TCHR5003: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ASSESSMENT 2: Portfolio Summary
TCHR5003: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
ASSESSMENT 2: Portfolio
Summary
Title
Assessment 2: Portfolio
Due Date
Saturday 19 April 2025 11:59pm AEST (Week 6)
Length
1500 words
Weighting
50%
Submission
1 word document submitted to Turnitin
Academic Integrity
(See below for limits of use where GenAI is permitted)
In this assessment task, the use of GenAI is allowed but limited.
You may only use GenAI to help guide you in the process of completing your assessment work. Think of it as a tool. A quick way to access information or an AI tutor to help answer your questions. So, you can use GenAI to help guide your research, research, ask questions to help to clarify your understanding, brainstorm preliminary ideas, get feedback on your ideas and clarify concepts.
Remember, just as if you Googled something, you still need to evaluate the information to determine its accuracy and relevance. GenAI can produce biased and false information. You must find scholarly sources to support any of the ideas generated. This is a requirement for this assessment.
You cannot include any text content generated AI by in your assessment (even if you have paraphrased, summarised or quoted the output). You are permitted to use GenAI to create images where stated in the task.
You are also permitted to use Grammarly Premium to help edit and improve the quality of your written work.
If you opt to use GenAI as defined as acceptable for this assessment, you must keep evidence of how it was used and acknowledge how you used it in the process of completing your assessment appropriately. To help understand what to do, consult the Learning Zones resources.
Quick Guide Acknowledging and Referencing GenAI Use
Build your skills using GenAI - PAIR Framework
The SCU Library Guide- GenAI can also help you develop your AI literacy skills. https://libguides.scu.edu.au/genAI
If you use GenAI tools in your assessment task beyond the acceptable limits, it may result in an academic integrity breach against you as described in the Student Academic and Non-Academic Misconduct Rules, Section 3.
Under the Rules - Student Academic and Non-Academic Misconduct Rules (Section 3) students have the right to Appeal against the Academic Integrity Officers academic misconduct Determination, to the Executive Dean, with that determination being final and conclusive, and not subject to further Appeal within the
University. Students are not able to appeal against academic misconduct via the Unit
Assessor or unit staff.
Unit Learning Outcomes
You will demonstrate the following Unit Learning Outcomes on the successful completion of this task:
ULO 3: Develop the knowledge and skills regarding setting up learning environments for children that are flexible and sustainable both indoors and outdoors.
ULO 4: Reflect upon, and critique the holistic approaches of principles and practices.
Task Description
This task requires you to reflect upon the Early Years Learning Framework [EYLF] (Australian Government Department of Education [AGDE], 2022) principles and practices and create a portfolio demonstrating your ability to identify and critique high-quality early childhood pedagogy.
Rationale
Early childhood educators are required to understand the importance of high-quality practice and be able to identify what high-quality practice looks like. In this assessment, you will be asked to identify high-quality practice and determine the principles, theory and research that underpins such practice. This assessment aims to develop your understanding of how to align practice, principles, theory and research.
Task Instructions
Section 1: Introduction (150 words)
Write a short introduction explaining the significance of the Early Years Learning Framework in guiding high-quality early childhood pedagogy.
Section 2: Principles and Practices Creative Tasks
Select three principles and three practices (including the compulsory ones listed below) and for each principle and practice, complete one of the creative tasks below to represent your learning. For each creative task you must:
Clearly identify and explain the principle or practice - using the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 as your supporting resource;
Provide concrete examples of how the principle or practice is applied in practice in early childhood education and care settings;
Critically analyse how the principle or practice supports childrens learning, development, and wellbeing making links to professional and academic sources to support your analysis.
EYLF Principles:
Respect for diversity (compulsory)
Sustainability (compulsory)
And add another principle of your choice:
Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships
Partnerships
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives
Equity, inclusion and high expectations
Critical reflection and ongoing professional learning
Collaborative leadership and teamwork
EYLF Practices:
Responsiveness to children (compulsory)
Learning environments (compulsory) Add another practice of your choice:
Holistic, integrated and interconnected approaches
Play-based learning and intentionality
Cultural responsiveness
Continuity of learning and transitions
Assessment and evaluation for learning, development and wellbeing
Creative Task Choices:
Written Statement (250 words)
Clearly identify and explain the principle or practice using the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 as your supporting resource. Provide examples of how the principle or practice is applied in practice in early childhood education and care settings. Critically analyse how the principle or practice supports childrens learning, development, and wellbeing making links to at least three professional and academic sources to support your analysis.
Letter to Future Self (250 words)
Write a letter to your future teacher self, identifying and explaining the principle or practice using the using the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 as your supporting resource. Share examples of how you hope to apply the principle or practice in your future early childhood education and care setting.
Critically analyse how the principle or practice supports
childrens learning, development, and wellbeing making links to at least three professional and academic sources to support your analysis.
Labelled Classroom Diagram and 100- Word Statement
Write a brief written explanation (100 words) of the principle or practice using the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 as your supporting resource.
Then, create a diagram of a Preschool (3-5 years) setting that demonstrates how the principle or practice is applied in the preschool setting. Each element on the diagram must include a detailed label to explain how the principle or practice supports childrens learning, development and wellbeing.
Your diagram can be hand drawn, or you can create it in Word or PowerPoint. Generative Artificial intelligence is NOT to be used to create
the diagram.
Visual Journal Entry (250 words)
Write a journal entry that clearly identifies and explains the principle or practice using the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 as your supporting resource. Then, critically analyse how the principle or practice supports
childrens learning, development, and wellbeing making links to at least three professional and academic sources to support your analysis.
Finally, add images to show examples
of how the principle or practice is
Short Video (2 minutes)
Create a short video where you clearly identify and explain the principle or practice. Provide examples of how the principle or practice is applied in practice in early childhood education and care settings. Critically analyse how the principle or practice supports childrens learning, development, and wellbeing making links to at least three professional and academic sources to support your analysis.
Mini Podcast Episode (2 minutes)
Record a mini podcast episode discussing a principle or practice. In your discussion, clearly identify and explain the principle or practice.
Provide concrete examples of how the principle or practice is applied in practice in early childhood education and care settings. Critically analyse how the principle or practice supports childrens learning, development, and wellbeing making links to at least three professional and academic sources to support your analysis.
applied in practice in early childhood education and care settings.
You may use Generative Artificial Intelligence to create the images. Make sure you reference the GenAI tool you use.
Ensure your video can be accessed via link and paste this onto your word document. Videos that cannot be accessed will not be marked and this will affect your assessment grade.
Ensure your podcast can be accessed via link and paste this onto your word document. Videos that cannot be accessed will not be marked and this will affect your assessment grade.
Blog Post (250 words)
Write a blog post that clearly explains the principle or practice using the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 as your supporting resource. Provide examples of how the principle or practice is applied in practice in early childhood education and care settings. Critically analyse how the principle or practice supports childrens learning, development, and wellbeing making links to at least three professional and academic sources to support your analysis.
Teaching Resource and 250-Word Statement
Create a teaching resource for Preschool aged children with a play and diversity focus. Take a photo of the teaching resource and write a 250-word supporting statement. In your statement, briefly explain the chosen principle or practice and how the teaching resource you have created supports the principle or practice. Then, critically analyse how the principle or practice supports childrens learning, development, and wellbeing making links to at least three professional and academic
sources to support your analysis.
Brochure for Families (250 words)
Design a brochure for families that clearly explains the principle or practice using the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 as your supporting resource. Provide examples of how the principle or practice is applied in practice in early childhood education and care settings and how families could apply it at home. Critically analyse how the principle or practice supports childrens learning, development, and wellbeing making links to at least three professional and academic sources to support your analysis.
Follow the steps below to complete this task:
Create a new Word Document and save it with your surname and initial and the assessment tasks name. E.g: MillsA_TCHR5003_assessment2_portfolio. You must submit a Word doc for marking, not a PDF.
Create a cover page with the following details (use the cover page provided):
Student name
Student ID
Unit code
Unit Assessor and Tutor names
Date submitted
GenAI acknowledgement
Complete one reference list for the entire assessment
Once complete, submit task via the Turnitin link in the Assessment and Submission section of the unit site.
Adhere toAPA7 formatting guidelines
Referencing
APA7th referencing format is required. The number of references needed is guided by the creative tasks you have chosen. Sources should include relevant early childhood policy and peer-reviewed literature. Link to SCU Libguide here: APA 7 Referencing
Task Submission
Assessments should be submitted using the Turnitin activity titled Assessment 2: Portfolio in the Assessments Tasks & Submission section on the Blackboard site. Only Microsoft Word documents submitted via the Turnitin portal on Blackboard will be accepted.
Special Consideration
Students wishing to request special consideration to extend the due date of an assessment task must submit a Request for Special Consideration form via their MyEnrolment page as early as possible and prior to the original due date for that assessment task, along with any accompanying documents, such as medical certificates.
Late Submissions & Penalties
Except when special consideration is awarded, late submission of assessment tasks will lead automatically to the imposition of a penalty. Penalties will be incurred as soon as the deadline is reached.
a penalty of 5% of the available marks will be deducted from the actual mark at one minute after the time listed in the due date
a further penalty of 5% of the available mark will be deducted from the actual mark achieved on each subsequent calendar day until the mark reaches zero.
Grades & Feedback
Assignments that have been submitted by the due date will receive an SCU grade and written feedback. Grades and feedback will be posted to Grades & Feedback section on the Blackboard unit site. Please allow 7-10 days for marks to be posted.
Academic Integrity
At Southern Cross University academic integrity means behaving with the values of honesty, fairness, trustworthiness, courage, responsibility and respect in relation to academic work. The Southern Cross University Academic Integrity Framework aims to develop a holistic, systematic and consistent approach to addressing academic integrity across the entire University. For more information see the SCU Academic Integrity Framework
GenAI is allowed but limited
You may only use GenAI to help guide you in the process of completing your assessment work. Think of it as a tool. A quick way to access information or an AI tutor to help answer your questions. So, you can use GenAI to help guide your research, research, ask questions to help to clarify your understanding, brainstorm preliminary ideas, get feedback on your ideas and clarify concepts. You must find scholarly sources to support any of the ideas generated. This is a requirement for this assessment. Please see the Student Academic and Non-Academic Misconduct Rules, Section 3.