So I decided to finally get off my arse this morning and call the two Sydney unis that I am looking at transferring to next year. Actually, I was still sitting on my arse when I was doing the calling - semantics!
Anyway, I called the Australian Catholic university and of course, today they have a training session so no one is manning the phones. Call back Monday. Of COURSE I will forget to do that. So then I called UNSW. The first lady in admissions was pretty helpful and gave me a bit of info, and then passed me through to the Education faculty for some specific info. Basically the lady in that department was all, "Yes, apply through UAC."
I was like, "Yeah, but are you able to tell me whether my courses will be compatible, seeing as I need to complete my degree within the four years because of my scholarship?"
"Well, we can't actually tell until you've applied."
"Would I be able to tell you the classes I've done this year, or email them to you, and see if they correspond with the classes that UNSW students have been doing? Like, I'm pretty sure that my 'Learners and the Learning Process' class would be the same as your educational psychology class."
"Well, no, our Psychology class is very unique."
Let's just see how unique it is, shall we?
UNSW Educational Psychology:
Description
An introduction to the study of Educational Psychology which examines some aspects of development and of learning and instruction. Topics include: cognitive development, development of memory, the role of knowledge, problem solving and thinking, an introduction to instructional methods.
Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this course students are expected to:
Have a basic understanding of the area of educational psychology with reference to cognitive approaches to learning and problem solving, cognitive development, social cognitive learning and behavioural management
Understand the basic cognitive concepts of long term and working memory, attention, schemas, encoding and retrieval
Understand the problem solving and critical thinking process.
And the Newcastle Learners and the Learning Process:
Description:
Provides opportunities for students to develop knowledge and understanding of learners and the learning process and their implications for educational planning and practice. Introduces students to key concepts in relation to these areas and challenge them to develop both reflective and professional capabilities.
Course Objectives:
Students will be expected to: - understand the learning process - explain individual differences in human development and learning - apply learning theory and developmental theory to educational planning and practice.
Course Content:
1. Child and Adolescent Development.
* Development research
* Cognitive development
* Language and literacy development
* Emotional development
* Social and moral development
* A typical development
Emphasis will be given to current theoretical and empirical research in these areas and links with educational planning and practice will be drawn.
2. Learning Theory
The nature and functioning of the human information processing system will be covered in relation to such areas as human memory and cognition, metacognition and self-regulated learning, intelligence, motivation and beliefs about learning, self concept and self efficacy, knowledge and learning and the assessment of learning. Emphasis will be given to current theoretical and empirical research in these areas and links with educational planning and practice will be drawn.
I don't know, but it seems pretty damned similar. I will be damned if I do educational psych again. That subject damn near killed me.
Nothing new to report. Went to my other two classes last night. Much better than Tuesday's. I'm a bit worried about the creative reading and writing. I've never been that strong a writer, well, at least not in the sense that they want at uni - something existential or different. I'm more a ... well, maybe comedic writer? Like, my stuff just seems to end up a bit funny. Not good though. So we shall see how it ends up.
Then I had my Contexts of Learning tute. This tutor is SO much better than the woman on Tuesday. She speaks fast! She's self-deprecating! She doesn't take everything so seriously!! She gets what being a teacher is really like! I love her! She was talking about how she used to teach at a school in Mount Druitt and how most of the kids were third generation unemployed. She said that she scrapped the entire syllabus and taught the kids things that would give them the tools to break the cycle. She wasn't sure whether it worked, but if it had reached one child and make them realise that they didn't have to end up like their parents then she has done her job. She just seems so realistic and she really cares about teaching. She makes me want to be a teacher, and all this from one two-hour lesson! It almost makes it OK that her class finishes at 7pm. Almost.
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