The sustainability practices educators implement in services give children the opportunity to learn how they’re making a difference towards a sustainable future. HESTA is committed to driving change, stating in their recent ‘Our path to net zero, ‘Climate change is one of the most significant threats to our economy, society and environment and it is […]
Written by Zid Mancenido, Senior Manager, Research and Evaluation and Amie Fabry, Senior Researcher at the Australian Education Research Organisation. Hensman Street Elementary in Perth is looking into research on play and inquiry. ‘Our observations, videos, photographs and records tell us how our children are engaging in learning and interacting with peers, the environment and our […]
It has been a busy and sometimes challenging year for many in the early childhood field. Educators have supported children and families through periods of lockdown, restrictions and uncertainty, while researchers, policy-makers, students and others working in the sector have dealt with all the change brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year has also […]
Using robots to support children’s social and emotional development: A five-step framework In an early learning centre, George (3 years and 8 months old) and Theo (4 years and 2 months old) are playing with a LEGO BOOST robot that is coded via a tablet. Their educator is guiding their play, as this is a […]
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, or FASD, is often described as the invisible disability. With September being FASD Awareness month, it seems like a fitting time to discuss what FASD is, some of the ways it affects children and families, and the impact it has on development, thereby hopefully making it visible. What is Fetal Alcohol […]
Touchscreen devices are becoming more prevalent in everyday life. They feature as a key tool for daily tasks and entertainment for most adults and children. They are especially easy for young children to use, resulting in increased engagement and broader scope for digital play (Lowrie & Larkin, 2020). In fact, it is common for children […]
Governments across Australia have engaged Macquarie University, Queensland University of Technology and Edith Cowan University to lead the 2021 National Quality Framework Approved Learning Frameworks Update project. The aim is to ensure the ongoing currency and relevance of the two Approved Learning Frameworks (ALFs): Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia […]
From the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, the early childhood sector was tasked with expanding their required health practices to include up-to-date, health information to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among staff, families and children. Despite considerable concern about their own health and safety, educators and providers responded quickly to this new challenge, drawing on their established health knowledge […]
Science and gender equality are both vital for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Over the past decades, the global community has made a lot of effort in inspiring and engaging women and girls in science. Yet women and girls continue to be excluded from participating […]
We have heard so many times in the last year that we are experiencing unprecedented times, and indeed we are. This quote from Monbiot (2017, p. 1), highlighted in the concluding chapter of Claire Cameron and Peter Moss’s new book, aptly outlines the situation: The old world, which once looked stable, even immutable, is collapsing. […]
