‘They need to read the classics.’

Do they? Really? I often wonder what would happen if we did free choice reading throughout school. I’ve lost count of the number of students who have admitted, sometimes sheepishly, that they completed an assignment without reading the assigned text, and I just want to say, me too, kid, me too… (never at uni, though (promise!))!

In 2016, I was involved in an Action Research Project where I reflected upon my effectiveness as an English teacher and engaged in research to better support my students with reading and writing in the classroom. It was in the initial stages of the project that I was introduced to the work of Nancie Atwell who writes on the power of reading workshop and student choice of reading material (2015). On this controversial topic Atwell has penned countless articles, published books, and in 1990 she actually started a school which focused on the explicit teaching of the skills of writing and reading, but the main tenant, underpinning the success of the students who attend the school, is student choice of what to write, and what to read (Center for Teaching and Learning [CTL], n.d., para. 4). The notion of reading for pleasure in the classroom fits so perfectly with the work of Fiske (2010, p. 44) and his discussion of the ‘everyday pleasure’ of popular culture, and Johnson’s (2005, p. 14) reiteration of the inherent value of popular culture.

Reading is a highly personal undertaking and crucial to the development of literacy skills, and yet, so often the preferred method of ‘reading’ at school is students borrowing a teacher-chosen-class-novel, reading a chapter at a time while completing comprehension questions, and then writing a literary essay. And we wonder why students don’t read for pleasure outside of school? It seems as if we pin our desperate hopes – for that single assigned novel, in its shining glory of literary value, textual integrity, and all those gosh darn beautiful metaphors, to suddenly metamorphize our non-reading students into the literati. Wilhelm (2016, p. 31) will attest, that ignoring the link between pleasure and motivation is, and this won’t come as a shock to anyone who has tried to force someone to read something, not very helpful in creating readers.

The common reality in schools is that students’ self-determinacy is very low on the list of priorities and there are many reasons for this, there is a  syllabus to teach, accountability measures, assessment for, of, and as learning, literacy targets, etc. etc. but it really is possible and I am with Wilhelm (2016, p. 32) here, imperative, to prioritise pleasure when it comes to reading (I would also argue the same for writing, but that’s an idea for another post!). I changed my perspective on the ‘class novel’ after reading In the Middle (Atwell, 2015) and realised there were other ways to do things, and so, where I could, I made changes and one of those changes was the ‘class novel’. Some students enjoy the practice of laboriously poring over a single text, and I also find it riveting, but when teaching I am always desperately hoping all 30-students, from wildly different backgrounds, with a range of convictions, hopes, and dreams I would likely never comprehend (as someone several decades older than them) will like the book I chose from the book room that was the best of the three options left, and, there were 30-copies, in reasonable condition.

This approach doesn’t inspire much joy, and it doesn’t create a culture of reading and this is where things start to fester – reading brings pleasure, sure, but it also counters social disadvantage, and offers a way to engage in the discourses of the wider world (Wilhelm, 2016, pp. 32-33). There is an idea that if students engage with the canon they will forever be changed by the power of literature and will acknowledge the immense possibilities offered by the written word and they will be readers henceforth, and that anything in the realm of popular culture is a waste (Wilhelm, 2016, p. 33).  It is perhaps like eating ice-cream for dinner—delicious but not something any self-respecting grown up would do (Wilhelm, 2016, p. 33). I would argue, though, that secretly we do sometimes want ice-cream for dinner and the abandoning of the rules and structures, to do something that is fun and pleasurable is a delight and important, but even this is a false equivalency as reading a young adult novel isn’t the ‘ice-cream’ of the literature food pyramid, reading is reading, and inherently valuable (Wilhelm, 2016, p. 37). If we stick with the ice-cream metaphor, we’ve missed the point, and we fall into the Arnoldian territory of placing a value judgement on stories that appeal to young people, diverse voices that might not otherwise be heard, an interaction between our students and the expression of our world’s cultures as they stand, today (Takacs, 2014, p. 2). Is it not a highly sophisticated undertaking, and therefore valuable, to read contemporary stories that innately, regardless of intention, offer some insight into society as it is (Wilhelm, 2016, p. 33)? 

The act of reading in school could be seen as a nudge to high culture and this is often cemented by the teacher’s choice of text, so many students therefore, rebel against the pressure to read as it is not a pursuit that provides them with value (Fiske, 2010, p. 46). So why do we take an ‘Eat your vegetables!’ stance on reading and glorify the classics when this practice does not foster a love of reading? We understand that reading is wildly beneficial – published texts have been written, edited, and revised but a little bit of that moral panic creeps in and those young adult texts go right out the window (Wilhelm, 2016, p. 33; Johnson, 2005, p. 14). An English writing lesson your student may have experienced or you may have taught is ‘write what you know’ which I take to mean that one’s experiences ground the writing and allow the exploration of the unknown, and I think this is a great way to think about reading – let students ‘read what they know’ and they will learn more and more and their reading world will open before them (Wilhelm, 2016, p. 37).

Here are some fabulous resources on reading:

‘Raising Readers’ by Megan Daley

‘How to Raise a Reader’ by Pamela Paul

Your Kid’s Next Read with Megan Daley and Allison Tait

Center for Teaching and Learning Reading List

Book Suggestions - Year 7/Year 8

Challenge Card (below)

Here are some questions you could ask to generate conversation about YA novels:

1. What is the last YA book that you read? What would you rate it out of 10 and who would you recommend it to?
2. Who is your favourite YA author?
3. What makes a novel suited for a young adult audience?
4. What is your favourite type of story to read within the overarching genre of YA?
5. Do you think YA is as important as say, classic literature? Why or why not?
6. Do you think YA is valued by peers/teachers/parents/society? Why/why not?
7. Where do you find out about new YA books?
8. Do you prefer one off titles or series?
9. Do you have an all-time favourite YA book? What would you rate it out of 10 and who would you recommend it to?
10. Where do you access most of your books?
11. Are you interested in trying books outside those aimed at a young adult audience?
12. Have you ever re-read a YA book?
13. Have you or would you ever consider listening to a YA audiobook? Why/why not?
14. If you were to write a YA book, what would it be about?
15. If you were to adapt your favourite YA book for the screen, which actors would play each of the characters?

Reference List

Atwell, N. (2015). In the Middle. Heinemann. 

Center for Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). About CTL. http://c-t-l.org/about-ctl/ 

Fiske, J. (2010). Understanding Popular Culture. Routledge.

Johnson, S. (2005). Everything Bad Is Good For You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter. Riverhead Books.

Takacs, T. (2015). Interrogating Popular Culture: Key Questions. Routledge.

Wilhelm, J. D. (2016). Recognising the power of pleasure: What engaged adolescent readers get from their free-choice reading, and how teachers can leverage this for all. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 39(2), pp. 30-41.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Reading Challenge by Kira Bryant

4. Reference List

Atwell, N. (2015). In the Middle. Heinemann. 

Brown, M., & Long, P. D. (2006). Trends in Learning Space Design. In D. G. Oblinger (Ed.), Learning Spaces (pp. 116-126). Educause.

Brown, M. (2015). Seven Principles for Classroom Design: The Learning Space Rating System. Educause. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2015/2/seven-principles-for-classroom-design-the-learning-space-rating-system 

Buckingham, D. (2013). Beyond technology: Children's learning in the age of digital culture. Polity Press.

CAST. (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. http://udlguidelines.cast.org 

8 Ways, (n.d.). Aboriginal Pedagogy. https://www.8ways.online/about 

Ellis, R. A., Goodyear, P., & Marmot, A. (2018). Spaces of Teaching and Learning: An Orientation. In R.A. Ellis & P. Goodyear (Eds), Spaces of Teaching and Learning (pp. 1-11). Springer Nature Customer Service Center LLC.

Finley, T. & Wiggs, B. (2016). Rethinking Classroom Design: Create Student-Centered Learning Spaces for 6-12^th Graders. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford (2010). An introduction to Design Thinking: Process Guide. https://dschool-old.stanford.edu/sandbox/groups/designresources/wiki/36873/attachments/74b3d/ModeGuideBOOTCAMP2010L.pdf

Learning Spaces. (2016). Jisc. https://www.jisc.ac.uk/full-guide/learning-spaces# 

Lomas, C. (2005). Design of the Learning Space: Learning and Design Principles. Educause. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2005/1/design-of-the-learning-space-learning-and-design-principles  

Reeves, K. (2014). Key Ways to Minimise Design Risks. https://www.business2community.com/product-management/key-ways-minimise-design-risks-0987436 

Sebel, (n.d). Sebel Warranty. https://www.sebelfurniture.com/sebel-warranty/ 

W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). (2018). WCAG 2.1 at a Glance. https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/glance/ 

3. Evaluation Plan

Ongoing evaluation of a learning space ensures its longevity and continuing suitability for students over time, and it in this respect it links closely to sustainability. There are a range of ways to ascertain the effectiveness of a learning space and specifically, what elements of the physical and virtual space are meeting the needs of the students attending Pen & Paper. Brown’s Learning Space Rating System has provided several points of reference for the evaluation of the learning space project (Brown, 2015).

The Learning Space Rating System (Brown, 2015) considers each aspect of a project from conception through to completion and would be a useful investment to consider the design process and whether it has met the brief of supporting student writers. The first principle reflects upon the way the space fits within existing structures and given the current colour scheme of the library in which the Pen & Paper space is located has a predominant colour scheme of green and this colour has been drawn into design, this works effectively (Brown, 2015, para. 15). The principles reflect upon stakeholder engagement which would be an aspect that would be most powerful in fine tuning the proposal as the students would have suggestions and ideas of their own. The ongoing maintenance of the learning space, comfort provided, and how well the furnishings wear are considered and given that this project is run through the library it would be necessary to account for upkeep through the library budget (Brown, 2015, paras. 16-20). Thankfully, as the school is BYOD the day-to-day support with technology is high so this service would be useful in maintaining the projector and document camera in the learning space as well as issues with accessing Google Classroom without being an imposition on school resources (Brown, 2015, para. 20). The level of innovation, in the final principle of the rating system, would be an interesting element to consider but it is possible that the opportunities provided in the space would be considered innovative (Brown, 2015, para. 21).

An evaluation of the space could be drawn straight from the reflections of students (Lomas, 2005, para. 33). The opportunity to survey students to glean what they find most impactful while collecting suggestions would hopefully give great insights and, as Lomas so eloquently captures, student feedback may indicate how a space has been or could be ‘pushed to its limits’ to see just what kinds of learning, collaboration, and products may be created through engaging with the space (2005, para. 34). It would be wonderful to embed a survey into the Google Classroom using Google Forms to determine future directions with questions such as:

Overall, the learning space will be deemed successful if the students it was designed for return to use the space, feel comfortable, and have the resources to support them as they engage in their writing projects (Lomas, 2005, para. 33). The success of the online space would be evident through use and access of the provided resources and engagement through comments and shared writing with the Pen & Paper group (Lomas, 2005, para. 33). Writing is often a solo endeavour, so the creation of a purpose-built physical space and the extension of the online space supports the development and maintenance of a writing community, and this also reflects the way writers work in the world within the communities they create. Evidence of the effectiveness of the space will be ongoing participation and observation of what resources and furnishings students are finding the most useful within the space and how much the learning space provides room for fun, collaboration, and learning (Lomas, 2005, para. 35). 

2. Critical Reflection

The design process began with ideation in response to the problem statement developed in Assignment 1 (Hasso Plattner, 2010, p. 3). The task highlighted the disjointed way I have been approaching Pen & Paper and gave me a moment to reflect on how I could impact the learning and engagement of students in both the physical and online space, while also supporting their literacy development, and paying particular attention to the social, and pedagogical needs of those using the space. I took inspiration from the process outlined by Finley and Wiggs (2016, p. 2) to move beyond the ‘unremarkable’ to create a purpose built, impactful learning space that I could expand into the online Google Classroom. 

Finley & Wiggs highlight the difference between the care taken to provide beautiful and organised spaces for students in primary school and lacklustre, utilitarian approach once students reach high school (Finley & Wiggs, 2016, p. 2). In a space designed for writing and imaginative exploration there needs to be elements of play embedded in the space which is why there are plenty of soft furnishings, flexible furnishings, nooks, and surfaces to write on (Finley & Wiggs, 2016, p. 3). The social aspects, these furnishings allowed, were identified by Brown and Long (2006, p. 4) as an element that supported student engagement so the opportunities for this to happen in a variety of spaces was ensured.

The consideration of the physical space was a core component of the ideation but also the way that the space could be resourced to provide everything a young writer might need. Reflecting on Universal Design for Learning Guidelines also gave me an opportunity to consider different aspects of the learning space especially the way information could be provided in a range of different ways to support students to engage with the writing process regardless of their literacy level (CAST, 2016, para. 4). These guidelines are helpful in considering the more granular elements of the writing workshop, like how to present a mini-lesson so that it is accessible and useful for all students (CAST, 2016, para. 4).

In the creation of solutions to the challenges raised in the design problem it became clear that the purpose-built space would work for a range of other projects or groups but ultimately, would support and encourage the students attending Pen & Paper and legitimise their efforts to make writing a part of their lives. The fact that the library collection could be featured in various ways also fulfils an aspect of my job description as Teacher-Librarian to engage students in the activity of reading so the opportunity to easily draw on a range of texts and be able to change them weekly would be ideal. I imagine the space being open for students to work in during recess and lunch like the rest of the library is available to those conducting research, and borrowing books, and I would run a more formalised mini-lesson or discussion with a writing prompt each week. Moving through the design thinking process has proven to be very inspiring and I will use this and the Universal Design for Learning Guidelines when determining approaches to information literacies and my Communication Skills classes for the coming year (CAST, 2016, para. 4; (Hasso Plattner, 2010, p. 3).

1. Proposal

Mind Map - Ideation

Learning Space Project - Pen & Paper by K Bryant

Proposal 

Today’s world revolves around connection and the means by which we maintain these links has expanded to include media of all forms (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 3). Learning spaces must be responsive to the needs of learners who live in a globalised world with access to media like never before—it is not sufficient to present a 2D model of education when beyond the school day learning exists in an extraordinary convergence of time and space (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 3; Buckingham, 2013, pp. 78-79). Students interact with and create media in a myriad of ways and in many respects the construction of new media texts defies the imagination of those who reside outside these spaces, but they present opportunities for educators who may be able to draw on the affordances of technology and new media to enhance online as well as physical spaces (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 4; Buckingham, 2013, pp. 78-79). This proposal will outline the development of a physical space and accompanying online space to meet the needs of a diverse group of students working on the creation of their own texts in traditional and non-traditional forms and media in the extra-curricular group, Pen & Paper. In designing this learning space Universal Design for Learning Guidelines will be consulted (CAST, 2018). 

A well-designed learning space is responsive to the needs of the students who will be occupying the space (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 3). Given that the group of students will change over time there needs to be affordances for a range of accessibility needs even if they are not present in the current group to be cognisant of what Brown and Long (2006, p. 3) present as ‘human-centred design’. The physical space will incorporate technology with a projector, device charging points, and access to the internet so students are able to access the online space and the websites where they publish their writing (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 3). There will be designated areas with flexible furnishings, a projector, document camera and screen for students to collaborate and attend to mini-lessons (Atwell, 2015, pp. 54-55). When preferred, there will be soft furnishings, couches, a floor mat, and nooks with dimmer switches and lamps for students to work on their projects individually in an environment that suits them best (Learning Spaces, 2016, para. 164). Resources will be carefully curated and responsive to the changes in student needs over time, acknowledging that sustainability is important as the space will house a changing group of students (Learning Spaces, 2016, para. 10). The physical learning space will be inclusive through the aesthetic features of a spacious environment with lighting options, a soft blue, green, and grey colour scheme and sparse wall displays so as to avoid cognitive overload in the space and the option of ‘nooks’ for students to work individually will also take into account the physical needs of students, to include areas that could be accessed by students using mobility aids (Todd & Wiggs, 2016, p. 3; CAST, 2016, para. 4).

Visual Representation

Colour scheme

The development of an effective online learning space to extend the reach of a physical learning space, especially given the vacillating nature of schooling in the greater Sydney region during a pandemic, is not only legitimising for the students who attend the face-to-face group, but it may be the only way to maintain community moving forward (Ellis et., 2018, p. 4; CAST, 2016, para. 4). The learning space is designed to give students an option to engage in an activity that brings them great joy within the routine of the school day, in recognition that an extra-curricular activity offers as many opportunities for learning as a timetabled core class (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 4; Brown & Long, 2006, p. 1). The creation of an online space via Google Classroom, when the school uses Canvas as its core online learning management system, ensures that students engaging in the Pen & Paper online community will minimise distractions as they will not feel the push or pull of their timetabled classes (CAST, 2016, para. 4). To increase engagement in the learning space various check in points need to be established through posting on a reliable and regular schedule to reflect the physical meetings. Resources shared and key points of discussions should be posted the afternoon of face-to-face meetings and the same writing prompts and writing opportunities shared (CAST, 2016, para. 4). As students often write in online spaces like Blogger, WattPad that are not accessible via the school intranet the online space allows students to share extracts of their writing for encouragement and feedback. Hopefully the community will naturally evolve beyond the limitations of the Google Classroom and students will be able to share their writing in full, with their school writing community. Ideally media posted to Google Classroom will be in a range of formats, so it aligns with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and is ‘Perceivable’—video, voice recording, images, infographics ensure that the space is useful to all students (W3C, 2018, para. 3).

Cultural representation is an important consideration for both the physical and online learning spaces and henceforth this proposal will detail a range of texts from diverse authors to ensure students have not only quality literature to draw upon but are able to experience the breadth of experiences of the world and see themselves in stories as well as learn about cultural backgrounds different to their own. Acknowledging the significance of the world’s oldest living culture, the Aboriginal people, in both respecting the aural storytelling traditions and including texts from contemporary Aboriginal authors will ensure the learning space remains inclusive and respectful of cultural traditions (CAST, 2016, para. 4). Further training about culturally appropriate Aboriginal pedagogies, as introduced, by 8 Ways, will ensure that relevant resources exploring the many ways stories are told and shared may give greater insight into Aboriginal culture for the students attending Pen & Paper who are writing their own stories (8 Ways, n.d. para. 3). The Aboriginal Education Officers and Advisors offer this training to staff at NSW Department of Education schools drawing on local knowledge which ensures that the Aboriginal culture is not homogenised and reduced (8 Ways, n.d. para. 1).

The sustainability of the learning space is a consideration of the proposal in that there will not be ongoing funding for the space. The area must be easy to care for as in regular rather than specialist cleaning products can be applied to surfaces, inexpensive whiteboard cleaner supplied for use within the space, and hardy storage features included to ensure that cleaning staff do not have to move soft furnishings in order to vacuum and wipe surfaces. The sustainability of the learning space requires hard wearing furniture made specifically for high traffic areas such as schools, public buildings, and hospitals but cost is also a consideration as good quality furnishings can be prohibitively expensive. Given that the school has purchased through Sebel, and they have a reasonable warranty for their products this would be the first port of call for the flexible furnishings (Sebel, n.d. para. 2). NSW Department of Education approved builders, and painters would be employed to build the nooks to ensure modifications are Work, Health & Safety compliant. Soft furnishings will require regular washing so purchasing these from a department store or furniture store such as Ikea would be the most cost-effective method. There are washing facilities at school for tea towels and aprons used for Food Technology, but it is likely that an ongoing cost will be laundering soft furnishings. The consumable resources provided in the space could be factored into the library budget and local supermarkets and newsagents may consider donating topped magazines given that once the cover has been removed to be sent back to the publisher, the rest of the magazine is recycled. The initial books on writing craft and language have a long shelf life if cared for within the space but ideally these will be also factored into the library budget so updated reference materials can be purchased. It may also be possible to apply for a funding grant through a local council initiative or the Parents & Community group of my school.

There are various risk considerations in designing a learning space within the library. Firstly, designing a space for an extra-curricular activity may not be valued as highly as a space for a timetabled curriculum area (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 4). This space, however, while designed for students engaging in writing workshop specifically, would be a useful space for students studying as a small group, Year 11, and Year 12 Extension English, Mathematics, Science, or History classes, or even faculty meetings. Reeves (2014, para. 4) mentions the importance of developing a prototype and this would go a long way to mitigate risk as it would allow staff to visualise how the purpose-built space may also suit their purpose (Reeves, 2014, para. 4; Brown & Long., 2006, p. 3). During the ideation stage and development of a prototype the ideas and opinions of students who will be engaging in the space are extremely important as exemplified in Finley and Wiggs’ overview of the classroom design focus and specifically, how much design focused on the user can impact one’s sense of security within a space (Finley & Wiggs, 2016, p. 1; Reeves, 2014, para. 5). The impact of a specifically developed learning space gives legitimacy to students’ interests and supports their skill development which will support their literacy skills in their other subjects (Finley & Wiggs, 2016, p. 3).

The risk of working on passion projects such as an extra-curricular activity means that for the program to continue beyond one teacher, there needs to be a succession plan and that relies on someone else giving up their time during the school day which is a tough ask. As Teacher-Librarian, my face-to-face teaching load is less than the other classroom teachers at school, so it doesn’t matter that I am busy throughout breaks because I am able to eat and complete collection management tasks, preparation for my classes, and respond to last minute requests with a great deal of flexibility. If I was to leave the school. however, I would not be able to meet the next Teacher-Librarian entering the role and dictate to them that they must continue with an extracurricular activity I created so this is a risk to the learning space.

The process of designing the physical learning space while considering how the space extends to the online realm of Google Classroom has given me pause to think about how I will be able to facilitate the conversation across the two platforms. Regular meetings in the physical space with immediate follow up to Google Classroom with resources and requests for updates on student writing projects will hopefully invite the discussion to continue.  Ideally the online space will help establish a community of writers so students are able to seek feedback from their peers in response to a problem they may be working through.

Book List - Writing Craft

Writing Craft by Kira Bryant

6. Pen & Paper Resources

Pen & Paper Overview: 

Pen & Paper Prompts:

5. Reference List

Alexander, S., Barnett, D., Mann, S., Mackay, A., Selinger, M., & Whitby, G. (2013). Beyond the classroom: a new digital education for young Australians in the 21^st century. Digital Education Advisory Group. https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2013-05/apo-nid34413.pdf 

Atwell, N. (2015). In the Middle. Heinemann. 

Bligh, B., & Crook, C. (2017). Learning Spaces. In E. Duval, Mike Sharples, & Rosamund Sutherland (Eds). Technology Enhanced Learning (pp. 69-87). Springer.

Brown, M., & Long, P. D. (2006). Trends in Learning Space Design. In D. G. Oblinger (Ed.), Learning Spaces (pp. 116-126). Educause.

Casanova, D., Di Napoli, R., & Leijon, M. (2017). Which space? Whose space? An experience in involving students and teachers in space design. Teaching in Higher Education, 23(4), 488-503. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13562517.2017.1414785

Ellis, R. A., Goodyear, P., & Marmot, A. (2018). Spaces of Teaching and Learning: An Orientation. In R.A. Ellis & P. Goodyear (Eds), Spaces of Teaching and Learning (pp. 1-11). Springer Nature Customer Service Center LLC.

Hmelo-Silver, C.E., Duncan, R.G., & Chinn, C.A. (2006). Scaffolding and achievement in problem-based and inquiry learning: A response to Kirscher, Sweller, and Clark. Educational Psychologist, 42(2), 99-107. 

Juliani, A. J. (2015). Inquiry and Innovation in the Classroom. Routledge.

NSW Department of Education and Training. (2009). An introduction to quality literacy teaching. https://newcastleearlycareerteachers.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/intro_qlt_v2.pdf 

Todd, F. & Wiggs, B. (2016). Rethinking Classroom Design: Create Student-Centered Learning Spaces for 6-12^th Graders. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Zhang, M. (2021). Teaching with Google Classroom (2nd ed.). Safari, an O’Reilly Media Company.

4. Problem Statement

The careful consideration of the learning space has a positive impact on education outcomes and to this end this research and reflection has given me pause to learn and consider what can be changed to better meet student needs in both the physical and online environments (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 4). If drawing on the classroom design process of Todd & Wiggs (2016, p. 6) a vision statement for the space could be: 

The creation of designated space for Pen & Paper in a physical location in the library is something I have found difficult due to competing interests and perceived ownership of the space which means it is neither aesthetically pleasing or in any way efficient (Todd & Wiggs, 2016, p. 3). For this vision to be enacted the physical space needs to be an area that is permanently allocated, where materials can be stored, students can sit comfortably, and there is some safety in the structure, so students know exactly where to go so they are not faced with the arduous and stressful task of searching for the group. Ideally, there will be writing resources such as dictionaries, rhyming dictionaries, magnetic poetry, alongside the different types of paper and writing implements, available for students and displays that may inspire which could also be replicated in the online space (Todd & Wiggs, 2016, p. 3).

While I have noted limitations in the Google Classroom I have established, I do have greater carriage over the online environment which will certainly take the place of the physical for the time being. While there is access to several Learning Management Systems (Google Suite, Microsoft Office365) via the NSW Department of Education many writing based apps, and blogging platforms are blocked and students cannot access them when using school computers or Wi-Fi. I need to investigate other options for authentic publishing in order to provide more opportunities for students to write and be read by a wider audience (Brown & Long, 2006, p. 126). Google Classroom serves to connect the community and students are able to post their writing and engage in feedback processes but when considering the resources provided to students, in acknowledgement of ‘beauty’ being a human need, there needs to be a space to store and share resources in a visually appealing manner which could be fulfilled by Google Sites and as an extension some interactivity provided by another tool in the Google Suite, such as Jam Board (Todd & Wiggs, 2016, p. 3).

The level of interactivity needs further consideration as engagement levels will not increase without the development and maintenance of the community (Brown & Long, 2006, p. 117). An immersive environment employing a diverse range of online tools is extremely effective for language learning and these tools will increase the effectiveness of the learning that occurs in the extra-curricular learning space (Alexander et al., 2013, p. 53). If the learning space is going to be at all useful and inspiring for student writers there is work to be done.

3. Concepts and Theories

A contemporary and participatory approach to learning spaces is integral to the creation of an inclusive, engaging, and supportive space for students embarking on formal and informal learning experiences (Casanova et al., 2018, p. 291). Pedagogies focusing on the learner ideally also involve the student and their teachers in the ideation phase of the development of the learning space (Casanova et al., 2018, p. 290). This process acknowledges that a carefully constructed learning space has positive impacts on learning and that the users of the space have value to add to the design process (Casanova et al., 2018, p. 290). It is evident, when reflecting on the learning space for the extra-curricular writing group, Pen & Paper, that there are elements that work effectively in terms of current thinking around learning space design, but there is room to improve and the students who attend likely have many valuable ideas of what would work for them (Casanova et al., 2018, p. 290).

Pen & Paper is an additional humanities-based activity outside the English and Communication Skills classroom. The physical and online space is free from the constraints of the syllabus so can be responsive to the needs and interests of learners which aligns with the work of Crook and Bligh (2017, p. 80) who suggest informal learning spaces are inherently valuable. My experience working with the NSW English Syllabuses and time in the English classroom has been useful when determining activities to engage and challenge the students who attend Pen & Paper to ensure that students are honing their skills while focusing on writing styles and texts that they are passionate about (Juliani, 2015, p. 113). The work of Nancie Atwell (2015, p. 85) has informed my practice and the development of the face-to-face learning space operates as a modified Writing Workshop. Consideration is made for student choice, so the structure of the learning space gives students designated time in which to work on an existing or new writing project or engage in the short activities. The introduction of different styles of writing or the use of particular techniques draws on the modelled, guided, independent gradual release of responsibility scaffolding (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2009, p. 22) so students have support and explicit teaching, if required, until they have acquired the new skills and are confident to employ these in their writing (Hmelo-Silver et al., 27, p. 104).

At its heart, the learning space aims to build the confidence of those who are interested in writing but maybe unsure about how to take the leap from consumer to creator (Juliani, 2015, p. 113). The role of the teacher is significant in providing support within the space as well as constructing an online space with more flexibility (Zhang, 2021). Student choice in writing is a significant factor in students developing and honing their writing skills. The ability of the teacher to give explicit feedback and peers providing some feedback as well gives insight into the piece of writing composed and can be a great collaborative skill for students to develop within the writing community (Atwell, 2015, pp. 54-55). Atwell’s In the Middle (2015, pp. 77-78) purports that students are more likely to write and write well when given the freedom to choose both content and form, so this is an underlying premise, as well, the provision of a prompt/activity/exemplar text but the freedom and flexibility to focus on different projects or discussion. 

Social and active learning strategies are at the core of the learning space, but this is an area that could be improved in the online environment (Brown & Long, 2006, pp. 116-117). When on site, Pen & Paper meets during lunch time on Thursdays for the whole of the half an hour break (see image right side bar). Students bring their lunch, and we use the tables in computer lab adjoining the library, unless there is a last-minute room booking and the group finds another location in a quiet corner of the library or a meeting room (Brown & Long, 2006, pp. 116-117). The computer room has a large screen and projector which makes it possible to include multimodal prompts and display texts for critique and discussion. From here, students complete a short writing activity or share their progress of their latest writing project (Bligh & Crook, 2017, p. 70). The learning space doubles as a realistic setting – discussing ideas with peers while having lunch is an authentic experience (Bligh & Crook, 2017, p. 70).

To maintain consistency and encourage participation in the learning space every week I bring along different types of paper, a range of pens, pencils, crayons, and textas (Brown & Long, 2006, p. 117). I also issue each student with a ‘Writer’s Notebook’ and instruction guide with suggestions on what types of things they could include, and we revisit this throughout the term. Access to technology, beyond the computer room, is easily a positive in this learning space as the school was established with a ‘Bring Your Own Device’ policy. All students have a laptop provided by their family or if needed, a long-term loan from the school which does make it easier for students to partake in an online environment (Bligh & Crook, 2017, p. 1; (Brown & Long, 2006, p. 117). I provide a range of prompts, sometimes these are printed for students and sometimes they use resources from the library and often collect catalogues when I visit the grocery store, so we can do some idea generation in response to everyday items. The tactile approach works quite well because the group is not only about writing but allowing students to participate and make friends with students in different classes (Brown & Long, 2006, p. 117). Considering how to provide the variety possible within the face-to-face environment in the online space is an element I am grappling with currently.

Many of the students who participate in Pen & Paper also attend a range of other extra-curricular activities, so I have established Pen & Paper as a ‘drop in’ group with little pressure to attend every single week. Many of the other extra-curricular activities students sign up for are strict with attendance which means they are unwilling to attend others lest they overcommit themselves and run out of time to complete their homework and assessments, attend after school activities, and spend time with their friends and family. I learned quickly that I needed to take a much gentler approach with Pen & Paper, so students did not feel pressure to attend when they had full schedules and therefore wouldn’t attend at all. I create an overview of the term (see image right side bar) for the group to give some structure to the meetings and allow students to plan accordingly (Zhang, 2021). Each meeting I reiterate that they should come along when they can, and decide which topics they like the best—those involving sensory writing about sweets or biscuits are very popular which aligns with the ‘café’ culture approach espoused in the work of Bligh & Crook (2017, p. 70). I keep the conversation going when I see one of them in class or the library to reinforce the importance of their writing as part of their identity (Atwell, 2015, p.27). 

Maintaining routine and consistency in an online environment is as important as doing so in a physical environment but not so much as to impede or contain (Bligh & Crook, 2017, pp. 73-74). The development of an online space, while wholly necessary during remote learning, also allows learning to transcend the four walls of school, much like the way society operates beyond school (Juliani, 2015, p. 7). The online environment gives students the autonomy to access materials when and where they want – increasing flexibility and access and this is a learning space that I will maintain on our return to face-to-face (Juliani, 2015, p. 8). The use of Google Classroom replicates some of the functionality of social media, in that there are comments, and reactions available for immediate feedback and the display of pieces of writing as a post also iterates the ‘social media’ feel of the space (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 4). Students have some control over their presence in this world and they can choose their own avatar. The ‘asynchronous’ nature of the online space allows for students to access when they have the inclination, but it is possible that without the structure, accountability, and regularity of scheduled meetings that this is ineffective for some students (Zhang, 2021).

As aforementioned, students were invited to the online Google Classroom learning space if they had attended a face-to-face meeting and there have been several invites to the wider school community. Canvas is used for timetabled classes and this differentiation of platform for the extra-curricular space was to ensure that Canvas wasn’t sending more notifications to students about non-compulsory requirements. Given that many are struggling with the extended time online, I needed to create another space away from where they are spending their school days. I have found Google Classroom to be functional but does not allow for the interactivity, nor the development of a unique aesthetic, and in many ways, as reflected in the work of Bligh and Crook (2017, p. 70) it has fallen somewhat short of my expectations.

2. The Learners

The students who attend Pen & Paper are predominantly in Year 7 and Year 8 and there are two students who are regular library users, from Year 9 and Year 11, who also attend periodically. What I have found, during the time I have worked in education, is that relationships are important when students are determining how to spend their free time. Students from my classes, possibly after they have assessed whether they engage with the way I approach lessons, are more likely to attend the extra-curricular activities I coordinate. The take up from other grades is much slower. 

The students who attend regularly are all in different classes and while many of them are confident in all areas of their studies, it is evident, through being their Communication Skills teacher that the confidence in Pen & Paper does not always translate into their approach to classwork. Several require support when developing their ideas in the written form but thankfully their motivation is high, and they are not dissuaded from partaking in the activities even when they do not feel confident in all aspects. The group of students who attend face-to-face Pen & Paper were invited to a Google Classroom for the activity. In the online learning space, possibly because we are not engaging in tangential conversations about writing during the meeting, there is more writing being shared. The relative anonymity of the space, I think, also supports this. Students, and rightly so, can be reluctant to share their writing with others before they have developed a mutual respect and trust. I have shared the code to the group with the wider school community but as many students are finding the transition to online learning difficult, I understand that adding another online space, even one that exists as an interest based low pressure environment, may still be overwhelming, and only a few students have joined. For this reason, too, I chose Google classroom, rather than creating another ‘class’ on the schools Learning Management System, Canvas. This avoided adding to the noise of existing timetabled classes in this space.

This reflection will explore the physical learning space Pen & Paper as well as the movement to an online platform and consider ways the space could be more useful, interactive, and engaging for existing members and how to appeal to potential members in the rest of the student body.

1. Context and Learning Space: Pen & Paper

My context is a public comprehensive 7-12 high school in Western Sydney, NSW with close to 2000 students. The school opened in 2015 and has had one cohort complete their Higher School Certificate (HSC). The second cohort will complete the HSC in 2021. The student body is diverse with 59% students from a language background other than English and over 35 languages spoken by students and their families. The size of the school makes it unique—each grade has around 300 students which means, statistically, students should be able to find a community of likeminded peers. The reality is, of course, that students spend five hours a day with the same 20-30 students. Two breaks of 30-minutes allow just enough time for students to eat, drink, speak to a teacher, and spend a little time with their friendship group that is likely formed in their core class.  To this end, there is an imperative to provide extra-curricular activities and opportunities and create learning spaces to support the development of a positive school community and so students can meet peers with similar interests, beyond their core classes, in a neutral environment. There is also a need to support students who may not have had any success finding a friendship group in their core class.

My face-to-face teaching load, as Teacher-Librarian, is less than the staff teaching Key Learning Areas. Part of my role, therefore, is to engage students in the library space and support them with accessing the resources and with their assignments. My role of curating the library collection extends to extra-curricular activities which I run twice a week focusing on practical creative skills. The learning space I am focusing on in this instance is one of these groups, the face-to-face Pen & Paper group, that I established in Term 1, 2021 and the subsequent online environment I created when greater Sydney was required to stay at home during the lockdown period to prevent the transmission of the Delta strain of Covid 19. 

For more information regarding the demographics of the student body, please see the current school plan:

A term in the life of a new Teacher Librarian

A change of workplace is always a whirlwind. I am definitely out of my comfort zone in my new role as Teacher Librarian! I intended to keep a log of what happened week by week but it has mostly been me figuring out school systems and finding my place so I have revised my plan and have created an overview of the term.

My contributions have been focused on expanding what already happens in the school library. Instead of taking over existing things I am beginning new things or spending more time where there wasn't any time previously. Here are some of the things I have been working on over the last nine weeks:

Role Statement - I am in a very unique situation to be joining the first Teacher-Librarian. The move coincided with the construction of the new School Improvement Plan (SIP) so a role statement was provided. I contributed very little as I have never been a Teacher-Librarian before but the things I have been allocated are things I am excited to create.

Social Media - I am designing posts mainly for Instagram but they are also released on the school's Facebook account. My aim is a minimum of three posts per week. I am sending these to the Social Media Coordinator so the plan so far is to create an image with Canva (the education account is great) or take a photo and then I caption each in a record sheet before emailing off for posting. I may start a school specific account in the future some time. So far 33 posts have been shared which has been a solid start.

Posters - I have just been putting a few bits and pieces together on Canva to brighten up certain places. I also bought an electronic alphabet bunting and I used it to create a 'Write' wall with some Grant Snider cartoons about writing. There is a lot of blank space in the library which isn't a bad thing - it is a nice clean look but there are definitely some displays that I am excited to spruce up in the new year.

Displays - I have checked in with my fellow TL about creating a 'Book Trail' behind the circulation desk. We have recently had air conditioning installed and they have not been particularly judicious about the placement of the electrical service points. So my idea is to create some trail/journey/travelling/camping imagery around the window and in the window to display the covers of the books I am planning on reading (hopefully I will get a start on these during the holidays).

Reviews - Students are able to post reviews through Oliver so I approved these and printed out a template for book reviews to post some on the wall. There hasn't been a great take up of this - I need to work it in with the school's reward system as a merit for a review would be fine.

Continuous Story - The New York Public Library had a Continuous Story in the youth section of the library when I visited and I loved the idea. I need to rethink the placement in the library to capture students but there are a few posts at the moment. I will aim to push this a little more in the new year with more social media and I will change the prompt twice a term. I also need a place to leave some post it notes and pens on the service desk as well. 

Pocket Poetry - this surprised me a little so I am definitely continuing next year - I even have all of the poems printed for the entire year so I am ready! I will place a few more 'pockets' around as well and then the poems will be updated twice a term just to keep things fresh. I think mostly things just have to be changed or updated regularly so I am looking forward to coming up with displays and a bit of a timeline to fit in with some special days over the holidays. A schedule will help me to keep track and then if I need to be off with my son (hopefully both his and my immune systems will be doing a bit better in the new year!) then I will remain on track.

Research skills - I was really reluctant to take on study last semester as things were just manic after covid and really, I never caught up. I wasn't able to defer, however, so I struggled on but the resources I cam across were really useful and I was able to come up with some great resources to support students with the research projects in CAFS. I am aiming to refine these either this afternoon or tomorrow so they can be added as a scaffold to the assessment task next year. 

Working with individual students - this mainly took place in CAFS where students spent a large portion of the term investigating the research question they created at the start of the term. Students were required to conduct local research as well as a literature review and this is where they were a little stuck. I supported them with search terms and joined their search just to be an extra set of eyes searching. For most students we were able to find at least 4-5 articles which set them on the right path to write their literature review.

Developing resources to support the inquiry learning process - I am still tweaking these and I have come up with a few things that would have helped me with the inquiry process earlier this semester so hopefully students will find them useful. At least they will be a resource that I can take with me when I am supporting students with their research.

The school newspaper - I have been tasked with being the final editor of the student led school newspaper. A year 10 student started the publication and has organised, very efficiently I might add, a great team. She leads the meetings and ensures everyone has a task to complete by the deadline. I will hopefully continue to help out in the future - just as an extra pair of eyes to ensure everything is smooth and clear before distribution. 

Communication Skills - my teaching load is year 7 Communication Skills which is almost like a literacy subject that all year 7 students take once a fortnight. Now we are at the end of the year and I have seen all of my classes multiple times this term I know quite a few of their names which is really nice. Hopefully they all come back to the library next year to borrow some books!

Extra curricular - the second half of this term I ran a 'Gift of Writing' recess activity. Using Nancie Atwell's process from 'In the Middle' I put together some poems as an example of different ways gifts of writing could be structured and I awaited hoards of students coming along to write gifts for their friends and families. This is not exactly how it panned out - I have had two students come along and at the first mention of poetry one left. The other student, though, has come along every Monday and she has written several poems - firstly for a group of friends and secondly for her parents. We brainstormed together and then I let her write and gave her some quick feedback before the bell went. 

Display video - the library has a display television and after a bit of trial and error with PowerPoint I worked out how to get it to show a presentation on loop. I have made the first one for Term 1, 2021 and will get started on the second one early next year.

Newsletter items - I am aiming for two newsletter items about reading/literacy/new books per term. I have a couple of short articles written already because I was required to compose several for an assessment task so I updated them to suit the context and have filed them ready for next year. I penned the second one for this term based on one from the Association of Independent Schools. The article is titled 'Holiday Reading Ideas for Your School Newsletter' - so helpful. 

I have several (actually, many) books about reading so I have lots of quality information to draw on. I am currently reading 'Raising Readers' by Megan Daley and not only does it contain great book recommendations, ideas on how to support reading in children of all ages, it has some great tips for Teacher Librarians. I will have to pop them in my book of lists as I think they will be very helpful to look back upon as I develop my skills and understanding of the role.

It has been a great term and I am excited to see what the new year brings.

Reflections on Term 3, 2020

Busy, busy, busy! 

I was fortunate to get called up for an interview early in Week 1 and I found out, several weeks later (due to several mix ups with staffing - even though I foresaw that there would be problems with my qualifications and called ahead to ask all of the questions!) that I was selected for the position of Teacher Librarian! All the study and thinking stopped being a 'one day' and became a reality - I was to start Week 2, Term 4. Initially the role was something I decided to pursue when I had some extra time while working a corporate position as I could get my work completed most days in the office and my take home work load was significantly reduced. I didn't want to squander such an opportunity so undertook further study. When I saw the TL position advertised it came after a few difficult interactions with colleagues that really made me question what I was doing and whether I had made the right decision to return to the Head Teacher role. I mulled over what to do for quite some time - going backwards and forwards until I simply had to make my mind up, inform my supervisor, and write the application. I got to the point where I felt okay to leave the decision in the hands of the universe - put my best foot forward and wait to see what happened. If it was the right door then it would open up and it did. 

After I accepted the position I really had to get serious about what needed to be completed on my faculty Head Teacher 'to do' list in what remained of the term. Many of the items were additions to the faculty and not necessarily things that someone else would like to take on so they came off the list straight away. I had three good terms of 'a poem a day' and writing workshop but I can't mandate things when I am no longer the Head Teacher so they came off the list. I ordered the last few things needed for the faculty - enough A6 notebooks for the incoming Year 12 cohort to complete the Writer's Notebook activity, a little bit more stationery, and some desk top drawers so I could recycle the cardboard shelves I bought years and years ago that became awful dust collectors and a filler of valuable real estate in the staffroom. Everything needed a tidy. My aim was to leave things in a nicer state than I found them and I think I succeeded in this small goal. 

Overall I returned all of the books to the Seminar Room, finished off updates to the Scope and Sequence filed assessment paperwork and faculty paperwork in a folder and popped it on the faculty shelf. I threw out superfluous junk sitting around the place, took lost property to the Front Office, bought a few more packets of biscuits for the faculty cookie jar, and scanned all of my resources (I still have about 10 folders to go but I will get to those a bit later in the term - hopefully I will have them completed by the end of the year). Early in the term I had some posters laminated to decorate my classroom so I spent a few hours putting it all together to leave as a temporal legacy. I put everything away in the Seminar Room and did a quick tidy of the Book Room. The Book Room really needed another 12+ hours but I just didn't have any extra time. It was workable when I left it - everything hanging around was returned to its place. The Book Boxes stared at me sadly during the clean - they will likely sit there indefinitely but there is nothing I can do about that now. That is one thing that is difficult about leaving - half completed projects or grand ideas that I didn't have time to implement.

With a new position in a workplace outside the suburb I live I knew the routines on the home front would have to change. This was nearly the clincher for me. I am 35-minutes further away from my child and not being there to get him ready in the morning and to drop him off is something I have had to grapple with - do I miss these little moments to have more time generally? It of course it seems like a no-brainer but I am still anxious about daycare and not being able to be there immediately if I am needed. If I am honest, though, the times I was needed I still had a class of 30-students so couldn't leave school for 30-45 minutes anyway so I am likely in a better position now with a reduced face to face teaching load. 

So a week and a half into the role I am driving for a lot longer each day - I have to leave around 7am and I get home at about 4.05pm so my partner is doing daycare drop off and I pick baby up in the afternoon. Overall, because I have less managerial responsibility I can get my work done during the work day and I tinker for a little bit in the afternoon and leave at 3.30pm. Even with the travel, though, I am getting to daycare for pick up earlier than I have all year. I have gained some time because I am not required to attend Executive Meetings and I am not preparing for Faculty Meetings or composing Faculty Memos in lieu of Faculty Meetings. I have some space in my work day now to get things completed because I am not part of the hierarchical structure that I once was - I am no longer instructing staff on how to respond to classroom management issues nor am I collecting students who are misbehaving. I don't have to patrol areas of the school. There are so many things that I am no longer responsible for and to be quite honest, it is such a relief. Some people really enjoy these parts of the role or can be indifferent to the process to a point because there are many other parts of the role they enjoy. I found the managerial elements so very wearing. Establishing myself as an 'authority' whose instructions must be followed or else? Well, I can say, it isn't for me, I don't want to expend energy that way. My days of being a big stick are over. 

Having 'extra' time takes a bit of adjustment. Without the pressure of due dates and letting people down the things I want to do—hobbies just don't get done. I almost need to schedule my 'want to do' list like I would do work tasks - is that a bad thing? Do other people need to do this? I am not sure. I just get so distracted and I lose focus and it is only upon reflection that I realise it has been a year since I have picked up a paintbrush, that my watercolours have been sitting for four months, I haven't been for a walk since before the school holidays, I have read only seven books this whole year and I haven't opened my writer's notebook since I don't know when. I know that I have been doing a lot but the realisation that things that fill me with joy are not completed with any regularity is sobering. I do have a few health things to sort and I have to bear a nightmare from my childhood that is lingering in the wings but I need to make some organisational changes to honour the time I have clawed back. It is sometimes a bit tough to start a new gig in Term 4 but what is great is that I am getting used to how everything works and by the time the new year rolls around I am going to be raring to go.