| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Engaging Professionally 3 Early Childhood |
| Unit ID: | EDMAS6131 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | (EDMAS6130) |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | (EDMAS6127 and EDMAS6128) |
| ASCED: | 070105 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit is the third in a suite of units designed to enable student teachers (STs) to critically attend to, participate in and experience, the many facets of professional engagement in teaching. STs create and experience a professional learning community where learning is enhanced through social processes, dialogue and personal reflection. Communication will take place on campus and in online environments. Guided by a learning mentor, STs will critically examine teaching and learning experiences in early childhood settings and make complex connections to prior learning. They will focus on bigger picture issues such as the emotional work of teachers, the changing culture of early childhood education and service improvement issues as well as their own personal questions, investigations and insights. STs will prepare an evidence-based professional portfolio that will form the basis of their assessment and will receive feedback from multiple sources. They will also learn how to apply for teaching positions in early childhood settings. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| 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 - 35 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. | Continue inquiries into professional issues related to teaching and learning, identifying significant questions, conducting research, trailing new approaches, evaluating practices and reflecting on learning and next steps. |
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| K2. | Develop deep understandings of the factors that enhance student learning. |
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| K3. | Investigate the emotional work of teachers. |
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| K4. | Understand and critically examine education improvement issues and the complexity of cultural change. |
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| K5. | Inquire more deeply into the Australian Professional Standards for Teaching and make links to theoretical perspectives and practical experiences related to effective teaching. |
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| K6. | Be aware of the requirements for applying for teaching positions in Government and non-Government Early Childhood settings including expectations in interviews. |
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| K7. | Understand key selection criteria identified by employers and ways to demonstrate knowledge, skills and capacities through evidence. |
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| K8. | Articulate personal theories, use the language of learning, and describe and justify the approaches they use as teachers. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Critically reflect on and examine links between theory, practice and personal views and values in order to extend understandings. |
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| S2. | Communicate effectively with colleagues in the University setting and in ECE and community contexts. |
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| S3. | Engage actively and thoughtfully in the Professional Learning Community and undertake leadership roles when appropriate. |
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| S4. | Use problem solving strategies to respond to professional issues. |
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| S5. | Develop teaching knowledge and skills through a seven week professional placement, reflect critically on practice and actively seek and understand feedback and take appropriate action. |
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| S6. | Develop teaching and learning goals based on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and personal needs and interests; collect evidence of achievements; identify what has been learned and consider next steps. |
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| S7. | Draw upon prior learning in the Master of Teaching program to inform practice. |
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| S8. | Organise and manage a wide range of documentation. |
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| S9. | Prepare a quality Professional Portfolio related to key teaching and learning experiences. |
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| S10. | Extend networks with professional associations in order to enhance professional learning. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Participate in a 35 day professional experience in an early childhood setting. Facilitate the completion of the Professional Experience Assessment Report from classroom Mentor Teacher on identified Graduate Level Standards. |
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| A2. | Complete specified tasks during the final professional placement involving planning, teaching and assessment components. |
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| A3. | Articulate and discuss, with ECE mentors, university mentors and peers, multiple forms of evidence that supports their readiness to teach effectively and independently acknowledging ways they will engage in ongoing professional learning. |
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| Unit Content: |
•Topics to be covered may include:
•Developing teaching and learning goals based on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, collecting evidence and articulating at round table discussions or online forums, what has been achieved and learned.
•Engaging in critical inquiries into practice and education and the tools to assist planning, thinking, documentation and decision-making.
•Identifying, through experience and reading, the characteristics of effective professional learning communities.
•Re-examining the nature and value of reflective practice.
•Identifying, applying and evaluating frameworks for curriculum planning, thinking, and enhancing teaching and learning.
•Preparing to apply for teaching positions and developing a Professional Portfolio.
•Re-examining the role that feedback plays in teaching and learning and designing tools for gathering feedback from students.
•Engaging in self-assessment. |
| 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 at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills\\ • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 5
sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life | 1 - Yes |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, K6, K7, K8, S1, S2, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, S10, A1, A2 | Participate in a 35 day professional experience in an early childhood setting. Receive report, Form A, Professional Experience Assessment Report, from classroom mentor teacher on identified Professional Standards. | Professional Practice | S/U | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, K8, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, A1 | Conduct a teacher performance assessment during the final professional placement involving planning, teaching and assessment components based on the series of tasks identified in Form B, Student Teacher Learning Log, and undertaken during the placement. | Teacher performance portfolio | 40 - 60% | | 3. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, K8, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, A3 | Present evidence of professional readiness in relation to three goals linked to Graduate Level Standards. STs will present multiple forms of evidence to support their readiness to teach effectively and independently as well as learn in ongoing ways. Evidence to be drawn from Form B Student Teacher Learning Log, and Form C Reflective Self-Evaluation Report.The feedback session will involve a combination of ECE mentors, university mentors and peers. | Presentation | 40-60% |
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