Projects & Innovations
Community Partnerships
Bee Bot Bear Hunt
Location: Hilder Rd State School, The Gap
Target audience: EC teachers and primary pre-service teachers
An integrated literacy / technologies learning sequence designed to support a Prep classroom to include digital and design technologies in their English cycle, whilst giving ITE students the chance to gain 'hands on' classroom experience.
This project was also recorded for use with online students studying Technologies, Curriculum and Pedagogy (Birth - 5 years) through ACU Online.
Feast Day Prayer Walk
Location: Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School, Hendra
Target audience: EC, primary and secondary pre-service teachers
A partnership between ACU McAuley and a local primary school designed to give first year Education students a taste of how the religious life of a school is fostered. The ITE students also got to practise some of their relationship building skills learned in Understanding Learning and Teaching.
Environment as the 3rd teacher
Location: Indooroopilly State School, Indooroopilly
Target audience: EC, primary and secondary pre-service teachers
During a 2hr visit pre-service Primary teachers visited 5 different classes to speak to the teachers about how they use learning walls as the 3rd teacher, the use of 'big questions' as part of their inquiry model across the curriculum and finally introducing marking guides as an interactive, student-led assessment model.
Teacher's Day Out
Location: St Mary's Primary School & McAuley College, Beaudesert
Target audience: Primary and secondary pre-service teachers
Students spent the day experiencing the regional teacher life in Beaudesert with school tours, teacher-talks and classroom visits at St Mary’s & McAuley College.
Tech-Innovation
Location: St Eugene's College, Burpengary
Target audience: Primary and secondary pre-service teachers
A large group of Undergraduate and Masters level Education students from ACU spend a few hours observing design and digital technologies in action at St Eugene's at Burpengary. The morning was an opportunity to learn about the school's innovative approach to middle schooling to increase engagement and observe technologies classes from years 6 - 12.
Community Kindy in Action
Location: C&K, Arana Hills
Target audience: Early childhood pre-service teachers
A group of EC students toured the Arana Hills C&K, heard from director Sara about programming, the C&K way, importance of outdoor education, curriculum requirements and then participated in an open forum with both Sara and Aurelio about recruitment opportunities within C&K – both whilst studying (OSHC opportunities and relief work) and also as graduates.
Masterclasses: real teachers doing unreal things
In 2023 the State Head of ACU in Queensland implemented a program that saw the academics heading back into the classroom (EC, Primary or Secondary) as a way of providing academic staff the opportunity to observe exemplary practitioners in action in the classroom and to address and enrich currency of professional practice. But it very quickly became more than that, as we got to see, firsthand, some of the wonderful things happening in classroom that we believed our pre-service teachers would benefit from seeing themselves.
And so I began the “Masterclass” series. These events give ACU students the opportunity to see real teachers doing unreal things. Using feedback from placement experiences, I reach out to education communities and faciliate hands-on, skill based workshops.
Secondary Marking
Facilitated by: Jodie Becker, Director of Teacher Growth and Development, Nudgee College
Synopsis: Specifically designed to give our pre-service teachers hands on insight into what secondary school marking looks like, the 1hr session will give students (both face to face and online) the opportunity to practise giving students written feedback in a safe and supportive environment. They will also be able to ask questions about moderation practises and the use of ICT in developing authentic and timely feedback for high stakes assessments.
Interview Readiness
Facilitated by: Susie Anderson, Senior Talent Partner, Brisbane Catholic Education
Synopsis: Students were equipped with the essential skills and knowledge needed to excel in Brisbane Catholic Education job interviews and launch their careers. It included tips for resume & CV enhancement, interview strategies, networking proficiency, industry insights, a principal panel with representatives from 11 BCE schools and professional networking conversations afterwards.
Classroom Management
Facilitated by: Tamara Gray, Primary Teacher
Synopsis: With over 20 years teaching experience and 5 years + as a PB4L Coach, Tamara has faced her fair share of challenging classes. She enthusiastically shared her tips & tricks in classroom management and the importance of fostering postive relationships for better learning outcomes, with our students.
EAL/D Essentials
Faciliated by: Ashwina Gotame, Senior Education Office (Department of Education)
Synopsis: This workshop aimed to build the capacity of pre-service teachers to achieve the best possible outcomes for students learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D), including those who are newly arrived and from refugee backgrounds.
The workshop provideed suggestions and ideas to effectively cater to the diverse needs of students from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Sheep, Cat or Wolf?
Facilitated by: Mark Powell, Director of Education Services, Montessori Australia
Synopsis: This hands-on workshop allowed students to experience and reflect on various teaching styles and come away with an impressionistic, practically informed, experiential sense of the meaning of each of the three major philosophies of education in the world today.
This led to them discovering the “big picture” of where Montessori fits in the world of education.
RRR Rumble
Faciliated by: Katie Wilson, Professional Experience and Placements Coordinator, ACU
Synopsis: An online Masterclass, giving students the opportunity to hear from teachers, principals and educational leaders about some of the unique, challenging and life-changing opportunities on offer in a RRR location.
Presenters were from State-based, Catholic and Independent schools across Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory.
Unit Design
EDSS661 - Humanities and Social Sciences Education for Children (B-12)
The aim of this unit is to provide pre-service teachers with best practice pedagogical and discipline specific knowledge, enabling them to address the needs of students to effectively teach HASS.
EDTE560 - Technologies Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment (B-12)
The aim of this unit is to develop pre-service teachers’ awareness of the unique language and literacy, general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities of the technologies, and the EYLF Practices to meet the learning needs of a diverse range of students in prior to school and school-based settings.