Marsupial

We’d been fighting for 25%, so only 10% left to go. Glad to see UWU putting some pressure on.

This is a handy little resource for planning experiences or provocations in regards to literacy skills.

What the absolute fuck? Has anyone else seen this ad play on SBS, how can they advertise for such a piece of shit to spread his brand of hate here.

I've started a community to help learn and practice Irish/Gaeilge. I'm learning myself and would love to meet others who are also trying, or even people who can already speak who'd love to teach or just talk.

Links to Community:
Gaeilge
[email protected]
quokk.au/c/gaeilge

This is a useful primer to start thinking about how theories exist within the work we do.

• Developmental 
• Socio-cultural 
• Socio-behaviourist 
• Post-structural 
• Critical

These are 5 ways to break down ECE theory. Here’s a brief overview on what they may look like when applied.

Developmental theory focuses on how the child develops, physically and mentally. We focus largely on stages and broad milestones.

Socio-Cultural theory looks at how society affects the growth of a child. What does their family and community impart on them as values.

Socio-behaviourist theory is a focus on stimuli and interactions with environments. We might look at structured routines and positive or negative reinforcement.

Post-Structuralist theory is about challenging our own understandings. What is really best, is eating with cutlery a goal to achieve when at home a child’s household may use their hands more for meals. How do our own cultural values impact a child’s.

Critical theory seeks to challenge our power structures. Are we dictators of children’s development or do we value their input? Should social constructs be enforced or should we challenge them?

What are your views on them? Do you value any over the other, do you incorporate all these things into your practices?

Or at least lots of free dinosaur related content going on.

Did you know you can buy legit fossils of Spinosaurus teeth for like $9 online, could be a special memorable gift if any child really gets into them through these events.

Edit: and free zoo entry https://www.zoo.org.au/dinos-at-the-zoo

Curious to hear people’s ideas on how education would look in such a world.

For me, I’d like to see it moved away from testing and results based learning.

A stronger focus on physical engagement with things, e.g. learning biology by going out and cataloging wildlife and learning what’s in a local ecosystem before coming together and researching findings and looking for new questions to ask.

Less sitting around at desks being fed information and a greater focus on individual agency in exploring topics of interest.

Not to say there isn’t a time and a place for “high level” stuff where you need to deep dive into books and listen to lectures, but there needs to be a greater balance in methodology.

As the title says it's a community based around early years learning and development, so from birth up to pre-school.

Mainly aimed at educators, teachers, and anyone else who works with these age ranges but more than happy to field questions from parents who may be wanting more information to help them.

It's a bit of a niche community, so I'm going to struggle to grow it but Lemmy needs more industry professional spaces!

Edit: It's a .au domain, but the community is for everyone no matter where you live.

Links to Community: Early Childhood Education
[email protected]
quokk.au/c/earlychildhood

Do you use theory in any of your documentation or planning?

I personally find myself using Parten's model a lot, although I find a lot of the stages can occur differently depending more on a child's personality than their age. But it is useful for thinking about what sort of play the children may be engaging in.

I'm very much against the fully committing to one method, such as you see in Montessori or Steiner schools. Children need a much more holistic approach, using elements from everywhere.