ECH 231 Assessment 2:

Experience 1:

Date: 5/11/2018 Class: 1C (Stage One) KLA: English

Modes and Skills Focus: Speaking and Listening

Outcomes:
EN1-1A: communicates with a range of people in informal and guided activities
demonstrating interaction skills and considers how own communication is adjusted in
different situations (BoS NSW, 2012).

Key (Content) processes and intended learning:

Understand and apply knowledge of language forms and features (EN1-1A):
 Identify, reproduce and experiment with rhythmic, sound and word patterns in
poems, chants, rhymes and songs (ACELT1592)
 use turn-taking, questioning and other behaviours related to class discussions
Respond to and compose texts (EN1-1A)
 Engage in conversations and discussions, using active listening behaviours,
showing interest, and contributing ideas, information and questions (ACELY1656)

Values and Attitudes

 The power of effective communication using the language modes of speaking,

listening, reading, writing, viewing and representing (BoS NSW, 2012).
 The diversity and aesthetics of language through literary and other texts (BoS
NSW, 2012).

Resources and Equipment:

 Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
 Paper
 Pencils
 Whiteboard and Markers

Activity:
Modelled:
 The student will sit on the floor and the teacher will read through the book ‘Room
on the Broom’. As the teacher is going through the book, they will draw attention
and discuss the different points of rhyming throughout the book. After finishing the
book, the teacher will then think of a rhyming sentence and then right it onto the
 whiteboard, drawing links between the rhyming words and how the sentences are
structured.
Guided:
 The teacher will then create the first half of a rhyming sentence and then encourage
the students within the classroom to create the remainder of the couplet. The
teacher will then write up the different answers that the students suggest.
Independent:
 The teacher will then divide the students up into groups of four and be provided
lined paper and pencils. Working together in their groups the students will create
their own rhyming couplet and write it out onto their pieces of paper. Once all the
groups have completed their couplets the teacher will ask each group to speak the
sentences they have created as well as handing in their written pieces of paper. The
teacher would then add all the sentence to the one from earlier on the whiteboard,
helping to adjust sentences that might have some errors.

Assessment:
 The teacher will make use of anecdotal observations along with the written work
that the groups create during the experience in order to assess the extent of their
learning from the experience. The anecdotal observations should focus on how the
children act within their groups and how each children contribute to the discussion
and their contribution towards the final product.
 The written final product is also a useful product to help understand the
development of the student’s literacy skills especially as being able to use it as a
focus point to compare their written and spoken skill and confidence.

Experience 2:
Date: 6/11/2018 Class: 1C (Stage One) KLA: English

Modes and Skills Focus: Reading and Viewing

Outcomes:
EN1-4A: Draws on an increasing range of skills and strategies to fluently read, view and
comprehend a range of texts on less familiar topics in different media and technologies

Key (Content) processes and intended learning:

Respond to, read and view texts:

 use background knowledge of a topic to make inferences about the ideas in a text

 discuss the use of text connectives, eg sequencing ideas, indicating time

 read with fluency and expression, responding to punctuation and attending to

volume, pace, intonation and pitch
 use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning and begin to
analyse texts by drawing on growing knowledge of context, language and visual
features and print and multimodal text structures
Values and Attitudes

 The importance of the English language as a key to learning

 The power of effective communication using the language modes of speaking,
listening, reading, writing, viewing and representing
 The diversity and aesthetics of language through literary and other texts

Resources and Equipment:

 Interactive Whiteboard
 eBook copy of ‘Jungle Drums’ by Graeme Base

Activity:
Modelled:
 The children would be moved on the floor and once they had settled the teacher
would set up the eBook of ‘Jungle Drums’ by Graeme Base up onto the interactive
whiteboard. The teacher would then read the first page of the ‘Jungle Drums’ up on
the screen. Once the first paged has finished being read the educator would then
begin to explore the other details that are on the page and not addressed explicitly
by the text.

Guided:
 After the first page the teacher would then read the second before asking one of the
students to volunteer to examine the various elements and features in the
background of the page and then talk about the things that they believed it show
about the narrative of the book.
Individual:
 For the remaining pages of the book the teacher would ask further children to
volunteer to come up and, with assistance from the teacher, read through the text on
the page, and then have another volunteer repeat the examination of the background
details of the page. Once the class has finished reading through the book the teacher
will then start a conversation with the students focusing on how they thought the
narrative told through the text is impacted by the

Assessment:
 Anecdotal observations will be very important and main way in tracking the
learning that can arise from the experience. This is because the experience largely
focuses on verbal discussion and doesn’t result in significant physical records. It
would be important to avoid comparing the responses of students to that of their
peers and instead focus on how it might show development of children’s skills over
time.
Experience 3:

Date: 7/11/2018 Class: 1C (Stage One) KLA: English

Modes and Skills Focus: Writing and Representing.

Outcomes:
 EN1-2A: Plans, composes and reviews a small range of simple texts for a variety of
purposes on familiar topics for known readers and viewers (BoS NSW, 2012).
 EN1-10C: Thinks imaginatively and creatively about familiar topics, ideas and
texts when responding and composing texts.
 EN1-11D: responds to and composes a range of texts about familiar aspects of the
world and their own experiences

Key (Content) processes and intended learning:

Respond to and compose texts (EN1-2A; EN1-10C; EN1-11D)
 Compose texts supported by visual information (eg diagrams and maps) on familiar
topics
 Recreate texts imaginatively using drawing, writing, performance and digital forms
of communication
 Identify, explore and discuss symbols of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
culture and recognise recurring characters, settings and themes in Dreaming stories

Values and Attitudes

 The power of language to explore and express views of themselves as well as the
social, cultural, ethical, moral, spiritual and aesthetic dimensions of human
experiences
 The independence gained from thinking imaginatively, creatively, interpretively
and critically.

Resources and Equipment:

 A variety of paints
 Brushes
 Aprons
  Drying rack
 Paper
 Examples of local indigenous art
 Pictures of local indigenous animals.

Activity:
Modelled:
 The teacher will begin the lesson by showing the students within the classroom the
examples of local indigenous art alongside images of the different local indigenous
animals that live in the region. The teacher is then encouraged to create a depiction
of one of the local ingenious animals using an art style similar to that used in the
local artwork that has been included within the classroom. The teacher will need to
work closely and consult with members of the local indigenous community in order
to create an appropriate experience for the students (

Guided:
 The teacher will discuss with the students the different aspects of the different
artworks and the ways in which the students can act to recreate them in their own
artworks. Additionally, it is important to discuss the different colours that the
student think might make the best fits for the types of artwork they might make.

Individual:
 Once the student have discussed the various aspects that might make up the
experience and how they might approach their paintings they will be all be
provided with a selection of paints and paper and will begin to create their own
paintings of local indigenous animals using their understandings and interpretations
of the styles that they were shown earlier. Once the students have completed their
artworks they would be set out to dry and then eventually be placed up around the
classroom once they had finished drying.
Conclusion:
 The experience would be ended by the teacher moving the students back into their
seats after tidying them up and leading a discussion about the different styles that
they used in the experience and why they think it might be important.

Assessment:
 The main method of assessing the learning and success of this experience would be
largely based on how the students use the art styles that they have shown in the
experience.
 Additionally, anecdotal observations of the discussion that follows the experience
as well as the discussions and actions that the students make during the experience
itself to see what messages children are taking from the experience especially
around ideas surrounding Indigenous communities, culture and ideas.
Newsletter

Over the past few days the students in class 1C have engaged in a variety of literary lessons

and experiences in the classroom, the week started off with the students engaging in ane

experience designed around rhyming, the class read through the book ‘Room on the Broom’

by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler and afterwards we can begun to talk about the various

rhyming sentences throughout the book. The students then began to experiment with different

sentences to see how different words rhymed and how these rhyming words can be shown in

written form. I was surprised by the creativity that the students showed in their ideas and

types of rhyming sentences that they came up.

The following day the students joined the teacher in a shared reading of the book ‘Jungle

Drums’ by Graeme Base. The experience started with the teacher reading the text on the first

page of the book and then exploring some of background details within the illustration. The

class then did a fantastic job reading through the remainder of the book and pointing out and

discussing the background details,

Finally, the children participated in an experience that had been several weeks in the making.

Following discussion with the local Indigenous community and a local artists the students

took part in a lesson where they created artworks using a style reminiscent of local

indigenous artworks. I am very excited to put the finished artwork up around the classroom

and to hear community feedback.

Critical Reflection:

There were a number of factors that needed to be considered when beginning the assignment

and considering the ways in which the planning would be constructed in order to be effective
and address some of the aspects addressed within the scenario that was selected for the

assessments.

The first area outlined in the selected scenario that required considerable consideration when

approaching the planning of the experiences was the mention of the Indigenous community in

the area and the significant portion that it made up of the local community and families of the

children attending the school. The importance of educating children about the indigenous

community and culture is something that has been addressed and reinforced in several

previous education subjects. The inclusion of the Indigenous culture into the classroom can

carry benefits for both children from that cultural background but can also carry benefits for

children different backgrounds; these include possible increased feelings of inclusion for

children from these backgrounds and can increase confidence in their cultural identity

(Cajete, 2016; Dimova, 2011). And for children from different cultural backgrounds it can act

to help to combat the development of prejudices and preconceptions about different cultures

(Denise & Raciti, 2016).

This area was the main focus of the third experience within the assignment which while it

could’ve been a simple art experience that took examples from Indigenous culture and

‘traditional’ art techniques taken from the entirety of Australia and instead thought it might

be better to focus on the more local Indigenous culture of the area the school is situated in

(Marnee, 2017). To do this it would be important to communicate with the local indigenous

community in order to determine what aspects of the experience are effective or ineffective

and in order to make sure the experience is also appropriate (Denise & Raciti, 2016; Hopkins,

Lorains, Issaka & Podbury, 2016).

Another area that was important to consider when going through the planning of the various

experiences for the assessment was the books that were selected for the first and second
experiences. For the first experience the selection of literature was relatively straight forward

and largely focused on selecting a book that provided a wide variety of rhyming sentences

and appropriate illustrations in order to improve children’s understanding and confidence in

approaching and engaging with reading and literary styles (Fellowes & Oakley, 2014;

Marshall, Parker, Ciarrochi & Heaven, 2014).

The selection of literature for the second experience however hit a problem early on as the

mention of the drought in the selected scenario would’ve made the book ‘The Waterhole’ by

Graeme Base a useful text as it would fit with the ideas of the experience, namely developing

children’s confidence in their ability to read as well developing their ability to explore the

illustrations of the books and how they relate or expand upon the written text as well

containing themes that are relevant to the children’s life (Fellows & Oakley, 2014; Marshall

et al, 2014; Walsh, 2010). However, since I’d already used it in the previous assignment I

instead explored Graeme Bases’ other works in order to explore concepts of multimodal

literacy with the students.

References:

Base, G. (2006). Jungle drums. New York: Puffin Books.

Base, G. (2004). The water hole. New York: Puffin Books.

Board of Studies NSW. (2012). Mathematics K-10 syllabus. Retrieved from

https://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/

Cajete, G., Wolfgramm, R., Spiller, C., & Voyageur, C. (2016). Indigenous education and the

development of indigenous community leaders. Leadership, 12(3), 364-376.

Donaldson, J., & Scheffler, A. (2003). Room on the broom. London: Macmillan Children's.
Denise, A & Raciti, R. (2016) Sharing cultures in early childhood settings … Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander perspectives. Educating Young Children: Learning and

Teaching in the Early Childhood Years, 22(2) 30-32.

Dimova, V. (2011). Education and Culture. Procedia - Social and Behavioral

Sciences, 15(C), 2357-2359.

Fellowes, J., & Oakley, G. (2014). Language, literacy and early childhood education(2nd

ed.). South Melbourne: Oxford.

Hopkins, L., Lorains, J., Issaka, A., & Podbury, R. (2016). How does ‘community’ facilitate

early childhood service use in a multicultural Australian suburb?. Journal Of Early

Childhood Research, 15(1), 3-16. doi: 10.1177/1476718x14552876

Marshall, S., Parker, P., Ciarrochi, J., & Heaven, P. (2014). Is Self‐Esteem a Cause or

Consequence of Social Support? A 4‐Year Longitudinal Study. Child

Development, 85(3), 1275-1291.

Shay, Marnee. (2017). Emerging Ideas for Innovation in Indigenous Education: A Research

Synthesis of Indigenous Educative Roles in Mainstream and Flexi Schools. Teaching

Education, 28(1), 12-26.

Walsh, Maureen. (2010). Multimodal literacy : What does it mean for classroom

practice? Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 33(3), 211-239.