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EDUC2029 Week 3 The literacy requirements of…Maths

Based on 2008 NAPLAN test.

“…The literacy demands, including mathematical language, mathematical conventions and visual text, used in questions throughout the test may have caused problems for some students. These need to be explicitly taught and practised regularly.

Encouraging students to reflect on, discuss and use appropriate mathematical language, conventions and diagrams whilst communicating their mathematics knowledge, understanding and ways of working will better aid them when confronted by tests of this ilk.” (p60)

The amount of energy, E units, used by an air-conditioner for temperatures in the range of 20°C to 30°C is given by the rule E = T2 where T is the temperature in °C.

Deictic Which one?

Numerative How many?

Epithet What quality?

Classifier What type?

Thing Post-modifier What else?

The amount E units, used by an air-conditioner for temperatures in the range of 20°C to 30°C

Noun groups inside noun groups: •  E units •  an air-conditioner •  temperatures in the range of 20°C to 30°C •  the range of 20°C to 30°C

Possible issues include:   Interpreting symbols and abstract visual representations   Identifying the important information and translating it

into a mathematical process   Making connections between different parts of questions,

e.g. written and visual information   Making inferences, i.e. filling in the gaps   Everyday words used in specialist ways, e.g. in Yr 9: value,

equivalent, mean, mode, net   Unpacking complex noun groups (e.g. a set of four

consecutive whole numbers) and sentences – denser than most other reading they are doing

And then they have to do the ‘actual’ maths!!

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What literacy demands are there in your subject area?

Position Paper: Literacy (QSCC, 2001) – “examples only of literacy practices in eight key learning areas, using the taxonomy of four literacy resources or practices as an architectural framework.” p12

 To continue to explore the literacy demands of all content areas

 To consider the role of literacy policy in the lives of teachers and students

 To provide context for the reading of some current, significant policy

 Anticipatory set: literacy demands of Math

 What is policy?  Guided (selective) reading of the policies  Language about language  The first assignment

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  From L. polites ‘citizen’ from polis ‘city’ then politia ‘citizenship’

What comes closest for you?

  A course or principle of action adopted or proposed by a government, party, business or individual; (Oxford English Dictionary)

  A set of guidelines   An educational philosophy

  F. policie ‘prudent conduct, sagacity’

  Government documents that describe a system for planning/implementing learning experiences

  Formal structures that tell teachers how to teach

  Principles of action from a central authority that outline teacher practice

 Applying 3rd of McKee’s approaches to analysing text (p.9) each of these policies offers a different and valuable approach to the meaning and teaching of literacy depending on context, audience and purpose

1st approach – realist: one truth, one reality 2nd approach – structuralist: finding commonalities,

sameness between responses/structures/cultures 3rd approach – post-structuralist

 post-structuralist: every culture making sense of the world differently: impossible to say that one is right or wrong, experiencing reality differently

 No text is neutral; every word is chosen carefully

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•  Who created this text? •  Why? For what reasons? •  What are the intentions of the author? •  How will people who have different understandings of what Harry Potter is read this?

The Harry Pothead situation also spilled into Buckingham Palace, as Prince Harry, third in line to the British throne, became dubbed "Prince Harry Pothead" after his pot-smoking ways were revealed in the media.

According to media reports, young Prince Harry, who turned 17 in September 2001, would carouse with his friends at the local Rattlebone Inn, then bring them back to his father's palace at Highgrove. There, in a soundproof basement lair dubbed "Club H," Harry entertained his pals with a well-stocked bar and phat joints.

British tabloid News of the World broke the story on January 13, 2002, about eight months after the fact, under the headline "Harry's Drugs Shame." According to the paper, household staff had noticed the smell of pot and finked on the young prince.

Schools

Queensland College of Teachers: Standards

Education Queensland:

Literate Futures Framework

for Action QSCC/QSA:

Position Paper Literacy

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 Literate Futures: 2000  Position Paper Literacy: 2001   Framework for Action: 2006  Professional Standards: 2006

 Professional: proper to; connected to one’s profession, or calling; engaged in one of the learned or skilled professions; (Shorter OED, 1038)

L. professio ‘public declaration; L. profiteri ‘declare aloud or publicly’

How can we make sense of the world represented by this text? (McKee, p1)

  Standard: an object or quality or measure serving as a basis or example or principle to which others conform or should conform or by which the accuracy or quality of others is judged; having recognised or permanent value; authoritative (OED, 1330)

 What does this mean in our terms?

“The standards have been developed using a deliberate professional learning and development perspective, not as part of the performance management arrangements of Education Queensland. They do, however, provide an appropriate framework for collaborative performance development with colleagues and a key reference point for the induction and mentoring of teachers.” (p1)

Practice Knowledge Values

Standard Two: The practice of teachers in all subject areas:   determine the language, literacy and numeracy demands and

opportunities of particular curriculum areas   use a variety of inclusive assessment strategies   teach explicitly   select and use a range of teaching and learning strategies and

resources   monitor student development   review their own language, literacy and numeracy skills

improve

  ‘report’- an account’ state as fact or news, an official statement … an account given or opinion formally expressed after investigation or consideration ◦  L.reportare – portare – bring (to the table)

  ‘review’ – a general survey or assessment of a subject or thing; a retrospect or survey of the past … a second view, view again ◦  F.re voir – see (with new eyes)

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“The aim of this strategy is to review and build upon established professional expertise, administrative and assessment systems, and curricular resources currently available or planned for the state system in its literacy education efforts. To set the context for this strategy, we begin with an analysis of the development of literacy education in Queensland over the past two decades.” (p1)

“To set the context for this strategy, we begin with an analysis of the development of literacy education in Queensland over the past two decades.” (p1)

“The tool kit of basic skills that served many of us well in the 1950s is inadequate today.” (p7)

Who is writing for whom?

Re the vignettes: “instances of effective literacy pedagogy. They are about teacher literates working side by side with young student literates engaged in practices with and around texts. In these classrooms, students are developing and expanding repertoires of skill and practice with a wide array of spoken, print and multimedia texts. They are working with texts that have meaning and value in communities and workplaces, in bureaucracies and businesses, in homes and educational institutions.” (p7)

So, what counts as literacy and literate practice?

Purpose? Primarily economic?

“The purpose of this Strategy is to ensure that Queensland schools lead the nation in productive and innovative approaches to literacy.” (p8)

“The Queensland Literacy Strategy is an attempt to refocus our professional and intellectual, fiscal and administrative resources on the core business of teaching and learning literacy in classrooms.” p13

  Note use of plural ‘futures’   Defines literacy: “Literacy is the flexible and sustained

mastery of a repertoire of practices with the texts of traditional and new communication technologies via spoken language, print and multimedia.” (p9)

  How does this definition fit with what we’ve discussed over the last couple of weeks? A narrow or broad definition? Compare to versions of literacy captured in National testing.

 How is the information in this policy document organised? What’s foregrounded?

  Is there an authentic curriculum flavour to this policy document (or a governmental one)?

 What can you take ‘New Times’ to mean?  How do the differences in this policy

document contribute to the ‘sense of the world’ it represents?

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  ‘Framework’: an essential supporting structure, a basic system (OED, 523)

from ‘frame’: a set of standards or principles governing behaviour or thought (OED, 523)

  OE framian ‘be of service,’ fram ‘forward’ (a way forward)

 What is the main emphasis in the Minister’s Foreword?

 How does the language here differ from the beginning of the previous policy document?

 What does this policy document offer?  What does the Minister mean when he

refers to ‘quality teaching’?

“Strategies have been implemented [by whom?] to address the priority areas of the Literate Futures Report.” p1

Priority challenges:  Literacy teaching  Literacy learning  Literacy in the curriculum  Literacy leadership

  Note frequent use of “There is a need…”   Mainly use of strong, declarative clauses, e.g. “New

literacies combined with traditional literacies create significant challenges for many teachers”; “Literacy teaching must take into account…”. How does this compare to other documents?

  Ask: where is the power? For example, the system “develops” standards and regions “implement”. How does this fit with Standard Two where teachers are supposed to be responsible for reviewing and improving their literate capacities?

  Ways forward: ◦  addressed to “system” and “regions” ◦  Use of imperative, e.g. “conduct professional

development…”; “Investigate ways…”; “Develop standards…”

 Position – a place occupied by a person or thing; the way in which a thing or its parts are placed or arranged … a way of looking at a question (OED, 1046)

  So what is a position paper on literacy?

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 Position Paper (in business etc.) a written report of attitude or intentions (L. positio (posit) a statement which is made on the assumption that it will prove valid

  (L.posiere posit ‘place’) put this policy document out there and see how it goes?

“This position paper seeks to align conceptions of literacy across key learning areas and year levels, to enable syllabus writers, schools and teachers to work collaboratively and coherently towards developing students’ literacy capabilities.” (p1)

Note “language” v “literacy”

  It is a practical paper? Why?   Note the ‘towards defining literacy’ heading, p.1 and

what follows before ‘2. Literacy defined’ (p.2), the 3 strands of literacy (p3), the 4 Resources Model (p5)

  “The taxonomy asks educators to move beyond psycholinguistic and cognitive versions of literacy development, and to view literacy as a socially constructed practice.” (p6) Implications? Challenges?

  For you, how important is it that all teachers in all areas teach literacy? (analysis point- where you’re starting to make up your mind about your position on things)

so much more we could say…

In the tutorial we will reflect on: what is the “use” of policy?

Reading policy documents through the Four resource model and (maybe?) some Functional Grammar features:

Transitivity – or following the social process or movement of different kinds of verbs through texts, namely verbs that show (doing, sensing, saying and being):

  Material or doing/behaving processes: walk, stand, go, kick, jump

  Mental or processes of thinking, feeling or perceiving: believe, know, understand, like, love, want, hear, feel

  Verbal processes of saying: said, claimed, announced, shouted, asked

  Relational processes of ownership/being: are, were, is, looked, has, have, got, belongs, means, seems

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  Tenor: who is sending the message and what relationships are established between reader/writer, e.g. through the use of ◦  pronouns (I, you, we, our) in policy documents? ◦  varying Mood of sentences:   Interrogative: lots of questions   Declarative: lots of statements (info? Truths?)   Imperative: lots of commands (orders) ◦  modals (auxiliary or helping verbs) that help deliver

subtle messages of doubt (may, could, might) or certainty (can, will, must, ought to, need to, should, would)

Nominalization: turning verbs into nouns – a process that can take the agent out of a clause, e.g. ‘We invaded Iraq with the allies,’ becomes ‘The invasion of Iraq was deemed to be inevitable by all’

  Is there a moral purpose to these documents that comes through analysis of just the headings that connects with what we want to do as teachers? What is it and why is it there?

 Do the differences in these policy documents make literacy a richer learning area or more confusing? Why?

  Is it common sense that these documents could and maybe should inform our teaching? How so?

 Will a 4RM and SFG reading, using McKee’s 3rd approach (valuing difference) open the documents up to a deeper level reading of policy document language for the first assignment?

  Summary and Synthesis  House-keeping ◦  Length: 1500 words ◦ Due: Friday 28 August ◦ Weight: 30% ◦  Submit: In tutorials (Tuesday) or through

School of Education Enquiries office ◦ Must have assignment cover sheet attached ◦ Must have copy of criteria sheet

1.  What counts as literacy in current policy documents?

2.  What are the literacy demands associated with your curriculum area?

3.  What impacts do the literacy policies in Queensland have on your understanding of your role in literacy teaching and learning?

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  Summarise/synthesise content from: ◦  Lectures ◦ Tutorials ◦ Readings

 Write approx. 400 words addressing each question

  Format is flexible ◦  Intro ◦  Body ◦ Conclusion

 Literacy in policy ◦  Summary of course content related to the

question critically addresses key points in detail, and the synthesis demonstrates insightful, comprehensive and critical understanding of the relationship between key ideas

 Literacy demands ◦  Summary and the synthesis demonstrates

critical and insightful understanding of the literacy demands in curriculum areas

  Impact of policy ◦  Summary and synthesis demonstrates critical

and in-depth understanding of the literacy demands of schooling.

 Quality of writing ◦ Controls and effectively exploits language and

conventions associated with summary and synthesis. Well written and carefully proofread.

  Use McKee   Refer to policies   Lectures & tutes   Other sources   Line of argument   Be cohesive   References – APA   Get someone else

(reliable) to proofread!!