Identifying shapes in the clouds. The teacher and children noticed a dolphin, tornado and a monster with teeth in the clouds.

Learning process: Noticing, designing, Visualising.

Outcome 5.2: Children engage with a range of texts and gain meaning from these texts.

Outcome 4.1: Children develop a growth mindset and learning dispositions.

Text type: Clarifying explanations, reports. As the children and teacher were able to identify features. eg: teeth of the monster (Who, what, when and where).

• Using comparative language

• Choose and use the appropriate tool and strategy for the attribute

• Notice objects, events and space have measurable attributes

Australian Government Department of Education. (2022). Belonging, Being and becoming: the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (V2.0). In ACECQA. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf

Implementation guidelines for indicators of preschool numeracy and literacy in government preschools. https://www.education.sa.gov.au/docs/curriculum/implementation-guidelines-indicators-preschool.pdf

Macdonald, A., & Rafferty, J. (2015). Investigating mathematics, science and technology in early childhood. Oxford University Press.

• use play to investigate, project and explore new ideas.

• participate with others to solve problems and contribute to group outcomes.

• demonstrate an increasing knowledge of and respect for natural and constructed environments.

• explore, infer, predict and hypothesize in order to develop an increased understanding of the interdependence between land, people, plants and animals.

• show growing appreciation and care for natural and constructed environments.

• 5.1 Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes.

  • interact with others to explore ideas and concepts, clarify and challenge thinking, negotiate and share new understandings.

  • engage in sustained communication with children about ideas and experiences, and extend their vocabulary.

  • include real-life resources to promote children’s use of mathematical language.

  5.5 Children use information and communication technologies to access information, investigate ideas and represent their thinking.

  ·       use information and communication technologies to access images and information, explore diverse perspectives and make sense of their world

  ·       encourage collaborative learning about and through technologies between children, and children and educators

www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01

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Concept: Shapes

Learning processes: noticing the clouds in the sky, visualising what the clouds look like, and wondering if there are any animal shapes in the sky.

Text types: clarifying explanation, “explaining what you see or what you are doing” (MacMillan, 2009, p.155). For example, the child explained what they saw as they said they could ‘see’ a tornado.

Responsive strategies

The educator was responsive as they listened to the child with their hearing and responded to them by saying, “It did move, too”, when a child said the cloud had moved. And this showed that they were interested in what they were saying. The educator showed interest, which is a responsive strategy. The teacher used weather vocabulary, such as clouds, and for modelling, educators should “use relevant vocabulary” (MacMillan, 2009, p.153).

Reflect on the environment and resources.

The educator built on the children’s emerging interests and used intentional teaching. The environment allowed children to communicate their thinking and was responsive. The educator incorporated digital technologies, as the children had an iPad that they could use to take photos. So, digital technologies were incorporated into the experience as they had access to iPads. Also, the environment reflected the children’s voices as they were interested in the clouds. And using “information learnt from listening to children’s” interests is “the basis of the science inquiry possibilities” (Aitken et al., 2013, p.37).

How could this experience have been improved?

The experience could have been improved by giving children choices, which would have supported their agency. For example, instead of using iPads to capture cloud shapes, they may have had other options, too, such as drawing the cloud shapes or making them with Play-Doh. The educator used a closed question and a question involving a yes or no answer, such as “Can you see any animal shapes up there?” whereas open-ended questions are best. Closed questions “can inhibit choice or curiosity” (MacMillan, 2009, p.156).

References

Aitken, J., Hunt, J., & Roy, E. (2013). A sense of wonder: Science in early childhood education. Essential Resources Educational Publications Ltd.

MacMillan, A. (2009). Responsive and restrictive teaching practices. Numeracy in early childhood: Shared contexts for teaching & learning (pp. 150–167). Oxford University Press.

Scientific Concepts: Observation of cloud formations, discussion of weather phenomena (e.g., tornadoes).

Learning Processes: Inquiry-based learning, critical thinking, and digital literacy (using iPads).

Reflection on Environment and Resources

The outdoor setting fostered curiosity and real-world observation.

iPads enhanced engagement and documentation of learning.

The book Ruby Makes a Friend effectively introduced the activity.

Listening: The teacher actively engaged with children's observations and built on their ideas.

Scaffolding: Guided children’s thinking by asking open-ended questions and encouraging the use of iPads to capture cloud shapes.

Questioning: Prompted deeper thinking with questions like “What’s a tornado?” to extend learning.

Responding: The teacher showed interest in the activity and what the children were seeing. The teacher also questioned, made statements to the children to show them your understood. For example: “A tornado in the sky, that’s a bit dangerous”.

Collaborating: The teacher engaged play with the children.

Concept: Shapes

Learning Processes: Noticing, Visualising and wondering

Learning outcomes;

2.4 Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment.

4.1 Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity.

4.4 Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, places, technologies and natural and processed materials.

Text Type: Clarifying explanations.

Responsive Strategies:

The educator in this observation was being responsive by listening to the child. The educator would respond back to the child restating what the child had said, the educator would also clarify or confirm some of the noticings the child would make. The educator also used scaffolding and questioning to deepen the interaction where it was necessary to keep the child engaged.

Environment and Resources

It can be assumed that this interaction is being held outside due to the observations that are being made. This experience allowed for the child to connect to their world by noticing what is happening around them whilst also exploring their own curiosity. The resource being used is an ipad, the child is learning to take photos and developing their digital literacy.

Improvements

Whilst it is important for children to learn digital literacy perhaps this experience could of been made in a way for the children to connect further with the nature around them. Perhaps they could of taken a pencils and paper and drawn what they saw for further discussion.

References

MacMillan, A. (2009), Responsive and Restrictive Teaching Practices Numeracy in early childhood: Shared contexts for teaching and learning. Oxford University Press pp 150-159.

Australian Government Department of Education (AGDE). (2022). Belonging, Being and becoming: the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (V2.0). In ACECQA. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf

‌Implementation guidelines for indicators of preschool numeracy and literacy in government preschools. (n.d.). https://www.education.sa.gov.au/docs/curriculum/implementation-guidelines-indicators-preschool.pdf

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