2020: New to the TEAL website!
Rad resource
During the school terms in Victoria, the TEAL website will periodically feature a new Rad resource. It might be an interesting academic article, a website or a game that you can use in the classroom. Scroll down to see the resources.
Rad Resource #7
The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) has presented eleven – count ’em! – webinars this year covering all aspects of the new Victorian Curriculum F-10 EAL, from whole school curriculum planning to how to use plurilingual strategies in the classroom. Recordings of the webinars can be accessed from the VCAA’s professional learning pages. They are all well worth viewing and they could be used in faculty meetings or Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to build teacher knowledge of all aspects of the new EAL curriculum – mandated for use in Victorian government schools in 2021. For more information, see EAL implementation video resources.
Rad Resource #6
Indigenous history
“We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (TSI) peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.” (https://www.reconciliation.org.au/national-reconciliation-week)
Many new arrival students – not surprisingly – will not know that Aboriginal and TSI peoples have been in Australia for between 50,000 and 120,000 years. The Indigenous History Special from Behind The News could help teachers introduce their intermediate (and above) EAL students to a key historical event, the Freedom Ride in the 1960s. (Note, the video link in the resource does not work in Chrome.)
Rad Resource #5
Teaching remotely
Shout out to all EAL teachers teaching online! 
VicTESOL and the Virtual New Arrivals Program (VNAP) presented a fantastic professional learning event earlier this month: Learning from Home: Supporting EAL students remotely
The tips and practical strategies contained in the the resource are useful for teachers of EAL students at all stages – not just newly arrived students.
Rad Resource #4
Online resources for EAL teachers
At the time of writing, it is the first day of the school holidays in Victoria. Term 1 was a tumultuous time for teachers and schools in Victoria (and everywhere else) with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting on all aspects of our working and personal lives. We hope that you are all keeping safe and well at this time.
Until students return to school, teachers will be using a variety of online tools and resources in the absence of face-to-face instruction. This might be especially challenging for students with little or no access to the internet and/or students who are new to learning English as an additional language.
The Department has collated a number of resources for teachers of EAL students on the FUSE website: EAL resources.
To share your ideas/tips/challenges re teaching EAL students remotely, please head to the Teacher Discussion Forum and post a comment! (When Term 2 starts of course!)
Rad resource #3
New EAL curriculum
Cross-promotional alert! The EAL Unit in the Department has produced a range of resources to support schools implementing the new Victorian Curriculum F-10 EAL.
The resources include PowerPoints that can be viewed by an individual, presented to a group, or used for shared learning activities. Other resources will continue to be rolled out during the year. The new curriculum will be mandated for use in Victorian government schools in 2021.
See two samples resources below. Feel free to explore the other resources and post a comment in the Teacher Discussion Forum if you have any questions or feedback.
Victorian Curriculum F-10 EAL – For teachers new to EAL curriculum
Rad resource #2
Find someone who …
Welcome to Term 1, 2020! We hope that you had a restful and relaxing break and feel energised at the start of the term. (How we feel at the end of the term is another matter …!)
Who else likes doing icebreaker activities in the first class? It can be a great way to start learning names and to find out about different students – and a fun way for students to get to know each other.
There are many websites dedicated to ‘getting to know you’ games but one particularly good activity is ‘Find someone who …’. This activity is designed for students with some literacy in English. It can be easily modified to suit younger or older learners and it can be used successfully with adult learners too. For more information, see Find someone who …
Do you have a favourite icebreaker activity? Please comment in the Professional Learning Forum and share your ideas!
Rad resource #1
Game time!
2019: As we are getting to the end of the term, this week’s rad resource is a fun word game you can play with EAL (or non-EAL) students of all ages. It is called ‘Just a minute’ or ‘Taboo’ in some circles.
Resources: Paper, scissors, star stickers
Step 1: Choose a list of key vocabulary items from a current topic or class text and put them into groups of four in a Word document (or handwritten on a piece of paper). Make sure that each group of four has a combination of easy and difficult words. Cut up the groups of words.
Step 2: Write the name of the game on the board. Hand one piece of paper (with a set of 4 words) to each student. Tell the students that they are not allowed to show anyone the paper.
Step 3: Tell the students that they will have to get up in front of the class and explain what the word is without actually saying the word. They will have one minute to get through the 4 words while their team mates guess. Do a demonstration of a word that they already know. Make sure that students have a chance to ask you what their words mean, if they are not sure, or look them up.
Step 4: Go around the class and give each student a number from 1 – 4. Once you have numbered the 4th student, start at number 1 for the next student until everyone in the class has a number.
Step 5: Write the names of the students on the board in their groups (i.e. put all of the number 1s together, all of the 2s together etc.)
Step 6: Ask the first student at the front (who was assigned number 1) to come up and start. Remind them that they cannot say the actual word.
Step 7: Award their group a point for every word they guess correctly. Move on the next student (number 2) after one minute.
Step 8: Have fun! As a reward, the winning team could all get a star sticker on the front of their books. We’re never too old to get a reward!
Free online moderation:
Thank you to the teachers who submitted writing and speaking samples to us for use in our online moderation sessions in Terms 1 and 2, and to the many teachers who attended them.
Recordings of sessions we have conducted to date have been posted in the Benchmarking Forum.
Thanks to Alan Williams for sharing the document to your right with us. It highlights the equivalence between ACARA EAL/D Progressions and the EAL stages used in Victoria (and throughout the TEAL web 
site.)
Click on the image on the left for more details, or read the related post in our public discussion forum.
Exciting announcement: The Reading and Vocabulary assessment for EAL students (RVEAL) assessment tool is now available to teachers in Victorian schools!
Please visit the Common Reading and Vocabulary Assessment Tools page for more information.
TEAL Webinar: Over 80 people met online on 30 October last year to hear our very own Anna-Lise (Wallis) speaking about TEAL. Anna-Lise spoke about the history of the tools and highlighted the importance of assessing our EAL students’ progress in a way that furthers their learning. She also gave a guided tour of the TEAL web site, and answered quite a few questions!
This webinar was recorded. The recording and PowerPoint slides that Anna-Lise used are now both available on the VicTESOL web site.
Professional development news: Would you like to learn more about the Tools to Enhance Assessment Literacy?
- Venture to the TEAL Professional Learning modules for some self-directed learning.
- Watch this space, as news of professional learning opportunities will be posted here.
- For other EAL-related professional learning events, visit the Department of Education and Training’s EAL and Multicultural Education Professional Learning Calendar
Join the 200 registered users of this web site:
Now is t
he perfect time to sign up. As a member you can post in the TEAL forums, and will be able to read (and post in) our private Benchmarking forum.
Click on the logo to your left, to register. It’s quick and it’s free.
CONTACT US: For further information on TEAL and guidance for the web project, please contact one of our team members.
| Web site contacts | UNSW |
|
Anna-Lise Wallis wallis.anna-lise.a [at] edumail.vic.gov.au Alternatively, use |
Prof Chris Davison, TEAL Project Leader c.davison [at] unsw.edu.au
|
| The TEAL Steering Committee | The TEAL Project Team |
|
Department of Education and Training: Chris Finch Anna-Lise Wallis Catholic Education Melbourne: Judy Connell Hanya Senjov Margaret Vingerhoots Independent Schools Victoria: Andrew Hay UNSW: Prof Chris Davison Janet Saker Alan Williams Janelle Ho (Educational Assessment Australia) |
Dennis Alonzo Robert Colla Sarah Culican Gerry Davies Pam Luizzi Giuliana Mecoli Helen Pearson Janet Saker Alan Williams Student researchers (UNSW) Susanne Stanyer Sara Mashayekh De Phung Oluwaseun Ijiwade |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
| Primary and Secondary Schools | Teachers |
| Blackburn ELS | Robyn Antrim, Chris Everett, Ruth Giffard, Alex Perry |
| Collingwood English Language School | Marissa Varrasso, Juliette Greening, Maria Irinous, Jenny Markos |
| Creekside College K-9 | Madalin Coghlan, Lisa Bargiamidis |
| Doveton College | Michelle Landgraf |
| Laverton P-12 College | Sandra Di Mieri, Margaret Svigos |
| Noble Park English Language School | Patricia Franke, Georgina Georgalli, Derva Josic, Erin Kaitler, Inna Gvozdenko, Kay Rothstadt, Anna Trudzic |
| Oakleigh Grammar | Duncan Goddard |
| St Anthony’s Coptic Orthodox College | Merete Entwistle |
| Wesley College | Andrea Belmonte |
| Western English Language School | Michelle Bond, Kevin Pozniak |
| Primary Schools | Teachers |
| Albany Rise Primary School | Diane Campasino |
| Athol Road Primary School | Rebecca Learmonth |
| Bell Park North Primary School | Lynda Newell |
| Bellview Park Primary School | Janelle James |
| Christ the King Primary School, Braybrook | Brigida Paino, Maria Watt, Lucy Dinoto, Tameka Pentreath |
| Dana St. Primary School | Joan McKaskill |
| Flemington Primary School | Christina Laught |
| Mont Albert Primary School | Rosemary Fitzpatrick |
| Mother of God Primary School, Ardeer | Michelle Buckley |
| Oatlands Primary School, Narre Warren | Nicki Whitehead |
| Preston North East Primary School | Michelle Andrews |
| Resurrection Catholic Primary School, Kings Park | Vesna Curmi, John Hein |
| Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, St. Albans | Sarah Ceddia, Chantal Mifsud, Sandra Tanner, Belinda Joannou |
| St. Andrews Primary School, Clayton South | Sharon McCarter |
| St. Dominics, Broadmeadows | Gay Nicholls |
| St. Mary MacKillop Primary School, Keilor Downs | Fiona Parnell |
| St. Mary’s Primary School, Colac | Jodie Hassett, Susie Scott |
| St. Patrick’s Primary School, Pakenham | Iris De Visser |
| Sunshine Harvester Primary School | Christine Durbridge, Siobhan O’Brian |
| Windsor Primary School, Windsor | Lily Papamihail |
| Secondary Schools | Teachers |
| Brunswick English Language Centre | Erica Dunn, Anne-Marie Lynzaat, Susan Pardy, Roberta Zekic |
| Brunswick Secondary College | Mitchell Brannon, Megan Conley, Steven Kolber, Anne Siciliano, Nony Smitzis |
| Catholic Regional College, St. Albans | Grace Cini, Hanja Senjov, Rebekah Loring |
| Catholic Regional College, Melton | Rebekah Loring |
| Geelong English Language Centre | Bronwyn Smith, Carry Varley, Lynda Newell, Paul O’Connell |
| Geelong North Secondary College | Monica Thomson |
| Hoppers Crossing Secondary College | Anne Bury |
| Hume Central ELC | Elizabeth Tedge |
| Koonung Secondary College | Sharyn Paspa |
| Mackillop College Werribee | Rebecca Paic |
| McGuire College, Shepparton | Jagdish Mahinder Singh |
| Melba College (formerly Croydon-Maroondah College) | Lynne Dwyer |
| Nazareth College, Noble ParkNorth | Brendan Hermon |
| Preston Girls Secondary College | Renata Tirabassi, Ekaterina Xanthopolous |
| St. Monica’s College, Epping | Medeleine Haddad |
| Thomastown Secondary College | April Edwards |
| Traralgon Secondary College | Maral Coleman |
| Wellington Secondary College | Maria Papasotiriou |
| Westall ELC | Anastasia Kotisou |
Special thanks to Mairead Hanna at VicTESOL for her assistance and support for TEAL.
Thanks also to Margaret Nutbean, Jane Banks, Eliza Costigan, Trish Fattor, Sharon Pledge, Pierina Perri from Catholic Education Melbourne, and Dominic Byrne, Judy Massey, Giuliana Mecoli, Jennie Patterson, and Madeleine Parker from the Department of Education and Training
