Units

---

Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Children learn language and literacies through participating in a range of social practices and literacy events in a variety of home, school and community contexts. The early years of learning are critical for children as they become confident and successful literate citizens.

Emphasis in this unit is placed on understanding the consequences of the wide diversity of literacy practices across families and communities. To enable all young children to build strong pathways in durable and flexible language and literacies skills, educators need to be aware of, and value the diverse repetoires that children bring to literacy learning experiences, so that pedaogy, curriculum and assessment can be equitable and high quality.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to enable you to examine literacy from critical contemporary perspectives. The focus will be on both understanding children and understanding school and before school settings as you develop understandings of effective teaching of literacy and English. A key focus is on helping you to develop as teachers of early reading and writing processes across a variety of texts and modes.
You will use the framework of four literacy practices: code-breaker, text- participant, text-user and text-analyst (Luke & Freebody, 1999) to explore high quality, high equity language and literacies education for young children in the 21st century. You will study and use current and relevant curriculum policies and documents to frame curriculum planning. You will build a repertoire of evidence-based teaching, planning and assessment strategies that will allow you to meet the needs of diverse learners by planning and implementing instructional learning opportunities and activities that connect with the experiences of the children with whom you work. Your study will be placed in the current education context of Australia.

Objectives

On completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1. demonstrate your ability as a reflective practitioner and effective communicator who understands and engages with a range of evidence-informed theories on language and literacy learning and pedagogies for enabling children to participate in language, literacy and communication practices and activities in learning and everyday situations (QCT Standard 2)
2. demonstrate your ability as a skilled curriculum developer when you plan and evaluate learning experiences which involve clear and explicit instruction to help all young children utilise and integrate a range of skills and strategies as they read, view, compose and interpret alphabetic and multimedia texts. (QCT Standard 2 )
3. understand the diversity of individual children's literacy paths, as well as broad common patterns of development and utilize classroom strategies for monitoring and evaluating students' language, literacy and communication skills; assessment and documentation of young children's language and literacy abilities as a basis for designing learning programs, reporting to parents and caregivers and reviewing strategies and resources. (QCT Standard 2)
4. reflect on and reveal well developed personal language and literacy competencies to underpin the capacity to teach language and literacy within the early years and primary learning areas by using Standard Australian English and appropriate literacy and communications conventions and technologies in order to meet unit participation and assessment requirements. (QCT Standard2)

Content

This unit will cover the following topics and contribute to your developing Professional Learning Profile:

- Literacy as social practice;
- Understanding reading/writing processes and strategies for observing, documenting, assessing and reporting on young children's language and literacies learning;
- Enabling pedagogies for implementing classroom programs for young children's learning and development in language, literacies and communication;
- Planning balanced programs to cater for diverse learners.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

This unit is studied through a combination of lectures, podcasts for internet students, tutorials for internal students, online teaching and learning resources, personal research and reading, writing, observation and collaborative learning activities. Lectures and tutorials will encourage students to discuss, question, problem-solve and justify opinions. Your learning will be enhanced by weekly reading and activities as specified in the learning resources provided online. The learning activities are designed to help build personal and professional knowledge, skills and understandings of literacy and quality literacy programs for young children. First year experience principles will be applied as appropriate. Assessment in this unit is both formative and summative. Formative assessment is provided through opportunities to reflect, discuss and receive feedback in tutorials/study groups; and/or by participating in online activities to share and refine ideas. There are two items of summative assessment in this unit: a Literacy program explanation and a critical practical planning project.

Assessment

Assessment in this unit is both formative and summative. Formative assessment is provided through opportunities to reflect, discuss and receive feedback in tutorials/study groups; and/or by participating in online activities to share and refine ideas. There are two items of summative assessment in this unit: a Literacy program explanation and a critical practical planning project.Students can expect formative feedback as part of engaging with tutors and peers in tutorials and on discussion forums.
Summative feedback will be provided in the form of assessment rubrics and comments on assignments. Students can expect feedback within 3 weeks of submission.

Assessment name: Case Study
Description: An audit or critical observation of key features, documents and or events of classroom literacy program(s)
Length: 1500 - 2000 words
Relates to objectives: 1, 3 & 4.
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Mid-Semester

Assessment name: Professional Plans
Description: Practical planning project and written critique
Length: 1500 - 2000 words
Relates to objectives: 2, 3 & 4.
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End-Semester

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Texts:

Hill, S. (2012). Developing early literacy - Assessment and teaching. Prahan, Vic.: Eleanor Curtain Publishing.

References:

Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2008). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (4th ed.). Victoria, Australia: Thomson.
Bull, G., & Anstey, M. (2003). The literacy lexicon (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW, Australia: Prentice Hall.
Healy, A. (2008). Multiliteracies and diversity in education. Victoria, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Makin, L., Jones Diaz, C., & McLachlan, C. (2007). Literacies in childhood (2nd ed.). Marrickville, NSW, Australia: Elsevier

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with the general conduct of this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in relation to computer use will apply.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 14-May-2012