Connecting and Engaging Students

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

85 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject supports participants to promote student wellbeing, build productive pedagogical relationships in order to create high quality learning environments, manage classrooms and maintain safe, orderly and inclusive environments to maximise student learning. They are encouraged to build trust, rapport and communication with their students, helping them to have high expectations and aspirations for the future.

Participants are provided with the opportunity to explore the capacity of e-learning to enhance connection between teachers and students and actively engage and motivate students to achieve in their learning. They consider the pedagogical opportunities provided by new and emerging ICT tools and resources and identify issues and strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use in learning and teaching.

This subject also supports participants to meet the diverse needs of students by exploring evidence-based strategies for managing classroom behaviours, including preventative and intervention practices. Participants have the opportunity to: gain insights into relevant state and school based policies, guides and resources; understand the causes and triggers of complex and challenging behaviours; and devise student management prevention and intervention strategies.

On completion of this subject participants should be able to:

• Build productive pedagogical relationships, creating a culture of achievement and student engagement
• Develop intervention classroom management strategies, with a focus on promotion of positive behaviour and purposeful engagement in learning
• Demonstrate knowledge of practical approaches to managing challenging behaviour and theoretical understandings of causes and triggers of challenging behaviours
• Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions
• Use ICT to support subject teaching and expand curriculum learning opportunities for students
• Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning
• Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching.

Reflective Portfolio 1 (1,000 words) due end of Session 1: Summer School, 50%

• Demonstrating knowledge, skills related to building positive teacher student relationship and effective classroom management and organisation practices.

Reflective Portfolio 2 (1,000 words) due end of May, 50%

• Outline the benefits of using ICT to engage students in learning and identify key issues and strategies to support safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching
• Report on the planning, implementation and evaluation of a range of ICT tools / resources used in teaching a sequence of lessons.

Participants will be provided with a collection of readings via the online Learning Management System (LMS).

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

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

• Be self aware, resourceful and resilient
• Understand the significance of developing their practice on the basis of research evidence
• Be flexible and able to adapt to change through knowing how to be solution focussed
• Work in teams with skills in cooperation, communication and negotiation
• Be skilled communicators who can effectively articulate and justify their practices
• Use generic ICT software packages in a variety of situations
• Effectively articulate and justify their classroom use of ICT
• Evaluate ICTs in a range of educational and discipline areas.