Bradley
Disley
Standard 1 - Know students and how they learn.
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Focus Area: 1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students.
Graduate Descriptor: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning.
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Elaboration: The best way to both design meaningful and relevant content, and support students individually is to get to know your students and how best they learn. By talking with students individually, and observing their interactions with each other you can learn about their physical, social and intellectual characteristics and personal development.
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Evidence Description: The class list I have produced as evidence of this standard is a Year 9 Materials class which has been
de-identified, however it describes the individual students physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics. The knowledge I gained through conversations and getting to know my students individually, allowed me to customise my communication, and delivery techniques for each student, which improved the classroom community, and learning for all.
Evidence Supplied: De-identified class list displaying knowledge of individual students physical, social, and intellectual development and characteristics.
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Focus Area: 1.2 Understand how students learn.
Focus Area: 1.2 Understand how students learn.
Graduate Descriptor: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.
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Elaboration: Teachers need to be aware of each students level of intellectual development and their prior knowledge already achieved. Vygotsky called this the 'zone of proximal development (ZPD). Material that is understood can be built on further, with appropriately scaffolded exercises that increase and expand the understanding of a concept.
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Evidence Description: The evidence I have produced to display this standard is a 4 week unit plan, including detailed lesson plans, making wooden chopping boards. With my mentor, and the students, we identified which skills students had already learnt, I then designed this unit to build onto those skills, with the addition of some new tools. Autonomy, and designing were introduced for the first time to provide freedom within the project to allow for individual interests and expression. Students finished pieces can be seen as in evidence for standard 4.2.
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Evidence Supplied: 4 week unit plan for Year 9 Materials, making wooden chopping boards. Includes detailed lesson plans. (click to expand)
examples of unit plan page 1 and 2.
examples of Lesson 1 page 1 and 2.
Focus Area: 1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Focus Area: 1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Graduate Descriptor: Demonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.
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Elaboration: Teachers need to understand the diverse range of backgrounds that students will have come from. This variety provides a plethora of learning opportunities about one another cultures to enrich all of your lives. Travel broadens the mind, as does learning about other cultures, even without travelling. Each student brings a unique set of experiences, and a families fund of knowledge, which is valuable for teachers to use in making real world connections.
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Evidence Description: This standard will be an opportunity for me to develop more skills for a broader range of backgrounds. Working in an Area school I hope to experience a broader cross section of cultures and backgrounds and expand my strategies for inclusion.
Evidence Supplied: An intention is to attend to this standard during my next Professional placement. My previous placement, at an Adelaide Hills school, did not afford me the opportunity to work with a very diverse linguistic, cultural, religious or socio-economic backgrounds. The area was quite affluent and being a public school it was neither religious or particularly multi cultural.
Focus Area: 1.4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
Graduate Descriptor: Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.
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Elaboration: Understanding the background and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people helps teachers prepare relevant content, that evokes interest, whilst also presenting the content in preferred learning styles. Story telling and land links, were important, and still are integral to Aboriginal teaching and learning styles.
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Evidence Description: This fact sheet shows 8 Aboriginal ways of learning as one view of Indigenous cultural competence. This frame work allows teacher to include Aboriginal perspectives and Aboriginal learning techniques, which may enhance learning for all students. It also highlights commonalities between Western and Aboriginal pedagogies to make easy connections. I will incorporating these techniques into my practice, especially if I have the opportunity of teaching students from indigenous backgrounds
Evidence Supplied: Knowledge and understanding of the 8 Ways pedagogy for effective teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
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Focus Area: 1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.
Graduate Descriptor: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.
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Elaboration: When a teacher knows their students individual physical, social, and intellectual development and characteristics, they are better able to differentiate teaching strategies to meet the needs of the range of students. This includes giving some students more support or scaffolding, whilst also developing extending exercises for advanced learners.
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Evidence Description: The evidence I have supplied for this standard is my mentor teachers comments in my combined final report for Professional Experience and Reflection 1 and 2. With his assistance I was able to differentiate my individual lessons to better meet the needs of the variety of students in the class. Some students were advanced and required extension activities, such as folio work, or more detailed finishes. Slower students required additional support or guidance which included making material such as video lessons for students to review at their own pace.
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Evidence Supplied: Professional Experience and Reflection 1 and 2 combined final report. pg 3 Mentor teacher comments. (click to expand)
Focus Area: 1.6 Strategies to support full participation of students with disability.
Graduate Descriptor: Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of legislative requirements and teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with disability.
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Elaboration: Teachers need to have knowledge of the legislation that informs their practices when working with students with disabilities. It is important that people have equal access to buildings and the environment through the principles of Universal Design, equally is important that education should be equally accessible to everyone of any ability (Universal Design for Education). It is a teachers duty of care to to respect the dignity of all children and young people especially those that are more vulnerable.
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Evidence Description: The links that I have supplied for this standard show the research I have undertaken to prepare myself for working with students with disabilities. The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1992 outlines the broad definition of what constitutes a disability and who is covered in relation to education. The Protective Practices Act outlines teachers duty of care, and highlights the need for always upholding students dignity when dealing with issues such as contact, touch or physical restraint.
Evidence Supplied: Links to Legislation, and strategies from research that
I intend use to support students with disabilities in my practice.
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Department of Education and Child Development (DECD):
On same basis disability legislation - Disability Discrimination Act 1992
Department of Education and Children's Services (DECS):
Protective practices for staff in their interactions with children and young people - Page 19 pertains to working with students with additional and complex needs.
Strategies:
I will allow students to use keyboards to type responses if it is difficult to write due injury or disability,
I will allow students the option to verbally describe answers or concepts,
I will scribe for students if it is difficult to write due to injury or disability,
I will modify tasks or assessment to suit individual needs,
I will modify the environment where possible to allow better access.
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