Diversity Difference EC Program Y Essay

Task
You have been given the task of designing a short early childhood program (three learning experiences) that adopt a socially just/anti-bias approach to teaching. You need to choose one area from those addressed this session: gender, sexuality, linguistic diversity, ethnicity or Aboriginality. You are not required to implement the program for this assessment.

Pay close attention to issues of pedagogy and be thoughtful about the ways you incorporate the notion of socially just/anti-bias teaching in each learning activity that you build in throughout the short program. It is important to demonstrate how you will encourage children to be critical thinkers around your topic.

The short program [and thus, your assessment] needs to include these 5 tasks:

1) A rationale as to why this topic important for your centre to address (or one you have visited/had a practical experience with ? if you are not currently employed in an EC setting). The rationale should include connections to your readings (300 words).

2) A brief discussion of how diversity and difference are evident in your service?s philosophy (or one you have visited/had a practical experience with ? if you are not currently employed in an EC setting) and your own teaching philosophy. You must not use direct quotes, but discuss the philosophies in your own words (300 words)

3) Create 3 learning experiences where you begin to disrupt dominant discourses by encouraging children to think critically about your topic (650 words).

? Describe each activity and use annotations to demonstrate how each activity addresses the outcomes/elements of EYLF and/or NQS in regard to diversity and difference. Please see an example of the format for the learning experiences in the Resources folder on the subject?s Interact2 site. A minimum of 8 annotations in total must be made across the 3 learning activities (200 words per learning experience ? annotations are not included in this word count).

? Write a combined justification explaining how the learning experiences encourage children to be critical thinkers and demonstrate a socially just/anti-bias approach to teaching. The justification should include connections to your readings (250 words).

4) Do an audit in your room for resources that might be encouraging dominant discourses around your chosen topic (eg if your topic is sexuality, you might note resources that represent social norms like heterosexual parents, gender roles, etc.). Make a list of these resources. Then explain how they could be utilised differently to challenge the dominant discourses they convey, or what kinds of resources could be included to show diversity around your topic (300 words).

5) Write a personal reflection considering your cultural plunge, the main ideas that have been presented in the subject materials and what, if any, influence they will have on your classroom practice. Include a discussion on why it is important we critically reflect on our knowledge/assumptions/bias/beliefs to become socially just teachers (500 word).
The entire assessment should use no less than 6 references (from your readings and extra readings if possible).