EDUC06023 2022 Curriculum Planning, Assessment and Documentation 2

General Details

Full Title
Curriculum Planning, Assessment and Documentation 2
Transcript Title
Evaluating Curriculum Planning
Code
EDUC06023
Attendance
80 %
Subject Area
EDUC - Education
Department
SOCS - Social Sciences
Level
06 - NFQ Level 6
Credit
05 - 05 Credits
Duration
Semester
Fee
Start Term
2022 - Full Academic Year 2022-23
End Term
9999 - The End of Time
Author(s)
Maureen Haran, Aoife Cooney
Programme Membership
SG_EEARL_H08 202200 Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Early Education and Care SG_EEARL_H07 202100 Level 7 Professional Qualification in Education in Early Education and Care SG_EEARL_H07 202100 Level 7 Embedded Award in Education in Early Education and Care
Description

Curriculum, Assessment and Documentation II is part of a strand that progresses over two years. In Year Two, specific attention is paid to assessment and planning methods informed by the national curriculum and quality frameworks and childcare preschool regulations to identify children's developmental needs. Students will be encouraged to share individual perspectives on a democratic and critically reflective approach to the education of young children. The progression of Curriculum, Assessment and Documentation in relation to different approaches highlights the importance of engagement in regular self- reflection and group reflection which is grounded in reflective practice theory. The following are key elements that students within their spiralled learning journey will expound upon; curriculum design principles, curriculum planning as shared enquiry, assessment of and for learning, pedagogical documentation, pedagogical narration, evaluation of and reflection on practices. Through these elements, the role of the curriculum in supporting children's behaviours will be challenged. Building on the creating and organising effective learning environments scaffold, students will develop further critical thinking and understanding of the curriculum. The module will provide students with opportunities to critically analyse, evaluate and reflect on a range (including international perspectives) of Early Years curriculum, assessment, and documentation content and to use these to design and implement appropriate strategies that contribute to development as a practitioner.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module the learner will/should be able to;

1.

Examine principles of curriculum design when creating curricula and the concepts of assessment for learning, assessment as learning and assessment of learning when assessing

2.

Apply the concepts of democratic and participatory approaches to early education when planning, assessing and documenting children’s learning and experiences

3.

Compare and contrast international approaches to pedagogical documentation and specifically their role in supporting reflective practices

4.

Analyse the role of curriculum and assessment in supporting children’s behaviour and transitions

5.

Create individual setting policies in relation to curriculum, assessment and documentation

Teaching and Learning Strategies

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.

Students will engage with settings in order to apply the processes being taught. They will visit settings and explore their approaches and get to know children and plan from there. Videos will also be used to support learning in this module.

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.

Module Assessment Strategies

Students will create policies to reflect their understanding of best practice in relation to curriculum planning, assessment and documentation. An appendix to the policy will outline the rationale for choices made.

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 Assessments

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

Indicative Syllabus

LO 1: Examine principles of curriculum design when creating curricula and the concepts such as assessment for learning, assessment as learning and assessment of learning when assessing

Students will ensure that in curriculum planning they consider aspects such as progression, depth, breadth, challenge, personalisation, choice, enjoyment, coherence and relevance in relation to the experiences, environments and interactions that children are offered. Students will examine the difference between the AiFL approaches and consider when and why different approaches may be appropriate at different times. 

LO 2: Apply the concepts of democratic and participatory approaches to early education when planning, assessing and documenting

Students will build on their knowledge of the importance of children's rights in curriculum design, assessment and documentation and explore concepts such as democratic and participatory approaches to these practices. Links to approaches such as the Lundy model, the Mosaic approach and Harts ladder of participation will be explored to ensure that tokenistic approaches are avoided. Students will integrate their learning from their inclusive practices modules to ensure all children have access to the curriculum. Consideration of the importance of children's agency, rights, participation and children's cultural backgrounds as being central to these processes will be explored. 

LO 3: Compare and contrast international approaches to pedagogical documentation and specifically their role in supporting reflection

The importance of using documentation to explore the educator's own practices will be a fundamental element of this module. Moving beyond the role of celebrating the children's learning but also exploring the processes that support that learning through documentation will be facilitated. The importance of team work, discussion and collaboration as well as independent reflection will be explored.

LO 4: Analyse the role of curriculum and assessment in supporting children’s behaviour and transitions.

Children's behaviour is influenced by a number of variables. This includes the environments they are in, the experiences they are offered and the interactions they engage with. The vital role of assessment strategies in identifying behaviours in order to create a supportive environment and nurturing relationships will be explored. The provision of stimulating, interesting, relevant and meaningful experiences in supporting children's behaviour will be explored. Children experience many transitions in Early Years settings including moving into a setting, daily transitions and moving on from EEC settings.The role of curriculum planning in supporting these transitions will be examined. Consideration of how transitions can be reduced through day to day planning will also be considered. The role of documentation approaches such as Mo Sceal in supporting families and staff with transitions will also be explored. Students will make links to the Early Years Services Regulations (2016).

LO 5: Create setting policies in relation to curriculum, assessment and documentation

Students will learn to lead and co-ordinate curriculum planning, approaches, practices, monitoring and review. Students will create a policy for a setting that will outline an approach to curriculum planning, assessment methods and philosophy and documentation approaches. This will incorporate consideration of the inspection processes which require documentation such as programming and curriculum statements. Students will consider elements such as non contact time for process and the hidden curriculum as well as the language of measurement with a consciousness of the presence of power in language.

Coursework & Assessment Breakdown

Coursework & Continuous Assessment
100 %

Coursework Assessment

Title Type Form Percent Week Learning Outcomes Assessed
1 Policy Development Project Assignment 100 % Week 12 1,2,3,4,5
             
             

Full Time Mode Workload


Type Location Description Hours Frequency Avg Workload
Lecture Flat Classroom Lecture 2 Weekly 2.00
Tutorial Flat Classroom Tutorial 1 Weekly 1.00
Independent Learning Not Specified Independent Learning 3 Weekly 3.00
Total Full Time Average Weekly Learner Contact Time 3.00 Hours

Module Resources

Non ISBN Literary Resources

Boehm, A., & Weinberg, R. (1997)The classroom observer: Developing observation skills in early childhood settings (3rd Ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

Cadwell, L. B. (2003) Bringing learning to life : the Reggio approach to early childhood education. Teachers College Press (Early childhood education series). Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=cat05656a&AN=its.55091&site=eds-live&scope=site&custid=s7813921

Clark. A (2017) Listening to Young Children, Expanded Third Edition : A Guide to Understanding and Using the Mosaic Approach. London: National Children’s Bureau. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=nlebk&AN=1444233&site=eds-live&scope=site

Giudici, C., Rinaldi, C. and Krechevsky, M. (2011) Making Learning Visible: Children as Individual and Group Learners, Reggio Children, ISBN: 9788887960679

Hart, Roger A. (2016) Children's Participation: The Theory and Practice of Involving Young Citizens in Community Development and Environmental Care. 

Heydon, R. and Iannacci, L. (2009) Early Childhood Curricula and the De-pathologizing of Childhood. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=nlebk&AN=468749&site=eds-live&scope=site

Kinney, L. & Wharton, P. (2008) An Encounter with Reggio Emilia: Children’s Early Learning Made Visible., Abington: Routledge.

Sancisi, L. & Edgington, M. (2015). Developing High Quality Observation, Assessment and Planning in the Early Years: Made to Measure. Abington: Routledge

Wise, C., Bradshaw, P., Cartwright, M., (2013) Leading Professional Practice in Education SAGE The Open University

Journal Resources

Aras, S. & Tantekin Erden, F. (2019). Documentation panels: supporting young children’s self-regulatory and metacognitive abilities. International Journal of Early Years Education, DOI:10.1080/09669760.2019.1592743.

Kang, J. & Walsh, D. (2018). Documentation as an integral part of teaching: early childhood teachers’ systematic search for good teaching. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 39(4), 262-277.

Lindsay, G. (2015). Reflections in the mirror of reggio emilia's soul: John dewey's foundational influence on pedagogy in the italian educational project. Early ChildhoodEducation Journal, 43(6), 447. doi:10.1007/s10643-015-0692-7

Lundy, L. 2007. “‘Voice’ is not Enough: Conceptualising Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.” British Educational Research Journal 33 (6): 927–942. doi:10.1080/01411920701657033. [Taylor & Francis Online]

National Council for Curriculum Assessment (NCCA), (2009) Aistear the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework.

O Toole. L, & Hayes, N. (2020) Supporting positive behaviour in early childhood settings and primary schools : relationships, reciprocity, and reflection New York, NY : Routledge,

Palaiologou, I. (2016) Child Observation: A Guide for Students of Early Childhood (3rd Edn), SAGE, London. ISBN:978-1-4739-5240-9

Rintakorpi, K., & Reunamo, J. (2017). Pedagogical documentation and its relation to everyday activities in early years. Early Child Development and Care, 1-12.

Sancisi, L., & Edgington, M. (2015). Developing high quality observation, assessment and planning in the early years: Made to measure doi:10.4324/9781315750767

Saracho, O. (2015) Contemporary Perspectives on Research in Assessment and Evaluation in Early Childhood Education. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing (Contemporary Perspectives in Early Childhood Education). Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=nlebk&AN=1020077&site=eds-live&scope=site

Sousa, J. (2019). Pedagogical documentation: the search for children’s voice and agency. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 27(3), 371-384.

Tarr, P. (2010). Curiosity, curriculum, and collaboration entwined: Reflections on pedagogical documentation. Canadian Children, 35(2), 10-14

Thornton, L. & Brunton, P. (2009). Understanding the Reggio Approach: Early Years Education in Practice. (2nd Ed.)  Abington: Routledge.

Vecchi, V. (2010) Art and creativity in Reggio Emilia : exploring the role and potential of ateliers in early childhood education. Routledge (Contesting early childhood). Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=cat05656a&AN=its.54107&site=eds-live&scope=site&custid=s7813921

Wortham, S.C. and Hardin, B. (2015) Assessment in Early Childhood Education, Pearson, ISBN: 9780133802917

Wien, C.A., Guyevskey, V., & Berdoussis, N. (2011). Learning to document in Reggio-inspired education. Early Childhood Research & Practice, 13(2), 1-12

Wortham, S. C. (2012). Assessment in early childhood education (6th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Wortham, S.C. & Hardin, B.J. (2016). Assessment in Early Childhood Education (7th Ed.). USA: Pearson

Other Resources

https://ncca.ie/en/early-childhood/mo-sc%C3%A9al/

Aistear The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework NCCA     2009   

Siolta: The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education, CECDE 2017     

Additional Information