EUB242 Professional Experience: Introduction to Professional Practice

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit has a 15-day professional experience placement designed to further introduce you to the practice of teaching with a focus on planning for learning. You will develop a range of planning and teaching strategies designed to create positive learning environments. The unit content and professional experience combine to provide you with purposeful learning and reflection opportunities for you to begin to develop and shape your emerging identity and practice as a beginning teacher. Learning in this unit will be directly related to preparing for and reflecting on the time you will spend in a school. 

This is a designated unit which is essential to your course progression. Designated units include professional experience units, units requiring the development of particular skills, and units requiring demonstration of certain personal qualities. If you fail to achieve a satisfactory level of performance in a designated unit, you may be excluded from enrolment or will be put on academic probation. If you fail a designated unit twice within your course, you may be excluded. Supplementary assessment is not available on designated units.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Develop professional knowledge of learners and how they learn, knowledge of how to build and maintain positive learning environments, and knowledge of how to plan for, and implement teaching and learning that impacts positively on learners. (Relates to CLO 1; APST 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4)
2. Reflect critically on the ways in which educational theory and contemporary research on learning environments informs and impacts on your teaching practices. (Relates to CLO 2; APST 1.1, 1.2, 3.7)
3. Develop knowledge and skills to create safe, supportive, caring, inclusive and positive learning environments (managing challenging behaviour) that positively impact on learners, including organising classroom activities and providing clear directions. (Relates to CLO 4; APST 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4)
4. Develop knowledge of being responsive to a wide diversity of learners, contexts, policies and practice environments, especially in relation to learning environments. (Relates to CLO 3; APST 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4)
5. Engage in professional dialogues and reflection on your practice to support your ongoing professional learning through collaboration with teaching professionals, peers, parents/carers and the broader community. (Relates to CLO 6; APST 6.3, 7.1, 7.2. 7.3)
6. Demonstrate the ability to reflect on experiences and reframe challenges into opportunities for capacity building and learning to improve your practice. (Relates to CLO 7; APST 6.3)
7. Engage ethically and respectfully with colleagues, parents/carers, learners, and the wider community from diverse backgrounds. (Relates to CLO 8; APST 4.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3)
8. Develop your professional verbal and non-verbal communication skills to support student learning. (Relates to CLO 9; APST 3.5, 7.3)

Content

Learning Approaches

In this unit you will learn through engaging in the following:

Collaborative workshops with peers and teaching staff (in person and online);

• Critical reflection of your teaching practices and teaching philosophy;
• Engagement with weekly topics through the unit Canvas site;
• Professional dialogues with external education stakeholders on professional experience;
• Blended and online learning and the use of technology and tools for learning; and
• A 15-day professional experience in an educational site.

Please refer to your course information. Non-compliance with course requirements relating to professional experience may prevent you from undertaking your professional experience placement.

If you are enrolled in a Professional Experience unit in any teaching period and your studies are ongoing after the census date, you may note a grade of AT (Assessment continuing) will appear on your academic record. Should you need to withdraw from the unit after the Census Date, you will need to contact the Faculty Student Support Office because you will not be able to withdraw yourself via eStudent. Please note that your grade will be finalised as normal by the Faculty at the end of the teaching period.

There may be other reasons that will require you to withdraw from the unit earlier than expected after consultation with the Professional Experience Coordinator and the Academic Director (Professional Experience). In such cases, you will still need to contact the Student Support Office to request withdrawal.

The Faculty is adopting this strategy to maintain our current positive working relationships and to manage our professional experience units with our partners at professional experience sites.

Literacy and numeracy standards as required by the profession are an inherent requirement of this unit.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will be provided with formative and summative feedback throughout the semester.
Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:

• a range of formative exercises will be discussed in class and through online platforms
• feedback from peers during group discussions
• generic comments back to the cohort via QUT Canvas
• professional experience reports (both interim and final) and comments from your supervising teachers.

Assessment

Overview

Assessment in this unit prepares you to maximise the professional experiences you have had to date through your course and extend these as you assume higher teaching responsibilities. Reflection on your teaching performance is designed to make visible your knowledge, skills and abilities and how you are working towards meeting the Graduate level of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

The assessment items include:

1) Professional Experience; and
2) Planning for Positive Learning Environments.

You must receive a passing grade (Satisfactory) on each assessment task to successfully pass this unit. Since this is a Professional Experience unit, special conditions of assessment apply to the second assessment task in the unit— Planning for Positive Learning Environments. Assessment criteria for Assessment Task 2 number five. You must pass all five assessment criteria to pass the second assessment task. Where an attempt fails to meet any one (1) assessment criterion, a resubmission of the assessment task within 72 hours of the release of results for that task may be permitted. It is your responsibility as a student to (i) resubmit your complete assignment should your unsatisfactory attempt fall within this margin of insufficiency (i.e., of one criterion) and (ii) notify your Unit Coordinator via email of your submission. 

Unit Grading Scheme

S (Satisfactory) / U (Unsatisfactory)

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Professional Experience

15 continuous days of supervised professional experience in an educational setting.

This professional experience will involve observing classroom practice and planning, teaching and assessing experiences for learners combined with creating safe and supportive learning environments for all learners.

This task will assess your:

1. Knowledge of the Graduate Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
2. Application of the Graduate Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Threshold Assessment:

You must achieve a passing grade (satisfactory) on each individual assessment task to successfully pass this unit.

Assessment: Planning for Positive Learning Environments  

Planning for Positive Learning Environments Portfolio

Threshold Assessment:

You must achieve a passing grade (satisfactory) on each individual assessment task to successfully pass this unit. Resubmission of Assessment Task 2 may be permitted. See 'Assessment Overview' above.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

Meet, and show evidence of, the public health or employment vaccination mandates/requirements of your state jurisdiction. 

Blue Card

A blue card is required to complete this unit. A blue card confirms that you have passed a screening of your criminal history (the Working with Children Check) and have been approved to work with children and young people. For more information on the blue card and how to apply please visit the QUT website.

Costs

There may be costs related to immunisations. 

Resources

Resource Materials

Prescribed text(s)

Churchill, R., Godinho, S., Johnson, N. F., Keddie, A., Letts, W., Lowe, K., . . . Shaw, K. (2019). Teaching Making A Difference. John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd.

Recommended text(s)

Allen, J., & White, S. (2018). Learning to teach in a new era. Cambridge University Press: Port Melbourne.

Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., & Le Cornu, R. (2015). Teaching Challenges & Dilemmas (5th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia: Victoria.

Larrivee, B. (2009). Authentic Classroom Management: creating a learning community and building reflective practice (3rd ed.). Pearson Education: New Jersey.

Other

Professional Experience Handbook

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Queensland College of Teachers. Elaboration: Domestic and family violence

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with the general conduct of this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in relation to computer use will apply.

The Commission for Children and Young People Act 2000 (Qld) requires that all students undertaking a professional experience as part of this unit will need a valid blue card or suitability card which has been registered with QUT before they can commence their placement. Please refer to Blue Card for full details and appropriate forms.

Managing the risk associated with your professional experience is bound in an agreement with the systemic employment bodies and individual sites where necessary. The Workplace Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) places duties of care on everyone to ensure the health and safety of themselves and others in the workplace.

Students should be aware of and comply with the QUT work integrated learning policy under QUT's Assessment Policy is at MOPP C/4.4.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

1 Professional Knowledge: Know students and how they learn

Relates to: Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  

1. Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
   Relates to: Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  
2. Understand how students learn
   Relates to: Planning for Positive Learning Environments  

2 Professional Knowledge: Know the content and how to teach it

1. Content selection and organisation
   Relates to: Professional Experience

3 Professional Practice: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

1. Establish challenging learning goals
   Relates to: Professional Experience
2. Plan, structure and sequence learning programs
   Relates to: Professional Experience
3. Use teaching strategies
   Relates to: Professional Experience
4. Select and use resources
   Relates to: Professional Experience
5. Use effective classroom communication
   Relates to: Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  
6. Engage parents/carers in the educative process
   Relates to: Professional Experience

4 Professional Practice: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments

1. Support student participation
   Relates to: Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  
2. Manage classroom activities
   Relates to: Professional Experience
3. Manage challenging behaviour
   Relates to: Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  
4. Maintain student safety
   Relates to: Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  

6 Professional Engagement: Engage in professional learning

1. Engage with colleagues and improve practice
   Relates to: Professional Experience

7 Professional Engagement: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community

1. Meet professional ethics and responsibilities
   Relates to: Professional Experience
2. Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements
   Relates to: Professional Experience
3. Engage with the parents/carers
   Relates to: Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  

Course Learning Outcomes

ED49 Bachelor of Education (Primary)

1. Knowledgeable: Apply professional knowledge of learning areas, learners and learning.
   Relates to: ULO1, Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  
2. Scholarly: Consider the ways in which educational theory and research inform and impact teaching practice.
   Relates to: ULO2, Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  
3. Inclusive: Plan for culturally secure, supportive, caring, inclusive and positive learning environments.
   Relates to: ULO4, Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  
4. Responsive: Interpret data, policy and legislative requirements to inform professional decisions about practice.
   Relates to: ULO3, Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  
5. Collegial: Collaborate and connect with professional networks and the wider community.
   Relates to: ULO5, Professional Experience
6. Reflective: Reframe challenges into opportunities for capacity building and learning.
   Relates to: ULO6, Professional Experience
7. Ethical: Engage ethically and respectfully with learners, colleagues, parents/carers and community from diverse backgrounds.
   Relates to: ULO7, Professional Experience
8. Communicative: Engage and communicate effectively and professionally.
   Relates to: ULO8, Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  

ED59 Bachelor of Education (Secondary)

1. Knowledgeable: Demonstrate comprehensive professional knowledge of learning areas, learners and learning.
   Relates to: Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  
2. Scholarly: Reflect critically on the ways in which educational theory and research informs and impacts teaching practice.
   Relates to: Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  
3. Inclusive: Synthesise various knowledges to create culturally secure, supportive, caring, inclusive and positive learning environments.
   Relates to: Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  
4. Responsive: Understand and respond to a diversity of learners, contexts, policy and practice environments.
   Relates to: Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  
5. Collegial: Collaborate and connect with professional networks and the wider community
   Relates to: Professional Experience
6. Resilient: Reframe challenges into opportunities for capacity building and learning.
   Relates to: Professional Experience
7. Ethical: Engage ethically and respectfully with learners, colleagues and parents/carers and community from diverse backgrounds.
   Relates to: Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments  
8. Communicative: Engage and communicate effectively and professionally.
   Relates to: Professional Experience, Planning for Positive Learning Environments