Course Title: Belonging in the Early Years: Praxis

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Belonging in the Early Years: Praxis

Credit Points: 24.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

TCHE2684

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

360H Education

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2020,
Sem 2 2020

TCHE2684

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

360H Education

Face-to-Face or Internet

Sem 1 2022,
Sem 2 2022,
Sem 1 2023,
Sem 2 2023

Flexible Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

TCHE2684

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

360H Education

Face-to-Face

PGRDFlex21 (FF),

PGRDFlex21 (ONL),

PGRDFlex21 (All)

TCHE2684

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

360H Education

Face-to-Face or Internet

PGRDFlex24 (FF)

Course Coordinator: Dr Aleksandra Acker

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7830

Course Coordinator Email: aleksandra.acker@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Bundoora Campus

Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment via email


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Enforced Co-Requisite Courses 

You should undertake 053575 TCHE2683 Belonging Early Years: Introduction at the same time as this course as it contains areas of knowledge and skills which are implemented together in practice. 

Note: it is a condition of enrolment at RMIT that you accept responsibility for ensuring that you have completed the prerequisite/s and agree to concurrently enrol in co-requisite courses before enrolling in a course. 

For your information go to RMIT Course Requisites webpage.


Course Description

In this course you apply your developing knowledge of early childhood theories and practices with an emphasis on belonging. You will begin to explore your own pedagogical practice as a developing teacher while working in an early childhood education professional setting.

You will have the opportunity to critically reflect on aspects of your developing practice, assess infant, toddler and/or young children’s learning and develop conversational skills that will enable you to engage in high quality dialogues with learners.

This course is offered in weeks four to twelve of semester. The course includes a work integrated learning experience in which your knowledge and skills will be applied and assessed in a real or simulated workplace context and where feedback from industry and/ or community is integral to your experience. In a 25 day work integrated learning experience your knowledge and skills concerning belonging will be applied and assessed in an early childhood education industry context.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes:

  • Critically reflect on and apply effective pedagogical and assessment approaches that enable infants, toddlers, and young children’s ‘belonging, being and becoming’ as curriculum partners
  • Effectively plan, implement and evaluate an early years curriculum that is inclusive of all learners from diverse backgrounds, and which responds to their individual interests, learning priorities and abilities
  • Examine the role of play in a holistic early childhood curriculum located within a post-digital world, with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) and sustainable futures


Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Create inclusive, enriching learning experiences that nurture the emotional and social identities of young learners.
  2. Enact and reflect on principles of belonging in pedagogical practices that underpin learning for children, with an emphasis on well-being
  3. Implement and reflect on planned pedagogical experiences that are based on theoretical knowledge that are based on knowledge concerning the importance of belonging to family, community and ‘country’ and how these influence learning.
  4. Produce effective assessment and planning records that promote key aspects of curriculum for infants/toddlers and young children.


Overview of Learning Activities

You will be engaged in learning that involves a range of activities in both teaching modes. These include, but are not limited to, lectures, tutorials, in class discussions.

In this WIL designed course you will also undertake a 25 day placement in an early childhood education setting.


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. You will be provided with a list of recommended learning resources, including contemporary books, journal articles and web resources. Students are expected to seek further resources to add in their learning. 

The University Library has extensive resources for Early Childhood Education students. The Library has produced subject guides that includes quality online and print resources for your studies in Education. Please access these Library Guides to assist you in your studies. The Library also provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help.


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. In order to pass the course, you are required to receive a satisfactory assessment on your professional experience, in accordance with expectations outlined in the PX Handbook for the course. If you fail to meet this requirement, for reasons other than those approved by special considerations, you will not pass the course. If granted Special Consideration, you may become eligible to complete alternative professional experience to pass the course.

Assessment Task 1: Hurdle Task: Getting Ready (Pass / Fail)
This is a hurdle task primarily for the purpose of safety, to ensure you are appropriately prepared to work with children later in the course. It is a professional registration requirement that you are prepared before engaging with children in early childhood centres educational settings.

Assessment Task 2: Interaction Analysis (50%)
Linked Course Learning Outcome: 4
 
Assessment Task 3: Learning Story (50%)
Linked Course Learning Outcomes: 1, 2 & 3

Assessment in this course is directly connected to your successful participation in professional experience. The end-of-placement report from your supervising teacher(s) on your professional development and participation in professional experience is an important component of your assessment. It will provide evidence of your ability to demonstrate the relevant professional practices and course learning outcomes specifically associated with the assessment tasks in the course.

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.

If you have a long-term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equity Learning Services if you would like to find out more.

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions.