Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor Dr Rebecca Andrews rebecca.andrews@mq.edu.au Contact via 9850 9781 but prefer via iLearn dialogue 29 Wallys Walk Room 269 Arrange via iLearn dialogue Tutor Ms Jennifer Burgess jenni.burgess@mq.edu.au Contact via via iLearn dialogue Off Campus Arrange via iLearn dialogue
Credit points	Credit points 20
Prerequisites	Prerequisites ECHX825 or ECEX825 or ECHX8250
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description This unit enables students to refine their roles as early childhood teachers. During the internship, students will have opportunities to strengthen their autonomy and independence as a teacher of young children as they explore their role within the centre and its local community. With increasing confidence, students will be able to justify their decision making as a teacher responding to the challenges of daily work in an early childhood centre. The internship contains a 30 day placement to be completed as three days a week over ten weeks. Students may complete the internship requirements in their own workplace where appropriate. All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA).

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

ULO1: Undertake candid self-assessment of progress towards both the unit learning outcomes and the Professional Teaching Standards
ULO2: Identify the importance of socially just practices associated with educational settings for children, families, and community
ULO3: Critically evaluate and utilise relevant theoretical and research literature to support teaching decisions
ULO4: Synthesise knowledge and skills development throughput the program in a teaching performance assessment
ULO5: Implement the requirements of the relevant statutory processes in relation to early childhood curriculum
ULO6: Communicate effectively as ethical, reflective and informed teachers when working with colleagues, children, families and other education and community stakeholders.

General Assessment Information

Assessment Presentation and Submission Guidelines

Please follow these guidelines when you submit each assignment:

Allow a left and right-hand margin of at least 2cm in all assignments.
Please type all assignments using 12-point font and 1.5 spacing.
All assessments must be submitted through Turnitin in .doc or .pdf format
It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all assessments are successfully submitted through Turnitin.
Faculty assignment cover sheets are NOT required.

Draft Submissions & Turnitin Originality Reports

Students may use Turnitin’s Originality Report as a learning tool to improve their academic writing if this option is made available in the unit.
Students are strongly encouraged to upload a draft copy of each assessment to Turnitin at least one week prior to the due date to obtain an Originality Report.
The Originality Report provides students with a similarity index that may indicate if plagiarism has occurred. Students will be able to make amendments to their drafts prior to their final submission on the due date.
Generally, one Originality Report is generated every 24 hours up to the due date.

Please note:

Students should regularly save a copy of all assignments before submission
Students are responsible for checking that their submission has been successful and has been submitted by the due date and time.

Assignment extensions and late penalties

In general, there should be no need for extensions except through illness or misadventure that would be categorised as serious and unavoidable disruption according to the University definition of same, see: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration
Applications for extensions must be made via AskMQ according to the Special Consideration policy. Extensions can only be granted if they meet the Special Considerations policy and are submitted via https://ask.mq.edu.au/. This will ensure consistency in the consideration of such requests is maintained.
Late submissions: Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests. Late penalties are applied by unit convenors or their delegates after tasks are assessed.
If a student is still permitted to submit on the basis of unavoidable disruption, an alternative topic may be set.
Students should keep an electronic file of all assessments. Claims regarding "lost" assessments cannot be made if the file cannot be produced. It is also advisable to keep an electronic file of all drafts and the final submission on a USB untouched/unopened after submission. This can be used to demonstrate easily that the assessment has not been amended after the submission date.

Requesting a re-assessment of an assignment

If you have evidence that your task has been incorrectly assessed against the grade descriptors you can request a re-mark. To request a re-mark you need to contact the unit convenor within 7 days of the date of return of the assignment and provide a detailed assessment of your script against the task criteria. Evidence from your assignment must be provided to support your judgements.

Note: Failed assessments cannot be re-marked as they are all double-marked as a part of the moderation process.

Please note: The outcome of a re-mark may be a higher/lower or unchanged grade. Grades are standards referenced and effort is NOT a criterion.

University policy on grading

Criteria for awarding grades for assessment tasks

Assignments will be awarded grades ranging from HD to F according to guidelines set out in the University's Grading Policy. The following descriptive criteria are included for your information.

Descriptive Criteria for awarding grades in the unit

In order to meet the unit outcomes and successfully pass this unit, students must make a genuine attempt at all assessment tasks. Where any submitted assessment task is considered to be unsatisfactory in this regard, the highest possible final grade that can be awarded for the unit will be 45.

Students will be awarded grades ranging from HD to F according to guidelines set out in the policy: https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/assessment-in-effect-from-session-2-2016

The following generic grade descriptors provide university-wide standards for awarding final grades.

Grade	Descriptor
HD (High Distinction)	Provides consistent evidence of deep and critical understanding in relation to the learning outcomes. There is substantial originality and insight in identifying, generating and communicating competing arguments, perspectives or problem solving approaches; critical evaluation of problems, their solutions and their implications; creativity in application as appropriate to the discipline.
D (Distinction)	Provides evidence of integration and evaluation of critical ideas, principles and theories, distinctive insight and ability in applying relevant skills and concepts in relation to learning outcomes. There is demonstration of frequent originality in defining and analysing issues or problems and providing solutions; and the use of means of communication appropriate to the discipline and the audience.
Cr (Credit)	Provides evidence of learning that goes beyond replication of content knowledge or skills relevant to the learning outcomes. There is demonstration of substantial understanding of fundamental concepts in the field of study and the ability to apply these concepts in a variety of contexts; convincing argumentation with appropriate coherent justification; communication of ideas fluently and clearly in terms of the conventions of the discipline.
P (Pass).	Provides sufficient evidence of the achievement of learning outcomes. There is demonstration of understanding and application of fundamental concepts of the field of study; routine argumentation with acceptable justification; communication of information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the discipline. The learning attainment is considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in relation to the specified outcomes
F (Fail)	Does not provide evidence of attainment of learning outcomes. There is missing or partial or superficial or faulty understanding and application of the fundamental concepts in the field of study; missing, undeveloped, inappropriate or confusing argumentation; incomplete, confusing or lacking communication of ideas in ways that give little attention to the conventions of the discipline.

Note: If you fail a unit with a professional experience component the fail grade will be on your transcript irrespective of the timing of the placement.

Withdrawing from this PG Unit

If you are considering withdrawing from this unit, please seek academic advice via https://ask.mq.edu.au before doing so as this unit may be a co-requisite or prerequisite for units in the following sessions and may impact on your progression through the degree.

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Hurdle	Due
Professional Portfolio	100%	No	Thursday 5th November 2020 11.59pm

Professional Portfolio

Assessment Type ¹: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task ²: 120 hours
Due: Thursday 5th November 2020 11.59pm
Weighting: 100%

The professional portfolio is the major written assignment for ECHX8290. It will focus on the questions: What does being a teacher mean to me? Approx 9000 words.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Undertake candid self-assessment of progress towards both the unit learning outcomes and the Professional Teaching Standards
Identify the importance of socially just practices associated with educational settings for children, families, and community
Critically evaluate and utilise relevant theoretical and research literature to support teaching decisions
Synthesise knowledge and skills development throughput the program in a teaching performance assessment
Implement the requirements of the relevant statutory processes in relation to early childhood curriculum
Communicate effectively as ethical, reflective and informed teachers when working with colleagues, children, families and other education and community stakeholders.

¹ If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

² Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

DELIVERY

Four Friday zoom workshop classes are held for this unit from 9.00am until 4.00pm (please see the detailed schedule in iLearn).

Workshop 1: 7 August

Workshop 2: 4 September

Workshop 3: 9 October

Workshop 4: 30 October

In the zoom workshops students will discuss issues and questions arising from their internship and readings. They are expected to base their arguments/discussions on evidence from published research and other relevant material. Students are also required to participate in small group activities, whole class discussion and to complete brief tasks either as individuals or in pairs. Attendance at all workshops is expected or work commensurate with missing the workshop will be required to be completed. There will be information in iLearn: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au

RESOURCES AND TEACHING MATERIALS

There is an expectation that you complete scholarly reading in this unit. It is an integral part of your study of unit ECHX8290.

Prescribed Text:

There is no prescribed textbook for this unit. This is a capstone unit and students are expected to read widely and build on previous readings.

It is expected that students have mastered APA referencing and get guidance by relevant resources, such as: https://libguides.mq.edu.au/referencing/APA7thEdition

Readings to get you started ... Ideally you should be reading in areas that assist your thinking and reflection from your internship.

Andrews, R., Van Bergen, P., & Wyver, S. (2019). Reminiscing and future talk conversations between young children, their early childhood educators and mothers. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 49, 254-268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2019.07.005

Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority. (2011). Guide to the national quality standard. Retrieved from https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/about/guide

Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Dockett, S., Farmer, S., & Death, E. (2018). Programming and planning in early childhood settings. (7^th ed.). Victoria: Thomson.

Bombro, A. L., Jablon, J., & Stetson, C. (2011). Powerful interactions: How to connect with children to extend their learning. Washington D.C.: NAEYC.

Burman, L. (2009). Are you listening? Fostering conversations that help young children learn. St Paul, Minnesota: Redleaf Press.

Curtis, D., & Carter, M. (2008). Learning together with young children: A curriculum framework for reflective teachers. Minnesota: Redleaf Press.

Department of Education, Employment & Workplace Relations (DEEWR). (2009). Belonging, being and becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

Department of Education, Employment & Workplace Relations (2010). Educators belonging, being and becoming: Educators’ guide to the early years learning framework for Australia. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

Department of Education, Employment & Workplace Relations (2010). The early years learning framework in action: Educators’ stories and models for practice. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

Danby, S., Fleer, M., Davidson, C., & Hatzigianni, M. (2018). Digital Childhoods. Technology in children's everyday lives. Singapore: Springer publications.

Fellowes, J., & Oakley. G. (2019) Language, Literacy and Early Childhood Education. (3rd ed.). Australia/New Zealand: Oxford University Press.

Fleet, A., Honig, T., Robertson, J., Semann, A., & Shepherd, W. (2011). What's pedagogy anyway? Using pedagogical documentation to engage with the early years learning framework. Retrieved from http://www.cscentral.org.au/Resources/what-is-pedagogy-anyway-.pdf

Giamminuti, S. (2013). "Dancing with Reggio Emilia: Metaphors for quality." Mt Victoria, NSW: Pademelon Press.

Hadley, F., & Rouse, L. (2019). Parent partnerships—does compliance influence your practice? The Spoke: http://thespoke.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/parent-partnerships-compliance-influence-practice/

James, A., & Prout, A. (Eds.). (2015). Constructing and reconstructing childhood: Contemporary issues in the sociological study of childhood. Routledge.

Jones, C. Hadley, F., Waniganayake, M., & Johnstone, M. (2019). Studying early childhood educator well-being: Applying Self Determination Theory as the theoretical framework. New Zealand Research in Early Childhood Education. 22 (2), p.9-17

MacNaughton, G. Rolfe, S., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (Eds.) (2010). Doing early childhood research: International perspectives on theory and practice. UK: McGraw-Hill Education.

MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. (2009). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice. (3^rd ed.). Sydney: Pearson Education.

McDevitt, T. M., Ormrod, J. E., Cupit, G., Chandler, M., & Aloa, V. (2013). Child Development and Education. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.

Millikan, J., & S. Giamminuti.(2014). Documentation and the Early Years Learning Framework. Australia: Pademelon Press.

NSW Department of Education and Communities. (2012). Great Teaching: Inspired Learning Discussion Paper. NSW Government.

O’Brien, M., Wade-Leeuwen, B., Hadley, F., Andrews, R., Kelly, N. & Kickbusch, S. (2018). Chapter 8: Learning to Be. In A. Ambrosetti, R. Capeness, J. Kriewaldt, D. Rorrison (Eds). Educating Teachers: Innovative Perspectives in Professional Experience. Singapore: Springer.

Patterson, C., & Fleet, A. (2011). Planning in the context of the EYLF: Powerful, practical and pedagogically sound. Research in Practice Series, 19(2), Canberra: ECA.

Sims, M., & Hutchins, T. (2011). Program planning for infants and toddlers: In search of relationships. Sydney: Pademelon press.

Sims, M., Waniganayake, M. & Hadley, F. (2019). What makes good even better? Excellent EC leadership. International Journal of Educational Management. 33 (4), p.573-586. DOI: 10.1108/IJEM-01-2018-0032

Wiltz, N. W., Watson-Thompson, O., Cawley, H. S. & Skelley, H. A. (2008). Developing and presenting a professional portfolio in early childhood education. Student Enrichment Series.

Useful journals for this unit

Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC)

Australian Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education

Childcare Information Exchange

Child Development (Top Journal in the field)

Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood (online www.triangle.co.uk/ciec)

Early Childhood Research and Practice (online http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/index.html)

Early Childhood Research Quarterly (Top Journal in the field)

European Early Childhood Education Research Journal

Early Years

International Journal of Early Childhood

International Journal of Early Years Education

International journal of teacher

Journal of Teacher Education (all levels – Top Journal)

Journal of Early Childhood Research

Young Children

Key Australian website references:

Association for Childhood Education International: http://www.acei.org

Australian Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA): http://acecqa.gov.au/

Australian Community Children’s Services (ACCS) (Previously NACBCS): http://www.ausccs.org.au

Australian Institute of Family Studies: https://aifs.gov.au/

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: www.aihw.gov.au

Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE): https://www.aare.edu.au/

Early Childhood Australia: http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

MyChild: http://www.mychild.gov.au/

European Early Childhood Research Blog: https://www.eecera.org/blog/

National Association for the Education of Young Childhood (American) (NAEYC) http://www.naeyc.org

Unit Web Presence

This unit has a full web presence through iLearn and zoom.

Students will need regular access to a computer and the Internet to complete this unit.

Weekly access to iLearn is compulsory for all students. Important assessment information will be posted here, as will other relevant unit notices and materials, including a reading template and guide to lecture note taking to assist your studies.

Various activities and materials for discussion and critical reflection are included and external students especially are encouraged to use this web component. Please check the iLearn unit regularly.

Access and technical assistance

Information for students about access to the online component of this unit is available at ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/. You will need to enter your student username and password.

Please do NOT contact the Unit Convenor regarding iLearn technical help.

No extensions will be given for any technical issues. Allow enough time for your submissions.

Assistance is available from IT Helpdesk ph: 1800 67 4357, or log a request at help.mq.edu.au. OneHelp is the online IT support service for both students and staff.

This unit requires students to use several ICT and software skills:

Internet access: The iLearn site contains materials for this unit; it is also required for the online submission of all Assessment Tasks, and for the use of Turnitin submission for ALL tasks.
Word processing, visual representations, and document formatting: You are required to use an appropriate form of software to present your assignments.
Uploading of assessment tasks to iLearn.
Library databases: You are required to use various research databases to locate sources for your assignment.

Using Turnitin

Turnitin is used to assist students with appropriate referencing and paraphrasing, and to detect plagiarism (see Section 12. A link to Turnitin is embedded in iLearn. You must submit your work to Turnitin.

APA Style Central

This referencing guide is accessed through the Library’s Multisearch function. It provides tools and templates to assist you to correct format citations in APA 7. See: https://libguides.mq.edu.au/referencing/APA7thEdition

Unit Schedule

SESSION 2 2020 TIMELINE
July 27 – July 31	Week 1
August 3 - August 7	Week 2	Friday 7 August Zoom Workshop 1
August 10 - August 14	Week 3	Internship commences Week 1
August 17 - August 21	Week 4	Internship continues Week 2
August 24 - August 28	Week 5	Internship continues Week 3
August 31 - September 4	Week 6	Internship continues Week 4 Friday 4 September Zoom Workshop 2
September 7 - September 11	Week 7	Internship continues Week 5
September 14 - September 18	Recess	Internship continues Week 6
September 21 - September 25	Recess	Internship continues Week 7
September 28 - October 2	Week 8	Internship continues Week 8
October 5 - October 9	Week 9	Internship continues Week 9 Friday 9 October Zoom Workshop 3
October 12 - October 16	Week 10	Internship continues Week 10
October 19 - October 22	Week 11	Internship makeup week for those affected by school holidays and illness.
October 26 - October 30	Week 12	Friday October 30 Professional Experience Report due to PE office Friday 30 October Zoom Workshop 4
November 2 - November 6	Week 13	Thursday November 5: Professional Portfolio due

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Appeals Policy
Academic Integrity Policy
Academic Progression Policy
Assessment Policy
Fitness to Practice Procedure
Grade Appeal Policy
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)

Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Department Procedures

In addition, the following policies and procedures of the School of Education are applicable in this unit.

Attendance at Workshops

Activities completed during the workshops are essential for building the core knowledge and/or skills required to demonstrate the learning outcomes of this unit [and to meet the AITSL Graduate Teacher Standards and/or ACECQA requirements]. Attendance at all workshops is expected and the roll will be taken.

Unit Expectations regarding Assessments

It is not the responsibility of unit staff to contact students who have failed to submit assignments. If you have any missing items of assessment, it is your responsibility to make contact with the unit convenor.

Electronic Communication

It is the student’s responsibility to check all electronic communication on a regular weekly basis. Communication may occur via:

Official MQ Student Email Address
The Dialogue function on iLearn
Other iLearn communication functions

Professional Experience Unit Placement Expectations

Students must be able to present evidence of completion of the following prior to session census date (or as otherwise advised) in order to receive a placement for Professional Experience:
A Working with Children Check or State/ Territory equivalent

Students are responsible for ensuring that their evidence is current. Please be aware that you may need to update your training or credential during your program of study.

A Working with Children Check or State/Territory equivalent is required by the end of Week 3 to be eligible for a placement. Students may need to withdraw from this unit if this has not been obtained in time.
Students who are completing a unit offered by another department are expected to inform and negotiate with that unit convenor about their professional experience block dates and to discuss how that unit's requirements can be met. For some situations, it may mean that you are enrolled externally for that unit so that your attendance for tutorials for that unit is not impacted.
Feedback from Tertiary Supervisors and/or Supervising Teachers is of a general nature. It is incumbent on the student to check the requirements of any assessments or bookwork prior to submission.
If a Student is identified being in need of additional support for Professional Practice and/or Bookwork, the  School’s ‘Additional Support’ procedure will be activated and they will not be able to withdraw themselves from this Unit.
The timing of placements can vary. For placements early in the Session, Fail grades may be approved by the University prior to the end of Session for students who do not meet the placement expectations of the Unit.

Fitness to Practice Requirements:

Macquarie University operates under a ‘Fitness to Practice’ model as specified in the University's Academic Progression Policy.  For this Unit, this means that, when undertaking a placement, a student is declaring that they are able to demonstrate professional competence, acceptable professional behaviour, freedom from impairment, and compliance with program specific requirements needed for a student to practice properly and safely throughout their Practical, Clinical or Professional program or unit. It is the responsibility of the student to determine whether they are fit to undertake a placement. Therefore, if a student is feeling unfit to undertake a placement, they should not do so. For more information https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/academic-progression

Early Childhood Professional Experience Units

To be eligible to commence the block placement component of this unit, students

Must have attended and participated in the unit component requirements prior to the commencement of the block (workshops)
Must meet the participation requirements for the unit

In order to meet the Professional Experience placement expectations of this unit, students must:

attain a ‘Satisfactory’ grade for their Professional Experience Practical Work in their Evaluation Report, AND
attain a ‘Satisfactory’ grade for their Professional Experience Folder in their Evaluation Report

Twice Fail Rule for Professional Experience Units

General Coursework Rules stipulate that if a student fails a required unit twice in a professional program, they may be permanently excluded from further enrolment in that program.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Macquarie University

ECHX8290 – Early Childhood Postgraduate Internship

2020 – Session 2, Fully online/virtual