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Jenni Irving
Nambour Special School

Picture
Students who are unable to communicate verbally are being given the same learning opportunities as their peers thanks to an award-winning program designed by a Sunshine Coast teacher. 
​
Jennifer Irving, a Nambour Special School (NSS) teacher, has won this year’s inaugural Queensland College of Teachers TEACHX Award for innovation in Teaching for her advocacy of all students having a voice, and her creation of a tool to track her students’ literacy progress. That tool is now being trialled across Queensland. 
Ms Irving created the Emergent Literacy Assessment Tool (ELAT) after she led a teaching group in designing a new literacy framework, and the need for a systematic means to assess the current literacy skills and engagement of students with severe and multiple disabilities became apparent.

“I went about and looked for an existing tool—I didn’t want to invent it I can assure you—but there was just nothing commercially available that was going to meet the needs of our students; their progress is very incremental and we found that the tools that existed just couldn’t capture the small increments of learning that the students were achieving, so I guess I went about and created a tool that was going to adequately reflect that for our students,” she said.

The tool looks at small increments of learning across a variety of literacy-based activities, including interactions with books, symbols and print and engagement in storytelling, and writing activities. It tracks students across five literacy ability levels from ‘Encountering’ to ‘Emergent transitional’, with a particular focus on students with severe and multiple impairments working on a highly individualised curriculum. These students can now have their learning moderated and celebrated. The NSS ELAT initiative won the Showcase Award for Excellence in Inclusive Education last year and is now being trialled in 17 schools throughout Queensland.

Ms Irving’s specialist skills have also led to non-verbal students, who had been unable to formally communicate, “being some of our most vocal”.
​
Ms Irving, through her role in supporting student communication development ensures that all students with complex communication needs have access to a robust communication system which is modelled to them, are taught how to initiate communication and have access to use their systems expressively, irrespective of any physical challenges. 
“One young man came into my class, he had no formalised communication system that we knew of; however, it was apparent from his responses and interactions that he understood what was going on around him,” Ms Irving said.  
“Through the use of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ symbols and auditory and visual scanning, I was able to establish that he knew the letters and letter sounds of the alphabet, could order numbers from 1 to 30 and was able to tell me his favourite sporting team, all by the end of his first day. That young man now has an eye-gaze device mounted to his wheelchair and he will just never stop ‘talking’, he has so much to say!” she said.

“My passion comes from ensuring that all of these kids, even though they are non-verbal and their disability has massive impacts on their learning—my passion is just ensuring that every single one of those kids has a voice, and are active participants in their education, and have a means to demonstrate their knowledge. It’s exciting stuff and I love it.” 

Ms Irving received her award at a ceremony at Customs House on Thursday 24 October 2019, the eve of World Teachers’ Day in Australia. She has also received $5000 for professional development.
Queensland College of Teachers
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​Toowong Qld 4066
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  • Home
  • TEACHX AWARDS
    • 2019 TEACHX Winners
    • 2019 TEACHX Finalists
    • 2019 TEACHX Nominees >
      • Beginning to Teach Award Nominees 2019
      • OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY AWARD NOMINEES 2019
      • Excellence in Teaching Award Nominees 2019
      • Innovation in Teaching Award Nominees 2019
      • Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award Nominees 2019
      • Outstanding Contribution to Teaching Award Nominees 2019
  • Teacher Stories
    • Teaching graduates meet tough standards
    • Rachel Downie
    • The importance of teachers
    • Marsden State High School has the answer to keeping beginning teachers in the classroom
    • Exceptional support for early career teachers in Far North Queensland
    • QBECT
    • 2018 Awards >
      • 2018 Winners
      • 2018 Finalists
      • 2018 Nominees >
        • Excellence in Beginning to Teach Award
        • Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award
        • Excellence in Teaching Award
        • Outstanding Contribution to Teaching Award
        • Outstanding Contribution to School Community Award
    • 2017 Awards >
      • 2017 Winners
      • 2017finalists
      • 2017 nominees >
        • Excellence in Beginning to Teach
        • Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning
        • Excellence in Teaching
        • Outstanding Contribution to Teaching
    • 2016 Awards >
      • Excellence in Beginning to Teach
      • Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning
      • Excellence in Teaching
      • Outstanding Contribution to Teaching
    • HAT and LT >
      • Meet the Assessors
      • Ruth Graham
      • Tracey Peden
      • Helen and Dwayne
      • Carly Sopronick
      • Jessica Roberts
      • Jessica Roth
    • OAM >
      • Kathryn George, OAM
      • Keith Graham, OAM
      • Dr Judith Grimes, OAM
      • Michael Goodwin, OAM
      • Steve Parle, OAM
      • Dr Lyn Bishop, OAM
      • Dr Catherine Day, OAM
    • Taryn Gollshewsky
    • Vanuatu
    • NAIDOC >
      • NAIDOC Week 2017
      • NAIDOC Week 2016
    • QLD Day >
      • Bundaberg East State School
      • St Catherine's Catholic College
      • Mornington Island State School
      • Queensland Week 2016
    • ANZAC
  • Anxiety and trauma―an expert’s advice