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Location Domestic International
Online
Session2
N/A

Unit Summary

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

7

Level of learning

Introductory

Former School/College

Former School of Education

Pre-requisites

TCH10515 - Play and Pedagogies in the Early Years

Unit aim

Provides students with an understanding of the key aspects of an early childhood educator's practice. Involves observation and documentation of children's learning, an understanding of the importance of building and maintaining relationships with children, parents and the community. The importance of flexible learning environments for children's learning and development is considered.

Unit content

  1. Contexts of and influences on early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Australia:
    • Histories; influences: internationally, nationally, regionally; funding; management; quality ECEC; staffing; regulatory frameworks; philosophy of centres; policies and procedures
  2. The importance of relationships with children, families, colleagues and the community:
    • Attachment, personal philosophy, the setting
    • Building the relationships respecting diverse histories and backgrounds including an Indigenous perspective on kinship; Inclusive practices that build relationships with families, honouring and celebrating diversity
  3. Observation and documentation of children's learning:
    • Strategies and techniques: Why document? What to document? How to document?
    • Alignment with personal philosophy to learning and teaching in early childhood
    • The teacher as researcher
  4. Constructing flexible ECEC learning environments:
    • The importance of the physical and human environment to support learning and development
    • The relationship between the physical and human environment on children's learning and development - indoor outdoor, routines, transitions, aesthetics, the use of time, space grouping
    • The importance of early childhood environmental education
  5. Bringing it all together:
    • Personal learning - continual refinement of a personal philosophy/approach in ECEC

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

GA1: , GA2: , GA3: , GA4: , GA5: , GA6: , GA7:
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 discuss the historical and current context of ECEC in Australia
2 describe and apply the key principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009)
3 analyse the importance of relationships to the learning and development of children according to the Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009) and the National Quality Standard (ACECQA, 2018)
4 discuss how to build and foster relationships with children, families, staff and the community respecting the diversities of their histories and background
5 describe, evaluate and discuss assessment of children’s learning regarding observation and documentation
6 understand the significance of the sustainable learning environments both indoors and outdoors
7 critically reflect on one's personal approach/philosophy to learning and teaching

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. discuss the historical and current context of ECEC in Australia
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
  2. describe and apply the key principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009)
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
  3. analyse the importance of relationships to the learning and development of children according to the Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009) and the National Quality Standard (ACECQA, 2018)
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
  4. discuss how to build and foster relationships with children, families, staff and the community respecting the diversities of their histories and background
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
  5. describe, evaluate and discuss assessment of children’s learning regarding observation and documentation
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
  6. understand the significance of the sustainable learning environments both indoors and outdoors
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
  7. critically reflect on one's personal approach/philosophy to learning and teaching
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA4:

Prescribed texts

  • Arthur, L, Beecher, B, Death, E, Dockett, S & Farmer, S, 2017, Programming and planning in early childhood settings, 7th edn, Cengage, Melbourne. ISBN: 9780170386326.
Prescribed texts may change in future teaching periods.