Writing PLD

What?
After camp we did some PLD on writing within Southwell school. Thinking critically about our practice in the classroom and the effect this has on our students.



So What?

Key messages on pages 8 and 9 of Effective Literacy Practice 1-4

• Teachers matter - and what they do matters
• Teaching practice can be described as truly effective only when it has a positive and

measurable impact on student achievement

• Students may take many different pathways on their literacy learning we as teachers should have appropriate tools for different students.

• The quality of our teaching is imperative to achieve results in the classroom.
• Your teaching practice matters
• Evidence based teaching practice can make a major difference.  
• What happens in classrooms through quality teaching and through the quality of the

learning environment generated by the teacher and students is key

• Goal directed literacy instruction.
• Evidence based.
• Programmes vary between teachers - with some common elements (such as ELP).
• Diverse groups require different learning pathways / have varying needs

The Dimensions of Effective Practice

Knowledge of Literacy Learning

• Literacy is the ability to understand, respond and use the written language.
• Teachers need to continually develop their skills in:

          Research

                      Reading and Writing strategies

                      Instructional strategies

Knowledge of the Learner

• Teachers need to continually and extensively develop relationship and understanding:
• Individual student profiles of learning and the implication of teacher instruction.
• Patterns of progress.
• Student language and literacy practice outside the classroom
• The knowledge:
• Is gathered formally and informally.
• Is analysed and used to inform classroom practice.
• Involves awareness of individual learners issues (cultural, rate of progress etc.)

Instructional Strategies

• “Tools of Effective practice”
• Deliberate Teaching Practice
• Activating Prior Knowledge/motivation
• Explicit learning experience (Some specific differences between 1-4 Book to 5-8 Book.)
• Encourage critical thinking and questioning
• Modelling
• Feedback
• Strategies are informed by the teacher’s knowledge of their learners
• Being adaptable and able to make “On the Run” decisions during the course of teaching as 

more needs and knowledge of the learners becomes more apparent

Engaging Learners with Texts

• Engaging learners with texts means placing the use and creation of texts at the heart of literacy

learning.

• They need to use a variety of texts and to be exposed to appropriate texts in reading and writing.
• Knowing the language features of texts.
• Important to understand the purpose of writing.
• Making links between reading and writing.
• Text has a purpose.

Expectations

• Ideas teachers, students, parent and communities have about their learners.
• Expectations that teacher holds influence aspects of their practise.
• Practise includes: goal setting and assessment, nature of the discussion you have with the

students, amount of interaction between both, selection and use of instructional strategies,

text based experiences that are planned for the student

• Expectations influenced by beliefs and values
• High but appropriate - clearly expressed, high, shared with all partners, informed by feedback

from all partners in the students learning, reflected upon and reviewed in the light of evidence

• Students have expectations too: these influenced by their own belief system, influenced by

interactions with teachers, feedback on their progress, peer influences, media related influences

their interactions with their family and communities

• ‘Difference’ does not mean’ deficit’

Partnerships

• Relationships that contribute to and support students’ learning - teachers, peers, family,

specialist teachers.

• There must be shared expectations and shared knowledge about the learner as well as shared

knowledge about literacy learning.

• Partnerships need to be planned.
• It takes a village to raise a child.

Now What?
Excellent discussion with Year 8 teacher about the expectations of students at Year 9/10 level and the question was asked, "Are they prepared?"
We have talked about having a specific toolbox (maybe 4-5 components) that every teacher at Southwell uses rather than everyone using different learning tools. This would create continuity within the school. 
Bex Gilgren has offered to come into my class to help with some creative writing ideas. 
One question that several of us had was, "Should we be teaching specific genre?" My argument for teaching genre is that the students don't know what they don't know. In particular the lower levels in the school. I can see the value of allowing them to choose what genre they write in as hopefully they have already learned the different genre, their structures, characteristics and purpose. Bex agreed that we need to do specific teaching as she has seen the results at secondary school where students don't have a good handle on these things.