# data[].attributes.body
As part of our Caring for Country project we wrote postcards to the Prime Minister about ways we care for country and invited him to respond to us.

# data[].attributes.body
All of the children in Possums group will be attending school next year. Today we did a literacy experience writing letters to the Prime Minister about why we should care for Country. This experience helped build a number of “school readiness” skills such as writing, expressing their ideas and constructing sentences. Some of the children found the experience more challenging than others, but everyone gave it a go. This showed me the practical application and the relevance of the QKLG continua of learning, as the children all demonstrated different points along the continua.

# data[].attributes.body
Today I led a discussion where we discussed ways to care for country and how we could write a letter to the Prime Minister about why it is important to care for country. The sustainability principle of the QKLG discusses children understanding how human action supports the environment and building understanding s of country. From a social justice and human rights perspective empowering children to have a voice in matters that affect them is a vital element to early childhood education. As I finish my placement for EDET100 and begin my placement for EDEC111 I am excited to embark on a project that supports children's agency and voice in not only their local community but the national political conversation.

# data[].attributes.body
Today I read the book "Country" in the park, and engaged the children in a reflective discussion about how we care for country. This links to the 8 ways pedagogy through land links and story sharing. Land links is a place based pedagogy and reading the story on country. This also provided the children with the opportunity to reflect on how to care for country whilst experiencing connection to country. Story sharing involves narratives for learning. By reading the story and engaging the children in sustained shared thinking, i used a narrative approach to guide our dIscussion for example "can anyone tell me how we might care for sky country?". My plans for extension include working with the children to create our own narrative about caring for country.

# data[].attributes.body
At Sherwood kindy all children are expected to complete all experiences. At first this was a shock to me, as I have always worked in settings where children have choice over whether they participate or not. However this is not necessarily truly reflective of children’s best interests especially in the year prior to school. Today I successfully encouraged each child to participate in my planned experience of making road signs. A number of children were initially hesitant but persevered with the task and in the end were pleased with their work and proud of preserving. Interestingly a few children who had yet to open up to me connected with me through this process. This leaves me pondering the nature of intentionality as defined by the EYLF - as being the deliberate, thoughtful and purposeful actions of educators in pedagogy, practice and curriculum.

# data[].attributes.body
Plan

Today’s experience is an extension of our recent excursion to the library and work around road safety. We have been noticing multiple road signs and discussing the reason they are important. The goal is to create and communicate through art work.

We will need provocations (signs, figurines and books ), cardboard, pens and paint. The experience will be set up on the deck during our morning session. I will take the following steps:

1. Call children over in small groups

2. Explain the experience and reflect through questioning “what signs did we see on our walk yesterday?”

3. Support children to create their signs through the processes of drawing, cutting, painting, drying and writing

4. Document the learning process

Evaluation

The children all participated, some needing explicit support and some with only minimal prompting. This is further discussed in my Day 11 critical reflection

What’s Next

Map making - exploring our community.

# data[].attributes.body
Today I considered the key EYLF concepts of relational pedagogy and place based pedagogy.
Relational pedagogy is a concept I am familiar with as an experienced infant/toddler educator. Transferring this knowledge has been an interesting and challenging experience when working with a new age group. However I have noticed that I am more comfortable and confident with the Possums group as I have been working with them all term. I have built relationships with the children in this group and have gotten to know their strengths, and areas of challenge which has made planning much more intuitive.

Place based pedagogy considers children in their local community.  Our excursions to the library this week fall under this category. I have considered how we could extend on this through experiences such as caring for Country and map making. Coming from long daycare where we rarely go on excursions it has been an educational experience for me to be a part of regular excursions. There are clear benefits for the whole community including children, families educators and community members when children are empowered and respected as agentic citizens of their communities.

# data[].attributes.headline
Day 6: Building Confidence in Intentional Teaching 

# data[].attributes.subject
Day 6: Building Confidence in Intentional Teaching 

# data[].attributes.body
Today I had some successful moments and challenging moments of intentional teaching. My first learning experience was bean bag games, and with support from my mentor teacher I engaged the whole group in dancing to some of the bean bag action songs by Hap Palmer. The children responded positively to this. Later on I attempted parachute songs with the children however it was later in the day and the children were less focused. However, I was also somewhat unprepared. Learning the art of intentionality is my big goal for this placement, and I will continue to work on this by asking guidance from my mentor teacher/s and doing additional reading and research.

# data[].attributes.body
Plan

We continued working on our ongoing project around fundamental movement skills development as identified through AEDC priority area and observations of focus children. The goal of today's learning sequence was designed to build children’s fundamental movement skills through the use of music and movement focussing on balance.

In the morning I will use a variety of songs by Hap Palmer - The Bean Bag, Bean Bag Shake and Bean Bag Alphabet Rag to practice fundamental movements.

In session 2 we will extend on the mornings bean bag dancing by practising under and over arm throws into a bucket. This will also build on the children’s school readiness through taking turns and lining up. The experience will take about 15 minutes and require witches hat, bucket, floor book, bean bags and pens. We will add a numeracy element as children count how many get in or miss.

Evaluation

The children engaged with this experience enthusiastically with encouraging and prompting. The whole group engaged in activity one and a small group engaged in activity two. An area for improvement is my confidence and clarity when explaining and demonstrating activities.

# data[].attributes.headline
Critical Reflection Day 5: The More Knowledgeable Other 

# data[].attributes.subject
Critical Reflection Day 5: The More Knowledgeable Other 

# data[].attributes.body
Vgotsky believed that children learn from social interactions and build skills by

Earning from a more knowledgeable other. Today I ran a threading experience with the. Children where they collected leaves, punched holes and threaded them to create necklaces. Through this process I noticed the concept of the more knowledgeable other in action. The children demonstrated the challenging task of hole punching leaves and encouraged each other. This collaborative learning approach is inclusive and holistic giving children the opportunity to learn across multiple domains of development at the same time. Through socio cultural approaches to learning children are viewed as competent and able to share knowledge with their peers, recognising that all children have unique strengths.

In my practice as a Pre Service teacher I believe in the power of socio cultural approaches to learning which empower children. During my placement I have been developing my understanding of how to foster children’s ability to share knowledge and co construct learning. I hope to continue to develop this area throughout my whole placement.

# data[].attributes.body
Plan

Today’s learning sequence continues to build on our inquiry “Ways of Moving and Building Strength” through the familiar game of hopscotch. The children will also have an opportunity to draw themselves on the hopscotch map. The goal for this experience is to work on locomotive movement and engage with sustained shared thinking. The experience will be set up at the beginning of the day, nd requires chalk, our floor book and drawing materials.

Evaluation

The children were interested in hopscotch however it was not quite challenging enough. They extended their creativity by drawing additions to the hopscotch. They engaged with the floor book drawing themselves along the hopscotch. One child in particular said “this is the track where I go”

Extension Ideas

Continue floorbook with bean bag toss game tomorrow

# data[].attributes.headline
AERO Learning Trajecories: Physical Development 

# data[].attributes.subject
AERO Learning Trajecories: Physical Development 

# data[].attributes.headline
Placement Day 4: Considering Teaching Strategies & How Children Learn 

# data[].attributes.subject
Placement Day 4: Considering Teaching Strategies & How Children Learn 

# data[].attributes.body
A teaching strategy I have noticed at Kindy is “sustained shared thinking”. This method involves conversation between educators and children, with “opportunities to discuss and think about problems or challenges in a serious extended way” (Touhill, 2012). Visits to the park are a key part of the educational program and daily rituals in the Possums group with the aim of embedding care for Country. On my 4th day of placement we did Acknowledgement to Country in the park, and the children discussed the Aboriginal flag, its meaning and why we/how to care for Country. This was followed up with discussion about leaving rubbish behind and magpies talking to us. I find this way of teaching to be beneficial for both teachers and children, who are positioned as co-constructors of learning and knowledge. The centre philosophy views children as being competent, capable, agentic participants in their own learning which is reflected in the respectful interactions the curriculum and program is built on at Sherwood. I have noticed that children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds do not contribute as freely to sustained shared thinking, and wonder how this practice could be applied cross culturally. Sustained shared thinking prepares the children at Sherwood Kindy for their transition to prep, as through this process they are to develop confidence and curiousity as dispositions for learning.

# data[].attributes.body
The playdough creations show children's imagination. Through the use of playdough, gems and figurines they demonstrate ability to manipulate objects and fine motor strength. The individuality of the creations shows the emerging identities and creative thought processes they have used.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.hHXxXFzw
Significant Learning: Builds fine motor 

# data[].attributes.body
APST 2.3

This is an example template used to assess children’s existing skills and knowledge.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.VrdHUHz8
learn about local community contexts and aspirations in order to create responsive programs to enhance children’s learning development and wellbeing                                         respect children as capable learners by including their perspectives in teaching, learning and assessment 

# data[].attributes.headline
Critical Reflection Day 3: Bike Riding in the Park 

# data[].attributes.subject
Critical Reflection Day 3: Bike Riding in the Park 

# data[].attributes.body
The centre has a bike riding program each Friday where the children bring their bikes and ride them through the local park. The image of the child at Sherwood Kindy is one of a competent capable citizen reflected in this program. Reggio Emilia theorists such as Carla Rinaldi stressed that children belong in the community, reflecting a socio cultural standpoint. A respect for the natural environment is also embedded in this experience as the park is a leafy green space.

This all links in with the APST: plan for and implement effective teaching in particular 2.1 and 2.2. In my prior experience I have been at centres where children did not go on regular excursions and only had access to centre bikes which were all the same. This experience instead trusts children to be responsible in risk taking, and gives the children ownership of the learning through using their own bikes.

This experience provided me with opportunity to develop my goal for the placement which is to support children in building their understanding of movement, through a range of physical activities followed by reflection and documentation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Welcome to Sherwood Community Kindergarten

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In keeping with the Sherwood Community Kindergarten’s commitment to reconciliation and respect, we acknowledge the Turrbal and Jagera (alternatively known as Yagara, Yuggeraor Jagara) Peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land where our kindergarten stands today. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past, present and emerging, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for this land. May we pay respect to the deep knowledge embedded within the Aboriginal community and their ownership of Country.

# data[].attributes.body
Sherwood Community Kindergarten is a C&K affiliate sessional kindergarten that runs under the governance of a parent committee. It runs a funded free Kindergarten program for children in the year prior to school. It is located in middle ring of western suburbs, although many of the learners come from further away due to a lack of young families in the area.

Based on AEDC data for the Inner North West Brisbane Region, children in Sherwood are more likely to be developmentally on track compared to other areas (AGDE, 2024). There has been a notable decrease in the number of children attending standalone kindergarten vs long daycare in the last 10 years (AGDE, 2024). Interestingly, a number of the children enrolled travel from the North West Outer Brisbane Region which has developmental outcomes comparative to the national average (AGDE, 2024).

According to the philosophy, the centre has a strong focus on inclusion and respect for diversity particularly First Nations peoples. The image of the child projected by the philosophy is one of a competent, capable and reflective learner. Sherwood implements a community of learners approach influenced by theorists such as Barbara Rogoff which values children’s independence and places emphasis on social interactions in learning (Nolan & Raban, 2024).

The centre is run as a sessional kindergarten program between 8:30-2:30 and has two groups. The magpies group has 21 children and attends every Monday, Tuesday and alternating fortnightly on Wednesday. The possums group has 12 children who attend alternating fortnightly Wednesdays, and every Thursday and Friday. There are two full time early childhood teachers and one part time teacher who work across the week. The service operates during school terms only.

In my discussion with the Nominated Supervisor she mentioned the biggest issue they face is the lack of young families in the area. This has had an impact on their funding as they are not meeting enough enrolments to be financially viable.