areas:

  • Stage 5 History – Core Study – Depth Study 3 
    • Australians at War (World Wars I & II) Mandatory Study, Significance of wars to Australia (ACDSEH110) 
    • Commemorations and the nature of the ANZAC legend (ACDSEH097).
  • The book will also be used as an example for Stage 6 English students to meet Objective A – Outcome 1 and Outcome 2
    • compose texts that integrate different modes and media for a variety of audiences and purposes
    • compose and analyse texts in different modes, media and technologies for a variety of purposes 
  • The book will also be used as an engagement and enrichment activity for Stage 4 students. Due to the nature of the platform and the ease of instruction for creation, the book will be used as an example for Stage 4 students to create their own digital texts that will be showcased throughout the school. 
  • The book itself will also be used within the wider school community as Reg is our living legend – our Defence Mentor will utilise the book as necessary through her role.

 

It is hoped the digital story Reginald James Charles – An Australian War Hero will showcase Reg’s history and achievements and engage students through the digital medium, as well as encouraging them to create their own digital stories. The digital story will be accessible to a wide audience and used in a variety of settings. The digital story will be a strategy to link new literacy knowledge and practises to meet student learning needs and to also extend student’s literacy learning and move students from dependent to independent learners (State of New South Wales, 2019). 

 

References

 Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. ( 2010). Information and communication technology capability. Retrieved from Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority website https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/information-and-communication-technology-ict-capability/

Educause Learning Initiative. (2007). 7 things you should know about digital story telling. Retrieved from https://library.educause.edu/resources/2007/1/7-things-you-should-know-about-digital-storytelling

Enis, J. (2019). Library ideas to launch AR/VR-enhanced children’s books. School Library Journal. Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=library-ideas-launches-ar-vr-enhanced-childrens-books

Helsper, E., & Eynon, R. (2010). Digital natives: Where is the evidence? British Educational Research Journal, 36(3), 503-520. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27823621

Hanson, J. (2019). News and highlights from ISTE 2019. School Library Journal. Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=news-and-highlights-from-ISTE-2019

Laflen, A. (2013). Putting Wikis to Work in the Literature Classroom. Modern Language Studies, 43(1), 54-73. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24616720

Loera, M. & Sinclair, H. (2019). 5 reasons to integrate digital storytelling into your teaching. Retrieved from https://www.eschoolnews.com/2019/08/29/5-reasons-to-integrate-digital-storytelling-into-your-teaching/2/

Mills, K. & Levido, A. (2011). iPed pedagogy for digital production. The Reading Teacher, 65(1), 80-91. doi: 10.1598/RT.65.1.11 

NSW Education Standards Authority. (2017). English standard stage 6 syllabus. Retrieved from NSW Education Standards Authority website: https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/stage-6-learning-areas/stage-6-english/english-standard-2017

NSW Education Standards Authority. (2012). History K-10 syllabus. Retrieved from NSW Education Standards Authority website: https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/hsie/history-k-10

NSW Government. (2019). 2018 Holsworthy high school annual report. Retrieved from Holsworthy High School website https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/doe-nsw-schools/annual-report/2018/8564/2018_Holsworthy_High_School_Annual_Report.pdf

State of New South Wales. (2019). Literacy overview. Retrieved from Department of Education website https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/student-assessment/smart-teaching-strategies/literacy/literacy-overview

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INF533 – Assessment 3 – Digital Story Proposal

Posted on September 9, 2019 by belinda.dunn

INF 533 – Assessment 3.

Proposal Topic: Reginald James Chard – an Australian war hero.

Proposed digital tools and/or spaces to be used: Being very new to the use of digital tools I have had a brief look at a number of suggested tools from the modules with the following being the most user friendly for my current knowledge base – Book Creator, VoiceThread and Microsoft Sway – at this stage I think I will use Microsoft Sway due to its very user friendly interface..

Rationale for topic focus for the digital storytelling project: ******* High School has strong military ties within its local community due to its close proximity to the ****** Army Base. Ten percent of the student population are from military families. Reg Chard is a World War II Vetran and has always been an integral part of our school and wider community, Reg’s life and commitment to our school will be the main focus of the digital story.

It is hoped the digital story will showcase Reg’s history and achievements. The digital story will be accessible to a wide audience and used in a variety of settings including but not limited to:

  • Stage 5 History – Core Study – Depth Study 3
    • Australians at War (World Wars I & II) Mandatory Study, Significance of wars to Australia (ACDSEH110)
    • Commemorations and the nature of the ANZAC legend (ACDSEH097)
  • Stage 6 English – Objective A – Outcome 1 and Outcome 2
    • compose texts that integrate different modes and media for a variety of audiences and purposes
    • compose and analyse texts in different modes, media and technologies for a variety of purposes
  • Stage 4 Enrichment Classes.

The digital story will be used as a learning tool for History to show the significance of World War II on an individual and the ANZAC Legend. The story can also be used as an exemplar of a multimodal text for students in Stage 6 English and Stage 4 Enrichment Classes to create their own digital stories. The creation of the digital stories will take place in the library with the Teacher Librarian providing guided lessons on the use of digital tools for classes and upskilling classroom teachers in the use of digital tools.

References

NSW Education Standards Authority. (2017). English standard stage 6 syllabus. Retrieved from NSW Education Standards Authority website: https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/stage-6-learning-areas/stage-6-english/english-standard-2017

NSW Education Standards Authority. (2012). History K-10 syllabus. Retrieved from NSW Education Standards Authority website: https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/hsie/history-k-10

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Assignment 2: eBook Review.

Posted on August 29, 2019 by belinda.dunn

eBook Review: Matilda (765 words).

 

 

Name of Book

 Dahl, R. (1998). Matilda [Audio book] [eBook]. United Kingdom: Penguin.

eBook illustrated by Quentin Blake

Audio book narrated by Kate Winslet.

Retrieved from ePlatform by Wheelers 2019.

Image retrieved from ePlatform by Wheelers 2019.
Category of Resource eBook: Matilda is reviewed as an audio book and an eBook – these books are considered a digitized work. A digitized work is defined by Bouchard and Heckmann (2012), as a work conceived for another medium, such as the printed medium. The Audio and eBook applications are an extension of the traditional print book of Matilda. The texts provide a linear reading experience.
Content Quality The eBook applications of Matilda are of a very high quality. Roald Dahl is a renowned children’s author who is able to capture the imagination of readers through his uncanny wit and storytelling. The audiobook is read by Kate Winslet who uses various vocal tones to engage listeners with the story and ensure that each character can be readily identified through changes in her voice.
Value of digital affordances for the literature The audio and eBook applications of Matilda are replications of the traditional print version. The eBook continues to have illustrations throughout the book, while also providing the options to change the font size, orientation and brightness. The eBook also provides the affordances of highlight, definition and search features for the text.

The audiobook provides the opportunity to change the speed of the narration. The books are considered eBooks as there is very limited interactivity and no additional enhancements to the printed book. (Vassiliou & Rowley, 2008, p. 358)
Accessibility and reusability The eBook and audiobook of Matilda are both available through the Eplatform by Wheelers. The accessibility of both books is limited within the Eplatform library to one book. This would make it difficult within a classroom setting if a number of students would benefit from the use of the eBooks; additional purchases of the books would be required for a class set.
Engagement of multiple literacies and learning styles The use of audio and eBooks simultaneously allows low ability readers the opportunity to listen to the text whilst following the story on screen. The narration of the audio book through changes in the tone of speech piques the reader’s interest and motivates them to continue listening. Sly (2012) states that hearing a book read by a skilful reader is a sheer delight. The opportunity to change the pace of the recording allows students to follow onscreen at their own pace. Increasing the size of the font onscreen is also beneficial for students who struggle with reading either due to below proficient reading skills or dyslexia.  DeLamater (2010) and Anguera (2015) found that increasing the font size on screen led to greater space between letters and lines and ultimately leads to a more immersive and improved in reading experience. Reid (2016, p. 19) and Lamb (2011, p. 14) also found that the specially designed features and tools of eBooks ultimately allow for reading success for English as a Second Language students.
Possibility for feedback and/or adaptation Feedback opportunities, while being limited in the form of highlighting of text and definitions from the dictionary, allow students to form a greater understanding of the text as they read. As outlined by Lamb (2011, p. 16) this can benefit some students learning and engagement with text. Adaptation within the classroom can be undertaken by the teacher by selecting specific chapters which the students can access through the eBooks. Lamb (2011, p. 16) describes the benefits to students through differentiating instruction, allowing students to hear words defined or pronounced also benefits their understanding and learning.
Intrinsic motivation of the digital environment for users State of NSW (2012, p. 12) found that students had high expectations with the use of eBooks as part of their learning experience and that 80% of students agreed or strongly agreed that technology helped them to read. Intrinsic motivation would be achieved through using the electronic versions of Matilda for low literacy, dyslexic and ESL students as it is providing students with a greater opportunity to succeed.
Presentation design.

Intelligently designed (Intuitive, flexible and customisable)

 The presentation of the eBooks are intelligently designed and the tools available are intuitive and easily managed by digital natives. (Jabr, 2013). In the case of the audio and eBook the flexibility and being able to customise the content is limited to the tools of the application it is read or played from.
Interaction and Enjoyability Interaction is limited when individuals use this eBook. The book is available for use on different platforms including tablets and PCs, providing students the opportunity to access the books at any time and from multiple devices. Matilda is an enjoyable book to read and well suited to a Year 7 class.
Alignment with curriculum or program purpose Matilda is best suited to Year 7 mixed ability classes for the unit Inner Strength.

 

 

 

References.

Anguera, X. (2015). Multimodal read-aloud eBooks for language learning. Retrieved from https://www.isca-speech.org/archive/interspeech_2015/papers/i15_1884.pdf

 

Bourchardon, S. & Heckman, D. (2012). Digital manipulability and digital literature. Electronic Book Review Retrieved from http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/electropoetics/heuristic

 

Dahl, R. (1988). Matilda. London, UK, UK: Puffin Random House.

 

DeLamater, W. (2012). How larger font size impacts reading and the implications for educational use of digital text readers. Retrieved from http://www.ereadia.com/research/How_Larger_Font_Size_Affects_Reading.pdf

 

Jabr, F. (2013). The reading brain in the digital age: the science of paper verses screen. Scientific American. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/

 

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and leading with technology, 39(3), 12-17. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/ login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=67371172&site=ehost-live

 

Reid, C. (2016). eBooks and print books can have different affects on literacy comprehension. Education Masters. Retrieved from https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1329&context=education_ETD_masters

 

Sly, C. (2012). Curiouser and curiouser … a reading wonderland, Scan 31(1) https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/professional-learning/scan/past-issues/vole-31,-2012/curiouser-and-curiouser-a-reading-wonderland

 

State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Communities, (2012). eBbooks for leisure and learning. SCAN, 31(6-14). https://resourcelinkbce.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/ebooks-test-report.pdf

 

Vassiliou, M. & Rowley, J. (2008). Progressing the definition of e-book. Library Hi Tech 26(3). doi: 10.1108/07378830810903292

 

 

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Assignment 2: Enhanced Book Review.

Posted on August 29, 2019 by belinda.dunn

Enhanced Book: I Know Why You Run. (825 words).

 

 

Name of Book

  

Angel, K. (2018). I Know Why You Run. [mbook]. Australia: Typology Tech

Retrieved from: Rakuten Kobo 2019

Image retrieved from Rakuten Kobo 2019.
Category of Resource Enhanced Book: I Know Why You Run is reviewed as an enhanced book. The novel is described as a multimodal digital work (Angel, 2018), which requires technology for the complete reading experience (Lamb, 2011, p. 13). A digital work is defined by Bouchard and Heckmann (2012), as a work that is specifically designed for reading on a computer or tablet and it exploits some of the characteristics of interactivity and hypertext technology, in this case augmented reality. The text is linear in nature, however, requires the augmented clips to shape the full story (Bowler, Morris, Cheng, Al-Issa, Romine, & Leiberling, 2012, p35). I Know Why You Run was reviewed through the use of the Rakuten Kobo Book and the HP Reveal applications for Apple products, the book is also available as a traditional print book with readers using their device and the HP Reveal application.
Content Quality Reading the text on screen required two devices to achieve a full reading experience as the multimodal applications were unable to be viewed from the device the book was being read from. An additional device was required to scan the in text images using the HP Reveal app and allow the clips to play, this was a disappointing revelation and lowered the content quality for the eBook as it was expected that the clips would play within the text. The book can be read as a traditional print book which would only require one device to scan the HP Reveal clips and would allow for a more simplified and less distracting reading experience. Reid (2016, p. 4) found that while the features and use of additional technological features may cause some distraction, the motivation to read is increased.
Value of digital affordances for the literature I Know Why You Run features traditional print book chapters with the addition of multimodal triggers which contain short video clips of the characters in the novel, which are viewed through the HP Reveal application. There are also opportunities available for readers to create their own multimodal content to be uploaded and used. The value of this is that it is providing an additional plot within the story through the use of augmented reality which further motivates the reader.
Accessibility and reusability The eBook of I know why you run is available to purchase through the Rakuten Kobo Books app and also as a physical book. Readers are required to download the HP Reveal app and enter a link which is provided in the Reading Instructions at the beginning of the book. The eBook and the traditional print book both have the same links which come to life from the page with the use of a device and the HP Reveal app. Readers need to have access to a device with the HP Reveal app in order to fully access this novel. Reading of the novel does not diminish its reusability.
Engagement of multiple literacies and learning styles I Know Why You Run provides a new way of engaging with fictional stories through the incorporation of augmented reality clips. The author included the clips to engage young adults in reading long form fiction (Taylor, 2018).
Possibility for feedback and/or adaptation The book does offer some possibility for feedback and adaptation as the reader is encouraged to create their own multimodal content through the HP Reveal app. This provides opportunities for students to use the technology within their own creative writing to meet the multimodal presentation requirements for the Stage 6 English Standard school based assessment requirements. (NESA, 2018, p. 6-7).
Intrinsic motivation of the digital environment for users Bowler et al (2012, p. 35) found that stories spread across platforms provide a deeper reading experience than a one dimension printed book, by including the technology young adults would be more motivated to experience this book. The technology used throughout the text was included by the author to motivate and engage digital natives within the story, using technology they access everyday on their devices (Taylor, 2018).
Presentation design – Intelligently designed (Intuitive, flexible and customisable) The presentation of the eBook through the KoboBooks app is not as intuitive as the ePlatform by Wheelers app. The table of contents lists ‘Start’ (Angel, 2018) only, which makes it difficult for the user to move between chapters and if you begin reading another book through the app, it returns to the start of the book. While there are tools to change font size, highlight and bookmark they are also more difficult to use than other eBook applications and are not as user friendly as other reading applications, this therefore detracts from the reading experience.
Interaction and enjoyability The interactivity of using HP Reveal does provide an interesting addition to the novel, however the clips are only very short and the first clip does not occur until chapter 4. While Bowler et al (2012, p. 46) discussed that fiction which uses various platforms as part of the experience may provide a richer story experience, the interactivity process in I Know Why You Run was somewhat disappointing.
Alignment with curriculum or program purpose I Know Why You Run would be suited to Stage 6 English Standard students; to assist in their study of a complex multimodal or digital text in Module A. (NESA 2018).

 

 

 

References

Angel, K. (2018). I Know Why You Run. [mbook]. Australia: Typology Tech.

 

Bourchardon, S. & Heckman, D. (2012). Digital manipulability and digital literature. Electronic Book Review Retrieved from http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/electropoetics/heuristic

 

Bowler, L., Morris, R., Cheng, I., Al-Issa, R., Romine, B., & Leiberling, L. (2012). Multimodal stories: LIS students explore reading, literacy, and library service through the lens of the 39 clues. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 53(1), 32-48. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/23249095

 

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and leading with technology, 39(3), 12-17. Retrieved from

http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=67371172&site=ehost-live

 

NSW Education Standards Authority. (2018). English standard stage 6 syllabus. Retrieved from NSW Education Standards Authority website: https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/stage-6-learning-areas/stage-6-english/english-standard-2017

 

Reid, C. (2016). eBooks and print books can have different affects on literacy comprehension. Education Masters. Retrieved from https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1329&context=education_ETD_masters

Taylor, A. (2018, September 16). ‘Technology can bring books alive’: Harry Potter inspires novel with moving images. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/technology-can-bring-books-alive-harry-potter-inspires-novel-with-moving-images-20180915-p50407.html

 

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Assignment 2: Interactive Book Review.

Posted on August 29, 2019 by belinda.dunn

Interactive Book Review: BBC Civilisations AR (695 words).

 

Name of Book BBC Media Applications Technologies Limited. (2018). BBC Civilisations AR (version 2.1) [Mobile application software] Retrieved from: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/civilisationsar/id1350792208

Image retrieved from

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/civilisations-ar/id1350792208
Category of Resource Interactive book: BBC Civilisations AR is reviewed as an Interactive Book. It is a digital work which has been specifically created to be viewed on iOS and Android devices, the application exploits some of the characteristics of interactivity and hypertext technology; in this case augmented reality. (Bouchard & Heckmann, 2012). The application contains over 30 historic, to-scale artefacts of cultural or artistic significance with detailed information about each artefact, this information would traditionally be found in a History textbook. The app provides a non-linear reading experience.
Content Quality The content provided by BBC Civilisations AR is of very high quality. The app provides access and facts about 40 real life artefacts from museums and galleries across the United Kingdom. The artefacts were curated, scanned and modelled to create 3D models of the artefacts. (BBC, 2019).
Value of digital affordances for the literature The AR app provides an outstanding opportunity for students to view and learn about art and culture from some of the United Kingdom’s most renowned museums and galleries. The artefacts are categorised under themes and found on a globe which shows where they were originally located. The artefact can be viewed as real size or scaled and rotated in order to see the complete artefact. For each artefact there are digital hotspots which may include x-rays and opportunities to listen to information, as well as detailed information about the artefact in note form. This provides students with in depth knowledge about each artefact.
Accessibility and reusability The application is available free of charge for iOS and Android devices through the BBC Civilisations AR app, accessibility to devices would be required. Within the settings function of the app there is a restart option, which clears the journey through the artefacts and starts the tutorial for the app again.
Engagement of multiple literacies and learning styles The use of augmented reality provides students with a real life and visual learning opportunity which is not attainable from a textbook. As Yoon and Wang (2014, p. 50), Wu, Lee, Chang, and Liang, J. (2013, p. 43), and Kesim and Ozarlson (2012, p. 300) discovered that AR can be applied to learning by enhancing a student’s perceptions and integration with the real world. AR also provides opportunities which would not be possible from a textbook. This provides a much richer learning experience for students.
Possibility for feedback and/or adaptation The app can be adapted to the classroom setting through the choice of which artefacts the students will be viewing dependent on the subject they are studying in class. Additional activities could also be provided as pre or post viewing of the artefacts. The BBC (2019) also encourages feedback on the app to discover how individuals are engaging with the technology.
Intrinsic motivation of the digital environment for users AR has been found to positively influence students’ intrinsic motivation for learning as it changes the nature of the task and decreases the complexity of learning by making the invisible visible. (Sotiriou & Bogner, 2008, p. 119 and Wu et al, 2013, p. 48).
Presentation design – Intelligently designed (Intuitive, flexible and customisable) The presentation design of the app is outstanding, it is intelligently designed and the tools available are intuitive and easily managed by digital natives (Jabr, 2013). The app offers many opportunities for students to manipulate the content and following the introductory tutorial, students would experience very limited difficulty in viewing and discovering information about each artefact through the spotlights and overviews for each artefact.
Interaction and enjoyability There is a high level of interaction within the app, which provides students with the opportunity to develop and enhance their perception, knowledge and understanding of historical objects, through the interaction with real life artefacts. (Wu et al 2013, p. 44 and Kesim & Ozarlson 2012, p. 300). The app allows students to move and manipulate the three-dimensional virtual image from any vantage point (Kesim & Ozarlson 2012, p. 300 and BBC, 2018). There is also the opportunity for students to use various spotlights on each object which provide a story or interaction, as well as a dedicated overview of the artefact and the museum it is housed in. (BBC, 2019).
Alignment with curriculum BBC Civilisations AR is best suited to Stage 4 History Depth Studies or as an introduction with Stage 5 Ancient History.

 

 

 

 

References

BBC. (2019). Civilisations AR. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/taster/pilots/civilisations-ar.

 

BBC. (2018). BBC launches augmented reality app for Civilisations. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-42966371

 

Bourchardon, S. & Heckman, D. (2012). Digital manipulability and digital literature. Electronic Book Review Retrieved from http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/electropoetics/heuristic

 

Jabr, F. (2013). The reading brain in the digital age: the science of paper verses screen. Scientific American. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/

 

Kesima, M., & Ozarslan, Y. (2012). Augmented reality in education: current technologies and the potential for education. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 47. 297-302. Retrieved from https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/277811/1-s2.0-S1877042812X00181/1-s2.0-S1877042812023907

 

Sotiriou, S., & Bogner, F. (2008). Visualizing the Invisible: Augmented Reality as an Innovative Science Education Scheme. Advanced Science Letters, 1. 114-122. doi:10.1166/asl.2008.012.

 

Wu, H-K., Lee, S., Chang, H., & Liang, J. (2013). Current status, opportunities and challenges of augmented reality in education. Computers & Education 62. 41-49. Retrieved from https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/271849/1-s2.0-S0360131512X00095

 

Yoon, S., Wang, J. (2014). Making the invisible visible in science museums through augmented reality devices. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 58(1), 49-55. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=ecf690c2-1811-47c0-9447-6c61b51d9711%40pdc-v-sessmgr06

 

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Assignment 2. PART B: Critical Reflection of Digital Literature Experiences.

Posted on August 29, 2019 by belinda.dunn

PART B: Critical Reflection of Digital Literature Experiences. (739 words).

At the beginning of my digital literature journey my knowledge was lacking as to what constitutes a digital text and the benefits of digital texts for education. While I had a fair understanding of what an eBook was, I had very little understanding of the terms enhanced book and interactive book and how this technology could be embedded into curriculum programs. The Bourchardon & Heckman (2012) definition assisted in my understanding of how to categorise various digital texts, with an eBook defined as a digitized work, given it is a traditional print book reproduced on screen. While enhanced and interactive are digital works produced specifically for devices. As with traditional texts, digital texts have to engage the reader and tap into their intrinsic motivation to assist in learning, it is the multimodal features of digitized texts that stimulate the engagement of multiple literacies and learning styles (Neumann, Finger & Neumann, 2016, p. 473). As Khyiah Angel (as cited in Taylor, 2018) stated ‘research tells us that children are reading more, they are just reading differently’ and it is important that we as educators ensure that we engage students with digital technology to pique their interest with reading and learning digitally.

 

I have discovered there are many affordances of digital literature in education – with research showing the use of audio and eBooks benefits struggling readers, students with dyslexia and English as a second or foreign language students through differentiating instruction (Lamb, 2011, p. 16). Digital texts can provide students with engaging avenues that the printed page cannot, for not only reading and learning but also in creating their own digital works (Enis, 2019 & Hanson, 2019). This is a key feature of the English syllabus, where students are required to use technology within their own creative writing to meet the multimodal presentation requirements for the Stage 6 English Standard school based assessment requirements. (NESA, 2018. p. 6-7).

 

Through this assessment I have experienced a diverse range of digital literature and the benefits they can bring to students learning, as well as students’ engagement and enjoyment with reading. Matilda (Dahl, 1988) reviewed as an audio/eBook was the most traditional text, however provides a vast array of benefits for students. I most enjoyed listening to this text as Kate Winslet brought the story to life through her changes in vocal tones for each character – ‘a sheer delight’ (Sly, 2012). Listening to the audiobook whilst driving, helped pass the time and made the journey more enjoyable.

 

I Know Why You Run (Angel, 2018) excited me through the incorporation of augmented reality (AR) into a traditional printed text. However, I did feel somewhat disappointed while reading and experiencing the digital aspect of the book. Downloading the text as an eBook required a second device to make the clips play and features of the Kobo app were not as user friendly as other programs. If I were to recommend the book to students I would suggest they acquire the print book and use their device for the clips only. The clips do provide an exciting element to the story, however, the benefit of reading this book was to do more with the opportunities to incorporate the technology used, in students own work through the creation of their own AR clips, using HP reveal, for their creative writing and multimodal tasks.

 

The digital text I most enjoyed and has the most exciting applications to incorporate into a learning program is the BBC Civilisations AR (BBC Media Applications Technologies Limited, 2018). While traditional history textbooks may be somewhat dry in the way the material is presented, this app brought history to life as students were taken on a journey around the world to where the historical artefacts were found. Students also have the opportunity to become an archaeologist and view the artefacts as real size in their classroom, as well as using the spotlights to manipulate the object and to learn detailed information about each artefact. The app provides students with the opportunity to experience firsthand culturally and historically significant artefacts which are housed in museums and galleries in the United Kingdom. I have shown the app to our HSIE Head teacher who is also excited about the opportunity to incorporate the app within history programs. As with any digital program the major concern is accessibility for all students, which as the Teacher Librarian I will have to consider in the planning and budgeting of the library.

 

References

Angel, K. (2018). I know why you run. [mbook]. Australia: Typology Tech.

BBC. (2019). Civilisations AR. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/taster/pilots/civilisations-ar.

Bourchardon, S. & Heckman, D. (2012). Digital manipulability and digital literature. Electronic Book Review Retrieved from http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/electropoetics/heuristic

Dahl, R. (1988). Matilda. London, UK, UK: Puffin Random House.

Enis, J. (2019). Library ideas to launch AR/VR-enhanced children’s books. School Library Journal. Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=library-ideas-launches-ar-vr-enhanced-childrens-books

Hanson, J. (2019). News and highlights from ISTE 2019. School Library Journal. Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=news-and-highlights-from-ISTE-2019

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and leading with technology, 39(3), 12-17. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/ login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=67371172&site=ehost-live

NSW Education Standards Authority. (2018). English standard stage 6 syllabus. Retrieved from NSW Education Standards Authority website: https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/stage-6-learning-areas/stage-6-english/english-standard-2017

Neumann, M., Finger, G., & Neumann, D. (2016). A conceptual framework for emergent digital literacy. Early Childhood Education Journal 45(4), 471-479. doi: 10.1007/s10643-016-0792-z

Sly, C. (2012). Curiouser and curiouser … a reading wonderland, Scan 31(1) https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/professional-learning/scan/past-issues/vole-31,-2012/curiouser-and-curiouser-a-reading-wonderland

Taylor, A. (2018, September 16). ‘Technology can bring books alive’: Harry Potter inspires novel with moving images. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/technology-can-bring-books-alive-harry-potter-inspires-novel-with-moving-images-20180915-p50407.html

 

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