6705 Enhanced Learning in Professional Contexts

Dr Megan PooreMegan.Poore@canberra.edu.au

Dr Jackie WalkingtonJackie.Walkington@canberra.edu.au

Overview

Introduction to the unit: purposes, admin, assessment (Megan Poore)

PE basics: purposes, admin, contacts (Jackie Walkington)

Unit basics

Combines focus on ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) with Professional Experience preparation

Unit basics

•Mix of theory (in lectures and tutes) and practice (your placement)

•Your Secondary Teaching Studies units are explicitly linked to the current unit

Lectures, tutes and resources

Lectures

•Designed to raise awareness of issues relating to ICT, society and education

•Will also cover issues related to your placements

•Will sometimes follow a traditional ‘chalk and talk’ format

•Other times will a bit more interactive: ‘buzz groups’; mini-lectures; videos; discussion; questions

Tutorials

•Two-hours long, but we will break in the middle

•First part of the tute will be devoted to discussing the resources and readings for the week

•Second part will be hands-on exploration of web-based tools for teaching and learning

Resources

•Each week, you will be asked to explore a set of resources as preparation for the tutorial

•Resources may include journal articles, web articles, websites, reports, podcasts, videos, news articles, whatever

•There will be ‘essential’ and ‘optional’ resources -- all on E-Reserve and on the Unit blog

Assessment

1.ICT research journal

2.Magazine article for professional magazine

•Suggested topics for both appear in the Unit Outline and are very interesting!

3.Professional Experience report level 3

4.Completed reports for PCDs

ICT research journal

•60 % total; Due week 15

•Research three (3) topics related to ICT and education and keep a record. Each topic to have at least 5 entries.

•You will be expected to submit a 800 - 1200-word summary of each topic

•Electronic and paper formats for overall journal acceptable

ICT research journal summaries

•800 - 1200 words each, due end of weeks 5, 7 and 9

•Summary 1: formative feedback only

•Summaries 2 and 3: 15 % each. Therefore:‣Summary 2: 15 %

‣Summary 3: 15 %

‣Final research journal: 30 %

‣TOTAL: 60 %

Magazine article

•1200 - 1500 words; 40 %; due week 11

•Article for publication in Today’s Teacher

•Paper-based submission only

Unit blog

•Lecture recordings

•E-Reserve

•Discussion/comments

•Sharing resources

•Links, videos, resources

•Please take part. If you want to blog, not just comment, send me your email address

Learn online (Moodle)

•Online assignment submission

•Grades

•Lecture recordings

•E-Reserve

What is Professional Experience?

Professional experience is ...

•A compulsory and developmental element of a teacher preparation course

•About in-context learning and growing

•Providing links between theory and practice

•NOT about learning to ‘act like a teacher’ but about ‘becoming’ and ‘being a teacher’.

•Fun!

Professional experience activity

•2 ‘types’

‣Placement in a school – 5 ‘rolling days’ plus a four week block

‣Professional Community Days

•Important to get your head around the requirements early to prevent difficulties later

Professional experience activity

•In your short course you have a long journey to travel. It is concentrated and therefore you will need to keep focused and up-to-date

Professional experience info

•Professional Experience Web Site

www.canberra.edu.au/faculties/education/professionalexperience

Professional experience info

•Dates for professional experience – on PE Website, in Manual/Guide (purchased from Bookshop), on notice boards

•Schedule of dates is on web site, on notice boards and in school materials

•Outlines of activity and objectives for each subject are on web site and in guides

•Professional Community Days Booklet

Professional experience office

•5B11

•A busy place – 1000 students a year

•Take responsibility for your own arrangements – check the web, the WebCT and notice boards.

•Read all materials thoroughly before asking staff

•Checklist later

School placement

Type 1 - School placement

•5 days observation lead to an extended placement where the ‘bar’ is raised rapidly

•You will need to give it your priority – it is a very concentrated opportunity to learn

•You will be placed with a Mentoring Teacher/s, supported by other staff including a Liaison person from UC

Type 1 - School placement

•It is an opportunity to observe, reflect, experiment, reflect, learn

•Not just about teaching ‘your subject’ but about the whole teacher role.

Yes, a report will be written!

•You will be reminded from time to time, but please read documentation carefully

•For example

‣Report form on Professional Experience website under ‘Resources’ (Level 3 report)‣Your responsibility to download, also available for electronic completion‣The professional experience component is Ungraded Pass, Result Withheld, Fail

Preference forms

•Request for allocation: Every effort is made to meet preferences, but it is determined by offers received

•Any application to change placement dates MUST be via a Variation to Schedule form with supporting documentation (form on Prof Exp website)

•If contact details change over the year, notify PEO by email

•Conflict of Interest

•Give plenty of detail to assist appropriate placement

•Placements will be advised through your student e-mail

Professional Experience reporting

Professional Community Days

Type 2 - Professional Community Days

•These 5 days you arrange yourself when it suits you

•Aim is to provide experience in different educational situations – give a wider perspective

•All procedural details are provided in the booklet

•There are expectations for reporting

What is expected of you

•Plan ahead

•Think carefully when you choose settings

•Look for variety, difference, challenge

•Take responsibility for understanding the administrative processes

•Attend the days enthusiastically and with the focus on learning more about teaching

•Submit reports in a timely fashion.

Checklist (*forms on PE website)

•Enrolled correctly?•Completed national

criminal check requirements?*

•Completed preference form for placement? “Request for Allocation” or “RFA”?

•Ordered a name badge?*•ACT Acceptable Use

Policy – complete form*

•Planned your timetable to attend all classes?

•Planned work and other private arrangements around study and ‘prac’ not the other way around?

•Accessed the Web Site and know where to find things?

Your philosophy of teaching

•It is important to explicitly think about what you value in teaching. This will guide your practice and your learning

•It will change throughout the year as you learn more and experience the teacher role

•If your current ideas are not being challenged, then you are not trying hard enough

•As a starting point, reflect on the thoughts on the following slide

Analysing your thoughts

•What does teaching mean to you?

•How did you form these ideas?

•Family, School experiences, Parental perspectives, Media, University and professional experience

•Teaching is …

•The most important thing that teachers do is…

•Teachers should always...

•Teachers should never...

School placement

•You will be notified about your placement via your student e-mail

•Notify PEO of your contact details change

•Declare any conflict of interest

•Complete national criminal check

Know the requirements

•Get the PE Manual and Guide (available at bookshop)

•Also look at the PCD booklet available from PE website

•Study the requirements now to avoid complications later

•Take responsibility for your own arrangements

Professional Experience reporting

•Your mentor will write assess your progress and give feedback via reports

•See section 4 of PE manual for more info

•PE reporting scale: Ungraded Pass, Result Withheld; Fail

Professional Community Days

•Five days that you arrange yourself

•Aim is to give you a range of experiences in different educational settings

•There are expectations for reporting

•Check the PCD booklet, available from the PE website

Resources

•The Education Centre, Level A, Building 5

•Academic Skills Programt: 02 6201 2205  

•Student Counsellingt: 02 6201 2351

•University of Canberra Union

•Library: Live chat, 10 - 12, Mon - Fri

Good luck!