module specification

This module provides students with the opportunity to build on their professional development from Level 4 – Emerging Professional Identity and Level 5 – Consolidating Professional Identity module. It extends to explore different professions related to early years as options for future career plans. They will continue to advance this plan to develop the skills needed for future progression.

They will reflect upon the success of their strategies to develop further strengths and skills, competencies and attributes and build on these through reflection, openness and self-awareness, through target setting and professional development planning.

Further professional attributes such as self-confidence, work ethic, dependability, adaptability, responsibility, accountability, maturity and technical skills, as well as self-awareness, communication and interpersonal skills, teamwork, initiative, motivation, will be addressed to form the basis of their professional identity development.

The aim is for the student to recognise how they are more independent, resilient, responsible and pragmatic and to establish their professional identity with a sense of pride.

Reflection, and reflexivity, involving communicating with others, based upon their own and others' skills, beliefs, understandings and views, will underpin consolidating their professional identity.

The student will be able to demonstrate empathy and active listening skills.

Activities to develop and expand, key academic skills such as engagement, individually or with others, in analysing, critically thinking, problem-solving and research will help expand their entrepreneurial experience and prepare for a range of potential career opportunities.

Aims:
To become self-confident and recognise their own skills, competencies and attributes.
To be able to reflect upon and evaluate their personal development plan-setting targets to support professional identity growth in their chosen area.
To reflect, and be reflexive, in evaluating their professional identity progress.
To establish some key professional attributes, including work ethic, dependability, adaptability, responsibility, accountability, maturity and technical skills.

No

In this module students will evaluate their own skills, competencies and attributes and will be encouraged to continue to further develop self-awareness and reflective skills. Models of reflection and reflective practice will be revisited including Schon, Gibbs and Kolb, in order to help students to plan for further professional development. Skills and qualities required to effectively lead and manage teams will also be explored to inform professional planning.

Students will be encouraged to engage in the process of reflection, openness and self-awareness, through target setting and professional development planning. Further professional attributes such as self-confidence, work ethic, dependability, adaptability, responsible, accountability, maturity and technical skills, as well as self-awareness, communication and interpersonal skills, teamwork, initiative, motivation, will be addressed to form the basis of their professional identity development.

The aim is for the student to recognise how they are more independent, resilient, responsible and pragmatic and to establish their professional identity with a sense of pride and so, throughout the module, tutors will encourage students to consider their sense of professional identity, as a student and early years professional, paying particular attention to issues of social justice.

Reflection, and reflexivity, involving communicating with others, based upon one's own and others' skills, beliefs, understandings and views, with empathy and active listening skills to develop emotional intelligence and literacy.

Activities to develop, or expand, key academic skills such as engagement, individually or with others, in analysing, critically thinking, problem-solving and research will help expand their entrepreneurial experience and begin to prepare them for a range of potential career opportunities.

Students will receive theoretical input through lectures and seminars. All students will benefit from a blended learning approach through the use of WebLearn for supplementary materials, links to E-books, on-line discussions and self-assessment exercises such as quizzes and reflective tasks.

Reflection and discussion are key to teaching for all students.  This will be in the context of tutor-led sessions.  For all students experiential learning promotes their growing ability to act as a reflective practitioner.

Teaching and learning strategies and methods also focus on developing skills and professionalism. 

The development of transferable skills in presenting evidence, arguments and points of view to a range of audiences, through a range of media, including the use of ICT also supports individual learning.

1) To reflect upon their developing skills, competencies and attributes.

2) To continue to develop an evolving plan of action of how to progress and build on their skills, competencies and attributes and identify how to gain further skills, competencies and attributes to consolidate their professional identity in their chosen area.

3) To reflect and evaluate upon their progress and set targets for the next step in their professional identity development.

Students to have a choice of one of the following assessments.

An e-portfolio of 10 diary entries (150- 200 words each) throughout the module, culminating in a 2,000-word reflection of their progress, drawing on their weekly diary entries and evaluating these in terms of their progress and other readings and research they have done. Finally setting targets for progressing into employment or further study.

Or

Devise a Two-year Development Plan which demonstrates the student’s ability to assess and plan for personal growth and development with a 2000-word explanation of how they intend to progress and meet targets set out in the plan.

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/97F0EFB4-1F72-1C27-C7A6-B5B7F08B48E2.html?lang=en&login=1

Choudry, S 2021, Equitable Education : What everyone working in education should know about closing the attainment gap for all pupils, St Albans. Critical Publishing

Gallagher, T, and Arnold, C (eds) (2017) Working with children aged 0-3 and their families : the Pen Green approach London: Routledge

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