Previous Reading Australia Fellowship recipients
The Copyright Agency has awarded six Reading Australia Fellowships to date.
- Maya Mulhall, a VCE Literature and English teacher at Blackburn High School, Victoria for her project focusing on developing a respectful, culturally appropriate, and responsive approach to First Nations literature and how the education system can accurately and sensitively analyse First Nations literature without imposing set colonial frameworks of comprehension. Maya will create shareable resources and pedagogies so that educators can move forward with confidence and respectfully position First Nations’ perspectives at the centre of their teaching.
- ‘Through community engagement and observing cultural protocols, I want to develop real world strategies and effective resources to help colleagues embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures within their classroom in an authentic, culturally sensitive and respectful manner.’
- Bridget Forster, Head of Kerferd Library and VCE Literature Teacher at Mentone Girls Grammar, Victoria for her project focusing on using AI generated texts in the English classroom to interrogate the notion of an Australian literary voice.
Her research will explore questions including how teachers can identify cultural bias and ethical issues in the use of AI in the English classroom; and delve into the copyright implications of AI and ask how students can be taught to be ethical users in this new and evolving context. - ‘My project explores the fate of the Australian written voice in the age of AI generated texts. Australian stories are important in both negotiating and affirming personal and cultural identity.’
- Jantiena Batt, a deputy principal working within the ACT Education Directorate for her Fellowship project, Windows and Mirrors, which will investigate approaches and language used by educators, families and publishers when they engage with literature that includes non-heteronormative structures of families or relationships. Jantiena says her research will ‘analyse texts and teaching approaches to ensure that our pedagogy does not inadvertently contribute to the reinforcement of heteronormativity as the dominant discourse.’
- ‘The Fellowship is a transformative experience. You can’t unlearn what you discover so your practice is forever changed. The ripple has started…’
- Edwina West from Sydney’s Oakhill College for the project, Combating Aliteracy with Australian Literature. Edwina will use the Fellowship to develop a resource and toolkit for teachers and teacher librarians to help students to better select books, with a focus on diverse and engaging Australian writing. She will also create a ‘bank’ of Young Adult fiction, which teachers and teacher librarians can use to effectively pitch books to students in terms of interest, relevance and reading ability.
- ‘In 2021 I had no idea what I wanted to be or what I wanted to do. I feel like the Fellowship has really centred me and brought me back to what I love to do.’
- In 2022 we recorded a video interview with Edwina West as part of the Literature Symposium 2022, interviewed by Reading Australia Editor, Jenny Ryan.
- Karen Yager, deputy head at Knox Grammar School in New South Wales (2020); Principal, Hills Grammar School (2022), will focus on the connection between the Australian landscape and literature, with the aim of developing an extensive resource to support English teachers in improving their students’ writing. She says her research will feature ‘the evocative writing of Australian writers who have captured the heart and soul of landscapes to inspire young people to improve their own writing.’
- ‘This Fellowship has reinvigorated me. My message for other teachers: never think it’s over. Keep trying. This will open new doors for you, just as it has for me.’
- Alex Wharton the inaugural recipient of the Reading Australia Fellowship for Teachers of English and Literacy, Head of Middle School, English Teacher (2019); Principal (2022) Carinya Christian School, Gunnedah will explore best practice around teaching Indigenous literature in the classroom to develop a greater understanding of the issues, protocols and sensitivities involved. He will share what he has learnt with the wider teaching community.
- ‘The Fellowship has been life changing. Teachers can be reluctant to invest in themselves, but this is an opportunity to pause and invest in your own professional care.’