Assignment overview

Assignment overview

This assignment requires you to write a 1500-word reflection in which you articulate your personal values and attitudes in relation to young children’s citizenship and working with families and communities in early childhood education. You will also discuss how you anticipate these personal values will impact on your practice as an early childhood educator.

Ensure your reflection is critical (and not simply descriptive) by moving beyond stating your views to:

• identify factors that have shaped your values and attitudes
• consider the impact of your views in relation to how you, as an early childhood teacher, will support children’s citizenship and work with diverse children, families and communities.

Critical reflection should bring to light hidden biases and assumptions and help you to think about the children, families and communities that may benefit or be marginalised by your views.

Use first person for your reflections and use third person when drawing on relevant literature from the unit and wider research to support analysis of your reflection.

Assignment criteria

1. Identifies personal values, attitudes and influences on these.
2. Identify and discuss how values and attitudes may impact on teaching practice.
3. Appropriate academic expression, including APA referencing, punctuation, grammar, spelling, sentence structure, word choice, introduction and conclusion (academic and information literacy).

Your work will be assessed using the following marking guide:

EDU30006 Assignment 1 rubric
Criteria	No Pass	Pass50-59%	Credit60-69%	Distinction70-79%	High Distinction80-100%
Identifies personal values, attitudes and influences on these (35%)	Did not meet criterion.	Personal values and attitudes in relation to families, communities and children’s citizenship are noted and there is an attempt to identify factors that have impacted on these views. Overall the reflection is mostly descriptive, with emerging critical thinking evident.	Your reflection clearly and effectively identifies personal values and attitudes relating to families, communities and citizenship are clearly articulated. Influential factors on these views have been identified and clearly articulated. You are beginning to question the taken for granted.	In-depth critical reflection demonstrating a complex understanding of personal values and attitudes. A comprehensive range of factors that have influenced your views relating to families, communities and citizenship are clearly articulated.	Insightful and in-depth critical reflection demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of personal values, attitudes and underlying influences. You move beyond the obvious and identify a range of factors that have shaped your values and attitudes.
Identify and discuss how values and attitudes may impact on teaching practice (40%)	Did not meet criterion.	You have adequately reflected on and identified how your personal views may impact on teaching and/or relationships with families, communities. You have noted how your views may support or hinder children’s citizenship and your relationships with families and communities. Relationships between your ideas are mostly evident.	You have reflected critically to identify how your personal views may impact on your teaching practices and relationships. You have questioned your personal values and attitudes and clearly discussed how these may support and/or hinder children’s citizenship and your relationships with families and communities. Relationships between your ideas are evident.	A deep level of critical reflection is evident and implications for teaching practices and relationships are clearly and comprehensively discussed. You question and unpack personal values and attitudes in relation to how these may benefit some children, families and communities more than others. You demonstrate an understanding of the importance of being aware of personal values and attitudes. Relationships between ideas are clearly evident.	You have reflected deeply and critically to provide a sophisticated discussion of the implications for practice. You trouble and critique your values and attitudes in relation to who benefits most and who is silenced or marginalised. Your discussion is insightful and clearly explains how an awareness of your values and attitudes can help to address inequity in your teaching practices. Relationships between ideas are clearly evident.
Appropriate academic expression, including APA referencing, punctuation, grammar, spelling, sentence structure, word choice, introduction and conclusion (academic and information literacy). (25%)	Did not meet criterion.	Acceptable standard of writing that uses both 1st and 3rd person writing. There are some errors with spelling and/or grammar. You have linked to unit readings and mostly adhere to APA referencing guidelines.	Clear communication of ideas with effective use of 1st and 3rd person. Apart from minor issues in text and/ or in the reference list, you adhere to APA referencing conventions with some minor errors and use evidence from an appropriate range of sources.	You draw on evidence from a wide range of appropriate sources, and all statements are supported as required. APA conventions are accurate and successfully integrated. Effective use of 1st and 3rd person writing with a few minor errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation.	Writing is succinct, clear and flows seamlessly between 1st and 3rd person. Your reflections are consistently supported with relevant and recent references. Flawless use of APA referencing style is evident and there are no errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation.