Course overview
This course will consolidate and extend students' body of knowledge in early childhood education theory, and develop understanding of the professional educator's role as a leader and advocate. Students will describe and reflect on their beliefs about early childhood, their values and their roles as early childhood educators. Students will prepare for successful transition into the professional workforce on graduation by preparing a professional package. Students will also engage in early childhood leadership and advocacy theory and will negotiate, implement and evaluate a site/agency/service-based project. Using the course readings and other materials and their practical project experience students will critically reflect on course topics including professional approaches and decision-making in early childhood settings, communicating a vision, leadership styles and team work, mentorship, ethical responsibilities of early childhood leaders including partnerships with families and communities, leading change, building and maintaining professional networks, managing stress and conflict, and meeting administrative requirements.
Course learning outcomes
- Reflect on and evaluate their own body of knowledge about early childhood, and their own technical and communicative skills.
- Analyse complex problems within the early childhood field, both autonomously and in collaboration with families/ communities/ other professionals in the early childhood field.
- Generate ideas for solutions to the problems identified (in objective 2), both autonomously and in collaboration with families/ communities/ other professionals in the early childhood field.
- Autonomously and collaboratively lead proposed solutions to the problems identified (in objective 3).
- Demonstrate professional judgement, adaptability and responsibility as practitioners and learners in their achievement of objectives 2-4.
- Evaluate their own skills and knowledge relevant to early childhood leadership theory and practice.
- Communicate their achievements and future learning needs relevant to objectives 1-6.