I wanted to share our playgroup photo with you all.
Many of our students commence their studies in early childhood without having ever been into or seen a early childhood service. Therefore we have a registered playgroup on campus, which we operate 5 mornings from 9.30- 11.00am and 3 afternoons from 1.00 - 2.30pm. Unlike a early childhood service, parents/guardians must stay with the children here. The playgroup not only gives children some time to interact with other children and make friends, but it also allows for the parents to meet and make friends.
We have a playgroup co-ordinator that oversees the running of the playgroup, but it is our students who plan experiences to offer the children, who set up, welcome children and families and supervise and maintain health and safety. The benefit of having a playgroup on campus is to allow for our students to apply thier learning in a controlled and supervised environment, before they go out on thier experience placement into a service. Their learning becomes hands on. This also assists with building thier confidence and workplace skills, before going out into the workforce. The children have access to a quiet area, some physical experiences(such as climbing equipment), art, music, role play area(dress ups). The students are able to observe the children and learn about thier interests and then plan what they will provide in the environment. We also use this space as a hands-on classroom when playgroup is not operating to allow the students to learn to make paints, goops, playdough, practice using props for reading stories etc.
Hello Rebeckah!
ReplyDeleteIt's very interesting to learn about your educational system that seems very different from ours.
Our students both on Senior high school level and University level does their practice on ordinary schools. With teachers as supervisors. There are two degrees of education and therefore two professions: Senior High school - (Nannys) and University level (Pre school teachers).
The pre school teachers have to search for an Certificate as teachers after their education is complete and they have worked for one year. Under this introduction period they get a Mentor. Who is a teacher who has worked at least five years. At the moment I've got two adepts which I meet twice a moth.