Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Primary Specialisation
Practicum Courses: EDPRAC 101 EDPRAC 201 EDPRAC 305
Visiting Lecturer
School Co-ordinator/Associate Teacher Meetings
May 2013
Vivienne Mackisack Jill Murray Sandra Chandler
Overview:
o Welcome/Introduction
o Practicum during Initial Teacher Education at the Faculty of Education
o Teaching as Inquiry
o Mentoring in the practicum
o Reflective practice; a cycle of on-going learning
o Next steps
“The University of Auckland’s pre-service
teacher education programmes are
designed to develop research-informed
inquiry-based practitioners. We do this
by providing opportunities for student
teachers to develop and demonstrate an
inquiry-based disposition in authentic
settings”
(Faculty of Education, Teacher Education Practice website, 2013).
A knowledge base for teaching
Inquiry-led teaching requires “teaching with a travelling mind set” (de Botton, 2002) .
Implies: • sense of purpose and priorities but… open-
minded to change and inconvenience • searching for practices to promote/support
learning but also grounded Indicates: • Inquiry-led teaching or ‘teaching as inquiry’ is
less a series of practices or skills to be accumulated and more a ‘disposition’
The framework: “Teaching as inquiry” (Aitken & Sinnema, 2008; Ministry of Education,2007; Timperley, Wilson, Barrar, & Fung, 2007)
Planning
Teaching
FOCUSING INQUIRY
What is most important, given where my learn[ing[ is at?
TEACHING INQUIRY What strategies might
work best? What could I try?
LEARNING INQUIRY What happened? Why did it happen? Implications?
Planning Teaching
Observation* Assessment*
Evaluation of learning/teaching
Reflection
* ongoing
The framework: “Teaching as inquiry” (Aitken & Sinnema, 2008; Ministry of Education,2007; Timperley,
Wilson, Barrar, & Fung, 2007)
To prepare themselves adequately for this
‘transitioning teacher role’ during a practicum student teachers need to be able to first identify (and then practice) effective, deliberate teaching….
What are we currently doing as visiting lecturers or associate teachers that supports
students to become inquiry-based practitioners?n learners, teachers need to draw on various knowledge bases…specifically
• Write a list of 10 things you typically do when mentoring a student teacher
• Share your list with a partner
• Discuss which mentoring activities on your list you consider are most important for practicum mentoring
Reflecting on personal mentoring practice
• Mentoring which rests on a vision of good teaching;
• Mentoring which makes constant use of the “tools” of observation, co-planning, co-teaching, joint inquiry, critical conversation and reflection;
• These also happen to be “the tools of continuous improvement in teaching” (Feiman-Nemser, 2001)
‘Educative mentoring’ –Sharon Feiman-Nemser (1998, 2001)
“…promotes beginning teacher development by cultivating a disposition of inquiry, focusing attention on student thinking and understanding, and fostering disciplined talk about problems of practice” (Feiman-Nemser, 2001, p.2)
Educative mentoring…
Wang & Odell (2002) identified three dominant perspectives on mentoring…
1. Humanistic – mentor provides personal/emotional support and encouragement, non-judgemental approach
2. Situated apprentice perspective – mentor provides information, models necessary skills and techniques, acts as a guide to resources, curriculum and the practice of teaching
3. Critical constructivist perspective - mentor and student teacher engage in collaborative inquiry into teaching practice, co-construct new knowledge, learn new skills together
Styles of mentoring
• Which of Wang and Odell’s mentoring perspectives are evident in the mentoring style described in your list of mentoring activities?
• Humanistic
• Situated apprentice
• Critical constructivist
Now revisit your list of mentoring activities…
• How might Wang and Odell’s perspectives on mentoring support a focus on effective teaching that promotes an inquiry disposition and enhances children’s learning?
A question to consider…
"no student teacher...enters the
classroom as a complete novice. They
bring with them a vast array of skills,
knowledge, and understandings
derived from other contexts"
(Furlong, 2000, p. 14).
O’Connor and Diggins (2002) define reflective practice as thinking about what educators do in order to reconsider their actions and refine their practices according to these thoughts. Reflective practice is a cycle of on-going learning that occurs when we take the time to “stop, think and change” (p. 9).
Defining reflective practice
Preparing beginning teachers who are ready to :
“reflect on the impact their teaching has on learning…
….accept advice and know when to ask for it” (MOE &NZTC, 2011).
…research-informed inquiry-based practitioners
Reflection, Professional Learning
During EDPRAC 101 and 201 the student teachers are required to…
“reflect regularly on your own teaching, learning and/or interactions
arising from your practice that caused you uncertainty, and analyse
these in detail” (Practicum Brief, p. 6).
- Some of this reflective practice will take the form of discussion
Notes from reflective discussions are to be retained and shared with
the associate teacher and visiting lecturer.
- Some of this reflective practice will be documented independently
EDPRAC 101 student teachers are taught the DATA Model
Student teachers beginning EDPRAC201 should reflect
competently and may be learning to critically reflect
Evaluation and reflection are integral to effective teaching and learning.
Evaluation Reflection Critical Reflection
Student teachers beginning EDPRAC 305 may be refining critical
reflection (focus given in Part B preparation)
EDPRAC 201 305 student teachers also utilize Smyth’s framework for reflection
There are a number of models educators can use to reflect on their practice. Our student teachers are introduced to the DATA model
1. Describe: - describe in detail -involves paying attention to what happened, who was involved, and their thoughts, feeling and emotions as they related to the incident. 2. Analyse: explore why - examine the underlying values, beliefs and assumptions that maintain the practice and consider sources of information to make sense of the situation.
3. Theorise: make sense of what happened. - think about the practice from different perspectives in order to formulate a new or different understanding and consider a new or different approach. 4. Act: put the new way of thinking into practice - trying out a new or different way of doing things in order to enhance and improve practice.
Peters, 1991
and then
Smyth’s framework for reflection
CONFRONTING: being able to subject the theories about one’s own practice to interrogation and questioning, in a way that establishes their legitimacy.
• DESCRIBE • INFORM • CONFRONT • RECONSTRUCT
Smyth, 1989
Preparing beginning teachers who are ready to :
“reflect on the impact their teaching has on learning…
….accept advice and know when to ask for it” (MOE &NZTC, 2011).
…research-informed inquiry-based practitioners
Reflection, Professional Learning
Student teachers completing EDPRAC 305
must have made: Evaluation & Reflection & Critical reflection
…part of their practice
LEARNING INQUIRY What happened? Why did it happen? Implications?
Considering ‘next steps’ EDPRAC 101
EDPRAC 201
Required and resourced in both practicum courses
Generate and are generated by observation and
reflective discussions
Mentioned throughout the EDPRAC 101 and 201 Briefs
Each student teacher
should be able to
articulate ‘first steps’ for
themselves for each
particular practicum
Considering ‘next steps’ EDPRAC 305
Considering ‘next steps’ as a PRT
As they develop their expertise, student teachers in the Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Primary programme should be utilizing reflective practice (inclusive of considering, articulating and documenting ‘next steps’) to develop their awareness of the individual students who make up the class.
Eckerman Pitton, 2006, p.38
Vision of
individual students:
‘ Did Shawna understand?’
‘Was Matt with it today?’
‘What will help Laura be successful?’
Vision of
the class as a whole:
‘How did the students do?’
‘Did they all learn it?’
‘What will make the lesson better?’
Vision of self:
‘How am I doing?’
‘Did I get it right?’
‘Am I a good teacher?’
Considering specific requirements for:
o EDPRAC 201/101 - Jill/Sandra
Student teachers are required to demonstrate their ability to take full-
class responsibility for 1-2 days during EDPRAC 101. This may be in
collaboration with their associate teacher. It is important to record a
student teacher’s level of ability to assume this responsibility on their
practicum reports.
Student teachers are required to demonstrate their ability to take full-
class responsibility for 7 consecutive days during EDPRAC 201. The
ability to demonstrate this level of proficiency is a critical indicator
that a student teacher is ready to progress to EDPRAC 305.
o EDPRAC 305 Part B - Viv
The ability to demonstrate practice reflective of an emerging
beginning teacher as they conclude EDPRAC 305 is a critical indicator
that a student teacher is ready to graduate.
Practicum in New Zealand
Our collective role is to support student teachers to:
o integrate theory and practice
o plan, implement, assess, evaluate and reflect
o analyse and interpret
o observe
o reflect on their own learning and practice
o develop personal and professional goals
“The practicum for a student teacher will operate as a partnership between the teacher education provider and a fully registered associate teacher” (New Zealand Teachers Council, 2010, p.13).
References: Aitken, G., & Sinnema, C. (2008). Effective pedagogy in social sciences? Tikanga a iwi: Best evidence synthesis iteration. [BES]. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
Eckerman Pitton, D. (2006). Mentoring novice teachers: Fostering a dialogue process. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Corwin Press.
Education Workforce Advisory Group. (2010). A Vision for the teaching profession. Wellington: New Zealand Government Retrieved from http://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/all/files/10.pdf.
Feiman-Nemser, S. (1998). Teachers as teacher educators. European Journal of Teacher Education, 21(1), 63-74.
Feiman-Nemser, S. (2001). Helping novices learn to teach: Lessons from an exemplary support teacher. Journal of Teacher Education, 52(1), 17-30.
Furlong, J. (2000). School mentors and university tutors: Lessons from the English experiment. Theory Into Practice, 39(1), 12-19
Hagger, H., Burn, K., Mutton, T., & Brindley, S. (2008). Practice makes perfect? Learning to learn as a teacher. Oxford Review of Education, 34(2), 159-178.
Hagger, H., Burn, K., & McIntyre, D. (1993). The school mentor handbook : essential skills and strategies for working with student teachers. London: Kogan Page.
Ministry of Education & New Zealand Teachers Council. (2011). Towards full registration: A support kit. Retrieved from http://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/prt/TFR2011.pdf
Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.
New Zealand Teachers Council. (2010). Approval, review and monitoring processes and requirements for initial teacher education programmes. Wellington: Author
O’Connor, A. & Diggins, C. (2002) On reflection: Reflective practice for early childhood educators. Lower Hutt, Aotearoa New Zealand: Open Mind Publishing
Peters, J. (1991). Strategies for reflective practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 51, 89–96.
Smyth, J. (1989). Developing and sustaining critical reflection in teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 40(2), 2-9.
Timperley, H., Wilson, A., Barrar, H., & Fung, I. (2007). Teacher professional learning and development: Best evidence synthesis iteration [BES]. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
Wang, J. & Odell, S. (2002). Mentored learning to teach according to standards-based reform: A critical review. Review of Educational Research, 72(3), 481-546.