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ECE2112 Understanding and Managing Young Children

Subject Cat-nbr Class Term Mode Description Units Campus
ECE 2112 78923 2, 2008 EXT Understanding and Managing Young Children 1.00 Toowoomba
Academic group: FOEDU
Academic org: FOE004
Student contribution band: National Priority Teaching
ASCED code: 070101

Contents


STAFFING

Examiner: Deborah Geoghegan
Moderator: Karen Noble


OTHER REQUISITES

State law in Queensland (Australia) requires that all adults working/undertaking professional experience/researching with children under the age of 18, in the state of Queensland are required to possess a current suitability card (Blue Card). (See "Other Requirements" for further information.) Also see: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html.


RATIONALE

It is our responsibility as early childhood educators to guide young children so that they can become responsible, competent and fully functioning members of their culture and society. Learning to behave thoughtfully is a developmental task and as educators we must ensure that we provide a child-centred environment, appropriate curriculum, caring and knowledgeable staff and high-quality interactions which encourage and nurture the social and emotional development of the child. Protection from harm and the risk of harm, from whatever source, is fundamental to meeting each child's personal and academic needs.



SYNOPSIS

The goal of constructive guidance of children in the early years is to give them the confidence to take increasing responsibility for their own actions and to understand the effects of their actions on others. This course focuses on the skills, behaviours and theories that underpin encouraging considerate behaviour in children. It aims to develop students' understanding of children's behaviour, based on the principles of a 'guidance approach' to discipline. A fundamental principle of this approach is empowering children to think for themselves. It emphasises positive relationships among all stakeholders in the lives of children.



OBJECTIVES

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. The assessment item(s) that may be used to assess student achievement of an objective are shown in parenthesis. On completion of this course students will be able to:

1.
understand a guidance approach to discipline (case study - part A; and case study - part B)
2.
explore ways to prevent disruptive behaviours in young children (case study - part A; and case study - part B)
3.
illustrate responses to disruptions that are congruent with educational goals and that enhance the social and emotional development of children (case study - part A; and case study - part B)
4.
identify forms of child abuse and its effects and understand mandatory reporting procedures (case study - part A; and case study - part B)
5.
identify additional means of guiding the behaviour of children with atypical development (case study - part A; and case study - part B)
6.
constructively contribute to and participate in the collaborative professional learning culture (case study - part A; and case study - part B)
7.
communicate appropriately in both oral and written forms (case study - part A; and case study - part B).
8.
Demonstrate competence in written language and scholarly writing including correct spelling, grammar, and bibliographic referencing.


TOPICS


Description Weighting (%)
1. Valuing children
 20.00
2. Understanding behaviour
 20.00
3. Principles of behavioural guidance
 30.00
4. Challenging behaviours
 20.00
5. Collaboration
 10.00

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).

Book of readings. (The book of readings is available for purchase from the USQ bookshop.)

Beaty, J 2006, 50 Early childhood guidance strategies, Pearson Education, Australia.

Porter, L 2003, Young children's behaviour: practical approaches for caregivers and teachers, 2nd edn, MacLennan & Pethy, East Gardens, NSW.



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.

Whether you are on, or off campus, the USQ Library is an excellent source of information http://www.usq.edu.au/library/. The gateway to education resources is here ....http://www.usq.edu.au/library/faculties/education/default.htm

Gartrell, D 2003, A guidance approach for the encouraging classroom, 4th edn, Thomson Delmar, Clifton Park, NY.

Kohn, A 2006, Beyond discipline: from compliance to community, Association for Supervision & Curriculum Developmt, Alexandria, VA.

Kohn, A 1999, Punished by rewards: the trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, A's, praise and other bribes, 2nd edn, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA.

Porter, L 2006, Student behaviour: theory and practice for teachers, 3rd edn, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, NSW.



STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY HOURS
Assessments 50.00
Directed Study 72.00
Private Study 43.00


ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description Marks out of Wtg(%) Due date
ASSIGNMENT 1 40.00 40.00 12 Sep 2008
ASSIGNMENT 2 60.00 60.00 27 Oct 2008

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

  1. Attendance requirements:
    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:
    To complete each of the assignments satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for each assignment. To complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must demonstrate their ability to write clearly, grammatically correctly and with accurate spelling and punctuation. Plagiarism will result in a fail grade for the course.
  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    If students submit assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded. No assignments will be accepted after model answers have been posted.
  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    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:
    There is no examination in this course.
  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    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

1. 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.
2. Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be produced within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt of request being made by the examiner. The student must retain this copy until the grade for this course has been finalised.
3. In accordance with the University's assignment extension policy (Regulation 5.6.1), the examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances.
4. The Faculty will normally only accept assessments that have been written, typed or printed on paper-based media. The Faculty will NOT accept submission of assignments by facsimile. 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.
5. In the event that a due date for an assignment falls on a local public holiday in their area, the due date for the assignment will be the next working day. Students are to note on the assignment cover the date of the public holiday for the examiner's convenience.
6. Students who have undertaken all of the required assessments in a course but who have failed to meet some of the specified objectives of a course within the normally prescribed time may be awarded the temporary grade: IM (Incomplete - Make up). An IM grade will only be awarded when, in the opinion of the examiner, a student will be able to achieve the remaining objectives of the course after a period of non-directed personal study.
7. 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).
8. When there is more than one marker for a single item of assessment, the distributed patterns and means for the different markers will be compared and marks adjusted if necessary.
9. Marking criteria are provided in course material as mark sheets/guides or as part of assignment specifications.
10. Summative assessment items will receive a numerical score. Any ungraded assessment requirement will receive a Pass, Fail or Incomplete.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

  1. Students will require access to e-mail and Internet access to USQConnect for this course.
  2. Students are to use a recognised referencing system as specified by the examiner.
  3. Students will need access to young children.
  4. 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.

This version produced 28 Aug 2009.
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