EDUC9304 Professional Experience: Final Assessment (Early Childhood)

2020

4.5

6 x 1-hour lectures per semester
40 x 8-hour field placements per semester
7 x 1-hour on-line exercises per semester

1 Admission into MTEC-Master of Teaching (Early Childhood)
1a Admission into MTB-Master of Teaching (Birth to 5)
2 3 of EDUC9231, EDUC9223, EDUC9137, EDUC9138, EDUC9104
3 36 units of topics
Must Satisfy: ((1 or 1a) and 2 and 3)

Placement

Professional Experience: Final Assessment (Early Childhood) occurs in the final year of the Masters of Teaching (Early Childhood) program. Five preliminary day visits are followed by 6 consecutive week-block (total 35 days), spent in a metropolitan or country early childhood setting. Emphasis is placed on the planning, implementation and evaluation of teaching programs. Close links are established between curriculum studies at Flinders and centre/school curricula, with students designing, evaluating, implementing, analysing and theorising about their placement site’s curriculum inquiry focus in light of contemporary Australian and international Early Childhood research and practice. At the conclusion of this teaching experience, judgements are made about the pre-service teacher’s readiness to be registered to teach in the early childhood teaching profession.

This professional learning experience provides students with an opportunity to:

• make a meaningful contribution to children's learning and the setting's curriculum goals and priorities that draws from contemporary Australian and international research and practice

• deepen their understandings of how children learn and develop through a process of praxis, in which they research, inquire, test and use the theoretical knowledge that they have acquired and are acquiring

• use a variety of observation techniques to gain insight into the types of experiences, activities and ideas that engage young children

• document children's involvement and engagement in the curriculum and assess their learning over an extended period of time

• recognise the importance of families in children's lives and learning and begin to explore ways to connect with family members

• work as a constructive, collaborative team member

• document and organise evidence of their developing professional knowledge, professional practice and professional relationships

As a result of this professional learning experience and the plan and execution of a substantial curriculum inquiry that effectively contributes to young children’s learning over time, it is anticipated that students will:

• be competent observers of children's learning and development

• be able to plan, implement and evaluate experiences/activities that are responsive to the observed needs and interests of young children

• take an increasing degree of responsibility for planning, implementing and evaluating a curriculum that engages individual children and groups of children in deep and meaningful learning

• demonstrate awareness of the factors that lead to high levels of involvement and engagement in curriculum experience/activities

• make teaching decisions and adopt teaching approaches that are theoretically informed

• document and assess children's learning in ways that capture complexity and competence

• investigate ways of communicating effectively with families about children's learning

• reflect on the impact and effectiveness of their approach to teaching on children's learning

• collaborate respectfully, honestly and openly with children, families and other educators in order to achieve shared goals for children's learning