Details for EDU334 Building Partnerships with Families and Community

This subject provides students with an opportunity to understand the potential for children’s learning, development, and care when teachers develop partnerships with families and communities. Students will analyse theoretical perspectives of partnership, explore philosophical perspectives, and investigate how collaborative partnerships are developed. Models of partnership will be deconstructed and critically analysed to develop student’s understanding of the role of the teacher in leading collaborative relationships. They will develop their own understanding of the communication, cultural responsiveness, and leadership skills they can apply to form effective partnerships.  

Quick Stats

• Currently offered by Alphacrucis: Yes
• Course code: EDU334
• Credit points: 10

Subject Coordinator

Prerequisite

Nil

Unit Content

Outcomes

1. Analyse and discuss the principles, roles, and importance of partnerships in the educational context with specific reference to the Early Childhood Sector, including partnerships with parents/carers and communities. 
2. Demonstrate an understanding of and discuss the theoretical and philosophical influences on the rationale and methods for developing effective partnerships. 
3. Critically evaluate the educational, social, economic, and cultural impact of teachers’ engagement with families and communities.  
4. Articulate the positive outcomes of partnerships on children’s learning and development in an educational context including processes for reporting to parents/carers. 
5. Articulate how contexts, policy, ethical codes, and frameworks support collaborative partnerships with families in early childhood education. 
6. Collaborate with a professional learning community to apply strategies to build strong partnerships to enhance children’s learning. 

Subject Content

1.  Key aspects of practice for families and educators – valuing each other’s knowledge of each child; valuing each other’s roles in each child’s life; trusting each other; open and respectful communication; sharing insights and perspectives about each child and sharing in decision-making. 
   Partnerships in the approved learning frameworks – creating collaborative environments to support and empower family contribution ideas and expertise. 
   Key aspects of practice for services and families – involving families in decision-making; participation in service events; increasing family-educator collaboration in planning quality outcomes for children.
   The principles of partnerships and different types of partnerships in children’s learning and. development. 
2. The importance of partnerships in early childhood learning, development, and pedagogy. Characteristics of effective partnerships mutual trust, open, respectful communication, empathy, openness to other’s views, values and perspectives, shared decision-making, clarity about roles and responsibilities, appreciation of each other’s knowledge and experience, willingness to negotiate and compromise, commitment to resolve tensions, shared aims and goals for the child. 
3. Historical, cultural, theoretical, and philosophical perspectives on partnerships. 
4. The impact of positive relationships on healthy brain development in early childhood.
   Linking families with support and information services for mental health and wellbeing. 
5. Knowledge of the EYLF V2.0 Practices and Principles and NESA, Graduate Teacher Standard Descriptors (GTSD), Principles, Practices and learning outcomes
6. The value of partnerships in children’s learning, development, and wellbeing  
7. Families, Parenting and Family Involvement
   Communication with Families and student assessment – methods and types/frequency of communication.
   Collaborating with Families on Children’s Learning, Wellbeing, and Development: 
   Narratives: running records, anecdotes, learning stories, jottings, diaries, journals, children’s self-reflections, parents’ self-reflections.
   Samples: work, artefacts, transcripts of conversations, interviews, retelling and creating texts, jointly constructed texts, webs, maps
   Language transcripts: word lists, transcripts of conversations, 
   Visual Representations: photographs, diagrams, video/ audio recordings, checklists
8. Benefits and Barriers in Teacher-Family Partnerships and Implications for children, families, the education and care setting and the community in children’s continuity of learning, shared decision making, acknowledgment of skills and an increased sense of belonging. 
9. Foundations for successful Collaborative Partnerships-   
10. Strategies for engaging Families and Communities – research and best practice 
11. Developing partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities and Leaders 
12. Legal and Ethical considerations when forming partnerships  

 

This course may be offered in the following formats

• ​​Face to face on site (extensive) 
• Face to face on site (intensive)
• ​​E-learning (online/asynchronous) 
• ​​E-learning (online/synchronous) 

Please check the timetable to see when this subject will next be offered at Alphacrucis University College.

Assessment Methods

1. Individual Project: Vlog  (30%)
2. Individual/Group Presentation (30%)
3. Major Project (40%)

Prescribed Text

Textbook 
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2021). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (8th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. 
Check with the instructor each semester before purchasing any textbooks