the playcentre diploma in early childhood and … handbook may... · the playcentre diploma in ....

The Playcentre Diploma in

Early Childhood and Adult Education

Student Handbook

Courses 1 - 6

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Contents page What is the Playcentre diploma? .......................................................................................... 3

Why do we provide the diploma programme? ..................................................................... 3

Learning strands ................................................................................................................... 4

Certificates ............................................................................................................................ 5

Information and policies for students ................................................................................... 5

Enrolment ......................................................................................................................... 5

Cost ................................................................................................................................... 5

Support during Courses .................................................................................................... 6

Length of Courses ................................................................................................................. 6

Enrolling in the next course .............................................................................................. 7

Reading resources ............................................................................................................. 7

What we expect from our students ....................................................................................... 7

Workshop ground rules .................................................................................................... 8

When things go wrong ...................................................................................................... 8

Withdrawing from the programme ................................................................................... 8

Provision for recognition of prior learning [RPL] ............................................................ 8

Assessment policies and procedures ..................................................................................... 9

Commenting appeals ........................................................................................................ 9

Assessment Time Frames ................................................................................................. 9

Submitting assessments in te reo Māori ........................................................................... 9

Moderation ...................................................................................................................... 10

Keeping track of your training ............................................................................................ 10

Moving to another association ........................................................................................ 10

Completing Assessments .................................................................................................... 11

Format of Assessment Tasks .............................................................................................. 12

Acknowledging references ................................................................................................. 13

Certificate Modules ............................................................................................................ 15

Course 1 – Introducing Playcentre ................................................................................. 15

Course 2 – The Playcentre Way ..................................................................................... 15

Course 3 – Playcentre Sessions ...................................................................................... 15

Course 4 – Playcentre Practice ....................................................................................... 16

Course 5 – Playcentre in Context ................................................................................... 16

Course 6 – The Playcentre Diploma in Early Childhood and Adult Education ............. 17

Terms explained ................................................................................................................. 18

Where to go for help ........................................................................................................... 20

Playcentre Education

Updated 10 May, 2012

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What is the Playcentre diploma?

The Playcentre diploma aims to provide accessible, flexible, field-based early childhood education qualifications, appropriate to the needs of Playcentre’s parent led early childhood service within Aotearoa New Zealand. Designed specifically for parents in Playcentre, the diploma has been approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and Playcentre Education is the accredited provider of this.

Local associations are approved to deliver various courses in the diploma provided they implement the Playcentre Education Quality Management System effectively. Each association plans the style of delivery best suited to local needs. However all workshops and assessments meet the requirements of the national curriculum document and are pre-approved by the Training Coordinator.

The Playcentre specific licensing agreement with the Ministry of Education [circular 2001/16] is based on groups of parents with combinations of the six courses that make up the diploma.

Why do we provide the diploma programme?

We believe that the whānau family, as the fundamental unit in the community, should be valued, promoted and supported as the most important setting for the nurturing and education of our children. Children have the opportunity to reach their full potential when parents understand their development and take part in their learning experiences. This programme has been designed for parents working alongside their children and learning through reflection on their experiences.

We believe that playcentres, run co-operatively by member families, provide a positive early childhood education option appropriate for New Zealand families. The programme includes information about the requirements for licensing and chartering, as well as specific topics relating to team work and skills required for working within a co-operative.

We believe that parents, with appropriate training and support, can expand their skills and make a positive, professional contribution to high quality early childhood education services. Content that aims to promote



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personal development and develop leadership skills for roles within the Playcentre movement and the community is included.

We believe that the effectiveness of early childhood education programmes will be enhanced when: Whānau family have choice and are involved in decisions about their

children’s education. Whānau family are recognized as the first and best educators of their

children and supported in this role.

Experiences aim to develop self-esteem and parenting skills thus empowering parents by expanding their capabilities as the first and best educators of their children are integral to this.

Learning strands

The programme is loosely grouped around three main learning strands including practical experiences. These strands are woven throughout the courses rather than in particular modules and topics are often reintroduced at each level with increasing complexity.

Communication and leadership strand. Develops communication, centre management, facilitation & leadership skills for working effectively in a cooperative. Topics covered include: • Theories of communication, leadership, consensus decision making

and co-operative group processes. • Reflection on personal attitudes to individual & cultural differences. • Parent partnerships, ethical practice and emergent leadership in

Playcentre. • Development of facilitation skills and reflective practice with adults

and children.

Learning and teaching strand. Develops skills as an Early Childhood educator of adults and children in Playcentre. Topics covered include: • Theories of human development and learning. • The value of play for learning. • Effective teaching strategies for the learning of children and adults. • Methods for planning, assessment and evaluation of the learning

process for adults and children.



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Playcentre in the New Zealand context. Develops understanding of Playcentre and the wider context of early childhood in New Zealand. Topics here include • Professional practice and ethics. • Statutory regulations and requirements for early childhood services. • Early childhood services in New Zealand. • Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Playcentre.

Practical experience strand. Develops skills as a parent educator, leader, manager and facilitator in Playcentre. Reflection on the required practical experiences help develop meaningful links between theory and its application in these situations.

Certificates

Certificates are awarded when students have completed all requirements for courses. [In cases where RPL is awarded check section in page 8 of this handbook.] Courses will be recognized for licensing purposes immediately upon completion but certificate presentation procedures may differ between associations. Certificates are issued nationally for Courses 4 and above along with a transcript of learning outcomes achieved through the Playcentre programme.

Information and policies for students

Enrolment Course 1 is a pre-requisite for enrolment into the diploma programme. To enrol in the diploma you must be actively participating in a Playcentre, over 16 years old and a domestic student i.e. a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident. Centre education officers will be able to tell you how to enrol in your association programme, otherwise contact your association education team directly.

Cost There are no tuition fees charged to individuals participating in the education programme. However if weekend courses or training events attract extra accommodation, travel or food costs these will be charged to individuals attending. In such cases you will be advised of costs, and any provisions for refunds in case of cancellation, beforehand. While some playcentres may choose to provide assistance with travel and babysitting



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costs, these are your responsibility. Your local centre education officer will be able to inform you if such assistance is available.

Support during Courses You may access support from your centre members, your centre education officer, the teaching staff, the association education team or the Playcentre Education Committee. If you feel you have any special learning needs or particular family circumstances which may affect your ability to participate fully in the adult education programme you may indicate these when you enrol. You will be contacted by the association education team or the tutor assigned to you to discuss if there is any extra support the association can provide to help with your learning.

Length of Courses

Courses may have minimum time frames to ensure that students get the practical experience required. There are also recommended maximum time frames for each module. For course 2 the recommended maximum is 9 months from the date you submitted your first piece of written work. For each module above this the recommended maximum time frame is one year from the date you submitted your first piece of written work for that particular module. Regardless of these time frames Playcentre recognizes the need to allow for step on, step off processes so that students take time if necessary to meet family needs.

To allow some flexibility minimum time frames can be varied in the following circumstances…

Total time spent participating in Playcentre can be backdated towards C2 and C3 minimum time frames but session requirements for courses 3 and 4 should be completed when students are enrolled on the course.

A minimum time frame of one year in Playcentre is required before enrolment in course 4 is permitted. More flexible options for courses 1 to 3 are possible where extensive prior experience in early childhood centre has taken place.

Half the session requirements for course 5 may be backdated. [two terms or twenty sessions.]

Assessments for course 4 and above must be completed in a licensed Playcentre.



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Enrolling in the next course Associations will indicate in manuals pre-requisites for any workshops or assessments. In cases where workshops are held infrequently students may wish to attend workshops for the next course.

Students may attend a workshop for the course immediately above that in which they are enrolled if:

• They have completed most of the current course and • Any specific pre-requisites for the workshop concerned have

been met. All previous course or module assessments must be completed

before students may enrol on the next course or module.

Reading resources Students do not need to buy textbooks. Copies of the required reading for each course will be available in either the centre or association library. Your centre education officer or association librarian will be able to help you. Workshop hand-outs and reading packs provided during the course are for your personal study only and should not be copied for others. Copyright Act 1994.

What we expect from our students

All participants in Playcentre Education training programmes are asked to act in a way that shows respect for the rights, beliefs and values of others. In particular they are asked to: • Keep to association and centre policies on adult behaviour within

Playcentre. • Refrain from sexual harassment, violent or abusive behaviour, use of

illegal drugs or abuse of alcohol while attending any training events. • Adhere to the group contract negotiated during any training events

and maintain appropriate confidentiality about issues shared by other participants at these, respect time keeping obligations and behave in a way that respects the rights of all participants.

• Abide by the Early Childhood Regulations [ECE 2008] and any other relevant legislation while working or observing in Playcentre sessions.

• Ensure all assessments are their own work and acknowledge references appropriately.

• Try to arrive on time for workshops or discussion events or to follow the association procedures when cancelling.



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Workshop ground rules At the beginning of each workshop those present will discuss the ground rules to be followed to ensure all present feel able to participate in any discussions. If any problems occur during the workshop the group will refer to these ground rules when dealing with the issue that has arisen. If this process does not resolve the problem the facilitator may give a verbal warning, and finally, with the agreement of the group, will ask those causing the problem to leave the workshop.

When things go wrong The code of conduct is designed to protect all participants in the programme. Any breaches of the code of conduct are the responsibility of the association education team. In cases where serious misconduct such as violent or abusive behaviour, sexual harassment, use of illegal drugs or abuse of alcohol occurs immediate dismissal from the programme may take place. In cases where less serious breaches occur the following procedure applies.

Verbal warning. Written warning. Exclusion from the education programme.

Withdrawing from the programme Playcentre provides for step on, step off processes to allow students to take time out to meet family needs. If you wish to formally withdraw you should fill in a withdrawal form to inform the association of this. Should you stop participating in your local playcentre in order to attend another early childhood service you will be deemed to have withdrawn from the Playcentre diploma programme once the enrolment period for that particular course has passed.

Provision for recognition of prior learning [RPL] You may apply for RPL for all courses except for those parts with Playcentre-specific content. The smallest unit for credit available is a workshop or single assessment event. RPL is worked out by matching learning outcomes. Playcentre-specific content must be completed and or assessed in Playcentre before a module will be awarded. This applies to both practical experience requirements as well as the assessments. [see also minimum time frames policy] Should you be interested in applying for RPL, please contact your association education team who will provide you with the appropriate application form and explain the procedure. Any costs for assessing your prior learning are to be covered by you as



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applicant. In some associations your local centre will pay any charges incurred for this process. Once again your centre education officer will be able to inform you of any policies with regard to this.

Assessment policies and procedures

All assessments have been developed in line with the aims and learning outcomes in the Playcentre diploma. Work is assessed on a competency basis with opportunities for reassessment. No grades are awarded. If work does not meet all the set marking criteria tutors will ask students to resubmit their work with the extra information in it. There is no limit on the number of resubmissions. If a student needs to resubmit an assessment twice it should be checked by a different commenter.

Commenting appeals

If you feel dissatisfied with any aspects of the marking of your work you can ask the education team to arrange for it to be marked by another commenter. If you are still dissatisfied you may then ask for your work to be sent to the Playcentre Education Committee for assessment. The decision of this group will be final.

Assessment Time Frames Assessments should be returned to students within 3 weeks with a maximum time frame of 4 weeks. Should there be a delay in return of work students should contact the association who will follow up by contacting teaching staff responsible. Work submitted in the last 2 weeks of December will not be marked until late January.

Submitting assessments in te reo Māori Assessments may be submitted in English or te reo Māori. Assignments submitted in Māori, will either be marked by a commenter fluent in te reo Māori or be translated into English then marked by a commenter as usual. To minimize any delays in the return of assessments it will assist the association education team if you indicate your intention to submit assessments in Māori on your enrolment form so that processes can be set up before you submit your first assignment.



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Moderation To ensure that commenters/tutors are consistent and fair when marking, assessments are regularly sent for moderation. If this means a delay in return of work students will be informed. Associations also collect copies of marked assessments to ensure comments are nationally consistent. Copies of work sent away for national moderation will have any personal identifying information removed from them.

Keeping track of your training

Students may request to see a copy of their training record at any time under the provisions of the Education Act 1989. Records will are stored securely with access to them restricted to authorised personnel & information in them may only be used for education purposes. Certificates are issued when you complete all the assessments and practical requirements for each course. Certificates for courses 1 to 3 are issued by your local association. For courses 4, 5 and 6 certificates are issued by Playcentre Education once the association education team provides evidence that all requirements have been completed.

Moving to another association Students receive full credit for any training completed in one association when moving to a new association. Students should fill out a transfer form in the new association asking for a transfer of records across. Because of differences in delivery style a formal assessment of work completed to design the transition programme is needed to work out which workshops and assessments are equivalent to the new association courses.



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Completing Assessments

You should take course manuals to workshops and discussions. When attending workshops ask facilitators to discuss any assignments linked to them. Teaching staff will be able to help with any questions prior to your submission of any assignments.

You should leave a 5 cm margin on the of the page to provide space for teaching staff comments.

You may write or type your assignments. Try to ensure they are legible. Some associations will allow electronic submission of assessments. You should ask how to do this if you prefer this option.

Proof read assignments before sending them. Teaching staff will not be commenting on spelling or grammar but it is important to check your ideas are expressed clearly.

Always keep a copy of your assignment just in case it is lost in transit. Occasionally work can be lost in the post.

Plagiarism: Your work must be your own. This means if you are quoting someone else’s words or ideas it is vital that they be correctly acknowledged. [See guidelines on next page for references.]

Copying the work of other Students: If it is found assignments have been copied from other students, both students will have the certificates awarded revoked and may be dismissed from the programme. If you are asked by another student to show them copies of your assignments you should refuse and draw their attention to the clause in the student code of conduct (p.7) which covers this.

You should include a bibliography acknowledging all references used when completing an assignment. At Course 5 and above this will be a requirement under the marking criteria. Pages 13 & 14 give you information about how you should do this.



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Format of Assessment Tasks

Assessments in your manuals will have the following aspects to them.



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Acknowledging references

In order to avoid plagiarism it is really important to acknowledge when you are quoting from someone else’s ideas. You must always acknowledge your sources. This includes anything that is not your own idea, even if you have adapted it to your style and put it into your own words.

Within your assignment If you use someone else’s words in your own assignment or wish to refer to someone’s idea from your reading you should acknowledge the author and the date of publication. Ways to do this in the APA referencing style are given below.

Direct quotations Place the quotation within double quotation marks, and put the citation afterwards in the form (Author, year, page). For example: “Planning is when we take learning seriously” (Jones, 1994 p.3)

If you want to quote a longer section, say more than 50 words, this should be placed in a separate paragraph within your assignment along with the references as given above. Look for examples of this in the articles you read.

Indirect references If you are not using a specific quote but referring to someone’s idea, then the citation is similar but does not include a page number. For example: Planning has been described as serious attention to learning. (Jones, 1994).

Secondary references If you want to refer to someone’s ideas, but have read about that person’s ideas in someone else’s work, then that is a secondary citation. The citation is as follows: Jones described planning as paying serious attention to learning (Jones, 1994, as cited in Smith, 1998) You would then put Smith (1998) in your reference list as per usual, as that is the source that you actually read.

Reference list In a list at the end of your assignment, you must include all the books, journal articles and any other sources you used [such as the internet] that you have cited in your assignment. Any reference cited in your



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assignment must be in your reference list, and nothing should be in your reference list that is not cited in your assignment.

You may, if you wish, add a bibliography of extra reading. This is to show how widely you have read, but is a different concept from acknowledging an author’s ideas in a reference list.

Order and punctuation Your reference list should be organised alphabetically by surname of author. You also need to note the order for author, title, publisher etc and the conventions of punctuation given here, or in another APA reference guide.

General format Author, Initial. (year). Title in italics, without capitals except beginning and proper names. City of publication:Publisher.

Book Jones, M.M. (2001). The importance of planning in centres. Auckland: New Zealand Playcentre Federation.

Edited book Stover, S. (Ed.). (1998). Good clean fun: New Zealand’s Playcentre movement. Auckland: New Zealand Playcentre Federation.

Chapter in an edited book James, C.P. (2000). Looking After Infants. In P.B. Welzink & R.S. Norton (Eds.), Childrearing in troubled times. Wellington: McGill Publishing. [note that for editors, the initials come before the surname. This is specifically for a chapter in an edited book, and not for an edited book itself.]

Article in a journal Cole, R. (2003). Travelling the Yellow Brick Road. The First Years: Ngā Tau Tuatahi. 5, (1), 3-4. [Note that is the title of the journal that is in italics, not the title of the article.]

Material found on the Internet Lane, E.E. (1994). Future of planning in a postmodern world. Retrieved 3 March 2004 from http://www.pnp.ac.nz/plan/today.htm



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Certificate Modules

Course 1 – Introducing Playcentre This course provides information about the benefits of Playcentre for families to allow students to make informed choices about participation in the Early Childhood Service. It is designed to provide the minimum information required for contribution to sessions. [5 credits at level 3]

Module 1.106 Introducing Playcentre o There are two assessment tasks for this course.

Course 2 – The Playcentre Way This course extends the skills of the adult assisting on sessions by providing practice with supporting play and writing stories about children’s learning, an introduction to session requirements, cultural awareness and communication skills. [10 credits at level 4]

Module 2.106 Introduction to learning through play o There are 4 assessment tasks for this module.

Module 2.206 Celebrating culture o There are 2 assessment tasks for this module.

Module 2.306 Basic Communication Skills o There are 3 assessment tasks for this module.

Course 3 – Playcentre Sessions This course aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills to run good quality sessions in a parent co-operative setting. There is further practice in providing for play, documenting children’s learning, an introduction to children’s development, the meaning of Te Tiriti o Waitangi for practice on sessions and an introduction to teamwork and leadership in Playcentre. [20 credits at level 4]

Module 3.106 Effective Playcentre Sessions o There are 5 assessment tasks for this module.

Module 3.206 Learning and Development o There are 2 assessment tasks for this module.

Module 3.306 Te Tiriti o Waitangi o There are 2 assessment tasks for this module.

Module 3.406 Teamwork in Playcentre o There are 3 assessment tasks for this module.



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Course 4 – Playcentre Practice

This course aims to develop skills for effective centre practice. It includes practical experience within sessions, a module on inclusion and bicultural practice, a study of the effect of EC regulations upon Playcentre policies, an introduction to adult learning practice and more experience of holding office in Playcentre. [30 credits at level 5]

Module 4.106 Learning and Teaching Approaches in Playcentre. o There are 5 assessment tasks for this module.

Module 4.206 Inclusive Practice and Tiriti Relationships. o There are 4 assessment tasks for this module.

Module 4.306 Safe Supervision in Playcentre o There are 3 assessment tasks for this module.

Module 4.406 Stepping into Leadership in Playcentre o There are 3 assessment tasks for this module.

Course 5 – Playcentre in Context This course is designed to extend management skills and promote reflective practice. There is content relating to models of programme planning, developing a personal philosophy, inclusion and partnership under Te Tiriti, the place of Playcentre within Early Childhood in New Zealand and further experience of leadership and facilitation and assessment within the Playcentre adult programmes. [45 credits at level 5]

Module 5.106 Programme Planning o There are 4 assessment tasks for this module.

Module 5.206 Principles of Partnership o There are 2 assessment tasks for this module.

Module 5.306 Playcentre in the New Zealand Community o There are 2 assessment tasks in this module.

Module 5.406 Leadership in Playcentre o There are 3 assessment tasks in this module.

Module 5.506 Learning to Assess o There are 3 assessment tasks in this module.



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Course 6 – The Playcentre Diploma in Early Childhood and Adult Education This course is designed to encourage participants to develop leadership and facilitation skills as well as professional skills and approaches for the care and education of children in a range of settings. Topics include more in depth human development content, reflecting on the effectiveness of parent partnerships and further opportunities for enhancing leadership skills within the Playcentre context. [80 credits at level 6]

Module 6.106 Professional Practice in Playcentre o There are 3 assessment tasks in this

module.

Module 6.206 Human Development o There are 2 assessment tasks in this

module.

Module 6.306 Partnership the Playcentre Way o There are 2 assessment tasks in this

module.

Module 6.406 Advanced Leadership o There are 3 assessment tasks in this

module.

The diploma overall has a total of 190 credits and is registered with NZQA as a level 6 diploma.



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Terms explained

Competency-based assessment Assignments are marked according to the standards set by marking criteria for each. If the standard is met an assignment is passed. No grades are awarded.

Credit NZQA term used to indicate the amount of learning in a qualification.

Cross credit Where internal credit from a previous Playcentre course is awarded towards a current one.

Enrolment Period The period during which funding for a particular module is paid by TEC. It extends from the 1st of the month in which students submit their first written assessment for 9 months for Course 2 and 12 months for all other modules.

Level Descriptors The NZQF1 has 10 levels. Levels are based on complexity, with level one the least complex and level ten the most complex.

New Zealand Qualifications Authority The body that registers training establishments and accredits them to deliver an approved qualification. Playcentre Education is a registered PTE accredited to deliver the Playcentre diploma.

Playcentre Education The name of the registered Private Training Establishment. (PTE)

Playcentre Education Committee Sub-committee of New Zealand Playcentre Federation which manages the diploma programme. Sometimes called the Federation Education [Fed Ed] Team.

Pre-requisite A course, module or workshop which needs to be completed before attending another. Association manuals will outline these.

1 New Zealand Qualifications Framework.



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Recognition of Prior Learning [RPL] Where evidence of previous qualifications is assessed to award credit towards Playcentre certificates.

Teaching staff Personnel who provide training delivery. Local association terminology includes tutors, commenters, leaders, facilitators.

Tertiary Education Commission The government body which manages provision and funding of tertiary education in New Zealand. Also called TEC.

Tertiary Education Funding Manager Appointed employee of the Playcentre Education Committee. Coordinates student enrolments and completions for funding from TEC.

Training Co-ordinator Appointed employee of the Playcentre Education Committee. Co-ordinates the requirements for registration and quality management of the programme.



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Where to go for help

Should you have any reason to make a complaint regarding your education programme, please use the following procedure. 1) Discuss your issue with the person concerned – if no resolution 2) Discuss your issue with your Centre Education Officer or Centre President- if no resolution 3) Discuss your issue with your Association Education Team - if no resolution 4) Discuss your issue with your Association Board of Management or Executive Committee- if no resolution 5) Discuss your issue with the Playcentre Education Committee - if no resolution 6) Discuss your issue with the New Zealand Playcentre Federation President or Standing Committee - if no resolution 7) Discuss your issue with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, 125 The Terrace, Box 160, Wellington, ph 04 802 3000 www.nzqa.govt.nz

Useful contact addresses Training Coordinator [email protected] Or NZPF Secretary, PO Box 313019, Parakai, 0844 [email protected]

Association Contact Details :



http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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