author • teacher • education consultant
As an author, teacher and education consultant, Lisa works with schools to improve literacy teaching and learning practices. Over the years, she has worked with thousands of students and teachers in Australia, America and beyond. She has a strong background in effective classroom teaching.
Lisa loves sharing stories, especially with young people. She believes that stories can strengthen empathy, connection and community. In fact, stories can change our world.
Lisa produced her own TV series, Writer’s Notebook, and co-hosted a weekly radio program, Stories, Songs and People’s Voices.
The natural next step for Lisa was to write a book, celebrating the power of storytelling. Billy Bobbarooni and the Mystery Words is that book, a middle-grade novel that weaves poems, riddles, short stories and other styles of writing throughout the narrative. It is the first book in the Billy Bobbarooni series.
Lisa is a member of the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) and is currently Vice President, Australian Literacy Educators’ Association (ALEA), Melbourne Local Council. She works with the ALEA Melbourne team to advocate ‘for a rich and coherent understanding of literacy among educators, children and their families, the media, and the community at large’.
She presents at conferences and events, entertaining and educating audiences with stories and anecdotes gathered during her long career in education.
Lisa is inspired by the strengths, creativity and potential of students and teachers everywhere. Her greatest wish is for all educators to deeply understand how authentic literacy practices strengthen connectedness and wellbeing in schools.
Books
Billy Bobbarooni and the Mystery Words
Billy Bobbarooni: Book 1
By Lisa Keskinen
‘A novel with a compelling mystery and a rich world, celebrating the power of storytelling and the spirit of community.’
Mystery, history, riddles and rhyme.
Will they crack the code or run out of time?
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- A novel for readers 8+ years old
- Rich vocabulary and themes
- Fun and relatable
- Great for reading comprehension and critical literacy discussions
- Weaves poems, riddles, short stories and other styles of writing throughout the narrative
- The first book in the Billy Bobbarooni series
- 10% discount for orders of 6 or more – great for literature circles and classroom libraries
For more information or to buy now click here.
Teacher and Parent Notes
Drawing on her knowledge as a teacher and education consultant, Lisa has produced these Notes to use before, during and after reading Billy Bobbarooni and the Mystery Words.
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Designed for teachers, librarians, home-schooling communities and parents.
They include:
- A vocabulary list for each chapter
- Information on themes and curriculum links
- Discussion points with extracts from the story
- Critical literacy questions
- Engaging extension activities
- Further learning reference links
For more information or to download teacher notes click here.
Services in Education
Lisa founded Lisa K Connections in 2003 with a vision to:
• provide high quality teacher professional development services
• inspire and encourage teachers to continually improve and develop their professional knowledge and skills
• improve the quality of teaching and learning practices in schools, therefore improving student outcomes
• model and demonstrate effective teaching and learning practices
• focus on whole school approaches to school improvement
• continually evaluate and improve the services provided
• work with joy and kindness
• enjoy the ride!
Lisa works with schools to plan and deliver high quality professional development programs that meet specific literacy needs. She is also available for special events, interviews, conferences, curriculum days, after school workshops and parent information evenings.
Presentations, Seminars and Workshops
Lisa will tailor a dynamic and inspiring presentation to suit your conference or event theme. She engages her audiences with inspiring stories gathered during her extensive travels and career in education.
Lisa’s presentation topics include:
• Planning Effective Reading and Writing Workshops
• Improving Reading Comprehension and Thinking Skills
• Writing for Wellbeing and Connection
• Passion Projects – The Magic of Multigenre Writing
• Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing Connections
• From Shared Reading to Modelled Writing – The Power of Connected Literacy
• The Importance of Critical Literacy in the ‘Information Age’
• Writing as Social Practice – How Writing Changes Relationships
Lisa brings the joys of the classroom to your conference or special event.
Click here for enquiries or bookings.
Whole School Improvement
Lisa works with schools to plan and deliver high quality professional development programs that meet specific literacy needs. For reading and writing, her ‘whole school improvement process’ is usually planned and delivered over 6-12+ months. This process usually begins with a whole staff curriculum day followed by a flexible number of consulting days. These days may include:
• classroom demonstrations
• teacher support meetings
• teacher planning meetings
• classroom observation and feedback sessions
• after school professional development sessions
• leadership meetings where Lisa provides school follow up plans and documents (such as teacher self evaluations) to ‘keep the ball rolling’ between visits
Click here for enquiries or bookings.
Author Visits
As a guest author, online or onsite, Lisa will plan something special to suit your needs.
She is available for:
• one-off presentations
• a series of sessions building momentum for writers’ festivals
• writer in residence programs
• author webchats, where readers get to ask questions – she might even give you a sneaky peek inside her writer’s notebook
• packages that include copies of her book with free, comprehensive Teacher and Parent Notes
Click here for enquiries or bookings.
Connect with Lisa
For enquiries regarding availability, services or pricing, please use the contact form provided.