1. Carefully read the Task 2 requirements (and the criteria sheet) and make sure you do all that is asked. Remember, this is the practical application of theory, and your own learning. Aim to distill key ideas you learned in Task 1 about creativity/higher order thinking and apply these to your teaching plan. In a nutshell, these ideas are your rationale, and should be made evident in your plan.
2. Carefully read the sheet 'Some points to consider...'. This has good advice about how to approach the task.
3. As the format is essentially a teaching plan rather than a formally structured assignment, it is harder to set and work to a word limit. The task asks for around 2500 words, but there is some flexibility. However, I do suggest you use dotpoints and other strategies (eg a tabular format for example) as a way of presenting your work. It is okay to put some items in an appendix.
4. Nevertheless, although the task is not an essay, you do still need to comply with the conventions of good writing! Spelling/grammar etc still matter, as does referencing of sources.
Design a project to be undertaken with young children, which will involve them in the processes of inquiry-based learning. The project should cross disciplines, but must focus on arts and science learning.
Notes
If you are not currently teaching, and do not have access to a group of young children, this project plan can be a hypothetical.
If you wish and are able, you can apply this research with the group of young children with whom you are currently working.
Either way, your planning should include strategies for recording and reporting on children’s learning, and contain links with the appropriate syllabus/curriculum documents.
This task is designed to enable you to apply your knowledge about creativity to the work of teaching. This is the “so what” question to your first assignment. Given that you explored the concept of creativity, how are you going to apply this to your ways of working with young children? How will you ensure that children in your program will have their creativity and other higher-order thinking nurtured and developed?
How long? You can decide about this…. You might plan for something that might go for a week, a month, depending on your plan. I will expect to see, not just a one –off learning experience, but a sequence of experiences that build on each other, and build towards a final product/outcome. Both the process and product are important.
What should be in the plan? Everything that a teacher needs to anticipate, in order to enable children to engage in learning which is intellectually valuable, and allows for and encourages creativity. Begin with a short rationale, outlining the principles that inform your planning, the age of the children you are planning for, and how many children, etc. Please choose Kindergarten children
Here is a list of other important elements that your plan can contain, but you may adapt to your own situation:
Anticipated Outcomes
Processes
Strategies
Organisation
Environment
Resources
Any links with syllabus documents, or other supporting materials
Assessment (what and how?)
What format should I use? You are invited to present this in any way that best suits your needs and style. Some people already work with formats that they have devised, which work efficiently for them, and enable them to include everything in their planning. If you have found a format that works for you, by all means use it. On the other hand, you might want to take this opportunity to experiment with new formats, or adaptations to your existing ones. If you have no previous experience with planning formats, there are any number of resources which you can find as beginning frameworks for you. Just go to QSA (for Queensland syllabus documents) website, or the equivalent in your own location and look at the syllabus documents and /or modules for art and science. Or, even though I do not equate Google with research, put in appropriate words, and you will find thousands. If you are planning for children in early childhood programs prior to Year 1, use the appropriate curriculum guidelines (e.g. Early Years Curriculum Guidelines, Building Waterfalls, Early Learning Framework etc) for the setting and region. If you are planning for the early years of school, use the curriculum/syllabus document for your own setting and state/country.
Formats do not have to mean a set style either, of boxes, columns etc. You could present your plan as a narrative, starburst or in any other way that suits your style.
What will you be looking for?
Always use the criteria sheet for this. This is what you are awarded grades on.
We will be looking for evidence of your understanding of the concept of creativity/higher order thinking, and your ability to apply this knowledge to practical situations with young children in the form of an inquiry project.
Because this is an academic assignment, you should show where ideas have been derived from the academic literature (i.e. you need to use references).
Some points to consider when working on Assessment Task 2
Assignment 2: Documentation
Ideas about how to teach ‘properly’ have been different in years gone by, and will probably be different again in another ten or twenty years. In our work with young children, we have a responsibility to consider, reflect, and live with the multiplicities of planning a learning program. As with all aspects of pedagogy, we are obliged to be aware of the very latest that theory, research, educators, teachers and children have to offer, and to make informed decisions about our own pedagogy. It is part of our work to be informed about the origins and evaluations of current thinking, and make informed decisions about what quality programs look like, sound like, feel like. The second assignment requires you to connect with the latest in both the theory and practice of education and contribute to the dialogue and exchange of ideas.
There are no specific requirements for ‘how’ you should present/manage your project, and you can be creative in your approach. A standard A4 or even poster/powerpoint type presentation is acceptable but you may consider presentation alternatives, for instance a presentation that employs multi-media tools such as CDs, DVDs, or web-based or digital resources.
You can Google hundreds of “lesson plans”, unit plans”, 101 ideas for teaching, and so on. However, this is not an exercise in locating a “recipe” nor a “theme”. By all means access these as resources, but quality pedagogy requires creativity and discernment on the part of the pedagogue, and this is what we are looking for in your work. Good teachers don’t recycle the same old same old year after year, but rather, take pleasure in the design, application and reflection and evaluation of learning experiences which fit particular children and contexts. Of course, this does not mean that planning and anticipation are out of the question. Planning and research are essential, but the plans must leave room for multiple entry points, and multiple developments… all designed to reach the desired outcomes.
This assessment requires that you demonstrate your knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, ideas, about teaching in the arts and sciences, and teaching for creativity and other higher order thinking. It is a reflective piece of documentation which will incorporate an awareness of relevant literature, the process and product of your project with young children and their involvement in the artistic/scientific processes, and your learning about artistic and scientific literacies. You are required to document your learning and engagement with pedagogy with young children.You should read about ‘documentation’ and see assessment 2 as a communicative act, a rich dialogue about the art of teaching - documentation of your thinking, documentation of pedagogy, documentation of processes and products related to your work with children and communities.
This assessment asks you to consider educator roles and strategies, ways of seeing children and children’s artistic and scientific endeavours, their interactions and ways of supporting their development in artistry and science. You should document:
children’s participation, interests, ideas, ways of knowing, artistic/scientific endeavours, interactions
responding to the diverse abilities and interests of all learners
your rationale including criteria for quality education practices in early childhood and ideas about supporting children’s developing artistry and science
pedagogical, curriculum and assessment knowledge, intentions and skills
teaching roles & strategies
plans, anticipatory webs, ideas for a sequence of learning experiences for supporting children’s development over a sustained period of time
plans for evaluation – what & how & why & when
resources needed, knowledge needed
problem solving, experimentation, risk-taking
links between theory and practice
relevant reading and research
reflection in and on action and supporting examples
evidence which demonstrates critical reflection
Because this is an academic assignment, you should show where ideas have been derived from the academic literature (i.e. you need to use references).
Notes
Assignment presentation is important. It is recommended that you adhere to the following:
- thoughtful and professional presentation of information
- check the outcomes for this assessment
- check the criteria sheet
- check spelling and grammar
- use academic references to support statements
- include Reference list
- use APA style (see Cite/write materials)
- attach Assignment criteria sheet to the assessment work