EDUC2632 – Transform Learning Through ICT

Curriculum Approach/ Learning Theory

Kayla Smith 20154082

As a pre-service educator, my beliefs, values and understanding towards early

childhood education are evolving and changing rapidly with, my ongoing learning

experiences. At this stage of my early childhood education degree, and the

experiences I have had with children, I believe that children are unique individuals,

with their own thoughts, ideas, interest, values and understanding’s, who enjoy

learning in a social context, actively though each other’s understandings and ideas

(DEEWR, 2009). In the foundation years, children learn best through a play-based

social, learning approach. I believe the early year's curriculum should consist of a

range of social opportunities which enable children to apply their understandings in

social settings to extend their current knowledge and understanding of the world

around them, known as Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism theory. Followed by a

Reggio Emilia approach learning through social investigations and projects. Social

learning interactions provides children the opportunity to discover the world and further

a child’s emotional, personal and social development (Brede Kamp & Copple, 1997).

Social interactions are fundamental to cognitive development, as children are using

rich language and have the opportunity to draw from prior knowledge to complete their

current task (Brede Kamp & Copple, 1997). I believe the integration of resourceful and

relevant technologies reflects the Reggio Emilia approach and the five attributes of the

social constructivism theory (Barak, 2017). As technology in the early years extends

children current understandings of the their world around them, while providing

authentic learning experiences, the involvement of trial and error, whilst all in a social

and cooperative setting, extending children’s current knowledge and understanding in

a contextual and meaningful approach (Barak, 2017). I believe for children to learn

through a vast range of social interactions, for learning to occur, lessons are required

to be authentic and constructed for work, deepening children’s current knowledge. I

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EDUC2632 – Transform Learning Through ICT
Curriculum Approach/ Learning Theory
Kayla Smith 20154082

believe, as an early childhood educator it is my role to provide young children with the

appropriate curriculum to acquire the appropriate skills and strategies to navigate

throughout the twenty-first century (DEEWR, 2009).

References
Barak, M. (2017). Science teacher education in the twenty-first century: A
pedagogical framework for technology-integrated social constructivism.
Research in Science Education, 47(2), 283-303. doi:10.1007/s11165-015-
9501-y
Bredekamp,S., & Copple, C. (1997). Developmentally appropriate practice in early
childhood programs. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education
of Young Children.

Department of Education, Employment and workplace Relations (DEEWR)

(2009). Belonging, being and becoming: The early years learning framework.
Barton, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved
from http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/early-years-
learning-framework