028230 Professional Experience 1: Preparation for Teaching

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Description

This first subject in the professional experience sequence locates teaching as a profession and prepares students for their school-based placement. A key element of the profession is a commitment to continual improvement and knowledge production. The subject introduces foundational professional skills and competencies including observation, communication, digital fluency, critical reflection, information management, professional ethics and research skills. The national professional teacher standards are introduced as a basis for organising and documenting professional learning. E-portfolios, and their relevance for professional learning, are introduced. Students are introduced to the professional responsibilities of teachers and code of conduct, in addition to the UTS teacher education inherent requirements. Students' professional numeracy, literacy and digital skills are assessed.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

• Operate professionally in a range of educational settings, with particular emphasis on their specialisation (GTS 1, 2) (1.1)
• Make judgements about their own learning and identify and organise their continuing professional development (GTS 3, 6) (1.3)
• Analyse and synthesise research and engage in inquiry (GTS 3) (2.1)
• Exhibit high-level numeracy and literacies (GTS 2) (6.2)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

This subject addresses the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Professional Readiness
1.1 Operate professionally in a range of educational settings, with particular emphasis on their specialisation (GTS 1, 2)
1.3 Make judgements about their own learning and identify and organize their continuing professional development (GTS 3, 6)

2. Critical and Creative Inquiry
2.1 Analyse and synthesise research and engage in inquiry (GTS 3)

6. Effective Communication
6.2 Exhibit high level numeracy and literacies (GTS 2)

Teaching and learning strategies

The subject includes school classroom observation, virtual professional experiences, seminars, workshops, lectures and participation in professional learning communities. Students will participate in facilitated action learning teams to share and scrutinise ideas and experiences. A range of online and face-to-face activities will be used to support learning. Students will maintain regular reporting systems using social networking sites to ensure all students in the subject can participate in ongoing dialogue.

OPELA

The On-line Post-Enrolment Language Assessment (OPELA) is an instrument used by UTS to provide feedback to students about their current academic skills. It is undertaken by all first year students in a week allocated by a literacy subject, in the case of MTeach, in Literacy and Numeracy Across the Curriculum. The test will be opened on Tuesday 6 March and can be completed any time within the following week. Feedback is sent directly to the student and the results are provided as advice as to follow up support. The results are NOT recorded for the subject or used to determine grades for assignments. Follow up workshops will be held for students to address particular areas of academic language when other students are on prac. Further information concerning OPELA including a video can be found at https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/learning-and-teaching/enhancing/language-and-learning/about-opela-students

Content (topics)

• National Professional Standards for Teachers.
• Professional responsibilities and ethics:
  • Principles and practices (P.A. 2.9, 2.10, 5.9, 6.1, 6.2);
  • Codes of conduct (PA 2.3, 2.9);
  • Professional practice with ICT (P.A. 3.2, 3.5);
  • Workplace, health and safety (P.A. 2.2, 2.9).
• Collaborative Professional learning:
  • Action learning (PA 5.7);
  • Students as partners in school improvement (PA 6.8, 6.9);
  • Professional online communities, Professional Learning Networks (PLNs).
• Preparation for Professional Experience.
• Introduction to and overview of a Professional e-Portfolio, including overview of professional learning e-portfolio formats. Introduction to artefact selection and collection and writing critical reflections.
• Professional foundational literacies , including academic, numeracy and literacy, and digital competencies and fluencies (PA 3.1).

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Reflective analysis of school visits

Minimum requirements

Students must attend eight days of school placement. A report indicating successful completion of the professional experience placement should be provided to the professional experience office.

Students must successfully complete their Child Protection and Anaphylactic Awareness certificates before being permitted to attend professional experience, which is a legal requirement. Additionally, you should complete an online child protection module before going on professional experience.

Attendance in the class-based component of this subject is compulsory because it is based on a collaborative approach which involves essential work shopping and interchange of ideas with other students and the tutor. Students who fail to attend 8 sessions without an approved absence may record a final result of 'Fail' for the enrolment in that subject (see Rule 3.8). An approved absence will require documented evidence of misadventure, illness or other legitimate reasons.

In keeping with professional practice, please contact your lecturer in advance, or as soon as possible afterwards if you are absent from class.

References

Bullock, A.A. & Hawk, P.P. (2005). Developing a teaching portfolio: A guide for preservice and practicing teachers (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

Campbell, D. M., Cignetti, P. B., Melenyzer, B. J., Nettles, D. H. & Wyman, R. M. (2004). How to develop a professional portfolio: A manual for teachers (3rd ed.).Boston: Pearson.

Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., & Le Cornu, R. (2011).Teaching: challenges and dilemmas (4th ed.). Sydney: Cengage.

Heilbronn, R. (2008). Teacher education and the development of practical judgement. New York: Continuum International Pub. Group

Kosnik, C., & Beck, C. (2009).Priorities in teacher education: The 7 key elements of pre- service preparation. London; New York: Routledge

Latham, G., Blaise, M., Dole, S., Faulkner, J., Lang, J. & Malone, K. (2006). Learning to teach: New times, new practices. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

Loughran, J. (2011). What expert teachers do: Enhancing professional knowledge for classroom practice .Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

Lovat, T. & Smith, D. (2003).Curriculum: Action on reflection (4th ed.). Katoomba: Social Science Press.

Moss, J., Dixon, M., English, R., Ferguson, P., Godinho, S., Hay, T., Longaretti, L., Sanjakdar, F., White, J. & Wilson, J. (2004). Invitations and inspirations: Pathways to successful teaching. Carlton South: Curriculum Corporation.

Moyles, J. & Robinson, G. (Eds.) (2002).Beginning teaching: Beginning learning in primary education. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Scott, A. & Freeman-Moir, J. (Eds). (2000). Tomorrow’s teachers: International and critical perspectives on teacher education. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press.

Whitton, D., Sinclair, C., Barker, K., Nanlohy, P. & Nosworthy, M. (2004). Learning for teaching: Teaching for learning. South Melbourne: Social Science Press.

Other resources

EDITING CHECKLIST SELF ASSESSOR
ACADEMIC STYLE
• Structure
- introduction, body and conclusion
- orderly, logical presentation of ideas
• Paragraphs
- topic sentences
- length of 3-8 sentences +
• Supporting evidence from authoritative sources in paragraphs
• Clear expression: Sentences make sense when read aloud
• Formal expression
- word choice: useful instead of jargon or slang great
- complete form: will not instead of contraction won’t
- objective language: It can be seen instead of You can see
• Non-discriminatory language in ethnicity, disabilities, age, gender
e.g. (he/she instead of he)
PROOF READING
• Spelling e.g. The principal of the school received praise. Their/there, practise/practice
- spell-check, use of Australian spelling, e.g. labelled
• Typographical errors
• Grammar
- complete sentences e.g. contains subject and verb
- subject-verb agreement e.g. Research has been done.
- correct sequence of tenses, e.g. does not mix up past and present
• Punctuation
- e.g. possessive apostrophe ‘s’:
One teacher’s class was gone. Many teachers’ classes were gone.
• Spacing and lay-out e.g. 1.5
• Font size, e.g. 12
• Word limit
IN-TEXT REFERENCES (APA)
• Author’s name followed by year, page e.g. (Smith, 2008, p. 4).
• Correct format for and citation of direct quotations
- double quotation marks for quotations of fewer than 40 words
long quotations: indent from left margin, no quotation marks
•Correct format for and citation of paraphrasing/indirect quotations: - cite author, year (and preferably page number)
in mid-sentence …(Miele, 1993, p. 276)….
at end of a sentence or a block quote: … (Miele, 1993, p. 276).
• Selection of authoritative sources, e.g. research evidence.
• Citation of secondary source
- School ………………policies (Smith, 2001, cited in Wu, 2005, p.5).
• Correct use of et al. which means and others (et alia)
REFERENCE LIST
• Correct APA format (6th edition) in indentation, italics, punctuation, spacing
• Alphabetical order by family name of (first) author
• Format for authorship of article/chapter in an edited book
• Format for authorship of journal article
• Citation for electronic references
- Name of author(s). (Year). Title of article. Title of Work. Retrieved from source: month, day, year. For an undated document, use n.d. abbreviation for no date.
• Correct use of upper and lower case letters
- e.g. Literacy: Reading, writing and children’s literature.
• Differentiation between Ed. (Editor) and ed. (edition)
• Matching of in-text citations and Reference List