| Effective Term: | 2025/20 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Infants and Toddlers Professional Experience |
| Unit ID: | ECCEL3723 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | (EDECE1020 or EDECE3029) |
| Exclusion(s): | (EEZED3723) |
| ASCED: | 070101 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit supports the 15-day professional experience placement for Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) students, working with children under three years of age. Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) are introduced to both individual and collective understandings of the education profession, with learning framed around developing the practices and knowledge required to become active, engaged early childhood teachers. PSTs will explore verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support young children's learning and engagement, as well as effective approaches to working with the professional learning community and parents/carers. Drawing on relevant legislative frameworks and policies, PSTs will examine their ethical responsibilities to young children and identify strategies that promote their wellbeing and safety within early childhood settings. Throughout the placement, PSTs are required to complete designated professional learning activities in collaboration with their assigned mentors. |
| Grade Scheme: | Ungraded (S, UN) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| Student is undertaking work experience in industry where learning and performance is not directed by the provider, but support is received from the provider. Fees (provider may charge a student contribution amount or tuition fee). |
| Placement Component: | Yes - 15 days |
| Supplementary Assessment:No |
| Supplementary assessment is not available to students who gain a fail in this Unit. |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | |  | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Connect theoretical learning with the practice of teaching in an authentic education environment |
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| K2. | Receive and reflect on critical and meaningful feedback |
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| K3. | Inquire into their own and others teaching practice appropriate to the professional |
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| K4. | Investigate a range of current communication theories for teaching |
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| K5. | Identify verbal and non-verbal communication strategies that support the engagement of young children |
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| K6. | List the mandatory reporting requirements associated with teaching |
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| K7. | Explore the APST and the purpose of these in the profession to identify professional learning needs. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Negotiate professional duties and teaching and learning tasks with the supervising mentor |
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| S2. | Set personal goals for future learning and research |
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| S3. | Reflect on strengths and future needs as a learner and as a teacher and utilise constructive feedback principles to improve teaching practice |
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| S4. | Document observations and learning experiences |
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| S5. | Examine a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to enhance teaching and learning |
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| S6. | Explain mandatory reporting requirements associated with teaching |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Nominate, complete and document personal learning tasks that are relevant to the setting in which the internship is conducted |
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| A2. | Reflect-on-action related to personal learning in an on-line journal |
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| A3. | Develop an online Professional Experience resource folder that includes tasks based on the Professional Standards, as well as other learning |
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| Unit Content: |
Topics may include:
1. Professional experience placement requirements
2. 15 day field-based early childhood internship working with children under three years
3. Legislative policies that underpin ethical responsibility
4. Strategies to maintain the wellbeing and safety of young children in educational contexts
5. Verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support learning and engagement
6. Communication strategies to involve parents/carers in the educative process
7. Introduction to using a range of data to inform teaching and learning
8. Introduction to legislative requirements, ethics, codes of conduct and mandatory reporting
9. Constructive feedback principles using the transactional process model
10. APST and their role in the profession. |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate, inter-act and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display skills in-person and/or online in: • Using effective verbal and non-verbal communication • Listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Showing empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others. Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating a collegial environment • Showing self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect • Inspiring and convincing others • Making informed decisions • Displaying initiative | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically • Evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Considering alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work fluently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Finding, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information • Collating, managing, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Contributing actively to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and benefiting from digital learning opportunities. | N/A - Not Applicable | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in global economic environmental and societal contexts • Committing to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Evaluating ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Embracing lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | N/A - Not Applicable |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, K7, S1, S2, S3, S4, A1, A2, A3 | Completion and submission of the following Placement Assessment Reports: Assessment report aligned to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) (Form A), completed in collaboration with School/Agency Mentor. Professional Learning Log (Form B), completed in consultation with School/Agency mentor to establish learning goals for current and future professional experience. Self-reflection exercise completed midway through professional experience (Form C). | Hurdle | S/U | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, K6, K7, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, A1, A2, A3 | Successful completion of 15 days placement as verified through: Weekly time sheet (Form D) completed by PST and verified by Agency Director. | Hurdle | S/U |
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