Daily Activities & Observations
Space Exploration Setup (8:30-9:00 am): Built a "space station" in dramatic play area using silver fabric, adult helmets and control panels
Science Experiment (10:00-11:00 AM): Adults would supervise the kids as they experiment with the Rocket Blasts where baking soda and vinegar will be used
Music and Movement (11:15-11:45 am): Songs with an out of this world, spacey theme with astronaut moves.
Documentation Time (1:30-2:30 PM), Worked with mentor/documenting our learning stories from the week
Professional Practice Elements Engaged
Play Pedagogies - Forms of Supported Play: All forms of play contribute in some way to a child learning and developing (Pyle & Danniels, 2017):
- Dramatic Play: Kids performed as astronauts, mission control and aliens
- Scientific Play: Hypothesis and testing experiments with rockets ("What would happen, if we added more vinegar?")
- Creative Play: Children made their own planets using some form of art media
- Team Play: Mission to Mars was a team working situation that involved communication
Standard 2.1 (Content and Teaching Strategies) of Professional Teaching Standards: To deliver effective teaching, profound knowledge of the content and proper approaches in teaching are needed (AITSL, 2018). I included science concepts (chemical reactions, gravity, space) with age-appropriateness and learning got interconnected within various domains (science, literacy, art, drama, music), and as a seed of meaningful learning experience I used interests of children. Observing, Documenting, Assessing, and Planning: Quality assessment practices render the learning of the children visible and the planning (Alasuutari et al., 2018):
- Observation approach: Photographed learning stories with tablet, and recorded languages and behaviors of children
- Documentation Process: Learned to write object, observations and then interpretative analysis
- Assessment Strategy: EYLF outcomes which have been identified as achieved via space play
- Planning Connection: tomorrow based extension activities that will be planned, with the aid of observations today
National Quality Standards - Quality Area 1 (Educational Program)
Standard 1.1 - Approved Learning Framework: The learning programs have to be based on the approved learning framework and should exhibit visible learning outcomes (ACECQA, 2020). In the planning documentation, all the activities were explicitly connected to the EYLF outcomes; the learning of children was evident in the wall displays, and digital portfolios.
Standard 1.2 - Child centered: The programs must show responsiveness to thoughts, interests, and queries of children (Fleet et al., 2020). Theme was as a result of children asking questions concerning location of rockets (where do these rockets go), individual interests were catered to (one child showed an interest in aliens and the concept of aliens and language was developed).
Standard 1.3 -Program Learning Opportunities: Quality programs have varied learning opportunities in all developmental areas ( Department of Education and Training, 2022). Space exploration was used to emphasis on all developmental areas as well as provide both indoor and outdoor experience, and provide challenges that are challenging but at the same time achievable according to different individuals and abilities.
Proper relations and sensitive interaction
Challenging moment: Hannah got angry because his/her rocket did not act as it should have.
My Reply: You can see you are disappointed that did not turn out as you thought it could. That is precisely what the true scientists think in some cases. What do you suppose we can do otherwise?
Result: Child persisted and attempted three possible solutions, developed a scientific mindset and a problem-solving attitude. Emotional regulation, along with persistence, is fostered by guiding the children through the frustration process (Webster-Stratton & Reid, 2018).
Cultural Competence Integration
The concept of culturally responsive practice entails the inclusion of varied thinking and knowledge systems (Harrison & Greenfield, 2021). I talked about the fact that various cultures have star and space related stories, told an Aboriginal story related to the Southern Cross constellation, used a variety of astronaut characters and pictures of space explorers and accepted home language words of various children around the world to symbolize the term star, moon, and rocket.
Wellbeing and Wellness Implications
Safety and wellbeing of children must be given priorities, and at the same time, engaging learning experiences should be maintained (Little & Wyver, 2018):
- Physical Safety: Carefulsupervision in science classes, eyewar: available
- Emotional Wellbeing-Children who perceived loud noises of rockets as being too loud were assisted with earplugs
- Mental Health: Praised mistakes to cash in on as learning experiences to minimise performance anxiety