ECA Community of Practice: Diverse learners and inclusive practice in early childhood

The purpose of this Community of Practice is to understand what it means to be a diverse learner and how we as early childhood professionals can use inclusive practice strategies to support each child on their own unique learning journey.

Children, along with their families, bring their own set of cultural norms, knowledges, skills, values, abilities, behaviours and expectations to the classroom. Culture in this sense is not limited to nationality or country of origin, but instead encompasses all aspects and characteristics of each child’s lived experience. This may include, but is not limited to, religion, family composition and social groups.

In this Community of Practice, you will seek to identify, through action research and critically reflective dialogue, the role individual culture plays in each child’s learning journey.

Engaging in action research will allow you to focus on the unique experiences of the children in your own context and create a plan for meaningful support, change or learning within the environment.

Learning outcomes:

• Shift and extend your pedagogical understanding of how to best support diverse learners through inclusive practice 
• Collaborate with colleagues to further develop skills in designing inclusive environments for children
• Design, implement and evaluate an effective action research project 
• become an active member of the CoP by engaging in critically reflective dialogue with peers and colleagues across Australia