EDUC06022 2022 Curriculum Planning, Assessment and Documentation 1: Aistear

Explain the concepts of curriculum, assessment and documentation and the principles that underpin their use in EEC

Apply various methods of assessment, planning and documentation

Compare and contrast different approaches to assessment, curriculum planning and documentation

Describe how children’s rights can be integral to inclusive and democratic practices in relation to curriculum design, assessment approaches and documentation

Explain the benefits of sharing and reflecting on planning, assessing and documenting with children, parents/families, educators and others

This module will be underpinned by the Aistear Siolta Practice Guide Curriculum Foundation of Developing your Curriculum, Principles of Aistear and Siolta, Themes of Aistear and Professional Practices.

It will also be underpinned by the Partnership with Parents, Creating and Using the Learning Environment, Learning through Play, Planning and Assessing, Nurturing and Extending Interactions Pillars.

Siolta Standards 1 - Rights of the Child, 2 - Environments, 3 - Parents and Families, 5 - Interactions,  6 - play, 7 - Curriculum, 8 - Planning and Evaluation, 11 - Professional practice and the Aistear document on guidelines for good practice of Supporting Learning and Development through Assessment, Building Partnerships between parents and practitioner, Learning and Developing through interactions and Learning and Developing through play will be explored.

Video clips will be used to support learning in this module and connections will be made to the experiences with children that the students had in semester 1. Students will also be presented with a variety of types of documentation of assessment for a particular child. The documentation will demonstrate the child's interests and strengths. The students will respond to this documentation and develop a provocation/invitation to play to support the development of that interest.

This module will be delivered face to face with opportunities for learners to share their experiences through peer learning, professional collaboration and a collegial approach adopted throughout to facilitate the development of a community of practice. It will be supported through the Institute’s VLE. Students will be required to engage in discussion groups. Approaches considered may include; active Learning, brainstorming, consider diverse learning abilities, debate, discussions,  feedback loop, group work, inclusive teaching, integrate prior knowledge, interactive, lectures, modelling, peer-review, planning, problem solving, reflect, research, specified learning activities, tutorials, UDL.

Types of assessment:

Planning Templates

Students will create planning templates for discrete experiences, linked experiences and continuous provision elements.  This will be a shared assessment with the STEAM 1 module and the Early Language, Literacy and Numeracy module.

Essay

Students will complete an expository essay in relation to their thinking on topics such as the role of curriculum planning, assessment and documentation in the Early Years. They will reflect on how children and families have a central role in each of these elements of practice and consider how their understandings will impact on their practices.

Students will receive formative feedback for learning from both peers and the teaching team at different points in the module and will be provided with clear and timely notification of assessment requirements. Criteria for success will be shared when the assessment brief is published.

Repeat requirement will be determined based on failed components and will be recorded at Progression and Award Boards.

LO1: Explain the concepts of curriculum, assessment and documentation and the principles that underpin their use in ECEC

Students will explore definitions of curriculum relevant to the Early Years and the purposes of assessment and documentation in the Early Years. They will be introduced to concepts such as inquiry based curricula, emergent curricula and play based curricula. They will explore documentation as a tool for communication and the key role of planning in supporting children's learning. They will consider the principles of both Aistear and Siolta and how they can underpin planning, assessing and documenting. Students will make links to the Early Years Services Regulations (2016).

LO2: Apply different methods of assessment, planning and documentation

Students will engage with the types of planning, assessment and documentation as outlined in Aistear. They will apply theoretical principles to curriculum design, planning and assessment. Child centered and child lead planning will be explored and students will also explore the themes, aims and learning goals of the curriculum framework. Students will plan, assess and document in ways that are highly responsive to individual children’s strengths, interests, dispositions and needs and as part of enquiry based pedagogical practice. They will critique the use of specific approaches to planning for example thematic planning and long term planning and outline the importance of spontaneous planning and flexibility of approach. Planning for discrete experiences as well as continuous provision planning will be explored. Students will explore the use of assessment strategies such as self-assessment, conversations, observations etc to identify children's learning and development needs. Students will consider non narrative and narrative styles of documentation and the use of multimedia approaches to demonstrate children's learning and development. Students will engage with the concept of the planning cycle and the planning of daily routines in a setting. Students will consider the importance of understanding each child as a unique individual with their own cultural heritage and funds of knowledge when engaging with curriculum design, assessment and documentation. 

LO 3: Compare and contrast different approaches to assessment, curriculum planning and documentation

Students will examine the benefits of different types of planning, assessment and documentation as well as the disadvantages of them. This will include consideration of issues such as of accessibility of information to a variety of people and the depth of information captured. It will also consider the view of the child that is present in relation to different approaches. Students will consider the importance of including the role of the adult at each stage of the planning cycle and will build on previous modules which ensure that inclusive approaches are employed and that nurturing and playful interactions are supported. A variety of approaches to observation and conversation will be explicitly explored. 

LO 4: Describe how children’s rights can be integral to curriculum design, assessment approaches and documentation

Students will explore the role of the voice of the child in ensuring practice is highly responsive to individual children’s strengths, interests, dispositions and needs and as part of enquiry based remapped to pedagogical practice. planning experiences, environments and interactions in relation to curriculum design. They will consider the importance of the principle of the best interest of the child in relation to ethical approaches to assessment and documentation. The crucial role of the adult in facilitating this approach to practice will be considered. 

LO 5: Explain the benefits of sharing and reflecting on planning, assessment and documentation with children, parents/families, educators and others

Students will outline the positive impact of the inclusion of children and families in curriculum planning. The important role of parental voice will be explored. The role of documentation in supporting reflective practices to review practices individually and collectively and evaluate educational practices. Building partnerships between families and settings will be considered. The importance of team work and communication between educators to share and exchange expertise with colleagues will also be explored. Students will consider different professionals who may engage with their assessment, planning and documentation.