Date: Thursday, February 5, 2015
Time: 12:30-1:30 pm
Location: Digital Literacy Centre, Ponderosa Annex F
Title: Creating Locally-Developed and Locally-Normed English Reading Assessments for Primary-, Intermediate- and Secondary-Level ESL Students
Presenter: Lee Gunderson
Abstract: Instruction is broadly based on the notion that students who are within a particular age group, such as grade 3 or 11, are generally at the same level or stage of English language development, although there is considerable diversity. Classrooms often enroll students who are non-English speakers who have never attended school and those who have attended school and who have English abilities varying from very limited to fluent. Valid and reliable assessment is essential to appropriate instructional planning. A BC ESL Assessment Consortium was established in 2008 and members quickly concluded that there was an urgent need for uniform assessments among and within districts. A significant problem is that measures are generally not normed on ESL populations and there is consensus that results are generally neither valid nor reliable.
Discussion focused on the nature of the assessment and whether it should involve listening, speaking, reading, or writing, or a combination of more than one kind of measure. Members concluded they would agree to disagree about “levels” and the instruments were designed to be interpreted in 4- and 5-level districts. This session will include a discussion and review of the development and norming of assessments for Primary-, Intermediate- and Secondary-Level students, both paper-and-pencil and online versions. The strengths and limitations of the assessments will be reviewed.
All welcome! Feel free to bring your lunch.
The LLED Research Seminar Series resumes for 2015!
Date: Thursday, January 29, 2015
Time: 12:30-1:30 pm
Location: Digital Literacy Centre
Title: Rhetorical genre theory: Discourse as social action
Presenter: Anthony Paré
Abstract: This presentation will offer an introduction to rhetorical genre theory (RGT) by describing its origins, its key terms, and the type of research questions it raises. Although RGT has affinities with other contemporary genre theories, it differs in one crucial way: it is primarily a sociocultural theory. As a result, RGT takes a broad view of discourse to consider not only texts but also the situations in which they arise, the relationships created by and through them, the social actions they perform, and the implicit and explicit regulations governing their production. True to its roots in classical rhetoric, RGT is interested in how social motives shape the form and function of discourse. And sensitive to the power of discourse, RGT is curious about why and for whom certain discursive forms and practices become regulated and habitual.
All welcome! Feel free to bring your lunch.
In an effort to support LLED graduate students’ development of scholarly profiles, the Department provides a limited amount of travel funding annually for students to present at local, national or international conferences. Conferences for which funding is sought should take place while applicants are students, or no later than 6 months after their graduation.
Please submit the application form and all supporting documents electronically to Laurie Reynolds at laurie.reynolds@ubc.ca by Monday, February 2, 2015 by 4:00 pm
The Academic English Program (AEP) at UBC Vantage College invites applications for a Graduate Teaching Assistant position for January‐April 2015.
Expected time commitment: 10 hours per week
Work schedule: TBD
Start date: as soon as possible
Application packages should be sent electronically as PDF or Word documents to the following e‐mail address: employment@vantagecollege.ubc.ca. Please indicate in the subject line: AEP Graduate Teaching Assistant. Enquiries should also be sent to the same e‐mail address.
Deadline for applications: Monday, January 12, 2015.
Congratulations LLED Community!
On Friday, December 12th our silent auction raised $1724 to help the Faculty’s education initiatives in Dadaab. Numerous direct donations were also made, and we thank you all for your contributions.
More information on the project can be found on the Development and Alumni Engagement initiative.
Thank you again for supporting Dadaab and the work of our faculty and students!
LLED is pleased to announce the appointments of Drs. John Willinsky and Allan Luke as Affiliate Professors in LLED, effective Jan. 1, 2015, and Sept. 1, 2015, respectively.
These appointments makes formal a long and productive relationship between John and Allan and LLED, and opens the way toward further collaboration. We are excited for the opportunity to work towards deeper and more meaningful collaborations with these two excellent scholars.
Welcome John and Allan.
Congratulations to Alison Gear, a graduate of the MA program in Literacy Education and currently Early Years Coordinator with the Haida Gwaii School District, on the publication of Taan’s Moon: A Haida Moon Story by McKellar and Martin Publishing. The book was illustrated by Kiki van der Haden and the children of Haida Gwaii.
In his Foreword, author Richard Van Camp calls Taan’s Moon , “one of the most beautiful books I have ever witnessed”.
The book will be available at Kidsbooks in Vancouver.
Dr. Margaret Early (right) winner of the Murray Elliott Award at the Bachelor of Education Student Awards Night
Congratulations to our friend and colleague Margaret Early for winning the 2014 Murray Elliott Award for her many contributions to teacher education at UBC. Below is a brief excerpt from the nomination statement and a photo of our champion teacher. Bravo, Margaret!
Margaret Early – Murray Elliott Award Summary
Margaret Early’s many contributions to Teacher Education at UBC are characterized by her deep passion and commitment to the successful integration of English Language Learners (ELLs) into local schools and communities. This commitment to cutting-edge pedagogical approaches for ELL education, which she pioneered, is well known in the Faculty of Education, in the Vancouver School Board, and indeed across the Lower Mainland and other parts of Canada. In recent years, Margaret spearheaded curricular reform in the new CREATE Teacher Education Program. Her sustained leadership in ELL teacher education required thoughtful, well-researched course design and delivery for teacher candidates in all program areas. Her investment in such initiatives has involved mentoring countless colleagues, teaching assistants, sessionals, graduate students and B.Ed. teacher candidates about principles and best practices for effective language and literacy education across the curriculum. Her inspired service is strongly linked to her teaching, and has been a catalyst for significant developments not just at UBC, but in teacher education nationally and internationally.
Congratulations to Dr. Jim Anderson of Language and Literacy Education on his appointment to the Literacy Research Panel (LPR) of the International Reading Association. Dr. Anderson joins a small group of international colleagues who will be advancing literacy policy, research, and teaching worldwide.
From the Association’s website: “The LRP intends to engage with policy circles at the national and state level. However, the LRP aims to do more than affect policy change; it aims to enhance effective literacy instruction across the country and around the world by introducing constructive initiatives to change policy and practices where it matters—in districts and schools.”
