International Student Teaching Opportunities: Australia
Student teaching in Australia is currently suspended. Contact Dr. Zbikowski if you have questions.
Location:
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Program Information:
Preparing for Placement
Travel Dates
Cost Estimates
Program Faculty Advisor:
Dr. John Zbikowski
Department of Curriculum & Instruction
WH 3037
Tel. 262-472-4860
Email: zbikowsj@uww.edu
Program Duration:
4 weeks during the Fall or Spring semester.
Program Requirements and Application Procedures:
- Obtain a Student Teaching abroad Permission Form from Winther Hall, Room 2036. Follow the instructions exactly as noted on the Form!
- Schedule an appointment with a program Faculty Advisor.
- Schedule an appointment with Dan Colleran, Travel Study Coordinator, Center for Global Education, (262) 472-5757, collerad@uww.edu
- A Criminal Background Check is required for participation in the program.
- Program participants must enroll in both UW-W CIGENRL 470 Student Teaching Seminar and Monash University 3713 Professional Experience Program.
- Schedule a pre-departure orientation meeting with the UW-W Center for Global Education by calling Ext. 5759.
Planning a UW-Whitewater Student Teaching Placement in Australia.
Housing:
Students must make housing arrangements in Australia before accepting a student teaching placement in an Australian school. Housing arrangements at Monash University are facilitated via the Center for Global Education. While at Monash University, the default housing option is Mannix Residential College, which serves the Clayton campus of Monash University. Mannix houses graduate students and visiting faculty in furnished apartments for one or two persons. The current housing rate, which includes three meals per day, including an optional box lunch to take to school, is AUS$84 (US$55) per day, per person for single occupancy. The amount is a bit less if two students share an apartment, and less if students stay two weeks or more. A description of Mannix Residential College can be found at http://www.mannix.monash.edu.au.
Payments:
UW-W student teachers are billed for mandatory UW System health insurance and UW System Contingency Fee, and the Monash Program Fee directly via their student account. Students pay separately for housing/meal plan. Obtaining a U.S. passport, an Australian visa, and the optional International Student ID card are the responsibility of the student teacher. The Center for Global Education can assist student teachers with many of these items.
Travel to Australia:
We suggest that students travel together both for companionship and for cost savings. Students will have a chance to meet and discuss travel plans at UW-Whitewater. The schedule provides a few days to explore the country and become acclimated before starting the student teaching placement, and students traveling in groups have found reasonably priced accommodations in Sydney and other locations. Airlines typically allow one stopover in a round-trip to Australia, which is about 17-hour flight from the west cost of the U.S. Students have had success with several local travel agencies in arranging reasonably priced airfares. (They have also discovered that online ticket agencies may have lower prices, but only for restricted tickets, and that the personal service of a traditional travel agent has been helpful especially for those new to international travel).
Supervision:
Faculty provision is provided by Monash university through an arrangement with UW-Whitewater. The UW-Whitewater Curriculum and Instruction Department has a longstanding relationship with the Monash Faculty of Education that has included faculty exchanges since 1992 and supervision of student teachers since 1998.
Cultural Background:
A list of websites, including links to information about books, films, and other websites about Australia, is available at http://facstaff.uww.edu/zbikowsj/AusDT.htm
Recommended Steps for Prospective Program Participants:
First Step: Obtain a Student Teaching Abroad Permission Form from Winther Hall, Room 2036 and obtain permission signatures as noted on the Form.
Second Step: Schedule a Study Abroad advising appointment with Dan Colleran, Travel Study Coordinator, Center for Global Education, (262) 472-5757, collerad@uww.edu.
Third Step: Apply for a U.S. Passport.
Fourth Step: Via the UW-Whitewater Center for Global Education, apply for the International Student Teacher Program* and secure housing reservation at Monash University. The program application form is updated annually and provided by email to students approved for student teaching in Australia; a sample form from a previous year is available at: http://facstaff/uww.edu/zbikowsj/AusDT.htm. Send the completed form to the Center for Global Education.
Fifth Step: Request a Criminal Background Check from the Office of Field Experience, Winther Hall, Room 3038. Please Note: Please request a hardcopy (paper document) that can be forwarded to Monash University and the Australian schools.
Sixth Step: Purchase airline ticket.
Seventh Step: Once a Passport has been obtained, apply for an Australian Visa.
Eighth Step: Prepare your resume and letter of introduction according to instructions provided by the Office of Field Experiences. You will use this as your introduction to your cooperating teacher and principal in Australia once your placement has been confirmed.
* this includes placement at an Australian school, supervisory visits, orientation to the schools, and seminar meetings, as well as access to the Monash University library, email, etc.
For more information about the application process, please contact:
Cheryl Wegner
WH 2036
Tel. 262-472-1935
Program Application Deadlines:
The deadlines for students to notify Cheryl Wegner that they plan to student teach abroad are:
- February 15th (those who are planning to student teach the following fall)
- September 15th (those who are planning to student teach the following spring)
The deadlines for students to turn in the Permission to Student Teach Abroad form to Cheryl Wegner are:
- March 1st (those who are planning to student teach the following fall semester)
- October 1st (those who are planning to student teach the following spring semester)
Student Teaching Assignment & Placement:
Student teacher placement typically occurs at the same grade level/subject area as the Wisconsin assignment. Placements are available at the elementary and early childhood levels; placements at the early adolescence/adolescence levels are somewhat more readily available at the junior secondary (middle school) level than at the high school level, especially in the fall semester. Placements can be arranged in K-12 subjects such as art, music, and physical education. Contact a Program Faculty Advisor for more information about the placement process.
Please note: Special Education majors are not eligible to participate in the Australia student teaching program.
Student Teacher Supervision:
A Monash University faculty member arranges classroom placements and meets with student teachers weekly for a seminar discussion. Monash faculty members or adjunct staff will visit and observe student teachers at the Australian schools.
Program Course Registration and Enrollment:
- UW-W College of Education: CIGENRL 470 Student Teaching Seminar
Program Participants will study Australian education as well as gain knowledge and insight related to Australian culture and history. The seminar will meet approximately once per month, including a preliminary meeting and a follow-up session after the abroad portion of the student teaching experience has concluded.
Student teachers will complete at least one curricular project linking their Australian students with their students in Wisconsin to promote cultural awareness. Examples from past participants include: email exchanges, a friendship quilt, scrapbooks, and a – traveling bear – journal.
- Monash University: 3713 Professional Experience Program
Participant Registration and enrollment in the Monash University course is facilitated by the UW-W Center for Global Education.
Criminal Background Checks:
Program participants are required to complete a Criminal Background Check as part of the program application process. Participants must present the original Criminal Background Report to Monash university officials upon arrival in Australia; a copy of the Criminal Background Report will be sent to Monash University as part of the course Registration and Enrollment process.
Passport and Visas:
A valid U.S. passport and an Australian visa are required in order to participate in this student teaching program. Contact the Center for Global Eduction at Tel. 262-472-5759 for information about the Australian student visa process.
U.S. Passport Application Information: http://www.uww.edu/international/getting-started/passport-information
Housing/Lodging:
The Center for Global Education will assist program participants with housing arrangements at Monash University.
Estimated Program Cost:
The total cost for Program participants is estimated to be $5,000 in addition to regular UW-Whitewater fees. This estimated cost includes tuition at Monash University, roundtrip airfare from Chicago, housing/lodging while in Australia, 2 meals per day, phone charges, local transportation, internet access, and one week of travel after the student teaching experience has concluded. Spending on optional travel and other optional personal expenses (clothing, eating out, etc.) can vary greatly, and can add several hundred dollars to this estimate. Students are advised to budget carefully for such optional expenses.
Participants in the Australian Student Teaching program are financial-aid eligible. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information. Tel. 262-472-1130
Study Abroad Scholarship & Wisconsin State Grand for Study Abroad Information:
For information about study abroad scholarship and the Wisconsin State Grant for Study Abroad and for deadlines and applications process, please use the link below:
http://www.uww.edu/international/getting-started/funding/financial-aid-and-grants
