This module builds upon part 1 counterpart, where the key purpose is to facilitate academic, personal, and professional development.

Part 2 therefore encourages students to reflect on their work-based learning experiences and their significance for their emerging professional identity.

Connections will be made between current and relevant theories on early childhood and educational practices and the students’ own practice/work-based settings. Opportunities will be given to reflect upon their own practice/experience and undertake self-assessment according to latest research, curricula or sector guidance to examine their skills facilitating learning and wellbeing of others.

1. The portfolio will be in the format of journal entries completed via weekly sessional activities. Students will construct accounts of their class and work based learning experiences, reflecting on how their role and other professionals meet the diverse needs of learners and promote their wellbeing.

Formative assessment opportunities include;
Exert of writing submitted for feedback
Group discussions on workplace experiences

The teaching, learning and assessment strategy has been carefully developed for this module. It recognises you may bring with you practical experience and knowledge of specific contexts to share with others. This pool of practical experience will be used to promote discussion and debate, which will build upon existing knowledge to encourage reflection and critical thought. You will be an active participant in your learning and engage with online learning, some face to face content, group activities and individual tasks set. You will be encouraged to be a critical thinker and apply your learning in an academic and professional context. Some sessions require prior reading and independent research to inform the sessions.

A digitally enabled approach will be used to support both virtual and face to face opportunities.

University workshops will draw upon your experience and help you to interpret that experience in the light of current thinking on teaching, learning, assessment and schooling in relation to literacy and numeracy. You will also be asked to use the ideas explored in the sessions in planning your future work. You will also be asked to collaborate with others in preparing and presenting your work.¿

The methods are designed to provide practical contexts for the analysis of contemporary issues and problems of a practical nature. The following strategies will be adopted to ensure that you have a supportive teaching and learning environment, providing a range of learning opportunities

Work Related Learning – You will be required to reflect on values, practices, assumptions and work-place policies in your taught sessions. Work-based activities either as class based simulated tasks or in the workplace help students to establish connections between the workplace and issues raised by the programme.

Lectures - You will be given lectures which will provide theoretical underpinning on key educational concepts. These may take the form of face-to-face, digital or virtual sessions

Tutorials – You will be given the opportunity to discuss work-related and academic concerns in small group tutorials and/or individual tutorials. This will support the development of theoretical understanding.

Guided reading and supported self-study – You will be provided with booklists and reading tasks in order to enable you to engage with relevant and appropriate debates.

This module will also provide opportunities for you to:

- Work with others
- Develop interpersonal skills
- Demonstrate the capacity to plan, share goals, and work as a member of a team
- Communicate and present oral and written arguments

1. Communicate understanding of professional competence and workplace standards.¿¿¿

2. Reflect on your own role, and that of other professionals, when meeting the diverse needs of learners and promoting their well-being

Unless otherwise stated, all books are available online through Staffordshire University library website when logged in using your university username and password. If you have difficulty accessing these, please contact the University library. There is also an online reading list for each module on this course. To access this, go to http://staffs.rebuslist.com/ and then type in the module code in the search box. Do not worry if this list seems excessively long. You may wish to focus on texts which are most relevant to your education sector. This module covers a wide range of texts and you may find that you only need to read short sections of the texts listed (or from other texts that you may find in libraries or journals). Your tutor will also advise you on the relevant texts and sections of texts to read. Remember that it is important to show you have considered views from a wide range of sources. When referring to texts in your assignment, always use https://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/refzone for guidance. There are many versions of Harvard referencing systems in use around the world, but for Staffordshire University, Refzone Harvard system is the only correct method to use.

Study skills:

For guidance on academic writing, remember that the Staffordshire University library holds a wealth of resources to support study skills at https://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/study-skills. The study skills team can also provide 1 to 1 support

Current UK curricula guidance
Latest professional standards for all phases of education professionals

Beesley, P. (2020) Making the most of your social work placement. 1st ed. SAGE, London.

Beich, E. (2021) Skills for Career Success, O'Reilly, London

Bottomley, J. (2019), Critical thinking skills for your education degree, Critical Publishing, St. Albans.

Fitzgerald, D. & Maconochie, H. (2019), Early childhood studies: a student's guide, SAGE, London.

Hopkins, D. & Reid, T. (2018), The academic skills handbook: your guide to success in writing, thinking and communicating at university, SAGE, London.

Musgrave, J. and Stobbs, N. (2015) Early years placements a critical guide to outstanding work-based learning. Critical Publishing, London

The module equips learners with theoretical and practical skills they can use for themselves and with the future learners. This module is the first step towards your career, it broadens your horizons in terms of your social capital, and the types of jobs and journeys your degree can afford for you.