🌏 Termly planning cycle

Updated November 22, 2023 00:36

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“Knowledgeable and skilful educators are integral to the environment creating the right conditions to enable children to progressively become more capable learners.”
(Learning to Learn: Positive dispositions as a ‘learning curriculum)

When thinking about child's planning and supporting families and children through their learning journey, I understand that not all of you are planners, however, we all have a responsibility to the community we teach and empower and it is important that you are all across the planning cycle and have an understanding of how it needs to be embedded and why. All educators at Woodlands ELC needs to understand how the planning works and why we do what we do, we all have a responsibility ensure children are empowered and lead their future learning that sets them up for success. Programming and planning ensures that we all are provided with the correct skills and have a clear understanding on how to collect data that supports each child individually and as a group through, observations, the implementation stage, reflecting/evaluating and analysing.

Formative Assessment.

This is a useful tool for educators to be able to clearly identify the chid's learning abilities that will support you to identify the leaning focus (individual goal) the child needs at that time. The formative assessment will help the educator create an 'individual goal' for the child and is a way for the educator to build on their knowledge about the child's abilities and what learning is important to focus on that supports the child's development in that moment of their learning.
It is to be done twice a year at the minimum, in January and in July.

Assessment ‘for children’s learning’, also known as formative assessment, is when information about what children know, can do and understand is gathered and analysed to inform pedagogy and planning.

This document is preferred to not to be shared with families, as there could be information in there that they may not agree with, however, you know the families you have in your Campus best, and if you feel that by shearing this document would support your conversation, then share the information respectfully and be mindful of the language you use with families.

Extended guide on a Formative Assessment:

Stonly visual guide:https://stonly.com/sl/8afeecea-68ac-41f4-9267-4d5509b4c0f8/Steps/

Observations.

The phase of the planning cycle is about observing each child and collecting information on their current knowledge, strengths, skills, abilities, interests as well as culture and background.

Observations can take place during every day routines, as the child interacts with their peers through activities, or during spontaneous learning throughout the day with a small/large group of children or through solitary play.

They are completed on Playground under the 'observation' tab on the left side, then select 'new'. (Please see below link to access how and where you can find this process)

You can also document observations on the reflection template under the section that caters to the observation and on the curriculum plan under 'observation'.

Remember when documenting observations note down only what you have seen and heard, focus on the facts, remain judgemental and don’t allow your views, values, feelings or background influence what you note during the observation.

Extended guides on observations:

detailed written guide: https://woodlandsteam.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8296412288143-Observation-s-

Stonly visual guide: https://stonly.com/sl/b1a71510-ac70-4186-9f7f-b80a44bf0773/Steps/

Analysing (assess).

This stage requires the educator to analyse the information gathered through previous observation, data collection and draw insights related to the child’s learning development. The educator not only needs to reflect on what the child has been learning about, but also how the learning formed and what came from that. Ensure the learning is linked to approved learning frameworks (EYLF or VEYLDF). Based on your analysis of learning what will you follow through with to further support the child's development skills based on their interests?

Through the child's learning has the team been able to support child's wellbeing and provided safe modelling practices through their learning development?
While analysing that data collected, the educator might think about some analysing questions like:
What does this information tell us about the child‘s learning development while evaluating the evidence (written, images, videos, notes) collected?

Detailed written guide: https://woodlandsteam.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6748225853327--Evaluate-and-Analysis-of-learning

Screenshot 2023-11-09 at 8.53.53 pm.png

Planning.

Once the educator has analysed the observations gathered through documentation, the next step is to plan experiences, interactions and environments that build on children’s interests, abilities and identities based on the learning outcomes outlined in approved learning frameworks (EYLF or VEYLDF).

It is important to include the families voice and developmental needs of their child/ren's into your planning.

While planning the educator might need to reflect on their own intentions, and teaching techniques or strategies, to ensure children are being supported for furthering learning through their developmental stages. Planning is a visual way that guides educators through their professional decision-making and assists in the planning, implementation and with evaluating high quality educational programs and practices in early childhood settings. Planning involves choosing appropriate challenging learning strategies, resources, collaborating with the team you work in, setting up the necessary learning environments that support your documentation and the child's voice and learning needs.

The reason for this, is when someone else walks into the room they need to be able to clearly see how the connections are formed and evolving form the curriculum plan to the learning experiences set up on the floor that link to the children's learning goals, needs and abilities.

NOTE: Don't need to work at all outcomes at once, a maximum of 2 per cycle- every 3 months, should be a new individual planning cycle for each child

Something to think about when on planning:
1. Is the planning visible and clear to every educator that comes into the room?
2. Can I and others identify and easily find what each child's individual goals are?
3. Go into your planning time with the knowledge and clarity of what you need to to.
4. When I have finished planning, how can I best communicate this to the educators I work along-side?
5. Have I provided challenging learning experiences for the children to be able to build on their learning further?
6. Am I setting children up for success through their learning?

https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/edcare/veyldframework.pdf

Implementing.

This phase of the planning cycle involves educators putting their plans in action in ways that would meet children’s learning outcomes according to approved learning frameworks. The implementation would address children’s learning routines, transitions, interactions, indoor and outdoor environments, group projects and investigations. Some questions that educators can ask to reflect on implementation strategies are:

Do I ensure program learning opportunities by using all aspects of the day?
Am I including families and child's voice into the program?
Does my learning environments demonstrate play-based learning?
Am I providing open-questioning, dispositions, engaging in shared thinking and problem-solving to extend the child’s thinking and learning?
How does the implementation on the learning area allow children to use their choice and agency
In what ways is the implementation of my learning plans visible?

In the above example, the educator might use strategies like intentional teaching-scaffolding, open-questioning, engaging in shared thinking and problem-solving to extend the child’s thinking and learning.

NOTE:

What are dispositions? They are strategies that empower children to-

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
To be adaptable
Have curiosity and Imagination
Have Initiative/Entrepreneurialism
Support children with effective Oral and Written Communication Skills
Empower children to access and Analyse Information Skills
Collaborate their learning.

Written detailed guide: https://woodlandsteam.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8344518952463--Implementation-of-learning-

Stonly visual guide: https://stonly.com/sl/32a59032-b862-43a9-b0a0-1c5b92f9f225/Steps/

Go back to the analysing and evaluating stage in preparation for the Summative assessment

Evaluating/analyse.

NOTE: For the last analysis, there is a reflection piece.

Through the child's learning has the team been able to support child's wellbeing and provided safe modelling practices through their learning development?
While analysing that data collected, the educator might think about some analysing questions like:
What does this information tell us about the child‘s learning development while evaluating the evidence (written, images, videos, notes) collected?

Screenshot 2023-11-16 at 1.45.02 pm.png