The image of the child and understandings of childhoods impact significantly on approaches adopted within early childhood education. In recent years traditional understandings of 'childhood' and the 'universal child' have been increasingly challenged by new discourses associated with the reconceptualisation of childhood. This unit explores the historical and current influences on early childhood education and the social constructions of family and childhoods. Students will investigate the multiplicity of experiences of childhood, different images of childhood and how conceptions of childhood impact on the education and care of children's 'rights'.

This unit is designed to meet the needs of prospective educators who require in depth knowledge in the field of historical and contemporary Indigenous Australian cultures and education. The unit relates both to working with Indigenous Australian children and families in educational settings and for the effective implementation of Aboriginal perspectives and studies in learning environments with all Australian children.

This unit promotes considerations of the inter-related processes of learning and creativity and the application and practice of these in all aspects of life. Learning and Creativity must be considered in context. This context is personal, social, cultural and environmental. Unit content is critically positioned within diverse theories, with an emphasis on experiential learning and ongoing critical reflection. The unit promotes understanding of feeling and experience as much as concepts and ideas. It emphasizes the tools and skills of learning, the everyday nature of creativity and enables students to develop and apply their creativity. It is designed for students interested in personal, community and cultural development, in the context of far reaching change.

This unit will explore broad perspectives on literacy and literacy learning that reflect changing social, economic and political contexts and the impact of technologies and globalisation on literacy practices. The unit will examine a range of issues in literacy, including indigenous languages and dialects, bilingual literacies, issues of language loss and retention, gender issues, and cultural literacies. The unit will also focus on processes of speaking, listening, reading and writing and will address academic discourse, information literacy and critical literacy.

The unit provides opportunities for students to examine theories and practices associated with Transformative Learning (TL), within oneself and society, and its potential role for the development of professional educators, change agents and leaders in society. TL is learning that is liberating, emancipatory, empowering, profound, deep, and life changing. It occurs through critical reflection on experience, subsequent testing through discourse, and also through intuitive and affective processes. This unit enables students to design and facilitate life-affirming and transformative learning experiences in others.

Professionals working with children, young people and families must base all action on sound legal and ethical foundations. Students are introduced to concepts of professions and professionalism and oriented to the professional and ethical aspects of teaching, particularly in New South Wales. Students need to be aware of, and develop reflective understandings in concepts of morals and ethics, accountability, professionalism, ethical responses, ethical communication and dilemma resolution. The role of laws, codes and guidelines is outlined and specific national and state legislation, policies, codes and guidelines are introduced, in particular regulations pertaining to mandatory reporting of child abuse, occupational health and safety. Contemporary and global approaches to ethics and critiques of traditional western approaches are introduced.

Learning through Community Service is a 20 credit point unit in which students apply discipline-based knowledge as they carry out projects of substantial benefit to community agencies. The unit will run over a 6-month period (1H or 2H) and will include common symposium sessions, a 10-week placement in a community agency, an on-line learning system for student/team support, and a final report to the agency. Cohorts available in 2007.1H include International Student Social Support Networks; MMADD about the arts: Music, Media Arts, Dance and Drama in the Primary School; Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE); Community Language School Development; Video Production; Equity Buddies; Strategic Communications; Children and Technology; and Languages in Educational and Community Settings. Cohorts available in 2007.2H include MMADD about the arts: Music, Media Arts, Dance and Drama in the Primary School, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), Literacy, Practically Primary and Serving Children, Families and Professionals as Children Start School.

Literacy is as a socio-cultural phenomenon which impacts differently on different social groups. This unit raises questions about who, historically, has had differential access to literacy in specific societies and cultures. The unit investigates the changing nature of literacy(ies) both historically and in contemporary societies. It also focuses on the phenomenon of English as a global language and what this has meant for post-colonial socieites. Specific case studies of literacy in terms of social activism will be examined.

Education is an area where policies and politics are strategically connected to a vision of the future, the nation and its citizens. In this unit we examine the impact of these intertwining dimensions with the aim of understanding the political and contested nature of education and developing alternative educational futures. In a historic period marked by transnational and transglobal movements of people it is no longer possible to see education through the narrow lens of national imperatives and bounded citizenship. This unit takes a broad perspective on education globally, nationally and locally and considers the dynamic relationships constructed within them.

This unit examines contemporary issues relating to innovation and change in the use of Information Communication Technologies. As knowledge becomes increasingly globalised, contested, and rapidly changes, the role of knowledge workers changes. Students will examine and reflect on the implications for individuals, students, teachers, employment teams and employers. Contemporary pedagogies and tools that maximise the potential of ICT's are introduced and applied and examined using an ethical perspective. Ethics and equity issues relating to ICT availability and use are critically examined.

This unit aims to increase students' knowledge of the scope and variety of Australian writing. It examines a range of Australian texts from a number of contexts, usually organised along historical and/or thematic lines, and considers the role of writing - both "high" literature and more popular forms - in constructions of Australian culture. Issues of place, gender and race may be foregrounded, and consideration given to how these influence images of Australia. Film and television texts may also be included or emphasised.

This unit explores a wide range of literary texts created for children, from folktales, fairytales and myths to contemporary examples. It focuses on the relationship between children’s texts, society and culture. The unit will examine a variety of genres and themes, for example, the experience of childhood as constructed by adult authors of children’s texts; post-colonial children’s literature; the emergence and development of distinctly Australian children’s texts; the development of “young adult” literature; the impact of new technologies on children’s literature; and role of art in children’s literature.

The image of the child and understandings of childhoods impact significantly on approaches adopted within early childhood education. In recent years traditional understandings of 'childhood' and the 'universal child' have been increasingly challenged by new discourses associated with the reconceptualisation of childhood. This unit explores the historical and current influences on early childhood education and the social constructions of family and childhoods. Students will investigate the multiplicity of experiences of childhood, different images of childhood and how conceptions of childhood impact on the education and care of children's 'rights'.

Professionals working with children, young people and families must base all action on sound legal and ethical foundations. Students are introduced to concepts of professions and professionalism and oriented to the professional and ethical aspects of teaching, particularly in New South Wales. Students need to be aware of, and develop reflective understandings in concepts of morals and ethics, accountability, professionalism, ethical responses, ethical communication and dilemma resolution. The role of laws, codes and guidelines is outlined and specific national and state legislation, policies, codes and guidelines are introduced, in particular regulations pertaining to mandatory reporting of child abuse, occupational health and safety. Contemporary and global approaches to ethics and critiques of traditional western approaches are introduced.

This unit is designed to develop students' understandings of children's construction of mathematical concepts during their first eight years. Students will develop their ability to assess young children's mathematical understandings and to provide learning experiences, including investigation and the use of technology, to enhance the growth of children's mathematical thinking.

The unit provides opportunities for students to examine theories and practices associated with Transformative Learning (TL), within oneself and society, and its potential role for the development of professional educators, change agents and leaders in society. TL is learning that is liberating, emancipatory, empowering, profound, deep, and life changing. It occurs through critical reflection on experience, subsequent testing through discourse, and also through intuitive and affective processes. This unit enables students to design and facilitate life-affirming and transformative learning experiences in others.

This unit aims to introduce students to some theories of genre and to some textual examples of specified genres. Genres studied will vary from year to year; possible examples include: the romance, soap opera, sci-fi, horror, the Bildungsroman, fantasy, Gothic fiction, reality TV, film noir, lyric poetry etc. Texts may be drawn from across different media (e.g. literature, film, music) and from both popular and "high" culture. Students may have the opportunity to produce work (e.g. creative writing) in relation to the conventions of the genre studied. Students should be aware that this unit involves the reading of a number of literary texts, possibly including pre-twentieth century works.

This unit is designed to meet the needs of prospective educators who require in depth knowledge in the field of historical and contemporary Indigenous Australian cultures and education. The unit relates both to working with Indigenous Australian children and families in educational settings and for the effective implementation of Aboriginal perspectives and studies in learning environments with all Australian children.

This unit promotes considerations of the inter-related processes of learning and creativity and the application and practice of these in all aspects of life. Learning and Creativity must be considered in context. This context is personal, social, cultural and environmental. Unit content is critically positioned within diverse theories, with an emphasis on experiential learning and ongoing critical reflection. The unit promotes understanding of feeling and experience as much as concepts and ideas. It emphasizes the tools and skills of learning, the everyday nature of creativity and enables students to develop and apply their creativity. It is designed for students interested in personal, community and cultural development, in the context of far reaching change.

Learning through Community Service is a 20 credit point unit in which students apply discipline-based knowledge as they carry out projects of substantial benefit to community agencies. The unit will run over a 6-month period (1H or 2H) and will include common symposium sessions, a 10-week placement in a community agency, an on-line learning system for student/team support, and a final report to the agency. Cohorts available in 2007.1H include International Student Social Support Networks; MMADD about the arts: Music, Media Arts, Dance and Drama in the Primary School; Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE); Community Language School Development; Video Production; Equity Buddies; Strategic Communications; Children and Technology; and Languages in Educational and Community Settings. Cohorts available in 2007.2H include MMADD about the arts: Music, Media Arts, Dance and Drama in the Primary School, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), Literacy, Practically Primary and Serving Children, Families and Professionals as Children Start School.

Literacy is as a socio-cultural phenomenon which impacts differently on different social groups. This unit raises questions about who, historically, has had differential access to literacy in specific societies and cultures. The unit investigates the changing nature of literacy(ies) both historically and in contemporary societies. It also focuses on the phenomenon of English as a global language and what this has meant for post-colonial socieites. Specific case studies of literacy in terms of social activism will be examined.

Students will use a variety of investigative techniques to highlight the evidence of patterns and relationships in mathematics. The inherent structure of mathematics will be approached through the examination of various mathematical systems. In addition, students will examine the nature of mathematical thought, highlighting the complimentary roles of inductive and deductive reasoning. This unit contributes directly to the achievement of a sound foundation in mathematics.

This unit will explore broad perspectives on literacy and literacy learning that reflect changing social, economic and political contexts and the impact of technologies and globalisation on literacy practices. The unit will examine a range of issues in literacy, including indigenous languages and dialects, bilingual literacies, issues of language loss and retention, gender issues, and cultural literacies. The unit will also focus on processes of speaking, listening, reading and writing and will address academic discourse, information literacy and critical literacy.

Education is an area where policies and politics are strategically connected to a vision of the future, the nation and its citizens. In this unit we examine the impact of these intertwining dimensions with the aim of understanding the political and contested nature of education and developing alternative educational futures. In a historic period marked by transnational and transglobal movements of people it is no longer possible to see education through the narrow lens of national imperatives and bounded citizenship. This unit takes a broad perspective on education globally, nationally and locally and considers the dynamic relationships constructed within them.

This unit examines contemporary issues relating to innovation and change in the use of Information Communication Technologies. As knowledge becomes increasingly globalised, contested, and rapidly changes, the role of knowledge workers changes. Students will examine and reflect on the implications for individuals, students, teachers, employment teams and employers. Contemporary pedagogies and tools that maximise the potential of ICT's are introduced and applied and examined using an ethical perspective. Ethics and equity issues relating to ICT availability and use are critically examined.

This unit explores the status and success of the novel as the dominant modern literary form. It examines aspects of the history and development of the novel from the seventeenth century up to the present, along with a range of novelistic texts from one or a number of literary traditions: from classic British and/or American texts to contemporary postcolonial fiction; from the search for the mythical "great Australian novel" to famous and not-so-famous works in languages other than English.