/ School of Education / Requirements EPR201

EPR201: Professional Experience 3

Unit title / Professional Experience 3 – Approaches in Education
Professional experience days / 20 days (including a 2-week block, 2 weeks comprising a full teaching load)
Academic requirements / Assignment 1:
Critique of Learning Design for diversity of learners and learning
In-school tasks / Sequential programming and planning and teaching over the 15 days with at least 2 weeks of full time teaching.
Assignment 2: Planning and teaching a sequence/unit of work with a focus on teaching methodology / Daily journal
Reflection on planning
Mentor feedback
Forms to be submitted to the Professional Experience Office / Placement Assessment Forms (Interim and Final)

Unit Purpose

This unit will explore teaching methodologies, strategies and theories.It also provides guidelines for exploring inclusive pedagogies and classroom practices.

This unit requires successful completion of two components. The first is up to seven weeks of in-depth study of learning theories, literature and quality pedagogical approaches. The second component consists of 20 days of professional experience in a school educational setting. Pre-service teachers will undertake specific assessable activities, including personal reflection, planning and teaching that align to the theoretical focus provided.

The 20 days of professional experience includes a two-week block (Monday to Friday) in which the pre-service teacher will plan and teach in a full-time teaching capacity.Pre-service teachers must provide current criminal history clearances prior to the commencement of the professional experience.

Unit Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit the student should be able to:

  1. Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student and own learning practice, and organise content into an effective teaching and learning sequence.
  2. Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions
  3. Use a range of teaching strategies, theories and methodologies to improve student learningthat are responsive to the needs of all students
  4. Use curriculum assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and provide timely and appropriate feedback to students and relevant stakeholders, with an understanding of families, peers, media and educational settings.
  5. Collect supporting evidence and reflect upon one's own practices in relation to Australian Professional Standards for teachers.

Academic Requirements

Academic theory on applying principles to practice is fundamental to Professional experience. Participation with the Academic component of this unit is outlined in detail on Learnline, the on-line learning environment. Visit "Learnline login" at the top of the CDU home page

In-school experience contacts

The Professional Experience Office facilitates the administration of school placements for all pre- service teachers including pre-placement, collection of professional experience assessment forms and organising payments for mentor teachers. Contact Phone: 8946 6602.

Length of professional experience

20 days (including a 2week block of full time teaching)

Teaching expectations for pre-service teachers

In general, the pre-service teacher should take every opportunity over these 20 days to design, teach and assess work suitable for learners. Pre-service teachers are expected to plan and teach in a full-time capacity for a minimum of two full week during the 20-day period.

Daily Journal

Pre-service teachers must keep a daily journal noting in-class and in-school activities, and reflections on experiences and teaching. The reflection focus for EPR201 is the way in which different teaching methodologies, strategies and specialist teaching foci impact on student learning.

The journal spans the entire period of professional experience and is completed throughout the course. It will include entries which detail knowledge and insights gained, problems encountered, solutions applied, and the reflections of work as a pre-service teacher. Entries in this journal can inform future teaching and reflect personal development and growth as a teaching professional and can be used as a reference as pre-service teachers start to build their portfolio of evidence that addresses the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST).

Mentor teachers are asked to sight this journal and comment in the Final Report.

Mentor Teacher Feedback and in-school assessment

Mentor teacher feedback is provided using the following:

  1. An interim report is completed following the completion of10 days. This formative report provides an indication that the professional experience is proceeding as expected.
  2. Mentor teachers provide summative feedback on planning and teaching using the rubric provided on the final assessment form available on the inschool site. This rubric informs the summative feedback and overall evaluation at the completion of the professional experience.
  3. Mentor teachers also provide regular written and verbal feedback and guidance throughout the entire block of professional experience. Templates are available at

The inschool tasks for this unit are:

Pre-service teachers are expected to plan and teach in a full-time capacity for a minimum of two full week during the 20-day period that will include the planning and teaching of a unit of work in which:

  • Preservice teachers explore a teaching strategy/ methodology and embed into their teaching.
  • Mentor teachers and preservice teachers discuss the suitability of the selected teaching strategy for the class/school context.
  • Preservice teachers undertake planning, teaching and assessing the ‘unit of work’ for students that covers at least 2 weeks of full time teaching.

*

Pre-service teachers should:

  • Embed theory and practice of a recognised teaching and learning strategy/methodology (e.g. Multiple Intelligences, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Dimensions of Learning etc.).
  • Provide a clear sequence of activities that involves the teaching of a minimum of six sessions
  • Show evidence of use of sound learning design, e.g. the 8 learning management questions to inform the planning. (i.e. LMP)
  • Provide an assessment rubric identifying how students will meet the learning outcomes of the unit.
  • Share the unit of work with a forum in the school that includes the mentor teacher.

Students are encouraged to add relevant materials from this unit to theirPortfolio of Evidence* and update the portfolio that is already in development

*Portfolio of Evidence (POE)– completed online portfolio presented to host school at the conclusion of the course. The PoE provides the explicit demonstration of evidence that addresses the Australian Professional Standards for Teacher (APSTs). Pre-service teachers are encouraged to collect evidence towards this portfolio from the commencement of the first Professional Experience.

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EPR201 – Professional Experience 3