EDFD204 Catholic Education and Schooling

10 cp

This unit provides students with the opportunity to explore the nature of Catholic education and schooling in Australia. It draws upon theological, philosophical, historical, and sociological understandings of Catholic education and schooling. The unit will emphasise skills of critical analysis and argument consistent with the interdisciplinary nature of the unit.

EDFD207 Social Justice and Education

10 cp

Social inequality in modern societies raises complex political, ethical, religious, educational and legal issues which impact on the processes involved in forming laws and establishing human rights. This unit will explore how different approaches to ethical decision-making in both community and educational contexts influences ideas about how individuals and societies respond to questions concerning social justice and inequality.

EDFD210 Global Perspectives in Education

10 cp

International perspectives are now an essential component of any comprehensive education. This unit will provide experiences that enable students to see the world from the perspectives of other cultures and foster attitudes of curiosity, sensitivity, tolerance and empathy. They will develop an understanding of balanced social and economic development and a concern for the global environment that encourages active participation in the achievement of peace and justice.

EDFD212 Professional Ethics in Education

10 cp

This unit is designed to help students examine ethical issues that arise in the professional field of education. Students will learn principles, values and habits of thought relevant to the moral situations that arise in educational contexts. A central aim of the unit is to integrate education and teaching with helpful theoretical, analytical and problem solving skills - these are important abilities in the mature moral thinker and competent professional. This unit will enhance the application of Christian ethical principles to moral dilemmas in the school context.

EDFD213 Technology and Learning

10 cp

This unit will help students to develop strategies for enhancing students' learning through the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs). They will relate classroom practice in relation to the use of ICTs to contemporary theories of learning and current research. Students will develop a metacognitive view of their own learning and a rationale for the use of ICTs in a particular Key Learning Area. They will plan and develop web-based learning resources based on these rationales.

EDFD214 Language, Community Contexts and Empowerment

10 cp

This unit builds on earlier units that deal with human development, learning and technology. It is designed to develop student's understanding of the concepts and major issues in literacy education and competence in teaching practices which are appropriate to particular educational settings and in the context of different curriculum areas. Students will be involved in volunteer service with community agencies.

EDFD220 Teaching and Managing Learning Environments

10 cp

This unit is designed to provide students with an introduction to theories and practices informing teaching and learning environments. They will investigate theoretical perspectives of teaching practice and implementation to establish and maintain effective learning environments. Students will develop a critical understanding of approaches to teaching and learning through engaging with research, scholarship and school-based professional experience. Students will critically address the complexities of teacher performance, classroom management strategies, planning processes, teaching strategies and social contexts that inform learning environments and evaluate online learning environments. They will identify issues relating to their safe and ethical use and develop web-based learning resources. The implementation of communication and interpersonal skills will be addressed within various school, classroom and community contexts. Through various perspectives of teaching practice students will develop an understanding of productive pedagogy with particular reference to the importance of creating quality learning environments.

EDFD221 Creating Inclusive, Safe and Supportive Schools

10 cp

This unit is the fifth in a six unit study sequence in the Education Studies Major This education unit focuses on a commitment to social justice, inclusive schooling and a teacher’s duty of care. Within the context of the National Framework for Values Education and National Safe Schools Framework, teaching for social justice is used to further develop students’ knowledge of gifted children, children with special needs and a teacher’s duty of care. It develops the student teacher’s knowledge and skills to meet relevant professional requirements, communication and interpersonal skills in working with students, parents and colleagues through a spirit of service and care of children in schools and community. Professional requirements include reference to Commonwealth Parliament Reports on Disability Standards for Education 2005 and 2001 Senate Report on Education of Gifted Children.

EDFD227 Early Childhood Education 3 – Partnerships for Learning

10 cp

This unit builds from the Year 1 and Year 2 Education Studies Strand and the first two units in the Early Childhood Education sequence.
In early childhood education, advocacy on behalf of the child, the family and the field of early childhood is advanced through the teacher’s commitment to ethical and professional responsibilities. This involves nurturing each child as a lifelong learner and promoting continuity of learning through establishing and maintaining collaborative partnerships with parents, colleagues, other professional support groups and members of the wider community. Effective partnerships involve a set of relationships and practices that are appropriate to the context.

EDFD307 Educational Assessment

10 cp

This unit provides the context for student teachers to develop a deep understanding of major assessment concepts and gain relevant skills in classroom assessment. Assessment is viewed as an integral component of the process of learning and teaching. Students will be provided with opportunities through lectures, discussions and workshops to acquaint themselves and develop their skills in informal and formal information gathering skills about students learning, analysis and interpretation of such information about student performance and using it to help them make better decisions. Students will be exposed to effective ways of using classroom information to provide feedback and reporting to students, parents, and other stakeholders in the educational process.

EDFD314 Early Childhood Education 5 – Early Childhood Leadership

10 cp

This unit builds on understandings from the first four units in the Early Childhood sequence.

The unit focuses on the role of centre management and staff in establishing effective management policies and procedures for early childhood education within an ethical framework. The policies and procedures will reflect State and Commonwealth legislative mandates.

EDFD413 Philosophy of Education

10 cp

Our philosophy of education, including our view of the nature of the human person, influences many of the choices and decisions we make in education. This philosophy needs to be made explicit and critiqued. Catholic schools have their own philosophy, and decisions we make should reflect this philosophy. In this unit, in the light of maturity and experience, students will review the contribution philosophy makes to educational theory. It will focus, in particular, on Catholic philosophy and schooling.

EDFD426 Educating Gifted Students

10 cp

The challenge for schools today is how to meet the diverse learning needs of all students. Schools have traditionally allocated more material and human resources to special education and there are widespread concerns that the educational needs of gifted students are not being met. The provision of equal educational opportunity indicates the need for educators to differentiate their curriculum, instruction and assessment to cater for the diverse learning needs of all children including gifted students. This unit reviews different models, pathways and teaching and learning strategies for identifying and meeting the educational needs of gifted students in schools.

EDFD436 Human Development and Learning

10 cp

This unit aims to provide students with clear links between the substantive research findings within educational and developmental psychology. One goal of research in educational and developmental psychology is to carefully examine questions about the factors that contribute to human learning using objective research-based methods. The understanding of the interrelationship between human development and learning and its application to teaching at the secondary level is of particular interest.

EDFD437 Reflective Education

10 cp

This unit introduces the philosophy and methods of reflective practice through a process of examining the development, implementation and critiques of reflective practice strategies. Utilising reflective practice methodology and field-based research, students will investigate current educational and social justice issues that impact on the planning, delivery and evaluation of educational strategies in various settings. Through the process of reflective practice students will examine their own values and attitudes related to identified issues as a tool to analyse causes and effects of the issues. The final stage in the reflective process is identifying and implementing change within their own personal context and consequently evaluating its effectiveness in terms of learning/teaching success.

EDFD438 Educational Assessment/Field Experience

10 cp

This unit provides the context for student teachers to develop a deep understanding of major assessment concepts and gain relevant skills in classroom assessment. Assessment is viewed as an integral component of the process of learning and teaching. Students will be provided with opportunities through lectures, discussions and workshops to acquaint themselves and develop their skills in informal and formal information gathering skills about students learning, analysis and interpretation of such information about student performance and using it to help them make better decisions. Students will be exposed to effective ways of using classroom information to provide feedback and reporting to students, parents, and other stakeholders in the educational process.

This unit will incorporate a 10-week teaching internship.