Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2022). Understand this learning area. Australian Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-learning-area/english#accordion-1d9563351d-item-22345156d7

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2022). Understand this learning area. Australian Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-learning-area/english#accordion-1d9563351d-item-22345156d7

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2022). Understand this learning area. Australian Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-learning-area/english#accordion-1d9563351d-item-22345156d7

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2022). Understand this learning area. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-learning-area/english#accordion-1d9563351d-item-65e413cd88

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2022). Understand this learning area. Australian Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-learning-area/english#accordion-1d9563351d-item-b98d35bdd1

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2022). Understand this learning area. Australian Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-learning-area/english#accordion-1d9563351d-item-78473bfbab

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2022). Understand this learning area. Australian Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-learning-area/english#accordion-1d9563351d-item-8c18d601eb

By the end of Year 10, students interact with others, and listen to and create spoken and multimodal texts including literary texts. With a range of purposes and for audiences, they discuss ideas and responses to representations, making connections and providing substantiation. They select and experiment with text structures to organise and develop ideas. They select, vary and experiment with language features including rhetorical and literary devices, and experiment with multimodal features and features of voice.

They read, view and comprehend a range of texts created to inform, influence and engage audiences. They analyse and evaluate representations of people, places, events and concepts, and how interpretations of these may be influenced by readers and viewers. They analyse the effects of text structures, and language features including literary devices, intertextual connections, and multimodal features, and their contribution to the aesthetic qualities of texts.

They create written and multimodal texts, including literary texts, for a range of purposes and audiences, expressing ideas and representations, making connections and providing substantiation. They select and experiment with text structures to organise, develop and link ideas and representations. They select, vary and experiment with language features including literary devices, and experiment with multimodal features.

• Language

• Literature

• Literacy

This paper highlights the advantages of using technology to teach poetry in secondary schools.

This association has an abundance of resources, unit plans and lesson sequences available to assist in planning.

Project the written form of the poem on the Canva Interactive Whiteboard. As a class discuss the elements that make it powerful and analyse the poem for language, imagery, and persuasive techniques. Students take turns coming up to the board and highlighting an element.

Body: Students brainstorm social issues they care about. Using the website Poetry Foundation students find a protest poem that links with their social issue. Using the techniques from the class analysis, students analyse their chosen poem.

Exit Ticket:Students share their poem analysis to the class blog and comment on another.

Body: In groups, students are given time to research current movements being spread on social media. They are to create an infographic on Canva that debates its reach, messaging, and effectiveness.

Exit Ticket: Students share their infographics onto the class blog and comment on another.

Body: Students choose a social issue and brainstorm poetic devices. Students draft their protest poem and share to the class blog for peer feedback.

Exit Ticket: Students give draft feedback to 2 other students by making comments under their blog post.

Body: Using Canva students convert their protest poems into multimedia pieces. They can incorporate music, imagery, and voiceovers to amplify their message.

Exit Ticket: Students upload their multimedia protest poem onto the class blog.

Body: Students write a 500-word reflection discussing the process, especially the collaborative feedback from other peers, and share on the class blog.

Exit Ticket:Students can share their poems on the school’s social media platforms to collaborate and engage with the community.

Students learn to compare and evaluate how ‘voice’ as a literary device is used in different types of texts, such as poetry, novels, and film, to evoke emotional responses.

AC9E10LA03:

Students learn to analyse text structures and language features and evaluate their effectiveness in achieving their purpose.

AC9E10LY03

Students learn to analyse and evaluate how language features are used to implicitly or explicitly represent values, beliefs, and attitudes.

AC9E10LE04

Students learn to evaluate the social, moral, or ethical positions represented in literature.

AC9E10LY06

Students learn to plan, create, edit, and publish written and multimodal texts, organising, expanding and developing ideas through experimenting with text structures, language features, literary devices and multimodal features for specific purposes and audiences in ways that may be imaginative, reflective, informative, persuasive, analytical and/or critical.

The first lesson was a whirlwind of powerful verses. Miss B projected a video of someone reading Langston Hughes “I look at the world”. I listened in awe. It was a poignant critique of social injustice. I didn’t realise poetry could be so powerful. Miss B had us use our devices to join her interactive whiteboard on Canva. We collaborated as a class dissecting the poem like literary detectives, using the last 6 weeks of knowledge, to analyse metaphors, decipher context clues and pick out rhyming schemes. Miss B had this projected on the classroom board so we could all be involved, as some students didn’t have their tablets. I noticed a repetitive phrase in the second line of each stanza. I highlighted it on my device and typed my thoughts about it. I heard Sarah commend me for my find. Miss B used it as a discussion point with the class. We then had the chance to work individually to find a protest poem that resonated with an issue we care about. Using the website poetry foundation, I found a poem that spoke up for environmental pollution. “Song for the turtles in the gulf” by Linda Hogan. Using Canva I analysed the poem; highlighted devices and added my thoughts. We all posted our analysed poems onto the class blog. We have been using the blog all term to create our own learning portfolio. I commented on Hayden’s analysis and Sarah commented on mine.

The next lesson shifted our focus to social media activism. Miss B shared some Instagram posts she found that highlighted activism and targeted social justice movements. One of the examples was from 2020 and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. As a class we discussed the messaging behind the posts. It was powerful to see how much traction a social media post could give to a movement. Miss B also warned us of social media ethics and how misinformation can tarnish a movements credibility. We watched a video on how to spot misinformation online – I kept a list to refer to when researching. Miss B organised us into groups. We were given the task of researching current activist movements on social media and creating an infographic on it. I was grouped up with Abby, Mark, and Dana. Using the internet browser, we researched the #MeToo movement. We checked for signs of misinformation to ensure we were using correct statistics. Using Canva we created a visually appealing infographic that discussed the movements messaging, reach and effectiveness. The team let me take the lead on the design and they helped with suggestions and finding the research. We uploaded our infographics to our class blog. We each commented on another students.

Now came the exciting part – creating our own protest poems. After watching a revision video on how to use poetic devices, that Miss B projected on the board, we had the whole lesson to embark on our creative journey. After reading the poem about the turtles, I was even more passionate about climate change. I typed away, frustration fuelling my verses. I hit a wall with metaphors. Dana, sitting beside me, suggested googling example metaphors to power my inspiration. I plugged in “pollution metaphors” and voila! I read through the list to spark ideas of my own. “Choking skies” I added to my verse. I posted my draft poem onto the class blog and, while I waited for feedback from other students, I read the poems by Mark and Crystal, commenting my feedback and suggestions.

The next lesson involved transforming our poems into multimedia posts. Using the suggestions and feedback left under my poem I made some edits. Using Canva I decided to add a video of a polluted sky behind my words and recorded myself reading it. I thought it was quite powerful, the way my raw emotions spoke coupled with the bleak visuals. I uploaded my poetry video to my blog. Liam commented saying it was a testament to the power of multimedia storytelling. I viewed Sarah’s and Emily’s pieces and was in awe of how impactful they had created them. I made sure to comment my thoughts for them to read.

The last lesson made me both nervous and excited. Miss B said we had the chance to post our multimedia poems onto the schools Instagram and Facebook pages. I wondered what the community would say about our protest poems. Before we consented, Miss B discussed the importance of social media use, online etiquette and using our voices for positive change. When the school posted our poems, the response was overwhelming. Comments poured in from parents and the wider community. Some expressed concern for the issues we highlighted, and others commended us for finding our voices. Miss B tasked us with writing a reflection on the process we undertook and how important it was to amplify our voices and listen to the suggestions and feedback from our peers. I posted this onto my class blog. I realised this project wasn’t just about classroom learning, it was about the collective power of our generation to spark change; to use the tools we are constantly glued to for something bigger. The digital world had transformed into a megaphone for our voices, a platform for action.

Throughout the unit I have engaged and experimented with several digital tools with the intention of incorporating them, into lessons, to improve student learning and my digital pedagogy. By utilising online blogs, exploring, and developing a padlet and crafting presentation tools on Canva I have been able to develop my digital knowledge to understand the relevant ways teachers can use appropriate sources to enhance learning. By focusing on this I have been able to demonstrate professional standard 6.2 by engaging in professional learning and improving practice” (AITSL, 2017).

By exploring the padlets of my peers, I have been able to gain new perspective into digital pedagogies and best teaching practices. Through the exchange of comments many insightful suggestions have been made that have inspired new ideas. Collaboration in learning has been an advantage in developing professional networks and making real-world connections. By committing to active participation, I have been able to demonstrate professional standard 7.4 by engaging with professional teaching networks and broader communities (AITSL, 2017).

Botticello, C. (2022). Best blogging platforms for students. Blogging Guide. https://bloggingguide.com/best-blogging-platforms-for-students/

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2024). Professional learning communities. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/feedback/aitsl-professional-learning-communities-strategy.pdf

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2017). Australian professional standards for teachers. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/standards