Department of Education and Training (Vic): Connecting assessment to practice

Join Catharine Hydon, Associate Professor Jane Page OAM, Professor Sue Grieshaber, Professor Susanne Garvis, and select Victorian teachers and educators undertaking high-quality assessment practice, in an online professional learning program focussing on assessment in kindergarten programs.

This series of four webinars will explore the role of assessment in documentation, observation and the teaching and learning cycle. We will ask the question ‘What is assessment in the early years?’ and use the VEYLDF Early Years Planning Cycle to inform the assessment process. The whole of child approach to assessment will also be explored, including how we make learning visible for children and families.

Delving into the Assessment for Learning and Development VEYLDF Practice Principle, this series will give you access to research and practice-focused approaches, as well as the opportunity to ask questions of experts and practitioners.

Webinar dates

Webinars	Dates	Time
Webinar 1: Associate Professor Jane Page	Monday 26 July 2021	3.30 pm–4.30 pm AEST
Webinar 2: Professor Sue Grieshaber	Thursday 5 August 2021	3.30 pm–4.30 pm AEST
Webinar 3: Professor Susanne Garvis	Thursday 12 August 2021	3.30 pm–4.30 pm AEST
Webinar 4: Panel discussion • Associate Professor Jane Page • Shona Kelly-Briggs • Kelly Walsh	Tuesday 17 August 2021	3.30 pm–4.30 pm AEST

Registration

To register for Connecting assessment to practice click here.

Hosted by

Catharine Hydon is the Director and Principal Consultant at Hydon Consulting. Over the last 10 years she has worked at a range of organisations and governments to understand and articulate quality and inspire change. With a Masters in early childhood education, Catharine has extensive experience in the early childhood sector beginning as a teacher in a kindergarten program in the northern suburbs of Melbourne to lead roles in a range of services and projects for children and their families.

Catharine draws on her experience and ongoing practice research to consider how theory connects and informs practice. Specialising in early childhood practice and pedagogy, quality improvement, policy and governance, the delivery of integrated services to engage vulnerable children and their families.

Catharine’s involvement in the early childhood sector is an important part of her commitment to the outcomes for children. She is a long-time member of Early Childhood Australia (ECA) currently serving as the Co-chair of the Reconciliation Advisory Group and is a regular contributor in ECA publications. Catharine has been a member of the ECA Code of Ethics working group for the last two reviews and is a co-author on the recently published Ethics in Action Implementation guide. Catharine is a Board Member of the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA) and has recently been appointed as a second tier reviewer for ACECQA.

Catharine is a dynamic speaker and collaborative facilitator and is skilled at engaging professionals in reflective dialogue and creative conversations.

 Speakers and panellists

Dr Jane Page is an Associate Professor in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE) at the University of Melbourne and Associate Director, Pedagogy and Leadership Research in the REEaCh Hub. Jane has worked in the early childhood field for over thirty years covering a range of roles both as a director and teacher in early childhood services as well as teaching and researching in the University sector. Jane’s research interests include teacher effectiveness, coaching, educational leadership and the application of human rights principles in early childhood settings. In recent years Jane has been actively engaged in the development and implementation of a number of projects with state and local government and the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA) that focus on early years teachers’ pedagogical practices. In 2019 Jane was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the general division for service to education.

 

Sue Grieshaber is Professor of Early Childhood Education and Director of Research in the School of Education at La Trobe University, Melbourne. She was a classroom teacher for 14 years in before school settings and the early years of schooling before moving to the university sector. Sue’s interests include early childhood curriculum, pedagogies, play, and policy.

 

 

 

 

Susanne Garvis is a Professor of Education and Chair of the Department of Education at Swinburne University of Technology. She returned to Australia in mid-2020 after working in Sweden and the Nordic region for 6 years. Susanne has a strong understanding of early childhood education and care from an international perspective and has worked with a number of NGOs, professional organisations and governments around the world.

 

 

 

Panellists

Shona Kelly-Briggs, Yappera Children’s Service, Thornbury
Shona Kelly-Briggs is a kindergarten teacher at Yappera Children’s Service in Thornbury, Victoria. She is passionate about supporting and advocating for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s education. Having 8 years’ experience working in early childhood education, Shona believes strong connections to culture and forming respectful relationships with families and relevant services supports successful outcomes for children. Shona recently completed her Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and is motivated and excited to continue to grow and give back to her community.

Kelly Walsh, Assisi Kindergarten, Strathfieldsaye
Kelly is a kindergarten teacher with 24 years’ experience. Her current role is nominated supervisor and teacher of a double unit kindergarten just outside of Bendigo. Kelly is inspired by the ever changing dynamic of early childhood education; constantly learning, reflecting and strengthening her pedagogy and practice.

Recordings

Webinar 1 with Catharine Hydon and Jane Page

Webinar 2 with Catharine Hydon and Sue Grieshaber

Webinar 3 with Catharine Hydon and Susanne Garvis

Webinar 4 Panel with Dr Jane Page, Shona Kelly-Briggs and Kelly Walsh

These videos are being edited so that closed captions are available. Please check back if you would like to use the CC feature, or contact shaylen@earlychildhood.org.au if you would like to be notified when this is available.