Cognitive Learning Teaching Resources Assessment Event 3 Answer

COGNITIVE LEARNING TEACHING RESOURCES

On July 2009, the Council of Australian government (COAG) endorsed the framework of learning for Australia. In a range of early childhood setting, it is the first framework of early learning which is endorsed nation wise for the use of educators. It supports inclusive practices and also acknowledges Australian society's diverse nature. The essential principles and practices are outlined by the EYLF, which can govern the work of educators of early childhood and also helps in understanding young students learning so that their learning experiences can be enriched (Ganley, 2014).  Some of the essential developmental aspects are: 

Sustained shared thinking (SST): Sustained shared thinking is an interaction among educator and learner in which both shared their thoughts and ideas for concluding (Kathie, 2014). In this children's deep level of learning is supported by SST, which is not only limited up to fact learning but also encourages critical thinking and gives support to positive learning. It gives support in learning and cognitive development in three ways: extending, modelling, and encouraging(Sargent, 2009). First, both parties' thoughts should be extended due to the verbal flow of knowledge among the two. Second, by the demonstration of the thought process, of both the participants 'out loud' model thinking can be supported, third, for understanding the children's ideas or perspective think the process has to be encouraged by giving time and values. Hence, participants can mutually work together if they know about the purpose of SST and proper time utilization. 

Conceptual thinking and learning: Conceptual teaching and learning is a method by which students internalize the correct things to perform, which promotes good decision rather memorizing the abstract rules(Prasanthi, 2019). Concepts may involve smaller ideas or facts; however, it can be of broad categories at the same time. In this process, teachers are expected to deal—student master-concept and connectivity among manners on which they can be organized in a hierarchy as per functions. Logically this framework is utilized by the students for problem-solving and can form linked as per theories for understanding the world cohesively.  By the application of the strong conceptual teaching skills, an intelligent educator can design its lesson meaningfully for teaching in which educators can express how the facts are interconnected rather than useless facts. Through this approach, students can become logical thinkers so that they can subdivide the curriculum into parts and then can set connectivity among subdivision which influences their brain and cognitive development. (Gourgeon, 2013)

Dispositional learning: Teaching-learning disposition is one of the ways to evaluate student's skills which are required for potential achievement. By the interactive experience of educators, the disposition can be strengthened or weekend as it is environmentally sensitive (Early childhood education facilitator, 2019).  It is used to evaluate student's self-motivation ability, learning life skills with alteration, responsibilities uphold, in a problematic situation, persistence.  Here an educator has to participate by planning activities and sharing their experiences so that they can respond to students accordingly and also provides supports for student's disposition to persist, determine interest, uphold responsibility, choose and evaluate their own goals of learning (SUE). Dispositional learning builds up the learning and thinking capability by which a student can find a solution for a new problem by relating it with the similar fact what they learned. Learning by own mistakes, a good network of support and this learning and thinking approach also promotes brain and cognitive development.

Questioning: Questions are considered an integral element of making the classroom alive, effective and tp promote student engagement.  It helps in determining the student's level of progress in learning and thinking which fosters skills of critical thinking. By the questioning mode, an educator can evaluate what a student knows already, consider the gap between understanding and knowledge, and also helps in filling the gap among their learning goals and current knowledge (Budden, 2017). To enhance student's achievement grade, they are asked for continuous practice in advanced order thinking for analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluation. By this framework, an educator assesses and modifies their teaching for supporting thinking and learning process of students as well it influences brain and cognitive development. Before analyzing and criticizing, it is necessary to learn 'lower order' skills such as comprehension, application, knowledge, etc. and then the 'higher-order' skills.

PART B

Activity 1: Pile Stacking Games

Age group: 0-1 year (babies)

Resource and activity: This activity includes stacking rings, boxes. The activity requires children to arrange or stack the objects. 

Rationale: the activity helps them to explore new shapes and sizes. It helps to enhance motor and cognitive skills. These games help to develop hand and eye coordination. The children also learn to balance things. Thus, these games have a crucial role in developing necessary developmental skills in the children (Raising Children, 2020). These activities help in the development of fine motor skills and problem-solving skills. These games contribute to brain development by stretching their brain and teaching them to concentrate on activities, thus aiming in cognitive development. 

Developmental learning that supports:

1) Executive function: These activities help them to learn executive function by coordinating hands and eyes, thus helps in developing basic cognitive processes such as attention control, working memory and cognitive flexibility. 

2) Self-regulated learning: Self-regulation is an essential milestone in learning, and these activities help in developing self-regulation capacities as a function of age, as children learn to regulate their hand and body movements. (Yair et al., 2017).

3) Higher order thinking: These activities help babies to analyze colour, shape, and different sizes. Thus, children analyze the different shape, evaluate their action, and then they understand it and act. 

4) Metacognition: The babies will think to achieve the goal of stacking the rings and thus plan their movements accordingly.

Role of Activity in the brain and cognitive development: The activity is an essential early year play which helps in developing motor and sensory skills. It also plays in cognitive development by allowing the child to develop hand and eye coordination. Lastly, this activity plays a vital role in the development of fine motor skills and problem-solving ability at a very young age.  

Activity 2: Indoor Hand Painting Activity

Age group: 1 -3 years (toddlers)

Resource and activity: It is a widespread activity used for the development of toddlers. The resource will include watercolours, sheets, and brushes. The educator will motivate children to use colour to paint and draw anything they want. They can use the brush and their fingers to paint different shapes and designs.

Rationale: The activity is creative and sensory. Such play helps in the development of cognitive and sensory-motor skills. Finger painting allows children in the development of fine motor skills and sensory development.  Along with it, this activity promotes creativity and imagination. This activity supports two outcomes of the EYLF theory.

1. It states that children are confident and involved learners. 

2. Another outcome emphasizes that children are generally effective communicators.

Developmental learning that supports:

1) Executive function: The finger painting activity will help toddlers to play with colours wisely and decide on their own for choosing wisely, controlling hands and attention control. Hence, the activity aim at developing executive functions like attention control, flexibility and cognitive control.

2) Self-regulated learning: The children learn self-regulation by playing independently (Yair et al., 2017). When they play independently, they learn to regulate their activities, decision on their own self. 

3) Higher order thinking and metacognition: Helps in development and learning by making children explore ideas. They also learn to compare and share concepts. They learn to share, compare, and create ideas.  Thus children think to attain cognition, or they think to take the decision like deciding for colours, patterns etc.

Role of Activity in the brain and cognitive development:

The early years of child development are dynamic and complex. The educator should approach holistically for the complete development of the child. The activities like finger painting, help in enhancing curiosity and creativity. It will help in development and learning by making children explore ideas. They learn to share, compare, and create ideas (Yogman et al., 2017).  The activity can be linked to EYLF outcome 4, i.e. children are informed learner and clearly shows cognitive development and social and emotional development.

Activity 3: Outdoor Treasure Hunting Activity

Age group: 3-5 years old 

Resource and activity: It is an outdoor activity. Thus, the first requirement is a play area. This activity is done with a group of children. A piece of the map is used to guide them to reach the hidden treasure. It requires a piece of the map and a treasure box. 

Rationale: The outdoor treasure hunt activity is a social and creative playing. Such activities aim to teach children about teamwork, sharing, solving puzzles, and exploring things with each other. Such activities also develop cognitive skills and enhance understanding power. During the treasure hunting, children learn to delineate the printed instructions like maps or other coded words. Thus, this also helps children in understanding and following instructions. The activities also make them a motivated person who learns to work to attain goals. 

Developmental learning that supports:

1) Executive function: The activity makes children search for the treasure; thus, they learn to focus on attaining the goal (Ackerman et al., 2017). They develop an executive function like cognitive control, attention control and flexibility. 

2) Self-regulated learning: The children learn to decide themselves and take decisions. They learn various skills from their self-experience. They learn to self regulate their activities, decisions and steps to attain the goal or to find the treasure. Thus, this activity helps in practising self-regulation to achieve various goals. 

3) Higher order thinking: these outdoor play activities support these outcomes. The children think critically to explore hunting the treasure. They assess, evaluate and understand their plan and activities. They use cognitive skills to attain the goal. 

4) Metacognition: They learn to think of hunting the treasure critically. Thus, during this task, the children will think critically about their plans, ideas and will act accordingly. They learn to assess, monitor and analyze their ideas. During the treasure hunt, if their plan does not work, then the children analyze their plan and rethink to attain their goal or the treasure.

Role of Activity in the brain and cognitive development:

To some extent, such plays also help in enhancing creative skills, social skills, thinking ability, fine motor skills, and help in coordinating hand & eye. It can be linked to sociocultural theory and EYLF theory. This activity displays cognitive development, and the child is also involved in various social behaviours.

The development is supported by EYLF theory and can be supported by outcome 3, 4, and 5 of EYLF theory, which states that:

•Children have a feeling of well-being.

•Children are confident and involved learners. 

•Children are effective communicators.

Such games are beneficial for a child's all-round development(Yogman et al., 2017). Such activities help children learn self-control, decision making, communicating, and working with a team.