Key messages from the QKLG, Continua and online PD materials Train-the-trainer workshop: Session 1.

Key messages from the QKLG, Continua and online PD materialsTrain-the-trainer workshop: Session 1

Train-the-trainer workshopThe 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 workshopSession 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.

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

National and state context2009• 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.

http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/

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 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.

Implementing the QKLG

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.


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.


Module structure

Queensland kindergarten learning guidelineIntroduction

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

For ages

0

1

2

3

4

5

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.

PurposeThe 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.

PurposeThe 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

5Prep

toYear 3

PurposeThe 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)

PurposeThe 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)

PerspectivesThe 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

Builds continuity by integrating:

• EYLF principles and practice

• Queensland P–3 principles and practice.


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 practiceTeachers’ 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 practiceElements:• 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.


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 processesSpecific 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 processesInformed decision making

Decision-making elementsSpecific 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 developmentTeachers 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 transitionstatement to summarise and share information about learning to supporttransition into the Prep Year.


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 areasAreas 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.


Related EYLF learning outcome

Learning and development area

Key focuses


Key focuses

Significant learnings (related to one key focus)

Knowledge, skills and dispositions

Intentional teaching ideas

Continua of learning and development

Continua of learning and development

Continua of learning and developmentSupports 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 developmentTeacher-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


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.


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

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

The online professional development materials expand on the following aspects of professional practices:

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

Key messages from the QKLG, Continua and online PD materials Train-the-trainer workshop: Session 1.

Documents

queensland context2011the

queensland kindergarten

kindergarten services

kindergarten guidelineprovides

qklg trialqklg draft

quality early years

queensland contexts

early childhood education