Literacy and Numeracy across the Curriculum

Overview

This unit provides pre-service teachers with a diverse set of skills and in-depth knowledge related to literacy and numeracy within the context of Australian schools and curriculum. By engaging in student-directed inquiry into their chosen subject areas, pre-service teachers will analyse and synthesise understanding of the literacy and numeracy demands and conventions of these areas, and plan for literacy and numeracy development within their subject teaching. This learning will be critically analysed through group responses to scenarios, reinforcing the position that all teachers are teachers of literacy and numeracy, regardless of their teaching specialisation and context

Unit learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

1. Critically analyse the teaching of literacy and numeracy and their application across disciplines.
2. Differentiate between formal and informal numeracy and literacy learning and thinking.
3. Construct processes and experiences that develop students’ literacy and numeracy capabilities within and beyond disciplinary areas.
4. Evaluate understanding of the literacy and numeracy conventions and demands associated with curriculum areas.
5. Design effective communication, using a range of media and technologies as appropriate, for specific educational purposes within curricula programs.

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Assessment

Content

• What is literacy? What does it mean to be literate?
• What is numeracy? What does it mean to be numerate?
• Multi-literacies
• New media and technological literacy
• Literacy and numeracy as a cross-curriculum priority and general capability
• Mathematical literacy
• Effective teaching of literacy and numeracy
• Effective assessment of literacy and numeracy
• Students with additional needs in literacy and numeracy