Disability Awareness Workshop for Daycare/Preschool
Appropriate age group: 2-5 years old
Time needed: 60minutes per session
Recommended Min - Max number of children:
No minimum - Max of 25 kids per session
Costs:
1 session (up to 25 kids)
1 x 60 minute session
$400
2 sessions (more than 25 kids)
2 x 60 minutes sessions
$750.00
What we bring:
- A positive attitude
- 2 x kids wheelchairs
- Visual impairment glasses for activities
- 2 x soccer balls for boccia (Paralympic sport)
- 1 x cane for activities
- Blindfolds for activities
- Alphabetic blocks in braille
The Push the Limits workshop is designed to provide learning that is engaging and meaningful for children and relates closely the Principles of the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, particularly:
HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND EQUITY
Early childhood educators who are committed to equity believe in all children’s capacities to succeed, regardless of diverse circumstances and abilities. Children progress well when they, their parents and educators hold high expectations for their achievement in learning.
Educators recognise and respond to barriers to children achieving educational success. In response they challenge practices that contribute to inequities and make curriculum decisions that promote inclusion and participation of all children. By developing their professional knowledge and skills, and working in partnership with children, families, communities, other services and agencies, they continually strive to find equitable and effective ways to ensure that all children have opportunities to achieve learning outcomes.
RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY
There are many ways of living, being and of knowing. Children are born belonging to a culture, which is not only influenced by traditional practices, heritage and ancestral knowledge, but also by the experiences, values and beliefs of individual families and communities. Respecting diversity means within the curriculum valuing and reflecting the practices, values and beliefs of families. Educators honour the histories, cultures, languages, traditions, child rearing practices and lifestyle choices of families. They value children’s different capacities and abilities and respect differences in families’ home lives. Educators recognise that diversity contributes to the richness of our society and provides a valid evidence base about ways of knowing. For Australia it also includes promoting greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being. When early childhood educators respect the diversity of families and communities, and the aspirations they hold for children, they are able to foster children’s motivation.
Educators who are culturally competent respect multiple cultural ways of knowing, seeing and living, celebrate the benefits of diversity and have an ability to understand and honour differences (Framework, p.16).
Underlying cultural competence are the principles of trust, respect for diversity, equity, fairness, and social justice. Cultural competence reinforces and builds on our work of the last two or three decades as we have endeavoured to challenge and address injustice, racism, exclusion and inequity through legislation, awareness raising, rights education and an anti-bias curriculum. At the heart of cultural competence is our aspiration for everyone to be strong and confident in belonging, being and becoming through understanding and empathy, affirmation and opportunity. (Educators Belonging, Being & Becoming: Educators’ Guide to the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, p21)
In order that each child’s aspirations in life and learning, of belonging, of being and of becoming, are not compromised through stereotyping or personal agenda, educators deliberately and thoughtfully create and broaden opportunities for children to explore, follow and expand a wide range of interests and roles. Educators find supportive ways to challenge stereotypical ideas which may limit children’s Learning outcomes. (Framework, p. 9) They make curriculum decisions that uphold all children’s rights to have their cultures, identities, abilities and strengths acknowledged and valued, and respond to the complexity of children’s and families’ lives.
Educators think critically about opportunities and dilemmas that can arise from diversity and take action to redress unfairness. They provide opportunities to learn about similarities and difference and about interdependence and how we can learn to live together. (Framework, p. 9)
