TEACH THEM HOW: CRITICAL AND CREATIVE

LITERACY THROUGH DIGITAL FICTION

Margo Edgar

Kate Story

Episode 4Sophie & Xiao Yi

http://pascoevale5-6.wikispaces.com/Digital+Literacy+-+Inanimate+alice

Workshop Overview

Background Educative Purpose of project Explicit teaching of critical and creative

literacy through digital fiction What it looks like in plans and in action Assessment as, for and of learning

Givens

Workshop model Explicit teaching Culture of literacy and thinking- valued,

visible and actively promoted High expectations for academic rigour Accountable talk and conversations

Decisions before starting at PVPS Grade 6 only Timetable issues Technology access Prelude- Me as a reader and a writer Accountable talk and conversations Clear expectations for students

Bloom’s Taxonomy Planning for Strategic Readers and Writers of Digital Fiction

• Evaluation- How can they use their knowledge, understandings and connections of narratives, digital fiction and Inanimate Alice to evaluate theirs, and others, episodes? How can they back up and support their evaluations as writers?

• Synthesis- How can the students use their understandings and connections of narratives, digital fiction and Inanimate Alice to write and create their own episode?

• Analysis- How can the students further analyse and break down their understandings of printed and digital fiction to get even deeper comprehension and connections? How can they further analyse and break down Inanimate Alice to be able to establish author’s style, intent and craft?

• Application- How can the students apply what they know and understand about reading and writing printed and digital fiction? How can they make connections and apply their understanding to themselves as readers and writers of digital fiction?

• Comprehension- What do you want the students to understand about reading and writing digital fiction?

• Knowledge- What do you want students to know about reading narratives – printed and digital? What do you want students to know about writing narratives – printed and digital?

Educative Purpose and IntentThe intention of this unit of work: To apply critical and creative literacy skills

to deconstruct digital fiction texts as readers

To analyse and establish author’s craft, purpose and formulas to write and create their own digital text.

To reflect critically on their own role as readers and writers throughout this journey.

Read the text

Analysed the text as readers

Questions and wonderings as readers of the text

Watched Episode 1

Compared their reading of print to digital text

Analysed their reading of the digital text

Identified structure and features of narrative texts

Developed criteria/expectations for digital fiction

Compared structure and features of printed and digital narrative texts

Identified structure, features and author’s style for Inanimate Alice- formula for writing

Used formula to create episode 4: written and digital elements

Accountability to articulate:• their journey as writers

of digital fiction• the decisions made as

writers in the process of creating

• how their episode aligns with previous episodes.

Read the text

Analysed the text as readers

Questions and wonderings as readers of the text

Read the text

Analysed the text as readers

Questions and wonderings as readers of the text

Watched Episode 1

Compared their reading of print to digital text

Analysed their reading of the digital text

Read the text

Analysed the text as readers

Questions and wonderings as readers of the text

Watched Episode 1

Compared their reading of print to digital text

Analysed their reading of the digital text

Identified structure and features of narrative texts Watched episode 2

Developed criteria/expectations for digital fiction

Compared structure and features of printed and digital narrative texts

Read the text

Analysed the text as readers

Questions and wonderings as readers of the text

Watched Episode 1

Compared their reading of print to digital text

Analysed their reading of the digital text

Identified structure and features of narrative texts Watched episode 2

Developed criteria/expectations for digital fiction in general.Watched episode 3

Compared structure and features of printed and digital narrative texts

Identified structure, features and author’s style for Inanimate Alice- formula for writing

Changes: What differences are there in the three texts? Can you identify patterns in these differences?

Storyline: What elements/themes can you identify that are common to all three episodes?

Author’s Craft: What techniques and strategies has the author used to create this text?

Text Structure: What is similar about how the text is structured across all three episodes?

Read the text

Analysed the text as readers

Questions and wonderings as readers of the text

Watched Episode 1

Compared their reading of print to digital text

Analysed their reading of the digital text

Identified structure and features of narrative texts Watched episode 2

Developed criteria/expectations for digital fiction in general.Watched episode 3

Compared structure and features of printed and digital narrative texts

Identified structure, features and author’s style for Inanimate Alice- formula for writing

Used our analysis and thinking to create episode 4: written and digital elements

Read the text

Analysed the text as readers

Questions and wonderings as readers of the text

Watched Episode 1

Compared their reading of print to digital text

Analysed their reading of the digital text

Identified structure and features of narrative texts Watched episode 2

Developed criteria/expectations for digital fiction in general.Watched episode 3

Compared structure and features of printed and digital narrative texts

Identified structure, features and author’s style for Inanimate Alice- formula for writing

Used our analysis and thinking to create episode 4: written and digital elements

Accountability to articulate:• their journey as writers

of digital fiction• the decisions made as

writers in the process of creating

• how their episode aligns with previous episodes.

Writing Conversations

Specific language skills that were developed :

Awareness and use of correct tense Correct use of a range of punctuation Sentence structure (simple and complex) Use of dialogue conventions Figurative language Extended vocabulary – consideration of word choice / deliberate word

choice Structure of texts – specifically narrative Importance of writing for an audience (reading your work as a reader) Creating images for the reader – through combination of words and

visuals Writing descriptively Using author techniques Organisation of text Relevance vs irrelevance Revising your work through the lens of a reader not just as a writer

Planning and Assessment:

Inanimate Alice Unit Planner

http://pascoevale5-6.wikispaces.com/Digital+Literacy+-+Inanimate+alice

Isabella’s reflection

Will’s reflection

Using our unit of work as an entry

point.

Entry Point: Unit of Work

Domain Description Evidence : Make, Say, Write, DoEngageCapabilities:• Develops shared norms• Determines readiness for

learning• Establishes learning goals• Develops metacognitive

capacity

The teacher fosters positive relations with and between students and develops shared expectations for learning and interacting. They stimulate interest and curiosity, promote questioning and connect learning to real world experiences. The teacher structures tasks, elicits students’ prior knowledge and supports them to make connections to past learning experiences. They present a purpose for learning, determining challenging learning goals and making assessment and performance requirements clear. The teacher assists students to consider and identify processes that will support the achievement of the learning goals.

ExploreCapabilities:• Prompts inquiry• Structures inquiry• Maintains session momentum

The teacher presents challenging tasks to support students to generate and investigate questions, gather relevant information and develop ideas. They provide tools and procedures for students to organise information and ideas. The teacher identifies students’ conceptions and challenges misconceptions. They assist students to expand their perspectives and reflect on their learning. The teacher is mindful of the learning requirements of the task, attentive to student responses and intervenes accordingly.

ExplainCapabilities:• Presents new content• Develops language and

literacy• Strengthens connections

The teacher provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their current level of understanding through verbal and non-verbal means. They explicitly teach relevant knowledge, concepts and skills. This content is represented in multiple ways. The teacher provides strategies to enable students to connect and organise new and existing knowledge. They assist students to represent their ideas, using language and images to engage them in reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing. The teacher explicitly teaches the language of the discipline. They progressively assess students’ understanding and structure opportunities for students to practise new skills.

ElaborateCapabilities:• Facilitates substantive

conversation• Cultivates higher order

thinking• Monitors progress

The teacher engages students in dialogue, continuously extending and refining students’ understanding. They support students to identify and define relationships between concepts and to generate principles or rules. The teacher selects contexts from familiar to unfamiliar, which progressively build the students’ ability to transfer and generalise their learning. The teacher supports students to create and test hypotheses and to make and justify decisions. They monitor student understanding, providing explicit feedback, and adjusting instruction accordingly.

Evaluate Capabilities:• Assesses performance against

standards• Facilitates student self

assessment

The teacher supports students to continuously refine and improve their work using assessment criteria in preparation for a performance of understanding. They integrate evidence from each phase, formally recording students’ progress against learning goals. The teacher provides feedback and assists students to evaluate their progress and achievements. They support students to reflect on their learning processes and the impact of effort on achievement. The teacher guides students to identify future learning goals.

Engage

• Expectations clear from the beginning and revisited as necessary and appropriate

• Discussion on choices of working partner (Clear expectations straight from VELS for working together, thinking, organisation)

• Introduction of text before digital – to promote interest, curiosity, questioning

• Purpose for reading and writing – final goal of production• Writing Conversations- Students as Writers (relationships)• Drawing on prior knowledge• Challenging learning task• Accountable Talk and Conversations- using evidence

Capabilities:• Develops shared norms• Determines readiness for learning• Establishes learning goals• Develops metacognitive capacity

Explore

• Narratives investigation- what does a good narrative look like?• Exploring digital texts – how do I read them, comparisons with print, who is Alice,

inferring vs known• Questions and wonderings- ongoing as readers and writers• Work with partners, work with small groups, whole group discussions, accountable

conversations• Strategic planning for exploration• Changing plan as we go to suit group• Read together, read independently• Structured explicit teaching - provide students with identified skills to achieve final task

Capabilities:• Prompts inquiry• Structures inquiry• Maintains session momentum

Explain

• Group discussions• Explicit focus for every session –geared to identified

needs, issues or problems(individual and collective) e.g. structures and features of texts and writing process: figurative language, editing, tense, dialogue

• Writing conferences• Use of appropriate language and evidence

Capabilities:• Presents new content• Develops language and literacy• Strengthens connections

Elaborate

• Writing conferences• ICT Conferences• Expectations as writers to be accountable for decisions made• Sharing and reflecting as writers (workshop model)• Socratic Circles/ Fishbowls• Use of powerpoint as the medium for presentation: to explore

possibilities previously undiscovered• Student develop rubrics

Capabilities:• Facilitates substantive conversation• Cultivates higher order thinking• Monitors progress

Evaluate

• Use of rubrics as a self assessment and peer assessment tool• Peer evaluations• Student reflections (blogs/ written for digital portfolios)• Final writing conference evaluations• Sharing and revising prior to completion date• Student evaluation/ feedback on unit and teaching• Parallel assessment piece

Capabilities:• Assesses performance against standards• Facilitates student self assessment

Entry Point: Teacher Reflections and Future Directions

Domain Unit Evidence: Make, Say, Write, Do Teacher ReflectionENGAGEThe teacher fosters positive relations with and between students and develops shared expectations for learning and interacting. They stimulate interest and curiosity,promote questioning and connect learning to real world experiences. The teacher structures tasks, elicits students’ prior knowledge and supports them to make connections topast learning experiences. They present a purpose for learning, determining challenging learning goals and making assessment and performance requirements clear. The teacher assists students to considerand identify processes that willsupport the achievement of thelearning goals.

Expectations clear from the beginning and revisited as necessary and appropriate

Discussion on choices of working partner (Clear expectations straight from VELS for working together, thinking, organisation)

Introduction of text before digital – to promote interest, curiosity, questioning

Purpose for reading and writing – final goal of production

Writing Conversations- Students as Writers (relationships)

Drawing on prior knowledge

Challenging learning task

Accountable Talk and Conversations- using evidence

LEVEL 3 The teacher negotiates learning routines and protocols for interactions with students. The teacher responds to each individual student’s social and emotional needs. They use a range of strategies to assess and document students’ prior knowledge. The teacher uses this evidence as the starting point to determine learning goals based on curriculum standards. They provide examples of student work to demonstrate the expected standard when communicating assessment requirements. The teacher verbalises their approach to thinking and models the strategies used. They provide tools and strategies to assist students to reflect on their learning.

LEVEL 4 The teacher refers to shared norms in their interactions with students and shares responsibility with them forreinforcing protocols. The teacher uses all available evidence to determine each individual student’s currentlevel of understanding. They use questions generated by students to extend the focus of learning and to connect with students’ lives. The teacher supports students to use evidence to personalise their learning goals and align them with curriculumstandards. The teacher provides assessment rubrics, illustrating increasing levels of proficiency based on curriculum standards. They support students to evaluate their own and others’ thinking. The teacher facilitatesprocesses for students to monitor the effectiveness of their learning.

Entry Point: Teacher Reflections and Future Directions

• Inanimate Alice- Unit plan- Teacher reflections- Levels (literacy unit/ general)

• Future directions- Auditing tool- Goal setting (unit plan & teaching)

Margo Edgar:

Pascoe Vale Primary School

edgar.margo.i@edumail.vic.gov.au

Kate Story:

Northern Metropolitan Region (Melbourne)

Teaching and Learning Coach + Consultant

story.kate.e@edumail.vic.gov.au

“My words aren’t so boring anymore.” Michael