EDFX512 - Graduate Professional Practice Secondary 2

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

EDFD548 Effective Teaching and Professional Practice AND EDFX511 Graduate Professional Practice Secondary 1 AND Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment 1 for First and Second Teaching Areas AND LNTE110 Literacy and Numeracy Diagnostic

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

This second professional experience focuses on the identification of the professional role of the teacher as one of reflector and learner within a particular classroom context and as an integral member of a school community. The unit allows supervising teachers and pre-service teachers to work collaboratively with the University to assess, challenge, and extend the abilities of pre-service teachers. This school based professional experience enables pre-service teachers to reinforce and expand their competency in providing for and challenging student learning. It further provides opportunities for school-based study and the development of closer links between theoretical considerations and the teaching and learning experiences encountered in schools.

The aim of this unit is to provide pre-service teachers with the opportunity to participate in a block of extended reflective professional experience to expand their repertoire of pedagogical skills in the planning and delivery of appropriate teaching and learning programs.

This professional experience comprises a minimum of 20 days placement and supervised teaching in a school context.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Articulate a sophisticated understanding of the role of government and education system expectations, and school philosophies or mission statements in the development of school policies, curriculum, and procedures (GA5; APST 4.4)

LO2 - Analyse the role of, and where possible engage with, school community, parents/carers and other external professionals in the educational process (GA7; APST 3.7, 7.3, 7.4)

LO3 - Apply a range of verbal and non-verbal classroom communication and effective interpersonal skills during teaching episodes that support student engagement in learning (GA5, GA10; APST 3.5, 4.1, 4.2)

LO4 - Critique, contrast and synthesise a range of strategies to manage behaviour within classrooms and school contexts to ensure students’ wellbeing and safety, including involving parents/carers in the educative process (GA5, GA8; APST 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4)

LO5 - Evaluate, construct and implement of a variety of teaching strategies and learning activities that utilise engaging resources (including ICT), challenge students intellectually, and support diverse abilities and learning needs (GA8, GA10; APST 1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.5)

LO6 - Critique and apply current principles and practices of assessment including feedback, moderation, and reporting procedures, and demonstrate the capacity to interpret student data to evaluate learning and modify teaching practice (GA5, GA8; APST 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5)

LO7 - Reflect critically upon teaching processes and classroom management strategies, employing a range of sources of evidence, as a means to develop and refine professional practice and identify professional learning needs (GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8; APST 3.6, 5.4, 6.1, 6.3, 7.4)

Graduate attributes

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL

On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:

Content

Topics will include:

• identification and analysis of school charters/mission statements and school policies
• professional roles and responsibilities as a member of the school and wider community, professional ethics, and the collegial nature of schools
• relationship building and communication skills (oral, written, electronic) with students, colleagues, parents/carers, and school community
• creating effective class and school learning environments
• lesson, unit and program planning including sequencing of appropriate, effective teaching strategies and learning activities which cater for different learning needs and contexts
• assessment techniques/processes and appropriate reporting procedures for effective learning
• the role and impact of assessment and feedback for improved student learning outcomes and modification of teaching practices
• classroom management skills appropriate for creating and maintaining positive, safe and challenging learning environments
• the importance of parents/carers as partners in the educative process
• reporting to parents, school community, and educational authorities the role of reflective practice in evaluating learning and modifying teaching practice.

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Refer to Professional Experience Handbook for detailed guidelines regarding teaching and other requirements.

Pre-service teachers in this phase of the Professional and Community Experience undertake a minimum of 20 days of supervised teaching in schools, comprising a combination of five to ten single days throughout semester, followed by a continuous 10 – 15 day block in the same school. This experience will involve:

• taking on aspects of the secondary school teacher’s role and responsibilities as appropriate
• engaging in professional reflective conversations with peers, mentor/supervising teacher and university staff
• learning to work collaboratively with colleagues, including supervising teacher and teacher aides, and parents/carers where appropriate
• structured observation and analysis of high quality teaching episodes in both the major and the minor teaching areas
• developing and implementing lesson plans and sequences
• guided reflective practice, aligned with collecting and annotating appropriate artefacts for self-auditing of professional learning needs, within the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers framework and inclusion in the digital portfolio of professional practice commenced in EDFD528 - Effective Teaching and Professional Practice.

A variety of learning-teaching strategies may be used including:

• face-to-face lectures for briefing and debriefing

1. Attendance at all Professional Experience briefing and debriefing meetings is a unit requirement.

• seminars, tutorials, or workshops, which include pre-service teacher-led discussions and group work, provide opportunities for pre-service teachers to reflect on and build on their experiences in the field.
• information and communication technologies may be utilised to deliver content and facilitate an understanding of an educational community of practice.

Professional Experience: Teaching Requirements

Through school-based experiences, pre-service teachers will examine the nexus between theory and practice as they analyse and reflect upon current practices, develop communication, planning and teaching skills and relate their experiences to the theoretical foundations introduced through lectures and tutorials at university. In partnership with the teachers and school communities, they will practice and develop the content and skills explicitly addressed in on-campus units.

Suggested arrangement of the Professional Experience (5 Single Days)

Days 1 - 3: Proposed Teaching Expectation

• Structured observation and small group/team teaching
• Assisting the class teacher in the teaching and learning process
• Self-auditing and evaluation

Days 3 - 5: Proposed Teaching Expectation

• Structured observation and small group/team teaching
• Assisting the class teacher in the teaching and learning process
• One - two lessons/learning experiences per day, leading to whole class teaching
• Self-auditing and evaluation

Suggested arrangement of the Professional Experience (Days 6 – 10 Single days or incorporated into the block)

Days 6 - 10: Proposed Teaching Expectation

• Two whole class lessons/learning experiences per day plus managing class routines
• Self-auditing and evaluation

Suggested arrangement of the Professional Experience (Block Practicum: Days 11 - 30)

Days 11 - 30 (Week 3 and 4): Proposed Teaching Expectation

• Initially half days of teaching, plus managing class routines, increasing to approaching 0.8 of fulltime teaching load by the end of the placement
• Self-auditing and evaluation

Assessment strategy and rationale

Pre-service teachers, the University and schools collaborate in co-ordinating the school-based experiences of the pre-service teachers as they develop further their appreciation and understanding of the role of teacher. The report completed at the end of this unit covers the following themes:

• Professionalism – in conduct, in the execution of teaching and learning and in relationships with all parties
• Detailed, clearly expressed, thoroughly prepared and well-presented lessons
• Organisation and implementation of a range of learning activities and assessment strategies
• Diversity of teaching approaches
• Development of knowledge, skills and effective classroom strategies, including ICT, to promote engaging learning environments
• Engagement in a range of activities around the teacher’s role, including assisting the class teacher, structured observation and critical reflection, as appropriate to the setting.

The University will award the final grade based on reports from relevant school personnel.

Pre-service teachers who fail this unit will be asked to ‘show cause’ and will be terminated from enrolment in their course if the unit is failed twice.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Good, T. L., & Brophy, J. E. (2008). Looking in classrooms (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon

Henniger, M. L. (2004). The teaching experience: An introduction to reflective practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Kennedy, M. (1996). Teachers conducting research. East Lansing, MI: National Center for Research on Teacher Learning.

Kronowitz, E. L. (2004). Your first year of teaching and beyond (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.

Moore, A. (2012). Teaching and learning: Pedagogy, curriculum and culture (2nd ed.). Milton Park, England: Routledge.

Overall, L., & Sangster, M. (2005). The secondary teacher's handbook. London, England: Continuum

Pollard, A. (2008). Reflective teaching: Effective and evidence-informed professional practice (3rd ed.). London, England: Continuum.

Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Sinclair, C., & Nanlohy, P. (2010). Learning for teaching, teaching for learning. (2nd ed.). Southbank, Vic: Cengage Learning Australia.

Wilen, W. W., Hutchisen, J., & Ischler, M. (2008). Dynamics of effective secondary teaching (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Zeichner, K., & Liston, D. (1996). Reflective teaching. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.