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Week 11: Assessment B - The Reflective Essay 11.1 Aim this week

The focus this week is on: ‘Assessment (B) A reflective essay’. This is due to be posted to your tutor on Wednesday 29th May, but you need to start thinking about it earlier. . This is outlined below:

To look at assessment details for the second assessment of this module (A reflective essay)

Discuss the learning outcomes for assessment (B)

Consider what could be included in the essay

Planning the essay

11.2 Assessment (B) in detail: A reflective essay .

The assessment for this module has two parts, we will be concentrating this week on assessment (B) the final part of the module assessment. Please take note of the details below outlining what you need to include for this second assessment.

In the reflective essay students will discuss the complexities of leading practice in multi-professional teams, drawing on relevant theory, research and a learning journal

Assessment (B) The reflective essay contributes 60% towards the final mark you will get for the entire module

You will be given a mark out of 100 for both assessment (A) and assessment (B). Your final mark will be an average of the two marks

The total number of words you can use for the reflective essay is 4,000

When counting words you must include everything in the actual text, including quotes, journal entries and references. However we do not include the reference/bibliography list at the end of the assignment

We allow a margin of 10% either way

If you use far too few words, it is unlikely that you have included all the information that you need to pass

If you are very much over the word count we stop marking your work at the point you are 10% over. This may have extreme consequences if you have included vital information at the end of your work

11.3 The Learning Outcomes ..

. There are 5 learning outcomes that need to be addressed across the two assignments (A) The DP and (B) The Reflective Essay. However there are 3 learning outcomes that are particularly important for assessment (B). The reflective essay will be assessed on the extent to which it addresses the 3 assessment criteria that have been highlighted below: . Learning outcome 1

Describe, analyse and constructively critique the theory and practice of management and leadership styles in early childhood

Learning outcome 4

Critically appraise and provide clear explanations of the range of professions and occupations involved in the provision of early years services

Learning outcome 5

Demonstrate a critically reflective approach to working with multi-professional teams and reflect on their own personal and professional skills

11.4 Things you may want to consider when writing the reflective essay .

You may also consider ideas and discussions which may have not been included below, which is fine, as long as it is relevant and meet the required learning outcomes. .. Praxis and reflectivity Remember that during week one you explored praxis and reflectivity where Whalley et al (2004:p.38) suggested that it was ‘not enough that we reflect in order to know or understand, [but that] it is necessary to reflect in order to make a difference – to bring about change’.
The essay should be written in a reflective way, demonstrating what you have learnt and how through that learning you can change and make a difference to your practice. .Using Journal entries .. Throughout the module you have been reflecting in your journal on ‘Leadership in a multi-professional context’. If you can recall Etherington (2004) described a journal as a private document that is used by the writer to document their thoughts and feelings about any number of issues that seem important to them. . Throughout the essay you should be revealing your learning around ‘reflective leadership in a multi-professional context’. Use quotes from your journal to support your discussion and arguments, e.g. journal entry dated 1/10/11 ‘I am feeling anxious about presenting my ideas about implementing a development plan which of course is going to bring about change. Will staff be resistant? Or will they be positive about it? I need the team behind me for the benefit of all’ .

You should go through your journal and highlight themes that are evident e.g. challenges, fear, anxiety, conflict, learning, collaborative work etc. Remember that Journaling is a way of bringing out what you know about what is happening to you and within your centre/setting. In addition it is also one way of coming to appreciate your practice wisdom and of making your practice reflexive. It is one way of learning how to become a better leader. . Week one and two (links to learning outcome 1) For week one you were asked to:

Use the web to download and read an article on leadership and management in early childhood and summarise the article

Collate any information you find on the difference between leadership andManagement then write one side of A4 on your understanding of leadership and management characteristics

Use the information collected from the task above, along with discussions during week one and two in the essay to define what leadership and management is. If you are confused or get stuck refer back to thesecond key reading during week one by Jillian Rodd (2006) Leadership in Early Childhood Chapter 1. .

Rodd (2006:p.9) suggests that, ‘Leadership is best defined as a process of engagement, the leader engages fellow professionals in the best [ways of] meeting the needs of children and families…in early childhood there is an expectation that leaders will be consultative in their approach’. . Chapter one in Rodd (2006) explores: Definition of leadership for early childhood

General concepts about leadership

Dimensions of leadership

Differences between leadership and management

Leadership as it relates to the early childhood profession

The role of vision in leadership

Why leadership works in some situations and not others

Week three (links to learning outcome 1 and 5) . During week three you looked at ‘The personal qualities of a leader (in early childhood) and the various styles of leadership’. You were asked to reflect on what sort of manager/leader you think you are. Here you could compare your leadership style to that of your leader or manager, discussing the differences (both positive and negative). Link these discussions to what you have documented in your journal and make links to relevant theory. In week three you also looked at readings by Ancona et al (2007) ‘In Praise of the Incomplete Leader’ and Bass and Riggio (2006): 'Transformational Leadership', perhaps you may want to refresh your memory of these readings. . Daniel Goleman (1998) in, ‘What Makes a Leader’ is another interesting article to support any discussion on emotional intelligence. . Click https://www.mercy.edu/faculty/Georgas/inbs640/files/WhatMakesaLeader.pdf to read now. . Week four and five (links to learning outcome 4) . Week four begins the to discuss ‘The range of professionals and occupations involved in the provision of early years services’. . It gives some insight into the governments vision and legal framework underpinning partnership working (week five goes into more depth as it discusses multi-professional working). Week four also explores the role of the leader in supporting other professionals and involving them in the provision of early years services. . The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) practice guide requires professionals to work ‘collaboratively within the setting to share knowledge, question practice and test new ideas – with high aspirations for every child’ (DCSF, 2008c:p.9). Working collaboratively is at the heart of the government’s agenda for agencies to work together (Stacey 2009). Mercer and Littleton (2007) believe that where tasks or activities are complex and no one appears to have the complete answer is often when successful collaboration takes place. . Below I have highlighted key information from week four: . It is the responsibilities of all professionals and occupations to work together to improve the well being of children and families. This includes their ‘physical and mental health and emotional well-being; protection from harm and neglect; education and recreation’ (Childcare Act, 2006, p.1)

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Individual professionals may have different responsibilities but they are ‘all in this together. Responsibilities with each other do not need to be close but they do need to be respectful and understood’. (Stacey 2009:p.58) .

It is vital to collaborative working that professionals meet regularly together. All participants need to be aware and clear of ‘the common purpose and goal. Most importantly they need to understand the nature of their contributions and the limits of their decision-making authority’. (Delehant, 2007 cited in Stacey 2009:p.62). .

During week four you were asked to complete a table of professionals/occupations/agencies that work with children and families and may have contact within early years settings. You will need to revisit that table and include details of it within your discussion. It may also be useful for you to take another look at week four to remind you of the discussions. Do not forget to make links to your journal entries. .

Week Seven (links to learning outcome 5 and the assignment brief) .This week begins to address some of the complexities of working with a range of professionals. Below is are some of the themes covered:

Explore some of the challenges related to achieving multi-professional collaboration and multi-professional working (MPW)

Examine organisational cultures and the impact on professionals/practitioners

Look at the purpose and role of the leader/manager in supporting children and families, which includes a responsibility to develop MPW

Consider the difficulties and barriers in engaging families who do not access services

Look at the challenges of managing complex relationships with other agencies (e.g. Health)

Resolve difficulties and find solutions to barriers to MPW

Weeks Nine onwards . These weeks are also equally important as they address key issues for discussion such as working with, building and leading teams and groups, the importance of identifying values, principles and visions, professionalism and professional identity, managing change, communicating in groups and group dynamics, leading a more inclusive setting, reviewing and evaluating services and provision. (these are but a few).

.. 11.5 Planning the essay .

. Planning the essay is important as it encompasses all that you have learnt throughout the module (semester one and two). No one-week will give you all the knowledge and understanding needed to complete this assessment. Each week builds on your knowledge and understanding. .

The assignment brief A reflective essay in which students discuss the complexities of leading practice in multi-professional teams, drawing on relevant theory and research and a learning journal (4,000 words). . The reflective essay therefore requires you to highlight some of the complications, challenges, difficulties, ramifications and involvement of ‘leading practice in multi-professional teams’. . The introduction

Explain to the reader what the assignment is going to be about or will reveal?

It is always good to look back at your introduction from time to time as it will remind you of what you intended to talk about

The main body of the essay (some questions for you to think about, discuss, and debate. However these are not exclusive)

What is leadership and management? Can you define it? What is the role of leaders and managers? What are they their to do and achieve? How can leaders ensure that their settings are inclusive to all (make links to relevant legislation policy)? What qualities are needed to lead a multi-professional team and why? What are the different leadership styles? Why is it important for leaders to manage their time effectively? How can time management be a challenge when leading large multi-professionals teams?

Are you a leader or manager? What is your role? What context do you work within?

What is a multi-professional team? What is your experience of or approach to multi-professional teams? Do you work within multi-professional teams? Which professionals and occupations are part of early years teams? What do they bring to the team? How were multi-professional teams created and why (links to policy and legislation e.g. The Children Act 1989, The Every Child Matters Agenda, The Children Act 2004, The Childcare Act 2006, The Equality Act 2010)?

What are some of the benefits of working within a multi-professional team? What are some of the barriers, challenges and complexities of working with multi-professional teams? Where is the evidence to support your discussion?

What skills are needed to lead and manage multi-professional team and why? What role does values; principles and visions play in leading and managing multi-professional teams? How does change management theory support effective leadership of teams? What are some of the challenges of leading change? What role does group dynamics play in leading teams and practice?

What role does communication play in leading teams? How can leaders ensure equality and a more inclusive team and setting?

Journal extracts should be used to support discussion, deeper reflection and analysis

Conclusion

In the conclusion you should revisit the original essay question summarising your arguments and evidence demonstrating how you answered the original essay question. No new ideas or information should be given at this stage

Below are some helpful information when planning your essay

http://www.qmu.ac.uk/els/docs/Planning%20essays.PDF

http://www.surrey.ac.uk/library/splash/online/studyguides/SPLASH%209_Planning%20Essays.pdf

http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/studyadvice/studyresources/essays/sta-planningessay.aspx

11.6 The assessment deadline and the practicalities of handing in your assignment

The deadline for handing in assessment (B) is posting it to your tutor on Wednesday 29th May.

The assignment should be double-spaced and in a clear font such as Ariel. Use a font size no smaller than 12. There should be clear margins at the top, bottom and sides

Each page should be numbered and should preferably have your University ID in a prominent position

Include a title page for your assignment, with the module code and the assessment element (B for the reflective essay)

At the end of each assignment, include a list of references of the sources you have used in the text

Keep an electronic copy of your final assignment

Put your work in a plastic envelope or a light binder. Please do not use ring binders that take a great deal of space. Similarly, do not put individual sheets of paper into individual plastic wallets as this is annoying for the marking tutor

For the assessment (B) print off an assessment cover sheet from E vision. Firmly attach this to your assignment

We would like to remind you that plagiarism is seen as academic misconduct. This is where the submission for assessment of material is originally produced by another person or persons, without indicating that the material is not original and that the work could be assumed to be the student’s own. If you are confused about what plagiarism is please read The Complete Guide to Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism. This is an E book.

11.7 Reflective task .

.Take some time out to consider and reflect on the above information. Is there anything that you are unclear about? If there are make a note of these and discuss them with your tutor. It is helpful toeveryone if you post eneral queries on the Discussion Board. .

Journal your reflections and responses.

. 11.8 Summary of session .

During this session we looked at details for assessment B, including the relevant learning outcomes. We considered some possible examples of ideas, subjects matters and issues that could be used in the essay during discussion and debate. And finally I highlighted the assessment deadline and the practicalities of handing in your assignment.

11.9 Weekly task .. . Begin to identify and start to develop your ideas (where possible share these with your tutor) then begin to plan your reflective essay. You will not be able to complete the essay in full as you have not completed the module. However you can start to gather information, find relevant literature and go through your journal highlighting important themes.

References and additional reading

Ancona, D. Malone, T. W. Orlikowski, W. J. and Senge, P.M (2007) In Praise of the Incomplete Leader http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=in+praise+of+the+incomplete+leader+deborah+ancona&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&ie=&oe=&redir_esc=&ei=jaFQUKulE--S0QXwsYHABw Accessed 10/11/12

Bass, B, Riggio, R. (2006) Transformational Leadership (2nd Ed), Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Children Act 1989. London: HMSO. https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-00185-2010.pdf Accessed 15/12/12

Childcare Act 2006 London: HMSO http://www.google.co.uk/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=the+children+act+2004+summary&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&ei=6TdCUNPOO6nA0QX-7YDgDAAccessed 1/9/12

DCSF Children Act 2004. London HMSO.

DCSF (2008c). Practice guidance for the early years foundation stage. Nottingham: DCSF

Every Child Mattershttp://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=every+child+matters+outcomes&oq=Every+Child+Matters+&gs_l=hp.1.0.0l4.5722.5722.0.16849.1.1.0.0.0.0.108.108.0j1.1.0.les%3Bcesh..0.0...1.2.di6XIPhALFU&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=756d3c283199c9c8&biw=1275&bih=641/ Accessed 18/09/12

Equality Act 2010 London HMSO http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/equalities/equality-act-publications/equality-act-guidance/individual-rights1?view=BinaryAccessed 15/12/12

Etherington, K. (2004) Becoming a Reflexive Researcher: Using Our Selves in Research. Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London and Philadelphia

Goleman, D. (1998) What Makes a Leader: Harvard Business Reviewhttp://www.qmu.ac.uk/els/docs/Planning%20essays.PDFAccessed 12/12/12

http://www.surrey.ac.uk/library/splash/online/studyguides/SPLASH%209_Planning%20Essays.pdf Accessed 12/12/12

http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/studyadvice/studyresources/essays/sta-planningessay.aspx Accessed 12/12/12

Mercer, N, Littleton, K (2007) Dialogue and the development of children’s thinking: a socio-cultural approach. London: Routledge

Rodd, J. (2006) Leadership in Early Childhood, OpenUniversity Press

Stacey, M. (2009) Teamwork and Collaboration in Early Years Settings: Learning Matters Exeter

Whalley, M. et al. (2004) NPQICL Study Programme. Nottingham: NCSL