This unit (EEC2101) is designed to develop university students' skills, knowledge and understanding of how to create and maintain learning environments that are responsive to the learning, emotional and social needs of students with differing interests, abilities and backgrounds across the spectrum from foundation to year 12. You will examine approaches for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities, including those who are gifted and those with disabilities. You will also investigate teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. You will explore programs, resources and policy documents, which enable and support teachers to develop practices that cater to the specific, but differing learning needs of students so that all can participate fully within the classroom and school. This exploration will include a focus on the legislative requirements and the teaching practices that support the participation and learning of students with a disability. This unit builds on your primary school professional experiences and supports you to articulate and reflect on important questions regarding the impact of teachers' work. In particular you will reflect on students' experiences of, and learning in, primary schools by investigating personal, school-based, theoretical and socio-cultural explanations of your experiences in educational settings, including the principles underpinning the creation of safe and secure classroom environments. This is a praxis inquiry unit in which you undertake professional experience in a primary school and have the opportunity to develop and trial a range of teaching strategies. For example you will use both verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement. You will seek and apply constructive feedback from your teachers in order to improve your teaching practice.

Unit details

Location:
Online Real Time
Study level:
Undergraduate
Credit points:
12
Unit code:
EEC2101

Prerequisites

EEC1108 - Literacy Across the Continuum 1

EEC1111 - Personal and Professional Learning for Teaching

Successful completion of the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Education students. This unit is only for Education students undertaking the courses EBED and ABED.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. Explore approaches to the documentation of lesson and curriculum planning which facilitate a positive classroom climate that supports and encourages all students to achieve at their optimal level;  
  2. Differentiate between the learning need and interests needs of students who are of different abilities, including catering for gifted students and those with disabilities, as well as those who come from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds;  
  3. Identify practical approaches to use in managing challenging behaviour which includes physical and emotional bullying; and  
  4. Articulate contextual understandings of contemporary life in the school and wider community including ethical conduct, and legislative requirements that take into account the rights of all.  

Assessment

Assessment type Description Grade
Assignment Complete a PMI for a safe and engaging classroom. 25%
Presentation Collaboratively construct a challenging and differentiated numeracy or literacy lesson and teach the introductory activity. 25%
Review Critically reflect on the student welfare/discipline approaches to classroom and student management, which have been adopted by your mentor and school 50%

Required reading

University students will be provided with an up-to-date reading list via the VU Collaborate system.

Teaching: dilemmas, challenges and opportunities 6th edition
Ewing, R, Kervin, L, Glass, C, Gobby, B, Le Cornu, R & Groundwater-Smith, S 2019,
Cengage, South Melbourne

Where to next?

As part of a course

This unit is studied as part of the following courses. Refer to the course page for information on how to apply for the course.

VU takes care to ensure the accuracy of this unit information, but reserves the right to change or withdraw courses offered at any time. Please check that unit information is current with the Student Contact Centre.