Professional Practice and Seminar Prim 2

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject further develops and deepens Teacher Candidates’ understandings of professional knowledge, professional practice and professional engagement in the primary school. The focus of this placement is on assessment of individual students and how to closely track student learning, manage and analyse assessment data to inform future teaching and record data for reporting purposes. Candidates continue to be mentored by experienced teachers who, together with Clinical Specialists from the university, monitor and support their work in the school. The professional practice seminars are designed to support candidates’ ongoing learning about students and their learning needs and include presentations and analysis of student learning characteristics and in-depth reflection on theory and research and implications for practising for teachers. Candidates will provide further evidence of their ability to collect and interpret data to meet the learning needs of individuals and small groups of children during the Clinical Teaching Enquiry.

On completion of this subject Teacher Candidates should be able to:

• Know how to identify the prior knowledge, learning strengths and weaknesses of students and factors that impact on learning;
• Make adjustments to instruction and program design to more closely meet the needs of individual students;
• Expand their knowledge of theoretical and practical understandings of assessment and its role in informing teaching;
• Know how to report on student learning to other professionals, to parents and provide effective feedback to children.

There are 2 assessment tasks; both assessment tasks must be passed.

• Professional Practice, during all days of practicum, 60%
• Clinical Teaching Enquiry, during exam period, 40%

There are 3 hurdle requirements:

• Attendance on all days of practicum
• Attendance at all practicum seminars
• Satisfactory completion of all Professional Portfolio Artefacts

Churchill et al. (2011) Teaching: Making a Difference. Milton, Wiley

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject, Teacher Candidates will have the knowledge, skills and understanding to enable them to:

• Be skilled communicators who can effectively articulate and justify the role of assessment in teaching;
• Be flexible and able to adapt to change through knowing how to learn;
• Understand the significance of developing their practice on the basis of research evidence;
• Work in teams with skills in cooperation, communication and negotiation;
• Be independent of mind, responsible, resilient, self-regulating;
• Have a conscious personal and social values base that is evident in their teaching.