In this episode of VATE Village, Emma joins with Dr Lucinda McKnight to talk about her exciting research into the teaching of digital writing in secondary English. Lucinda outlines her ARC DECRA Fellowship, explains what digital writing is and what it might look like in the classroom and, as is typical of Lucinda's professionalism and advocacy for teachers, she highlights some of the barriers that teachers face in embracing the advent of digital writing in their classrooms. For the articles and reviews referred to in this interview, visit https://www.vate.org.au/vate-village and for more about Lucinda's research project, follow her blog: https://teachingdigitalwriting.wordpress.com/.

As a senior lecturer in pedagogy and curriculum, Dr Lucinda McKnight conducts award-winning research into curriculum design’s role in teacher identity, autonomy and professionalism, especially in English. She is interested in creative teacher and student agency, and in teacher recruitment and retention. She draws on post-structural, feminist and new materialist theory in her research into educational discourse, metaphor and practice. She teaches in both English and inclusive initial teacher education units, and has a particular interest in quality doctoral supervision, via her blog Becoming a PhD Supervisor; the blog has had thousands of visitors from over 70 countries, and has supported doctoral supervisor training across institutions.

This episode is part two of Emma's chat with Erin - this time, they're talking texts (how's that for alliteration!) for readers in Years 9 and 10. To view Erin's suggestions, check out the VATE Village website: https://www.vate.org.au/vate-village. To get in touch with Emma to talk texts or make suggestions for upcoming episodes of VATE Village, email educationofficer@vate.org.au.

Erin is the owner of The Kids' Bookshop and a practising Teacher Librarian. She spent almost 10 years working in publishing, followed by many years as a children's bookseller and librarian. Erin has been a judge for the CBCA Awards, is a regular contributor to Books + Publishing and was recently appointed to the board of the Melbourne Writer's Festival. Erin specialises in books for early years, primary and secondary readers. You can find The Kids' Bookshop here: https://www.thekidsbookshop.com.au/

Welcome back to VATE Village for 2022! In our first episode of this new season, Emma is joined by Erin Wamala to chat text suggestions for readers who are in Years 7 and 8. To view Erin's suggestions, check out the VATE Village website: https://www.vate.org.au/vate-village

Erin is the owner of The Kids' Bookshop and a practising Teacher Librarian. She spent almost 10 years working in publishing, followed by many years as a children's bookseller and librarian. Erin has been a judge for the CBCA Awards, is a regular contributor to Books + Publishing and was recently appointed to the board of the Melbourne Writer's Festival. Erin specialises in books for early years, primary and secondary readers. You can find The Kids' Bookshop here: https://www.thekidsbookshop.com.au/

Kym Wilton, the National Education Manager at the Islamic Museum of Australia, located in Melbourne, joins Emma to discuss the National Anti-Racism Framework, the importance of contributing to reclaiming the narrative around Muslim people and their history in Australia, and the ways that she and her team at the IMA can support the selection, inclusion and focus on Islamic voices and perspectives in the English classroom. To access the articles, resources, texts and professional learning discussed in this episode visit www.vate.org.au/vate-village.

Clare Mackie joins Emma in this episode of VATE Village to talk about her podcast, Teachers Talk Texts. Clare's podcast started in September 2020 and since then she has produced 27 episodes with 29 educators from across Victoria unpacking 25 texts from the VCE English text list. Listen in to hear how Teachers Talk Texts can support you in the classroom. For links to the Teachers Talk Texts podcast, Clare's website and to get in contact with her, visit https://www.vate.org.au/vate-village.

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In this episode, Emma is joined by Alice Boer-Endacott, a YA author, IB and VCE English tutor, and the secretary of the #LoveOzYA committee. Together they talk about Australian YA literature, its place and value in the classroom, and the enduring nature of some of the first Australian YA texts like Tomorrow, When The War Began and Looking For Alibrandi. For more about Alice’s monthly column, Ask Alice, visit www.loveozya.com.au. For a list of complementary reading to Emma and Alice’s discussion, head to the VATE Village website: http://www.vate.org.au/vate-village.

Alice is a Melbourne-based author with ten years of experience tutoring Secondary English for IB and VCE curricula across over 20 schools. In 2019, she joined the Committee of LoveOzYA, a group committed to promoting Young Adult books written by Australian authors to Australian readers. As both an Australian, and an author of Young Adult books, she knows firsthand the importance of a thriving local readership and literary landscape. In 2020, she became a part of the organising group behind OzAuthorsOnline, a digital platform for author events created in response to the lockdowns imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Her academic interest in the relationship between texts and readers resulted in an ‘accessibly academic’ short non-fiction book, Mirror, Mirror, published in December 2020 by Debut Books, and has seen her start a PhD in 2021.

VATE Education Officer, Emma Jenkins, is joined by Marina and Xuan who operate the online bookstore, Amplify Bookstore. Together they discuss the role they are doing in the space of making diverse voices accessible as well as the implications for diversifying the text list in the English classroom. For the list of diverse texts recommended by Marina and Xuan, visit https://www.vate.org.au/vate-village. Amplify Bookstore is accessible at https://amplifybookstore.com/.

Alex Wharton, recipient of the inaugural Reading Australia Fellowship and Head of Middle School at Carinya Christian School (Gunnedah, NSW) joins VATE Education Officer Emma Jenkins to discuss the authentic inclusion of First Nations voices in the English classroom. To access the resources shared by Emma and Alex visit https://www.vate.org.au/vate-village and to shop the texts they mention head to https://shop.littlebookroom.com.au/c/vate-village.

Lisa Phillips, Head of Education at the Jewish Holocaust Centre in Melbourne, joins Emma to discuss the new mandated Holocaust curriculum for Victorian government schools and the ways that English teachers can engage with this through the inclusion of Holocaust literature. To access the articles, resources, texts and professional learning discussed in this episode visit www.vate.org.au/vate-village.

English teacher and department leader Nirvana Watkins joins VATE Education Officer, Emma Jenkins, to discuss the teaching of texts with emotionally and culturally sensitive material and the responsibilities of educators when working with these texts. To view the texts and resources mentioned by Nirvana and Emma, visit https://www.vate.org.au/vate-village.

Manger and buyer for The Little Bookroom, Michael Earp, joins Emma to discuss his text recommendations for older readers in Years 9 through to 12. For Michael's curated book lists, to find out about the secondary book chat or to see what The Little Bookroom can do for your school library, visit https://www.littlebookroom.com.au/.

In the second part of their discussion about text recommendations, Erin Wamala joins VATE Education Officer, Emma Jenkins, to discuss texts for students in Years 9 and 10. Erin is the owner of The Kids' Bookshop and is an older readers category judge for the CBC Awards. To shop the texts recommended by Erin visit The Little Bookroom: https://shop.littlebookroom.com.au/c/vate-village.

Erin Wamala joins VATE Education Officer, Emma Jenkins, to discuss text recommendations for students in Years 7 and 8. Erin is the owner of The Kids' Bookshop and is an older readers category judge for the CBC Awards. To shop the texts recommended by Erin visit The Little Bookroom: https://shop.littlebookroom.com.au/c/vate-village.

Excerpts from the Sunday program at VATE State Conference 2020.

Erin Wamala and Karys McEwen share their insights from their tenure as judges in the Older Readers category for the CBCA awards.

Ernest speaks with leaders of the Reading stream at the upcoming State Conference

Ernest speaks to Kate Blandford and Seamus Kavanagh about the sessions for Leaders and Early Career Teachers at State Conference.

Dr Lucinda McKnight and Narelle Wood preview the writing workshops available at VATE State Conference.

Allie Baker and Jason Jewell outline their sessions at the upcoming VATE State Conference

The first in a series of episodes exploring what is on offer at VATE's State Conference in 2020.

Karys and Ernest run through a range of suggestions for 2021 or maybe 2022

A look at some of the (many) benefits of having students choose their own adventures

A range of titles to consider for the end of Term 2.

The trials and tribulations of remote learning seem to be almost at an end. What are the lessons?

Suggestions for readers young and old(er)