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Considering the increasing diversity of learners in schools and early learning centres today, preservice teachers need to be equipped with the knowledge, skills and understanding to employ literacy and reading support strategies, and ICT/Apps teaching strategies, to meet the specific learning needs of all learners across the full range of abilities. Awareness of learner differences (i.e., cognitive, physical and psychosocial) and the interplay with contextual influences (e.g., socio-economic background) will enhance teacher capacity to identify and address the various learning needs of individual learners in their classrooms and apply this knowledge and skills to improve learner outcomes.

To critically reflect on personal pedagogical practice, preservice teachers must develop an understanding of the diverse learning needs of their learners, informed by professional reflection and feedback. It is imperative that teachers stay abreast of their professional and legal responsibilities associated with meeting the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.

This course will provide preservice teachers, with an introduction to the guiding legislation, policies and practices of inclusive education and ways to apply this learning with the curriculum context of English Literacy and ICT's. Preservice teachers will also develop knowledge of the characteristics and educational approaches employed to meet the specific learning needs of learners across the full range of abilities with explicit focus on high incidence and low incidence disabilities. In addition, this course will examine the characteristics and educational needs of gifted and talented learners. Preservice teachers will explore literacy teaching strategies to engage all learners in an inclusive and supportive context addressing the various needs of learners using ICT's to enhance engagement.

Cognisant of the range of student diversity, this course will focus on effective, evidenced-based approaches to supporting the learning and development of learners with special needs and issues related to creating inclusive educational environments. This course enhance preservice teachers knowledge and skills in effective management strategies for those learners who exhibit challenging behaviours. The course will require preservice teachers to develop research synthesis skills, engaging in a case study to analyse and evaluate approaches for teaching English literacy learners with a disability and or special needs in an inclusive educational environment as well as reflecting upon their own professional learning to improve their practice.

On successful completion of this course preservice teachers should be able to:

1. apply an understanding of the ACARA general capabilities, legislation requirements, administrative and organisational policies and ethical principles, as described in the Code of Conduct for the teaching profession, with a specific focus on inclusive education, and learners with disabilities and special educational learning needs, and impacts on learning such as, domestic and family violence (Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 7.1, 7.2);
2. Describe strategies that support students’ well-being and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements (APST 4.4);
3. analyse and apply knowledge and understanding of teaching strategies that support participation and learning of learners with disability and special educational learning needs, inclusive of the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious, traumatic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, including understanding issues and strategies that support use of ICTs/Apps – safely, responsibly and ethically to expand curriculum learning opportunities and inform differentiated teaching practice (APST 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 2.6, 4.5);
4. analyse and apply knowledge and understanding of English literacy teaching strategies, especially reading to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities, inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities and provide clear directions, differentiation of teaching, and practical approaches to managing challenging behaviours to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities (APST 1.5, 2.5, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3);
5. demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning and the capacity to analyse and interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice (APST 5.3, 5.4);
6. demonstrate a broad range of strategies for involving parents/carers in the educative process and an understanding of strategies for working effectively, sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers, engaging with experts and seeking and applying constructive feedback from colleagues, supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices and understanding of the role of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in identifying professional learning needs (APST 3.7, 6.1, 6.3, 7.3);
7. demonstrate advanced cognitive, literacy and communication skills, including spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing.