Unit rationale, description and aim
This unit is the second of the work-integrated components of the professional practicum suite of units which is undertaken in the final year of the course. It incorporates 20 days block placement in a supervised early childhood setting. The unit provides pre-service teachers with the opportunity to work collaboratively with Directors, Educational Leaders, early childhood educators, families and community members, and University staff to assess, challenge, develop and extend their professional abilities. It provides opportunities to extend their developing capacity to engage in teaching and learning experiences encountered in an early learning centre with an increasing level of independence. This unit aims to provide pre-service teachers with an opportunity to extend their experience by building on their skills and knowledge with opportunities for leading learning in early learning settings. They will have the opportunity to refine their repertoire of pedagogical skills in the planning and delivery of appropriate teaching and learning programs. This experience allows the pre-service teacher to demonstrate their capabilities as a teacher and educational leader within the centre and broader educational community through taking responsibility similar to that of an early childhood teacher.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Make and professionally reflect upon effective dec...
Learning Outcome 01
Utilise self-evaluation critiques and reflection t...
Learning Outcome 02
Implement and justify a variety of organisational ...
Learning Outcome 03
Demonstrate a strong knowledge of and ability to p...
Learning Outcome 04
Effectively and reflectively engage in communicate...
Learning Outcome 05
Incorporate into practice the multiple policy and ...
Learning Outcome 06
Content
The following scope the content areas for this unit:
- Curriculum planning, programming and evaluation
- Early childhood pedagogies
- Families and community partnerships
- Ethics and professional practice
- Early childhood professional practice
- Leadership and reflective practice
Assessment strategy and rationale
This unit represents the culminating professional placement in the Bachelor of Education (B-5). It builds upon prior professional placement units where pre-service teachers have had formative opportunities to develop towards readiness for entering the profession.
The assessment is designed to facilitate the demonstration of professional teaching performance in alignment with ACECQA’s requirements for early childhood teachers. Additionally, pre-service teachers are provided opportunities to reflect on the application of the APST: Graduate level in preparation for seeking teacher registration, where applicable.
To ensure the readiness of graduates, pre-service teachers are required to successfully:
- complete a 20-day practicum, which is fully supervised by an appropriately qualified and experienced educator
- submit a final placement report, which is completed by an appropriately qualified and experienced educator and assessed by the Lecturer-in-Charge, and
- complete a capstone assessment, which is directly related to their documentation and reflection on the placement experience.
Overview of assessments
Hurdle Task Professional Experience Assessment ...
Hurdle Task
Professional Experience Assessment
Successful completion of practicum component of this unit.
Submission of the Final Professional Experience Report from the supervising teacher/s
Pass/Fail
Assessment Task 1 Analysis of the National Quali...
Assessment Task 1
Analysis of the National Quality Standard
Analysis and written professional reflection on the relevance of the National Quality Standard(ACECQA, 2018) to professional practice as presented in the literature for this unit. The reflection provides a statement on how each of the seven areas of the NQS is relevant to teaching, management and leadership in an early learning setting.
50%
Assessment Task 2 Capstone Assessment: Professio...
Assessment Task 2
Capstone Assessment: Professional practice project
Pre-service teachers will submit a report on one area of professional practice, within the National Quality Standards (NQS). The report should be based upon data gathered during the practicum experience, and demonstrate how the pre-service teacher may respond to the data in order to enhance their own practice, and the early learning setting.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Students should anticipate undertaking supported learning, individual study, and a maximum of 20 days of full time Professional Experience in an allocated early learning centre (attendance may include individual and, or block placement components with at least a two-week block. Students on placement will be supported and supervised by an appropriately qualified and experienced educator.
This unit will embrace a range of learning and teaching strategies that support pre-service teachers’ praxis-oriented work-integrated learning. Pre-service teachers will build conceptual and theoretical understandings of leadership and teaching practice within early learning contexts during on-campus and online directed study. Opportunities for pre-service teachers to apply, exercise, realise and practise knowledges and skills will occur during professional experience placement.
Types of engagement could include:
- lectures, tutorials, webinars, podcasts etc. in face-to-face or online modes
- discussions, readings, individual study and critical reflections
- practice and analysis of and reflection on teaching pedagogies
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
ACECQA CRITERIA
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following specific knowledge and practices of relevant ACECQA Criteria. Your capability against these criteria will be assessed through the assessment tasks. This unit provides opportunities to learn about, demonstrate and reflect on the following: