Page 2123 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 2 August 2022
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involves several elements, bringing together the expertise of university staff, teachers and school leaders to improve student outcomes in ACT public schools.
The first element is an investment in the future workforce, with pre-service teachers working throughout the term at a public school with their lecturers in school-based teacher education clinics. This provides authentic, hands-on learning with the ability to receive feedback from lecturers and experienced teachers in a school-based context.
In addition to regular prac placements, this ensures our future teachers spend more time learning in schools alongside experienced educators and working directly with students in schools. This is fast proving to have a positive impact on pre-service teachers by ensuring they are classroom ready, providing a pathway to future school employment.
The second element of the partnership is the investment in our teachers and school leaders through the Master of Education Scholarships. We know that the quality of teaching practice has the biggest impact on student learning. The master’s scholarships provide educators with the opportunity to analyse and conduct research relevant to the teaching profession, with units of study aligned to the ACT government’s Future of Education Strategy.
The third element provides professional learning and research opportunities for existing teachers. Teacher professional learning is provided through a series of masterclasses delivered by UC academics and offered to all school classroom educators and school leaders. Research projects are celebrated and shared at the Affiliated Schools conference. The conference brings together the affiliated schools to showcase research projects undertaken by ACT teachers, UC-commissioned research projects.
It was my pleasure to be part of last year’s conference through the presentation of the teacher mentor awards. Outstanding mentors are nominated by UC pre-service teachers in recognition of the investment that experienced educators make in supporting new educators. The Teacher Research Program delivers teachers as school-based researchers and enhances the understanding, knowledge and skills to participate in a small-scale project research within their own school. Affiliated schools’ educators and school leaders work shoulder to shoulder with UC Faculty of Education researchers on large-scale research projects.
A highlight for me has been visiting our schools and talking to educators who are at the forefront of academic research and leading this exciting work. I joined teachers and students at Kaleen Primary School, where the years 1 and 2 team have been working with Dr John Williams, from UC, and Sophie Newton, a specialist physical education and health coach, to develop a student-centred approach to physical education. Dr Williams, Assistant Professor of Health and PE and Teacher Education at the University of Canberra, said that this project is a potential game changer for how physical education can be taught in early childhood classes. This approach focuses on developing students’ ability to self-evaluate their fundamental movement and skills and choose approaches to enhance and achieve mastery of these skills. Danielle O’Connor, a year 2 teacher at Kaleen Primary School, says that the project fosters student independence and increases self-awareness in mastering fundamental
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