University of Brighton

PGCE Early Childhood 3-7

Pedagogy, Principles and Practice in Early
Childhood
EV681
2015- 2016

University of Brighton
PGCE Primary Education with QTS
EV681 Pedagogy, Principles and Practice in Early Childhood 2013-14
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Tutor Julie Canavan
Pippa Totraku
s

Room

A204
A108

Email

jc145@brighton.ac.uk
pt3@brighton.ac.uk

Module Co-ordinators: Julie Canavan & Pippa Totraku

Introduction
Welcome to this module, which we know from previous student feedback, many will
find both challenging and rewarding. There are two main strands throughout this
module, namely; Education Studies and digital literacy. Throughout the Education
Studies strand you will learn about and discuss ideas about important aspects of
education such as theories of learning, inclusion, behaviour management, and the
roles and responsibilities of teachers with regards to key issues such as
safeguarding and special educational needs. Within the digital literacy strand of the
module you will be introduced to effective approaches to teaching technology in the
EYFS and computing in primary schools whilst being given opportunities to develop
your own digital literacy.
Many teachers rely on a variety of online professional networks and digital tools to
update their professional knowledge and support each others professional
development. For this reason, the use of professional blogs as well as the creation of
a professional blog and website is integral to this module. Possibly the best
introduction to this module is to spend some time exploring some of the excellent
work of past students. The following are just a few of the professional blogs and
websites that past PGCE primary students have created which we hope will give you
an idea of what to expect:
https://pgcegroup3.wordpress.com/
https://hab2013.wordpress.com/about/

Aims of the Module:

This module is designed to support knowledge and understanding of theoretical and
practical perspectives for effective pedagogy in early childhood education through
an informed and critical awareness of current policies and practice in teaching and
learning.
Students will develop an understanding of the child, stages of development and
dispositions towards learning alongside analysis of current policy and initiatives
relating to the education of young children.
Students will work collaboratively to develop independence, and responsibility for
their own and others professional learning. They will develop skills to apply
technological tools in support of teaching and learning.
The module aims to provide opportunities for students to gain specific experiences
and evidence towards the Department of Educations Teachers Standards (2012)
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/208
682/Teachers__Standards_2013.pdf

To develop student teachers knowledge and understanding of contemporary

issues in teaching and learning;
To critically examine the nature of learning;

To develop the skills of teamwork and collaboration in the context of

professional learning;
To use a range of technological tools in support of student teachers
professional learning.

What to expect in the module

In contact time, tutors will provide will lead and facilitate: Lectures, seminars,
practical activities, discussion of key issues and preparation for assessment.
In non-contact time, students will engage with directed and non-directed reading,
collection and review of information, completion of tasks arising from practical
sessions, preparation for assessment and the on-going development of an online
collaborative blog. Experiences in school will enhance and provoke learning in
taught sessions.
Learning outcomes
Students will be able to:
1. lead and contribute to a critical dialogue (Face-to-face and online) about the
processes and dimensions of early learning and development and their
implications for educational policy and practice;
2. demonstrate, through drawing on research and work based experience, the
factors that contribute to quality provision and the teachers role in this
3. demonstrate critical understanding of the theories and ideologies that inform
teaching to ensure the progress of all learners
4. appraise how the informal and formal contexts of early education impact on
teaching and learning
5. apply knowledge and understanding of a range of technological tools to
support and enhance their own and others professional development.

Assessment Task
Task 1 (Collaborative)
Students will engage in an on-going discussion of essential issues for effective
teaching and learning in Primary Education today (Blog 1000 word equivalent per
student). They will identify an essential issue for effective teaching, learning and
development in Early Childhood Education today that arises from the module
themes and school based experience. They will collaborate to design and develop
an informative web-based resource (3 web pages in addition to their blog posts) for
fellow student teachers that explores this issue (2000 word equivalent).
Task 2 (Individual)
Students will also submit (via Turnitin) an individual evaluation, which will highlight
their own contribution to the development of the resource and an aspect of their
own pedagogical understanding for further development (500 words).
Both tasks will be marked on a pass/fail basis, and both tasks must be passed to
pass the module

Referral task 1: a re-working of the original failed component

Referral task 2: if a student fails through non-contribution to the group task they
will complete an alternative essay (2500 words) at the discretion of the tutors.
Assessment criteria:
Your on-line resource will provide evidence that you are able to:
lead and contribute to a critical dialogue (Face-to-face and online) about the
processes and dimensions of early learning and development and their
implications for educational policy and practice;
demonstrate through drawing on research and work based experience the
factors that contribute to quality provision and the teachers role in this
demonstrate critical understanding of the theories and ideologies that inform
teaching to ensure the progress of all learners
appraise how the informal and formal contexts of early education impact on
teaching and learning
apply knowledge and understanding of a range of technological tools to
support and enhance their own and others professional development
Module Matters
Throughout this module you will be working in groups and individually. The module
has both face-to-face and online elements as you will see from the module
programme. You will work collaboratively to maintain and develop a group blog
using WordPress.com. Tutors will also be using a group blog to introduce the
sessions and provide support materials throughout the module at the following link
http://ev681.wordpress.com.
The professional blogs you create are intended to help share experiences of
effective practice in a similar way to practising teachers. However, it should be
remembered at all times that these are professional blogs and as such students are
required to adhere to the following code of conduct when updating and posting.
Code of Conduct
In relation to school-based experience, students should share general schoolbased experiences and ideas focusing on pedagogy and practice. The
professional blog is not a space for personal grievances or concerns.
Anonymised photographs of, childrens work, displays, planning ideas and
resources can be posted as long as relevant permissions have been obtained
and any sources appropriately acknowledged.
Photographs of children are not permitted.
In any discussions or blog posts relating to professional practice, specific
schools, children or colleagues should not be identified by name or inference
At all times students should use professional language and the use of
derogatory language or comments is unacceptable
Any media that has not been authored by yourselves should have the
appropriate permissions and acknowledge the source (See Avoiding
Copyright and Plagiarism Issues in Professional Blogs at the end of this
document).

Assignment guidance
Throughout this module you will have been posting blog entries in response to
lectures. In addition to this, using your group WordPress blog you should create
three additional web pages focusing on different aspects of a chosen theme. The
themes (below) are intentionally broad and intended as starting points. There will
be cross-over and links between the aspects that you focus upon. For example,
observations and analysis of approaches towards the management of classroom
behaviour, special educational needs and English as an additional language will
appear within a number of the area themes below. Although your tutors will be
marking your resource, the audience for you to consider for your web-pages will be
other student teachers. The web-based resources should be engaging (draw upon a
range of digital media as appropriate) and properly referenced using the guidance
in the handbook (references can be listed on a separate page).
It is expected that as well as authoring your own content, that you will also curate
content from other professional blogs, making links to articles (theory, research,
blog reflections), videos, podcasts or any other form of media you think gives a
useful insight into the theme you have chosen. However you need to go beyond
merely collating content and ensure that there is appropriate critical reflection and
comment on the resources you create and curate.
Each student will submit task 2 individually via Turnitin by 4.30pm on Monday 30th
November, indicating the address of their group blog within their individual
submission.
Themes
Teaching and Learning
Child Development
Assessment for Learning
Including all learners
Partnerships for teaching and learning
Developing your Subject Knowledge
As trainee teachers you will have the opportunity of witnessing a range of changes
to the primary curriculum as the national curriculum review is completed for
implementation in September 2014. There have been and continue to be changes
to the Early Years Foundation Stage materials; Current and previous statutory
frameworks and non-statutory materials can be accessed on
http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/eyfs-statutory-framework/
Pebblepad/ E-portfolio
Your assignment feedback should be uploaded to Pebblepad and used where
appropriate as evidence against the standards. You should also link to your group blog
and use aspects of this as evidence against the standards.
TEACHERS STANDARDS 2012
Throughout his module students will continue to develop their knowledge and
understanding of the Teachers Standards 2012
T1.
T2.
T3.
T4.

Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils

Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils
Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge
Plan and teach well-structured lessons

T5.
T6.
T7.
T8.

Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils

Make accurate and productive use of assessment
Manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment
Fulfil wider professional responsibilities

Session Outline

Introduction to the module - We would like you to become familiar with

this module by taking some time to read the introductory materials and
explore some of the work that last years students created. Please go to the
tutor blog for this module and follow the instructions you find at the following
link
https://ev681.wordpress.com/
3-5pm
You can carry out this task either using your own mobile technologies or log
on to the computers in the Open Access computer rooms in the Learning
Whole
Resource Centre in the basement of Falmer Library.
cohort
Before the next EV681 session: To access this chapter
Alexander, R. (2010) Childhood
Open WordPress link above
Non
today,

Go to Resources
contact
task
Ch 4 in Children, their World, their
Open Reading List and follow
education: final report from
guidance
Cambridge primary Review. London: to open Aspire reading list (you can click on
Routledge.
Using Aspire from Keith Turvey here for
further guidance)

Click on first item Childhood

today . . .
First thoughts on learning and teaching A Blogging for professional development; Students will be introduced
Tuesday
to the importance of developing their professional learning networks
15/9/15
through ICT and given further guidance on setting up their
collaborative professional blogs.
9-11am
B A number of perspectives of learning and teaching and some of the
ways in which the development of learning in children can be
Whole
understood will be considered in this session.
Cohort
Follow up from today:
Before the next session:
Blog post 1* and responses to first thoughts
Asa Briggs Set up your group WordPress
blog. You will be sent an email on
Lecture
with a link
teaching and learning
Theatre
to register your group blog.
C122
Watch the Screencast at the
Watch clips on supporting positive behaviours
following link:
in
https://vimeo.com/74097105
early years:
Stephens, C (2010)
http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?
Pedagogy. The silent partner ContentId=381
Available at
Read the introduction of
http://hdl.handle.net/1893/2499 Morris, K. (2015) Promoting positive
behaviour in
the early years, Berkshire: Open University
Press
Weds
Behaviour Management and Behaviour Change
Paul Dix
23/9/15
http://www.pivotaleducation.com/keynotes-2/
Thursday
10/9/15

Whole
cohort
W100
2-4pm

Thursday
24/9/15

Before the next EV681 session:

Blog post 2* and responses to session on Behaviour management
Doherty, J, & Hughes, M (2010) Ch1 Introducing Child Development
The Unique Child; growing learning
Building on knowledge of key theorists, students will consolidate and extend
their understanding of child development and begin to apply these two
phenomenon to an understanding of pedagogy. We will begin to observe
childrens learning and development and explore how it fits within the

*please refer to Reading Lists (WordPress, http://ev681.wordpress.com ) to access

reading resources
**when instructed to carry out a blog post and responses, one person from your group
blog should post and initial response to the session or given theme and the others
should respond to the post via the comment tool on WordPress. By the end of the
module each member of the group will have taken the initiative to lead a blog post.
Reading List and Learning Support see Aspire link
Key texts
Alexander, R (2010) Children, their World, their Education Schools Abingdon:
Routledge
Brock, A., Dodds, S, Jarvis, P Olusoga, Y (2009) Perspectives on Play Harlow: Pearson
Devarakonda, C (2013) Diversity & Inclusion in Early Childhood London: Sage
Doherty, J & Hughes, M (2010) Child Development: Theory and Practice 0-11
Harlow: Pearson
Drummond, M-J (2012) Assessing Childrens Learning Abingdon: Routledge
Nutbrown, C (2011) Threads of Thinking (4th edtn) London: Sage
Turvey, K. Potter, J. Allen, J. Sharp, J. (eds) (2014) (6th ed) Primary Computing and
ICT: Knowledge Understanding and Practice London: Sage.
Electronic/Video resources [accessed 20-8-15]
o Aubrey, C. and Dahl, S. (2008) A review of the evidence on the use of ICT in
the Early Years Foundation Stage. [Online] Available:
http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/1631/2/becta_2008_eyfsreview_report.pdf
o University of Brighton SEND website available at
http://www.brighton.ac.uk/education/environment/resources/sen.php?
PageId=312
o ThinkUKnow, available at https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
o EPPE research base at the London Institute of Education
o
http://www.ioe.ac.uk/research/153.html
o EYFS Profile exemplification for the level of learning and development
expected
at the end of the EYFS - Understanding the world ELG15 Technology
http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/e/elg15-technology.pdf
Avoiding Copyright and Plagiarism Issues in Professional Blogs
Copyright applies to all media content and it is therefore important that when
authoring content on the web which draws on other peoples content, that we
ensure they have given us the right to use their content and under what
circumstances. Although this can be a complex area, it should not discourage from
publishing, as sharing ideas and sometimes content is an important way of
developing professional knowledge, understanding and practice. Also, sharing ideas
and content on the web fairly is now easier thanks to the development of Creative
Commons, which all teachers should know about. Creative Commons is a way of
licensing content on the web in a way that identifies clearly how the author of the
content intends it to be used by other authors.

To find out more about copyright issues and Creative Commons see the following
link http://creativecommons.org/about . Also read Chapter 20 Ethical and legal
issues in Turvey et al (2014) Primary Computing and ICT: Knowledge Understanding
and Practice, London: Sage/Learning Matters.

When you have familiarised yourself with these issues and explored Creative
Commons licensing of content you should have no problem finding images,
graphics, audio and video on the web that has been licensed under Creative
Commons. For example when searching for images on Google or Flickr, if you go to
the advanced search settings you can tailor your search so it only returns content
that is free to use or share.

Screenshot courtesy of
www.Google.co.uk

Remember you can search for any content (text, video, audio etc.) by specific
licenses by using the advanced settings tool on the search engine. Although content
may be free to share and use you should still acknowledge the source and where
possible put a link to that source. Here is an example:

Malala Yousafzai, courtesy of United Nations Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/un_photo/