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ESSAY 2000 words

This assessment task requires you to draw upon the learning materials (podcasts, readings, and activities) from the first module of this unit, in order to articulate your understanding of language and literacy development as applied to the primary school context. This understanding is foundational for your success in planning, teaching, and evaluating learning in English.

The purpose of this task is for you to work towards achieving the first learning outcome, which is to demonstrate and communicate an understanding of the development and theory of language, literature and literacy throughout the primary years of schooling.

You are to write a 2000-word persuasive essay addressing the following:

What is the most relevant theory/model for addressing 21st century literacy demands? Illustrate your response with examples of classroom practices consistent with this theory/model.

You will need to draw on resources from the weekly materials (podcasts, readings, and activities), and appropriate scholarly literature that you have sourced independently from online Education journals accessed through the Swinburne Library, to inform your argument and illustrations of practice. Your essay is to be written in third person.

Your essay will need:

· A clear introduction in which you introduce both the topic and the structure of your essay.

· A series of paragraphs making up the body of your essay in which you develop a persuasive argument for the particular theory/model you have selected. The body of the essay will also include examples of classroom practice. This series of paragraphs must build the argument to a logical and reasoned conclusion.

· A conclusion in which you reiterate and sum up your argument. The conclusion must not simply restate the introduction.

1. Knowledge of literacy development

2. Understanding of theories/models of literacy development, and relevant classroom practices.

3. Format and structure of essay, including conventions of academic English and capacity to argue persuasively.

4. Academic research, including APA referencing

TO BE ABLE TO PASS MUST FOLLOW

You have insightfully identified the literacy demands of the 21st century.

You present a persuasive argument for a particular theory/model to address 21st century literacy demands. The argument is sound, logical and well-supported in terms of the use of facts and evidence to support or refute claims. The argument is free from ambiguity and contradiction.

The illustrations of practice that you provide to support your claims about your chosen theory/model represent relevant, innovative ways of teaching English to meet the literacy demands of the 21st century.

You provide relevant, scholarly, contemporary, evidence to support your argument demonstrating familiarity with the current field of research including references drawn from the learning materials for the unit and those sourced independently.

Effective language use is a key feature of the paper, as is purposeful and deliberate adherence to the conventions of written English.

Essay requirements

Imagine that you have been asked to challenge the rubric cube champion. You have never successfully completed the rubric cube.

What does your learning look like?

You have to pick from these ones

· Bottom Up theory/Skills model

· Top-down theory/ Whole language model

· Four-resources model

Now apply the thinking behind this activity to examples of classroom practices. What examples have you seen/heard/read about for each of these?

Assessment Overview

Articulate your understanding of language and literacy development as applied to the primary school context.

For your assessment

Your task is to write a 2,000 word persuasive essay, in which you address the following question:

What is the most relevant theory/model for addressing 21st century literacy demands?

Illustrate your response with examples of classroom practices consistent with this theory/model.

For your assessment Your Essay

• A clear introduction:

· Discuss a range of models/theories and describe the literacy demands of the 21st century.

· Include a clear thesis statement – one sentence that is your answer to the question.

· Introduce the points you will argue in the essay.

A series of paragraphs:

· Develop a persuasive argument for the particular theory/model you have selected.

· Include examples of classroom practice.

· Build the argument to a logical and reasoned conclusion.

• A conclusion:

· reiterate and sum up your argument

· not simply restate the introduction.

You must support your argument

You must relate your argument to the unit. Do not write in general terms.

Draw on resources from:

· Weekly materials – podcasts, readings and activities.

· Scholarly literature – journals and texts.

Breaking it down: Content

· You persuade your reader that your theory/model is the best for addressing 21st century literacy demands.

· You have a deep, critical and mature understanding of the literacy demands of the 21st century.

· You have a strong understanding of the model you have selected.

· You have insightfully identified the literacy demands of the 21st century.

· Your argument is sound, logical and persuasive.

· You use relevant examples to illustrate how the model links to innovative primary practice in the 21st century.

· Your essay is not just opinion but is supported by valid evidence.

This relates to assessment criterion 1 knowledge of literacy development and criterion 2 Understanding of theories/models of literacy development.

Breaking it down format

· A clear introduction and thesis statement.

· A series of paragraphs making up the body of your essay to develop your persuasive argument for the theory/model you have chosen.

· A conclusion, in which you reiterate the key points made and sum up your essay.

· Writing is concise and word choice is deliberate.

· An active voice, broad and fluent vocabulary and a range of cohesive devices.

· Your sentence types add interest and energy to your writing.

· To be proof read with no errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation.

· The essay is written in third person.

· There is a purposeful and deliberate adherence to the conventions of English.

· Use correct APA referencing, in-text and end of text.

This relates to Assessment criterion 3: Format and structure.

APA formatting

Margins - 2.54 cm all sides, including top, bottom, left and right (p. 229)

Font preference and size - The preferred font is black, 12-pt Times New Roman. (p. 228) Also acceptable are Calibri, font size 11 (the default font for Word) and Arial, font size 11.

Line Spacing - Double spacing should occur throughout the document, including quotations of 40 or more words. (pp. 171 & 229)

Page Numbers - Page numbers should be located in upper right corner. (p. 230)

Paragraph Indentation - Paragraphs should be indented 5-7spaces (1 tab). (p. 229). Do not leave spaces between paragraphs.

These websites give a good breakdown of APA formatting http://libguides.css.edu/APA6thEd/APAFormatting

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Great Video for helping you set up your paper in APA format

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pbUoNa5tyY&feature=player_embedded

Breaking it down: Academic research

· You do need to demonstrate familiarity with the current field of research for this topic.

· You provide relevant and recent literature to support your claims – evidence comes from both the learning materials and your own research.

· You use valid and accurate evidence to support your argument.

· Your evidence is scholarly and contemporary.

· You use credible evidence throughout.

· You use correct APA conventions throughout.

Weekly activities

Week 2

Read about bottom-up theory and the skills model (pages 101-106 of your eText). This is one of the models/theories of literacy development you can write about in the first assessment task.

1. Write an explanation of this theory/model in your own words on the discussion board.

2. Give an example of a classroom practice that you have experienced/observed that could be explained or justified using this theory/model.

3. Read your peers’ postings, and provide feedback focusing on similarities and differences in your interpretations and experiences. If there are points that are unclear, ask your peer for clarification.

Answers 1

1. Write an explanation of this theory/model in your own words on the discussion board.

The bottom-up theory says that for a child to learn how to read there is a linear process that must be followed. It begins with letter and phonic awareness, followed by decoding and practice before developing into the more complex realm of reading fluency (Global Post, 2015).

As its name suggests, the bottom-up theory requires students to effectively tick off each level before moving onto the next, therefore not allowing much flexibility or recognizing the individual child’s needs. The one-size-fits-all approach could be argued to be outdated given what we increasingly understand about differentiated learning in the classroom. In saying that, I think the model makes sense as a framework – lower order skills must be learned here in order to develop higher order skills.

2. Give an example of a classroom practice that you have experienced/observed that could be explained or justified using this theory/model

During my placement I was with a Foundation class. There was a great emphasis on literacy and, in particular, on phonemic awareness. Each week there was a new ‘letter of the week’, whereby most content centered on that letter. There was constant referencing of this week/last week’s letter of the week and it was evident that the constant reinforcement of that basic knowledge was laying the foundation of the students’ literacy. During guided reading I could really see that most students were applying their phoneme knowledge in decoding the text at hand, or making “good guesses at sounding out the letters”.

I agree with the point that we can use the bottom-up theory as a guideline but not to the point of blindly holding on and trying to pigeon-hole all students. I think it’s crazy that a boy would receive a D despite clearly having a sophisticated understanding of 7 as a concept (but not grasping the symbol) – I think teachers would struggle to reconcile their understanding of a student’s level and the stringent assessment needed for the student to progress.

Kirk also raises the excellent point about students’ backgrounds and home-life, which the theory does not take into consideration. I believe this is yet another challenge for teachers who may feel constrained by certain theories and their assessment criteria in the face of seeing the diversity of students in the classroom.

References:

Global Post. (2015). Bottom-Up Theories of the Reading Process. Retrieved from: http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/bottomup-theories-reading-process-15252.html

Another answer 2

Bottom-up Theory and Skills Model

This theory/model came across to me as a ladder of understanding, with students taking one step at a time building one skill or stage of understanding upon the previous step, but only when the previous step has been adequately mastered. This is a very linear style of learning.

My example actually comes from a friend of mine (mentioned last week as a Literacy Coach), whose son is in Prep/Foundation and was receiving a Developing or D for Maths on his report as he could not recognise the symbol for a number (I think it was 7 so let's go with that). However he could verbally add and subtract to reach the number seven, combine groups of items to make seven, subtract from seven to reach another number and add on to seven to reach a different number. Yet because he could not attach a symbol to the number he was only been given a D despite being able to manipulate the number using much higher order skills. This is an example of bottom-up learning as his higher order learning was not being recognised due to lacking in symbol association.

A personal thought - I think that it can be very easy to dismiss some theories like the bottom-up model as out of date and irrelevant however I think we need to be careful that we don't throw out the good with the bad. There are certainly some instances where any theory can be held onto to the disadvantage of students as evidenced by my example, but there are also good things about a bottom-up system as well. A general progression of learning is a great guideline, as long as it is not held onto to the point where we cannot recognise where students have actually moved sideways or made jumps over steps. And without having read the next few weeks readings, I think the same can probably be said about any theory, they all have pros and cons and the problem comes when we have a pet idea that we are not prepared to sway from in order to take advantage of other ideas. We need to be flexible enough to gather the best from many ideas/theories/models in order to best cater to the individual needs of our students. Just my own thoughts - no academic credibility involved!!

Answer 3

1. Write an explanation of this theory/model in your own words on the discussion board.

The Bottom-Up theory looks at how students develop their reading skills in an incremental process; this involves progressing from learning symbols and phonics, to spellings, to language conventions and grammar, sentence structuring, writing in context, and communicative analysis (Gough, 1972). This traditional understanding of reading assumes that children are on the same par as others and work through the conventional style classroom that practices literacy through regular activities that push reading, pronunciation, spelling and definitions. The bottom-up theory works on the ideology that once a level of skills such as symbols and phonics are mastered and become automatic (LaBerge and Samuels, 1974); the next level of skills can be tackled.

2. Give an example of a classroom practice that you have experienced/observed that could be explained or justified using this theory/model.

Spelling, annunciation and definition can be practised by conducting regular classroom reading of a novel and circulating participation. I have experienced from my schooling, teachers drawing upon key words in a school text (such as a novel) and ensuring that students know and recall these words in their proper context. For example, my Grade 6 teacher would pick out a predetermined set of words from the chapter of a novel the class would cover and made students pronounce and memorise their spellings through “drill and practice”, and provide/ ask students to look up their definitions for a vocabulary test. This approach aimed at helping students improve their phonics, spelling and dictionary referring skills, as a foundation for their oral and written communication.

I thoroughly agree with Haley’s ideas here. While there are many assumptions in the practical use of the Bottom-up theory, there are great advantages to using it. In essence, the model tells us that in order for learners to be able to comprehend texts effectively, they must master their literacy basics in a step by step process. Studies by LaBerge and Samuels (1974) confirm this by showing that children who cannot comprehend texts with ease, lack base level literacy skills and expend most of their working mental capacities at this level.For instance, a primary school student should know what a noun, verb and conjunction is, in order to construct a meaningful sentence.

Nevertheless, the traditional aspect of the theory, which assumes a ‘one size fits all’ concept does not accommodate for a classroom with diverse aptitudes for literacy. For example, students who read more at home or read more advanced literature would naturally have a higher literary ability. Similarly, the type of language used at home will also affect the student’s ability to master a level. For instance, a student who is part of a family who converses with each other primarily in slang or colloquialisms would be inept to master their spellings quickly.

A teacher may have to intervene here in order to enhance their student's literacy and communication skills.

One instance I remember is my teacher banning my class from using the word "like", even when talking to him casually.

Answer 4

Write an explanation of this theory/model in your own words on the discussion board.

The 'bottom line up' theory is linear series of steps from simple to more complex gradually expanding as the teacher assess the students capabilities before the teacher is successfully and meaningfuly moving onto the next step. This is assimiliation and is contructivism theory as new knowledge is constructed on previous knowledge. This method is based on decoding and comprehending as two seperate tasks (Swinburne, Personal correspondence, week 2, 2015), although I firmly agree with this contructivism theory, as a foriegn language teacher I dont believe in separating the two tasks as it doesnt create knowledge in a meaningful way to my students instead I combine both. The bottom up theory is a cognitive approach focuses on the alphabet is the central part in learning to read, but as stated in the reading material it does not take into consideration the learners prior knowledge, so in order for this theory to be successful, taking in the students background into account would prove more efficient for the teacher and more successul for the learner. With regards to the skills aspect, depending on the level of the learners whether or not phonics need to be emphasized needs to be taken into account but in my opinion not in a self contained isolated way for example the 'phonics first approach', which ill explain in my answer to the next question.

Give an example of a classroom practice that you have experienced/observed that could be explained or justified using this theory/model.

I have used the bottom line up theory in my classroom many times, and it has worked successfully, but as I mentioned above not by decoding and comprehending as two seperate tasks but by combing both. Each time I introduced a letter for example A, I would introduce the letter as a symbol, then the sound /a/, then you tube clip of words that begin with /a/, then present flashcards with pictures that begin with /a/, apple, ant so that no only will they decode the letter as an individual they also comprehend the context it can be used. I further contruct and assimilate meaning to this by verballing and modelling short sentencis 'this is an Apple'.... the skill for comprehending A wasnt isolated and was used in context in a number of ways which also let to follow up letters in short sentences. For children whose English was not their first language, they grasped this quite successfully. Of course I also took into consideration the young leaners prior cultural background, the letter A to them in Turkish is pronounced only is 'U' and only 'U' unlike english where one letter can have multiple sounds.

Read your peers’ postings, and provide feedback focusing on similarities and differences in your interpretations and experiences. If there are points that are unclear, ask your peer for clarification.

I agree with Hayley when she suggested not throwing out the bad, the linier method could be could when combined with multimodel methods, combining ideas/theories and models and also accomodating for students who are unable to follow the linier method applying different activities.

Tipping, R. (2010). Enterprise Systems Management. Week 8.Swinburne Online, (2015) Retrieved from: https://ilearn.swin.edu.au/bbcswebdav/courses/2015-SO2-EDU70005-208812/UnitLearningMaterials/week-02.html

Hope im on the right track

Answer 5

I rather like the analogy by Reutzel and Cooter (2013) of the "bottom up theory resembling a puzzle when used to teach people to read. The reading puzzle is solved by beginning with an examination of each piece of the puzzle and then by putting the pieces together to make a picture.

see link....www.education.com › School and Academics › Reading for Beginners

The teacher teaches the skills first (individual puzzle pieces)- sounds.....words.....sentences....etc

Its a great incremental framework but needs to take into account that there is more to reading than decoding. Children need to understand what they are reading.

It struck me as rather sad that the example of the classroom in the e text where this theory was used failed to tap into student interest- the class groups seemed rather generic and ability based.

These learning groups got me thinking about my son in year 3. He struggles a bit with literacy and is in the lowest group for reading. I have been in a couple of times to help with reading groups and it occurred to me that the students who are not working independently do very little when they are not being assisted.They are also often the ones who have the shortest attention spans and most likely to go"off task" given half the chance. (not speaking for everyone here-but definitely my son)

I understand the benefits of seating like ability students together for literacy tasks but I also question the fact that the lowest group dominates the teachers time and attention . Apart from the fact that ability based groups can be bad for students self esteem I also feel peer support and peer role modelling is missing in this situation.

I have gone off track a little I know...going back to an example of bottom up theory I have observed on prac was a kindi class daily reciting a THRASS (Teaching Handwriting Reading and Spelling Skills) alphabet /phonetics chart out loud..

Week 3

Read about top-down theory and the whole language model (pages 106-111 of your eText). This is another of the models/theories of literacy development you can write about in the first assessment task. Task:

1. Write an explanation of this theory/model in your own words on the discussion board.

2. Give an example of a classroom practice that you have experienced/observed that could be explained or justified using this theory/model.

Answer 1

1. The top-down theory aims to determine how literacy practices are learned. It encourages students to focus on understanding the main ideas of a passage, rather than understanding each word. Students apply what they already know, constructing meaning through active involvement. It suggests that making meaning is the most important part of the reading process.

2. On placement, I sat in on a one-on-one Reading Recovery session. In the case that I saw, the student had a habit of making up certain words which led to semantical errors in the reading aloud of the story. The aide would pull the student up and ask questions about whether what was being read made sense. By encouraging the student to step a back and evaluate the meaning of the text as a whole, she was able to contextually infer the correct wording.

Pearson, A. (2015). The Top-Down Reading Model Theory. Retrieved from: http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/topdown-reading-model-theory-13028.html

Answer 2

1. Write an explanation of this theory/model in your own words on the discussion board.

Top-down Theory is a model which theorises that the meaning which is construed by a learner to a text will be determined by looking at meaning of a text in its entirety rather than through single word decoding (Pearson, 2015). Since the model looks at texts as whole rather than individual words, learners can become literate by looking to attach meaning from their own personal contexts, familiar clues, and prior understandings (Pearson, 2015). As such, this learner centralised approach looks at how the reader’s own motivations affect whether or not they are engaged, and can thereafter determine whether the reader will proceed to thereafter look at letters and sounds.

2. Give an example of a classroom practice that you have experienced/observed that could be explained or justified using this theory/model.

Last TP during my placement, I conducted a group discussion in a Grade 6 reading/writing workshop for each chapter completed in order to highlight the class to a few key words and meanings in different sentences. One sentence in particular which raised questions was – “he raised his canteen to catch the last drop of precious liquid inside”.

Since the storyline of this book was based in a desert outback where juvenile delinquents had to do hard labour as punishment, precious liquid was most likely to represent ‘water’ in this instance. Within such a context, it was presumed that the water had to flow out of a vessel, which provided meaning to the word ‘canteen’.

Through construing these meanings, students were able to expand their vocabulary.

Pearson, A. (2015). The Top-Down Reading Model Theory. Retrieved from http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/topdown-reading-model-theory-13028.html

Anwer3

Top-down theory and whole language model

I found this theory much harder to put into my own words but I think that the key point is about the immersion into language and an emphasis on engaging with text from as many different viewpoints or angles as possible. So rather than isolating and focussing on a particular element, is it about viewing that element within context to allow students to gain greater understanding of how and why that element is important to their understanding and therefore subsequent use of that element. Additionally, when the context can be situated around expanding prior knowledge or students’ expressed interests, there is even greater opportunity for students to learn about language from a ‘real life’ context. This leads into learning in community, allowing/encouraging students to learning through their interactions with each other and their discussions about language/text.

I am not sure if my example is accurate this week so please correct me so I improve in my understanding!! One of the Prep/Foundation teachers at the school where I teach music starts the week with a book she reads to the class, they look at the pictures and how the text is presented, for example the word ‘Streeeeetchy’ and what that might tell them about the story. She then plans her whole week around activities that she connects to the story, maths and science include

Answer4

The top down theory is understanding the words in a meaningful and authentic context. It uses student collaboration so they are able to share their own ideas. It uses cueing systems that work together in the reading process, these cueing systems makes way for teachers to determine how and what parts students are making sense of text. The focus is on finding information provided by rich authentic texts. After the conext has been read the students can determine which vocabulary that is still foriegn to them and is provided with the opportunity to think and make sense of it. It is a sociol development method which is connected to identity development as students contrust meaning on their own thus enabling them to become independent thinkers.

Ive used this method in my classroom many times as well as the bottom up method. Sometimes in individual phonics classes (being a language teacher) and individual context rich sessions. Ive also used both methods together throught the same lesson. One example of my use of Top Down method is at the end of our unit for each week there is a Cartoon story that relates to the topic I taught for that week, for example one was Space Troopers. As they read the story in sections distributed amongst students I asked them to approach the smart board and highlight the words they didnt understand. I then played the story so they could listen to it with the emotions in the context. This gave them time to think about and determine what those words mean by putting together from what they first read and then what they listened to by follwing the pictures in the story. When I asked them again what those words most words were decoded and the few that werent I then decoded it using the phonics I had taught them and modelled the word with my actions and body language.

Week 4

Read about critical theory and the four resources model (pages 117-122 of your eText).

1. Write an explanation of this theory/model in your own words on the discussion board.

2. Give an example of a classroom practice that you have experienced/observed that could be explained or justified using this theory/model.

Answer 1

1. Write an explanation of this theory/model in your own words on the discussion board.

The 4 resources model is well balanced theory that combines multiple literacy skills which are derived from the Bottom-up and Top-down models. It includes the code breaking aspects that are emphasised in the Bottom-up model; but also interweaves the elements of prior knowledge (text participation), genre (text user), and critical awareness of bias (text analyst) from the latter. The use of these four components allows for this single theory to cover the range of literacy functions a more accomplished reader possesses.

2. Give an example of a classroom practice that you have experienced/observed that could be explained or justified using this theory/model.

I believe that this classroom practice is applicable to more accomplished readers because a skill like critical analysis (text analyst), requires that a reader be able utilise the higher order skills of breaking down and synthesising the crux of a text.

One example I thought about was the activity of having students do a debate on a current issue of controversy. The debate would require that the students research up qualitative information to support their side of the argument. In doing so, their research would require them to select a relevant set of texts, read and inform themselves of the intentions of the authors, and be aware of the arguments used those texts to pre-prepare their rebuttals for the debate.

Answer 2

1. This theory encapsulates elements of both the Bottom-Up Theory and the Top-Down Theory in that it not only looks at the decoding of words and the understanding of the text, but it also looks at critically evaluating the text and realising that texts come in different forms for different reasons. All these four components don't work independently of each other, but rather, in conjunction with each other. It's a collective process of learning literacy. It takes it beyond words on a page and understanding the meaning. Rather, it instigates a more questioning view of the text.

2. Unlike Hayley (sorry, Hayley, I agree with everything else you wrote, just not sure about this particular point) I don't see this as being primarily for the higher primary school year levels. I believe it can start in Foundation. The questions may need to be simpler and the view narrower as their understanding of the world is limited in most cases. As the students grow, develop and learn, so too can the questioning and relating to the wider world. For example, a Year 1 class reading of a text can cover:

Code Breaking

· sight words

· punctuation

· prediction

Text Participation

· What do you think the story is about?

· Retelling of favourite parts of the story.

· questions about what the characters did or how they may have felt

· acting out the story.

Text function

· Where would we find this book in the library? In the non-fiction or fiction part?

· if this is a fiction book, perhaps look for a book that is non-fiction that relates to an aspect or character of the story.

Text Analysis

· Is this a true story? Questions about how the illustrator portrayed the characters. Does this form an immediate judgement about a character?

· How did the other characters react to the main character?

· Do you think their reaction was 'right'? How would you react?

· Gender roles could also be discussed.

· What would you change about the story?

and so forth.

Answer 3

1. Write an explanation of this theory/model in your own words on the discussion board.

The 4 resources model responds to the complexity of reading, encouraging readers to become lifelong learners and contributing citizens. It combines code-breaking (recognising/understanding symbols and relationships), text participation (using prior knowledge/experiences to interpret meaningful texts), text user (understanding different texts have different purposes) and text analyst (understanding texts are not neutral but are constructed from the author’s viewpoint). The four resources inform one another and contribute equally to the reading process.

2. Give an example of a classroom practice that you have experienced/observed that could be explained or justified using this theory/model.

I think this model is more relevant to the upper primary years, once the basics have been grasped and used in practice for some years. An example of this in the classroom (let’s say grade 5 or 6) would be reading a news article where an event has occurred and people with differing viewpoints have been affected in different ways and interviewed. Students could examine the text critically to develop the skills from the 4 resources model, i.e. see the text is not neutral, that it was written for a specific purpose etc. My example is similar to Hayley’s but I think it’s important that children learn to critically evaluate and question news articles (I currently work in media and feel passionately about the importance of being critical when it comes to the ‘news’!)

Answer 4

Critical Theory and Four-resource Model

This theory/model sees literacy as a social process based upon engaging with meaningful texts which encourages students to consider topics from multiple perspectives. Throughout the process students are also encouraged to ask questions and challenge dominant perceptions thus providing the platform for students to engage in the process of influencing societal change. Each of the 4 practices of the model, Code breaking, Text participation, Using texts functionally and Critically analysing texts are of equal importance and complement each other in the development of literacy proficiency.

An example

There has been an article in the local paper about an issue that has some residents concerned, while other residents feel like they are being prevented from activities they want to be involved in. Students are asked to look for further articles about the situation, apply to the local council and police for information on laws and regulations, and investigate other similar situations. They are expected to try and connect with both sides of the issue as well as present ideas possible solutions, which may be collated and presented to the local council member.