Study+group+-+round-up

During Term 3 this year I decided to join one of the two study groups that ALEA introduced this year to teachers. This study group was called //Teaching Literacy – Active classrooms//. The purpose of this study group was for the teachers to focus on a particular aspect of literacy teaching and learning. The knowledge that was gained during the six week study was shared with other members of ALEA at the //Sharing the Literacy Journey //Conference (which was held in September) through a poster display. The teachers who joined this group volunteered to do so and were very keen to share their Literacy experiences in the classroom with others and develop new knowledge about Literacy teaching. During the study group sessions, teachers were encouraged to share, reflect and learn with each other about how students learn literacy. The discussion around the table was very informative, interesting and thought provoking. The first three sessions were led by Lesley Wing Jan. Lesley focused primarily on what is spelling and effective spelling strategies that allow all students to experience success in Spelling. In addition she also helped us deepen our understanding of narrative writing by sharing different ways that students can become better narrative writers. The remaining three sessions were led by Lorraine Wilson. Initially Lorraine began looking at What is Writing. We examined a model of Writing which describes Writing as requiring four different types of knowledge 1. Contextual knowledge. 2. Linguistic knowledge 3. Critical analytical knowledge 4. Procedural knowledge. During our time with Lorraine we also examined Poetry and various ways teachers can inspire students to both write and appreciate different types of poetry. It must also be stressed that teachers had to choose an area to focus for their action plan. Either working independently or in groups, teachers engaged in professional conversations as they progressed through the different stages of their action plan. Resources were shared so that teachers were able to read textbooks about Literacy to further develop their ideas and insights about Literacy teaching. There was a strong sense of collegiality amongst this study group and opportunity to reflect on our teaching of Literacy. Everyone was supported as they shared their journey in Literacy teaching. The exchange of ideas was further supported through the ALEA wiki page which was established and maintained by Ros Mancer. Through the Wiki, teachers could share their insights and new learnings and pose challenging but essential questions. I would like to take this opportunity and thank ALEA for providing us with this worthwhile learning experience. Teachers interacted with skilled literacy experts, learnt from one another and celebrated their learning with others in a supportive and professional environment. Kon Bouzikos Good Samaritan Catholic Primary School , Roxburgh Park. Victoria
 * __ ALEA STUDY GROUP  __**