Key messages from the QKLG, Continua
and online PD materials
Train-the-trainer workshop: Session 1
Train-the-trainer workshop
The Train-the-trainer workshop acknowledges the:
• diverse roles trainers and facilitators play
• dynamic and complex nature of early years service delivery
• variety of new and interconnected initiatives.
The workshop focuses on quality early years programs.
Train-the-trainer workshop
Session 1
Key messages and introduction to the:
• Queensland kindergarten learning guideline (QKLG)
• Continua of learning and development: Queensland
kindergarten learning guideline companion (Continua)
• online professional development modules.
Session 2
Facilitating intentional conversations to support the
implementation of the QKLG.
Session 3
Where to from here?
Overview of Session 1
• National and state context
• Key messages:
– the QKLG
– the Continua
– links to online
PD materials.
National and state context
Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young
Australians
Goal 1: Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence.
Goal 2: All young Australians become:
• successful learners
• confident and creative individuals
• active and informed citizens.
National and state context
Current curriculum materials aligned to the Melbourne
Declaration goals:
• Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF)
(for children birth to 5 years)
• QKLG
• Australian Curriculum.
National and state context
2009
• EYLF was released.
• Office for Early Childhood Education and Care (OECEC)
was formed to manage the national and state agenda for
early childhood education and care.
• OECEC asked the QSA to develop and trial the QKLG.
2010 QKLG trial
• QKLG (draft) was trialled in 27 kindergarten services.
• QKLG (draft) was also available to services participating
in the kindergarten funding pilot program.
• Wide-ranging consultations were conducted.
• Feedback informed the final version of the QKLG.
Queensland context
2011
• The QKLG and supporting document, the Continua
are available.
• QKLG professional development materials are available
on the QSA website: <www.qsa.qld.edu.au>.
• Additional professional development materials will be
added to the website as they are developed.
QKLG in context
The QKLG:
• aligns with the EYLF
• guides curriculum decision making
(see National Quality Standard 1.1) (NQS)
• meets Queensland legislative requirements
for an approved kindergarten guideline
• provides more specific advice for the Queensland
Kindergarten Year (the year prior to Prep)
• supports teachers to develop quality kindergarten
programs
• supports early years educators to work collaboratively
to deliver the kindergarten program.
Implementing the QKLG
Implementing the QKLG in Queensland contexts:
• requires a team approach within a service
• supports the focus on quality programs as services:
– implement the NQS
– implement the EYLF through the QKLG
• promotes a focus on:
– continuity in learning
– pedagogy — adult’s role in play, effective teaching
and learning in the early years
• requires supportive leadership.
QKLG online professional development
QKLG online professional development
Module 1: Getting started
• Introduction to the Queensland kindergarten learning
guideline
• Links to the EYLF and the NQS.
Module 2: Knowing children, families and communities
• Responsiveness to the diversity of children, families and
communities
• Promoting cultural competence.
Module 3: Planning for learning and development
• Ways to plan for and with children to promote learning
through emergent and planned experiences.
QKLG online professional development
Module 4: Observations to guide decision making
• How observation and documentation of learning inform
planning.
Module 5: Continuity and reflective practice
• Professional practices that promote continuity in learning
and reflection.
Resources
• A variety of resources to assist teachers in their
professional practice:
– templates and completed samples
– professional topics.
QKLG online professional development
Module structure
Queensland kindergarten learning guideline
Introduction
Overview
• Background information about the QKLG
• Introduction to the QKLG:
– Purpose
– Perspectives and principles
– Decision-making practice — processes and elements
– Learning and development areas
• The Continua
• Professional practice
• Leadership.
Related online professional development
Module 1: Getting started
Explore — A vision for the early years
Examine — Introduction to the guideline
Engage — Embracing the vision in our service
Extend — Leadership: Embracing quality
Purpose
The EYLF
Vision:
• learning that is engaging
• building success for life
• belonging, being, becoming.
Outcomes
Children:
• have a strong sense of identity
• are connected with and contribute to their world
• have a strong sense of wellbeing
• are confident, involved learners
• are effective communicators.
For ages
0
1
2
3
4
5
Purpose
The QKLG:
• shares EYLF vision:
– learning that is engaging
– building success for life
– belonging, being and becoming
• describes five learning and development
areas based on the EYLF outcomes:
– Identity
– Connectedness
– Wellbeing
– Active learning
– Communicating.
Purpose
The QKLG:
• is more specific than the EYLF
• targets programs for kindergarten children
(the year prior to Prep)
• identifies specific knowledge, skills
and dispositions (learning areas)
• is for qualified teachers (working with
an early years team)
• guides professional practice
• promotes continuity from early learning
into kindergarten and into P–3 programs.
Ages
0
1
2
3
4
5
Prep
to
Year 3
Purpose
The QKLG recognises:
• and values all early years educators, parents, families and
other partners
• the teacher’s role as a pedagogical leader who works with
a team.
Research link
When qualified teachers work with early years educators, the
quality of interactions and children’s outcomes are enhanced.
(Siraj-Blatchford, I et al, 2002, Researching Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years: Research Report No.
356, Department for Education and Skills, UK, p. 147)
Purpose
The QKLG shares the national commitment to:
• improving outcomes for Aboriginal
children and Torres Strait Islander
children
• building cultural competence
• strengthening all children’s
appreciation and understanding
of Australia’s first peoples.
Perspectives
“Our image of the child is
rich in potential, strong, powerful,
competent, and most of all
connected to adults and other
children.”
(Malaguzzi, L 1993, “For an education based on
relationships”, Young Children, November, p. 10)
Perspectives
The vision “belonging, being and becoming” is enacted by
adopting:
• the view that interactions between children and adults shape
learning
• a connected view of:
– engaged learning and teaching
– the engaged child
– the engaged parent
– the engaged teacher.
Principles that guide practice
• High expectations and
equity
• Respect for diversity
• Holistic learning
• Respectful relationships
Builds continuity by integrating:
• EYLF principles and practice
• Queensland P–3 principles
and practice.
•
•
•
•
Continuity in learning
Shared decision making
Intentional teaching
Reflective practice
Related online professional development
Module 2: Knowing children, families and communities
Explore — Knowing children and embracing diversity
Examine — Making connections
Engage — Action plan: Valuing children, families
and communities
Extend — Building connections
Decision-making practice
Decision-making practice
Teachers’ decision making:
• is dynamic and interconnected
• is informed by their perspectives
• is framed by principles
• involves short- and long-term decisions
• is informed by their professional
knowledge
• focuses on balance between emergent
and planned learning
• is inclusive and responsive.
Decision-making practice
Elements:
•
responsiveness to children
•
building inclusive partnerships
•
•
creating inclusive learning environments
developing learning contexts — play,
real-life engagements, and routines and
transitions
promoting children’s learning and
development.
•
Processes:
•
•
•
•
•
planning and organising for learning
interacting and co-constructing learning
monitoring and documenting children’s
learning
assessing children’s learning
reflecting on learning and practice.
Related online professional development
Module 3: Planning for learning and development
Explore — Planning a kindergarten program
Examine — Planning using an emergent curriculum approach
Engage — Planning from a child’s interests
Extend — Making learning visible
Module 4: Observations to guide decision making
Explore — Exploring observation
Examine — Examining observation practices
Engage — Observation in practice
Extend — Engaging partners in observation
Decision-making processes
Specific advice is provided about the decision-making
processes:
• planning and organising for learning
• interacting and co-constructing learning
• monitoring and documenting children’s learning
• assessing children’s learning
• reflecting on learning and practice.
Decision-making processes
Informed decision making
Decision-making elements
Specific advice is provided about the decision-making
elements:
• responsiveness to children
• building inclusive partnerships
• creating inclusive learning environments
• developing learning contexts —
play, real-life engagements, and
routines and transitions
• promoting children’s learning
and development.
Learning and development areas
EYLF outcomes
QKLG areas
Strong sense of identity
Identity
Connected with and contribute to their
world
Connectedness
Strong sense of wellbeing
Wellbeing
Confident and involved learner
Active learning
Effective communicator
Communicating
Identity
Connectedness
Wellbeing
Active learning
Communicating
Promoting continuity of learning and
development
Teachers promote continuity by:
• using the continua to make judgments about learning
progress
• sharing information about children’s learning throughout the
year
• promoting the understandings, skills and dispositions that
help children to make smooth transitions
• collaboratively developing a transition
statement to summarise and share
information about learning to support
transition into the Prep Year.
Related online professional development
Module 5: Continuity and reflective practice
Explore — Continuity of learning and development
Examine — Promoting continuity and reflection
Engage — Continuity and reflection in practice
Extend — Leadership: Continuity and reflective practice
Exploring the learning and
development areas
Learning and development areas
Areas
Key focuses
Identity
• sense of security and trust
• independence and perseverance
• confident self-identity
Connectedness
• positive relationships with others
• respect for diversity
• respect for environments
Wellbeing
•
•
•
•
autonomy and wellbeing
care, concern and positive interactions
health and safety
physical wellbeing
Active learning
•
•
•
•
positive dispositions and approaches toward learning
confidence and involvement in learning
being imaginative and creative
exploring tools, technologies and ICTs
Communicating
• exploring and expanding ways to use language*
• exploring literacy in personally meaningful ways
• exploring numeracy in personally meaningful ways
* In the Communicating learning area, children communicate using first language, signed (alternative) or alternative augmentative communication
(AAC) and Standard Australian English (SAE) as or when appropriate. Nonverbal children may substitute alternative or AAC for words.
Exploring the learning and development
areas
Learning and development area
Key focuses
Related EYLF
learning outcome
Exploring the learning and development
areas
Significant learnings
(related to one key focus)
Key focuses
Intentional
teaching ideas
Knowledge, skills
and dispositions
Continua of learning and development
Continua of learning and development
Continua of learning and development
Supports teachers to make informed judgments about a child’s
learning and development based on a collection of evidence of
learning.
Sample continuum of learning and
development
Continuum of learning and development
Teacher-provided
“collections of
descriptions”:
• support teachers to
make judgments about
learning that are
consistent with those
of other teachers
• are examples, and
teachers add their own
examples.
Professional practice
Professional practice
The QKLG provides additional advice related to:
• intentional teaching (Appendix 1)
• making decisions to support children with additional
needs (Appendix 2)
• teachers’ thinking processes that support children’s
learning (Appendix 3)
• transition statements (Appendix 4).
It also provides:
• a glossary
• references and readings.
Professional practice
The QKLG promotes ongoing reflective practice, including
reflecting:
• on what we know about
children
• on the effectiveness of the
program (evaluation)
• on practices to improve
outcomes for children
• with colleagues.
Leadership — promoting professionalism
Leaders can facilitate the implementation of the guideline by:
• maintaining effective and ongoing communication with
all staff
• valuing the diverse expertise and skills of all staff
• providing time and support for colleagues to work together
to identify and negotiate roles and responsibilities
• being open and flexible, so staff can explore new ways to
plan, interact, monitor and assess learning
• identifying and building on strengths
• maintaining and encouraging a positive approach to change
and challenge/s
• supporting collaborative planning for quality improvement
• celebrating and sharing successes.
Leadership — promoting professionalism
The online professional development materials expand on
the following aspects of professional practices:
Online professional development materials
Module
Getting started
1
Knowing children, families and communities
2
Planning for learning and development
3
Observations to guide decision making
4
Continuity and reflective practice
5
In addition, a resources section provides:
• a wide variety of materials to support professional practices
• templates and samples of transition statements, planning
and observation.
Quality standards — NQS and QCT