Place, Play and the Languages of Science

    Unit code: ECE6010 | Study level: Postgraduate
    12
    (Generally, 1 credit = 10 hours of classes and independent study.)
    Footscray Nicholson
    Online Self-Paced
    VU Sydney
    N/A
    Overview
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    Overview

    This unit focuses on play and the agentic child. Through connecting with place, and playing in the space, students will build their knowledge of how play and the languages of maths, science, movement, and technology are articulated in early childhood as a means for young children (and all people) to express themselves as agentic human beings. Students will develop an understanding of the key concepts of each of these languages and how these languages can inspire multi-disciplinary experiences for young children to make meaning of their worlds.


    Five (5) days of placement in community play spaces will support students’ investigation into each of these concepts, while considering First Nations perspectives, engaging with place, and the entangled stories they encounter with the human and more-than-human. They will also use knowledge of early childhood development, theories, and research to help them understand how these languages operate in early childhood, and how the environment is the ‘third teacher’. By viewing the child as capable, this unit will inspire us to look beyond the traditional notions of these disciplinary/curriculum areas and to consider them as complex, ethical and political, and use hands-on inquiry experiences to build new knowledge.

    Learning Outcomes

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

    1. Articulate the value of place and children’s agency in play;
    2. Elucidate the language of maths, science, technology and movement in the context of early childhood and play;
    3. Evaluate physical activity, health and wellbeing as defined in policy documents, development theories, and curriculum frameworks.

    Assessment

    For Melbourne campuses

    Assessment type: Presentation
    |
    Grade: 20%
    A short digital presentation reflecting place and play
    Assessment type: Project
    |
    Grade: 30%
    A group project reviewing policy, stage theories, and curriculum frameworks defining physical activity, health and wellbeing
    Assessment type: Journal
    |
    Grade: 50%
    Create a play journal of early childhood experiences reflective of the languages of maths, science, technology and movement.

    Required reading

    All reading will be available through VU Collaborate.

    As part of a course

    This unit is studied as part of the following course(s):

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