C4E Literacy Initiative: Creating more effective HSC responses My name is Amanda Stavert. The other academic involved is Judy Adnum, who has recently been the Literacy Consultant in the Hunter region. We propose to work with Head Teachers across KLAs to improve the quality of your students’ written responses in the HSC. How often are teachers teaching writing in a HSC unit of work?

Immature/mature writing Scardamalia and Bereiter (1987): distinguish between knowledge telling (“immature writing”) and knowledge transforming (mature writing). More successful HSC responses transform knowledge by evaluating and synthesizing what is known to create a thesis or line of argument supported by evidence. We hope to assist teachers to develop this skill in their students.

Characteristics of immature/mature writing Immature writing takes place without planning or problem solving e.g. factual exposition (“info dump”) Mature writing involves planning and problem solving to create an integrated response e.g. essay A number of studies have confirmed the effectiveness of textual models/scaffolds and planning in improving the quality of students’ written composition (Graham & Perin, 2007,2008)

Improving HSC responses Backward mapping: teachers think about assessment before designing units and lessons 1. Identify the desired results 2. Consider relevant outcomes, syllabus content and and literacy issue: i.e. creating a successful written HSC response 3. Determine acceptable evidence of student achievement and the meeting of syllabus standards. 4. Plan instructional activities

Strategies to improve the quality of students’ HSC written responses CONTENT: teachers analyse HSC syllabus, rubrics, exam questions, marking guidelines and examiner’s comments to determine what to teach students SKILLS: 1. teachers provide students with models of relevant Band 6 responses and analyse to identify features of successful writing 2. Teachers and students jointly construct a conceptual framework to scaffold students’ ideas when writing.

The C4E Project Involves Head Teachers from a variety of KLAs Judy and I will work with Head Teachers to assist with backward mapping and strategies for successful writing Timeline to be determined ANY QUESTIONS?