ECE 4009 Early Childhood Professional

Subject Cat-nbr Class Term Mode Description Units Campus
ECE 4009 41229 1, 2005 EXT Early Childhood Professional 1.00 Toowoomba
Academic group: FOEDU
Academic org: FOE004
Student contribution band: National Priority Teaching
ASCED code: 070101

Contents


STAFFING:

Examiner: Shirley O'Neill



REQUISITES:

Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: BEPR or BEEC or BESM or BESC or BEPG or BEPH or BPMH or BSMG or BECS or BECH or BEEG or BEEH or BPMU.


OTHER-REQUISITES:

Pre-requisite: Students may only enrol in external mode if they are enrolled in Program: BECH.

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:


Description Weighting (%)
1. Early childhood employment opportunities and the varying requirements of employers, teacher registration bodies and other accreditation processes
 10.00
2. Employment law, industrial representation and staff teamwork processes in varied early childhood service types
 20.00
3. Family law, tort of negligence, financial law, compliance with regulation and other legal issues in early childhood services
 20.00
4. Family and community consultation, interview and meeting procedures, writing of reports and proposals
 20.00
5. Impact of legislative and regulatory change and other current issues in early childhood education and care on policy and procedures formation
 15.00
6. Advocacy and leadership roles for early childhood professionals, including aplication of research and reflective practices
 15.00

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).

Rodd, J 1998, Leadership in Early Childhood: The Pathway to Professionalism, 2nd edn, Allen & Unwin, New York.




REFERENCE MATERIALS:

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Bell, J 1999, Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First Time Researchers in Education and Social Science, 3rd edn, Open University Press, Buckingham, UK.

Henderson, J G 2001, Reflective Teaching: Professional Artistry Through Inquiry, 3rd edn, Merrill, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Isenberg, J & Jalongo, M 1997, Major Trends and Issues in Early Childhood Education: Challenges, Controversies and Insights, Teachers College Press, New York.

Kemmis, S & McTaggart, R 1988, The Action Research Planner, 3rd edn, Deakin University, Melbourne.

Newman, L & Pollnitz, L 2002, Professional, Ethical and Legal Issues in Early Childhood, Pearson Education Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW.

Penn, H (ed) 1999, Early Childhood Services: Theory, Policy and Practice, Open University Press, Buckingham.

Ramsay, I & Shorten, A 1996, Education and the Law, Butterworths, Sydney.

Shoemaker, C C 1999, Leadership and Management of Programs for Young Children, 2nd edn, Merrill, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Taylor, B 2002, Early Childhood Program Management: People and Procedures, 4th edn, Merrill, Upper Saddle River.




STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

ACTIVITY HOURS
Assessment 46.00
Online Discussion Groups 7.00
Private Study 70.00
Project Work 40.00
Telephone Tutorials 2.00


ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

Description Marks out of Wtg(%) Due date
INDIVIDUAL FOLIO 40.00 40.00 25 Mar 2005
INDIVIDUAL PROJECT 60.00 60.00 29 Apr 2005

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

  1. Attendance requirements:
    (a) There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility 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 10% 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:
    (g) To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% in each of the summative assessments and at least 50% of the available weighted marks for the 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:
    There is no examination 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

1. (a) The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the Examiner. (b) Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be produced within 24 hours if required by the Examiner. (c) The examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances. (d) The Faculty will normally only accept assessments that have been written, typed or printed on paper-based media. (e) The Faculty will NOT accept submission of assignments by facsimile. (f) Students who do not have regular access to postal services or who are otherwise disadvantaged by these regulations may be given special consideration. They should contact the examiner of the course to negotiate such special arrangements. (g) In the event that a due date for an assignment falls on a local public holiday in their area, such as a Show holiday, the due date for the assignment will be the next day. Students are to note on the assignment cover the date of the public holiday for the Examiner's convenience. (i) Students who, for medical, family/personal, or employment-related reasons, are unable to complete an assignment or to sit for an examination at the scheduled time may apply to defer an assessment in a course. Such a request must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. One of the following temporary grades may be awarded IDS (Incomplete - Deferred Examination; IDM (Incomplete Deferred Make-up); IDB (Incomplete - Both Deferred Examination and Deferred Make-up).

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

  1. 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.