Mrs Joanna ( Jo ) Brown

Biography

Joanna’s discipline and research expertise is in global education, pedagogy, curriculum, K-6 English & mathematics and university-school connections. For 16 years she has taught in the School of Education in educational foundations, professional ethics/practice, sociology of education, curriculum/pedagogy, research methodology, professional-experience and K-6 mathematics/English. She has supervised and assessed numerous fourth year research projects and masters theses from other universities. An academic background in primary teaching, bachelor & masters degrees and PHD candidature have influenced her strong commitment to ongoing development of innovative, quality teaching and situated learning practice validated by a series of peer-reviewed papers (4 Journal 10 conference).

Qualifications

• Master of Educational Studies, University of South Australia
• Bachelor of Education (Literature), Deakin University
• Diploma of Teaching, Newcastle College of Advanced Education

Research

Research keywords

• Global Education
• University-school partnerships

Research expertise

• Currently a PHD candidate researching University-school partnerships. This study in its entirety is aimed at contributing to a better conceptualization and operationalisation of the concept of university-school partnerships. In addition such connections are recognised as providing forums for active engagement as members of a 'professional community'. If attributes of professional community membership are evident in the participants in university school partneships, this not only contributes to the professional community literature but also to new ways of thinking about effective university-school partnerships. This study will provide evidence of the role university-school partnerships can play in preparing pre-service teachers for teaching, and practising teachers for maintaining, alignment with the NSW Institute of Teachers Professional Teaching Standards.

• Invited to referee conference proceedings for AARE, ATEA and SEAA
• Invited to review a book for the Educational Research Journal http://www.iier.org.au/iier.html .
• Invited participant in ACARA National Curriculum Advisory Panel.
• Twice invited to sit on the NSW Institute of Teachers External Review of University Teacher Education Programs.
• Priority Action Program academic partner for a number of years.
• Australian Government Quality Teaching Program academic partner for a number of years

Collaboration

University-school partnerships (USP) is my PHD topic which has arisen from my interest and background as a practitioner/researcher. There is no scarcity of data or research effort on USPs, with the majority of studies indicating the value of USPs to stakeholders, (pre-service students, teachers, schools, academics and systems operating within the profession). There is a tendency for the education profession to sustain the conversations surrounding USPs many of which are concerned with the same issues being studied, analysed and discussed over time since Dewey in 1904. This continued interest is coupled with, at times an urgent call for increased connections to be made between the university system and schools. The foci of my research is three-fold. Firstly I explore the terminology used by researchers when describing USPs and argue that use of the word partnership is not the most appropriate choice, secondly I look at USPs from an historical perspective and thirdly I move forward to more recent developments in USPs based upon research gathered in the field from the various stakeholders arguing that closer attention to the endurance and sustainability of USPs and how this is articulated is required coupled with garnering the stakeholder perception on their experiences with USPs.

A more recent research focus is that of Global Education as applied in both university and school contexts which contributes to and benefits from my work on USPs.

Fields of Research

Memberships

Body relevant to professional practice.

• Member - SEAA
• Member - MANSW
• Member - PETA

Invitations

Administrative

Administrative expertise

My role at the University of Newcastle has involved a variety of administrative roles:

• Primary Program Convenor from 2006 ongoing ( 1000 +/- students)
• Relieving Primary Program Convenor in 2003- 600+ students)
• Links Co-ordinator 2003-2009 ( 1000 + students and 360+ schools)
• Course Co-ordinator ongoing for numerous courses
• Chair of the Grants sub-committee for the Ourimbah Campus Festival of Literature
• Member of Ourimbah Campus Festival of Literature organising committee
• Member of the conference organising committee for Teacher Educators Annual Conference
• 2009 Team Leader for the writing of and amalgamation of BT/BA Primary programs on the Callaghan and Ourimbah Campuses and the NSW Institute of Teachers accreditation process
• 2008-10 ongoing member of the Professional Experience Program team charged with researching current Professional Experience at the University,School of Education with the aim of planning future directions
• 2007, 2009 invited by NSW Institute of Teachers as panel member for NSW Universites Teacher Eduction programs accreditation process
• 2009 nominated by Professor Steven Crump, PVC and accepted on the Central Coast Campus Fund Raising Committee
• 2010 nominated and selected as a member of the National Curriculum Advisory Panel
• 2012 nominated by Professor Steven Crump, PVC and accepted to represent him and the Ourimbah Campus onthe Teaching and Learning Advisory Group

Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Curriculum & Pedagogy
• Global Education
• K-6 English
• K-6 Mathematics
• Numeracy
• Primary Teacher Education

Teaching expertise

• Vast primary teaching experience, K-6, commenced in 1979, for NSW Department of School Education. In 1996 commenced casual lecturing & tutoring at University of Newcaste coupled with permanent part-time teaching in a school. Completed Masters of Educational Studies and currently a PHD candidate.
• Appointed via interview to fractional permanent-part-time Level A position in 1998 at the University of Newcastle while continuing to work part-time in the DETschool sector .
• Appointed via interview to full time Level B position in 2003, Links Co-ordinator and BT(Primary)/BA Program Convenor-Ourimbah Campus.
• As a tertiary educator of pre-service teachers, I continue connect in various ways to primary and middle schools in order to remain relevant and up to date on the practical and theoretical aspects of teaching. These ongoing connections allow the genuine merging of theory with practice and ensure that I maintain credibility with my pre-service teacher education students.