Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (International)

Transcription

1 Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (International) Child Development I Module Title Synopsis Analysis of selected theories of child development relevant to the birth to twelve years of age focusing on the holistic nature of development from conception to birth and the critical nature of early and later development. Domains of development - physical, psychosocial, and cognitive will be examined and how development may be fostered in home and care contexts. Students will critique Piaget s theory of sensory motor development analysing what is currently applicable to the birth three age group. In addition, the work of the Neo-Piagetian will be examined to determine how it has extended the work of Piaget. Students will develop understanding of attachment theory by critiquing the work of Bowlby and Ainsworth. Tools for assessment will be investigated, including observation techniques and appropriate documentation. Brain growth and function will be analysed with reference to influences on development including, nature-nurture debates, attachment theory, temperament and psycho-social well-being in infants, toddlers and children. Curriculum I: Curriculum; Theory; Development and Evaluation An understanding of early curriculum theory and its implementation is essential for the early childhood professional. The emergence of Belonging, Being & Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework of Australia has given a new stimulus for examining early childhood curriculum. There are many different organizational and cultural contexts of early childhood and these differ also according to the age range of service provision. Current models of curriculum existing in early childhood education and care settings in Australia and international contexts will be reviewed critically. Students need to understand and apply the principles of curriculum development. As a reflective and critical practitioner they need to be able to make provision for the children in many diverse cultures of multicultural Australia and international contexts. In addition, there are many contemporary curriculum issues that are important considerations for curriculum design, including attachment theory, the primary caregiver concept and circle of security, continuity in curriculum design, early childhood pedagogies, and assessing developmental learning outcomes, supporting the culture of the home and establishing supportive, respectful and responsive relationships in work with children, families and communities.

2 Creative Arts I: Visual Art and Media Arts Through the use of computer based online e-learning study materials, scenario based activities and practical workshops, unit content is organised around key creative arts education theoretical frameworks that include ways of knowing, exploring, imagining, and experimenting, developing divergent thinking processes to enable children to express ideas about themselves and their worlds, engaging children's sensory and aesthetic perception through arts related auditory, visual, tactile and kinaesthetic experiences, and exploring the concept of multiple intelligences through visual-spatial imagery and kinaesthetic / body activities. Students will critically appraise current trends in arts education research and practice as well as teacher reference and curriculum documents relevant to creative arts teaching with young children. Participation in practical workshop activities will enable students to engage with their own art practice and aesthetic responding to enhance their understanding of creative and cognitive processes and to apply this knowledge in planning teaching and learning programs that support young children's developing artistry. Students will also explore two and three dimensional media and techniques appropriate for young children as they develop their own artistic knowledge and skills. Science I: Science and Environmental Awareness for Young Children The content is organised around key science concepts cognitively appropriate for babies, toddlers and preschool children. A range of issues are addressed: - Science understandings relevant to the early childhood settings; - the nature of science and its relationship to society and the environment; - the nature of learning in science and the environment; - teaching approaches and strategies for linking science with the other curriculum areas; - assessing children's understandings; - contemporary issues in curriculum provision and the teaching of science and the environment through play. Aspects of science that are relevant to early childhood and primary educators are presented - for example, investigation of living things, materials, properties of water, air, electricity and magnetism, light, sound. Environmental concepts are integrated throughout the program. This unit will identify teaching approaches and strategies for supporting learning in early childhood settings. It will demonstrate, through practical activities applied through play, how young children develop their scientific and environmental understandings.

3 Curriculum II: Planning and Assessment for Teaching and Learning Children s Health, Wellbeing and Physical Education This unit provides a context for the student to explore the relationship between documentation, planning and assessment for learning with children aged 3-8 years. It builds on the students existing experience and knowledge of young children to support the development of responsive and respectful pedagogies that respect the child as an individual and support children as confident and involved learners. The unit will critique contemporary theoretical perspectives and curriculum approaches influencing early childhood pedagogy and practice both in Australia and selected international contexts, with a focus on child-centred practice as a context for learning. Students will continue to construct understandings about developing effective relationships and successful teaching interactions with children. They will also continue to develop teaching practices that promote children s inquiry, thinking and problem-solving skills to become confident and competent learners within their own cultural contexts, and develop their capacity to design and assess dynamic and challenging learning environments for both individual and groups to achieve optimum learning outcomes. The unit provides an overview of the theories of development in early childhood (birth to 8 years), with an emphasis on physical activity, physical development and the significant influences on development, health and wellbeing at this stage of the life span. The unit also discusses all the practical measure that early childhood and primary schools need to take in ensuring children s health and wellbeing in various contexts. Language and Literacy Development in Early Childhood This unit provides students with an in depth understanding of how language and emergent literacy develop in infants and young children including bilingualism issues. Students investigate theories and approaches to supporting early language and literacy development in children from birth to 8 years and consider their implications for practice. They also learn to assess, monitor and plan for children s language and literacy development. Topics covered include definitions of language and literacy, the components of spoken language, language development, bilingualism issues, the role of adult-child interaction in children s language learning, the importance of home literacy practices, accessing quality children s literature and digital texts, storytelling, concepts about print, knowledge of the alphabet, phonemic and phonological awareness and mastering control of writing implements. Students become familiar with how to plan engaging learning experiences and environments as a means of nurturing children s development in these areas with the ultimate goal being that children will become effective communicators.

4 Creative Arts II: Music, Dance and Drama This unit aims to broaden and deepen the student's knowledge of the theoretical and practical aspects of the role that music, dance and drama play in children s development and learning. Students will explore and reflect upon the creative use of singing, dancing, playing, creating and moving, and develop repertoire appropriate for use in the classroom. Students will examine and analyse aspects of what becoming arts literate means and the role that these art forms have in the Indigenous Australian and multicultural Australia and international contexts. Students will engage in activities and experiences that encourage and nurture them, so that they can in turn, nurture the musical, kinaesthetic and dramatic understandings and expressions in others. Ecological Perspectives for Learning and Teaching in Early Childhood By critical inquiry into contemporary theory, policy and practices, this unit investigates the development of young children's social and cultural understandings. Pedagogical approaches which position young children as active and inquiring local and global citizens, will frame this unit. Topics include diverse socio-cultural identities; sustainable relationships (individuals, families, community and the environment); changing communication and representations due to technology and globalisation. Child Development II Multiliterate Learners in Early Years and School Environments This unit will investigate the similarities and differences in childhood development. It will focus on individuals with physical, cognitive, or emotional differences and abilities. It will examine differences created by social structures such as family, class, gender, and culture. The unit will also examine learning theories and their application to teaching context birth 12 years. Approaches to catering for children with different developmental needs will be provided for critical reflection and discussion. Major theoretical perspectives and current debates related to development will be examined. This unit is designed to prepare teachers of literacy and English in the information age. Students will examine the development of listening, speaking, reading and writing/creating print, digital and multimodal texts in the early and later years of schooling. Students will research the needs of diverse young literacy learners and contemporary literacy and English teaching practice and will engage with a variety of pedagogical and assessment approaches, and explore a range of literacies encountered by young learners including visual and digital literacies. Reflection on personal learning and performance is a core aspect of the unit.

5 Science II: Science and Design Technology This unit provides students with key pedagogical and theoretical knowledge related to the teaching of science to children in primary school settings. Students will critically engage with relevant curriculum documents and develop teaching strategies appropriate to the teaching of science. Professional Experience (3 6 years) Transition Case Study Effective Primary Mathematics Learning This unit will provide students with opportunities to teach and observe interactions between teachers and children from three to six years of age. Students will engage with children and teachers and will be able to critically analyse and reflect on the components of quality environments and curriculum. Students will be able to make critical connections between theory and practice, and incorporate their understandings about the local/national curriculum and the teachers standards in the context of their own competencies. This unit explores research-based and experience-based issues of transition in early childhood education. Reading, discussions, and different sources of data will be used to identify key elements for individual case studies. Ethical considerations and methods of data collection are also undertaken. Students will contribute to a bibliography and present a case study proposal. Topics to be addressed in this unit include: 1) children s construction of mathematical concepts in the social environment of the home, classroom and wider community; 2) the role of play in mathematical development; 3) the development of children s early mathematical concepts; 4) the four operations for whole numbers; 5) fundamental concepts of vulgar fractions; 6) the development of concepts for the measurement of length, area, mass, time, and volume/capacity; 7) choosing and using effective resources for learning primary mathematics; 8) the use of calculators in primary mathematics; 9) involving parents in children s learning of mathematics; 10) appropriate ways of incorporating the use of a range of learning technologies in the teaching of primary mathematics; 11) assessing and reporting children s mathematical development; and 12) state, national and international policies, programmes, and resources for developing and assessing children s mathematical development.

6 Advance Management of Children s Behaviour This unit aims to introduce developmentally responsive approaches to the promotion of prosocial behaviours in early childhood settings. Students are encouraged to explore children's behaviour as communication and to develop strategies and environments which support children's emerging capacities for self-regulation. Topics include: the major dimensions of social-emotional development, for example, temperament, attachment, self -concept, empathy, relationships with parents, peers and teachers, and the need to actively teach social skills (e.g., turn taking and sharing). Challenging behaviours are explored through the formulation of individualised behaviour management plans based on observation, analysis and interpretation and the use of positive strategies and educational planning in a manner which fosters children's ability to self-regulate in early childhood and school settings. Effective Partnerships for Learning This unit will develop students understandings of the effect on children s learning of developing effective partnerships with families, children and other professionals in early childhood education settings and schools. It will examine partnership from theoretical perspectives and investigate partnerships that are created and the components that are integral in shaping effective collaboration. Models of partnership will be deconstructed and critically analysed to develop students understandings of the role of the teacher in leading collaborative relationships. The students will develop their own understandings of the communication, cultural competencies and leadership skills they can apply to form partnerships. This will incorporate critical self-reflection to explore their own values and beliefs about teaching and learning. Professional Experience (6 8 Years) This unit will provide students with opportunities to teach and observe interactions between teachers and children from six to eight years of age. Students will engage with children and teachers and will be able to critically analyse and reflect on the components of quality environments and curriculum. Students will be able to make critical connections between theory and practice, and incorporate their understandings about the local/national curriculum and the teachers standards in the context of their own competencies.

7 This unit involves students undertaking an individual project in an area relevant to their course and profession. The study is available only to students who have already demonstrated their academic competence in one or more units offered by the Faculty. The specific topic must be negotiated with staff member appointed to supervise the project. Independent Project Critical Issues in Safety and Child Protection The project involves posing important question(s), investigating these by conducting a review of relevant literature in the field, answering the research question(s), and then reporting and sharing the findings. It is expected that students will further develop their independent research skills whilst gaining a deeper understanding of recent research, literature and resources in their chosen area with consideration of their application to practice. In this unit, students will be introduced to relevant legislation, policies and practices essential to securing children's safety, with children's rights and professional ethics forming a conceptual framework in Australia and internationally. Child maltreatment and child protection will provide a major focus together with appropriate responses via policies, ethical practices, statutory requirements and preventive curriculum work. Attendant professional roles and obligations will be considered. Key topics include: Children's rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; Code of Ethics/professional implications; Child maltreatment and its impact on child development, e.g. trauma and learning; Professional and legal responsibilities for notification and support; Types of child maltreatment, their dynamics, and availability of community resources; Indicators of the various types of child abuse; Supportive handling of disclosures of abuse, responding appropriately child abuse prevention; and Policy, protocols and personal safety teaching. Professional Experience (0 to 3 Years) This unit will provide students with opportunities to engage with the education and care of children from birth to two years of age. Students will engage with infants and very young children, teachers and families and will be able to critically analyse and reflect on the components of quality environments and programmes for infants and very young children. Students will be able to make critical connections between theory and practice, and incorporate their understandings about the local/national/international legislative and regulatory requirements, including the accreditation requirements, and curriculum documents in the context of teaching, learning and care for children from birth to three years of age.

8 Management and Leadership This unit will give students industry experience related to the early childhood profession. Students will find appropriate placements in settings where they can learn more about and/or practice of professional advocacy, leadership and management. These include local, state, regional, and cluster offices; professional associations; union offices, child care or kindergarten management committees or parent and community organisations; local and regional press offices; vocational training institute and other registered training providers; health and social advocacy agencies; professional networks; parent associations; and migrant services. Placements need to be approved as able to provide work experience that will help broaden students' knowledge and experience of leadership and management.