Conceptual development: How do early educators and teachers support children\u27s early thinking in STEM?

As national and state-based reforms in early education roll-out across Australia, concern for building a well-qualified workforce to meet growing demand has intensified. In parallel with the reforms, teachers and educators are reminded by the recently released 2022 Early Years Learning Framework to design programs that support intentionality in play-based learning. However, the literature shows that despite the concept of intentional teaching being around since 2009, difficulties with how to do this remains. This presentation takes up this challenge, by 1) sharing the collective findings of 6 Australian Research Council-funded research projects into play and learning in STEM; and 2) presenting an evidence-informed model of a Conceptual PlayWorld that resulted from this foundational research. The model is currently being released across Australia (and internationally) to supports educators and teachers to create the conditions for conceptual development in children’s play. The model will be shared via video recordings alongside of findings from a spectrum of research that has been funded through the ARC Laureate Fellowship Scheme over 5 years

Review and evaluation of the Inquiry to Implementation Project final report 2014

The inquiry based professional learning project, Inquiry to Implementation was developed by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) as a key professional learning resource to support implementation of the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) For all Children Birth to Eight Years. The VCAA and the Department of Education and Training (DET) work together to support VEYLDF implementation. This review and evaluation report provides an account of early childhood professionals\u27 experience of inquiry based professional learning in multidisciplinary networks across Victoria. Drawing on project data and focus group interviews, in the Report, Monash University deliver research findings on key trends in assessment practice and network relationships and engagement: changes in practice are described for individual practitioners, service types and the nine networks involved in the Inquiry to Implementation Project four dominant themes are identified across all networks and a further seven which are evident for particular networks case studies profile the contribution each of the nine networks and highlight the unique nature, trends in practice over time, evidence of participants learning, promising practices, key successes and barriers along with overarching themes a relational agency framework provides a model that can be used to describe practitioner experiences and professional relationships in networks. Monash University researchers developed the framework as a tool to support growth in inquiry based professional learning at the level of a multidisciplinary network. This report draws out learning from the networks that all early childhood professionals, policy makers and researchers will find useful in building assessment practice and research to support learning and development outcomes for children. &nbsp

Broadening the Circumference: A Socio-Historical Analysis of Family Enactments of Literacy and Numeracy within the Official Script of Middle Class Early Childhood Discourse

Informed by s socio-historical theory, this paper will report on a study that sought to document the literacy and numeracy outcomes for children living in low socio-economic circumstances in a region south-east of Melbourne, Australia.  The research focused on children in preschool and child care centres in the year prior to beginning school, and was designed to map literacy and numeracy experiences of children in the home and in the early childhood centre. In this paper an analysis of the cultural tools that families were intentionally developing in the context of their homes and communities is featured.  A socio-historical analysis of the data revealed children’s active engagement in the funds of knowledge (Moll and Greenberg 1990, Moll, 1990, and Moll, 2000) available within the community, the situated nature of learning (Lave and Wenger, 1991) within their communities, and the challenge for families transcending the constraints of ‘everyday learning’ to engage with ‘schooled learning’ (Hedegaard, 1998).  The study also revealed the institutional barriers to learning the landscape of schooling  (Greeno, 1991) and the deficit positioning evident for children and their families within the official script of middle class early childhood discourse (Fleer, 2003)

Play in the Early Years

The toys that dominated the play of school-aged children tended to be skipping ropes.v-25

Play in the early years

About the BookThe Early Years Learning Framework is a key component of the Australian Government's National Quality Framework for early childhood education and care. Play-based learning is an important focus in both the Framework and in early childhood education degrees at Australian universities. Play in the Early Years is a comprehensive study of pedagogy and play in early childhood education by a globally recognised leader in the field. Marilyn Fleer examines how play has been thought about across time, culture and institutions, including in childcare, family day care, schools and community groups. The book presents and analyses the latest research and theories about early childhood pedagogy and play. Vignettes and real-world examples help students connect theory to practice, while end-of-chapter glossaries help to consolidate understanding of key concepts and ideas. This is an accessible and engaging textbook that will be an invaluable resource for practitioners and undergraduate students of early childhood educationTable Of Contents :1. Perspectives on play2. Infants' and children's perspectives on play3. Families at play4. Playing in communities, classrooms and centres5. Classical, grand, developmental and postdevelopmental theories of play6. Play in the curriculum7. Planning for play development8. Cultural technologies and play9. Assessing play, assessing through play and assessing for play10. Being a play activist.For more information:https://goo.gl/F9LO1Dix, 253 p.: ill.; 25 c

Thoerising Play in The Early Years

The book provides an in depth examination of classical and contemporary.v,177 hal ;,24c