Through this paper, you will critically analyse a range of contemporary issues in early childhood education (ECE), and apply your learning to the role of the early childhood teacher in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Students will explore the research, theory and practice related to the following:

• a selection of social, cultural, historical and political issues within the field of early childhood care and education, and
• the implications of a commitment to bicultural development in early childhood education.

You will be asked to play an active part in researching and presenting a contemporary issue of your choice.

Students completing this paper will develop their:

• Graduating Teacher Standards of professional knowledge, professional practice and professional values and relationships as outlined in the Graduating Teacher Standards Aotearoa New Zealand. Specific standards addressed in this paper are standards 3, 5, 6, 7.
• Cultural competencies of Wānanga, Manaakitanga, Tangata Whenuatanga and Ako as outlined in Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for teachers of Māori learners in this paper are: W1, W4, W2, WH1, WH3, WH4, M1, M5, TW1, TW4, A1, A4.

This paper is taught over a 12-week semester, from the week commencing 7 March to the week commencing 6 June. The paper is divided into a number of topics addressing contemporary issues in ECE. Teaching will be blended, consisting of a mix of face-to-face and online lectures and tutorials, and will include contributions from external agencies and ECE settings.

Class interaction will involve interactive sessions and discussion forums in Moodle, the Learning Management System used at the University of Waikato. A number of texts, required readings and audiovisual resources will be used to expand on globally and locally important contemporary issues in early childhood education in this paper.

• Attend the lectures and tutorials each week;
• Participate in class discussions and activities and the sharing of your ideas and experiences;
• Read in advance the relevant readings on the reading list; and
• Complete the assignments with a passing grade.

This paper is fully internally assessed. Three assessment components are designed to evaluate students' attainment of the set learning outcomes and ensure that students can reliably demonstrate an understanding of main theoretical concepts at the end of the course.

This paper is supported by an online Moodle site. Notices and lecture guides will be distributed through this site, and all assignments must be submitted through the site.

Each week the site will be updated with information about the week’s lectures and any supplementary readings. You should check the class Moodle site on a regular basis.

Online web address: http://elearn.waikato.ac.nz/ or you can click on the Moodle link on the university home page.

You can use the online web site for general questions, for giving feedback on how things are going, and for contacting your tutor. Any issues can be discussed with your tutor or the paper convenor through the Private Conversation forum on the Moodle site.

This paper has a credit value of 15 points. University regulations stipulate an expected total student workload for the paper of 150 hours. The paper involves 24 hours of online lectures and associated tasks and 20 hours of face-to-face tutorials across the trimester. The remaining hours, accumulated at different times across the whole trimester, are to be used for completing readings, preparing for class/online tasks and assignments.

You are expected to regularly read and work on assignments when not in class. Remember that taking on extra employment is likely to put your study at serious risk. We recommend no more than 10 hours of part-time work per week. Attendance in class is vital as it is only through participating and listening to others that your understanding is deepened. It also demonstrates your commitment to the profession, which is a competency that is required for meeting the standards for graduating.