EUB444-2 Professional Experience: Transition to Professional Practice


To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.


Unit Outline: Semester 1 2020, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Unit code:EUB444
Credit points:12
Pre-requisite:(EUB343 or EDB173 or EDB150) and successful completion of both components of LANTITE
Coordinator:Mia Christensen | mia.christensen@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

Learning in this unit will be directly related to preparing for and reflecting on the time you will spend in a school. There will also be a focus on developing skills and practices for professional resilience, specifically, taking initiative. This unit has a 20-day professional experience designed to consolidate the previous learning you have had throughout your course to date. Throughout this unit you will further consolidate the skills necessary to critically analyse your professional practice and identify areas to strengthen. You will continue to develop and refine a range of planning, teaching and assessment strategies designed to positively impact on a diversity of learners. The unit content and professional experience combine to provide you with purposeful reflection opportunities for you to consolidate your teaching practice and further shape your emerging identity as a beginning teacher.

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. Consolidate professional knowledge of learners and how they learn, knowledge of content and how to teach it using verbal and non-verbal communication strategies, and knowledge of how to plan for, implement, and assess teaching and learning that impacts positively on learners. (Relates to CLO 1; APST 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5)
  2. Reflect critically on the ways in which educational theory and contemporary research informs and impacts on your teaching practices. (Relates to CLO 2; APST 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 3.7, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5)
  3. Consolidate various knowledges to create safe, supportive, caring, inclusive and positive learning environments that positively impact on learners. (Relates to CLO 3; APST 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4)
  4. Consolidate knowledge of being responsive to a wide diversity of learners, contexts, policy and practice environments. (Relates to CLO 4; APST 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5)
  5. Engage in professional dialogues and reflection on your practice to support your ongoing professional learning through collaboration with teaching professionals, peers, partners/carers and the broader community. (Relates to CLO 6; APST 6.1, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4)
  6. Demonstrate the ability to reflect on experiences and reframe challenges to opportunities for capacity building and learning to improve your practice. (Relates to CLO 7; APST 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5)
  7. Engage ethically and respectfully with colleagues, parents/carers, learners, and the wider community from diverse backgrounds. (Relates to CLO 8; APST 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4)
  8. Develop your professional communication skills. (Relates to CLO 9; APST 3.7, 4.2, 4.3, 7.3, 7.4)

Content

In this unit, you will learn:

Knowledge and understanding of implementing a cycle of inquiry to enhance professional learning and professional identity;

  • Effective sequencing of lessons based on knowledge of learners, content and effective teaching verbal and non-verbal communication approaches and assessment strategies;
  • Consolidation of knowledge of planning, teaching and assessing for diverse learners;
  • Consolidation of knowledge of creating safe and supportive learning environments;
  • Development of capacities as inquirer of your own practice to enhance professional identity;
  • Ethical practices and professional conduct that promote non-violence;
  • Knowledge and understanding of student protection and related issues;
  • Effective communication with parents/carers and community;
  • Critical reflection on prior learning throughout your course and previous professional experiences;
  • Knowledge of how to effectively evaluate your teaching practice;
  • Preparation for professional experience;
  • Building resilience for your professional career, through the completion of BRiTE module 4 (T), specifically taking initiative, which includes problem solving skills, developing ongoing professional learning and knowing how to communicate effectively; and
  • An understanding of Domestic and Family Violence - awareness, cause, impacts, common signs and reporting procedures.

This unit will help support you with knowledge and skills needed for your Quality Teaching Performance Assessment (QTPA).

Relates to learning outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes

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

Learning Approaches

To achieve an authentic and meaningful balance between theory, research and practical real world experiences, the learning approaches in this unit incorporate on-campus workshops, online recordings and resources and a 20-day professional experience placement.

The workshops are designed for a high level of pre-service teacher participation and interaction involving short peer presentations and participative small and large group discussions and activities. Pre-service teachers are expected to prepare for each session in order to actively engage in activities designed for critically reflecting on the unit materials, sharing insights and ideas, and building the professional knowledge, understandings and skills required to demonstrate the unit learning outcomes. Proactive preparation for the professional experience placement and collaborative critical reflection on teaching and experiences immediately after the placement are key learning approaches integrated into this unit.

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

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

  • Critical reflection on your teaching practices and teaching philosophy;
  • Engagement with weekly discussion board topics through the unit Blackboard 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 20-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 of Education Student Support Office educationenq@qut.edu.au 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 gain formative feedback in this unit through workshop activities and interactions with academics and peers in person and online. Feedback on your teaching performance will be given through your professional experience. Peer feedback will be provided on your assessment presentation and summative feedback will be provided on your written assessment piece.

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. The creation of a digital identity poster.
2. Professional experience placement performance.





Unit Grading Scheme

S (Satisfactory) / U (Unsatisfactory)

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Creative Work

This assessment provides an opportunity to further craft and refine your identity as you progress towards being a graduate teacher. The assessment involves the creation of a digital professional identity poster that outlines your personal philosophy and practice as a teacher.

The poster is designed using a digital template and should reflect your developing professional identity. You will be supported in tutorial times to work on crafting your professional identity poster.

You will be required to present your Digital Identity Poster to peers and academics in tutorial time (in person and online) in small groups and gather peer feedback on your poster.

The crafting and refining of your teaching identity in this way will directly contribute to one element of the QTPA in EUB406.

This task will assess your:

1. Understanding of the role and work of teachers within contemporary education contexts.
2. Preparation and articulation of a teaching philosophy statement to support and strengthen your professional practice

Relates to learning outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
CLOs 2, 6, 9
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
APSTs  1.2, 3.3, 6.1, 6.4, 7.1

Threshold Assessment:

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

Weight: 0
Length: 1000 words
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 13
Related Unit learning outcomes: 2, 5, 8

Assessment: Placement Performance

20 continuous days of supervised professional experience in an educational setting. Professional experience settings include kindergarten for early childhood pre-service teachers; P-6 for primary pre-service teachers and 7-12 for secondary pre-service teachers.

This professional experience will involve observing kindergarten/classroom practice and planning, teaching and communicating verbally and non-verbally 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.

Relates to learning outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
CLOs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
APSTs 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 6.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4

Threshold Assessment:

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

Weight: 0
Length: 20 days professional experience
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Final day of professional experience
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

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.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

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.

Resources

The following resource materials will be used throughout this unit.

Resource Materials

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.

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.