Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood Education)

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Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood
Education)

• EDPRAC 621A

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Whakatauki

• Whakatepea te ko, kia kotahi
• We are in this together

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Practicum Aims

• For student teachers to take responsibility for
  their own learning, thinking and professional
  growth in relation to integrating theory,
  research and practice

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• For student teachers to progress steadily towards
  achieving the learning outcomes
• For associate teachers and university supervisors
  to support student teacher development while
  ensuring that student teachers develop the
  knowledge, skills and disposition to become
  confident teachers

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Programme Conceptual Model

• The research informed, inquiry based
  practitioner who leads the learning of others by
  creating purposeful, responsive and safe learning
  environments within which all learners achieve
  valued skills knowledge and attitudes.

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Student teacher responsibilities

• Prepare professionally (e.g. read Practicum
  Handbook)
• 7.5 hours in centre
• Complete practicum contract with Associate
  Teacher
• Inform of absences (apply for special leave in
  exceptional circumstances only)
• Begin portfolio of evidence (include evidence of
  learning outcomes and Graduating Teacher
  Standards)
• Engage in written reflection (three each week)
• Maintain contact with university supervisor
• Use ethical consent forms
• Prepare for and contribute to triadic assessment
  process
• Reflect on Code of Ethics (Teachers Council and
  ECE) and own practice
• Consider goal for next practicum

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Practicum Contract

• This form provides an opportunity for you to
  discuss expectations with your Associate Teacher
  early in the practicum.
• It addresses hours of attendance, start and
  finish times and any placement specific
  expectations.

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Learning Outcomes

• Establish professional relationships and
  communicate competently with children, parents
  and colleagues
• Demonstrate a developing ability to practice
  effectively and contextually in early childhood
  education settings
• Demonstrate an ability to integrate theory,
  research and practical experience in own
  developing pedagogical practice in early
  childhood education settings

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Documentation

• Is key to assessment and planning for learning in
  ECE
• Creating a portfolio will assist you in learning
  about early childhood documentation and
  assessment for childrens learning
• Exemplar of portfolio in library on short term
  loan
• Set up portfolio before EDPRAC 621A and begin
  gathering evidence during the practicum

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Documentation

• Burr, J. Crisafulli, D. Fleet, A., Patterson, C.
  Silversides, P. (2006). Tertiary education as a
  context for creating documentors. In A. Fleet, C.
  Patterson J. Robinson (Eds.) Insights behind
  pedagogical documentation (pp.115-134). Castle
  Hill, NSW Pademelon Press.
• This chapter will support you in creating
  professional pedagogical documentation on
  practicum and will be made available on the
  Practicum Moodle site.

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Portfolio

• The portfolio will provide evidence of
• Holistic and integrated learner-centred teaching
  and learning practices in early childhood
  settings
• Integration of theory, research, philosophy and
  practice
• Inquiry into and reflection on theory, research,
  philosophy and practice

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What can be included?

• Artefacts and other documents
• Photographs and interpretive statements
• Records and interpretations of childrens work as
  a demonstration of teacher practices

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• Examples of organisation and planning
• Records of meetings where student teacher has
  taken an active role
• Evidence of communication with whanau
• (Goodfellow, 2004).
• Download Goodfellow article from library database.

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Te Tiriti o Waitangi

• In early childhood education settings, all
  children should be given the opportunity to
  develop knowledge and an understanding of the
  cultural heritages of both partners to Te Tiriti
  o Waitangi. The curriculum reflects this
  partnership in both text and structure
• (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.9).

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Triadic Assessment

• In EDPRAC 621A the triadic assessment is
  formative.
• If you are unfamiliar with the Faculty triadic
  process please request a copy of our new dvd from
  l.joicey_at_auckland.ac.nz
• N.B. although you do not have written final
  reports on the EDPRAC 621A practicum you will be
  involved in filling out a completion form as a
  record of your success.
• You will be required to complete a self
  assessment report for EDPRAC 621B and EDPRAC 622.

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Reflection

• Reflection should not be restricted to examining
  only technical skills it should equally be
  concerned with the ethical, social and political
  context within which teaching occurs
• Reflection should not be restricted to teachers
  reflecting individually upon their teaching
  there needs to be a collective and collaborative
  dimension as well

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• Reflection is a process that is centrally
  concerned with challenging dominant myths,
  assumptions and hidden message systems, implicit
  in the way teaching and education are currently
  organised
• Reflection is also fundamentally about creating
  improvements in educational practice, and the
  social relationships that underlie those
  practices

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• Reflection is founded on the belief that
  knowledge about teaching is a tentative and
  incomplete state, and as such is continually
  being modified as a consequence of practice
• Reflection occurs best when it begins with the
  experiences of practitioners as they are assisted
  in the process of describing, informing,
  confronting and reconstructing their theories of
  practice (pp.47-48).
• Smyth, J. (1993). Reflective practice in teacher
  education and other professions. Keynote address
  to Fifth national Practicum Conference, McQuarie
  University, Sydney, 4 February 1993.

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Reflections

• DATA
• Brookfields critically reflective lenses
• Spiral
• Using Bronfenbrenners ecological approach
• Smyths framework (EDPRAC 621B)

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Describe

• One of the first things I noticed when I started
  practicum at the kindergarten this morning was
  the language the teachers use with the children.
  For instance, when the children are speeding
  around in the trolleys, instead of telling them
  off and yelling slow down they will make more
  of a game of it and give them a speeding
  ticket and yet it has the same impact. When
  some of the boys were getting stuck on the mat,
  and ripping it a little, instead of saying stop
  or even try going around it boys instead it was
  Look, the mat rips a little when you go over it,
  what do you think you could do instead of going
  over the top? and the children come up with the
  answer themselves go around it. This was
  something quite new to me

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Analyse

• I believe the teachers speak to the children like
  this because they have a philosophy of positive
  role modelling.
• It was new to me because at the centres I have
  worked at, while not being overly strict, or
  rude, or mean to the children, they just havent
  used quite as positive language as this. Because
  I came into the centres unqualified and
  inexperienced, I just assumed that how the
  teachers there were doing it is the way it should
  be done, without questioning it too much. Also, I
  guess I thought that when I was speaking to the
  children in situations like above, it was as a
  way to avert an accident or destruction of
  property, rather than as a means to help children
  learn at the same time. As I am learning, in
  early childhood every situation is a chance to
  learn something. As noted earlier, the children
  seem to respond well to this kind of
  communication, and it results in an atmosphere
  that feels more positive.

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Theorise

• Banduras theory of modelling is relevant to this
  reflection. Finding a way of making a point
  rather than getting cross provides a positive
  role model of communication for children to copy.
  Asking the children to problem solve (What could
  you do instead?) instead of dictating also
  empowers children to solve their own problems
  and as we know one of the principles of Te
  Whariki is empowerment.

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Act

• This example of how to communicate positively
  with children appeals to me, and from now on I
  will endeavour to think before I speak. Could I
  ask them to problem solve this themselves? Is
  there a way of getting my point across in a more
  positive manner?

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Assessment Criteria

• 1.1 Appropriate communication with children,
  parents and colleagues is established and
  practised consistently.
• 1.2 Appropriate professional relationships with
  children, parents and colleagues are established
  and practised consistently.

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• What evidence could you include for these
  criteria?

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• Reflective writing about your interactions
• Examples of your written communication with
  children, colleagues or whanau
• Evidence of your attendance at meetings etc.
• Photographs and descriptions of your professional
  engagement

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• 2.1 Provision for a safe and purposeful learning
  environment is made, with support. 2.2 Practice
  is clearly informed by assessment of childrens
  interests, strengths, abilities and needs.2.3
  Practice is informed by relevant curriculum
  documents and curriculum areas studied so far on
  programme

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• 2.4 Teaching/learning experiences are
  carefully planned, implemented and evaluated with
  individuals and small groups.2.5 Positive
  personal and professional responsibilities are
  demonstrated appropriately. Personal qualities
  and dispositions identified by the Teachers
  Council Fit to be a Teacher criteria are
  demonstrated appropriately.

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• Anecdotal stories of your teaching
• Learning stories, planning stories, child's
  voice, whanau voice
• Reflections about NZTC requirements
• Written responses to childrens interests
• Inclusion of material from curriculum documents

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• 3.1 Personal pedagogical practice in relation to
  the learning outcomes of this course is
  articulated and critically reflected upon in
  relation to theory and research studied.
• 3.2 Different ways of teaching to suit
  childrens interests and learning needs are
  identified and
• discussed in detail.

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• Use of references to literature from courses
• Evidence of understanding of developing pedagogy
• Evaluation of own practice
• Evidence of knowledge and understanding of
  childrens learning

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Things to do

• Create profile
• Ring and visit centre/kindergarten before
  Practicum
• Contact University Supervisor
• Engage in material from your courses that will
  support your practice
• Contact your student teacher partner if
  appropriate
• Set up Practicum portfolio

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Profile
Kia ora koutou, My name is Debora Lee and I will be a student teacher in your centre for three weeks from 2 March 20 March. I am studying at the Children's Issues Centre at the University of Otago. I have four children and have worked in early childhood centres for many years. I am looking forward to meeting you and to working with your children.
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Curriculum

• .the sum total of the experiences, activities,
  and events, whether direct or indirect, which
  occur within an environment designed to foster
  childrens learning and development (Ministry of
  Education, 1999, p. 10).

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Resources to support you

• ECE Code of Ethics
• Guidelines for Positive Guidance, Desirable
  objectives and Practices, Quality in Action
  (available from www.minedu.govt.nz)
• Choices for Child Care (available from
  www.ecd.govt.nz)

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• We wish you all the best for your practicum.
• Kia kaha, kia manawanui!