EXE702 - Becoming a Teacher in the 21st Century: the Personal, Professional and Political Challenges

Unit details

Content

Topics to be addressed in this unit include:

• The self as professional
• Professional practices as expressions of culture;
• from an historical perspective
• from a socio-political perspective
• from an intra-profession perspective.
• Theories of teaching and learning and the applicability of these to contemporary youth education
• Pedagogy as relationships
• National and international developments in the education of young people and imperatives in education and training policy and practice for teacher professional change;
• Professional development models and lifelong learning for educators of young people; and
• Reflective practice, personal professional development and institutional change management

Assessment

Assignment 1: Case Study  
Students are required to undertake case studies of two young people who are not seen to be ‘oriented towards academic learning’. These case studies should describe:
• the young persons’ individual learning preferences and needs
• successful teaching and learning activities that have engaged these young people in more meaningful learning within their studies
• successful assessment strategies that more fairly measured and reported the learning achievements of these young people
• pedagogically-based relationships that supported these young people in their studies

The case studies should include an analysis of the students’ learning experiences with reference to:
• how they are learning to become responsible for their own future education, training and employment pathways
• how they are learning the knowledge, skills and values that promote lifelong learning.
(2000 words or equivalent) (50%)

Assignment 2 : Professional Portfolio and Professional Development Plan
At the end of this unit students will present a professional portfolio. A portfolio in this context is intended to be the kind of resource that you can take with you to an interview to signal to a prospective employer, or a colleague, your strengths, your experiences, your educational ideals and goals; your professionalism.

Included in the professional portfolio will be your professional development plan. You will need to design a professional development plan as a starting point for your own professional lifelong learning that is based realistically on the resources available to teachers within education institutions, their professional networks and local community partnerships. The plan should anticipate and address the broader historical, cultural and political forces that continue to constrain and challenge innovative teachers. It should also include a commentary on the potential of individuals to be change agents within their organisations and on strategies to facilitate this outcome.

(2000 words or equivalent) (50%)

Prescribed texts

Burnett, B, Meadmore, D & Tait, G (Eds.), 2004, New Questions for Contemporary Teachers: Taking a Socio-Cultural Approach to Education, Pearson, Frenchs Forest, NSW.
Groundwater-Smith, S, Brennan, M, McFadden, M, & Mitchell, J 2001, Secondary Schooling in a Changing World, Sydney, Harcourt.

Unit Fee Information

* Rate for all CSP students, except for those who commenced Education and Nursing units pre 2010
** Rate for CSP students who commenced Education and Nursing units pre 2010
Please note: Unit fees listed do not apply to Deakin Prime students.