EDUC 3003 - Teaching the Diverse Classroom

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2018

This course is concerned with the diverse educational needs of students in Australian schools. The course will examine how assumptions and biases, and the impact of diverse influences affect teaching. The needs of students from various backgrounds commonly encountered in mainstream classrooms such as Indigenous students, students from linguistically, culturally and religiously diverse backgrounds, and students with special learning needs will be clarified, and teaching resources and inclusive strategies will be evaluated and developed.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code EDUC 3003
    Course Teaching the Diverse Classroom
    Coordinating Unit School of Education
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange
    Incompatible EDUC 4201 & EDUC 6201
    Course Description This course is concerned with the diverse educational needs of students in Australian schools. The course will examine how assumptions and biases, and the impact of diverse influences affect teaching. The needs of students from various backgrounds commonly encountered in mainstream classrooms such as Indigenous students, students from linguistically, culturally and religiously diverse backgrounds, and students with special learning needs will be clarified, and teaching resources and inclusive strategies will be evaluated and developed.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Robert Matthews

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
    APST
    (Graduate)
    1 Research and analyse pedagogical theories and formulate implications for classroom practice with a diversity of students 1.2, 1.5, 2.1, 3.3, 3.6, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 7.1
    2 Demonstrate awareness of current trends in classroom practice for middle/secondary schools 1.2, 1.6, 2.1, 3.3, 3.6, 4.1, 4.2,
    3 Identify stages of (adolescent) development and demonstrate a sensitivity to related secondary issues which impact classroom practice, such as student mental health 1.1, 2.1, 3.3, 3.6, 4.1, 4.2,
    4 Realise the factors involved in student motivation and demonstrate strategies for maintaining student engagement with their learning 1.2, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.4, 3.3, 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3,
    5 Articulate specific approaches to promote a positive learning environment, both individually and utilizing group processes 1.4, 1.6, 2.1, 3.3, 3.5, 3.6, , 7.1
    6 Demonstrate understandings of individual characteristics of students 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 2.4, 3.3, 3.6, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3
    7 Demonstrate an understanding of varying teaching style to adapt to the diverse classroom context. 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.4, 3.3, 3.6, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    5, 6
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1, 2, 6
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    1, 5, 6
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    2, 3, 4, 5, 6
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Course reader containing weekly readings to support lectures, seminar and tutorials. These readings are essential to do assessment 1. You will receive an email when the reader becomes available for purchase from ICC.

    In addition there are many online resources and links available on the Canvas site. Please explore the Canvas site and familiarise yourself its layout.
    Recommended Resources
    No additional resources are required outside of the course reader and Canvas resources however, additional texts of interest are:

    The following texts in the BSL have been used a course texts in previous years. Krause, K., Bochner, S. and Duchesne, S, (2003), Educational Psychology: for Learning and Teaching, Thompson.
    Barr Smith Library Barr Smith Main collection (370.15 K915e )

    McInerney, D. & McInerney, V. (2006) Educational Psychology: Constructing Learning.
    Pearson Education Australia (3rd and 4th Editions are both good).
    Barr Smith Library Barr Smith Main collection (370.15 M152e.4 )

    Further Additional Text Resources
    An Educational Psychology of Classroom Management : best professional practices in the multicultural classroom / Christopher Thao Vang.; c2013
    Barr Smith Library Barr Smith Main collection 371.1024 V253e

    Educational psychology Dhir, R. N.; 2007
    https://ap01-a.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/view/action/uresolver.do?operation=resolveService&package_service_id=2215616458440001811&institutionId=1811&customerId=1800

    Impacts of Cyberbullying, Building Social and Emotional Resilience in Schools by Sharlene Chadwick.; 2014
    https://ap01-a.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/view/action/uresolver.do?operation=resolveService&package_service_id=2215616459590001811&institutionId=1811&customerId=1800
    Online Learning
    A comprehensive range of online materials have been provided through the Canvas site. Please visit the course site asap and explore – readings can be accessed through the menu buttons on the left.

    Course communication will be primarily through emails and Canvas announcements. It is a course requirement that you access and frequently check (at least 2 times per week) these communications.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    Engaged discussion and analysis of a range of materials, including classroom video footage and case studies. Lectures are supported by problem-solving opportunities and application within tutorials.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    Course contact is four hours per week:
    • Two hours of Lectures (Referred to as Lecture First Hour & Lecture Second Hour)
    • One hour Tutorial
    • One hour Seminar
    Please note this is an intensive course with a corresponding additional workload outside of class time.
    Learning Activities Summary
    Week Topic Learning Outcomes APST
    (Graudate)
    1 Managing the Positive Classroom 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3
    2 Psycho-social development of the Learner including special needs students. 1, 3, 6 1.1, 1.2, 1.5, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3
    3 Understanding Learning in relation to culture and cognitive devlopment 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5
    4  Motivating Learning across diverse learning contexts 1, 2, 4, 5 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.4, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3
    5 Overcoming assumptions and biases and their impact on teaching 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1
    6 Promoting good mental health across diverse classroom contexts, inluding the Indigenous context 1, 2, 5, 6 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3
    7 Interceding with the disaffected learner 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4
    8 Teaching in culturally and religiously diverse backgrounds 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1
    Specific Course Requirements
    NA
    Small Group Discovery Experience
    Classroom simulations are carried out in small groups in tutorials with comment and direction from experienced school teacher
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Task Type Due Weighting Learning Outcome APST
    (Graduate)
    Assignment 1: Handbook on promoting a positive learning environment Summative

    TBA

    70% 2,3,4,5,6,7 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3
    Assignment 2: Classroom Simulation Reflections Summative TBA 30% 2,5,7 1.2, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3,
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Attendence of all tutorials.
    Assessment Detail
    Assignment 1: Handbook on promoting a positive learning environment (70%)
    You are to write a handbook outlining the essential aspects of promoting and maintaining a positive learning environment. You might think of it as a ‘survival guide’ for teaching practice.
    The handbook is to be written as a user friendly resource guide – that is, a guide that you can refer to for support when teaching out in schools. It will be your beginning resource for classroom practice that will grow as you progress through your career. Over time you will internalise these practices (they become automatic). To get an idea of possible formats, examples from previous years are available on MyUni under the assignment button.
    A classroom strategy is an identified, practical technique, which assists the teacher’s facilitation of the classroom (for example, using praise to encourage the student’s cooperation). Your handbook should discuss a substantial number of classroom strategies, some, not all of these strategies, will be identified from specific moments in the Teachers TV video clips that are shown in lectures and again some strategies, not all, will be supported by referring to a relevant theoretical approach. The strategies and theories are sourced from lecture materials, reading materials in the reader and additional resources loaded on the MyUni site. Teacher TV clips will be shown and discussed in lectures and their links provided so you can re-watch the videos by streaming privately. Classroom strategies form the backbone of your assignment. Links to the Teachers TV video clips provide a practical context for selected strategies. Inclusion of theory provides a conceptual framework within which selected strategies may be understood.
    The style (essay, dot points, tables, diagrams) of your handbook is up to you, but you are required to organize the discussion under the following three section headings provided by Charles (2002) (see Reader: Week One, Lecture One, Charles, C. M. (2002) Building Classroom Discipline, New Jersey:Pearson, 7th Edn.)

    1. Preventative actions - Maintaining motivation and attention. “You can prevent most misbehaviour if you treat students sensitively, provide an interesting curriculum, and use a helpful teaching style (Charles, 2002, p. 236).”
    2. Supportive actions - Minimising management problems through pre-emptive and effective classroom management. “Despite your best efforts, students will at times become restive and can easily slip into misbehaviour. This is the time for you to make use of supportive techniques, which are pleasant yet effective in keeping students engaged in their work. You should practice a number of these techniques so you can use them naturally when needed (Charles, 2002, p. 236).”
    3. Corrective actions - Responding to common and chronic misbehaviour problems when they arise. “We have to accept that while good discipline systems can prevent most misbehaviour, your students will nevertheless break rules at times and you must deal with the transgressions. If you approach misbehaving students in a sensitive manner, you can help them return to proper behaviour with no ill feelings (Charles, 2002, p. 237).”

    Please see the Charles reference in the Reader as a further guide to what material is relevant under each of these three sections of your handbook.

    There is an art to styling a good handbook. Suggestion is that you imagine yourself on teaching practice - what style would suit a user-friendly, readily digested resource for you to follow? Typically the information should be succinct, readily comprehended, organised and rich in application and understanding.

    For more specifics of what content to include a rubric will be available.

    Note, the rubric calls for a number of references to video clips. A clip may be referenced a number of times. Each reference will count if it refers to a different part of the clip, but keep it sensible, you need to show coverage across a number of clips (at least 4).

    Assignment 2: Reflections on Classroom Simulations (30%)
    In tutorials you are required to simulate a classroom experience by teaching to a small class (~5 student teachers). Simulations commence in week 2 of tutorials. Note you are note assessed on your teaching, but on the quality of your reflections.

    After each simulation you are required to write 400 words reflection.

    You will do three simulations over the semester, thus your final submission will be 3 x 400 words

    Obviously to do this assignment you must attend tutorials.

    Points to reflect on:
    • Preparation
    • Presence (body language, confidence, tone of voice, position taken in the classroom)
    • Whiteboard work (legible, well spread across the board, kept an eye on the students whilst writing)
    • Delivery of Instructions (clear, short and sharp delivery, repetition of key points)
    • Teaching Activity design (engaging, meaningful content – although for this exercise not so important)
    • Engagement with your students (inviting, receptive, challenging, respectful, engaging)
    • Use of Language in Classroom discussion (used open and closed questions, responded well to student’s responses, engaged students)
    • Behavioural strategies (particularly for simulations where students have been assigned misbehaving roles – persistence shown by teacher to continue focus on the learning task, awareness of misbehavior demonstrated, and appropriate strategies provided)
    • In the second and third reflections, comment on any changes you implemented to improve practice.

    Criteria for reflections:
    1. Detail what you have done well, and not so well, and how you might improve.
    2. Coherent reflections across a selection of points listed above.
    3. Include specifics of your teaching practice (this is what I did, this is what happened)
    4. Track your improvements where possible (what changes did you make, and did they work?)
    Submission
    Online, through Canvas.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

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    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

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