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Grammar in the brain: Literacy knowledge for middle years visual arts teachers

Exley, Beryl E. (2007) Grammar in the brain: Literacy knowledge for middle years visual arts teachers. In: AATE/ALEA National Conference - Critical Capital: Teaching & Learning, 8-11 July, Australian National University, Canberra.

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Abstract

This paper examines the literacy knowledge one teacher draws upon in a visual arts lesson on two-dimensional artefact appraisement with his middle years students. Transcriptions of video-taped extracts of the lesson’s introductory phase are presented and analysed. The analysis focuses on the part of the lesson where the teacher, Mr Brandt Ember, scaffolds the students through the elements and principles of visual design (QSCC, 2004, p. 52-53) framework. Whilst not using a grammatical metalanguage with the students, he consciously draws on his own understandings to identify the linguistic and grammatical complexity of the introductory tasks. Mr Ember assists the students to de-nominalise the framework terms by highlighting their material processes, that is, their action, so the students can more easily identify with them. Mr Ember also enters into a phase of modelling and joint construction with the students to use the framework to build the types of nominal groups the students will need when they undertake the written description task. The students’ responses to this phase of the lesson showcase the importance of Visual Arts teachers being highly skilled in appreciating, identifying and acting upon the unique linguistic demands of their subject area and for having pedagogies for teaching such.

ID Code:8943
Item Type:Conference Paper
Additional Information :For more information, please refer to the website (see hypertext link) or contact the author. Author contact details: b.exley@qut.edu.au
Additional URLs :
Keywords :functional grammar, visual arts, middle years schooling
Subjects:Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > EDUCATION (130000) > EDUCATION SYSTEMS (130100) > Primary Education (excl. Maori) (130105)
Divisions:QUT Faculties and Divisions > Faculty of Education
Research Centres > Centre for Learning Innovation
Copyright Owner :Copyright 2007 The Author
Deposited On:10 Aug 2007
Last Modified:23 Jan 2009 02:59

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