Back to VCAA Bulletin No. 53 - October 2019
New resource:
Learning Practice Guide
The
Learning Practice Guide, part of the VCAA's series of literature reviews and practice guides about the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF), is now available for early childhood professionals.
The VEYLDF describes five Learning and Development Outcomes. The information and reflective scenarios in this practice guide will help professionals engage with key concepts of the VEYLDF, particularly the Learning and Development Outcome: 'Children are confident and involved learners'. This Outcome has the following four key components of learning:
- Children develop dispositions for learning, such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity.
- Children develop a range of skills and processes, such as problem-solving, enquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating.
- Children transfer and adapt what they have learnt from one context to another.
- Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies and natural and processed materials.
The
Learning Practice Guide, written by Dr Jen Jackson and Kate Noble (Mitchell Institute, Victoria University), Dr Jeanne Marine Iorio (College of Arts and Education, Victoria University) and Dr Dan Cloney and Pru Mitchell (Australian Council for Educational Research), focuses primarily on the Practice Principle, 'Assessment for learning and development'. Its relevance also extends to the other seven principles, reflecting the integrated nature of early childhood practice. The effective assessment of children's learning and development can provide a strong evidence base for early childhood professionals' critical reflection, conversations with families or other professionals about children's progress, and efforts to improve equity and responsiveness to diversity.
The first section reminds early childhood professionals of the theory and pedagogy that underpins day-to-day practice, and helps them find ways to recognise children's confidence and involvement in learning as a key component of their professional practice.
The second section describes scenarios to prompt professional reflection, and illustrates ways in which early childhood professionals can improve their practice in relation to this Learning and Development Outcome.
A summary of research about the four key components of learning, and how they can be assessed, is available in
Assessment of Children as Confident and Involved Learners in Early Childhood Education and Care: Literature Review. The
Learning Practice Guide complements this literature review by describing how the Learning and Development Outcome can be supported in practice.
Watch videos of Dr Jen Jackson and Dr Dan Cloney discussing the assessment of children's learning.
Online Transition Learning and Development Statement: FAQs and available supports
The Online Transition Learning and Development Statement (Online TLDS) has reopened for 2019. As many early childhood educators are starting to plan, here is some timely information to support this process.
What should families know about the Online TLDS?
The TLDS seeks family's views on their child's transition and also, importantly, incorporates the child's own voice around their hopes and goals for primary school. The Online TLDS is a collaborative effort and the planning period is the ideal time to start engaging families in the process.
The TLDS is completed online for most children moving to primary school. Parents have the option to opt out of the online version if they choose, so this is an ideal time to chat with the family to make sure that they know this. To support this conversation, early childhood educators should provide them with the
Introduction to transition information sheet, which is available in a range of different languages on the Department of Education and Training's website.
The family does not want to use the Online TLDS. What should be done now?
A TLDS should still be completed for the child, the electronic statement can be used. The electronic statement can be found via the
Transition learning and development statement webpage.
Having trouble logging in?
A new username and password was sent to all kindergarten and long day care services on 25 July 2019 to the service email listed in National Quality Agenda IT System.
As this was sent in an email from the organisation 'LinkIt', first ensure that this is not in the junk folder. If the details still can not be found, early childhood educators can
access the login page and generate a new temporary password by entering their user name (which is the service ID number, including the SE- part) into the login page and selecting the 'lost password' button.
Need some help with using the Online TLDS?
There is a
range of resources available to support early childhood educators in using the Online TLDS, including user guides, support videos and tip sheets.
Still not able to log in or have other questions?
For IT support, early childhood educators can contact the State Library Victoria: (03) 8664 7001 (toll free 1800 629 835) or
support@kindergarten.vic.gov.au.
For any other enquiries, contact the Transition to School team:
psts@edumail.vic.gov.au.