ECE 4009 Early Childhood Professional

STAFFING:

REQUISITES:

OTHER-REQUISITES:

RATIONALE:

Early childhood educators commencing employment and undertaking administration at the beginning of their careers require knowledge of personal and professional characteristics, skills and responsibilities which are associated with effective educational practice. Since the range of early childhood employing bodies and associated industrial settings is broad, beginning educators would be advantaged by knowledge of employment processes relating to a variety of early childhood services and by possession of skills in meeting differing requirements for commencing employment. Awareness of current issues and trends in the early childhood field would also enable early childhood professionals to make informed choices in adapting to changing policy environments, undertaking advocacy for young children and families and developing teamwork and leadership skills.

SYNOPSIS:

This course will introduce beginning early childhood educators to employment and management issues which will be expanded in a subsequent administration course and will offer professional development designed to assist with individual career commencement. It will incorporate practical skills for early childhood educators seeking employment, working with other staff and the community, responding to policy change and maintaining procedures which reflect current legal and ethical requirements. Current issues and trends in the early childhood field will be related to policy directions and the role of the early childhood professional in research, leadership and advocacy. IMPORTANT NOTE: Working with Children: State law in Queensland requires that all adults (including university students, pre-service educators, trainers, vocational teachers, industry educators) working with children under the age of 18, in the State of Queensland*, obtain approval before commencing such work. Many education courses include a practical component (professional experience, project work, research, assessment etc.) that may require engagement with children under the age of 18. It is your responsibility to ensure that you possess a current suitability card (Blue Card) before commencing any practical components of this course. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN UNDER 18 UNLESS YOU POSSESS A CURRENT 'BLUE CARD'. For further information: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html *If you are undertaking practical experience outside the State of Queensland, Australia you should check local requirements.

OBJECTIVES:

On completion of this course students will be able to:

1. Identify requirements of a range of early childhood employers and accrediting bodies;
2. outline major legal responsibilities of early childhood educators;
3. prepare reports, proposals, policy and procedures documents for early childhood service administration;
4. relate current issues in early childhood education to policy change;
5. analyse current legislative and regulatory changes and the impact on early childhood services;
6. identify strategies for meeting management, interviews, advocacy, and teamwork.

TOPICS:

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   (b) It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   (b) To complete each of the assignments satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for each assignment.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   (a) If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval then a penalty of 5% of the total marks available for the assignment will apply for each working day late.
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   (a) To be assured of a passing grade, students must demonstrate, via the summative assessment items, that they have achieved the required minimum standards in relation to the objectives of the course by satisfactorily completing all summative assessment items.
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   (a) The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
6. Examination information:
   (e) There is no examination in this course.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   (d) There will be no Deferred or Supplementary examinations in this course.
8. University Regulations:
   Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES