102098

CONTEMPORARY TEACHER
LEADERSHIP

Professional Task
BY
Jingying Jiao
17420466

Abstract

The following report focuses on the improvement of a Stage 4, Year 7 Chinese

Unit: ‘Shopping’. This unit was originally designed for Year 7 LOTE faculty at
Erskine Park High School. This report intends recommendations for the
enhanced suitability of the unit in relation to teaching an inclusive class all
across with students from diversity background, lower-ability and mixed ability,
as well as students are Gifted and Talented, and EAL/D. Through the
implementation of the Understanding by Design (UbD) model to shape and
integrate recent educational documentations and researches that focused on
improving students’ literacy and numeracy, personal and social capabilities.

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Executive Summary ………………………………………………………… 3

Objective and Context …………………………………………………. 3

Goals …………………………………………………………………….. 6

Recommendations ……………………………………………………… 6

Part I – Comparative Table ………………………. ……………………….. 7

Part II – Contextual redesigned program documentation ………………. 9

Concept Map …………………………………………………………… 9

Scope and Sequence …………………………………………………. 9

Assessment Task ……………………………………………………… 10

Marking Criteria ……………………………………………………….. 10

Unit Outline …………………………………………………………….. 11

Part III – Report of Recommendations ……………………………………. 21

Reference List …………………………………………………………. 28

Appendix – Original Program Documentation ……………………………. 30

Unit Outline ……………………………………………………………... 30

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Executive Summary

Objective and Context

This report has been designed for the Language other than English (LOTE)
faculty at Erskine Park High School, which is located in Western Sydney.
Erskine Park High School is a dynamic government high school serves
students through Year 7 to Year 12. The population of the school is varied,
with 29% of students from language background other than English
(LBOTE), and 6% of students from Indigenous or Torres Strait Islanders.
The socioeconomic status of the school is medium low, with 41% of
parents in the bottom quarter of income. The enrolment of students is
relatively even with 52% boys to 48% girls. The school has a close
engagement with Western Sydney University’s educational research
program, the research studies on bilingual education and multicultural
education, which the program was cooperated with education centre in
Mainland China; there are also post-graduate research student join the
Chinese teacher at Erskine Park High School every week Wednesday to
experience the teaching context in Australian high school. The school also
has been held Chinese as Year 7’s Mandatory subject for more than 15
years. Every year the school organises a 2 weeks trip to Mainland China
and encourages all staffs and students to join.

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Reference: Statistics and tables above are retrieved from the MySchool Website. Retrieved from:
https://www.myschool.edu.au/school/41845

Originally, this unit was taught in term 2, when students have learnt the
basic greeting structure and numbers in Chinese. Greetings, family
members and numbers were introduced in the first term, and students
were assessed the prior knowledge in term 2 mid-term exam. The unit
aims to assist students to develop linguistic knowledge to communicate
and express shopping needs in Chinese when travelling to China. Students
also strengthen the learning of Pinyin (sound system) and Hanzi (written
system) through the study of this unit.

The reconstructed unit of work in this paper was initially created for Stage
4 Chinese mixed-ability class in comprehensive co-educational high
school. However, there is also number of students from low-SES and
EAL/D background, as well as one class size of students are recognised
as Gifted and Talented. The class with students from EAL/D and students
with lower- ability is one of the major replications of the school’s academic
performance. Despite from low NAPLAN performance, the frequent
behavioural incidences are also caused negative impact on students’
academic performance. On the other hand, the school has had one
particular class in every year group named Gifted and Talented class,
students in that class are recognised as Gifted and Talented, they often
assigned to variety activities such as debate and speech, national
mathematics competitions, science experiment presentation and so on.
Teachers are required to create a different lesson plan that is suitable for
Gifted and Talented students.

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The school has operated BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program and
expected all students to follow the program. However, due to most of
students are from low-SES background, school has prepared extra devices
for students to borrow from library. Apart form the limitation of technology
resources and devices, students were not given a clear expectation of
what to learn in this subject. Majority of students have not know the reason
why they need to learn Chinese, the feedback from student is they are
forced to learn this subject because it is mandatory. Furthermore, there is
no clear unit outline that stated the focused content and length of each
topic; both scope and sequence, and assessment task were not provided.
These missing contents and concerns have been considered and revised
in the new unit outline. Moreover, considering the Gifted and Talented
students, students with lower-ability and students from EAL/D, the new unit
outline has implemented numerous differentiation strategies as well as
metalanguage.

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Goals

 Literacy and numeracy concerns were revaluated and integrated

with various teaching strategies in the unit outline
 Implementation of ICT resources to cooperated with BYOD program
 Multiple differentiation strategies to be applied in the unit to meet the
need of diversity students
 Develop a more effective and meaningful sequence of learning
through the unit outline to ensure that students have gained
adequate knowledge

Recommendations

The recommendation of this report mainly emphasis on differentiation,

improving students’ literacy and numeracy skills, increasing unit’s
sequencing model to make students’ personal and social capabilities more
resilient, and lastly the new assessment task aim to develop students’
critical and creative thinking skills.
 Improve the differentiation strategy applied in each lesson to ensure
all students in the classroom have catered and engaged with equal
learning
 Explicitly apply scaffolding method to ensure students have
understood the Literacy and numeracy instructions
 A more effective and meaningful sequence of learning through the
unit outline to ensure that students have gained adequate
knowledge
 Develop the formative assessment task reinforces students’
understanding

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 Part I – Comparative table

Area of Strengths of Suggested Changes to Research support for

consideration the area of counteract concerns the changes suggested
consideration
N/A in the Multiple implementation The integration of ICT in a
Literacy original unit of online tools such as classroom setting can
outline Google classroom, improve students’ level of
Implementation Quizlet, Edpuzzle, digital communication
of online tools to Neapod and Google empowers students to
reduce slide to reduce the heavy access a broad set of
metalanguage metalanguage in the different discretions and
understanding subject, as well as enlightening perspectives
and empower stimulate students’ (Tyner, 2014)
students’ interests on language
perspective learning, especially the
reading and writing skiils
N/A in the Apply real life In attention to the critical
Numeracy original unit experiences and comply aspect of numeracy, the
outline with ICT resources to activities using ICT
Integration of build on students’ resources in classroom
ICT resources to understanding of setting will help students
extend students’ Numeracy in a second to understand their social,
mathematic language other than cultural, political and
skills English. environmental context,
and assist them to make
decisions and maintain
positive attitudes to facing
challenges in future
(Geiger, Goos & Dole,
2015)
N/A in the Activities such as group Philp et al., (2014)
Critical and original unit discussion, research indicates that peer
Creative outline task on certain topic, interaction is an important
Thinking Gifted and peer interactions, role- factor of cognitive
Talented play in pairs are more development; High
students are like to enhance students’ demand of classroom
catered using critical and creative discussion and peer
variety activities thinking, especially for interaction will enable
to strengthen Gifted and Talented students to achieve a
skills students. better learning outcome
(Philp et al., 2014)
N/A in the Using formative Broemmel, Jordan &
Personal and original unit assessment in unit Whitsett (2015) indicate
Social outline planning demonstrate that teacher must be
Capabilities Students with the importance of accountable for
low-learning differentiation understanding the
ability and expectations of
EAL/D students Inquiry-based approach curriculum, as well as
are catered enables students’ establishing a learning
using motivation of learning context that acknowledge
scaffolding and desires of all students to maximise
model knowledge acquisition. their potencies.
N/A in the Formative assessment The three stages of
Understanding original unit task is created founded backward design process:
by Design outline by task-based approach identify desired results,

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Using backward to enhance student’s determine acceptable
design stages, hands-in language skill. evidence and plan
student-centred learning experiences and
and inquiry- Student-centred instruction (Wiggins &
based teaching teaching approach to McTighe, 1998, p17-19)
to create the create a more consistent
unit content scope and sequence, as According to Baeten et
more well increasing student’s al., (2010), the
comprehensive engagement. characteristics of student-
and cohesive. centred teaching method
has improved students’
objective of learning, bring
feedback and reflection to
teachers.

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Part II -- Contextual redesigned program documentation

Concept Map

•这个，那个
•钱，元，角，块 •要，不要，买，卖
•三十五元，七十块 •你要买什么
•多少钱，什么 •我要买...
Students understand
•商场，商店，超市 hinese shopping the sound and written
•蔬菜，水果，衣服
cultures and habits systerm of shopping
Students learn about words Students learn
Chinese pictograph of about Chinese
shopiing characters pictograph of
shopiing characters

Shopping for grocery

and clothes
Sales promotion and
bargain in Chinese Students understand
the words of clothes
Students learn how to
in Chinese, and be
bargain in Chinese
able to ask the color
•是，不是 and size in Chinese
•停车场在哪里？ •裤子，鞋，尺寸，
•可以便宜点吗？ 颜色
•喜欢，好看，贵，
便宜
•这个多少钱？

Scope and Sequence

Weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Term 1 Unit: Chinese Unit: Greetings in Unit: Numbers Unit: About me and Family
sound and Chinese in Chinese  Self-introduction
written system  Family members
 Pinyin  Relatives
 Hanzi
Weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Term 2 Unit: Dates and Festivals Mid-term exam Unit: shopping
 Time  Revision  Asking for price
 Birthday and Mother’s day  Speaking and  Express shopping
 Chinese Spring Festival listening test needs
 Written exam  Learn bargain tips
Weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Term 3 Unit: Eating and Drinking Unit: Animals Unit: hobbies and sports
 Food and drink types  Chinese Zodiac  Express likes and
 Ordering food at  Pets dislikes
restaurant
Weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Term 4 Unit: Countries and cities Unit: School Life Unit: Leisure activities
 Countries around world  Subjects  Watch movie
 Cities in China  School routine  Visit friends
 Travelling  Facilities in school

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Assessment Task

Marking Criteria

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Unit Outline

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Part III – Report of Recommendations

The original unit outline had limited information; no concept map and no

scope and sequence were provided for the LOTE faculty, and with just the

topic name showed the drawback of how the unit should be planned and

how it would be fitted into the whole year plan. The very little information of

the initial unit outline decreased on developing students’ literacy and

numeracy skills, as well as disadvantaged the engagement of students

learning and academic outcomes. Hence, the modified unit outline is

focused on inquiry-based approach and task-based teaching approach, as

well as including several missing components from the original unit outline.

The new clear concept map is designed to help students systematise and

characterise knowledge of the unit. Similarly, the new creation of scope

and sequence deliver cohesive trend and transparency for students and

teacher through the unit of learning. Furthermore, a formative assessment

task is implemented through the unit to enhance students’ critical and

creative thinking. Comprehensive integration of Understanding by Design

(UbD) framework has been conveyed through out the new unit outline.

Moreover, addressing the needs for Gifted and Talented students, students

with low-ability learning and students are EAL/D, multiple differentiation

strategies and activities comply with ICT are implemented in the unit,

aiming to stimulate students’ personal and social capabilities, as well as

increasing skills of Literacy and Numeracy.

The Understanding by Design (UbD) framework (Wiggins & McTighe,

2012) is also named as “backward design”, which is targeted to

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improve student achievement and strengthening of student

understanding. Therefore, the key-learning goal of the unit outline is

constructed on task-based teaching method and situational language

teaching approach, which will concentrate on building student’s hands-on

language skills. According to Hall (2017), task-based teaching approach is

created based on learner’s language needs and intentions. Therefore,

considering the Ubd “backward design” framework, the new formative

assessment task has been created first, which it sets the targeting goal of

the unit learning. Consequently, the formative assessment involves lots of

ICT resources, which requires students to be familiarised with online

learning tools, for example, Google Classroom and Google Slide, Edpuzzle

and Quizlet. Using formative assessment in unit planning also

demonstrates the importance of differentiation. Broemmel, Jordan &

Whitsett (2015) indicate that teachers must be accountable for

understanding the expectations of curriculum, as well as establishing a

learning context that acknowledge all students to maximise their potencies.

Furthermore, the implementation of formative assessment in unit planning

has to be considerate, proactive and scaffolding for all students

(Broemmel, Jordan & Whitsett, 2015). In this case, the assessment task is

required student to create a digital sale’s promotion poster on Google

Slide, this led the student to use Chinese sound system Pinyin to type on

their devices, and they are also required to be familiarised with Chinese

characters Hanzi.

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The scope and sequence is not provided, therefore the new scope

sequence was adopted suggestions from NESA K-10 Chinese Syllabus.

When teaching the unit “Shopping” during professional practice, there were

lots of content that students have not previously learnt. The unit “Shopping”

requires various prior knowledge to be able proceed the next stage of

learning. For example, students should learn greetings and numbers in

Chinese first, and then learn time and dates after that. The unit “Shopping”

involves prior knowledge such as family members, numbers, dates and

special occasions. Thus, when creating the new scope and sequence, all

of these missing contents were considered and applied to it, so that the

sequence of learning is more meaningful and acceptable for students.

Similarly, the concept map is also missing from original unit of work. The

new concept map, which is included in this paper, has clearly presented

the learning outcomes of the unit, as well as the list of key learning

contents.

The original unit outline was an inclusion of lessons have taught during the

professional practice, and had missing 5 lessons of content on the unit of

“Shopping”. Moreover, the outline did not have cohesive sequence of the

content, and the teaching strategies did not cater for differentiation on

Gifted and Talented students, EAL/D students and students with low-ability

learning. Correspondingly, the unit outline was not covered areas in

Literacy and Numeracy, intercultural learning, targeted syllabus outcomes

and ICT resources. Consequently, in the reconstructed unit outline, all of

above concerns and weaknesses have been created with detailed

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outcomes. According to UbD framework, the three stages of backward

design process have been considered and applied in unit planning, they

are: identify desired results, determine acceptable evidence and plan

learning experiences and instruction (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998, p17-

19).

The lessons are planned to focus on student-centred learning, which

is also a key component of UbD framework that is devoted to high

involvement of student choices. According to Baeten, Kyndt, Struyven

& Dochy (2010), the characteristics of student-centred teaching

method has improved students’ objectivity of learning, bringing

feedback and reflection to teachers, as well as changing the

acquisition of knowledge to a significant tool. Moreover, it has also

enhanced students’ engagement and accountability with their peers.

Philp et al., (2014) indicates that peer interaction is an important

factor of cognitive development to second or foreign language

learning; it is an environment for adjusting language, that peers can

reinforce their understanding of the objective language through helpful

response and other formulae of collaboration. It exposes that self -

correction happens more commonly in peer interactions than in

teacher-student interactions.

Furthermore, the lesson activities are designed focusing on inquiry-

based learning method, which is a student-centred approach, teachers

act like facilitator who help students reach what they really want to

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know and learn. Pedaste et al., (2015) suggest that inquiry-based learning

aims to engage students in a realistic and practical outcome development.

In classroom setting, teacher is the instructor who adopt the approach to

help students research their questions into learning projects. It gives

students an opportunity to learn independently, as well as increasing their

motivation on learning while strengthening and informing basic skills.

As increasing student’s academic performance in Literacy and

Numeracy, especially for students from EAL/D and students with low-

learning ability, a range of differentiation strategies were implemented

to reduce the difficulties of understanding metalanguage in the unit.

According to Tyner (2014), the ‘literacy’ itself is not only refer to

‘alphabetic’ literacy in modern society, especially in school context,

literacy becomes ‘multiliteracies’, which it refers to technology literacy,

information literacy, visual literacy and media literacy. The integration

of ICT in a classroom setting can improve students’ level of literacy.

Moreover, the engagement of digital communication empowers

students to access a broad set of different discretions and

enlightening perspectives (Tyner, 2014). In attention to the critical

aspect of numeracy, the activities using ICT resources in classroom

setting will help students to understand their social, cultural, political

and environmental contexts, and assist them to make decisions and

maintain positive attitudes to facing challenges in future (Geiger, Goos,

& Dole, 2015).

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The aspect of developing students’ critical and creative thinking is been

considered and revised in the unit outline. High demand of classroom

discussion and peer interaction will enable students to achieve a better

learning outcome (Philp et al., 2014). Hence, in the new unit outline,

activities like group work, role-play in pairs, open-ended discussions and

extended response in assigned research topic are aimed to build student’s

thinking skills, especially for Gifted and Talented students, there will an

activity that specially designed for them to extend their ability in research.

On the other side, students from low-SES, EAL/D, and students with low-

learning ability are also considered and provided with scaffolding model in

the new unit outline. Students who come from a disadvantaged

background faces more challenges and difficulties in learning than other

students, the social background often influence their academic

performance and decrease learning achievement. Thus, the unit outline

provided extra supports for this group of students, as well as planning

more engaged and innovative activities through each lesson.

The idea of teacher’s journal on feedback is a new concept that been

added into the unit outline. It is a self-reflection journal for teachers to

improve professional development. It is vital to review the efficacy of

teaching method, and re-read the lesson activities, which would benefit a

teacher to grow, and also deliver learning principal to enriched students

academic performance. Therefore, the teacher’s journal is encouraged to

apply into all curriculum areas, and teachers should adopt it as a

consistent habit to meet better quality teaching.

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In conclusion, the reconstructed unit outline states all the weaknesses and

concerns of the initial unit of work in a better demonstration. It would

promote the unit learning into a more comprehensive and dynamic setting

for students. Furthermore, the changes that been made in differentiation

strategies, Literacy and Numeracy skills, critical and creative thinking, and

social and personal capabilities would empower students’ achievement in

both academic setting and real-life situation.

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Reference List:

Baeten, M., Kyndt, E., Struyven, K., & Dochy, F. (2010). Using student-
centred learning environments to stimulate deep approaches to
learning: Factors encouraging or discouraging their
effectiveness. Educational Research Review, 5(3), 243-260.

Broemmel, A. D., Jordan, J., & Whitsett, B. M. (2015). Learning to be

teacher leaders: A framework for assessment, planning, and
instruction. Routledge.

Geiger, V., Goos, M., & Dole, S. (2015). The role of digital technologies in
numeracy teaching and learning. International Journal of Science
and Mathematics Education, 13(5), 1115-1137.

Hall, G. (2017). Exploring English language teaching: Language in action.

Routledge.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, Jay. (2012). The Understanding by design

guide to advanced concepts in creating and reviewing units.
Alexandria, Va.: ASCD.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (1998). What is backward

design. Understanding by design, 1, 7-19. Retrieved from:
https://educationaltechnology.net/wp-
content/uploads/2016/01/backward-design.pdf

Pedaste, M., Mäeots, M., Siiman, L. A., De Jong, T., Van Riesen, S. A.,
Kamp, E. T., ... & Tsourlidaki, E. (2015). Phases of inquiry-based
learning: Definitions and the inquiry cycle. Educational research
review, 14, 47-61.

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Philp, J., Adams, Rebecca Jane, & Iwashita, Noriko. (2014). Peer
interaction and second language learning (Second language
acquisition research).

Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and methods in

language teaching. Cambridge university press.

Tyner, K. (2014). Literacy in a digital world: Teaching and learning in the

age of information. Routledge.

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Appendix – Original Program Documentation

My mentor teacher at Erskine Park High School did not provide the unit
outline during my professional practice. I was just given a teaching topic
with no content, scope and sequence, and unit plan. The following unit
outline was the actual lessons that I have taught in my Prac. Originally I
was assigned to teach the full topic length, which are 12 lessons in 4
weeks. However, I only taught 7 out of 12 lessons on the shopping topic,
across to 7 classes in Year 7, and my other lessons were used for mid-
term exam, and also practical lessons on how to use Chinese chopsticks,
how to write Chinese calligraphy and lessons on Chinese acrobatics, which
I was pair-teaching with mentor teacher together. There are also no
assessment task for this topic, however, I helped mentor teacher to write
the mid-term exam paper.

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