Conversations About Literary Texts – Module 1

2012 TERM 4 | Blended mode (12 hours face-to-face at hub school + 8 hours reading/online activities)

Hub school
Homebush Boys High School | Weeks 3–8, Tuesdays 4–6pm (Oct 17, 24, 31 & Nov 7, 14, 21)

Presenters
Joanne Rossbridge & Kathy Rushton

The focus of this module is on teaching grammar in the context of literary texts in the primary school and in the middle years. We will focus on the teaching of literary texts as the context in which grammar is taught to support meaning. Knowledge about grammar is only useful if students use it to read and write, and recognise how authors, including themselves, can use language to make meaning.

We have worked as ESL teachers and consultants in classrooms, since the last century (!!) but there is still a growing need for support in implementation rather than just an understanding of basics. While our aim is not to focus on the basics, many teachers do need to review or address grammar for the first time. The two texts which we will use are A Grammar Companion by Beverley Derewianka and Grammar and Meaning by Louise Droga and Sally Humphrey. The authors of these useful texts are experienced academics and educators who have described the features we will refer to in the tutorials.

In-school session outline
Session 1: Talking and Listening – What's the difference? (Grammatical intricacy and lexical density)
Session 2: Reading – What's going on? (The verbal group)
Session 3: Reading – Who and What? (The noun group)
Session 4: Writing – Where? When? How? (Adverbials and Theme)
Session 5: Writing – Creating: Joint and independent texts (Sentence structure)
Session 6: The third voice in your classroom – using quality children's literature. (Nominalisation and Theme)

Postgraduate credit value
.5 of EDPZ6730

Fees & registration
Details and online registration will be available here shortly.

Teachers may elect to redirect their professional experience mentoring payment towards the cost. (The five week professional experience subsidy is currently $500.)

An additional fee applies when participants complete this module and 'Module 2 – Conversations About Factual Texts', and wish to take up postgraduate credit transfer to EDPZ6730, bringing the cost in line with standard faculty postgraduate unit of study fees.

For more information contact
Nina Goodwin | T: 02 9351 6329 | E: