The Knowledge Gap – Natalie Wexler
This one-time seminar gives school and system leaders the opportunity to hear from the author of The Knowledge Gap, Beyond the Science of Reading, and co-author of The Writing Revolution 2.0.
Internationally renowned, Natalie’s work has been instrumental in raising awareness of evidence-informed literacy practices and in addressing educational inequity across the globe.
Natalie will deliver 2 keynote presentations during the seminar.
Audience
Roles
Designed for school, middle and system leaders.
School sectors
This program is available to the following school sectors:
- Victorian government
- Catholic
- independent.
Some content may contain information aligned with Department of Education priorities or initiatives.
Presenter
Natalie Wexler
Education writer and authorNatalie holds a BA from Harvard University, an MA in history from the University of Sussex (UK), and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked as a reporter, a supreme court law clerk, a lawyer and a legal historian. She is the author of 3 novels.
Natalie’s articles and essays on education have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, the MIT Technology Review and The American Scholar, among multiple other publications. She has spoken on education before a wide variety of groups, both in the U.S. and internationally, and has appeared on TV and radio shows.
Structure
Over 3 hours Natalie will present 2 keynote talks (approx.one hour each).
The Knowledge Gap: what it is and how to narrow It
We hear a lot about the Science of Reading, but science also tells us that if we want children to become literate, we need to change our approaches to comprehension and writing. Instead of test prep and drills on skills like ’finding the main idea’, schools can engage kids in deep dives into topics and have them write about what they’re learning, building the knowledge and analytical abilities that fuel comprehension.
Knowledge and Equity: how cognitive science can combat unfairness
Gaps in test scores and other education outcomes are frequently framed in terms of race and ethnicity. However, data reveals, these gaps fundamentally rest on differences in socioeconomic status, and particularly levels of parental education, which often correlate with race. While still necessary to combat racism and poverty, schools can do a lot to level the playing field by ensuring that all students have access to the kind of academic knowledge and vocabulary that children of highly educated parents absorb at home.
Learning outcomes
You will gain the skills to:
- understand The Knowledge Gap and its consequences
- recognise the need to prioritise a knowledge rich curriculum
- inspire change at different levels.
Fees
| Government school | Non-government school | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee per participant | Fully subsidised | $150 (excl. GST) |
Department of Education subsidises Victorian government schools.
