TEA2205 Contemporary Learning Environments

TEA	2205	75385	1, 2008	ONC	Contemporary Learning Environments	1.00	Toowoomba
Subject	Cat-nbr	Class	Term	Mode	Description	Units	Campus

Academic group:	FOEDU
Academic org:	FOE003
Student contribution band:	National Priority Teaching
ASCED code:	070105

Staffing
Requisites
Other requisites
Rationale
Synopsis
Objectives
Topics
Texts
Reference materials
Student workload
Assessment details
Important assessment information
Assessment notes
Other requirements
Production date
PDF version

STAFFING

Examiner: Petrea Redmond
Moderator: Alison Mander

REQUISITES

Pre-requisite: TEA2204

OTHER REQUISITES

State law in Queensland (Australia) requires that all adults working/undertaking professional experience/researching with children under the age of 18, in the state of Queensland are required to possess a current suitability card (Blue Card). (See "Other Requirements" for further information.) Also see: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html.

RATIONALE

Teachers are grappling with significant changes in educational initiatives, curriculum, societal expectations and the concept of teaching in the 21st Century. What does it mean to teach in a world of multiliteracies where lifelong learning is promoted more highly than the traditional content; where the knowledge of information is surpassed by the process of locating and synthesizing information for a purpose; where the traditional 3Rs have been replaced by the 3Ts (thinking, teamwork and technology); and where ICTs pervade? Adolescent learners demand an integrated curriculum which is relevant and learning activities that will enable them to gain skills which can be used beyond their schooling. This course builds on previous studies and provides beginning educators opportunities to continue to build their own personal pedagogical practice, to redefine these in light of their workplace experiences, and provides familiarity with the literature on effective teaching and learning. Students will investigate what it means to be an educator in the 21st century, examine current curriculum, assessment and pedagogy in an integrated context.

SYNOPSIS

This course seeks to provide learning opportunities (both on-campus and in professional experience) that will require pre-service teachers to play an active role in the construction of their own pedagogical practice and the development of professional expertise in planning and delivering effective teaching and learning. Effective teachers question, criticise and reformulate their assumptions about the nature of their work. Reflective practice promotes continued analysis, critique and interpretation of curriculum and pedagogical initiatives that impact on the work of educators. Through a range of on-campus and professional experience-related activities, the course aims to provide opportunities for students to develop their general pedagogical knowledge, curriculum knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Content knowledge refers to those broad principles and strategies of management and organisation that appear to transcend subject matter. Curriculum knowledge refers to particular grasp of materials and programs that serve as 'tools of trade' for teachers, and pedagogical content knowledge is seen as a special amalgam of content and pedagogy that is uniquely the province of educators - their own form of professional understanding. Students undertaking this course are required to complete a 15 day professional experience placement in an approved educational setting.

OBJECTIVES

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. The assessment item(s) that may be used to assess student achievement of an objective are shown in parenthesis. On completion of this course students will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding of a range of planning, teaching and classroom management techniques (Professional Experience and pedagogical practices)
be conversant with the models and strategies of effective teaching in secondary classrooms (All assessment items)
reflect critically on their teaching practices (All assessment items)
demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the purposes, techniques and principles of student assessment (All assessment items)
demonstrate knowledge, understanding and implementation of classroom observation, communication, planning, management, assessment and self reflection in a professional manner which meets the needs of students and the educational context (All assessment items)
design and develop cross curricular unit planning with peers (Assignment 1)
adapt teaching approaches to suit the students, the objectives and the educational context (Assignment 3 and Professional Experience)
explore self as a teacher, reflecting on prior experience and teaching and learning theories (Assignment 2)
Students must actively participate in all workshop sessions to ensure professional skills are at a sufficient level to participate in Professional Experience.
demonstrate the ability to integrate ICT into curriculum planning (Assignment 1)
demonstrate knowledge, understanding and application of appropriate personal, professional and academic literacies (All assessment items).

TOPICS

	Description	Weighting (%)
1.	Planning and teaching for improved learning outcomes	50.00
2.	Evaluation and assessment	20.00
3.	Reflective practice	30.00

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).

Kellough, R 2007, A resource guide for teaching K-12, 5th edn, Merrill, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
(Semester 2, 2007: If students have already purchased the earlier edition of this text, they will not be required to purchase the later edition.)

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Beaman, GW 2001, Teaching with adolescent learning in mind, Skylight Professional Development, Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Charles, CM 2002, Building classroom discipline, 7th edn, Longman, London.

Freiberg, HJ & Driscoll, A 2005, Universal teaching strategies, 4th edn, Allyn & Bacon, Boston.

Joyce, B, Calboun, E & Hopkins, D 2002, Models of learning - tools for teaching, 2nd edn, Open University Press, Buckingham.

Little, Emma 2003, Kids behaving badly, teacher strategies for classroom behaviour, Pearson Education Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW.

Manning, M & Bucher, K 2005, Teaching in the middle school, 2nd edn, Pearson/Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Marsh, C 2000, Handbook for beginning teachers, 2nd edn, Longman, Sydney.

Ryan, K & Cooper J 2004, Those who can, teach, 10th edn, Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

Wood, KE 2005, Interdisciplinary instruction: a practical guide for elementary and middle school teachers, 3rd edn, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY	HOURS
Assessment	45.00
Professional Experience	90.00
Workshops	30.00

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description	Marks out of	Wtg(%)	Due date	Notes
ASSIGNMENT 1	50.00	50.00	18 Apr 2008
ASSIGNMENT 2	30.00	30.00	06 Jun 2008
ASSIGNMENT 3	20.00	20.00	20 Jun 2008
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE	1.00	1.00	20 Jun 2008	(see note 1)
PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES	1.00	1.00	20 Jun 2008

NOTES

1.: Professional Experience dates as per Professional Experience timetable. A mark of one (1) indicates you have passed the Professional Experience component. A mark of zero (0) indicates you have not passed the Professional Experience component. The weighting of 1% is used for administrative purposes only and is NOT included in the overall weighting for this course.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Attendance requirements:
It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. Regular attendance at weekly workshops is expected. Students are required to complete all 15 days of the field experience component of this course. Students uanble to attend field experience MUST notify the school and the course examiner.
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks.
Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval of the examiner then a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the assignment will apply for each working day late.
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course and must satisfactorily complete the sector-based professional experience.
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
Examination information:
There is no examination in this course.
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
As there are no examinations in this course, there will be no Deferred or Supplementary examinations.
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

1.	The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the examiner.
2.	Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be produced within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt of request being made by the examiner. The student must retain this copy until the grade for this course has been finalised.
3.	In accordance with the University's assignment extension policy (Regulation 5.6.1), the examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances.
4.	The Faculty will normally only accept assessments that have been written, typed or printed on paper-based media. The Faculty will NOT accept submission of assignments by facsimile. Students who do not have regular access to postal services or who are otherwise disadvantaged by these regulations may be given special consideration. They should contact the examiner of the course to negotiate such special arrangements.
5.	Students who have undertaken all of the required assessments in a course but who have failed to meet some of the specified objectives of a course within the normally prescribed time may be awarded the temporary grade: IM (Incomplete - Make up). An IM grade will only be awarded when, in the opinion of the examiner, a student will be able to achieve the remaining objectives of the course after a period of non-directed personal study.
6.	Students who, for medical, family/personal, or employment-related reasons, are unable to complete an assignment or to sit for an examination at the scheduled time may apply to defer an assessment in a course. Such a request must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. One of the following temporary grades may be awarded IDS (Incomplete - Deferred Examination); IDM (Incomplete - Deferred Make-up); IDB (Incomplete - Both Deferred Examination and Deferred Make-up).
7.	When there is more than one marker for a single item of assessment, the distributed patterns and means for the different markers will be compared and marks adjusted if necessary.
8.	Marking criteria are provided in course material as mark sheets/guides or as part of assignment specifications.
9.	Summative assessment items will receive a numerical score. Any ungraded assessment requirement will receive a Pass, Fail or Incomplete.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Students will require access to e-mail and Internet access to USQConnect for this course.
Students are to use a recognised referencing system as specified by the examiner.
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.

This version produced 27 May 2008.