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Monday, 25 April 2011

The University of Western Australia’s new Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) program aims to weave theory and practice to develop effective and innovative teachers.

Within days of commencing their Master of Teaching program , students were visiting UWA’s Child Study Centre Preschool on a weekly basis in a unit examining development, teaching and learning theories.

The Child Study Centre Preschool, established in 1973 as part of the School of Psychology, was founded by the distinguished academic, Audrey Little and is an off-site campus of Nedlands Primary School. Staff at the Child Study Centre provide modelling and discussion that the Master of Teaching students then share in tutorials back in their own classroom at the Graduate School of Education.

The theoretical component of the Master of Teaching program introduces distinguished guest lecturers who share their expertise with students. To date, the students have been addressed by West Australian Citizen of the Year and UWA Emeritus Professor Dr Trevor Parry. Well known among local families, Dr Parry is a developmental pediatrician and author of The Long Road Back to Early Childhood, a study in which Dr Parry researched the lifetime impact of infant and early childhood experiences on learning, health and well being. The Master of Teaching students have also been addressed by Dr Mary Oliver, who described recent brain research and its implications for early learning.

The Master of Teaching program is designed to allow students to absorb recent and relevant theory – and then to observe theory in action while taking part in teaching and learning activities with children in the pre-primary and kindergarten classes.

As Dr Parry noted in his parting comments, “It takes a whole village to raise a child”. We believe it takes a whole village to raise effective teachers.

Further information about the UWA’s Faculty of Education’s Master of Teaching programs (Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary).

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