ECTPP302A: Reflective Practice Report on Program and Curriculum

This report delves into the concepts of program and curriculum within the context of early childhood education, addressing the question of whether they are synonymous. It explores the importance of both terms in the modern era, emphasizing their distinctions despite their close relationship. The report examines key topics, including program planning, research with children, the significance of following children's interests, and co-creating curriculum. It highlights the role of the National Regulation and the Early Years Learning Framework, emphasizing the responsibilities of educators in providing educational programs that align with approved learning frameworks and cater to the individual needs and interests of each child. Furthermore, the report discusses the concepts of social constructivism, intentional teaching, scaffolding, and the negotiated curriculum, providing insights into effective teaching practices. It also covers the importance of communication, language, and the utilization of children's interests for learning, including the application of the project approach and the concept of a balanced approach to facilitate meaningful experiences. The report emphasizes the need for educators to be sensitive to children's emotional and developmental needs within the community.

Running Head: ECTPP302A
The Program
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Reflective and professional practice 1
The topic of the week is the program and the purpose is to find the answer to the question that is
“Do curriculum and program mean the same thing?” It is observed that the terms program and
curriculum have gained importance in the modern era due to the constant changing of the content
and the involvement of the new programs. These terms create confusion in the mind of most of
the people as they are frequently used in conjunctions. If both the terms are brought together the
word curriculum refers to the regulations and rules to make the condition more confusing
(Cutter-Mackenzie, Edwards & Quinton, 2015). The two terms program and curriculum are
different from each other although they are closely related to one another. In the early childhood
curriculum is significant as it offers a direction and provides a definite structure that is to be
followed to achi9ve the target. Whereas, in early childhood program helps in acquiring the
learning realted skills and the social skills that is beneficial for the children. Curriculum refers to
the content that is utilized to create the study programs and the method through which it is
administered. For the students it not only the number of programs but also there is a change in
the curriculum activities over the period of time along with the rule of supply and demand
(Fattore, Mason & Watson, 2017). The following week provides the description of the following
factors such as planning of the program, research with children, following interests and co-
creating curriculum.
In the following week, it is provided that a nominated supervisor of a care service and an
education must make sure that the program is provided to all the children that are cared and
educated by the service. The following services are as follows:
a) It is related to the framework of the approved learning
b) It is provided in such a manner that is based on the framework of the approved learning
c) It is related to the experiences and interests and developmental requirements of every child
d) It is designed to consider every child individual difference
From this week I have gathered knowledge about the framework of the approved learning based
on the children. I got to know that the aim of the National Regulation that is considered to be the
framework of approved learning in Australia is to examine the becoming, being and belonging of
the early years of Australian learning framework. It is observed that most of the states have to
maintain a relationship with the needs of the educational curriculum of the state government
(Graham, Powell & Taylor, 2015). From this week I got to know that the educational program

Reflective and professional practice 2
and the framework of the approved learning are different in the regulation. In the early service of
the childhood, it is the responsibility of the teachers to provide an educational program related to
the framework of the early years of learning and teaching (Roberts, H. (2017). The week also
provides with the regulations based on programming that states that there is some inconsistency
among the terms of Framework of the early years learning and national regulation. I come to
know that the early years of framework utilizes the word curriculum instead of the program
while the national regulation utilizes the word program. I got to know that curriculum offers
flexibility, effectiveness and helps the teachers to provide better knowledge to the children. The
curriculum comprises of all the planned and unplanned, events and routines, experiences and
interactions that take place in the environment that is created to present the learning and the
development of the children (Moore, Noble-Carr & McArthur, 2016). Section 168 of the law
states that education program is the program. On the other side, the preschool program refers to
an early educational program of the childhood that is provided by the qualified teacher of the
early childhood to the children who are of two years of age and studying in grade 1 of school.
I understood that the curriculum of the early years learning framework and the regulations
program are similar to each other. Instead of independent constructivism the week reflects upon
the factor of the social constructivism. Also, I got to know about the function of programming
with the positive image in the mind of the children. It encouraged me to discover and explore
new things. I understood the techniques of solving the problems as well as instead of transmitting
the facts the knowledge must be co-constructed. It provided me with the knowledge that the
theory of the sociocultural curriculum facilitates scaffolding and social interaction. As per the
theory, it is significant that the educators must listen to the issues of the children and provide a
solution for the problem by taking adequate actions (Kirkby, Keary & Walsh, 2018). I gathered
knowledge of how to provide opportunities for the different representatives of the ideas and
meanings. It provided me with the information to build the knowledge of the children for that it
is significant to utilize every day and play experience. Also for the purpose of scaffolding
learning, it is vital to utilize the questions and language. From this week I understood the idea of
the negotiated curriculum. Active involvement is when communicating with the young children
it is important that the educators required to be sensitive and actively involved. Also in order to
actively support the learning and development of the children the educators must accept their
responsibility (McLaughlin, Aspden, & Snyder, 2016). It provided me with the overall

Reflective and professional practice 3
knowledge of the understanding of the children's personal interests and needs and for this
purpose, there must occur active engagement in the context.
It is believed by some of the educators of the early childhood that when the teachers
communicate with the children in the supportive and involved manner at that time the children’s
play is enhanced (Cherrington, 2018). But most of them hesitate to involve in the active
behaviors as they are afraid of the interrupting productive play. I also gathered knowledge about
the idea of shared control that utilizes the strategy of positive interaction to execute active
learning. The high scope approach states that in the children's play the adults participate
enthusiastically as the adults form a partnership with the children and instead of giving praise
they encourage the children to do better (Leggett & Ford, 2016). Also, I come to know that in the
children's play the adults helps in problem-solving. It is observed that while the children face
social conflicts the adults provide full support by making use of the six steps to resolve the
problems. From this week I gathered knowledge about the concept of intentionality that reflects
upon the effective interaction of the experienced learners that provides the understanding of the
children’s learning. It can be seen that intentional teaching is deliberate, informed and
thoughtful. The concept of intentionality is not apart from the early years learning framework but
it is provided in most of the frameworks of the childhood curriculum (Epstein, 2016). I got to
know that intentional educators generate an environment of learning that comprises of rich in
interactions and materials. It provides opportunities for children to effectively practice by taking
risks, problem-solving, negotiating, thinking and choosing. Intentional educators enhance the
children to explore ideas, relationships, experiences, and materials via different materials based
on open-ended (Brown & Grigg, 2017). I come to know that it highly helps the children to
inquire about the things and investigate and ask questions. Also, it helps to test and justify their
queries, create tentative conclusions, consider the possibilities as well as gather information.
I come to know that to build new knowledge in the children it is important to practice gesturing,
modeling, drawing, painting, dancing, singing and talking with the help of various technologies.
It is significant for the educators to understand the different ways through which the children
express their word (Leggett, 2017). From this week I gained knowledge about various types of
scaffolding such as initiating, suggesting, recalling, reading, explanation, providing information,
describing, answering, focusing attention, facilitating and reinforcing. All these types of

Reflective and professional practice 4
scaffolding state the involvement of the adults in the children's play in order to enhance and
support them to perform better (Claughton, 2017). I gathered information about the significance
of communication and language that explains the factors of communication, language, and inter
subjectivity. The week provides me with the concept of the participants, curriculum, joint
meaning, and joint goals and researching with children. All these are considered to be the
components of a negotiated curriculum where curriculum refers to the negotiation among the
participants. It also provides me with the knowledge of the utilization of the children's interests
that is important for learning experience and planning play. Through this, the child gets the
motivation to learn new skills and information. It is found that the interests of the children must
be balanced as children comprise of some levels of enjoyment, mastery and emotional security
by again and again performing the similar activity (Pyle, Poliszczuk & Danniels, 2018). I come
to know about some of the questions that are related to the concept of professional judgment. I
understood that our choices will be considered by our knowledge regarding the abilities and
requirements of the child in the context. It is observed that the interests of the children are the
vital source for the short-term investigations or long-term development of the learning projects
(Dockett & Einarsdottir. 2010). I come to know that for this we could utilize the process of
webbing to experience ideas and explore topics.
The week provided me with some of the steps for negotiating the curriculum with the help of the
project approach. The steps state to identify different methods to explore the idea or topic. I
learned the technique of how to document a project with the help of the project approach. My
concept regarding the balanced approach got stronger as it states that an adult initiated ideas and
a blend of child initiated ideas is the significant key related to the provisions of appropriate
experiences. This week is vital as provided me with the important knowledge about focusing on
the interests of the children without determining their capabilities could result in facilitating an
experience that is not significant or appropriate. I also come to know that children's learning is
shaped by the beliefs and experiences within the community. Hence, for the children in order to
develop and learn they are required to be emotionally and developmentally receptive (PSC
National Alliance, 2012).

Reflective and professional practice 5
References
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in early childhood. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 18(3), 333-345.
Cherrington, S. (2018). Early childhood teachers’ thinking and reflection: a model of current
practice in New Zealand. Early Years, 38(3), 316-332.
Claughton, A. (2017). Approaching Play and Inclusion. In Inclusive Education (pp. 45-59).
SensePublishers, Rotterdam.
Cutter-Mackenzie, A., Edwards, S., & Quinton, H. W. (2015). Child-framed video research
methodologies: Issues, possibilities and challenges for researching with
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Dockett. S., & Einarsdottir. J., (2010). Researching with Children. Every Child, 16(4), 34-35.
Epstein, A. S. (2016). All about HighScope
Fattore, T., Mason, J., & Watson, E. (2017). Researching Children’s Understandings of Well-
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McLaughlin, T., Aspden, K., & Snyder, P. (2016). Intentional teaching as a pathway to equity in
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Educational Studies, 51(2), 175-195.

Reflective and professional practice 6
Moore, T., Noble-Carr, D., & McArthur, M. (2016). Changing things for the better: the use of
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and Implementation. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 32(2), 219-233.
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