Workshops: Literacy, Leadership, and Motivation
A Whole School Literacy Approach in a Distance Education Setting
Workshop Presentation Renai Mclean
In 2018, Capricornia School of Distance Education rolled out a whole school literacy approach that has seen all stakeholders, including home tutors (parents and governesses), teacher aides and teachers upskilled in the teaching of reading, identifying expected literacy behaviours shown at each stage of the learning, and monitoring student literacy behaviours to determine individual learning goals. Teachers are embedding literacy in every subject, every lesson, and every day. They can collaboratively discuss learning goals for individual students with home tutors across a range of literacy aspects, including reading, comprehension, writing, vocabulary, phonics and speaking. Programs support and extend students, to build on their literacy skills in all year levels. This is the start of a long journey that is aligned perfectly with the school’s Annual Implementation Plan and intention to equip all stakeholders with the ability to comprehend and communicate understanding of their learning effectively. During this workshop you will have opportunities to hear what we have been up to at CSDE and ask questions that might relate the process to your own unique distance learning setting.
Motivating Learners through Award Scheme Development Accreditation Network: Engaging Disengaged Learners with Disabilities
Workshop Presentation Amy Jo Hamilton, Susan Taylor
ASDAN offers a wide range of curriculum award programs for students who are disengaged, have an intellectual disability or are at educational risk. ASDAN programs blend activity-based curriculum development, assessment and accreditation of key skills and other personal and social skills, with emphasis on rewarding achievement. At SIDE (School of Isolated and Distance Education we use two online platforms- Moodle and Webex we make learning relevant and transferable. The students enrolled in the ASDAN courses have a one on one lesson with their SIDE teacher and then with support and encouragement work through their Moodle course to complete the challenges or tasks. Students are encouraged to contact their teachers through email to receive assistance and ideas of how they can best complete the challenges. The SIDE teacher can arrange for students to attend excursions and visits to workplaces to further enhance their skills and understanding to complete the courses. ASDAN rewards a range of learning styles and contexts celebrating the diversity of multi-talented young people. These courses encourage, engage and motivate learning enabling our students to develop skills for further learning, employment and their lives in the community. It promotes active and experiential learning that suits the individual and where they are living. Through SIDE we can reach the students in the remote communities and we can deliver these courses.
