Report
Word limit:?1000 words (+/- 10%)
Assignment overview
The purpose of this assignment is to write an article that reports on an early childhood topic. Early Childhood Australia produces a publication called?Every Child magazine?Links to an external site.(Early Childhood Australia Inc, 2020) that is written for the profession and has a practical focus. It includes 500-word (one-page) and 1000-word (two-page) articles written by academics, teachers and early childhood practitioners.
This assignment offers a real-world example of work that early childhood teachers might undertake as you write a report for this publication. You do not have to actually publish the article; however, it will help you communicate understandings of a key issue related to the unit to your peers in the profession.
This assignment supports?unit learning outcomes 5 and 6.
Using the skills, knowledge and understandings you have gained from the discussions, readings and content in the learning materials, choose one of the following five topics as the subject of your?Every Child?article.
Topics (Based on EYLF/EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHING)
The limitations of gendered childhoods for all children.
Early childhood education matters, it’s not just preparation for school.
Exploring a curriculum approach that helps to advocate for children to be heard in early childhood.
The ethical and pedagogical impact of using social media and digital culture in early childhood practice.
Digital technologies in the 21st-century for preschoolers.
Possible content to include
Format of article
The limitations of gendered childhoods for all children.
Define gendered childhoods.
What do gendered childhoods look like in EC practice?
What are the impacts of gendered childhood?
What are the benefits of non-gendered childhoods? (This would be a good space to include examples of how non-gendered childhoods look in EC education).
What is the role of the educator?
How and why is gender approached differently in the 21st-century?
Must include:
introduction (50–100 words)
quote
images
conclusion (50–100 words)
reference list.
Early childhood education matters, it’s not just preparation for school.
Look to the changing view/nature of contemporary childhoods. How is childhood viewed as an important stage in a lifespan to support healthy adult life and society?
How does ECE improve childhood outcomes? Provide examples.
Discuss the importance of supporting agency and voice.
Could include information on:
Millennium Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goals
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
How and why has the place of ECE changed in the 21st century?
Must include:
introduction (50–100 words)
quote
images
conclusion (50–100 words)
reference list.
Exploring a curriculum approach that helps to advocate for children to be heard in early childhood
Choose one curriculum approach for your report. Curriculum approaches could include (but are not limited to):
child-centred
emergent
holistic (play-based approach)
integrated approach.
What are the key ideologies behind the approach?
What are the goals of this approach?
What influenced this approach?
What pedagogy supports this approach to the curriculum? (e.g. how do educators teach through this approach to curriculum). Provide examples.
How and why is the voice of the child considered more important in 21st-century ECE?
Must include:
introduction (50–100 words)
quote
images
conclusion (50–100 words)
reference list.
The ethical and pedagogical impact of using social media and digital culture in early childhood practice.
How does social media support connectivity? E.g. communication and collaboration between families and centres.
Discuss the following in regards to social media:
privacy
confidentiality
accessibility.
How does social media support 21st-century pedagogy? (i.e. how is social media used in teaching practice to support the curriculum?)
Include examples of how social media is used in ECE.?
How might children’s experience of digital culture (e.g. YouTube, movies, computer games), influence or be incorporated into the ECE program?
Must include:
introduction (50–100 words)
quote
images
conclusion (50–100 words)
reference list.
Digital technologies in the 21st-century for preschoolers.
How does digital technology support 21st-century skills?
Include examples of digital technologies in ECE (link to pedagogy and practice).
Discuss:
technology in the curriculum (EYLF)
multimodal learning
digital literacy.
How and why has the evolution of digital technologies in the 21st-century impacted ECE??
Must include:
introduction (50–100 words)
quote
images
conclusion (50–100 words)
reference list.
View?Topic ideas?for possible suggestions of what content to include for your chosen topic.
Every Child?articles will be included in the essential readings throughout the unit to give you examples of how they are written and illustrated. Every Child magazine – Early Childhood Australia
Article format and structure
Use a program of your choice (e.g. Microsoft Word, Publisher, Adobe Spark Page) and the following guidelines to prepare your article:?
Use clear and concise writing.
Include an introduction that grabs the reader’s attention.
Use clear headings and dot points.
Use a communication tone appropriate for the ECE profession.
Illustrate with quality images/illustrations.
Format the writing in a newsletter-style with columns, and larger headings. Write in a friendly but professional manner, rather than a strictly academic style.?Every Child?aims to present a bright and attractive magazine that will entertain as well as inform.
Use a key quote in the article to highlight a key idea.
Include a conclusion that closes the topic.
Use a minimum of 4–6 references that are recorded in a reference list and are not included in the word count. APA7