January 18, 2025 • 12 mins
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This week's episode is a little fun with a serious message. I will tell you about my most and least favourite F words, but don't worry; there won't be any swearing. Let's begin with a story.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jocelyn (00:00):
Hello, hello, welcome to this episode of the
Structured Literacy Podcastrecorded right here in Tasmania,
the lands of the Palawa people.
Today's episode is a little bitof fun with a serious message,
and I'm going to tell you aboutmy most and least favourite
F-words.
But don't worry, there won't beany swearing.
This is not that kind ofpodcast.
(00:21):
Let's begin with a story.
Imagine you're teaching a classof students.
You have a program manual inyour hand that tells you exactly
what to do and what to say.
You've had time to get used tothe routines and are managing to
keep the students engaged.
At your school you've been toldnot to deviate from the script,
that 100% fidelity to theprogram will lead to great
(00:43):
outcomes.
You used to be a little scaredof teaching the content of these
lessons, but you're moreconfident now, after some
professional learning.
You don't feel like an expert,but you know how to answer most
questions that the students ask.
In this particular lesson youstart with a little joke and the
students chuckle, always a win,and you're ready to start the
lesson.
You've seen some real growthwith your students.
(01:06):
When you used to teach spelling, you gave students worksheets,
rainbow words and sometimes whatyou thought were engaging tasks
like word searches.
You know that in this formerpractice you were attempting to
deal with core content, butstudents need us to lead the
lessons, not give thementertaining things to do.
So now things are much better,except that there are a couple
(01:31):
of students that you aren't sosure about.
These students don't catch onto the content as quickly as
others.
They need explanations repeatedand do better in other subjects
when you can share morecontextualised examples, but in
this lesson you've agreed thatyou'll stick to the script.
After all, one in, all in.
This example features my twomost and least favourite F-words
(01:52):
.
Let's start with the leastfavourite ones and get them out
of the way.
The first F-word that I don'tcare for is fun.
So many times we confuseentertainment and engagement.
When students are laughing,smiling and having fun, they
look like they're into it, butentertainment is fleeting.
It's about keeping studentsoccupied and focused in the
(02:15):
moment.
That doesn't necessarily leadto learning.
Engagement, on the other hand,is when students are actively
participating in the learningprocess, making connections and
doing the cognitive worknecessary to grow.
The key difference between funand engagement lies in who's
doing the work.
(02:35):
In entertainment-drivenclassrooms, the teacher often
does most of the heavy lifting,performing, facilitating games
or orchestrating activities thatlook fun but don't require much
from the students.
In an engaged classroom, it'sthe students who are doing the
thinking, collaborating andgrappling with the material.
(02:55):
They're invested not becauseit's fun, but because it's
meaningful and purposeful.
The theory we draw on to deepenour understanding here is that
different types of memory exist.
This was described by Tolvingin 1972.
Episodic Memory refers tomemory for specific events or
(03:17):
experiences tied to a particulartime and place.
For example, a student mightremember the fun game they
played in class or how theteacher dressed up as a
historical figure, but notnecessarily the content or
skills intended to be learned.
Semantic Memory, on the otherhand, involves memory for
(03:38):
factual knowledge and conceptsindependent of personal
experience.
This is where the deepertransferable learning happens.
Students remember andunderstand key ideas, facts and
principles that they can applyto different contexts.
The litmus test is simple (03:53):
at the end of the lesson, can
students articulate what theylearned, why it matters and how
it connects to what they'lllearn next and what they've
learned before?
If the answer is yes, thenyou've struck the right balance.
Rejecting the idea of funlearning doesn't mean we can't
(04:14):
be playful in the classroom fromtime to time.
It's just that playfulnessserves the learning, it doesn't
hinder it.
While I don't care for the wordfun as it relates to
instruction, my least favouriteF- word of all right now is
fidelity.
Now, before you go and tellyour team that it's free choice
(04:35):
day in instruction, becauseJocelyn said we don't have to
work with fidelity, listen to mythoughts about why.
I guess it depends on whichdefinition of fidelity you're
talking about.
One definition of instructionalfidelity is: high quality
implementation, that's oftenreferred to as fidelity, means
(04:56):
implementing classroom lessonsand activities as intended by
the program's developer.
This would include teaching allof the lessons in sequence and
carefully following theinstructions within each lesson
plan so that all of the pointsand objectives are covered using
the methods intended by theauthor of the program.
Keep listening.
(05:17):
High quality implementationalso has a qualitative component
.
Teachers are said to implementwell when they are prepared,
when they make desired pointswith clarity, teach with
enthusiasm and create a climateof respect so that students feel
safe and engaged in the process.
(05:37):
Because every group of studentsis unique in terms of
experiences, needs and culturalbackground, implementing well
also means knowing when and howa program may need to be adapted
in order to achieve its goals.
It's possible to retainfidelity to a program design by
(06:00):
making sure that anymodifications are aligned with
the program's message andobjectives.
Now, this definition I reallylike.
It's what I have in mind when Ithink about how I like the
programs and resources that Iwrite to be used.
I don't know your students.
I aim to provide enoughguidance that, if lesson steps
(06:20):
are delivered as written, ateacher can adjust to meet the
needs of the students and getgreat outcomes.
I don't want teachers changingup the order of the lesson
elements or leaving things out.
However, I do expect teachersto make decisions about how many
words or sentences to includein a lesson and whether, after
conductive formative assessment,students are ready to move on
(06:42):
to the next part of a sequence.
The version of fidelity that hasresulted in this word being in
my least favourite list is theversion described in the
scenario at the start of theepisode.
A program is implemented andteachers are expected to teach
it without deviating from whatis on the page.
On one hand, this relievesteachers of a lot of pressure.
(07:05):
They don't have to think toohard other than do what's on the
page, and there's a place forthat in instruction when you're
very first learning.
But what this means is thatwhen we are teaching, we're
doing it in a way that may ormay not be meeting the needs of
the students in front of us.
The result is that we can seestudents in front of us who need
(07:26):
something else or more time,but we're pressured into moving
on in the content.
For far too many teachers andschools, fidelity has come to
mean this second version.
When this is the case,instruction becomes about the
developer or the writer and notabout responding to the needs of
(07:46):
students.
Please understand me.
I'm not talking about teachersgoing rogue or cherry-picking
bits of instruction that theylike.
Let's hear that definitionagain.
High-quality implementationmeans implementing classroom
lessons and activities asintended by the program's
developer.
This would include teaching allof the lessons in sequence and
(08:10):
carefully following theinstructions within each lesson
plan so that all of the pointsand objectives are covered using
the methods intended by theauthor of the program.
We don't have to choose betweenbeing consistent with a
resource creator's intention andserving students.
We can have both.
(08:30):
What that requires to make itwork is a strong understanding
of what are the negotiables andnot- negotiables of any
particular area of instruction.
So for Reading Success inAction, our early years phonics
program, we have a document thatsays what the negotiables and
not- negotiables are for this tobe successful.
(08:53):
If you have that for teachersacross the curriculum, they'll
know exactly what they can andcan't do.
That brings us to the end of myleast favourite F-words.
Let's get into my mostfavourite.
My first favourite F- word isfoundational, as in foundational
skills.
We often worry aboutcomprehension and writing, and
(09:17):
these are absolutely importantfactors in instruction.
But having an unapologeticfocus on building foundational
skills for every child who needsit sets students up for all of
the writing and comprehending wewant to happen.
To make this endeavour a reality, we need to be super targeted
(09:37):
on using every instructionalminute to maximise learning.
As a principal recently said tome, I want the effort we're
putting in to be matched by theresults we're seeing, and I
thought this was a wonderfulexpression of what we should be
aiming for.
When we have clarity aboutexactly what our students need
(09:59):
and prioritise those needs,terrific things happen.
Finally, we come to my mostfavourite F- word of all, and
that is functional.
It is a definite step in theright direction for more focus
to be put on explicitly teachingmorphology and orthography
across the years of primaryschool.
(10:20):
However, what isn't terrific isthe pressure that teachers put
on themselves, feeling like theyhave to be experts in order to
teach well.
Yes, we do need to be committedto growing our knowledge of how
our language works, but what wedon't need to be to teach well
is a linguist.
The focus of instruction isn'tto teach our students every
(10:44):
nitty-gritty bit of informationabout etymology or the words.
The focus of instruction is togive our students a functional
level of knowledge to facilitateconfident reading and spelling.
That's the goal.
So if you've been avoidingmorphology lessons because the
imposter monsters tell you thatyou aren't knowledgeable enough,
(11:05):
it's time to give yourself abreak.
Choose a strong,evidence-informed resource or
tool to teach with that includesteacher background knowledge,
so that you have what you needat hand when you need it.
A great resource will help youbuild knowledge as well as skill
.
Great teaching is about meetingthe needs of our students.
We do this when we grow ourknowledge and build skills and
(11:28):
explicit teaching principles.
When this happens, we can useour programs and resources as
intended, at the same time asmeeting our students' needs.
I hope that you found thisepisode helpful, and if you were
expecting some swear words, I'mvery sorry, I was well behaved
for us all.
Until next time, happy teaching, bye.
Hello, hello, welcome to this episode of the
Structured Literacy Podcastrecorded right here in Tasmania,
the lands of the Palawa people.
Today's episode is a little bitof fun with a serious message,
and I'm going to tell you aboutmy most and least favourite
F-words.
But don't worry, there won't beany swearing.
This is not that kind ofpodcast.
(00:21):
Let's begin with a story.
Imagine you're teaching a classof students.
You have a program manual inyour hand that tells you exactly
what to do and what to say.
You've had time to get used tothe routines and are managing to
keep the students engaged.
At your school you've been toldnot to deviate from the script,
that 100% fidelity to theprogram will lead to great
(00:43):
outcomes.
You used to be a little scaredof teaching the content of these
lessons, but you're moreconfident now, after some
professional learning.
You don't feel like an expert,but you know how to answer most
questions that the students ask.
In this particular lesson youstart with a little joke and the
students chuckle, always a win,and you're ready to start the
lesson.
You've seen some real growthwith your students.
(01:06):
When you used to teach spelling, you gave students worksheets,
rainbow words and sometimes whatyou thought were engaging tasks
like word searches.
You know that in this formerpractice you were attempting to
deal with core content, butstudents need us to lead the
lessons, not give thementertaining things to do.
So now things are much better,except that there are a couple
(01:31):
of students that you aren't sosure about.
These students don't catch onto the content as quickly as
others.
They need explanations repeatedand do better in other subjects
when you can share morecontextualised examples, but in
this lesson you've agreed thatyou'll stick to the script.
After all, one in, all in.
This example features my twomost and least favourite F-words
(01:52):
.
Let's start with the leastfavourite ones and get them out
of the way.
The first F-word that I don'tcare for is fun.
So many times we confuseentertainment and engagement.
When students are laughing,smiling and having fun, they
look like they're into it, butentertainment is fleeting.
It's about keeping studentsoccupied and focused in the
(02:15):
moment.
That doesn't necessarily leadto learning.
Engagement, on the other hand,is when students are actively
participating in the learningprocess, making connections and
doing the cognitive worknecessary to grow.
The key difference between funand engagement lies in who's
doing the work.
(02:35):
In entertainment-drivenclassrooms, the teacher often
does most of the heavy lifting,performing, facilitating games
or orchestrating activities thatlook fun but don't require much
from the students.
In an engaged classroom, it'sthe students who are doing the
thinking, collaborating andgrappling with the material.
(02:55):
They're invested not becauseit's fun, but because it's
meaningful and purposeful.
The theory we draw on to deepenour understanding here is that
different types of memory exist.
This was described by Tolvingin 1972.
Episodic Memory refers tomemory for specific events or
(03:17):
experiences tied to a particulartime and place.
For example, a student mightremember the fun game they
played in class or how theteacher dressed up as a
historical figure, but notnecessarily the content or
skills intended to be learned.
Semantic Memory, on the otherhand, involves memory for
(03:38):
factual knowledge and conceptsindependent of personal
experience.
This is where the deepertransferable learning happens.
Students remember andunderstand key ideas, facts and
principles that they can applyto different contexts.
The litmus test is simple (03:53):
at the end of the lesson, can
students articulate what theylearned, why it matters and how
it connects to what they'lllearn next and what they've
learned before?
If the answer is yes, thenyou've struck the right balance.
Rejecting the idea of funlearning doesn't mean we can't
(04:14):
be playful in the classroom fromtime to time.
It's just that playfulnessserves the learning, it doesn't
hinder it.
While I don't care for the wordfun as it relates to
instruction, my least favouriteF- word of all right now is
fidelity.
Now, before you go and tellyour team that it's free choice
(04:35):
day in instruction, becauseJocelyn said we don't have to
work with fidelity, listen to mythoughts about why.
I guess it depends on whichdefinition of fidelity you're
talking about.
One definition of instructionalfidelity is: high quality
implementation, that's oftenreferred to as fidelity, means
(04:56):
implementing classroom lessonsand activities as intended by
the program's developer.
This would include teaching allof the lessons in sequence and
carefully following theinstructions within each lesson
plan so that all of the pointsand objectives are covered using
the methods intended by theauthor of the program.
Keep listening.
(05:17):
High quality implementationalso has a qualitative component
.
Teachers are said to implementwell when they are prepared,
when they make desired pointswith clarity, teach with
enthusiasm and create a climateof respect so that students feel
safe and engaged in the process.
(05:37):
Because every group of studentsis unique in terms of
experiences, needs and culturalbackground, implementing well
also means knowing when and howa program may need to be adapted
in order to achieve its goals.
It's possible to retainfidelity to a program design by
(06:00):
making sure that anymodifications are aligned with
the program's message andobjectives.
Now, this definition I reallylike.
It's what I have in mind when Ithink about how I like the
programs and resources that Iwrite to be used.
I don't know your students.
I aim to provide enoughguidance that, if lesson steps
(06:20):
are delivered as written, ateacher can adjust to meet the
needs of the students and getgreat outcomes.
I don't want teachers changingup the order of the lesson
elements or leaving things out.
However, I do expect teachersto make decisions about how many
words or sentences to includein a lesson and whether, after
conductive formative assessment,students are ready to move on
(06:42):
to the next part of a sequence.
The version of fidelity that hasresulted in this word being in
my least favourite list is theversion described in the
scenario at the start of theepisode.
A program is implemented andteachers are expected to teach
it without deviating from whatis on the page.
On one hand, this relievesteachers of a lot of pressure.
(07:05):
They don't have to think toohard other than do what's on the
page, and there's a place forthat in instruction when you're
very first learning.
But what this means is thatwhen we are teaching, we're
doing it in a way that may ormay not be meeting the needs of
the students in front of us.
The result is that we can seestudents in front of us who need
(07:26):
something else or more time,but we're pressured into moving
on in the content.
For far too many teachers andschools, fidelity has come to
mean this second version.
When this is the case,instruction becomes about the
developer or the writer and notabout responding to the needs of
(07:46):
students.
Please understand me.
I'm not talking about teachersgoing rogue or cherry-picking
bits of instruction that theylike.
Let's hear that definitionagain.
High-quality implementationmeans implementing classroom
lessons and activities asintended by the program's
developer.
This would include teaching allof the lessons in sequence and
(08:10):
carefully following theinstructions within each lesson
plan so that all of the pointsand objectives are covered using
the methods intended by theauthor of the program.
We don't have to choose betweenbeing consistent with a
resource creator's intention andserving students.
We can have both.
(08:30):
What that requires to make itwork is a strong understanding
of what are the negotiables andnot- negotiables of any
particular area of instruction.
So for Reading Success inAction, our early years phonics
program, we have a document thatsays what the negotiables and
not- negotiables are for this tobe successful.
(08:53):
If you have that for teachersacross the curriculum, they'll
know exactly what they can andcan't do.
That brings us to the end of myleast favourite F-words.
Let's get into my mostfavourite.
My first favourite F- word isfoundational, as in foundational
skills.
We often worry aboutcomprehension and writing, and
(09:17):
these are absolutely importantfactors in instruction.
But having an unapologeticfocus on building foundational
skills for every child who needsit sets students up for all of
the writing and comprehending wewant to happen.
To make this endeavour a reality, we need to be super targeted
(09:37):
on using every instructionalminute to maximise learning.
As a principal recently said tome, I want the effort we're
putting in to be matched by theresults we're seeing, and I
thought this was a wonderfulexpression of what we should be
aiming for.
When we have clarity aboutexactly what our students need
(09:59):
and prioritise those needs,terrific things happen.
Finally, we come to my mostfavourite F- word of all, and
that is functional.
It is a definite step in theright direction for more focus
to be put on explicitly teachingmorphology and orthography
across the years of primaryschool.
(10:20):
However, what isn't terrific isthe pressure that teachers put
on themselves, feeling like theyhave to be experts in order to
teach well.
Yes, we do need to be committedto growing our knowledge of how
our language works, but what wedon't need to be to teach well
is a linguist.
The focus of instruction isn'tto teach our students every
(10:44):
nitty-gritty bit of informationabout etymology or the words.
The focus of instruction is togive our students a functional
level of knowledge to facilitateconfident reading and spelling.
That's the goal.
So if you've been avoidingmorphology lessons because the
imposter monsters tell you thatyou aren't knowledgeable enough,
(11:05):
it's time to give yourself abreak.
Choose a strong,evidence-informed resource or
tool to teach with that includesteacher background knowledge,
so that you have what you needat hand when you need it.
A great resource will help youbuild knowledge as well as skill
.
Great teaching is about meetingthe needs of our students.
We do this when we grow ourknowledge and build skills and
(11:28):
explicit teaching principles.
When this happens, we can useour programs and resources as
intended, at the same time asmeeting our students' needs.
I hope that you found thisepisode helpful, and if you were
expecting some swear words, I'mvery sorry, I was well behaved
for us all.
Until next time, happy teaching, bye.
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