Abstract:
Underpinned by the goals and principles of the Mparntwe Declaration and the UNCROC, the updated Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and My Time Our Place (MTOP) expect all children to be active participants in matters that affect them, including their role in assessing their own learning. Assessment practices are part of an ongoing cycle that includes gathering of information about children and young people’s learning, development and wellbeing. Foremost, it involves engaging children and young people in the assessment process and selecting strategies for documenting their own learning. This involves teachers and educators consulting with children and young people to reflect on and develop an understanding of themselves as learners. The ideas and evidence provided by children/young people were core to the process of updating the EYLF and MTOP. This presentation will describe how teachers/educators partnered with children (babies to primary school age) in 16 early childhood (EC) and outside school hours (OSH) settings to assess, understand and evaluate learning and wellbeing. The successful application of dialogic drawing, talking circles, visual elicitation, talking and listening, and observation approaches and strategies highlighted the competence and willingness of children and young people to engage with teachers and educators about changes in their knowledge and skills, and their aspirations for learning. The examples of the interactions between the staff and the children in the settings illustrated that children’s rights are prioritised in their day-to-day experiences in EC/OSH settings. These partnerships between teachers/educators and children/young people are valuable when authentically assessing, understanding, and evaluating learning.