Introduction to Curriculum Planning and Assessment: Practicum 1

Overview

This is the first professional experience unit for the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary), the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Teaching) Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education). In this unit, pre-service teachers will undertake 20 days of professional experience in an approved early childhood setting, with children aged two to five years under the supervision of an approved mentor/registered teacher. The unit provides pre-service teachers with knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to teach children effectively. Pre-service teachers will gain knowledge about a variety of theoretical approaches to curriculum and assessment and become familiar with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and demonstrate competence against all the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) appropriate to the course stage of this professional experience.

Unit learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

1. Observe elements of cultural, community and family contexts of children’s lives and their implications for curriculum, assessment and critical reflection.
2. Create learning experiences using a range of pedagogical approaches to engage and monitor children’s learning based on their abilities.
3. Create rich and engaging learning environments which includes interacting and communicating effectively with young children with the main aims of building and strengthening relationships and supporting learning
4. Effectively integrate, into education programs, elements of the cultural identity and linguistic background of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

Teaching methods

Swinburne Online

Assessment

Content

• Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate) Standards 1-7
• Code of Ethics/Code of Conduct/Fitness to Practice
• How children learn in the early years 
• Teaching with intention
• Expectations for young children 
• Self-assessment of teaching
• Learning experiences
• Promoting confidence and engagement in learning
• Adapting teaching methods to the young childrens skills, knowledge and interest
• Demonstrating an awareness of childrens interest contemporary technologies
• Recognising individual difference and supporting learning accordingly
• Engaging collaboratively with colleagues and contributing to reflective practice
• Planning for and assessing childrens learning in the early years 
• Creating and maintaining safe, healthy and challenging early years learning environments
• Using relevant documents to plan, implement and evaluate learning experiences
• Intervening effectively to encourage appropriate behaviour and deal with inappropriate behaviour
• Relevant national and/or state or territory curriculum and framework documents
• Family partnerships-strategies for communication with families
• Links between theory, research and practice