1,720,984 research outputs found
Literacy: From Writing Recount to Writing in True Narrative
No full textWriting a recount is much easier than writing in true narrative. However, while anyone can easily learn to write a recount, writing in true narrative is much harder and requires a much higher level of cognitive ability and has to be explicitly taught. Experienced writers make a distinction between writing a recount and writing in true narrative (Riley and Reedy, 2000; Shrubshall, 1997; O'Brien, 1992; Krause, 1997). Based on research reported elsewhere (Kigotho, 2004, 2006), I have argued in the current paper that in teaching early literacy, teachers that focus on explicit instruction on true narrative rather than on recount have a more realistic chance of enhancing the development of student writing. The demand on students' cognitive ability is much less than in other forms of writing such as procedure writing and writing explanations. Writing experts recommend recounts as a form of writing for students still in the early stages of learning how to write well. Writing in true narrative requires the writer to establish a conflict situation and show how this leads to a conflict resolution. Events are presented in a manner that shows causality. Characters are usually well-developed and contrasted. Students that write in true narrative are on the way to becoming expert writers. This paper reports writing research findings carried out among female students for whom English is a Second Language. The students were aged between fifteen and eighteen. The research was conducted in two rural schools in Central Kenya. The findings suggest that the teaching method of giving explicit instruction based on the writing of true narrative coupled with a significant amount of practice has the potential to produce texts that could independently be judged as good writing
Literacy across the curriculum: Using personal experience narratives and blogging with struggling writers
No full textThis article reports on research about middle school pupils using blogging and composing personal experience narratives in a literacies across the curriculum project. The research was conducted in a girl/ secondary school with pupils aged 14 and 15 in rural New South Wales) Australia. The project showed that the use of blogging and personal narratives encouraged the students to engage in writing
From Implicit to Explicit: Literacy and the Oral Narrative within ESL Classrooms
No full textImplicit knowledge is one of the most important forms of knowledge available to teachers of language (Scardamalia and Bereiter, 1982; 1986; Richmond, 1990). In the teaching of narrative writing, while many opportunities are given to students to write narrative, resulting "stories" might contain no evidence of the crucial move to describing a dramatic disruption of the on-going events that lead to a final resolution in a narrative (Riley and Reedy, 2000). There is a significant amount of available literature showing that narratives have an inherent structure (Propp, 1968; Labov and Walezky, 1967; Labov, 1972; Fitzgerald and Teasley, 1986; Berman and Slobin, 1994). This paper reports the findings of a controlled experiment carried out in Kenya where girls aged between 15 and 18 to whom English was taught as a Second Language participated. The findings suggest that activating implicit knowledge of narrative structure by the use of the traditional oral narrative has the potential to improve literacy in general and the teaching of writing in particular within secondary schools especially where English is taught as a Second Language
Personal Experience Narratives (PEN) and the power of writing stories
No full textWriting is usually a very challenging task for most people. Students who are less confident writers may feel discouraged and disheartened when asked to write. The challenge for teachers of writing remains how to motivate and encourage their students to engage with composition writing. In this article, I share how writing narratives about personal experiences may help overcome the writer’s block that some students may face. The article is based on a study I carried out in a girls’ school in New South Wales where eighteen students responded to three writing tasks inviting them to narrate their personal experiences
Multi-modal Texts and Geography Teaching
No full textLiteracy and numeracy have recently generated significant attention in the educational settings. The teaching of subject geography presents numerous opportunities for teachers to address comprehending and composing processes through the lens of literacy and numeracy across discipline areas. This paper looks at the research in this area and explores such opportunities in the teaching of subject geography. This paper examines the intersection between subject geography and the overarching literacy processes of comprehending texts and composing texts. Attention is given more to ways in which multimodal texts are incorporated in these literacy processes. In comprehending texts, focus is given to the literacy activities of listening, reading, and viewing of multimodal texts. In composing texts, the focus is on the literacy activities of speaking, writing, and creating multimodal texts. In numeracy, focus is given to the elements of numeracy including considering estimating and calculating in whole numbers, recognising patterns and relationships, as well as the use of spatial reasoning. Consideration is also given to the use of the twenty-first century model of numeracy examining how multimodal affordances can be applied across different discipline areas
Digital narratives and the teaching of writing
No full textTechnology can be used to make learning exciting and meaningful. Learners growing up with new forms of technology - including laptops, iphones, iPads, tablets, and related tools - have a better chance of remaining engaged if their teachers adopt tools their students use when they plan and implement programmes. The use of technology engages learners as educational platforms shift from the chalk-and-talk mode to technology-enhanced instruction. Increasingly, educational instruction relies more on mobile devices, bringing to life the concept of 'bring your own devices' (BYOD). Such a concept will continue to develop as technology continues to influence the way educational providers address the needs of the learner. This paper looks at several ways in which teachers across curriculum areas use the mobile phone and the iPad to create digital narratives and thus engage learners with tools that they already have and use. The paper is based on an exploratory method where the researcher examined the tools available on the Internet, including iPad apps. The research was restricted to only apps that were free. Obtaining a tool that had access to the Internet was the only restriction. Once the learners acquired the skills, they could purchase inexpensive apps as required. In that way, there was no financial cost to learners. The programme was very popular with learners as it gave them new skills in digital storytelling. They learned skills such as adding photos as well as audio to the digital stories. The project demonstrated that learners of all ages are capable of using technology to up-skill and make learning more engaging and exciting
The teaching of narratives
No full textThis paper presents a case for the use of narrative as an instructional tool. Available literature on the narrative and reviewed within the last thirty years seems to suggest that narrative might be a significant tool of instruction. Given the variety of uses that researchers in narrative have explored so far, the paper suggests that the narrative has the potential to influence the school system and that the public might be better served by enhancing and encouraging students and teachers to continue the practice of using narrative in teaching and learning especially in the lower secondary school
We can deliver pizzas, but, can and should VET 'deliver' education?
No full textIn the recent past, claims have been made that VET operators have failed to 'deliver' quality job-ready graduates with the skills required by industry (see Committee for Economic Development of Australia, 2016). This raises a number of questions: who is accountable for 'delivering' quality job-ready graduates for industry? As Australia's prominent public VET provider, should TAFE bear a major part of this responsibility? How do we 'deliver' quality graduates anyway? Likewise, educational provision in VET (and in other sectors) is often couched in terms of 'delivery'
Fibre optic technology in Educational settings in Africa
No full textResearch in the growth of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Africa suggests that a gulf exists between the rhetoric of those advocating the use of ICT in education and the reality of classroom practice. The Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report for 2002, (UNESCO 2002a) emphasised that some 3 million new teachers are required in Africa if the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are to be achieved. In formulating a framework for the use of ICT in Teacher Training in Africa, it has been suggested that new technologies can enable people to learn effectively at whatever level they choose. Emerging and new technologies can also encourage new methods that enhance teaching and learning. A planning guide prepared by UNESCO (2002b) on ICTs in Teacher Education, decries the fact that Africa has been left behind in the use of ICT for educational purposes. Building on this assessment, this paper seeks to spell out how in recent years technology has been used to enhance pedagogy in schools in Africa. Content-rich programs have been locally developed with the collaboration of Open Educational Resources (OERs) and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL). This has led to the development of blended learning solutions. Recently, 10 Open Distance and E-Learning Centres - ODel Centres, have been opened in Africa indicating a huge appetite for using technology to enhance teaching and learning in the region. This paper seeks to explore innovation in the use of technology within educational settings in Africa
Education across space and time: meeting the diverse needs of the distance learner
No full textThe articles presented in this volume represent a selection from papers submitted to the 'Education Across Space and Time' Distance Education Summit held in Sydney, Australia in February 2013. All papers were subjected to a double-blind peer-review process and those papers adjudged as the most impressive were selected for publication in a Special Issue of Distance Education which will be published shortly after the Summit. The remaining papers selected are available as Open Educational Resources (OERs) from the Summit 2013 website http://www.odlaasummit.org.au/. For those who wish access to those papers in a single volume they have been collated into this book which is available on a pay-per issue basis. We have endeavoured to keep to the formatting provided by the authors, but where appropriate for this format have undertaken minor editing and formatting
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