Education Commons^™

Virtual Practicum Experiences To Build Professional Identity, Lisa A. Carrington, Lisa K. Kervin, Brian Ferry

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper reports on a how pre-service teacher use of an online classroom simulation (ClassSim) supplemented existing practicum experiences and contributed to the development of their emerging professional identity. ClassSim was developed to provide pre-service teachers with a safe virtual environment in which they can explore ‘authentic’ and practical classroom scenarios. Users were able to assume the role of a teacher during in the virtual classroom, and during its running time make a number of decisions about the management of the classroom and the organisation of virtual teaching and learning experiences. Embedded tools were designed to enhance the development of …

Technology Use, Technology Views: Anticipating Professional Use Of Ict For Beginning Physical And Health Education Teachers, Lori Lockyer, John W. Patterson

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

In Australia, the national initiative known as Learning in an Online World, focuses school jurisdictions across the country meet the challenge of achieving the national vision of all schools “…confidently using ICT in their everyday practices to improve learning, teaching and administration” (MCEETYA, 2005, p. 3). One strategy in reaching this goal is the effective preparation of pre-service teachers to use and integrate technology in their teaching and learning practices. This article reports on a research study that aimed to explore the issue preparation for use of technology in teaching by understanding the current and anticipated technology usage for Australian …

In-School Professional Development: Supporting Teachers With The Inclusion Of Critical Literacy In Their Classrooms, Lisa K. Kervin, Michelle Rodwell

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The voluminous literature within the field of teacher professional development presents varied components of what constitutes meaningful professional development experiences for teachers. The case reported herein describes how components identified from an analysis of the literature have been incorporated within an inschool model of professional development to support primary teachers as they explore their literacy teaching within their own school and individual classrooms. These ongoing, in-school professional development experiences aimed to support and encourage pedagogical change as the teachers reviewed their classroom teaching and learning practices with emphasis on critical literacy. The importance of the school professional culture, the organisation …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Online Modules To Promote Professional Learning Of Ict, Anthony J. Herrington, Janice A. Herrington, Garry Hoban, Doug Reid

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Online professional learning has the potential to be a cost effective, flexible approach that can reach large numbers of teachers. However, there are many factors that need to be evaluated in developing successful online approaches that impact on teaching pedagogy and student learning. This paper outlines one phase of a research study conducted on behalf of an Australian state-based Department of Education to evaluate the transfer of professional learning from online modules about the integration of ICT to the practices of K-12 classroom teachers.

Using The Internet For Professional Development: The Experience Of Rural And Remote Professionals, Anthony J. Herrington, Janice A. Herrington

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The retention of professionals employed in rural and remote areas of Australia is a critical factor in community growth and sustainability. Retaining professionals depends to a large extent on the availability of support and professional development that is becoming increasingly accessible through the internet. This paper describes a research study that used survey and interview methods to indicate how a range of ten professional groups employed in rural and remote Australia, are accessing the internet for professional development. The findings indicate that email, the world wide web, discussion, chat and listservs were commonly used, however, the ability of professionals to …

Transfer Of Online Professional Learning To Teachers' Classroom Practice: An Analysis Of Eight Cases, Anthony J. Herrington, Janice A. Herrington, Garry Hoban, Doug Reid

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Professional learning is an important process in enabling teachers to update their pedagogical knowledge and practices. The use of online technologies to support professional learning has a number of benefits in terms of flexibility and scalability. However, it is not clear how well the approach impacts on teachers’ classroom practices. This paper outlines a research study conducted on behalf of a state-based Department of Education to evaluate the transfer of professional learning from online modules about the integration of ICT to the practices of K-12 classroom teachers.

A Model For Professional Development Of Teaching Games For Understanding For Teachers In New South Wales, Australia, Paul I. Webb, Philip J. Pearson, Kim Mckeen

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

With the advent of a new syllabus for secondary schools (years 7-10) and a quality teaching focus in New South Wales schools the Australian Council of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER, New South Wales) determined that there was a need for the professional development of teachers in teaching games for understanding (TGfU) and relating this to the new syllabus. The result was a full day professional development workshop for teachers of which five have been held and which approximately 200 teachers have attended. This paper will address the content of the workshop and respondents comments about the workshop.

The …

Game Sense Online - Utilising The Web For The Professional Development Of Physical And Health Education Teachers, Philip J. Pearson, Jacob Towns, Gregg S. Rowland, Paul Webb

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

In 2005, a new Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) Years 7–10 Syllabus will replace the current syllabus and be implemented with Year 7 and Year 9 students in NSW secondary schools. Informed by contemporary research, the new syllabus represents changes to both the content and the teaching strategies traditionally utilised by teachers. One area that has undergone major changes within the syllabus has been that of the teaching of games, with the move towards a Game Sense framework. It is expected that the implementation of the new syllabus will also be accompanied by a variety of traditional professional …