Engaging Students with Writing

This subject is not offered in 2015.

170 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject will examine major approaches to teaching writing across primary and secondary schooling. Intersections between theory and practice will be explored, with a focus on building professional knowledge and skills needed to enhance student production of a diverse range of written texts. Topics will include: thinking and writing, writing for learning, models of classroom writing,
linking reading and writing, working with and beyond genres, developing an understanding of textual features, generating ideas for writing, writing as an imaginative activity, writing in multimodal forms, assessing writing.

On completion of the subject students will be able to:

• demonstrate an extensive knowledge of major approaches to teaching writing in classrooms;
• demonstrate the capacity to apply this knowledge in the development and appraisal of effective classroom practice;
• demonstrate an understanding of the processes involved in creating various kinds of texts.

Two assessment task equivalent to 5,000 words.

• Assignment 1: One 2,000 word assignment on writing in classrooms (40 per cent) due halfway through the subject
• Assignment 2: A portfolio of writing accompanied by a reflection on the processes involved in producing it, totalling approximately 3,000 words, due at the end of the subject (60 per cent)

Attendance at all classes (tutorial/seminars/practical classes/lectures/labs) is obligatory. Failure to attend 80% of classes will normally result in failure in the subject.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

This subject aims to:

• demonstrate an informed respect for the values, ethics and practices of English teaching as a profession;
• use advanced communication technologies to support their own learning and research and the learning of their students;
• demonstrate an ability and confidence to participate effectively in collaborative learning as a team member, while respecting individual differences;
• demonstrate the ability to plan work and to use time effectively.