Last year, a report released by the NSW Education Standards Authority found that many Australian teacher education students were not being adequately prepared with the digital skills required to teach in today’s classrooms.
At the School of Education at UTS, teacher educators are using innovative and creative methods to help preservice teachers come to grips with the demands of digital literacy in schools.
One such initiative is the UTS Real Words Film Festival, which was founded last year by Dr Jane Hunter, Postdoctoral Researcher and Senior Lecturer in the School of Education. The festival features the work of English preservice teachers in the Master of Teaching (Secondary) program.
For the final assessment in English Teaching Methods 3, students write a 300 word script and then produce a 3 minute film that focuses on a topic covered in the unit. The assignment is the culmination of a semester long focus on the Australian curriculum of English, specifically the history of English as a secondary subject, and its influence on present syllabus and curriculum components.
MTeach student, Lauren Mulroney, said the assessment allowed her to reflect upon contemporary issues affecting secondary English teachers and also provided a valuable insight into the teaching profession. Lauren’s film explored the detrimental effects that occur when students aren’t provided opportunities to read, and the link between reading and writing capabilities.
The task offers a practical opportunity to place yourself in the role of the teacher, connect with relevant issues that impact adolescents, and create assessment material that can be replicated in the secondary English classroom.
Lauren Mulroney, Master of Teaching (Secondary) student
The assessment also aims to strengthen the digital literacy skills of preservice teachers prior to their entry to the workplace.
Dr Jane Hunter was inspired to develop the assignment after completing a ‘Power of Screen Presenting’ workshop at UTS. She then made her own film, which gained a place as a finalist in the British Council’s FameLab competition. After attaining skills from this process, Dr Hunter was able to structure her subject outlines to include script writing and film production, based on content in readings and techniques used in the workshop.
A Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching grant supported the creation of the Real Words blog, which hosts the films for the festival each year. The blog also showcases digital content created by preservice teachers in other curriculum units in the UTS School of Education.
The 2018 Real Words Film Festival is on the 2-3 May in Building 10 (Level 2), from 11am-2pm each day.