Organisational change in the workplace projectTask

This is a Project:

Consider the development of a project for organisational change in your workplace. Decide on an area for change that relates to either social, economic or environmental sustainability.
You should start small and not necessarily have a clear outcome/s in mind as the process of change is evolutionary. Some examples of organisational change can be found in Chapters 3 and 4 of the Davis (2015) text where the Sustainable Planet Project is discussed.

Rationale
Early childhood teachers are challenged to operate as pedagogical leaders in a context of increasing globalisation and internationalisation. Reforms in teacher education and in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), at national and international levels, call for an internationalised curriculum which can provide opportunities for ECEC teachers to develop leadership knowledge and skills necessary for children and adults to enact citizenship rights and responsibilities in ethical ways within ECEC settings. It recognises, however, that ECEC teachers often operate in a range of communities where structural disadvantage and/or unsustainable social, economic and environmental practices may prevail. The preparation and development of ECEC teachers as ethical and generative pedagogical leaders, however, can work to ameliorate the adverse effects of these practices. Opportunities for international engagement and dialogue around issues of global citizenship, participation, human rights and sustainable futures, for children and for adults, can increase teachers’ social and cultural capital and make a sustained difference for good, both locally and globally.
Requirements
For Assessment item 1, your project for sustainability, you should include a discussion based on the following headings:

Brief critical reflection: (approximately 800 words) In this section, reflect on the importance of issues of leadership and sustainable futures (as addressed in modules 1- 3) in ECEC.
Context for the project: Briefly describe your workplace context and the community in which your service operates. Discuss the impetus for the project that includes a discussion of the conditions/events that have brought about a need for change and have subsequently led to the project. For instance, Gibson (as cited in Davis, 2015, pp. 55-62) identifies conditions for change that led to the Sustainable Planet Project. Other conditions may include ideas or issues raised by yourself, other staff, parents, children or community members that relate to the development of a project for sustainability. Draw on the research literature (the texts and other readings) to discuss the role of pedagogical leadership in the development of the project.

Outline of the project: In this section describe the project and what you hope to achieve.

Challenges: Identify any barriers you may have encountered along the way and explain how you have managed them.

Preliminary outcomes of the project: Discuss the project that you have implemented to date and any practical mini projects that may have resulted from the project. This could be represented as a diagram if needed.

Future possibilities: Reflect and evaluate the project to date and provide a brief discussion about future plans for the continuation of the project, including changes and modification made along the way.

Reference list.

Please choose 5 to reference from:

Required reading / resources
Aubrey, C. (2011). Leading and managing in the early years. (2nd ed.). London: Sage.

Berthelsen, D., Brownlee, J., & Johansson, E. (Ed.). (2009). Participatory learning in the early years: Research and pedagogy. New York: Routledge.

Bloom, P. J. (2005). Blueprint for action: Achieving center-based change through staff development (2nd ed.). Illinois: New Horizons.

Brownlee, J., Nailon, D., & Tickle, E. (2010). Constructing leadership in child care: Epistemological beliefs and transformational leadership. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 35(3), 95-104.

Commonwealth of Australia. (2009). Belonging, being and becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Canberra: Retrieved 16/08/09 from http://www.deewr.gov.au/EarlyChildhood/Policy_Agenda/Quality/Documents/Final%20EYLF%20 Framework%20Report%20-%WEB.pdf

Farrell, A. (2005). Globalising early childhood teacher education. International Journal of Early Childhood, 37(1), 9-17.

Fleer, M. (2010). Early learning and development: Cultural-historical concepts in play. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.

Hard, L. (2006). Horizontal violence in early childhood education and care: Implications for leadership enactment. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 31(3), 40-48.

Hard, L., & O’Gorman, L. (2007). Push me or pull you? An opportunity for early childhood leadership in the implementation of Queensland’s Early Years Curriculum. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 8(1), 50-60.

Hard, L., Press, F., & Gibson, M. (2013). ‘Doing’ Social Justice in Early Childhood: the potential of leadership. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 14(4), 324-334.

Hill, A., McCrea, N., Emery, S., Nailon, D., Davis, J. M., Dyment, J. E., & Getenet, S. (2014). Exploring how adults who work with young children conceptualise sustainability and describe their practice initiatives. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 39(3), 14-22.

Logan, H., & Sumsion, J. (2010). Early childhood teachers’ understandings of and provision for quality. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 35(3), 42-50.

Logan, H., Press, F., & Sumsion, J. (2012). The quality imperative: Tracing the rise of’quality’in Australian early childhood education and care policy. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 37(3), 4-13.

Mevawalla, Z., & Hadley, F. (2012). The advocacy of educators: Perspectives from early childhood. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 37(1), 74-80.

Macfarlane, K., & Lewis, P. (2012). United we stand: Seeking cohesive action in early childhood education and care. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 13(1), 63-73.

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. (2006). Starting Strong 11: Early Childhood Education and Care. Paris: OECD.

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. (2010). Trends shaping education 2010. Paris: OECD.

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. (2012). Starting Strong III: A Quality Toolbox for Early Childhood Education and Care. Paris: OECD.

Pramling Samuelsson, I., & Kaga, Y. (2008) (Ed.). The contribution of early childhood education to a sustainable society. Paris: UNESCO.

Pramling Samuelsson, I., & Fleer, M. (Ed.), (2008). Play and learning in early childhood settings: International perspectives. New York: Springer.

Sinclair, A. (2007). Leadership for the disillusioned: Moving beyond myths and heroes to leading that liberates. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.