Team

 

 

 

Mark Cronin – Prior to entering Higher Education Mark worked as a Children and Families Social Worker in both the statutory sector in a Local Authority Care Management Team in Birmingham and in the voluntary sector for the Sir John Middlemore Charitable Trust in a community-based Family Centre in South Birmingham.

 

He has also worked for several other voluntary organisations involved in supporting families and direct work with children and young people including Barnardo’s
and St Basils.

Mark is a Senior Lecturer on the ECEC team and currently works on both the Foundation Degree and BA (Hons) ECEC degree, usually on modules around Safeguarding, Constructs of Childhood and the Early Childhood Context.

 

 

Jane Beniston – Jane has worked in primary education for over 10 years, first as a reception class teacher, then moving on to Foundation Stage co-ordinator, opening a new60 place nursery and finally acting headteacher in a variety of different schools. Her roles within these schools included RE coordinator and maths leader within KS1 and KS2.

 

 

Jane has worked at Newman for 13 years teaching across undergraduate, foundation degree and master’s provision within the Faculty of Education.

Jane is a Senior Lecturer on the ECEC team and currently works on the Foundation degree, the BA (hons) ECEC degree as well as some Master’s modules. Jane usually teaches modules such as The Independent Learner, Child Development and Play Matters

 

Kate Dudley – Kate has worked in a range of settings across the early years sector working with children, young people, and their families. Exploring her early career within residential care for young people, and children within the care system, Kate began to hone her interests around children and families experiencing social exclusion.

 

 

Kate joined Newman in 2018 as a lecturer in Early Childhood Studies and is currently studying for her doctorate degree with a research focus on exploring gender expression in preschool children.

Kate works closely with students on the foundation degree programme as course co-ordinator, but lectures across a range of modules on both the Foundation Degree Early Years and the BA(Hons) degree in Early Childhood Education and Care such as Inclusion, Professional Practice, and Transition.

 

 

Brief Summary

 

You will cover 3 modules within your first semester which focus on the Independent Learner, The Developing Child and Constructs of Childhood. We ensure that the teaching is interactive, informative, and we value your views!

We use a range of strategies such as discussions, case studies, videos, and seminars to engage you in your learning.

 

The Independent Learner
20 Credits (Compulsory)

This module supports the transition to study in a Higher Education environment. Generic key transferable skills, such as communication, information technology, problem-solving, working with others and improving one’s own learning, will be introduced and practiced.

Links will also be made to other modules being studied in semester one, namely, The Developing Child and Constructs of Childhood in order to provide an early childhood context to the module.

The nature and demands of becoming a successful university student will be analysed with reference to the role played by a directed and self-directed study on a university course, with the care of self-being emphasised, using seminal theory to support individual perspectives.

Students will audit their own skills, identify aspects that need improving and devise plans for self-development in those areas.

 

The Developing Child
20 Credits (Compulsory)

This module will develop students’ knowledge and understanding of babies and young children’s development, learning and care. The module will focus on physical, cognitive, brain, language, social and emotional aspects of development. Students will also consider the importance of holistic development and care with reference to the work of Bronfenbrenner.

The students will explore a variety of theories of learning and development and consider the implications of these for educational practice and care in relation to the current Early Years Curriculum. Key theorists explored include Piaget, Bronfenbrenner, Bruner, Vygotsky, Skinner, Chomsky and Wood among others.

We will also investigate individual factors that impact child development such as culture, health, transition, attachment and environmental factors. It will consider the idea of learning as a social process. The role of the Early Years practitioner will be discussed in relation to observing, supporting and caring for the developing child.

 

Constructs of Childhood
20 Credits (Compulsory)

Childhood is defined largely through the attitudes, beliefs and values of particular societies at particular times. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, this module will promote an understanding of how childhood has changed or is different and continues to be socially constructed.

This leads to a number of contested discourses for example: Romantic, Puritan, Utilitarian and Developmental which continue to influence policy and practice in the Early Childhood context. This module will also make reference to students own experiences of childhood and will explore how this, alongside other constructs, is influenced and represented through a variety of means such as media imagery, children’s literature and artefacts from a range of sources.

Students will be encouraged to consider the potential implications for their practice in Early Childhood in respect of dominant discourses around childhood for example the emphasis on children’s ‘care and protection’ in the dominant romantic discourse.

 

 

Pre-Course Reading

 

Before you begin your course you may find it beneficial to carry out some of the activities below which will help you in your first modules.

Take time to think about your favourite book from your early childhood. Also think back to your favourite childhood story. How did it make you feel? Reflect on why this may still be important to you today. Did you enjoy playing as a child? Why

Please familiarise yourself with the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum as you will be expected to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of this throughout your degree. You can find this document here.

You might also like to:

• Write 500 words on your experiences of working with young children. What ages and activities have you been involved in?
• Produce a list of key developmental steps in your life. When did you learn to walk/talk? What were your first words?
• What do you remember from your childhood? Illustrate through images/drawings key memories.

The texts below will provide a good grounding in some of the issues that we will consider in the first year of the course.

ECU411 Independent Learner
Cottrell, S. (2013) The study skills handbook. 4th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Cottrell, S. (2011) Critical thinking skills: developing effective analysis and argument. 2nd edn. London: Palgrave.
Marshall, P. (2012) How to study and learn: your practical guide to effective study skills. 4th edn. Plymouth: How to Books.
ECU412 The Developing Child
Doherty, J. and Hughes, M. (2014) Child development: theory and practice 0-11. 2nd edn. Essex: Pearson.
Keenan, T., Evans, S. and Crowley, K. (2016) An introduction to child development. 3rd edn. London: Sage.
ECU413 Constructs of Childhood
Aries, P. (1996) Centuries of childhood. London: Pimlico.
Heywood, C. (2014) A history of childhood. Oxford: Polity Press.
McDowall Clark, R. (2010) Childhood in society for education studies. Exeter: Learning Matters.
Powell, S. and Smith, K. (2017) An introduction to early childhood studies. London: Sage.
Waller, T. & Davies, G. (2014) An introduction to early childhood, London: Sage.

Planned Online Meetings

 

August 18th and WC August 21st – ‘Meet the ECEC Team’ – Videos from Mark Cronin, Jane Beniston and Kate Dudley to be sent at a later date.

WC August 28th Focus on getting ready for university and an introduction to the module ECU411 The Independent Learner – video to be sent from Jane Beniston at a later date.

WC September 4th Videos on other modules being studied in Semester 1 – ECU412 The Developing Child (Jane Beniston to send video at a later date) and ECU413 Constructs of Childhood (Mark Cronin to send a video at a later date).

Monday September 11th at 4pm Teams Meeting on preparing for university with all new BA (FD and Top Up) students from 4-5pm. Link to be sent at a later date.

Timetable information

Semester 1

Mondays 10.00 – 13.00 and 14.00 – 17.00
Fridays 10.00 – 13.00

Full details of your individual academic timetable will be available via your university email calendar after you have completed online enrolment and set up your student login.

Here are the dates and times during our welcome week when your teaching team will be expecting you on campus for welcome activity. Come to main reception and the welcome mentors will get you to the correct rooms:

• 18.09.23 12-2 DA116
• 19.09.23 10-12 HI001
• 21.09.23 12-2 DW011

Even if your course team are not expecting you to be in during Welcome Week on Tuesday 19th September, we strongly encourage you to come in and participate in our Student Union Fresher’s Fair.

Running between 10am and 3pm, it will give you a great insight into the Student Union, its societies and its engagement with community groups and employers. You can find out more at Newman Students’ Union – Your Voice.