Reconciliation-blog-AD

Make it personal and meaningful: educators and reconciliation

How can early childhood settings incorporate reconciliation through everyday learning? ECA caught up with preschool teacher and educational leader, ADAM DUNCAN, to hear his views on reconciliation. In the lead up to last year’s ECA Reconciliation…
Cultural competence and reconciliation3

My reflections on reconciliation

Cultural competence and reconciliation are recurrent topics in our line of work. But when it comes to putting these into practice, we’re often faced with more questions than answers. I’d like to put forth my perspective and hopefully it…
orange-is-the-new-surv

Orange is the new surveillance

‘Putting children on a hi-vis alert in the community is depriving them an opportunity to take responsibility for their own safety.’ KAREN HOPE and HELEN JENNINGS, explore what this means and give their perspective on pre-school aged children…
Webby-awards-log

Taking out the sting with children’s digital experience

Australian talent and early childhood expertise come together in nominations for a prestigious international award— The 2019 Webby Awards—recognising the best on the internet. This is a chance to find the positives behind the risks and ‘things…
the spoke budget

Budget 2019: little new for schools and even less for early childhood education experts respond

Frydenberg may claim education is critical to the prosperity of our country, but his budget does not reflect this. In his first budget speech, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said education was the ‘first defence of the nation […] it…
Educator-Wellbeing-jones

Reading aloud for International Children’s Book Day

For International Children’s Book Day (Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday on 2 April) we’ve put together ideas from authors and educators, along with some popular ECA quality-assured books to encourage and support educators in reading…
harmony-day-blog

Compassion and harmony, every day

There is not enough darkness in this world to extinguish the light of one small candle—Spanish proverb We reflect on the light, not only the shadow, cast by events to recognise what is possible: educators already have professional approaches,…
be-you-planning-blog

Reflecting and planning for the year ahead

Reflecting and planning skills are fundamental to our work as educators. While reflection allows us to have a wider range of perspectives and brings about new ways of thinking or understanding, planning builds upon that new understanding to…
conceptual-play-blog-1

Five steps for early childhood educators to create a Conceptual PlayWorld and encourage a love of STEM

With a pushdown of school-style curriculum into preschools, kindergartens and childcare centres, it can be difficult for teachers to maintain a play-based program. Fleer’s Conceptual PlayWorld provides a model for teaching through play, and…
Ec-blog-reconciliation

Keeping Aboriginal voices close: Finding a third space in which to teach

We have worked together in the South Australia (SA) Department for Education, providing leadership and advice to 10 schools in the remote communities of the Aṉangu (Aboriginal) people. As a team, we have supported early childhood teachers,…
Transition to school: A primary perspective

Transition to school: a primary perspective

‘As an early childhood and primary teacher, I enjoy working with children of all ages. In this chapter of my career, I find myself gaining behind-the-scenes insight into the primary school environment that the preschoolers I used to teach…
ECT-Pro-learning-blog

What does quality professional learning look like for early childhood teachers?

This compelling research gives us the outcome of high-quality professional learning for early childhood teachers and the opportunities it creates in our sector. Educating our educators not only benefits them but it benefits our children, their…