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Showing posts from January, 2022

Some Writing Conversations To Launch the School Year

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  In the early weeks of a new school year, we would hopefully expect to hear conversations around writing raising matters with student writers, similar in intent to the types of matters listed below. Conversations that prompt thought and produce action. Are you writing about things that matter to you -matters you care most about, matters close to your heart? If your students are writing merely to please a teacher or impress their peers, then this conversation is quite important. We should never embark upon writing we don’t care about. It should matter to the writer. It might actually be a piece they need to write quite urgently because they never want to forget that particular moment/ feeling/ event/ experience. Is there something you are hoping to see improve around your writing this year? How do you intend to achieve this change? Do you know why you are writing about a particular topic/issue/idea? In other words, have you thought about why it is important for you to write about t...

ALEA Conference, Darwin, 2022, Donald Graves Address

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Donald Graves Address, ALEA Conference, Darwin, July, 2022 Donald Graves I am both proud and humbled to be invited to deliver the Annual Donald Graves Address at the Australian Literacy Educator's Association (ALEA) National Conference in Darwin, at the Waterfront Conference Centre, July 2022. Rare air indeed, to follow in the footsteps of previous presenters, Mem Fox, Ralph Fletcher and Robyn Ewing among others. I feel duly honoured by this special opportunity I have been afforded. Most importantly, it presents as a highly valued opportunity to honour the incalculable global contribution Donald Graves' research made to the teaching of writing, as well as his personal impact on my teaching and writing life. My heart sings... Donald Graves was a writing revolutionary who impacted pedagogical approaches to writing, across numerous countries. I very much look forward to shining a light on his incredible legacy -past, present and future. Hopefully, Covid willing, I will get to s...