EDF4326:

Assessment task two By Lauren Armstrong

Element 1:

Statement of approach to teaching and learning

As an early childhood educator, I value children as unique individuals, who possess their own personal learning styles and dispositions. When planning for children, I consider Howard Gardiners multiple intelligences theory as I provide a wide range of play experiences and spaces. I consider children to be powerful contributors to their own learning; therefore I promote the potentials and competencies of children by planning supportive learning environments. I facilitate childrens wellbeing by creating thoughtfully planned spaces that are designed to further develop connection, exploration, wonder, imagination and risk-taking, while supporting childrens sense of belonging. I believe that children learn through engaging in play, as this enables them to process the meaning of their everyday experiences and their conceptual understandings. Therefore, I offer children adequate time for uninterrupted play,

active and reflective levels of play, as well as smooth transitions. I facilitate learning encounters in accordance with Vygotskys Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), and Wood, Bruner and Rosss scaffolding technique, which encourages children to exchange their theories and interpretations with each other, while they co-construct their own knowledge as a community of learners. I consider each child in relation to the social and cultural context in which they live, as they all possess their own unique values, beliefs, understandings, experiences and practices. I offer children informative access to the local and wider community, to enhance their learning and understanding of diversity, and to support them as they build their foundation of becoming responsible citizens of the world. As families play a fundamental role in childrens learning and development, I foster collaboration through ongoing communication, interaction and participation in order to promote inclusive practice, shared decision-making and mutual respect between educators and families. According to the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (2009), early childhood professionals create a welcoming and culturally inclusive environment where all families are encouraged to participate in and contribute to childrens learning and development at home and in the
1

community (p. 10). I consider documentation to be a valuable pedagogical tool in planning for children, as it facilitates the analysis, interpretation and assessment of childrens strengths, interests, dispositions, capacities, understandings and processes of learning. Furthermore, I believe that children can utilise tools of documentation such as audio and visual technologies to reflect on, interpret and extend their own learning. I pride myself on the continuous acquisition of knowledge in order to remain well-informed of the current theoretical perspectives and pedagogical practices of teaching and learning, in order to provide a quality program for children.

Element 2:

Self-evaluation report

Prior to my final early childhood placement, I developed a set of pedagogical tools primarily focused upon documentation. The documentation methods used

consisted of anecdotal records, visual documentation and a reflective journal. These pedagogical tools supported me as an early childhood educator to observe, record and analyse childrens learning, in addition to my own professional development. Furthermore, these tools assisted me in reflecting on the efficiency

of my own practice, the outcomes of my teaching and learning strategies, and the effectiveness of my program. My pedagogical tools for documentation are based

on a strong foundation of traditional developmental perspectives, as well as strong influences of sociocultural views. I believe in the value of sustaining clear and concise records of childrens strengths, interests and developmental capabilities, in order to extend their learning and gain a greater understanding of their social and cultural contexts. Nutbrown (2010)

stated that assessment for teaching and learning is the process of identifying the details of childrens knowledge, skills and understanding in order to build a detailed picture of a childs development and subsequent learning needs (p. 239). The

pedagogical tools of documenting childrens learning through the use of anecdotal and visual records proved to be both effective and valuable. Through these

processes of documentation, I have been able to observe the strengths, interests and capacities of individual children through their participation in play, group and learning experiences, as well as transitions and routines.
2

Furthermore, I have been

able to document the childrens social interactions and contributions to group experiences. This has enabled me to gain greater insight into the diverse

dispositions of the children, their power relations, and how they engage with each other. Moreover, the multimodal approach of using anecdotal and visual records

to document children has offered me a clearer understanding of how the children engaged with and responded to the experiences and learning opportunities offered in my program. This allowed me to gauge the effectiveness of my program and its Another benefit of using such It was

contextual appropriateness for the children.

methods of documentation coincides with the methods of Reggio Emilia.

explained by Rinaldi (2003) that documentation can assist educators in better visualising the connection between time and space, ...in order to capture the real values being attributed to a certain space and the spaces capacity for being suited to what was experienced there (p. 78). Consequently, by documenting childrens

interactions with artefacts and experiences within various spaces, I was able to evaluate the appropriateness of these artefacts and experiences, in relation to the physical spaces that they inhabited. Engaging in such methods of documentation

proved to be valuable, as they supported my role as an educator in the processes of planning, implementation and evaluation. Through the processes of

documentation, I was able to recognise, reflect on, and respond to significant elements in childrens learning. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (2009) stated in the National Early Years Learning Framework that learning outcomes stimulate critical thinking about childrens learning and provide us with a stronger focus on those actions we decide to take in order to enrich childrens learning (p. 46.) In this

context, I believe that through the implementation of these pedagogical tools, I have gained a far greater understanding of childrens learning, and how I can enhance this through my own professional practice. It was important for me to analyse and reflect on elements of my own professional practice. I was able to utilise my reflective journal, as an element of my

pedagogical tools of documentation to evaluate the quality of my participation in professional interactions with colleagues and families. The value of participation

was examined by Hollins (2011) as she suggested that participation in a professional

3

community requires that candidates be well prepared, knowledgeable, and capable of engaging in professional discourse with experienced and novice colleagues as part of their own development of knowledge in practice (p.402). I was able to

successfully form positive relationships and engage in meaningful interactions with colleagues and families, as I critically reflected on my practice. Through

documenting my communication strategies and the responses of colleagues and families, I gained a greater understanding of the value of their contributions and the importance of demonstrating respect for their diverse perspectives. This concept

was supported by Ebbeck and Waniganayake (2010) who discussed the significance of shared decision-making, establishing reciprocal goals and engaging in open communication within a team environment in the early childhood setting. By

working collaboratively and communicating effectively with colleagues and families, it was possible to develop a community of practice approach, which was acknowledged by Bussye et al., (2001, as cited in Anning, Cullen and Fleer 2010), as they professed that through processes such as shared reflection and collaborative inquiry, a COP approach can involve parents, practitioners and other professional and community-based stakeholders to build a knowledge base and improve services for children and families (p. 88). Consequently, this collaborative approach

supported me in developing positive relationships and practicing appropriate communication techniques, which successfully enhanced my professional interactions with colleagues and families. By reflecting on my professional I considered that the

interactions, this enabled me to further enhance my practice.

use of a reflective journal was a valuable pedagogical tool for documenting and reflecting upon my practice. This concept was recognised by Roberts-Holmes

(2011), who stated that it is important to reflect continuously upon the ethical issues throughout the research (p. 63). Therefore, through the documentation of

my reflections, it was possible to assess and evaluate the appropriateness of my practice within the context of the setting, and in regards to the diverse perspectives of colleagues and families. Furthermore, this enabled me to learn more about my Wadlington and

current disposition in relation to my role as an educator.

Wadlington (2011) discussed that educators should reflect upon their dispositions and how they affect their own teaching styles (p. 325).
4

They also explained the

significance of possessing self-awareness and using methods such as reflection and journaling in order to make adjustments to inadequate dispositional areas. Subsequently, I was able to utilise my pedagogical tool of documentation to reflect upon and enhance my professional practice. Roberts-Holmes (2011) suggested

that such personal change can lead to enhanced self-confidence and self-esteem flowing from enhanced insight (p. 29). Hence, in continually reflecting on my

professional practice, I am able to develop a greater understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of my personal philosophy for teaching and learning. As an early

childhood educator, such critical reflection allows me to establish and maintain a more effective integration of my philosophy into my professional practice. The

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2009) stated in the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework, the importance of reflective practice as it stated that early childhood professionals become more effective through critical reflection and a strong culture of professional inquiry (p. 14).

Element 3:

Revised pedagogical tools

Upon revision of my pedagogical tools of documentation, I have recognised the possibility for further improvement in my future professional practice. Firstly, I

acknowledge that children are effective communicators in expressing their knowledge and conceptual understandings, based on their own individual sociocultural contexts. It was stated by Edwards (2009) that when we look at childrens learning and development from a sociocultural perspective, it alerts us of the many different ways children have learnt to learn from their families and communities before they attend education and care settings. In this regard, I believe that it is imperative to As children express

encourage children to express their thoughts and ideas.

themselves in diverse ways, I feel that it is my responsibility as an educator to utilise a range of methods to document the expressions of children. Berk (2009) discussed

that children learn to communicate in different ways as they gradually relate with their worlds. Their behaviours become more enriched and varied as they access the wider variety of experiences presented to them. Their understanding and theoretical development becomes richer and allows them to understand and express
5

themselves more confidently and consistently as effective communicators. I believe that utilising audio and video recordings to document childrens voices and interactions can create a valuable addition to my pedagogical tools of documentation. Such methods of documentation can allow for the prospect of Furthermore, I feel that the

recording spontaneous learning during play episodes.

implementation of such methods would enable me to capture the childrens voices and interactions more effectively during group discussions and experiences, as it would allow a greater opportunity to reflect more thoroughly subsequent to experiences. Edwards (2009) declared that ...documentation provides adults and

children with a record on which they can base their thoughts about the learning that has occurred and what might happen next (p. 23). Another element that could be modified in my pedagogical tools of documentation is to include children in documenting and reflecting on their own work and ideas. There is great value in children recording their work. By taking photographs and

recording their own thoughts and ideas, children have the ability to use documentation to share and reflect upon their own learning and to explore these concepts in greater detail. Ridgway (as cited in Fleer, Edwards, Hammer, et al.,

2006) suggested that documenting experiences allow children, families and educators to relive and review their participation and reflects the process of how theories are tested and how problem-solving is embedded in a social context that involves others (p. 125). Consequently, children can revisit and reflect on their

own experiences and learning with their peers, families and educators by using various mediums of documentation. Furthermore, the incorporation of childrens

family contexts and cultural values can assist in creating a positive and successful program. Deans & Brown (2008) proposed that cultural values and context have

an impact on the pedagogical orientations that are embraced, but in any context effective pedagogy requires the teacher to respond flexibly to achieve different purposes (p. 350). Subsequently, the use of digital technology can further support

me as an educator, in promoting a more collaborative and inclusive environment, as I can encourage more family involvement within my program. Arthur, Beecher,

Death, et al. (1993) suggested that educators have vital role in promoting partnerships by the inclusion of families voices in the programming which encourage
6

educators to step away from their often isolated mode of work to more a social approach of sharing and negotiation with others. Moreover, by using a range of

methods for documentation purposes, I can gain a greater understanding of the childrens learning and dispositions, as well as their family contexts. My

multimodal approach to documentation has been influenced by the Mosaic Approach which was outlined by Clark (2004) as she wrote the Mosaic Approach utilises a range of methods: observation, child-conferencing, cameras, tours and mapping to gain perspectives on childrens daily lives in a setting (p. 65). By using

digital technology such as photographs, audio and video recordings, children can be provided with more valuable opportunities to connect their learning and their sociocultural background within the education setting. As proclaimed by

Zevenbergen (2007) a digital environment offers new and different potentials for learning (p.25). In an increasingly technological world, many children are exposed

to these concepts and artifacts in their home settings. Therefore, children can benefit from gaining knowledge from the opportunity to explore their world using technologies and to build up confidence in using digital media within their educational setting. Relations, 2009). (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace

Conclusion I have gained a far deeper understanding from the implementation and revision of my pedagogical tools, as I was able to critically reflect on the effectiveness of these tools, as well as my professional practice. I anticipate continuing the As an early

implementation and revision my pedagogical tools of documentation.

childhood educator, I will also continue to reflect on my personal philosophy of teaching and learning and its integration with my professional practice and development.

References 2nd Edition.

Anning, A., Cullen, J., and Fleer, M., (2009). education: Society and culture.

(Eds.).

Early childhood

Sage Publications:

London.

Arthur,L., Beecher,B., Death, E., Dockett, S., Farmer, S.,(1993). Programming and planning: in early childhood settings. . Berk, L. (2009). Child Development (8th Ed.). USA: Pearson Education Inc. (4th ed.). Australia: Harcourt

Clark, A.

(2004).

Listening to children. Routledge. p. 65.

Supporting childrens learning in the

early years.

Deans, J., and Brown, R. (2008).

Reflection, renewal and relationship building: an Contemporary issues in

ongoing journey in early childhood arts education. childhood, 9. (4). p. 350.

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

(2009).

Victorian

early years learning and development: for all children from birth to eight and Early Childhood Development, and Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations,

(2009).

Belonging, being and becoming: the early years learning framework for Australia. ACT: Commonwealth of Australia.

Ebbeck, M. and Waniganayake, M. Leading today and tomorrow.

(2010).

Early childhood professionals: Chatswood, NSW.

Elsevier Australia:

Edwards, S. (2009). NSW:

Early childhood education and care: a sociocultural approach. (ISBN: 978-1-876138-30-1).

Pademelon Press.

Fleer, M., Edwards, S., Hammer, M., Kennedy, A., Ridgway, A., Robbins, J. & Surman, L. (2006). Early childhood communities: Sociocultural research in practice.

Frenchs Forest:

Pearson Education Australia.

Hollins, E. R.

(2011).

Teacher preparation for quality teaching. 62, (4).

Journal of

teacher education.

Nutbrown, C. (2010).

Watching and listening:

the tools of assessment. p. 239.

Working

with children in the early years.

Routledge.

Rinaldi, C.

(2006).

In dialogue with Reggio Emilia:

Listening, researching and learning.

Oxon:

Routledge.

Roberts-Holmes, G.

(2011).

Doing your early years research project: (Eds.). 2nd Edition. Sage Publications Ltd:

A London.

step-by-step guide.

Wadlington, E. and Wadlington, P. (2011). teacher education.

Teacher dispositions: 87, (5).

Implications for

Childhood Education.

Zevenbergen, R.

(2007).

Digital natives come to preschool: Implications for early Contemporary issues in early childhood, 8. (1). p.

childhood practice. 25.