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METBOURNE AUSTRALIA

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

APPLIED CURRICULUM PROJECT

REPORT

YEAR 4
Bachelor of EducationP - 12 (ABED)
Preservice teachers are required to complete an Applied Curiculum Project Report (using this proforma) on completion of their proiect. This form
is to be completed by the preservice teache(s). Refurence should be made to the ACP Plan developed earlier in the year. A brief comment by the
School Partnership Coordinator (or nominee) is also required. This document must be word processed.
This Final Report must:

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Describe the project and its outcomes

Provide evidence of how the aims of the project were met or not met and why with reference to the relevant educational theory andlor literature
or policy cited in the plan

Comment on the progress according to the action plan included in the Plan and advise of any changes to this plan and the reasons for any
amendments
Evaluate the success or otherwise of the expected measurable outcomes with reference to the evaluation methodology described in the plan.
Describe how each of the five, or more, professional skills (planrting, negotiating, project management, problem solving, team work, time
management, evaluating, communicating, reporting and researching) you nominated in your plan where used/applied during your ACP,

Submission

Deadline: Each preservice

teacher is required to submit this report to their Praxis lnquiry lecturer no later than the week
commencing 21$ September, 2015.

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ACP - Report 2015

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1.

Brief Description of the Project and its Outcomes

For my Applied Curriculum Project,I was accepted into the Story Writing in Remote Locations Program. The
SWIRL program is a Victoria University endeavour, instigated by Lawrence Mahon. The aim of the progritm
is to work with remote Indigenous communities of the Northem Territory, within their schools, to develop
literature with the students that is culturally appropriate and engages with their personal experiences. Ultimately
our aim was to get the students involved in their own leaming and tell their own stories. We were each placed
in different communities across the Katherine region with a partner, to complete the program over six weeks.

I was placed in a grade

2.

3141516

Upper Primary classroom.

Provide evidence of how project aims were met or not met and why with reference to relevant
educationaltheorylor literature or policy cited in the plan.

Whilst working on the project, we encountered various hurdles and challenges that were unique to the
community we were placed in. There were many distractions that would impact teaching time, such as deaths
in the community, regular absences and power/water outages. All of these issues would take significant time
from school hours, and meant that it was difficult to complete all aspects of the project in the timeframe
originally set for us.
Due to these intemrptions, other areas of the curriculum were also impacted, which meant that our mentor
teachers were constantly playing catch-up with their planned lessons and units. Sadly, this meant that finding
time for the project was not a priority.
Compromises had to be made and steps in our planned story-writing process had to be skipped in order to
successfully complete the project. I was able to complete several stories for the class, written primarily by the
students and illustrated with photographs taken by the students. An example is pictured below. The majority
of my class were able to author or part author a book, with the priority being placed on students that more
regularly attended school. The books were printed, laminated and bound and a copy was given to both the
individual students who wrote them and one left for the classroom libraryThe most pressing issue identified in my placement, was the lack of student engagement in literacy.
Stemming from this, I believe, are issues such high levels of student truancy and low rates of school finishers
in remote indigenous schools. Hence, it makes sense to focus on improving student engagement as an initial
step. Spaans case study is an effective example of how improving student engagement can drastically boost a
student's chances at succeeding in school (Spaans 2010). It is vital that teachers in these areas gain an
acceptance and understanding of the fact that their students cultural capital and social experiences greatly
differ from their own, which means thatadifferent approach must be taken in engaging them.
The problem we face in remote indigenous communities is that students are bombarded with our essentially
owhite' literature, and this does not appeal to their cultural experience (Mahon 2006).

BachelorolEducdion (P-12) YearFour ACP- Repo(2015

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Bachehrof Education (P-12) YearFour ACP- Repo(2015

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3.

Comment on progress according to your Action Plan and advise of any changes to this plan and these
reasons for any changes.

Ideally it would have been great to have all students in the class participate in writing a story, however
various intemrptions, as detailed above, prevented this from being able to occur. Some students I did not even
see in my last couple of weeks at the school, due to funerals in neighbouring communities. I wanted students
to participate in the compiling and creation of the books on PowerPoint also, but due to the rushed
circumstances I compiled the written sections and photographs into books myself and gifted them to the
students oo my last day. I wanted to run the story r,vriting as a unit of work and not just a one offactivity,
allowing the students to participate in wafin-up activities, brainstorms, group story-writing etc. prior to the
creation of individual stories- Unfortunately this was not possible so I worked with students in small groups
to get their stories written instead.

4.

Evaluation

Evaluate the success or otherwise of the outcomes with reference to the evaluation methodology described in the plan.

Regardless of the time constraints, students thoroughly enjoyed the process of photographing and writing
their stories. The level of engagement was high, as students were encouraged to incorporate familiar aspects
of their lives, their own experiences and culture into the stories. Students were excited to share and read their
stories once they were presented to the class.

Overall the program was a success and saw students who spoke English as a second language, enthusiastic
about the stories they were reading and writing, because they could relate to the content.
Indigenous students in remote communities are bombarded with western literature tl:roughout their education.
Reading stories that include content that is often Americanised and unfamiliar to them. This presents some
significant boundaries in regard to student's comprehension, reading and writing skills. SMRL's aim is to
combat this, and I believe that in this instance, the project was successfirl

5.

ProfessionalSkillsUtilised

Describe how each of the five, or more, professional skills (planning, negotiating, project management, problem solving, team work, time
management, evaluating, communicating, reporting and researching) you nominated in your plan where usedlapplied during your ACP.

tr Professional Skill#1 Planning

I planned a full story writing unit of work, as outlined above. The unit had to be changed and
compacted due to the various intemrptions experienced by the school and community during my visit.

fl

Professional

Skill#2

Reporting

During the project we were required to report updates to our leader as to how ttre project was going
and what issues we were facing. I was also required to give regular updates to my mentor teacher as to
what had so far been completed and what was still to be done.

Bachelor of Education (P-12) Year

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tr Frofessional Skill#3 Team Work

My partner and I worked together in coming up with a plan for the story-writing process and bounced
ideas off each other regularly. I completed most of the project in small student groups so they had to
work together and cooperate in order to complete their stories.

tr Professional Skill #4 Researching

As all my students spoke Kriole as a first language, I wanted to incorporate some Kriole translations
into the stories. In order to do this I had to research the Kriole language and check my translations
with members of the community to ensure they were correct.

tr Prcfessional Skill#5 Time Management

Time management was a major problem in the completion of the project as time was much more
limited than I originally expected. This required me to tweak certain aspects of the program and work
efficiently with the students in order to maximize time.

tr Professional Skill#6 Evaluating

Throughout the project I was continually writing reflections on the process, requiring me to constantly
be evaluating my approach to teaching, and improving my practice.

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Professional Skill

#7

Communicating

At our school, we were required to send out permission slips for the use of childrens photographs in
the stories. This required communication with parents and members of the community. We were also
required to be accountable about the story writing process, to both our mentor teacher and principal.

Bachelor of Education (P-12) Year

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ACP - Report 2015

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Section

Professional skills displayed by the preservice teacher in the completion of the project
(ACP Mentor Teacher (or nominee) to complete)
e.9., problem solving, negotiating, project management, planning, team worl( time management, evaluating,
communicating, reporting, researching. Also, whether expected outcomes, as identified in ACP Plan, were met.

Swirl is run in a variety of locations in the Northern Territory.

The situations faced by a preservice teachers in these locations is dramatically different to
what they would normally face in placement schools around Melbourne.
It was delightful to note that Nelly, who was at first quite overawed with the difference in this
placement to others she had experienced, very soon took a leadership role in her
classroom. Nelly developed great relationships with both children and staff at the school she
was placed in, and learnt new and appropriate ways of working with children who often
were very poor school attenders. Her quiet and gentle manner will hold her in good stead
for her future teaching career.
Thank you for your great work, Nelly and good luck for your future.

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Victoria University may use this information to advertise and report on the work of Project Partnerships

Note

Preservice teachers must ensure that all signatories (above) receive a copy of this ACP plan. Preseruice teachers are to
submit a copy of this Report to their Praxis lnquiry lecturer no later than the week commencing 21st September, 2015.

This report is downloaded from the PP ltYebsite at httpJleducation.vu.edu.au/oartnerships/

Bachelor of Education (P-12) Year

Four

ACP - Report 2015

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References:

Mahon, LZA06, SWIRL and Talking Books: A Tool for Cultural Enrichment, School of Education
Victoria University, Viewed 29 September 2015
Spaans, H 2010, A supported learning journey into indigenous Hterary, Literacy Leaming: The Middle
Years, Yol. 18, No. L, pp.53-58

Bachelor of Education (P-12)

Yur Four AGP, Repo( 2015

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