Description:
An age characterised by the sort of 'manufactured uncertainty' identified by Giddens (1994) throws up for scrutiny any number of taken-for-granted assumptions regarding professional practice experience in the Education field. This paper explores the suggestive possibilities of discourses of pre-service teacher practica in terms of naming, positioning and examination of taken-for-granted aspects of teacher education as they present at a regional university in Victoria, Australia. The University of Ballarat has introduced a new P-10 teacher education course. In the second year of its progress, traditional aspects of paid supervisory and assessment roles of practising teachers in relation to student teachers have been the focus of attention and activity based on reconfigured foci on the roles of both practising teachers and undergraduate students. One such focus is on what Schön (1987) describes as 'indeterminate zones of practice', and the result has been a research program exploring those zones in terms of mentorship in relation to mandated supervision and assessment requirements for graduate registration. The project is action-research based, with teacher, student, academic and semi-academic/teacher roles considered in the light of suggestive possibilities of mentorship and reflective practices as transformative possibilities in relation to roles associated with these.
Description:
Regardless of the literacy competencies that are basic to the mechanics of reading, there is a much larger and richer view of reading that goes well beyond such competencies. There are whole worlds of literature to explore as well, and it can be a most satisfying experience for adults and children as they explore them together. The 21st Century has emerged from a long tradition of culturally satisfying and spiritually delighting engagement with the language arts that are embodied in literature, and not just literacy. This paper explores some of those things from our more ancient pasts, and examines their relevance for adults, particularly parents and teachers, and children in the present age in the area of literature. In doing so, it goes beyond concepts of literacy, exploring notions of literature.
Description:
Regardless of the literacy competencies that are basic to the mechanics of reading, there is a much larger and richer view of reading that goes well beyond such competencies. There are whole worlds of literature to explore as well, and it can be a most satisfying experience for adults and children as they explore them together. The 21st Century has emerged from a long tradition of culturally satisfying and spiritually delighting engagement with the language arts that are embodied in literature, and not just literacy. This paper explores some of those things from our more ancient pasts, and examines their relevance for adults, particularly parents and teachers, and children in the present age in the area of literature. In doing so, it goes beyond concepts of literacy, exploring notions of literature.
Description:
In 2001 the School of Education introduced a new P-10 Education course, and a major aspect in this was the introduction of practicum for First Year students within three weeks of starting their course. Evaluations of this have suggested that this is a move that has been enthusiastically embraced by students and in 2002 we have worked on what has been established to extend and develop the experience for First Years by means of systematic construction of a community of practice to support their development as emergent professionals. To build the sort of community of practice that we envisaged, we turned to Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LPP), action research models, and reflective practice to inform our work to make the practicum as meaningful as possible to First Years as emergent professionals.
Description:
In 2001 the School of Education introduced a new P-10 Education course, and a major aspect in this was the introduction of practicum for First Year students within three weeks of starting their course. Evaluations of this have suggested that this is a move that has been enthusiastically embraced by students and in 2002 we have worked on what has been established to extend and develop the experience for First Years by means of systematic construction of a community of practice to support their development as emergent professionals. To build the sort of community of practice that we envisaged, we turned to Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LPP), action research models, and reflective practice to inform our work to make the practicum as meaningful as possible to First Years as emergent professionals.