Overview
In this unit you will extend your professional knowledge and skills through tutorials, workshops and a kindergarten placement comprising a 25-day placement. This includes 5 single day visits and a 20 day block placement. You will participate in tutorials to build both theoretical and practical knowledge of the strategies that teachers use to create learning environments underpinned by responsive relationships with children and that support wellbeing, belonging, and learning. Additionally, you will analyse the impact of different approaches to classroom management/guiding behaviour on student learning and apply your understanding of legislation and principles that inform how educators support children to manage their own behaviour and respond appropriately to the behaviour of others. You will apply knowledge gained from curriculum and early childhood units you have studied to plan, implement, respond to and evaluate learning experiences that incorporate the principles and pedagogies outlined in Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (DEEWR, 2009). Pedagogies that support children's engagement with, and learning in, literacy and numeracy will be implemented during the professional placement. Using ICTs with young children to improve learning are also employed in the placement. You will monitor your professional learning through critical reflection, and will select and evaluate evidence to add to your ePortfolio to demonstrate selected focus areas of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite:- Students must have successfully completed EDFE11038 (Professional Practice 1), EDCU12044 (Literacy and Numeracy for Teachers), EDEC11027 (Early Childhood Pedagogies) & EDEC11026 (The Arts and Learning in the Early Years) to be eligible for enrolment in this unit and placement in a setting for completion of the practical component.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2023
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a pass/fail (non-graded) unit. To pass the unit, you must pass all of the individual assessment tasks shown in the table above.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Personal feedback
Scaffold learning with contemporary examples
Continue to scaffold learning with contemporary examples
- Interpret observed behaviour to identify possible causes and apply responsive strategies that maintain classroom relationships and engaged learning
- Use system and/or kindergarten policies and knowledge of strategies for guiding behaviour and creating safe supportive learning environments to plan proactively for effective classroom management
- Select strategies that facilitate positive interactions, promote wellbeing, belonging and learning and facilitate the continuation of centre routines
- Plan and implement learning experiences that promote the engagement and participation of all learners and are responsive to their characteristics, stage of development and social, cultural and linguistic backgrounds
- Reflect on planning, teaching and assessment of student outcomes to improve teaching practice and promote learning and engagement
- Use the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to monitor professional learning and identify strategies for responding to feedback and self-evaluation to improve practice.
Successful completion of this unit provides opportunities for students to engage with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Career Stage) focus areas of:
1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
1.2 Understand how students learn
1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities
2.2 Content selection and organisation
2.3 Curriculum, assessment and reporting
2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies
2.6 Information and communication technology (ICT)
3.1 Establish challenging learning goals
3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs
3.3 Use teaching strategies
3.4 Select and use resources
3.5 Use effective classroom communication
3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching programs
4.1 Support student participation
4.2 Manage classroom activities
4.3 Manage challenging behaviour
4.4 Maintain student safety
4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically
5.1 Assess student learning
5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning
6.1 Identify and plan professional learning needs
6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice
6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice
6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning
7.1 Meet professional ethics and responsibilities
7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements
Evidence of meeting the standards will be at a level appropriate for students' current progress through the course of study. Assessment tasks for this unit may be included in a portfolio and used as evidence of progress towards demonstrating the standards at Graduate Level and the focus for identifying learning goals.
Additionally, students build understandings required by the registering body for early childhood (ACECQA - Australian Children's Education and Care Authority) including, for example, guiding behaviour and engaging young learners, curriculum approaches, teaching methods and strategies and catering to children with diverse needs, including CALD children. Content linked to Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (DEEWR, 2009) is examined also.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 0% | ||||||
| 2 - Professional Practice Placement - 0% | ||||||
| 3 - Portfolio - 0% | ||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
g.busch@cqu.edu.au
k.byrne2@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Expectations and professional conduct
Models of Discipline
Introduction to the Queensland
Kindergarten Learning Guideline and the Early Years Learning Framework
Revisiting Australian Professional
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
Chapter
Detailed resources will be provided on Moodle
Professional Practice Handbook
AITSL materials and website
Professional Practice 2 (Kindy)
Information and Guidelines
Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline and the Early Years Learning Framework
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Essential skills for classroom
management
Policy imperatives in compulsory and
non-compulsory settings in relation to guiding behaviour
Links to the National Quality
Standards
Pedagogy of play
Chapter
Essential skills for classroom
management
National Quality Standards
Teachers and academics researching together: Children’s views on play
Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines
Early Years Learning Framework
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
ABC model of behaviour analysis
Pedagogy of provocation
Routines and transitions - practices
and opportunities for learning
Chapter
Transitions, Moving In, Moving Up and Moving On
Highlights of Research Findings from Abecedarian Studies
Events and Submissions/Topic
Formative assessment
A copy of your completed placement compliance form to be uploaded into the Moodle link by Friday 28 July 2023. Failure to complete this SONIA form and upload a copy of it into Moodle will result in your removal from the unit (and placement).
Module/Topic
Features of positive learning
environments
The environment as the third teacher
Interactional and temporal
environments
Pedagogy of listening
Chapter
Characteristics of space
AITSL Standards:Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
If the environment is the third teacher, what language does she speak?
Making the environment the third teacher
Environments Reflect Values and Shape Identity
Educational and Caring Spaces
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Building children’s belonging and wellbeing
Circle of security and attachments
Building spaces intentionally –
creating an environmental plan
Identify aesthetics as important in the design of learning environments
Chapter
The Circle of Security (Dolby, 2007)
Curriculum Frameworks and AITSL links
Designs for Living and Learning
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Considering how to identify the impact of the learning
experiences on student
learning and achievement
(observation,
profiling/documenting
information collected about
children - their needs,
strengths, interests and goals)
Guiding behaviour in early childhood contexts
Chapter
Porter, L. (2016). Young Children's Behaviour
Code of Ethics
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Guiding behaviour in early childhood
contexts continued
Developing a behaviour plan for an
individual
Constructing learning stories
Chapter
Kindergarten Union: Guiding Children's Behaviour (2013).
National Quality Standards
Early Years Learning Framework
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Teaching strategies for explaining questioning and listening
Intentional teaching
Developing a vision of intent for
building relationships with young
children – developing our interactions
with children and supporting children
to engage in interactions
Constructing a lesson plan/learning experience for a group time
Chapter
Pelo, A. (2013). The Goodness of Rain
Connor, J (2010) . Intentional Teaching
Shearer, A. & Lenihan, S. (2011). Intentional teaching, child-centred curriculum and the EYLF.
Connor, J (2010) . Thinking about Intents Teaching
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Curriculum decision making
Long and shorter term planning
Identifying spaces/opportunities for intentional teaching
Further work on constructing a lesson plan/learning experience
Creating a supportive learning environment and guiding behaviour
Chapter
Jones, E. (2012). The emergence of emergent curriculum
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2017). Programming and Planning in Early Childhood Settings. Cengage AU.
Resources from the QCAA site on planning in kindergarten
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Curriculum decision making
Collecting information to make
informed judgements about children and their learning
Interpreting data collected to inform the placement on a continua of learning
Chapter
Resources from the QCAA site
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2017). Programming and Planning in Early Childhood Settings. Cengage AU.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Reflection as central to improving
teaching
Chapter
Chapter 13 ' Reflective Practice'
(pp.472 - 475) from Churchill et al.
(2013), Teaching: Making a Difference
Curtis, D. & Carter, M. (2008) Learning together with young children: A curriculum framework for reflective teachers
Events and Submissions/Topic
Formative assessment - Compulsory Online Quiz.
You will complete a 15 question quiz based on the content from the unit (weeks 1-10). To pass this task and proceed to the placement, 100% (that is 15 from 15) needs to be achieved.
You are able to take the quiz as many times as needed to achieve 100%. The achievement of 100% needs to be completed by 29 September. Failure to complete this quiz will result in the cancellation of your placement
Module/Topic
Professional Goal setting and ethical
behaviour with young children and
families
Revisiting the ECA Code of Ethics
Chapter
Professional Practice 2 (Kindy)
Information and Guidelines
AITSL
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
Part A
Creating a supportive learning environment and guiding behaviour
Create a plan for one whole session (part of a daily plan) that you might be required to manage and teach in your placement kindergarten classroom. The plan may be a morning, middle or afternoon session and should be written up on the daily planning format provided on the course Moodle site.
As a minimum, your plan must include transition to the activity and transition to a following activity. So, you could plan for the following:
Transitioning the children to a group time (eg: story time, music time) and then transitioning the children from the group time. You would also include your plan for the group time and for at least one other activity for which you are responsible.
It is suggested that you use the 4 columns on the template to record time frames, goals for each activity and for your focus child, a brief outline of the introduction, body and conclusion of activities and resources required. In the final column, record strategies and considerations for guiding behaviour and organising a positive classroom learning environment at each stage of the planned session.
Part B
Write a justification of a maximum of *500 words, that,
(a) explains how your selected strategies align with the centre/kindergarten policy, relevant National Quality Standards (NQS) and established classroom rules/practices in your kindergarten classroom; and
(b) justifies how your selected strategies will achieve each of the following outcomes:
· Create a positive and supportive learning environment that encourages participation of the children · Guide behaviour that may arise during the planned session
· Impacts on student learning and achievement of the learning goals for the planned lessons / activities that align with the Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) or the relevant state framework. In Queensland you may use the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline or C&K’s early childhood curriculum Listening and Learning Together: C&K Curriculum Approach.
* WORD COUNT for written assignments:
The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.Week 9 Friday (15 Sept 2023) 11:45 pm AEST
Feedback on this assessment task will be returned following moderation and in sufficient time to inform students for Assessment Tasks 2 and 3.
1. Knowledge and understanding of practical strategies for guiding the behaviour of young children
2. Application of centre based approaches and established classroom rules, practices and routines
3. Understanding of the teacher’s role in creating supportive and inclusive learning environments
4. Knowledge and understanding of the skills for guiding behaviour that apply to a kindergarten setting and their
impact on children's learning
5. Personal and academic literacy
- Interpret observed behaviour to identify possible causes and apply responsive strategies that maintain classroom relationships and engaged learning
- Use system and/or kindergarten policies and knowledge of strategies for guiding behaviour and creating safe supportive learning environments to plan proactively for effective classroom management
- Select strategies that facilitate positive interactions, promote wellbeing, belonging and learning and facilitate the continuation of centre routines
2 Professional Practice Placement
a) Formative assessment - Completion of placement compliance form. You will access and complete this form
through the SONIA placement system. Once you have agreed to each of the statements and submitted the form, it will
be available to download through SONIA. A copy of this completed form needs to be uploaded to the
assessment link in Moodle by July 28, 2023.
b) Formative assessment - Compulsory Online Quiz. You will complete a 15 question quiz based on the content from
the unit (weeks 1-10). To pass this task and proceed to placement, 100% (that is 15 out of 15) needs to be acieved. You
are able to take the quiz as many times as needed to achieve 100%. The achievement of 100% needs to be
completed by 29 September. Failure to complete the quiz will result in cancellation of your placement.
c) In addition to the 5 single day visits, you will undertake a 20 day supervised placement in a kindergarten setting as detailed below and complete all tasks outlined in the Information and Guidelines Booklet for Professional Practice 2: Kindergarten. These tasks include the development of a behaviour plan for a focus child and the enactment of pedagogies that support wellbeing and belonging of all children.
You will plan for small group sessions and build to taking responsibility for half days and at least one full day by the end of the four-week block. Application of your knowledge about the pervasive nature of literacy and numeracy within play and everyday experiences in the kindergarten will be documented. You will use ICTs to support children’s interests and learning and plan for, document and enact strategies that support play and are responsive to children’s emerging interests. Your professional behaviour will be guided by the Early Childhood Code of Ethics, requirements articulated in the NQS and in the Professional Practice Handbook.
The placement will be organised by the relevant University Professional Practice Coordinator on each campus and consists of:
- 5 single day visits
- 20 assessable days to be completed in a block
An up-to-date working portfolio must be maintained throughout the placement. Explicit guidance about the organisation of the portfolio is provided in the Information and Guidelines booklet. The working portfolio should include a copy of the behaviour plan; your vision of intent for how you plan to build relationships; the centre policy pertaining to behaviour and interactions; a copy of the daily routines and written observations of the routines. In addition, you will need to include records of all observations, planning, evaluation and reflection conducted throughout the placement.
Assessment for the day placement is as per Standards and Guide to Making Judgements on the Final Summative Report in the PP2 booklet.
On completion of four week block placement.
Feedback on this assessment task will be provided by the Mentor Teacher using the reporting documents in the Information and Reporting booklet.
Assessment criteria for this assessment task are outlined in detail in the Standards and Guide to Making Judgements on the Final Summative Report in the PP2 booklet. Assessment criteria are drawn from the Australian Professional
Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level).
No submission method provided.
- Interpret observed behaviour to identify possible causes and apply responsive strategies that maintain classroom relationships and engaged learning
- Use system and/or kindergarten policies and knowledge of strategies for guiding behaviour and creating safe supportive learning environments to plan proactively for effective classroom management
- Select strategies that facilitate positive interactions, promote wellbeing, belonging and learning and facilitate the continuation of centre routines
- Plan and implement learning experiences that promote the engagement and participation of all learners and are responsive to their characteristics, stage of development and social, cultural and linguistic backgrounds
- Reflect on planning, teaching and assessment of student outcomes to improve teaching practice and promote learning and engagement
- Use the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to monitor professional learning and identify strategies for responding to feedback and self-evaluation to improve practice.
3 Portfolio
Select a sequence of learning experiences/activities that you planned and implemented during your Professional Practice 2 placement for your portfolio. This could be developed from your observations of children’s play and interactions or teacher initiated. Your planned learning experiences/activities should align with the Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009) or the relevant state framework. Your planning must show links to the learning outcomes of the framework guiding your curriculum decision-making and show practices that align with the Early Years Learning Framework or framework guiding your curriculum decision-making. You need to include documentation from the selected learning experiences/activities to show “what children know, can do and understand” (DEEWR, 2009, p. 17).
Create your portfolio by selecting the following artefacts:
- A copy of the learning activities/experiences
- Documentation that you have collated – this might include photographs of children engaging in the activity/learning experience, conversation transcripts and copies of children’s work samples, anecdotes of observations
- Copies of classroom observations completed by your supervising teacher at least one of which should focus on an aspect of your teaching in at least one of your chosen activities.
- A copy of your vision of intent for building relationships with the children in the kindergarten and your behaviour plan for one child
- A copy of the environmental plan you developed for a space and your plan for a provocation space that considers beauty and aesthetics
Write an evaluation of your teaching practice based on the artefacts you have selected. You should make explicit links between the evidence of your practice as shown in your portfolio and your engagement with specific descriptors from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers outlined on the Final Summative Report for your Professional Practice placement. Your evaluation should be approximately 1000 words in length (no more than 1500) and should include reflection on the following questions:
- How did you sequence/organise learning experiences to scaffold the children’s learning?
- What pedagogical practices and resources did you use to enhance students’ learning and interests? How effective were your choices?
- What formative assessment strategies did you use to check on students’ learning progress? How effective were these strategies in providing information you could use to plan subsequent learning experiences and support the learning of the children in your kindergarten group
This assessment task is to be submitted no later than one week after the conclusion of your placement for Professional Practice 2. The portfolio should be created using a website of your choice, eg wiki, wix, weebly. You must ensure that you make your website private - however, you need to ensure that the lecturer/s have access if you have it password protected.
You should upload a word document to the link for Assessment Task 3 on Moodle with the username and password for your website for viewing and marking by your lecturer.
NOTE: This assessment task provides opportunities for reflection on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and teachers' responsibility for creating supportive learning environments. The task provides evidence for demonstrating aspects of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers focus areas 6.1 and 7.
The ePortfolio is due one week after the completion of the placement
Feedback on the final assessment task will be provided via the criteria sheet following moderation and certification of grades.
1. Justification for planning decisions and teaching strategies that align with the relevant learning framework
2. Evaluation of the appropriateness of formative assessment techniques for monitoring student learning
3. Knowledge and understanding of teaching and classroom management strategies/guiding behaviour for creating positive and supportive learning environments
4. Understanding of the need to respond to the learning needs of diverse student groups
5. Reflection on feedback to identify teaching strengths and set professional learning goals
- Reflect on planning, teaching and assessment of student outcomes to improve teaching practice and promote learning and engagement
- Use the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to monitor professional learning and identify strategies for responding to feedback and self-evaluation to improve practice.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
