Supporting the provision of quality, inclusive children’s services Learning Frameworks in a Nutshell Presented by Children’s Services Central

Supporting the provision of quality, inclusive children’s services

Learning Frameworks in a Nutshell

Presented by Children’s Services Central



Children’s Services Central is the Professional

Support Coordinator in New South Wales and is

an initiative funded by the Australian Government

under the Inclusion and Professional Support

Program.

Children’s Services Central is managed by a

consortium of key organisations that resource

and support the sectors of children’s services in New

South Wales.

About Children’s Services Central


We offer professional development and support through:

A comprehensive website and online forum

A free call number (1800) to answer any of your questions

Professional development sessions and training

Individual Service Support

Accreditation Support



Mentoring and coaching

Support for rural and remote services

Bicultural Support Pool

General Resource Library

Specialist Equipment Pool

Publications



Further information about all of these services can be found at:

ccc.cscentral.org.au

or by calling:

1800 157 818



Learning Outcomes

Participants will develop an understanding of the frameworks in practice and gather ideas about methods of documenting children’s learning and development.

Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on:

The Early Years Learning Framework

(For Pre-school aged children)

My Time, Our Place

(The framework for school aged children)


Considerations

How we reflect

What we believe is important for children to learn

How we believe children learn

The type of environments we resource for children

How we communicate with children

How we communicate with families

How we document


Belonging, Being And Becoming


Holistic Approaches


Play

Remember your own childhood and the type of games that you played

Write down your favourite experiences

Where did they take place?

Who did you play with?(neighbours children, siblings)

What materials did you use?

What was it about the play that you enjoyed?


Reflect

Reflect on the play experiences you engaged in as a child

What type of play did you engage in (solitary, parallel, cooperative)?

How imaginative were you?

What sort of skills were developed such as problem solving & investigating?

How did you develop these skills?


Play and Learning

What do you consider to be the difference between play and work?

What do you base your ideas on?

Did you consider school classroom activities to be play and/or work?

Did different teachers have an impact on this perception?

Consider cultural ideas relating to work and play

Do all children, from all cultures, play the same way?


Characteristics of ‘true’ play


Play based learning


Principles, Practices and Learning Outcomes work together


Documenting should reflect the Practice and the Principles

We can only achieve our aims if we believe in

what we are doing. Practice should reflect the

Principles of EYLF and MTOP.

The Principles, Practices and Learning

Outcomes work together.

Identifying your personal values and beliefs is

the first step in building knowledge based on

professional judgments.

Making decisions based on professional

judgments enables educators to be equitable.


Working together

Working with the Early Years Learning

Framework and My Time, Our place


Why document?

To meet legislative requirements

To gather information from variety of sources

Provide documentary evidence if required

Keep a record of events not reliant on memory

To provide opportunities to revisit over time

To see patterns emerging

To assess growth over time


Assessment for learning

To many people the word assessment has

negative overtones. However in the context of

children’s learning the EYLF tells us that

assessment is;

“...the process of gathering and analysing

information as evidence about what children

know, can do and understand. It is part of an

ongoing cycle that includes planning,

documenting and evaluating children’s

learning.” (EYLF 2009, p.17)


Evaluation for wellbeing and learning

‘Educators gather knowledge about children’s

wellbeing and learning as they reflect and

engage in processes such as scanning,

monitoring, gathering and analysing information

about how children feel and what children

know, can do and understand.’

(My Time our Place, p16)


How to document


How to document


Video Clip

Observe the video clip

Using the ‘when?’ ‘where?’ ‘who?’ ‘what?’ &

‘how?’ describe what you see

Using the terminology from the Learning

Outcomes handout, identify with the video clip

the learning that is occurring.

Reflect on how you would change or extend

upon this experience



Learning Stories (One method of writing)

One method of documenting

Place the writer in the picture

Provide an opportunity to describe the scene in

more detail

Learning is lifelong and the learning journey is

the most important part to document. In the

past we had focussed more on the destination.

Each persons journey is unique


The environment

Resources that show a respect for diversity.

Natural materials

Open ended materials

Thoughtful planning of the spaces provided

Place for children to be solitary

Music used thoughtfully and not just constant

noise

Outdoor spaces valued as much as the indoors


The Communication

Educators using open ended questions

Educators and children ‘attuned’

Conversations that provide opportunities for

children to extend their thinking

Educators supporting children to express their

feelings and relate to their peers

Educators assisting children to problem solve


The Relationships

Respectful and warm relationships with families

Educators respectful of diversity in parenting

styles

Educators supporting families and sharing

information about their child’s day


Intentional Teaching

‘Intentional teaching is deliberate, purposeful

and thoughtful.’ (EYLF, p15)

Intentional teachers use strategies that support

children to solve their own problems.

Intentional teaching requires educators to

‘document and monitor children’s learning’

(EYLF, p15)


Intentionality

Educators ‘ actively promote children’s learning

through worthwhile and challenging

experiences and interactions that foster high-

level thinking skills and they seize opportunities

in activities and conversations to extend or

affirm children’s learning.’ (My time our place,

p14)


Learning Frameworks in action

Look at the physical environment. What do you

see? Are there open ended materials,

representative of cultural diversity? Is the

environment thoughtfully planned?

Listen to your communication. How many open

ended questions have you asked?

Document what is meaningful.


Documenting

Learning stories

Anecdotal records

Running records

Photographs

Jottings and ‘post it’ notes

Mind maps

Narratives


Outcome 5: Children are effective communicatorsChildren engage with a range of texts and gain meaning from these

texts


Group discussion

In small groups discuss the examples given

relating to outcome 5 in relation to your service.

How do you facilitate learning in this outcome?

Reflecting on these examples are there any

ideas that you may use or are currently using?

Are there aspects you would like to improve?

Question time


References

– MacNaughton, G. 2003 Shaping Early Childhood. Library of

Congress. London

– Penn, H. (2000). Early childhood services theory, policy and

practice. Philadelphia, Open University Press.

– Siraj-Blatchford, I., K. Sylva, et al. (2002). Researching

Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years (REPEY): DfES

Research Report 356. London, DfES, HMSO.

– The Early Years Learning Framework. Belonging, Being &

Becoming. Australian Government, Department Education,

Employment and Workplace Realtions. ACT

Documents

Supporting the provision of quality, inclusive children’s services Learning Frameworks in a Nutshell Presented by Children’s Services Central