Professionalism in times of uncertainty—a conversation worth having, writes CATHARINE HYDON, who, among many contributions to the sector in Australia, is a leading advocate on ethics for early childhood education and care. In all of my conversations with colleagues about the ECA Code of Ethics and what it means to be an ethical professional, one […]
How are you going to face the long summer? You may have food and drinks in the fridge or plans to visit people who do. You probably have your fire survival and evacuation plan organised. But what about your ‘children and technology’ plan? Have you activated a plan for relaxing and avoiding conflict over children’s […]
It can be hard to keep up with new ideas and early childhood developments during the year, so to help you catch up or for inspiration to start the year on a strong footing, we’ve put together a list of ECA’s top reads from across the last year (2019). It’s a mix of favourites and […]
Last week I attended the launch of a NSW Government initiative to provide a visual guide to existing National Quality Standard (NQS) ratings. The graphic, to be displayed at the entrance to early childhood education and care services from January 2020, would reflect the existing rating of each service; information that is already public and […]
Meaningful photos in early childhood documentation As early childhood educators seek strategies for managing and creating meaningful documentation, KEETA WILLIAMS questions how photographs can be improved. Karen Hope recently discussed being pressured to produce a high volume of photographs, that may not always demonstrate learning. Keeta continues this topic by exploring how educators can improve […]
Pathways to professionalism and equal status, as well as a nationally consistent approach, are among the aspirations for professional registration of early childhood teachers. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR MARIANNE FENECH looks at a review of teacher registration in Australia to examine what it means for early childhood teachers and the pay gap and offers educators a chance to […]
Observing children is a great way of getting to know them. It’s also how we can gather information about their mental health and wellbeing, including noticing their strengths and behaviours that may cause concern or present possible signs of mental health issues. Read more about the behaviour, emotions, thoughts, learning and social relationships (BETLS) observation […]
‘Putting children on a hi-vis alert in the community is depriving them an opportunity to take responsibility for their own safety.’ KAREN HOPE and HELEN JENNINGS, explore what this means and give their perspective on pre-school aged children wearing hi-vis clothing when outside the enclosure of their early childhood setting. In parks, museums and other […]
Two important papers about Australia’s First Nations children were released in the same week in February. Both have implications for young children in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The joint ECA and SNAICC—Voice for our Children position paper reflects both organisations’ commitment to ensuring that First Nations children get equal opportunities in Australia and […]
PROFESSOR JOCE NUTTALL shares key findings from her research ahead of her presentation at the 2019 AJEC Research Symposium in Melbourne. What is the role of the educational leader in an early childhood service? What kinds of professional learning and support do educational leaders need? And how do we know if educational leaders are making a difference for […]
