BC Educational Leadership Research. Issue 2. November, 2005.
Literacy
In
British Columbia, it seems to go without saying that “literacy”
is at the top of the educational agenda. You will find that
this issue of BC Educational Leadership Research provides
a remarkably rich engagement with literacy at a level commensurate
with this significance. As you would hope from a research
journal, you will find articles that challenge the assumptions
often made about literacy. There is also leading edge research
here that will make a difference in children’s classrooms
tomorrow. Contributions have been kept short and to the point
in order to facilitate the busy work-lives of educational
leaders in the field. Contributors have graciously included
contact information to enable you to “dig deeper”
into a particular piece of research, should you wish. We hope
that you find the different media carried by this issue of
interest. Take the time to download
the newest Flashplayer (8.0) if you need it to view the Enhancing
Literacy videos: it’s well worth it!
Velma Sutherland, principal of John Field Elementary in Hazelton,
blends together her recent experience of Maori language nests
in Aotearoa/New Zealand with a lifetime committed to language
learning. Her piece exemplifies the power of reflective practice
as a research modality for school leaders.
Iris Berger, of the Institute of Early Childhood Education
and Research, argues against the inclination of the “early
literacy” and “school readiness” discourses
toward a narrow view of literacy—literacy as deciphering
text. She provides a research basis for understanding young
learners as having much more to do with their vast learning
capacities than just decoding words.
Early and Potts continue Berger’s critical challenge
by considering the multiple literacies that are demanded by
our global, information technology rich, context. They describe
their on-going research work into multiple literacies that
is occurring in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.
Grauer, Kind, Irwin, and de Cossons seek with their research
a holistic definition of literacy, “one that connects
heart, hand and head and does not split knowledge into dualities
of thought and being, mind and body, emotion and intellect,
but resonates with a wholeness and fullness that engages every
part of one’s being.” This “enlightened
literacy” was the basis of a recent lecture tour that
Dr. Grauer recently made to packed academic and professional
audiences in Athens Georgia, audiences hungry for alternatives
to narrow notions of literacy that currently prevail there.
Butler, Schnellert, and Cartier report on their research
into adolescent reading to learn. Their work has developed
an assessment tool that gives teachers access to the complex
of factors influencing adolescent students’ reading
to learn.
Jim Anderson and Fiona Morrison outline the theoretical basis
for their highly successful Parents As Literacy Support (PALS)
program as well as providing a description of the program,
and a quick synopsis of its five year history.
Susan Close begins a three part series on literacy and the
development of a district-wide action research culture. In
this first part, Susan outlines “the development and
evolving work of K-12 district research teams, the encouraging
effects of their work, and how that work is steadily informing
and improving one district’s literacy achievement.”
Finally, we are grateful to the Faculty of Education for
their permission to re-cast the public presentations of Lee
Gunderson, Jerome Harste, and Victoria Purcell-Gates from
the Enhancing Literacy
at Home and at School conversation hosted by Dean Rob
Tierney, October 17, 2005. Victoria Purcell-Gates, holding
the Canada Research Chair in early literacy, provides some
very practical suggestions for parents and schools. Lee Gunderson
references two different research studies: the first based
on over 25,000 surveys of ESL parents registering children
in the Vancouver School Board through the Oakridge Reception
Centre from 1989 to 2005; and the second based on the merits
of esl parents reading to their children in their home language.
Jerome Harste, visiting scholar from the University of Indiana,
discusses the importance of meaning and identity for literacy
development. Harste argues that literacy is composed of a
set of cultural practices that may or may not be congruent
with the literacy assessed in schools. We have included a
full transcription of their presentations, along with video
clips.
In closing, I wish to acknowledge the remarkable work of
the technical support team that makes this journal possible.
Sharon Hu of Educational Studies is BCELR’s web wizard.
Her creative genius, passion for pushing boundaries, and commitment
to excellence show in every aspect of the journal. Larry DeFehr
of Computing and Media Services performed editing miracles
with 90 minutes of raw video. I also wish to acknowledge the
gracious efforts of all of this edition’s contributors,
many of whom added this project to an already packed agenda.
We are grateful to them for their thoughtful engagement of
the challenge we posed them: include us in your research,
and make it short!
Let us know what you think about the articles, the journal,
or educational leadership. Send your thoughts to
slc.edu@ubc.ca with subject line: BCELR comment.
Mark Edwards
Upcoming Issues of BCELR
February
Parent Involvement. The last decade has
seen an enormous increase in interest regarding the role or
roles of parents in education. This issue of BCELR will look
at parent involvement from a variety of points of view—formal
and informal. If you are involved in a research project considering
parent involvement, or have a critique of parent involvement
as it is currently defined, or can provide a case study or
historic perspective of parent involvement in BC, please consider
submitting to the journal, slc.edu@ubc.ca
March
Educational Leadership Development. The
March issue of the BC Educational Leadership Research e-journal
will focus on Educational Leadership Development. As the intent
of the e-journal is to foster dialogue among BC educational
leaders and to share information across the province, we invite
submission of brief articles on this topic by March 3, 2006
to the School Leadership Centre, at slc.edu@ubc.ca
This edition will provide a forum for access to and examination
of findings from the research and literature on Educational
Leadership Development and for districts and organizations
to describe their local leadership development initiatives.
For more information about submitting an article, please contact
Corine Clark, Field Director, at slc.edu@ubc.ca
or at 604 827-5350.
May
Action Research. Data driven decision making
has become an expectation for all actions in schools. This
journal will consider the sorts of action research that educational
leaders are involved in, the strengths of these approaches,
and what further is needed.
Submission Deadline: May 5, 2006.
Submissions
Submissions are invited from all educational leaders across
BC: teachers, students, parents, district staff, researchers,
government officers, principals and vice principals, union
representatives, superintendents. Submissions will be reviewed
by the editorial staff of BCELR. Note that copyright of every
article published through BCELR remains with the author.
Submit your document as a word document, with contact
information (e-mail and phone number) and a short biography.
Susan Close: Driven
by Questions, Inspired by Findings: One district’s strategy
to improve literacy achievement, and to inform professional
practice
[download article]
Presentation
Video:
Lee Gunderson, Jerome Harste, and Victoria Purcell-Gates,
Enhancing Literacy at Home and at School conversation hosted
by Dean Rob Tierney on October 17, 2005.
The latest Flash
Player is required to view the videos.
School Leadership Centre at UBC
Scarfe 308 B
2125 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
tel 604.827.5350 | fax 604-822-8234 | e-mail [slc.edu@ubc.ca]
In
British Columbia, it seems to go without saying that “literacy”
is at the top of the educational agenda. You will find that
this issue of BC Educational Leadership Research provides
a remarkably rich engagement with literacy at a level commensurate
with this significance. As you would hope from a research
journal, you will find articles that challenge the assumptions
often made about literacy. There is also leading edge research
here that will make a difference in children’s classrooms
tomorrow. Contributions have been kept short and to the point
in order to facilitate the busy work-lives of educational
leaders in the field. Contributors have graciously included
contact information to enable you to “dig deeper”
into a particular piece of research, should you wish. We hope
that you find the different media carried by this issue of
interest. Take the time to 