School of Education - Albury-Wodonga
Dr Noella Mackenzie
Dip Teach(EC), BEd(Prim), MEd(Research), EdD
Position: Lecturer
Phone: (02) 6051 9405
Fax: (02) 60519424
Campus: Albury-Wodonga
Room: 104
Email: nmackenzie@csu.edu.au
Biography
Prior to moving to the university Dr Mackenzie acquired valuable experience and knowledge of early literacy development and catering for the diverse literacy needs of young learners through her work as Classroom Teacher, Special Education Coordinator and Reading Recovery Tutor. Noella’s experience in the application, interpretation and analysis of early literacy assessment and intervention at a district, region and state level stretches over 15 years of working as a Reading Recovery Tutor for the NSW Department of Education and Training. The Reading Recovery Tutor role saw her work intensively and extensively with hundreds of teachers between 1990 and 2004 in both Australia and the USA.
CSU has recognised Dr Mackenzie for her high standards as an educator and researcher, awarding her with faculty awards for academic excellence in 2009 and teaching excellence in 2011.
Current Research
Noella’s research focuses on literacy teaching and learning and in particular writing acquisition. Previous projects at the master and doctoral levels examined issues relating to teacher professional learning, teacher morale, the status of the teaching profession and the impact of extrinsic teaching awards on recipients and their non-recipient colleagues. Current research projects are focused on writing acquisition and the relationship between success with early writing and ongoing literacy development with a particular focus on the relationship between talking, drawing and writing.
Becoming a writer (in the first year of formal schooling) began in 2007 and has a particular focus on the relationship between talking, drawing and early writing. Each year since 2007 Noella has worked closely with teachers of children in the first year of school and gathered extensive data from young children. In 2010 the Becoming a writer project expanded to include an exploration of the teaching and learning of writing in the six months prior to enrolment in formal school. Data were collected from 25 preschool teachers and 152 preschool age children in the second half of 2010. Eighty-five of these children were also assessed towards the end of their first year of school (November 2011). Becoming a writer continues in 2011 with support from the NSW DET Riverina Equity Programs.
Exploring writing in year 1 was launched with two separate but connected projects in 2010. The first project involved an exploration of writing in year 1 in Victoria and NSW. Samples of writing from 1700 year 1 children were gathered and analysed using an analysis tool developed for this purpose. The second project involves writing and Reading Recovery which is the highly regarded early literacy intervention which is implemented at year 1 level in many schools. Noella is working with Dr Janet Scull (University of Melbourne), Dr Brian Hemmings (CSU Wagga) and Ms Lynne Munsie(NSW DEC) on the Exploring writing in year 1 study.
Quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis are applied to the studies outlined above.
Past and current supervision relates to literacy teaching and learning and young gifted and talented children.
Membership of research centre: The Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education (RIPPLE http://www.csu.edu.au/research/ripple/) is a multi-disciplinary research centre that conducts high-quality applied research and consultation in the field of professional practice and implications for professional learning and education. Noella is a member of the Teacher Education and Professional Learning (TEPL) and Education, Transitions and Change (ETC) Groups within RIPPLE. Noella was awarded RIPPLE research fellowships in 2010 and 2012.
Teaching
Noella’s teaching is focused on Literacy in the Primary Classroom. In particular Noella is interested in promoting undergraduate students’ understandings of literacy development and assisting them to devise appropriate instruction to facilitate children’s learning in both individual and group contexts.
Assessment with a difference:
To view a short 3 min digital story which discusses the use of digital stories as an assessment task which proved highly effective please click on the picture below.
Membership
Membership of professional associations:
- Australian Literacy Educators’ Association (ALEA)
- Australian College of Educators (ACE)
- Australia Teacher Educators Association (ATEA)
- Primary English Teachers Association (PETA)
Publications
- Mackenzie, N. M., Hemmings, B., & Kay, R. (2011). How does teaching experience affect attitudes towards literacy learning and teaching in the early years? Issues in Educational Research, 21(3), 281-293;
- Mackenzie, N. M. (2011). From drawing to writing: What happens when you shift teaching priorities in the first six months of school? Australian Journal of Language & Literacy, 34(3), 322-340;
- Mackenzie, N. M. (2010). Motivating young writers. In G. Gillon, J. Fletcher & F. Parkhill (Eds.), Motivating young learners in today's world. Auckland: New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER);
- Mackenzie, N.M (2009) Becoming a writer: Language use and ‘scaffolding’ writing in the first six months of formal schooling. Journal of Reading Writing and Literacy, 4 (2), 46-63;
- Mackenzie, N. M. (2009) Becoming a writer: Kindergarten teachers and students learning together. In Culligan, B (Ed.) The Changing Landscapes of Literacy, Building Best Practice. (Reading Association of Ireland: Dublin);
- Mackenzie, N.M. & Ling, L., (2009) The research journey – A “Lonely Planet” approach. Issues in Educational Research, Vol 19, No.1;
- Mackenzie, N. M. (2008). Becoming a writer: Can we predict how children will engage with the writing process at school entry? The Journal of Reading, Writing & Literacy, 3(1), 1-18.
- Mackenzie, N.M. (2007) Teacher Morale: More complex that we think? Australian Educational Researcher, Vol 34, No 1;
- Mackenzie, N.M (2007) Teaching excellence awards: An apple for the teacher? Australian Journal of Education, Vol 51, No.2;
- Green, W., Pennell, B & Mackenzie, N. (2007) Literacy, Adolescence and Schooling; A Literacy Challenge for the Middle Years, In S. Knipe (Ed), Teaching Middle Schools: Reframing Adolescence, Frenches Forest: Pearson Education Australia;
- Mackenzie, N.M & Knipe, S. (2006) Research Dilemmas: paradigms, methods and methodology, Issues in Educational Research, Vol 16, No 2.
Professional Engagement
- 2011 paper presented at NSW DEC 5th Biennial Equity Conference, Schooling for futures, Darling Harbour, Sydney - Becoming a Writer;
- 2010 paper presented at the NSW DET Riverina Conference, Connecting with Gen Z learners - "Becoming writers in the early years of school";
- 2009 Presented the Keynote address at the Riverina STLA Conference - “Engagement: bringing learners and learning together”;
- 2008 -2009 Academic Partner Australian Government Quality Teaching Action Learning Project at Edward PS. Title: Raising expectations through action learning with a focus on improving Quality Teaching Practices;
- 2008-2011 Invited judge for the Elyne Mitchell Rural Women’s Writing Awards;
- 2005 Presented 3 sessions at theBromley Teacher Conference (London, October). Topic: Actively teaching for reciprocity between reading and writing in the early years of schooling;
- 2005 Visiting academic for one week. Bromley School District, London (Oct);
- 2004-2005 Academic Partner Australian Government Quality Teaching Action Learning Project at Deniliquin Sth PS. Title: Quality Assessment Supporting Quality Teaching.