Summarise how the current Australian national curriculum efforts are handling literacy education.

Australia is currently undergoing a 3-phase reform process of establishing a world-class national

curriculum (ACARA 2009; Carrington Robinson 2009; !arsh 2009"# $n !ay 2009% the $nterim &ational
Curriculum 'oard (&C'" published The Shape of the Australian Curriculum% which was subse(uently
re)iewed and endorsed by rele)ant go)ernment ministers as *he +hape of the Australian Curriculum 2#0
in ,ec 20-0# *his document has led the de)elopment of the Australian Curriculum (AC"% which is the
product of the completion of the first phase and is currently being trialled using )arious short-
term.intensi)e acti)ities across -/0 schools Australia wide in anticipation for Australia wide
implementation to ta0e place in 20-3#
$nterestingly% the Australian 'roadcasting Corporation ( A'C " reported 3 education related news stories
dated ,ec 1% 20-0# 2ne of these was the public endorsement by 3ederal 4ducation !inister% 5eter
6arrett% and the other demonstrates a reoccurrence of ,ooley7s (2008% pp# /1-92" :slide hypothesis7
(arguments of literacy crisis" similar to the contro)ersial +ept -99; literacy crisis announced by 3ederal
4ducation !inister at the time% ,r ,a)id <emp# !arsh (2009% p# 2-9" refers to this as =news media
indirectly e>ert?ing@ influence on curriculum decision-ma0ersA#
*he AC% in its current state of readiness% outlines 8 different learning areas% !arsh7s :curriculum
framewor0s7B 4nglish% !athematics% +cience and Cistory# *he 4nglish learning area consists of 3
interwo)en strandsB Danguage% Diterature and Diteracy# !arsh (2009% pp# 39-80" e>presses a )ariety of
potential ad)antages of using such a framewor0% includingB
*he prominence gi)en to lower-status learning areas due to the :e(ual status7 gi)en to all; in light
of Australia7s focus on Diteracy and &umeracy
$t7s coherent and orderly% consistent and fle>ible framewor0 allows for the potential of :high-
(uality curriculum de)elopment7
=there are opportunities to incorporate desirable s0ills into each framewor0A; such as the AC7s
(ACARA 20-0a" :6eneral Capabilities7#
*he AC uses :year le)el stratification7 as a means of scaffolding learning (!c,owell 20--% wee0 -
5ower5ointB slides -2--3"# Consistent with !arsh7s (2009% pp# 8;-89" recognition of the use of :standards7
and.or :outcomes7 to measure competencies and pro)ide benchmar0s% *he AC uses :Achie)ement
+tandards7 and :wor0 samples7 pro)ided students can be matched up to the appropriate stratum (e#g# $f
you7re teaching year 3s% you may be Euggling years <-/ strata to meet the needs of the students in your
class" (!c,owell 20--% wee0 - 5ower5oint; slides -8--9"# $ would en)ision !arsh7s (2009% p# 89"
:obEecti)es7 to be the product of collaborati)e student-teacher goal-setting#
Diteracy is also identified as one of these abo)e mentioned :6eneral Capabilities7 re(uired for students
to become successful learners and acti)e citiFens# According to the AC% Diteracy isB
=central to all learning in school and the ways that students demonstrate their learningG *he
progressi)e de)elopment of literacy 0nowledge and s0ills is essential for success in all learning
areas and is the responsibility of all teachers#A (ACARA% 20-0a"#
*herefore% Diteracy acts as a cross-curricular lin0 to each of the learning areas% not Eust 4nglish
(!c,owell 20--% wee0 2 5ower5oint% slide -;"#
April Vanderaa
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Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority ( ACARA " summarise the literacy strand is
where =+tudents apply their 4nglish s0ills and 0nowledge to read% )iew% spea0% listen to% write and create
a growing repertoire of te>tsA (ACARA% 2009"# *he AC brea0s these strands up further into sub-strands%
where the sub-strands of literacy includeB =te>ts in conte>t; interacting with others; interpreting%
analysing and e)aluating; and creating te>tsA (ACARA 20-0b"# Hhereby% :te>t7 incorporates a )ariety of
modes of communication and multimodal te>ts% including multiple digital literacies% are in harmony with
other contemporary perspecti)es of literacy ('ull Anstey 200/; 3reebody Du0e 2003; Carris 2009;
Carrington Robinson 2009"# 'etts (-99;% as cited in !arsh 2009% p# /9" recognises this use of
=multimedia ?to@ create rich learning en)ironments where 0ids really thri)eA; in spite of this reluctance
by schools and.or teachers to embrace such change is e)ident (!arsh 2009% p# /9-9-"#
Carrington and Robinson (2009% p# 8" sum up Australia7s current position and potential future challenges
to implementing a national curriculum% which embraces the use of contemporary technologies within a
system hesitant to changeB
=Australia is mo)ing e)er closer to a national curriculum and core literacy teaching methods%
and in the meantime national literacy testing% which remains premised upon the primacy of print%
is being embraced# At the same time% pre-ser)ice teacher education programmes are mo)ing to
incorporate the use of new media and digital literacies in recognition of the changing literacy
needs of the community#A
$n summary% the Australian national curriculum embraces the use of new media throughout its curriculum
as well as recogniFes literacy as central to a student7s participation in and throughout all learning areas
and aspects of e)eryday life and uses a cross-curricular approach to manage this#
Read and critique Margaret Simons recent article in Overland entitled Reading in an age of change.
What are the educational implications of Simons thesis?
A critical re)iew of +imons% !# (20-0" Reading in an age of change% $n the 2)erland literary Eournal% issue
-91% pp# ----9#
+imons narrates a reflecti)e and thought pro)o0ing article on the e)olution of (old and new" reading o)er
recent years# +he begins by discussing her family7s generational approaches to reading% from a toddler7s
shared =readingA% using multiliteracies (27Rour0e 200/"- combining )isual and print-based te>t as well as
conte>tually orienting pictures to his en)ironment- to her teenage children7s linear approach- print-
based reading- of a no)el and through to their social interactions- combining both reading and writing
using digital media# +imons then discusses the re)olution of the printing press% and subse(uently the
internet- primarily% allowing public access to publication and hyperlin0s as portals to additional
information- and its effects on reading% in particular the deconstruction of power (pp# -3--8"#
+imons concludes her article with se)eral implications for reading in the future# +he discusses our
contemporary inno)ations- e-readers becoming mainstream and 6oogle7s wa)e approach (combining
email% blogging and instant messaging" as replacement of email as well as a form of continuous and
collaborati)e :li)ing story7- as :embryonic7 (pp# -/--9"# +he discusses this e)olution as mo)ing towards a
con)ergence of separate forms of media and therefore bringing reading and writing closer together
(p#-2"; using the toddler7s collaborati)e :reading7 approach as a potential window for what reading may
loo0 li0e in future#
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$n order to :read and criti(ue7 +imons7 article $ had to interrogate the te>t ('ull Anstey 200/% p# 92"
through different reading strategies# $ ac0nowledge my relationship to the te>t as a reader of
Hesternised culture% which may ha)e assisted in my understanding#
As Carris (2009" suggests the :four reading practices7 supported me to criti(ue the article# $nitially%
reading with purpose% to criti(ue% through scanning the article for headings% )iewing pictures and
s0imming the first and last few paragraphs to see if $ could get an idea of the conte>t% audience and
purpose# Ising the final three reading practices to ma0e meaning% decipher and analyse +imons7 article
(Carris 2009"% lin0ing its ideas to rele)ant te>ts as appropriate# *he following criti(ue is a summary
aforementioned reading strategies used#
*he conte>t and purpose of the article are not initially transparent as +imons writes in her introductory
paragraphB =<nowing $ was going to write this piece% $ ha)e been watching the members of my e>tended
family read#A (p# --"# *his lac0s clarity in both bac0ground and purpose% and although the purpose of her
generational approach to describe the e)olution of reading as well as use of the toddler7s =readingA as a
window into the potential future of reading becomes more apparent% the reason behind the =0nowing $
was going to write this pieceGA remains unclear#
$t is also unclear who the intended audience of this article is# Cowe)er gi)en the reflecti)e nature of the
te>t% the lac0 of referencing and that it is published in a (uarterly literary Eournal.magaFine% $ assume
its audience is the general public who are interested in radical and contemporary Australian literacy%
culture and politics (2)erland% 20--"# *he article7s lac0 of referencing% and therefore lac0 of e)idence to
support its claims% as well as the subEecti)e.biased prose it is written may diminish its standing% and
therefore its thesis% within the academic world% and possibly e)en to its audience in general#
$n spite of the lac0 of referencing% +imons7 claim that reading is becoming less linear and more comple>
and collaborati)e in nature% through the presence and use of digital media% appears to be supported by
others ('arone Hright 2001; 'ull Anstey 200/; 27Rour0e 200/; Carrington Robinson 2009; Carris
2009"% including *he AC (ACARA 20-0a"B =+tudents need to draw on increasingly comple> and
sophisticated literacy 0nowledge and s0illsGA# +imons certainly illustrates Carris7 (2009% p# 9-" claim that
=the four reading practicesG are embedded in and shaped by conte>ts of situation and culture in which
readers read and te>ts are produced#A#
$n light of this% as well as Carrington and Robinson7s (2009% p# 8" aforementioned tensions between the
AC% and its =core literacy teaching methodsA throughout% &A5DA&7s primary print-based testing method
and the education of pre-ser)ice teachers to incorporate digital literacies in their curriculum planning%
the potential educational implications may include% but are not limited to% an awareness ofB
4>clusi)e nature of current benchmar0 testing methods (e>cluding all other forms of literacy
other then print-based te>t% non-collaborati)e testing method% etc#"
*he potential presence of new languages formed through digital media (i#e# 3aceboo0% sms% etc"
being brought into the classroom and impacting on students7 spo0en and written language
*eachers need to 0eep up-to-date with all literacy forms including the growing number of digital
literacies (4-readers% 6oogle Ha)e% Jou*ube% 3aceboo0% etc#"
*he increasing presence of hyperlin0s in e-readers and websites forms =an entirely different
relationship between (hyper" te>t and information# 'oth the te>ts and the information are in )ery
real terms created by the reader#A ('ull Anstey 200/% p# /8"#
April Vanderaa
Page 3
$n summary% notwithstanding the article7s lac0 of academic e)idence and clarity% +imons presents an
intriguing and thought-pro)o0ing e>posK of the e)olution of reading and its potential implications that
are consistent with current academic publications on the implications of digital literacies on education#
escri!e some of the specific written language requirements applying to your intended level of
schooling "or preferred su!#ect area$. %ow are you going to teach them?
!y intended le)el of schooling is 5rimary% with a particular interest in teaching in the early to middle
primary years#
*he AC incorporates the written language re(uirements within each year le)el7s :Achie)ement +tandards7
summary# *o assist my summary of the 5rimary written language re(uirements% $ intend on brea0ing up
the year le)els into two groupsB early primary% and middle and upper primary (Christie -991"# 3ollowing
this $ will e>plore these re(uirements further and pro)ide e>amples of my pedagogy as a year 3 pre-
ser)ice teacher#
+ome of these re(uirements for years 3oundation (3"-2 include writing largely being limited to :familiar
conte>ts7- or Christie7s (-991" :commonsense 0nowledge7- and audience with some mo)ement in year 2
to incorporate imagination- although this is still based on what is familiar to the child# *heir written
language also transitions from the use of simple sentences as well as using some capitals and full stops
(3" to ac(uiring a greater understanding of te>t and sentence structure% sounding out words to spell and
the appropriate use of simple punctuation (year 2"# Christie (-991% pp# /8-92"% as well as the AC%
recogniFe that often the written language of children in these years is closer to speech in te>t rather
than actual written language% and the combined use of drawings and te>t often supports the early years
process of learning to write#
3rom year 3 onwards% the AC describes the transition into writing about :un-commonsense 0nowledge7
(Christie -991% pp# /;-92"; from e>clusi)ely writing about familiar.personal e>periences for a 0nown
audience to writing for a broader audience and beginning to incorporate the 7unfamiliar7% through te>ts
and other new 0nowledges or ideas# *he o)erall structure and length of sentences and paragraphs grows
with the use of ade(uate )ocabulary% grammar and punctuation% an increased ability to use multiple
tenses and the creation and.or description of e)ents% plots% characters% ideas and e>periences grow in
comple>ity and understanding# *he lin0 between the writer and reader becomes more apparent and so
does the child7s anticipation and awareness of the audience7s.reader7s needs and understanding of the
te>t being written#
*here is also a shift in te>t types% as identified by Christie (-991% pp# /8-92" from narrati)e personal
:recounts7 and step-by-step procedures% written in the first person% to procedural recounts that
summarise potential implications and.or deductions and e>planations that incorporate research% written
in the third person#
As ac0nowledged earlier in this paper% not e)ery student will be at the recogniFed written le)el standards
of the year le)el.s $ teach# $ would therefore match each child7s indi)idual abilities to the stratum (or
year le)el written language re(uirements"% as discussed abo)e (!c,owell% 20--% wee0 - 5ower5oint%
slides -8--9"; through the use of% perhaps se)eral% introductory acti)ities to gain understanding of
students7 interests as well as prior 0nowledge and capabilities that $ will be able to amend my pedagogy
and classroom acti)ities around# *his may include ha)ing an appropriate acti)ity for the median class
April Vanderaa
Page 4
le)el with an amended )ersion suited to students who7s written language learning is not (uite at that
le)el (such as a fill in the blan0s acti)ity with 3 word options instead of the original acti)ity with no word
options" and e>tension acti)ities a)ailable for students who wor0 at a higher le)el#
3rom the abo)e summary% it is apparent that writing about what is familiar.:commonsense7 is essential;
e>clusi)ely in the early years but still hea)ily relied upon% with gradual integration of the unfamiliar% in
the middle and upper years# $ see this as not only a written language re(uirement and.or de)eloping
achie)ement standard but also informing my pedagogical approach% consistent with !artin (2001" and
!alin (-991" who stress the importance of incorporating the student7s :life-world7 into their school-life
for wor0ing with Aboriginal students# *his also applies for 4nglish as Additional Danguage.,ialect (4AD.,"
students#
Hhilst $ ac0nowledge that both curriculum and pedagogy are not static% presently $ can see myself
drawing on the abo)e 0nowledge obtained to date% including digital literacies and new media as a tool of
engagement as well as written language de)elopment% together with the ,imensions of Dearning
(!arFano 5ic0ering 2009" and the Dearner Hellbeing framewor0s (,epartment of 4ducation and
Children 7s +er)ices (,4C+" 200;"# 'oth of these framewor0s ac0nowledge the importance of a holistic
approach to teaching and that the teacher is only one part of the )illage raising each child (,4C+ 200;"#
'oth framewor0s operate from a :)isible pedagogy7 (!alin -991% pp# 2//-2/1"% using e>plicit
communication% being consistent and authoritati)e as well as e>pecting each student to impro)e and do
well% where the teachers attitude and perceptions mirrored#
$n summary% my pedagogical approach to teaching the AC written language re(uirements incorporatesB
3irst% gauging students7 written language abilities against the AC achie)ement standards and wor0
samples as well as getting to 0now their familiar 0nowledges and out of school li)es (including
getting to 0now important people in their li)es"
'eing e>plicit about conte>t% purpose and goals of acti)ities to meet the AC re(uirements and my
confidence in their abilities and my e>pectations
+caffolding learning by lin0ing the familiar with new learning and.or e>periences% and across the
curriculum and learning areas% through a )ariety of acti)ities rele)ant to the le)el each student is
at#
April Vanderaa
Page 5
One page statement of what & have learnt in attempting this assignment "within '(( words$
Reflecting on the learning Eourney $ ha)e undergone o)er the past 9 wee0s through my engagement with
and.or absorption of module -7s acti)ities% the readings% peer discussion posts% lecturer feedbac0%
lecture material and podcasts and the Australian curriculum% $ am blown away# $t was interesting to note
5aulo 3reire7s (cited in 27Rour0e 200/" association of literacy to an onion; continually peeling bac0 the
layers of comple>ity% although the presence of new media and digital literacies appears to ha)e peeled
bac0 multiple layers of se)eral onions at the same time#
$f my learning o)er the past 9 wee0s could be )iewed as layers of an onion% where each layer e>posed a
separate le)el of learning% it would readB
Reading and reflecting on digital literacies and the influence of new media in the classroom
(intrigue"- incorporating :powering-down7 and tensions in Australia
beginning thoughts on the :con)ergence7 of reading and writing (Hillett 2009"
Hrapping my head around education academic Eargon (initiating a wi0i 6lossary"
Diteracy as a political notion that is constantly e)ol)ing ((uite li0e curriculum" and is often
moulded to suit political agendas
Diteracy as central to curriculum and teaching
Din0ing studies in counselling- +caffolding ( Lgots0y" within the classroom
A little bit of social Eustice (lin0s with my social wor0 bac0ground"- reflecting on and.or
recognising gender stereotypes% the potential for indirect racism in the classroom
*houghts and comparisons of Aboriginal literacies with digital and multi-literacies
,eepening scaffolding- stratification of the Australian curriculum
,eepening Inderstanding- new media% reading% te>t and language% and the different modes of
learning% teaching and communication
+caffolding my e>ploration and growth of the ways $ read and study- ie# :$nterrogating te>ts7 ('ull
Anstey 200/"#
*he layers continue# As recogniFed by 5eter !c,owell in wee0 -7s 5ower5oint% $ e>pect learning the lin0s
between curriculum and teaching% as well as understanding literacy to be a lifelong Eourney#
April Vanderaa
Page 6
Reference )ist
Australian 'roadcasting Corporation (A'C"# (20-0% ,ec"# Retrie)ed !arch 30% 20-- from
http B.. www #abc #net #au . news . stories .20-0.-2.01.3011-2/# htm#
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA"# (2009"# Retrie)ed !arch
29% 20-- from http B.. www #acara #edu #au . curriculum . phase M-M-M the M australian M curriculum #html#
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA"# (20-0a"# Retrie)ed !arch
29% 20-- from http B.. www #australiancurriculum #edu #au . 6eneralCapabilities . Diteracy#
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA"# (20-0b"# Retrie)ed April /%
20-- from http B.. www #australiancurriculum #edu #au . 4nglish . Content -structure#
'arone% ,#% Hright% *# 4# (2001"# Literacy instruction with digital and media technologies#
?Adobe ,igital 4ditions )ersion@# ,2$B -0#-/91.R*#92#8#2#
'ull% 6#% Anstey% !# (200/"# Hhat is te>tN $n 6#'ull% !#Anstey% The literacy landscape% &+HB
5earson 4ducation% pp# 89-;0#
Carrington% L#% Robinson% !# (2009"# Digital literacies: social learning and classroom practices%
DondonB +A64 5ublications#
,epartment of 4ducation and Children7s +er)ices (,4C+"# (200;"# DECS Learner Wellbeing
ramewor! for birth to year "## Retrie)ed April 9% 20-- from
http B.. www #decs #sa #go) #au . learnerwellbeing . files . lin0s . lin0 M;2180# pdf#
,ooley% <# (2008"# Cow and why did literacy become so prominent# $n $ew %uestions for
contemporary teachers: ta!ing a socio&cultural approach to education% 5earson 4ducation% pp#
//-99# Retrie)ed from
http B.. ereser)e #cdu #edu #au #eFpro>y #cdu #edu #au . collect . ntlier . inde> . assoc . 4R 0/299# dir . doc #pdf
#
3reebody% 5#% Du0e% A# (2003"# Diteracy as engaging with new forms of lifeB the four roles
model# $n 6#'ull% !#Anstey% The literacy le'icon# &+HB 5rentice Call% pp# /--9/# Retrie)ed from
http B.. ereser)e #cdu #edu #au #eFpro>y #cdu #edu #au . collect . ntlier . inde> . assoc . 4R 0/889# dir . doc #pdf
#
Carris% 5# (2009"# A sociocultural model of reading# $n Reading in the primary school years# LicB
+ocial +cience 5ress% pp# 33-92# Retrie)ed from
http B.. ereser)e #cdu #edu #au #eFpro>y #cdu #edu #au . collect . ntlier . inde> . assoc . 4R 08-;1# dir . doc #pdf
#
!arsh% C# O# (2009"# (ey concepts for understanding curriculum (8
th
ed#"# 6reat 'ritainB
Routledge#
April Vanderaa
Page 7
!arFano% R# O#% 5ic0ering% ,# O# (2009"# Dimensions of Learning Teacher)s *anual (2nd ed#"#
LicB Caw0er 'rownlow 4ducation#
27Rour0e% !# (200/"# *ultiliteracies for #"
st
century schools% +napshot% A&+&B Australia% pp# --
-2#
2)erland# (20--"# Retrie)ed April 2% 20-- from http B.. web #o)erland #org #au . about .#
April Vanderaa
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