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Preschoolers watch a real dive in action as Associate Professor Lori ... |
Preschoolers go ‘diving’ in video conference
Corrimal Children’s Centre, a professional partner within the Faculty of Education’s ‘Early Years Program’, today (21 October) organised a teleconference with a marine biologist from the Great Barrier Reef Authority.
The initiative culminated a term’s worth of investigation by the preschoolers into the sea and, in particular, the Great Barrier Reef.
The children were involved in a ‘real time’ video conference with a diver who went on an actual dive ‘with the children’.
They asked a diverse range of questions as the diver firstly examined coral and smaller fish before she entered a shark pool.
As the University has the technology needed to host such a video link up, and as a community initiative with the Illawarra Children’s Services, UOW agreed to help the children with their project.
The network and IT manager for the Faculty of Education, Matthew Fifield, helped set up the video link in a faculty room within the McKinnon Building.
Associate Dean in UOW’s Faculty of Education, Associate Professor Lori Lockyer, (representing the Faculty Dean) was on hand to greet the children.
The preschoolers had been greatly looking forward to experiencing this emerging technology. About 25 children participated.
UOW has launched 'The Early Years' which is a new and innovative approach to professional preparation of early childhood educators.
The four-year Bachelor of Education -- The Early Years degree involves a high level of practical community engagement work embedded into the program in addition to the usual professional experience requirements.
Faculty of Education Dean, Professor Paul Chandler, said the new program has a strong emphasis on community, social equity and justice with the focus on all young people being given the opportunity to have best possible early start to life and to encourage and foster a life-long love of learning.
The program covers child development, learning through play, cultural and social diversity, early intervention, innovative curriculum design and delivery.