Focus area 2.1 – Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area.
Focus area 2.2 – Content selection and organisation
Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence.
Focus area 2.5 – Literacy and numeracy strategies
Know and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas.
I had the pleasure of teaching a Prep class within the Brisbane Metropolitan Region on my first professional experience placement. During my time with the class, I taught an English literacy lesson that focused on writing a recount of the beginning of the book, Mr. Bump. The lesson was planned and organised based on my knowledge and understanding of the content of the Australian Curriculum (2.2) and incorporated developmentally appropriate teaching strategies applicable to the teaching area of literacy (2.1, 2.5).
To understand and demonstrate my knowledge of the central concepts of the subject matter, I linked the content and learning outcomes of my lesson to the Australian Curriculum content descriptions and achievement standards (2.1). As evident in the lesson plan (Artefact 4), I linked the concepts, substance and structure of the lesson to the content description ACELY1650 through the incorporation of comprehension strategies: activating prior knowledge, predicting and summarising (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2017). To demonstrate and support the teaching of these comprehension strategies, I included a shared reading experience of ‘Mr. Bump’ in my lesson introduction to effectively engage my students and assist them to think critically about the book (2.5) (Department of Education and Training, 2018). To organise the content into an effective learning and teaching sequence, I employed the gradual release of responsibility (GRR) model of ‘I do, We do, You do’, based on Vygotsky’s zones of proximal development (2.2) (Artefact 5). I made the decision to use the GRR strategy over a didactic, direct method of instruction, as it is an age-appropriate approach that provides systematic support and guidance to assist the holistic development of emergent literacy learners (Department of Education, 2019). This is illustrated in the body of my lesson (Artefact 4), where I gradually move from a modelled/shared writing experience to an independent writing task (Artefact 6) (2.5), empowering each student to individually demonstrate their understanding and apply the concepts and skills they have learnt (Fisher & Frey, 2021).
I planned an English lesson for the Prep class that successfully utilised the explicit teaching model of GRR to frame the curriculum content into a logical and effective learning and teaching sequence for my students (2.2). The GRR model allowed me to scaffold the learning through a number of age-appropriate literacy strategies (2.5), which resulted in an increased level of engagement as students were able to apply and practice the skills they had learnt during the modelled and shared reading experiences (Fellowes & Oakley, 2019). Additionally, I drew upon the relevant curriculum documents to develop an increased understanding and knowledge of the content and how it catered to my students’ learning needs (2.1), as evident in the feedback I received in my final report (Artefact 7).
As the use of technology within schools is increasing at a rapid rate, it is clear that I need to explore how I can incorporate Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to effectively expand the curriculum learning experiences of my students (2.6). My upcoming GTPA will provide me with the opportunity to grow within this area, as I look to develop lessons that include the appropriate use of ICTs. This will allow me to work towards creating an engaging and active learning experience that increasingly connects my students learning to their real lives (Aktaruzzaman et al., 2011).
Artefacts
References
Aktaruzzaman, M., Shamim, M., & Clement, C. (2011). Trends and issues to integrate ICT in teaching learning for the future world of education. International Journal of Engineering and Technology. 11(3). 114-119. https://ijens.org/Vol%2011%20I%2003/118603-0202%20IJET-IJENS.pdf
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2017). F-10 curriculum: English. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/english/?year=11574&strand=Language&strand=Literature&strand=Literacy&capability=ignore&capability=Literacy&capability=Numeracy&capability=Information+and+Communication+Technology+%28ICT%29+Capability&capability=Critical+and+Creative+Thinking&capability=Personal+and+Social+Capability&capability=Ethical+Understanding&capability=Intercultural+Understanding&priority=ignore&priority=Aboriginal+and+Torres+Strait+Islander+Histories+and+Cultures&priority=Asia+and+Australia%E2%80%99s+Engagement+with+Asia&priority=Sustainability&elaborations=true&elaborations=false&scotterms=false&isFirstPageLoad=false
Department of Education. (2019). Explicit instruction. Queensland Government. Retrieved on September 13, 2021, from https://earlychildhood.qld.gov.au/early-years/age-appropriate-pedagogies/approaches/explicit-instruction
Department of Education and Training. (2018). Literacy teaching toolkit: Shared reading. State Government of Victoria. Retrieved on September 12, 2021, from https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/english/literacy/readingviewing/Pages/teachingpracshared.aspx
Fellowes, J., & Oakley, G. (2019). Language, literacy & early childhood education (3rd Ed.). Oxford University Press.
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2013). Better learning through structured teaching: A framework for the gradual release of responsibility (3rd ed.). ASCD.
