ADLA101 English Education 1

10 cp

This unit focuses on the learning and teaching of literacy in the early years of schooling. Through studying a variety of literary, non-literary, media and multi-modal texts, especially those used by young children, students will develop their understanding of the nature, uses and structures of language. Students will study a range of practices which promote children’s composing and comprehending of spoken and written language, as well as techniques for monitoring language use and growth.

 

ADLA102 English Education 2

10 cp

This unit focuses on the learning and teaching of speaking, listening, writing, reading and viewing in the middle and upper primary years. Students will extend their study of a range of relevant literary, non-literary, media and multi-modal texts and ways of using such texts as one basis for planning English language programs. Students will undertake further studies of practices for promoting and monitoring children’s composing and comprehending of spoken and written language.

 

ADLA107 Linguistics for Literacy

10 cp

This unit provides a basis for students’ knowledge about the nature and development of language. Theoretical frameworks of language will be explored with an emphasis on socio-cultural and functional approaches to language. Students’ knowledge about language will include an in-depth study of the structure of language, in particular the relationship between oral and written language. Their studies will also focus on the interdependent relationship between context, meaning and grammar incorporating the notion of context as culture, discourse and situation. Through the materials used in the unit, students will experience this learning by means of an explicit engagement with the social and ethical dimensions of differing language contexts, and though practical applications to spoken and written language texts such as audio and visual multimodal texts, transcripts, literary, information, and media resources. Theories of language learning in early childhood from 0 – 5 years will be examined and provide a basis for students’ understanding of pre-school language development and the interdependence of language and emergent literacy. This unit will develop in students’ skills of communication that reflect an understanding of self and others in the learning environment together with a respect for the richness of social and cultural diversity.

 

ADLA108 Children’s Literature for Literacy

10 cp

Children’s literature is an essential part of literacy education. Therefore, this unit will introduce students to the corpus of children’s literature that encompasses the variety of literary genres, contemporary melded genres, traditional tales, picture books, post-modern picture books and e-books as well as poetry. These will be considered from historical, socio-cultural and post-structural perspectives and will include multicultural literature. This unit is designed to develop and deepen students’ knowledge of children’s literature. The approaches to learning in this unit will include individual and multiple perspectives on learning about children’s literature, and a consideration of student difference and interests, and the significance this has for their learning. Students will consider contexts and strategies for responding to, thinking about and critiquing children’s literature within a basis of literary, semiotic and language theories. The unit will also consider Indigenous literature, enabling students to acknowledge Indigenous Australians’ deep spiritual relationship with the land and value and respect Indigenous cultures. The unit will offer opportunities for students to read widely, develop critical habits of mind, consider what constructs quality children’s literature, and participate in discussions with deep understanding, within a framework that engages the social and ethical dimensions of study and research.

 

ADLA204 Literacy Education 1

10 cp

This unit focuses on the literacy development of children in the early years of schooling. It will develop in students an understanding of the processes of reading and writing, as well as how children learn to read and write. The teaching of reading will be developed through students’ knowledge of the processes of reading, as well as through a range of pedagogical approaches. The students will learn that the teaching of writing requires knowledge of text structures, English grammar, drafting and editing processes and spelling awareness. These approaches include the ability to motivate, develop and extend children’s responses to literary, factual and multimodal texts; to introduce higher-order thinking strategies through critical and analytical tasks appropriate for K(P) – 2 children; to understand graphological and phonological knowledge, including phonemic awareness, onset and rime, syllabification and sight word recognition. Literacy teaching and assessment practices will be developed from this strong basis of understanding current literacy research and will draw on the discipline knowledge developed in previous courses. Students will consider how mainstream classrooms incorporate children of diverse language, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, deepening their understanding of the contextual socio-political and historical factors influencing schooling, as well as their understanding of the social world, and issues of inclusivity and Catholic social teaching. It will introduce the notion of teaching and learning as socially embedded, together with recognition of the complex contexts of teaching practice and curriculum design. Underpinning the learning in the unit is a fundamental concern for justice and equity, and the dignity of all human beings. The unit provides students with knowledge about research on emergent and developing literacy and the interdependence of talking, listening, reading, writing and viewing. The unit will encourage students to be reflective, independent and flexible thinkers who are open to new ideas and ways of learning, and will demonstrate, practise and exemplify a commitment to lifelong learning.

 

ADMA100 Exploring Mathematics

10 cp

This unit is a combination of experiences in mathematical processes and content. It develops relevant mathematics skills in estimation and computation, problem solving, investigations and mathematical modelling and the application of technology to mathematics. It also develops concepts in pre-algebra and space and measurement, chance and data. The students will also study how mathematics can be applied to their lives. Demonstration of an acceptable level of mathematics knowledge and skills by the student is required.

 

ADMA101 Mathematics Education 1

10 cp

This unit is designed to provide students with an introduction to primary mathematics education by discussing and investigating current directions in mathematics education. The unit will focus on theories of learning mathematics, the structure and content of the mathematics curriculum, and effective teaching and assessment approaches. A child-centred approach to learning and teaching mathematics will be emphasised with students considering the role of assessment in assisting teachers to understand children's current mathematical thinking and to plan effective learning experiences. The students will examine the role of manipulatives, technology, and language development in supporting children's construction of mathematical concepts and processes.

 

ADMA103 Exploring Mathematics 1

10 cp

This unit uses a problem solving approach and an emphasis on deep learning and deep knowledge of important mathematical content knowledge needed for teaching. The mathematical focus areas are whole number, measurement and space. There is a particular emphasis on students diagnosing their own understanding of these areas and engaging in practices, discussions and their own research to broaden and deepen their understanding. The content and assessment in this unit not only support this, but also embed this understanding in realistic contexts for the students. A consideration of the historical and cultural development of these focus areas will situate mathematics in a multicultural and global society, and will provide better understanding of the importance of mathematics as a tool in identifying power differences among socio-economic classes, and racial, ethnic and gender groups. The kinds of approaches to learning and teaching advocated for Learning and Teaching Mathematics 1 and Learning and Teaching Mathematics 2 are modelled in this unit.

 

ADMA200 Mathematics Education 2

10 cp

This unit is designed to provide students with opportunities to consider issues and strategies in planning, implementing and monitoring children's learning experiences. Students will further explore the structure and content of the mathematics curriculum with reference to national and state documents. Opportunities will be provided for students to critically examine learning activities such as problem solving and investigations, teaching approaches such as cooperative learning, a range of assessment strategies, and issues such as gender, culture, context and language. Underpinning students' explorations in the unit will be theories of children's mathematical learning such as constructivism, and socio-cognitive approaches to learning.

 

ADMA202 Mathematics: Learning and Teaching 1

10 cp

This unit has as a guiding principle, a fundamental concern for justice, and for the dignity of all human beings. In respect to mathematics education, this principle is fundamental in guiding relationships and interactions between students and teachers, and in guiding the development of mathematics learning communities and learning opportunities. Within such a context, this unit is designed to provide an introduction to primary mathematics education by discussing and investigating current directions in mathematics education, and the role of mathematics education in providing the opportunities necessary for all people to reach a level of mathematical understanding required for full participation in community life, work and further education. The unit will introduce theories of learning mathematics and effective teaching and learning in the contexts of Number, Measurement and Space. Emphasis will be placed on an approach to learning and teaching mathematics that is respectful of each child’s background and culture. The role of manipulatives, technology, language and mental processes in children’s developing concepts, understandings and skills will also be a focus. A further aspect considered will be the role of assessment interviews in identifying children’s current mathematical understanding, and the use of this information to inform teaching, and develop positive attitudes to mathematics.

 

ADPH103 Personal Development, Health and Physical Education 1

10 cp

This unit, through a combination of practical and theoretical experiences, will provide an introduction to the concepts of personal development and well-being. The focus on the role and relevance of health and physical education in the primary school setting, through a variety of healthy and enjoyable lifestyle activities, will also serve to reinforce the benefits of lifelong participation. Particular emphasis will be placed on the practical components of fundamental motor skills and aquatics.

 

ADRE306 Indigenous Spirituality 1

10 cp

The course is designed as an introduction to the area of Indigenous spirituality. The content of the unit will be mainly drawn from those Aboriginal writers, artists and elders, past and present, whose work represents an attempt towards defining or expressing their spirituality. In examining this material, emphasis will be given to developing the skills of empathetic interpretation. Attention will also be given to the idea of art as a form of spiritual expression, and the on-going dialogue between Indigenous spirituality and the formation of an Australian identity.

 

ADSS322 Studies of Society and Environment

10 cp

This unit is concerned with examining the patterns of interaction amongst humanity in various socio-cultural, political and environmental settings throughout time. This unit focuses on the student as educator, preparing society’s future adults to be critical thinkers functioning effectively within a rapidly changing society.
This unit is concerned with learning and teaching and curriculum, hence it will provide students with a rationale for examining the nature, purpose and processes of social education. Furthermore, the unit introduces students to methods for designing, implementing and evaluating units.

 

ADSS428 Connecting Society and Environment

10 cp

This unit is concerned with examining the patterns of interaction amongst humanity in various socio-cultural, political and environmental settings throughout time. It focuses on pre-service teachers as educators who will prepare society’s future adults to be critical thinkers functioning effectively within a rapidly changing society. Pre-service teachers should be able to make connections between the various elements of society such as environments, time, change and continuity, culture, identity and systems, resources and power. Emphasis is placed on particular strategies and techniques such as inquiry learning and the use of ICT both in the effective teaching of SOSE/HSIE/HUMANITIES and in daily living. The pre-service teachers will be provided with a rationale for examining the nature, purpose and processes of social and environmental education. They will be introduced to methods for designing, implementing and evaluating units of work in accordance with the various state and territory documents. These units will include learning and teaching strategies appropriate for children with different abilities and will develop children’s knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours related to the world in which they live.

 

ADST107 Science and Technology for Primary Teachers 1

10 cp

Science education is a strategic priority in Australian school; therefore, primary teachers need an understanding of science and its importance in society today. This and the next unit in the sequence have been designed to lay a foundation that enables students to develop a deeper understanding of the historical, social nature and future of science and technology and their role in the critical transformation to a sustainable society. In this unit, science and technology are portrayed as particular ways of knowing, engaging with and shaping the world. Within science, these ways of knowing are exemplified by the role of evidence and scientific method through exploration of some of the ‘big stories’ that have shaped human culture, such as cosmology, astronomy, evolution, germ theory, plate tectonics. In technology, the processes of design, construction and evaluation are examined. A framework provided by the broad themes of matter and energy that characterise western science enables a range of concepts to be explored. These contribute to students’ conceptual understanding of their place in western science and prepare the groundwork to examine relevant content contained within the various school curricula in the next unit. Throughout these units the critical issues of sustainability are addressed through selected content that allows students to engage with science and technology though a range of environmental issues within an authentic local project focus.

 

ADST204 Science and Technology for Primary Teachers 2

10 cp

The second unit builds upon the first by further broadening students’ understanding of a range of science and technological concepts within the framework of matter and energy introduced in the first unit. This unit again engages students with the broad themes of matter and energy within a sustainability framework, but with a particular focus on a range of concepts that are relevant to various primary school curricula such as earth and space, life and living, ecosystems and biodiversity, matter and materials and energy and change. Technology is emphasised through students’ design and construction task relevant to the content.

 

ADTS210 Teaching and Learning: Preparing for the Contexts of the Field

10 cp

This unit will focus on assisting students develop and apply a critical understanding of a variety of social and cultural contexts, including issues of disadvantage. Students will be introduced to ways of selecting and delivering appropriate teaching, learning and assessment strategies to address these contexts. It is expected that the students’ commitment to social justice and inclusivity as well as their appreciation of the sacred will deepen and broaden as they gain understanding regarding the diverse religious, cultural and social backgrounds of children. Through school-based experiences students will form links between theory and practice in a cohesive manner as they describe, analyse and reflect upon current practices, develop communication, planning and organisational skills and relate their observations to the theoretical foundations given in lectures and readings. It is anticipated that students will continue to develop their own quality pedagogy with particular reference to the significance of appropriately selected material matching student needs and considerations of intellectual quality, especially the elements of problematic knowledge and metalanguage. The graduate attributes of a spirit of service to the community and an enthusiasm to search for further knowledge and understanding will be evidenced throughout this unit through students’ work in acquiring knowledge surrounding the contexts within which they will teach. Education Studies 4 develops further the use of these strategies and the students’ understanding of effective learning environments.

 

AHEO162 Introducing the Scriptures

10 cp

In this unit students will be invited to reflect on the human search for meaning and purpose. Within that context they will examine some of the major beliefs of the Christian faith, particularly as those beliefs have been articulated in Catholic tradition.