UWA Handbook 2024

Unit Overview

Description

In preparation for each of the two professional practice placements, students attend lectures and workshops to introduce them to the diverse nature of ECEC educator's work, and the competencies required for teaching and management of the learning environment, diversity in children's development from Birth – Year 2 by analysing ECEC policies and mandatory requirements. Students undertake 60 days of professional practice over the year. Professional practice experiences occur within government and non-government schools (Kindergarten and Pre-primary) and ECEC settings (Birth to 4 years) under the guidance of an early childhood educator as their mentor teacher (MT).

The MT will provide assistance in planning, delivering and evaluating learning experiences that cater for individual children's development, as well as management of the learning environment. In addition, lectures and seminars for each professional practice, will build on student understandings about early childhood education and develop further key professional competencies and issues including critical reflection, professional duties, ethical responsibilities, duty of care and social and other legal policies.

Knowledge and understanding of mandated curriculum documents will be analysed and implemented during professional practice over the course of the year and students will be confident and competent at addressing the National Quality Standards in their professional practice.

This unit is undertaken over a full year and each practicum is linked and builds student's knowledge of this children's learning and development, as well as their role in ECEC and Leadership.

Credit

6 points

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) synthesise the knowledge and understandings acquired from their coursework and relevant curriculum documents to prepare, implement and assess learning experiences in early childhood settings; (2) prepare and implement purposeful and sequential learning experiences appropriate to a learning area or context, which cater for children/students with diverse backgrounds and are responsive to children's/students' development, interests and ability; (3) design and implement learning experiences appropriate to a particular group of children/students and use a range of instructional strategies and resources (including educational technologies); (4) plan for and implement strategies to manage and support children's/students' learning and development; (5) plan for and implement literacy and numeracy learning experiences using appropriate strategies and manipulatives in a play-based context; (6) select and use resources, including educational technologies, to engage and sustain children's/students' interest; (7) begin to develop and implement strategies to assess children's/students' learning and development; (8) display professional and ethical conduct, including high standards of self- management and collaborative behaviours to establish productive and professional working relationships with peers, educators, school and university staff; (9) respond appropriately and act on advice from mentors and university staff; (10) participate in a range of teacher duties and demonstrate an awareness of the (legal, social and moral) responsibilities of pre-service teachers, teachers and child care centres/schools, and; and (11) use reflective practice techniques to identify and evaluate practice as a basis for self-improvement..

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) assessment for practicum A, in a childcare setting, will occur through a final report executed by the early childhood supervisor and mentor teacher. and (2) assessment for practicum B, in a school setting, will occur through a final report executed by the early childhood supervisor and mentor teacher.. Further information is available in the unit outline.

To pass this unit, a student must: (a) achieve an overall mark of 50 per cent or higher for the unit; and (b) achieve the requisite requirements(s) or a mark of 50 per cent or greater, whichever is higher and specified in the unit outline, for the assessment for practicum A, in a childcare setting, will occur through a final report executed by the early childhood supervisor and mentor teacher. and assessment for practicum B, in a school setting, will occur through a final report executed by the early childhood supervisor and mentor teacher. components.

Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Unit Coordinator(s)

Jane Loxton

Incidental fees

Incidental student fees and charges are costs incurred by students as part of their studies at UWA that are in addition to their tuition fees (further information is available here).
Participation in this unit will incur the following incidental fee(s):
Student Name Badge (estimated cost - $9).

Contact hours

6 x 2 hour workshops from Week 1, Semester 1 and 6 x 2 hour workshops from Week 1, Semester 2

Texts

Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer. (2017) Programming and Planning in Early Childhood Settings. Cengage Australia