Course Title: Extending Investigations with Literacies

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Extending Investigations with Literacies

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
TCHE2132	Bundoora Campus	Undergraduate	360H Education	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2006, Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2009, Sem 1 2010, Sem 1 2011

Course Coordinator: Gloria Latham

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7848

Course Coordinator Email:gloria.latham@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 220.3.02

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

Literature enlarges our being by admitting us to experiences not our own. They may be beautiful, terrible, awe inspiring, pathetic, comic or merely piquant. Literature gives the entrée to them all. Those of us who have been true readers all our life, seldom fully realise the enormous extension of our being which we owe to authors. We realize it best when we talk to an unliterary friend. He may be full of goodness and good sense, but he inhabits a tiny world.

In it we, should be suffocated. My own eyes are not enough for me. The man who is contented to be only himself and therefore less a self, is in prison. My own eyes are not enough for me…Even the eyes of all humanity are not enough. I regret that the brutes cannot write books. Very gladly would I learn what face things present to a mouse or a bee, more gladly still would I perceive the olfactory world charged with all the information and emotion it carries for a dog…

In reading good literature I become a thousand men, and yet remain myself. Like the night sky in a Greek poem, I see with a myriad eyes but it is still I who see. Here as in worship, in love, in moral action, and in knowing, I transcend myself; and I am never more myself than when I do.”
__________ C. S. Lewis (1961)



Extending Investigations with Literacies will seek to provide you with the necessary knowledge, skills and understandings to consolidate and apply your learning about a range of literacies and how to identify and meet a range of literacy needs. Following A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies, you now have a number of literacy frameworks to build upon. This course will critically explore theory and practice in order for you to further extend your pedagogical; understandings of literacies.

As well, you will focus on your own literacies – your communication skills and effective questioning techniques to better opportunities to deepen and extend students’ learning.

Extending Investigations with Literacies will focus on a virtual classroom of year 4/5 students, at Lathner Primary, one teacher Anna Jones, a Pre-Service Teacher (who will be you) and the school community. As pre-service teachers, you will be challenged to plan for, teach and assess this diverse and dynamic student group.

It is hoped that you will revisit and revision existing notions of literacy in the context of rapidly changing technologies and globalisation and then translate such notions into your professional practice. You will also be asked to articulate your theoretical understandings to your peer group and link understanding to designing literacy curriculum that is inclusive and authentic. The course will further expose you to Rich Tasks and you will be asked to be the designers of additional tasks. As well, you will collect, generate and evaluate resources and assessment practices.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Transforming
2. Commitment
2.6 influence change where possible

3. Creative Problem Solvers
3.1 identify, synthesise and evaluate information

7.6 display consideration of a curriculum that acknowledges different knowledge, context, cultural/ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds of families and communities.

8. Professional Knowledge, Understandings and Applications
8.1 apply new theories and practices of education, learning and assessment, use practice to modify theory
8.2 demonstrate a critical understanding of professional practices

Students will be able to demonstrate:
• An ability to critique current theory in literacies learning.
• Increased sophistication in questioning skills that deepen and support learning experiences.
• Knowledge and application of digital literacies
• An ability to articulate a personal philosophy for inclusiveness in literacies teaching and learning.
• Knowledge about theory of particular literacy learners and a range of strategies to accommodate for their needs.
• An ability to design new pedagogies.
• Investigative skills in observation, data collection, synthesis, analysis and reporting.
• Effective communication skills.

Overview of Learning Activities

The course will be an active exploration of the teaching of literacies and will be flexible, multi-modal and multi-dimensional in its delivery. You will experience learners engaged in literacy in the virtual classroom and on site visits, you will attend lectures, and tutorials, engage in small group discussions, use flexible delivery modes such as online components (lecturers, activities, resources and discussion between peers), and hear guest speakers. Please take advantage of the plentiful resources provided as they will help you get the most out of your learning experience.

Overview of Learning Resources

Use of the Learning Hub is critical to this course. In addition a diverse range of text and web based resources will be used for your learning throughout the program.

Overview of Assessment

Asssessment  will incorporate and reflect written and oral modes of exploring the themes asociated with investigating literacies.