TCHR2002 : Children, Families & Communities

Rationale

Working with and supporting children and families within the context of their community is an important aspect of an early childhood teacher’s role as this reflects the lives and learning of children. Knowing children, families and communities presents opportunities and challenges and being able to identify, compare and critique the diversity of issues that children and families experience in contemporary communities in Australia is a vital skill.

Assessment Description

The aim of this assessment is for pre-service teachers to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding regarding some of the historical and diverse issues facing children and families in contemporary communities. This assessment aligns with the unit learning modules 1-3 and requires you to reflect upon key issues presented in the unit content and complete three (3) x 500-word responses to the following topics.

Topic 1: Historical childhood influences

Think about one or two issues that influence children’s lives today and how this has changed over the last 20-50 years. With reference to the unit content compare and critique how contemporary life may enhance or hinder outcomes for children and families compared to how life influenced them in the past. Pay attention to the ideas about how contemporary childhoods are constructed in an Australian or Global context. Frame your answer using the levels in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model including an understanding of the concept of proximal processes.

Topic 2: First Nations childhoods

Culturally responsive educators are knowledgeable of each child and family’s context including how to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in the curriculum. Make relevant links to the Early Years Learning Framework V.20 (AGDE, 2022) in your discussions.

• Discuss the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being able to see themselves, their identities and cultures reflected in their learning environment.

• Identify why creating an intercultural space is important for all children and families?

Topic 3: Gender equity scenario

You are employed as the teacher in an early childhood education setting where a new family has recently enrolled their four-year-old daughter, Eliza. When Eliza arrives one morning some of the children ask if she is a boy or a girl. Eliza says, “I am a girl” and the children say “you don’t look like a girl so you can’t play with us”. Discuss the following points with reference to the unit content:

• What specific language and strategies would you use to address the children’s being, belonging and becoming in this situation?

• Give examples of how can you teach gender equity as part of an anti-bias curriculum that has been outlined in the unit content, with children aged 3-5 years-of-age?

• How could you communicate the principles of an anti-bias curriculum and gender equity with families?

Assessment Instructions

Formatting and style
APA 7 formatting is required for this task.

• Include the TCHR2002 A1 cover page that can be found in the assessment 1 folder.

• Acknowledge how and if you have used AI in your assessment.

• Give evidence of your Special Consideration application if you have applied for this

• Include clear headings for the topics you are responding to

• Indent the first line of each new paragraph.

• Use a 12-point font.

• Use a 1.5- or double-line space for your writing and your reference list as this gives spaces for the markers to write feedback.

Referencing

• APA 7 Referencing style is required to be used for this task. Please refer to the APA 7th Referencing Guide for this task - https://libguides.scu.edu.au/apa

• Create a reference list on a new page at the end of task with a minimum of ten references, although you may use more

• At a minimum, your sources for this task will include the unit required text, unit readings, EYLF v.20 (AGDE, 2022) and broader literature.

• Broader literature may include textbooks, peer reviewed articles, and other authoritative sources.

Assessment Submission

• Submit using the submission point in in the Assessment Task 1 folder and Submission section on the Blackboard TCHR2002 site.

• Label your final submission with your surname and initials and the assessment task’s name, e.g. SmithJ_PortfolioTask1.doc

• You are strongly advised to undertake your own SIMILARITY CHECK via the Turnitin Draft checker, PRIOR to the due date, to identify and resolve any academic integrity issues prior to submitting - see SCU Academic Integrity and Turnitin. You can submit up to three times and receive the similarity match report immediately – after three attempts, you will need to wait 24 hours.

• It is your responsibility to ensure that you have submitted the correct file and the final version of your assessment for marking before the due date/time.

• Turnitin does not generate an automatic email receipt. If you have successfully uploaded your assessment, a green bar will appear at the top of the screen that says: Submission uploaded successfully: Download digital receipt. Use the hyperlink to download your digital receipt and store this with your assignment file.

• If you have any difficulty submitting your assignment, log a job with Technology Services by email so you have evidence of your attempted submission. To avoid any last-minute problems, make sure you submit well before 11:59pm on the due date.