Concerns: Online Masters of Teaching Prac Students
Seeking feedback on prac students doing their Masters of Teaching from Online Universities (or online thorugh institutuions like Southern Cross) - I understand we have a number of schools in WA currently engaged with prac students.
Schools that I've heard of are - Mundaring Christian College, Wanneroo SC, Coastal Lakes, Cyril Jackson, Geraldton SHS, West Hammond Park, Hampton, John Curtin CA.
Looking for any information on knowledge of subject matter and skills associated with the worskhop area in particular. The other point of interest is the langauage barrier; international students.
Have we got a problem with students with Bachelor Degrees in IT being seen as 'Technology teachers' and being put into worskhop placements without any knowledge or experience in a workshop environment?
Keen to hear concerns or otherwise.
Shaun Lane
DATTA WA President
This is a national concern. I meet with 4 state Presdients yesterday and discussed this issue specifically. One of them does work for Southern Cross as a sessional lecturer and as of this year a prac supervisor and is seeing firsthand the issues. As a number of prac teachers come from the online course they come form and are spread far and wide, so communication is happening online with the supervisors. Would you believe that a number of discussions have required the prac student to use translator software to assist with the conversation - how does that work in class(?)
The Bach 'of IT' student is being categorised as a 'Technology Teacher' as their is no course directly aimed at Digital Technologies teaching. So Southern Cross (in the example I was given) under prepares, under informs and under trains them and schools are left to pick up the pieces without full details. The other bit of feedback was that the online course results in students skipping large parts of the curriculum only to do the assessment at the end (with massive assistance from AI).
At this point, I will sit back and let others comment and provide further evidence of what is happening. DATTA (nationally) will develop a response to this for governements and universities. In the meantime, I would think that schools should be cautious, especially of online delivered Masters of Teaching candidates.