How it started

It all begins with an idea. To solve a problem. To link learners with solutions which work. To ease the burden on teachers. To help students express themselves meaningfully. Now I find myself enrolled in a Master of Education and my dislike of grammar turned into my professional passion.

In all of my work, I try to be centred in reconciliation and this is how it started. Reconciliation to me is acknowledging that our shared past created continuing disparities and working to address them. For this purpose I enrolled in a training course to support Aboriginal English learners in Standard Australian English curriculum. This introduced me to the technical world of functional grammar, throughout the training I noticed the other teachers were in as much pain as I was. I imagine most, like me, walked out feeling incompetent and despondent. 

This fired me up. I could see the usefulness of the tools being delivered and became determined to make the palatable to educators. I set my mind to becoming an expert, to do the work of translation for teacher who were already overworked, time-poor, and potentially professionally isolated.

Luckily a partnership opportunity came up with Cool Australia, a curriculum website based on social and environmental purposes in content, to develop my idea into a reality. Cool Australia gave me the creative freedom, time and space to translate the materials, experience and resources I had collected over the years and create the tools I knew were possible.  Now I am in the process of holding the diagnostic tools, resources and capacity of moving into digital technology to academic rigor through my Master's program.

I believe the strategies I have created are engaging, explicit, and effective for learners, and provide accurate data for education settings to measure success. My unique approach to translating functional grammar puts this knowledge firmly in the hands of students to empower them to transform their writing. The resources are accessible to all, affordable, and created from evidence-based research.

Created by an educator for the ease and benefit of educators. To take the broad spectrum of national standards, teaching and learning cycles and turn them into wrap-around supports for learners to have literacy for life.