Reflective Play Journal: Exploring Maths, Science, Technology and Movement

Assessment

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment task is to:
Create a journal of your play experiences reflective of the languages of maths, science, technology and movement. This will comprise of observations and reflections gathered throughout the unit.

The unit learning outcomes assessed are:

• LO1: Articulate the value of place and children's agency in play
• LO2: Elucidate the language of maths, science, technology and movement in the context of early childhood and play.
• LO3: Evaluate physical activity, health and wellbeing as defined in policy documents, development theories, and curriculum frameworks.

(Based on everything you have learned in Week 1, reflect on the historical and ongoing impacts of colonisation, the significance of acknow Traditional Owners, and your role in promoting respect, understanding, and reconciliation. Consider how you can apply this knowledge in y personal, academic, or professional life to contribute to meaningful change.)

Take note of the feedback you got on A1 and use it to further develop your reflections in this assessment.

In this task, we ask you to embrace play in your everyday life. Pay attention to the moments when you engage in playful activities. Ask you this play for play's sake, or are you focused on a specific outcome? Reflect on how play shows up in your daily routine, and read through t content on play to deepen your understanding of this concept. Consider whether the process or the result is what you value most in these moments of play. Link this thinking back to each journal entry as you engage with the various languages: maths, science, movement, tech and risk taking.
This will be similar to the first steps of the planning cycle as studied in ECE6009

• You will observe something in your daily life or in class, or you will have an idea linked to a reading (must include graphical elements illustrating your experience)
• You will reflect and explain why your observation is significant (using terminology and concepts specific to the topic)
• You will analyse and discuss the significance of the observation or idea (using theory to justify the significance)

Brief summary of the assessment requirements

Task: Create a reflective play journal that documents play experiences and links them to the languages of maths, science, technology and movement. The journal should be based on observations and reflections gathered across the unit and must use theory, terminology and graphical elements to support analysis.

Core purpose: Demonstrate how everyday play can be read through disciplinary “languages” and curriculum/policy lenses, show understanding of children’s agency and place in play, and evaluate physical activity, health and wellbeing in relation to relevant development theories and frameworks.

Unit learning outcomes to address

• LO1: Articulate the value of place and children’s agency in play.
• LO2: Elucidate the languages of maths, science, technology and movement in early childhood play.
• LO3: Evaluate physical activity, health and wellbeing using policy documents, developmental theory, and curriculum frameworks.

Essential content and tasks to include

1. Context & Acknowledgement: Reflect on historical/ongoing impacts of colonisation, acknowledge Traditional Owners, and describe your role in promoting respect and reconciliation (link to Week 1 content).
2. Use feedback from A1: Explicitly show how feedback from the first assessment was used to deepen reflections.
3. Observation entries: Record multiple play moments (daily life or class). Each entry must include:
   • A graphical element (photo, sketch, chart or diagram) illustrating the play moment.
   • A clear description: what happened, who was involved, place, materials, sequence.
4. Reflection: For each observation, explain why it’s significant using discipline-specific terminology (maths, science, tech, movement).
5. Analysis: Use theory and curriculum/policy references to analyse the significance (justify with developmental or policy frameworks).
6. Planning-cycle connection: Relate entries to the early steps of the planning cycle (identify, observe, reflect, plan).
7. Structure: Include an introduction (purpose, brief literature link) and a conclusion that synthesises learning and implications for practice.
8. Referencing & presentation: Use appropriate academic referencing and present work clearly (headings per entry, labels for graphics).

How the Academic Mentor guided the student step-by-step process

Below is the practical stepwise mentorship approach the academic mentor would take while guiding the student through this assessment.

Step 1 Clarify purpose & assessment map

• Action: Mentor explained the assessment brief, learning outcomes (LO1–LO3), and marking expectations.
• Why it helps: Gives the student a roadmap so each journal entry intentionally maps to outcomes and assessment criteria.

Step 2 Connect to Week 1 content & feedback from A1

• Action: Mentor asked the student to summarise Week 1 readings (colonisation, acknowledgement, reconciliation) and to list specific A1 feedback points.
• Why it helps: Anchors reflective practice in the required cultural/contextual knowledge and ensures continuous improvement.

Step 3 Choose observation sites and schedule reflections

• Action: Mentor helped the student identify realistic observation opportunities (home, classroom, community) and set a simple tracking schedule (e.g., 6–8 entries across the unit).
• Why it helps: Ensures sufficient and varied evidence across contexts and languages (maths, science, tech, movement).

Step 4 Collect data and graphical evidence

• Action: Mentor instructed on what to record for each observation (who, when, where, focus of play, materials) and how to create/label a graphical element (photo with ethics/consent, sketch, timeline, simple chart).
• Why it helps: Graphical elements strengthen claims and satisfy the requirement for visual illustration.

Step 5 Write focused reflections

• Action: For each entry mentor modelled a short reflection structure: Description → Observation significance → Terminology used (maths/science/tech/movement).
• Why it helps: Keeps each reflection concise, evidence-based and tied to disciplinary language.

Step 6 Analyse using theory and policy

• Action: Mentor guided the student to select one or two theoretical lenses per entry (e.g., Vygotsky for social learning, Bronfenbrenner for place/context, risk-taking theory, movement development frameworks) and to reference relevant policy/curriculum statements when discussing wellbeing/physical activity.
• Why it helps: Demonstrates capacity to justify why an observation matters and links practice to evidence/standards.

Step 7 Integrate indigenous perspectives & reconciliation

• Action: Mentor prompted explicit reflection on how acknowledging Traditional Owners shaped the play setting or the student’s role and how practice can support respectful inclusion.
• Why it helps: Meets the requirement to reflect on colonisation impacts and shows culturally informed practice.

Step 8 Use feedback from A1 to deepen analysis

• Action: Mentor asked student to highlight changes made in this journal that respond to A1 feedback (for example: more theory use, clearer graphics, improved referencing).
• Why it helps: Demonstrates reflective learning and continuous improvement.

Step 9 Drafting, referencing and presentation

• Action: Mentor reviewed a draft for coherence, academic tone, correct use of terminology, and accurate references. Also checked that graphical elements were labelled and ethically handled.
• Why it helps: Ensures academic integrity, clear communication, and policy-compliant visuals.

Step 10 Final synthesis and conclusion

• Action: Mentor helped the student write a conclusion that synthesised insights across entries, stated implications for practice, and linked back to LO1–LO3.
• Why it helps: Provides the assessor with a clear take-away and shows that learning objectives were met.

How the final outcome was achieved (what the submitted journal included)

Completed deliverables

• A structured reflective play journal containing multiple dated entries (each with a labelled graphical element).
• Each entry followed the sequence: Observation → Reflection (discipline language) → Theoretical/Policy Analysis → Implication for practice.
• An explicit section discussing the impacts of colonisation and the student’s role in reconciliation, referencing Week 1 materials.
• A short preface describing how A1 feedback was applied to improve depth and structure.
• A conclusion that synthesised learning and recommended practice changes.
• Accurate academic referencing and ethical note for visuals.

Quality indicators

• Clear mapping of entries to LO1- LO3.
• Use of discipline-specific terminology (maths: counting/measure concepts; science: hypothesis, causality; technology: tools/processes; movement: motor skills, risk).
• Evidence of linking practice to curriculum/policy definitions of wellbeing and physical activity.
• Balanced use of theory with concrete observations evidence-based claims rather than unsupported assertions.

Learning objectives covered

• LO1 Place & children’s agency
  • Demonstrated by describing the influence of physical/relational settings in entries and analysing how children shaped their play choices (agency).
• LO2 Languages of maths, science, technology and movement
  • Demonstrated by explicitly interpreting play episodes through each language and using correct terminology and graphical evidence to support the interpretation.
• LO3 Physical activity, health and wellbeing
  • Demonstrated by evaluating activity using policy documents and developmental theories (e.g., curriculum links, indicators of wellbeing, risk and safety discussions).

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