Units

---

Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Designated Unit.
This unit focuses on your professional development as an educator, and reinforces the themes of teacher as researcher, and teacher as reflective practitioner. In these units you will develop the ability to observe young children, record and interpret their play and learning, and plan appropriate and effective follow-up learning episodes with young children. You will develop the ability to design, implement, document, and evaluate effective early childhood programs for children in the years prior to formal schooling. This requires an understanding of learners, their development, early childhood curriculum and pedagogy, and socio-cultural contexts. You will have opportunities to refine an increasing number of techniques for teaching young children and working collaboratively with children, families and others, and will begin to formulate a personal approach to teaching. This unit includes a twenty (20) day field experience in a prior-to-formal school setting catering for children aged 3-5 years.

Designated Unit
This is a designated unit. Designated units are field experience units deemed to be critical to progress in your course. At the end of each semester, if you fail to achieve a satisfactory level of performance in a designated unit you may be eligible for a period of probation or exclusion.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to develop an understanding of the links between research, theory, and practice in early childhood education, and the capacity to work collaboratively with others. You will engage in reading, thinking, critical reflection, and field experiences which are structured to maximise opportunities for learning.

Objectives

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

1. Develop techniques for monitoring and assessing children's learning through meaningful and purposeful observation and documentation [QCT Standard 5]
2. Demonstrate skills for planning, implementing, documenting and evaluating learning experiences that value diversity of individuals and groups [QCT Standard 1; QCT Standard 4]
3. Design and effectively create learning environments and experiences that promote inquiry-based learning and negotiated curriculum [QCT Standards 3 & 7]
4. Develop productive and collaborative relationships with children, their parents, university peers and other professional personnel and members of the community [QCT Standards 8 & 9]
5. Demonstrate acceptable standards of communication, academic literacies and professional responsibility and provide evidence of attaining acceptable standards of academic, professional and personal spoken and written English language literacies relating to this unit. [QCT Standards 2, 9 & 10]

Content

You will develop knowledge and understanding of the roles, responsibilities and relationships involved in working as an early childhood educator. You will begin to develop important knowledge, skills and abilities required to support young children's learning as individuals and in groups. This will incorporate traditional and contemporary forms of monitoring and assessing children's play and learning, planning, designing, implementing, documenting, and evaluating effective early childhood programs. This module teaches and promotes collaborative practice as exemplified in the many partnerships that comprise the field studies placement. You will undertake a four-week field study experience. You will gradually develop more skilful ways of communicating with and interacting appropriately and effectively with children, their parents, university peers, host teachers, university personnel, and other professionals.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Content presented in the lectures, tutorials, and on-line unit materials is integrated and focused on preparing you for your field studies placement. Your learning is also facilitated with online resources including readings, notices, and discussion forum. Consultation times are scheduled for internal and external students. Your learning will be enhanced by weekly reading as specified in the unit material. You will spend twenty (20) days in a kindergarten setting catering for children aged 3-5 years. The placement is organised by the University and may be undertaken in pairs (usually two students working collaboratively with one host teacher) wherever possible.

Assessment

Assessment in this unit is both formative and summative and will be viewed in terms of the principle of 'assessment as learning'. Formative assessment is provided through verbal feedback related to tutorial tasks and/or email and online discussions. Formative assessment is also provided during the field studies placement by supervising teachers, school/centre administrators and University liaison academics. There are two summative assessment tasks.

Assessment name: Portfolio
Description: A collection of selected documents from field experience folder which are presented and discussed.
Word length: 1500 words or equivalent.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3 4, & 5
Weight: 100%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End-Field Exp

Assessment name: Demonstration
Description: 20 days of supervised field experiences in an educational setting.
Field experience is graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. You are required to meet all outcomes of the field experience satisfactorily, in order to gain an overall passing grade for this unit.
Due: Final day of field experience placement.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3 4, & 5
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End-Semester

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Texts
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2008). Programming and planning in early childhood settings. Sydney, Australia:Thomson.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risk associated with the general conduct of this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in relation to computer use will apply.

The Commission for Children and Young People Act 2000 (Qld) requires that all students undertaking a field experience as part of this unit will need a valid suitability card or Blue Card which has been registered with QUT before they can commence their placement.

Please refer to http://www.studentservices.qut.edu.au/enrol/course/spec_req/bluecard.jsp for full details and appropriate forms.

Under 18 Years of Age:
You will not be permitted to undertake the first field studies unit in your course if you are under 18 years of age. This may alter your progression in the course and extend the duration.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 04-Sep-2012