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                                Session 1- Philosophy 

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                                Session 1- Philosophy 

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My first Artefact, Indoor plant in my living room, which represents my teaching philosophy as a living and growing process. The same as a plant needs care, sunlight, and patience to be able to grow higher and stronger. The same as children, who I believe every child has their own right to feel valued, being respected and supported- this principle that aligns with the EYLF of Belonging, Being, and Becoming (EYLF, 2022). Another Philosophy of myself, which grows through reflection, is the same as evaluating plant condition and finding appropriate needs. These gave me opportunities to regularly reflect on my own values and shape my interactions with the children to support their needs. The plant reminded me that nurturing children’s learning also means nurturing my own growth as an educator, ensuring equity and inclusion in practice. According to The School of Life (2014), philosophy can be understood as a self-knowledge and central precepts or know yourself. It explains that people often think common sense is reasonable and always correct, yet common sense can sometimes be flawed. From that, Philosophy helps us critically examine these assumptions, allowing us to identify errors in common thinking and reason through them more effectively. In conclusion, this artefact prompts me to integrate this self-knowledge in a meaningful way, inspires me into critical thinking and reflection that is able to support interaction with children, ensuring their nurturing learning and their fundamental development.

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                                  Session 2- Creativity 

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                                  Session 2- Creativity 

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I chose my iPhone 7 body part picture frame as my artefact to represent session 2 because it captures a moment of personal expression, symbolising the idea that creativity allows individuals to explore and express themselves in every unique way. The frame expresses the idea that even ordinary objects or moments can become a great resource of inspiration and imaginative thinking. This Artefact offers me a resonance with my belief that fostering creativity in children requires providing opportunities, freedom and resources for children to self-expression while valuing their individual ideas and perspectives. I’ve learned from session 2 that creativity has a broad meaning, it is more than an art, but it is the way people think, problem-solving and expression unique perspective. Robinson (2007) mentioned that creativity is a part of children's learning journey where children can feel safe to explore, experiment, and use mistakes to learn. In my teaching strategies, I aim to encourage children to take risks, be supportive in asking questions and explore ideas freely. These strategies will help children to foster their own curiosity and be confident, as well as become extraordinary learners. From what I mentioned, creativity is not only about a learning outcome but about the process of discovery, imagination and personal thought.

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Candy Jar - represent for all ideas are matter. 

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                                  Session 3- Democracy 

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                                  Session 3- Democracy 

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I chose this candy jar as my next artefact to represent my thoughts and ideas, where I believe everyone's voice matters. This artefact demonstrates democracy and decision-making in a community. In a democratic environment, every child has the right to express opinions and contribute to a group decision. These ideas connect with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNICEF, n.d), which highlights the importance of children’s rights. The candy inside the Jar has a strong meaning, no matter what their skin colours are, cultural background, they are all the same human beings that need to be fulfilled with love and knowledge, be able to be heard and listened and raise their voice. Furthermore, to create a democratic space in ECE means actively listening to practice is a need because it shows diverse perspectives and co-constructing ideas and rules in the classroom, which demonstrates the value of fairness and collaboration. As Moss (2021) explained, democracy is an active construction of children's own learning, as well as children and adults should be involved in decision-making every day for major matters. As an educator, ensuring children's voices are genuinely heard is necessary because it will promote child agency and prompt confidence in the early stages.

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                      Session 4- Developmental Theories

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                      Session 4- Developmental Theories

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I chose a book as my next artefact, and this book is very special because it is based on Maria Montessori, it symbolises my belief in child child-centred approach. The book reminds me that theory and practice are interconnected because, based on Montessori’s idea, it is about independence and exploration from the children that would influence how I plan a learning experience in the future. Just as the book holds knowledge that will be a guide for me to become a future ECE, it reminds me to keep learning, reflecting, and always remember applied theory to support children's interests and growth. This artefact is one of my values of lifelong learning and my respect for each child’s unique developmental journey. Some of the developmental theorists, including Piaget, Vygotsky and Montessori, highlight the importance of interaction with the environment and peers can support children to an independent learners. Specifically, Montessori’s reasonable with me because it values the independence and respect in space for each child, supports children's interests, and educators are responsible for planning a suitable learning experience (Nolan et al, 2015). These theories inspire me to become a careful observer, provide a suitable challenge, and support children's fundamental development in my journey as a future ECE.

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This pair of shoes is my next representation for my personal ideas and supports me to explain the meaning of ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development), the famous theorist Lev Vygotsky. The shoelace of shoes is my artefact because it symbolises the guidance, connection and support. When I was young and got a new pair of shoes, I needed to learn how to tie a shoelace, but I kept struggling to tie the knot. My dad demonstrates and guides my hand until I can tie it. This process perfectly reflects Vygotsky’s idea of scaffolding within the ZPD. The shoelace represents how educators and children are linked together through learning experiences, how patience takes place, encouragement and trust in supporting individual development. The definition of ZPD- the Zone of Proximal Development could be understood as what a child could do independently and what a child can achieve with temporary guidance (Teach Hq, n.d). Learning occurs more effectively within this zone, where educators support and peers can help children build their new skills, including social interaction, communication, problem-solving, etc. In my teaching practices, I view scaffolding as a process of gently providing temporary guidance to children until they can gain confidence and achieve the goal themselves.

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                            session 6-  Post-Structuralism

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                            session 6-  Post-Structuralism

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Lastly, the whiteboard represents the meaning of post-structuralism. Why I say that? Because it can be easily erased and rewritten, or even transformed. In the same understanding, post-structuralism gives me a specific thought as teaching isn’t about being stuck in a fixed definition, but it is broadly about opening space for diverse meaning and reinterpretation. This artefact represents my flexibility in the job, critical thinking and erasing the norms in early education, as everything could change based on the circumstance, it requires me to stay outside the norms and give a suitable act. In contrast to structuralism, post-structuralism in early childhood education challenges traditional norms and fixed meaning, mainly supporting established new ideas, using power in positive ways, and truth. According to Pollard (2019), Foucault's idea demonstrated how institutions influence what is considered “normal” and "Proper", how these meanings shift over time. As this perspective of Foucault gives me a lot of encouragement to open multiple interpretations, it means that it allows me to see children from a different perspective and encourages an inclusive environment by applying post-structuralist theories, bringing social justice and equity for children in ECE settings.

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References List

ACEQA. (2022). EYLF 2022 (Version 2.0). Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf

Teach HQ. (n.d.). Exploring Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development. Retrieved from https://teachhq.com/article/show/exploring-vygotskys-zone-of-proximal-development

The Conversation. (2019, August 27). Explainer: The ideas of Foucault. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-ideas-of-foucault-99758

UNICEF. (n.d.). Convention on the Rights of the Child: Children’s version. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text-childrens-version

Moss, P. (2021, September). Democracy as First Practice in Early Childhood Education and Care. UCL Institute of Education. https://www.child-encyclopedia.com/pdf/expert/child-care-early-childhood-education-and-care/according-experts/democracy-first-practice-early

Nolan, A., & Raban, B. (2015). Theories into practice: Understanding and rethinking our work with young children and the EYLF. Essential Resources Educational Publishers Ltd. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/detail.action?docID=6686419

YouTube. (2007, Jan 1). [Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson | TED] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

YouTube. (2014, Oct 9 ). [What is Philosophy for?] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIYdx6lDDhg&t=139s

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6 references relate to unit and 2 extended References 