TEA 2204 The Emerging Practitioner

STAFFING:

RATIONALE:

Teaching is a highly complex, problematic, and context-specific activity. The difference between the contexts is vitally important. It is an intellectual and value-laden activity. It requires a personally meaningful professional knowledge base for teaching, and cognitive skills for effective teaching. Educators' personal professional knowledge bases are developed from practice, where theory emerges out of practice and practice informs theory. Effective educators question, criticise and reformulate their assumptions about the nature of their work. The challenge for pre-service teachers is to develop the beginner's inclination and capacity to engage in the sort of intellectual dialogue and action for effective teaching. In this way one's knowledge base for teaching is personally and socially constructed. It is dynamic and incomplete - it is constantly being constructed and reconstructed. It develops via integration of a range of learning. Elbaz has identified knowledge about self, the milieu, subject matter knowledge, curriculum and instruction. Shulman has identified six components of the professional knowledge base of teaching: content knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge, curriculum knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, knowledge of learners and their characteristics, knowledge of educational contexts, and knowledge of educational ends, purposes, and values, and their philosophical and historical grounds.

SYNOPSIS:

This course views teaching as intellectual work and enables pre-service teachers to build their own personal practical theories of teaching, and to redefine these in light of the workplace experiences and familiarity with the literature on effective teaching and learning. On-campus and in-workplace experience are incorporated in the course. Pre-service teachers will reflect on the in-workplace experiences in light of the relevant literature in the areas of curriculum development, instructional planning, models of teaching, classroom management and teaching skills. Pre-service teachers will also be introduced to the notion of the reflective practitioner, teacher as researcher, and action research as a way of facilitating professional growth. Students undertaking this course are required to complete a 10 day professional experience placement in an approved educational setting. IMPORTANT NOTE: Working with Children: State law in Queensland requires that all adults (including university students, pre-service educators, trainers, vocational teachers, industry educators) working with children under the age of 18, in the State of Queensland*, obtain approval before commencing such work. Many education courses include a practical component (professional experience, project work, research, assessment etc.) that may require engagement with children under the age of 18. It is your responsibility to ensure that you possess a current suitability card (Blue Card) before commencing any practical components of this course. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN UNDER 18 UNLESS YOU POSSESS A CURRENT 'BLUE CARD'. For further information: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html *If you are undertaking practical experience outside the State of Queensland, Australia you should check local requirements.

OBJECTIVES:

On successful completion of this course, students will:

1. demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the nature of educators' work
2. demonstrate an awareness of their own personal practical theory
3. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the nature of educational institutions as organisations
4. demonstrate knowledge of models of effective teaching and learning in variable contexts
5. demonstrate knowledge of the techniques of educator-based research and reflection
6. adapt teaching approaches to suit the students, the objectives and the educational context
7. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of curriculum, recent influence on school curriculum development and the elements of curriculum design
8. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the relationship between curriculum design and classroom management
9. demonstrate knowledge, understanding and application of appropriate professional communication skills.

TOPICS:

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

Access to xpata online planner.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

NOTES:

1.

All students must successfully pass 10 days of professional experience as well as the academic component to successfully complete this course. A value of one (1) indicates you have passed the professional experience component. A value of zero (0) indicates you have not passed the professional experience component.

2.

The examiner will advise the due dates for all assessment items.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   Regular attendance at weekly lectures and tutorials is expected. Students are required to complete all 10 days of the professional experience component of this course. Students unable to attend professional experience due to illness MUST notify the school and the University.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   To complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for each assessment item.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval then a penalty of 20% of the total marks available for the assignment will apply for each working day late.
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   To be assured of a passing grade, students must demonstrate, via the summative assessment items, that they have achieved the required minimum standards of at least 50% in relation to the objectives of the course by satisfactorily completing each summative assessment item. Students must also attain a satisfactory performance level for professional experience.
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
6. Examination information:
   There is no examination in this course.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   There will be no Deferred or Supplementary examinations in this course.
8. University Regulations:
   Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

1. Any time lost for professional experience MUST be made up.
2. IMPORTANT NOTE: Working with Children: State law in Queensland requires that all adults (including university students, pre-service educators, trainers, vocational teachers, industry educators) working with children under the age of 18, in the State of Queensland*, obtain approval before commencing such work. Many education courses include a practical component (professional experience, project work, research, assessment etc.) that may require engagement with children under the age of 18. It is your responsibility to ensure that you possess a current suitability card (Blue Card) before commencing any practical components of this course. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN UNDER 18 UNLESS YOU POSSESS A CURRENT 'BLUE CARD'. For further information: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html *If you are undertaking practical experience outside the State of Queensland, Australia you should check local requirements.