102102 CHILDREN, FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES MASTER OF TEACHING (BIRTH – 5 YEARS/BIRTH – 12 YEARS) AND BACHELOR OF ARTS (PATHWAY TO TEACHING BIRTH-5/BIRTH-12) UNIT COORDINATOR: KERRY STAPLES ASSESSMENT SUCCESS GUIDE ASSIGNMENT 1 1H SEMESTER 2017   TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 WHERE SHOULD I START? 4 I am so confused where do I start? 4 get organised – start with the end in mind 4 A BASIC GUIDE TO GETTING THE ASSIGNMENT DONE ON TIME 4 What do I need to know so that I can do this assignment? 6 What is an early intervention and prevention (EIP) project? 6 Learn more about the Focus area 6 1 Research Project – Finding a suitable research paper 6 2 Practice Project - Gathering Information about the Local Community Project 6 Contacting Services 6 CHOOSING A PROJECT 7 Can I do the same project as one of the members of my assignment group? 7 Do all the group member do the same 'Area of Vulnerability'? 7 The project I am considering focuses on children 5 – 12 years, can I still use it? 7 Do we also have to find journal articles of our LGA programs and assess them? 7 WHAT SORT OF PROJECT SHOULD I CHOOSE? 7 I understand that we are not focusing on an organisation but a program/project within it. Can I do a "project" within the "program"? 8 I have been doing some research and they seem to use different terminology, does is matter that it is called a program or a service? 8 Is my project appropriate as it is mainly aimed at working with the parents and families? 8 Can I do a project that is not in my LGA? 8 Does the international/national project have to be the same as my local community project? 8 QUESTIONS ABOUT PROJECT 1 9 Why am I researching projects from overseas? 9 In the evaluation report of my project it uses the word program instead of project. Can I use this as it is a project that is designed to provide intervention early, and prevent risk factors? 9 I am having trouble finding an international project, what should I do? 9 Can you check to see if I have the right type of project? 9 RESEARCH 9 Can I use Google? 9 I am having trouble finding an article using the library search box, what should I do? 9 How many references do I need? 10 QUESTIONS ABOUT PROJECT 2 10 INTERVIEWING A LOCAL PROJECT 10 I have never done an interview before, where do I start? 10 How do I decide what questions to ask at the interview? 10 I still can’t find someone to interview what will I do? 10 It is so hard to find a service, what will I do? 10 Why do we have to find the service; it would be easier if you did it for me? 11 I started my search in week one, I have ‘googled’ a number of possibilities and refined my search, although I am finding it difficult to find a project or organisation, can you help? 11 Where ELSE can I try to find a suitable project? 11 When I ring up they say no! or we can’t help you, what will I do? 11 Why do I have to do a face-face interview? 12 During your interview you will gather perspectives about the context of the project as well as gathering information about the local government area which will help you complete not only your first assignment but also your second assignment. 12 Can I send the questions by email and ask them to write their answers? 12 The service said they do not want to be audio recorded, what should I do? 12 Can I interview someone from the same organisation as one of my group members? 12 Can I do the interview over the phone? 12 WHAT IS A TRANSCRIPT? 12 What needs to be in a transcript? 12 It is taking so long and I keep needing to replay it, how can I make it easier? 13 WRITING IT UP 13 What do I write about in my essay? 13 Do we have to compare an international or national program to our selected LGA project? 13 PRESENTATION AND SETTING OUT THE ASSIGNMENT 13 Can I use headings? 13 Can I use first person? 13 Can I go over the word limit? 13 What goes in the Appendices? 14 SUBMITTING MY ASSIGNMENT 14 Do I have to submit a draft to Turnitin in? 14 Are you a hard marker? 14 Can you read my essay to see if I am on track? 14 Can I hand in my assignment earlier if I finish earlier? 14 GETTING HELP 14 Where do I get help? 14 Things are not going well for me at the moment 14 REFERENCING 15 How do I reference TEAM-ECD? 15 How do I reference an interview? 15 Referencing 15 ACADEMIC LITERACY SUPPORT FOR ASSIGNMENT PREPARATION 16 Academic Literacy 16 PASS Online 16 Online study resources 16 Writing your assignment 16 Editing your assignment 16 Presentation 17 Additional resources 17 MODULE NOTES 18 COLLABORATION: AGENDA FOR FIRST MEETING 19 Agenda Items 19 ASSIGNMENT 1: CHECKLIST FOR THE INTERVIEW 21 ASSIGNMENT 1: SCAFFOLDING YOUR ANALYSIS OF THE 2 PROJECTS 22 WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY ABOUT YOUR FOCUS AREA? 22 WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT YOUR PROJECTS? 22 ASSIGNMENT 1 CHECKLIST 23   ASSIGNMENT 1 - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WHERE SHOULD I START? I AM SO CONFUSED WHERE DO I START? The best place to start is read over the Learning Guide again - there is a step by step guide to help you through the process, also talk to your group members. We spent quite a bit of time discussing the assignments during the first week so take some time as a group talking about what you understand and what questions you would like clarified. Ask one of your group to read out the assignment description ALOUD. Sounds silly but it can really help clarify your understanding of the requirements. Have you looked at the supports online (vUWS) in the Assessment folder? Have you completed the first week’s readings and watched the online videos? These resources are there to build your knowledge and support you to complete the assignment successfully. GET ORGANISED – START WITH THE END IN MIND Mark the due date in your diary and work backwards. The Learning Guide’s Teaching and Learning Schedule provides a guide for what you should do each week. So read the Learning Guide and keep it handy. Tick off what you have completed as you go. A BASIC GUIDE TO GETTING THE ASSIGNMENT DONE ON TIME Week Tasks to complete Assignment 1 Tips for success 1 Before the tutorial 1. Read your required readings these will help you understand the key concepts; 2. Take notes about the key concepts as you listen to the online resources; After the tutorial 3. Organise to meet with your group to discuss the assignment; 4. Exchange contact details; 5. Brainstorm LGA resources and research your focus area; 6. Upload to vUWS the minutes of your discussion on vUWS; 7. Do some initial research about your focus area of vulnerability - Identify key issues for children and families for your focus area, how might it influence ECD (30 mins) Start the process early Know what you need to do Start with the end in mind 2 Preparation with your group 1. Set group expectations and communication strategy (15 mins) 2. Review the LG, do you understand what you need to do? (15 mins) 3. Identify key issues for children and families for your focus area, how might it influence ECD (30 mins) THIS IS A KEY STEP! 4. Create a mind map of the risk and protective factors for children experiencing this area of vulnerability 5. Research your LGA and brainstorm possible EIP services to contact in your LGA (30 mins) Think Broadly and include universal services Independent work 1. Introduce yourself online and add your Personal Reflection to your vUWS assignment group discussion board. Do this to fulfil your assignment 3 requirements. (1 hour) 2. Research your focus area in more depth, find 1-2 articles or book chapters about the focus area and share with your assignment group. 3. Research and identify your Project 2 (30 mins) 4. Organise your interview (30 mins) With your group, identify the types of services in your allocated LGA that would be relevant to your area of focus, and then decide who will contact which services. It is likely that you will contact quite a number of services as some staff work part-time, are very busy or may not be entirely suitable. Communicate on vUWS to ensure each group member arranges an interview with a project, program or service. In some circumstances 2 students can do the interview together and use the same project for analysis. Both students must type up the interview and analyse the data separately.   Week Tasks to complete Assignment 1 Tips for success 3 Bring the details of your projects to your tutorial For 1 Research Project - Review suitability of report about an intervention project (it is suggested that you bring 1 or 2 possible reports that meet the criteria) For 2 Practice Project - Who, when and where will you do your interview? Telephone to establish the appropriate person to contact Send an email or letter of introduction to the service (this can be found in the Learning Guide) to arrange a 30 minute face-to-face interview. Interview Questions: Asking interview questions to get the information you need – use the learning guide and your research to think about the type of information you need; Draft your interview questions and bring to class next week (30 mins) and Bring your proposed Interview questions to refine in class. Develop interview questions that will assist you to gather information to fulfil the assignment requirements. You are encouraged to do this as a group and use vUWS to collaborate when refining the questions. Bring your draft questions along to the tutorial so we can refine them further. Learn more about the service through research and reviewing the organisation’s website and brochures. Develop questions that help you find out how this early intervention and prevention project supports children, families and community and responds to the focus ‘area of vulnerability’. Use the assessment criteria as a guide to the type of information you will gather. 4 Conduct and record your 30 minute face-to-face interview; Ask the Interviewee to sign the Interview Permission, you should not conduct the interview until this is signed; Transcribe your interview Analyse your project 2 using TEAM-ECD See the Assignment 1: Checklist for the Interview in this guide 5 Analyse project 1 using TEAM-ECD and complete first draft of your assignment synthesising the information. Your text and readings will support your analysis of the key issues Review your assignment against the marking criteria, have you addressed the criteria • Identify key issues for children and families for your focus area, how might it influence ECD (30 mins) Research your LGA and brainstorm possible EIP services to contact in your LGA (30 mins);. Compare this project to your national or international project as required Start with you readings, they will help you analyse your projects Use other references to further support your analysis 6 Finalise your assignment by: Completing the Assignment 1 Checklist (found at the end of this guide) to ensure you have addressed all the requirements; Ensuring you have carefully read the submission requirements in the Learning Guide. Your assignment will not be marked if you do not include all components. Submit draft to Turnitin and review the Originality Report. Refine your final draft. Refer to the APA Style guide for how to set out your assignment. 7 Send a letter or email of appreciation to your interviewee explaining what you gained from the experience. Submit your assignment to Turnitin!!! You will include this letter of appreciation in your Assignment.   WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW SO THAT I CAN DO THIS ASSIGNMENT? WHAT IS AN EARLY INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION (EIP) PROJECT? In order to understand what type of projects you will examine, you need to understand the concept of EIP, so make sure you complete your readings and explore the resources on vUWS. As a group discuss what you have read and your individual understanding of EIP. This is a very important first step and will save you time later. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FOCUS AREA Develop an understanding of your focus ‘area of vulnerability’ by discussing your individual research with your group. You might discuss what are the implications for children when they are living in an ‘at risk’ ‘adverse’ or ‘vulnerable’ situation. • How do the risk factors influence learning? • What are the protective factors for children? • How might the family and community influence the child’s health and well-being positively? A literature review of the area of vulnerability will provide you with some background and help you identify how this area of vulnerability may impact a child’s life trajectory. If you are not sure how to find a literature review go to the library for help or use the links that can be found later in the guide (Research). You also need to think about the types of services that might best ameliorate the risk factors, help families nurture their children or strengthen the child’s resilience. This will help you think about the type of projects you will research. Your text and readings will help here but you also need to do your own research using reputable sources. 1 RESEARCH PROJECT – FINDING A SUITABLE RESEARCH PAPER For this assignment you will analyse a national or international project described in an academic journal article, research paper, program evaluation review or evaluation report, thus you will need to use your research skills to find a suitable paper. Be aware that “google” and “wikipedia” have not been helpful with this in the past – you will need to use the library resources including the journal databases. If you are going to Google, use “Google Scholar” from the link on the library page and then you get free access to the journals. Review the Library’s Successful Searching modules. Listen to the online modules developed for this unit available on vUWS in the assignment folder. 2 PRACTICE PROJECT - GATHERING INFORMATION ABOUT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY PROJECT Students often expect there will be a service in each LGA specifically developed to address the issues associated with their focus area. Whilst there are some targeted services, many are universal thus you will need to do some lateral thinking and investigation. Remember you are not reviewing a whole organisation just a discrete EIP project for children birth to eight and their families living in your LGA. CONTACTING SERVICES Identify the services you will contact and keep a record of their responses. • Name of the organisation • Contact details - Address, Telephone number, Email address, Web Address • Project details • Staff member’s name you spoke to, Date and Time of Call, Response • Sent Email with letter from Learning Guide attached There is a prepared form in the back of this guide. Bring this to the tutorial for further discussion.   FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS CHOOSING A PROJECT CAN I DO THE SAME PROJECT AS ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF MY ASSIGNMENT GROUP? YES, you can BUT it is better not to. The reason for this is you are reducing the information you bring together This is to ensure you gather information from a wide variety of sources which will help you in your second assignment. Project 1: You should each choose a different international/national project. You are demonstrating that you can use the library database to find relevant information and assess its relevance to your research. Project 2: Each group member arranges an interview with a different project, program or service. Another member of the group may accompany you to provide moral support and take notes for you. In some circumstances 2 students can do the interview together and use the same project for analysis. Both students must type up the interview and analyse the data separately. DO ALL THE GROUP MEMBER DO THE SAME 'AREA OF VULNERABILITY'? Yes in a broad sense; so you should all research the same area of vulnerability, that is the one allocated in the first week of tutorials, however you may wish to focus on different aspects of that area of vulnerability or researching different ways we can intervene. THE PROJECT I AM CONSIDERING FOCUSES ON CHILDREN 5 – 12 YEARS, CAN I STILL USE IT? The purpose of this assignment is for you to explore the impact of early intervention and prevention programs on children (birth to 8 years), families and communities by critically analysing research and practice. It is better to focus on a project that aims to improve outcomes for children birth to 5 years because it is more likely to an “early intervention” or preventative. If a project only caters for 3-5 years then that is fine. In some circumstances the target age group may be up to 12 years, you can still use this project but you should focus on the aspect that caters for children under 8 years. If the project is only for children 8 years and above then it is not suitable. WHAT ABOUT DOING A DIFFERENT PROJECT BUT OFFERED BY THE SAME ORGANISATION? Yes this is okay. Larger organisations tend to provide a range of services and projects, so if each group member is focusing on different projects within the same organisation that is fine. For instance, Mission Australia funds a local supported playgroup and has a project that offers support for teenage parents to finish school. Both these projects seek to improve the outcomes for children by supporting families, therefore it would be permissible for both these projects to be used. DO WE ALSO HAVE TO FIND JOURNAL ARTICLES OF OUR LGA PROGRAMS AND ASSESS THEM? If you find journal articles that evaluate the effectiveness of the local LGA project that is great and will add to your analysis but if you don't, that is okay too it is not a requirement. For instance some projects like Brighter Futures and Communities for Children have been evaluated and the reports are available online. These evaluation reports will provide you with supplementary information. WHAT SORT OF PROJECT SHOULD I CHOOSE? You are researching a project that seeks to address the effect, impact of implications of your allocated area of vulnerability. Firstly, you need to know what are the implications of this area of vulnerability e.g is it lack of access to education, poor health due to lack of access to nutritious food. Then you can start thinking more broadly about the ways we can reduce their risk of poor outcomes or increase the likelihood the child will do well despite experiencing a level of disadvantage. The intervention or preventative strategies might be focused on the strengthening the family’s resources or skills, making the neighbourhood safe or influencing a national policy. What types of projects would achieve this? You want to know was the intervention effective. Did the project make a difference to the outcomes of children and families? So, for instance you are researching how a playgroup or other activity might increase the child's well-being, health, ability to learn and develop following some level of adversity. For example: Your focus area is children with a chronic illness or who have experienced long term hospitalisation. You can explore this vulnerability in more than one way, remember that during the tutorials and lectures we discussed the concept of intervening early or preventing the impact of risk factors so as to enhance the child's outcomes and that finding the right services requires some lateral thinking. Your research could focus on one chronic illness such asthma or you could answer one of the following and think about which programs might help: • How do we reduce the impact of the subsequent risk factors for children who are hospitalised due to ill health– eg lack of school attendance, loss of friendships, isolation, parent stress • How do we reduce the impact of hospitalisation (at hospital) on children’s well-being eg play therapy, music therapy, family support, • How do we prevent children needing to go to hospital for long periods of time or acquiring a chronic illness - programs such as awareness programs- Sunsmart, prevention of obesity, nutrition, playground safety Another example Your focus area is children who have witnessed family violence Let's try a different angle... if a family came to you and told you they had experienced family violence in the past, what would you do? As an ECT what would you know are the risk factors for children and families, what does the research say? Once you have answered this you can start to think about what type of services might help e.g. the family might feel very isolated from their community so need to reconnect to the community so they can build resilience and confidence, so a playgroup might be a good place to start or another universal service that helps families and children come together for play. What other types of support might be helpful? The service does not need to be narrowly focused it can be a universal service and you join the dots about why it is relevant. I UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT FOCUSING ON AN ORGANISATION BUT A PROGRAM/PROJECT WITHIN IT. CAN I DO A "PROJECT" WITHIN THE "PROGRAM"? Yes, some agencies will have multiple projects...make it easy for yourself....focus on just one project. To decide on which one ask yourself how does this project address the risk factors for young children or impact their spheres of influence? Which one is the most relevant to my area of vulnerability? I HAVE BEEN DOING SOME RESEARCH AND THEY SEEM TO USE DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY, DOES IS MATTER THAT IT IS CALLED A PROGRAM OR A SERVICE? This is an excellent question and highlights just one of the issues in the field. One of the challenges for us is the lack of a common language. For instance think about how many different ways we can describe a place where children go to play and learn ... early childhood services, early childhood education and care settings, child care programs, crèche, long day care and preschool, they are similar in many ways and often the terms are used interchangeably but they also mean slightly different things to some people. So my point is that sometimes 'project', 'service' and 'program' are used interchangeably. Most commonly an organisation will manage a program which will have discreet projects within it. That project may well comprise of multiple activities. For your assignment you should look at the smallest component, so you may want to focus on the supported playgroup that runs on a Tuesday at the community hall that is part of the wider Brighter Futures program run by a large not-for-profit organisation. The supported playgroup may have a range of activities including play-based experiences for the children, a parent-focused information sharing session and it might also include nutritious morning teas and guest speakers - together these related activities make up the supported playgroup which would be considered a project. IS MY PROJECT APPROPRIATE AS IT IS MAINLY AIMED AT WORKING WITH THE PARENTS AND FAMILIES? YES! The sphere of influence can be the family. Through your reading you will see that by strengthening family capabilities we are influencing children’s health and well-being. Ask yourself - How does the project seek to ameliorate risk factors or increase protective factors for these young children? The project may not work directly with the child, it might work with the parents or early childhood educators, or communities? What is your logical argument here about what will help/make a difference to children's well-being? This is where your understanding of your text will be important – spheres of influence, nurturance….start reading! CAN I DO A PROJECT THAT IS NOT IN MY LGA? There are 2 possible answers to this question No, you must research the area allocated to you. We divide students up and allocate them to different areas so that we spread the load between services across the metropolitan area. Yes, as long as the project provides services to families living in your LGA. So if Penrith is your LGA and families from Penrith travel to Westmead to use services then that is fine to research that project. Some services will have their head office in a different suburb to the one in which the service is delivered. DOES THE INTERNATIONAL/NATIONAL PROJECT HAVE TO BE THE SAME AS MY LOCAL COMMUNITY PROJECT? As long as both projects address the same ‘area of vulnerability’ you were allocated then it will be fine. They may have a slightly different way of intervening e.g. one may be a playgroup and one might be a parent education program but they will both focus on addressing the risk factors for children in that area of vulnerability. However I find most students focus on similar types of projects and most students find an international project similar to their LGA project because it is interesting to find out what is happening overseas. It also makes it easier to compare them.   QUESTIONS ABOUT PROJECT 1 WHY AM I RESEARCHING PROJECTS FROM OVERSEAS? We are asking you to find out how other countries have addressed these issues, how successful have they have been, why it works, what can we learn from them about the best way to intervene, what were their experiences of trying to reduce the risk factors? IN THE EVALUATION REPORT OF MY PROJECT IT USES THE WORD PROGRAM INSTEAD OF PROJECT. CAN I USE THIS AS IT IS A PROJECT THAT IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE INTERVENTION EARLY, AND PREVENT RISK FACTORS? It is difficult to advise you if it is indeed a relevant project without reading the evaluation report but I wouldn't be too concerned if they use the word program instead of project. Some research articles won't name the organisation or project but many will, some may refer to it as something general like a family literacy project or similar. You have to name the article and include it in your reference list. An evaluation report should tell you to what extent the intervention made a difference. You want to find out whether the project in fact reduced risks or strengthened children's protective factors, what were the activities that seemed to make things better for children and their families. Better reports will be from peer reviewed journals and not just be from the organisation saying ...'look we did a great job' you need to find evaluation reports that are rigorous and are well researched. The library module in the assessment folder will help you to find the right articles efficiently...don't rely on 'google' for this assignment. I AM HAVING TROUBLE FINDING AN INTERNATIONAL PROJECT, WHAT SHOULD I DO? Research is not an exact science and it often takes time to try out different search terms, this is perfectly normal and you will get better at it with practice. Be persistent • Watch the video, in the past students have found this very helpful and many watch it a number of times. • Use the thesaurus available for the database. I find it really helpful to find the right search terms eg immigrants instead of migrants. • Visit the library and speak to one of the School of Education Liaison Librarians or use the chat online facility. Firstly yes you can focus on slightly different areas for your 2 projects eg if you were doing poverty you could look at ‘nutrition’ or ‘accessing educational resources’ although in saying that many students find it easier to compare and contrast when they have similar projects...up to you! CAN YOU CHECK TO SEE IF I HAVE THE RIGHT TYPE OF PROJECT? You will have an opportunity to show your tutor in week 3 so print out the abstract of a few you think meet the criteria. However after this date we can't check student’s papers as much as we would like to so come prepared. Read the learning guide and see if it meets the criteria and discuss the pros and cons with your group. To help you decide if you have the right paper you need to read the report, some reports will provide you with information about the area of vulnerability and help you understand the implications for children's well-being, health and development, use this information to support your discussion about the main issues in your paper. RESEARCH CAN I USE GOOGLE? In the past students using Google have not found the right type of article but Google Scholar may be useful. I AM HAVING TROUBLE FINDING AN ARTICLE USING THE LIBRARY SEARCH BOX, WHAT SHOULD I DO? Start by developing your skills in this area. The WSU library website provides online resources that will assist you with selecting relevant readings for your assignments. Go to http://library.westernsydney.edu.au/uws_library/guides/online-tutorials It is strongly suggested that you complete the following two online modules if you have not done so already: Successful Searching http://library.westernsydney.edu.au/uws_library/guides/online-tutorials/successful-searching and Arts Information Basics http://library.westernsydney.edu.au/uws_library/guides/online-tutorials/arts-info-basics..  Make use of the library staff and the School of Education Liaison Librarian – they are there to help you. Have you tried the online librarian? You can chat with a librarian from home. This facility can be accessed from the library home page. If you are having difficulties finding a suitable national or international project via the Library Search Box or databases, you could try searching in Google Scholar and using the links back into the UWS Library collection. You can either use the pathway to Scholar on the Library website so that it’s set up already: Library website > Resources menu > e-resources > A-Z list choose G > Click on Google Scholar. Or, to set this up in Google Scholar yourself, 1. Just open Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com.au/ and go to the Settings menu (top right). Once there, click on Library links on the left side. 2. Underneath the text that says: Show library access links for (choose up to five libraries): is a search box. 3. Type in University of Western Sydney and tick the box to add it. Remember to save this preference. 4. When you have set this up, it is a great way to search a broad range of scholarly material and then be directed back to the UWS Library databases for access. Google Scholar allows you to enter a custom date range on the left, to limit your search results. You could try putting in a string of keywords relevant to your focus area such as: program children intervention immigrant refugee Or try program children intervention relocation family Google Scholar will search for all or any of these keywords and will put the results with the best match at the top. You may find an article about a particular program, or you may see an article which reviews a number of programs – these articles can be useful as they discuss many different programs and you can read through it and track down one you are interested in from the reference list. Keep in mind that Google Scholar will include material that is not peer reviewed, so the best use of this tool is to use the links back to the UWS Library content and then evaluate the article to see if it as an appropriate source. HOW MANY REFERENCES DO I NEED? Use a range of reputable international and national research as references to support your analysis of the projects. You will find these in books and journals available in the library. A good place to start is your reading list, read these first and use them in your paper. Add to these by using articles you have sourced from library databases. You will need to reference TEAM-ECD, your text, your research article and at least 4-5 other journal articles or book chapters. QUESTIONS ABOUT PROJECT 2 INTERVIEWING A LOCAL PROJECT I HAVE NEVER DONE AN INTERVIEW BEFORE, WHERE DO I START? If you have not conducted an interview before there are books in the library that can help you. For example: Walter, M. (2013). Social research methods (3rd ed). There are also some resources on vUWS in the assignment folder. An interview is like a conversation you have with someone new. You think carefully about the questions you ask and you listen carefully to their responses. HOW DO I DECIDE WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK AT THE INTERVIEW? When developing your questions, think about the type of information you will need to complete your assignment. What do you need to know about? Don't waste time on questions you can get from the internet other than to clarify or get more specific information eg I noticed on your webpage you support children ....., how do you modify your program for younger children or do younger children have different support needs? Also rather than asking what funding do you get, it is better to ask how the amount/consistency of funding influences the program. I STILL CAN’T FIND SOMEONE TO INTERVIEW WHAT WILL I DO? Well you need to find someone so firstly review what you understand by the term early intervention and prevention. We discussed this in tutorials and there are resources on vUWS to help you. Remember we talked about how you need to think about what might be the implications of this focus area of vulnerability on a child's health and well-being. We also talked about how you might identify the services that target different spheres of influence (see your text if you are not sure about this term), it is unlikely there will be a sign advertising services for that focus only on your area of vulnerability eg “if you have a problem come to us!” So think about what the impact of your focus area is first because often the services you are looking for are universal rather than narrowly focused services ...to find that out, you will need to do some research and reading about your focus area of vulnerability and think about how we might intervene to strengthen protective factors and reduce risk factors. You may interview someone working in a universal service and then ask how they would support someone who is experiencing this particular area of vulnerability. IT IS SO HARD TO FIND A SERVICE, WHAT WILL I DO? Be resilient and maintain a positive attitude! You can reflect on how challenging you have found the process in Assignment 3, what would you do differently next time? You are also learning about the gaps in the service system. This will make it much easier for assignment 2. Consider, what it might be like for parents trying to find the services when they too are stressed and may also have a crying child accompanying them. Reflect on this when you are developing your project for assignment 2. WHY DO WE HAVE TO FIND THE SERVICE; IT WOULD BE EASIER IF YOU DID IT FOR ME? As early childhood educators you need to understand the service system and know how to find appropriate services. You will need to be able contact services, communicate and collaborate with them to support children’s health and well-being. When thinking about the type of services you are trying to contact - ask yourself how you would manage this situation if a family came to you stressed asking you to help them find a service, what would you do? Where would you start? OR If you knew many of the children at your setting were at risk of not learning or doing well at school because they had experienced adverse situations…. what would you do? I STARTED MY SEARCH IN WEEK ONE, I HAVE ‘GOOGLED’ A NUMBER OF POSSIBILITIES AND REFINED MY SEARCH, ALTHOUGH I AM FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO FIND A PROJECT OR ORGANISATION, CAN YOU HELP? It is good to see you have made a start on this assignment; this is a very good thing and gives you some time to think it through. Please don't stress, stay calm, you will find somewhere students always do, take one step at a time and do some thinking about what you need before you go out into the community asking them to help, they don't understand the assignment so you will need to be able to clear and concise in your requests otherwise people won't be able to help you as much as they want to. This will also save you time in the long run.....so go back to the Learning Guide and write some notes, this will help to clarify your thoughts about what you are trying to achieve. By now you will have read the readings from weeks 1-3 and done some research about your area of vulnerability, this should help you to identify the type of projects you want to research. Remember you can look at either universal or a targeted project. Projects may seek to reduce all the risk factors or just one. I also think the Scott and Arney chapter is clear and succinct, did you find it helped? Now is also a good time to get together with your group and talk about your readings and your research, together so you can clarify what types of interventions you are looking for. ...and please keep in contact...let me know what you find. WHERE ELSE CAN I TRY TO FIND A SUITABLE PROJECT? This depends on where you have tried, so be sure to keep a record of who you have contacted. This makes it easier to brainstorm other options if you need to later. In the past students have not always found that councils know all the services in their LGA so you may need to use other directories e.g. Families NSW, this is part of the learning so when you are a teacher you will know how to do this type of research and be able to help families and children. Ask other students for ideas about how they are finding the right service, ask the question on vUWS also don’t be afraid to ask the local early childhood setting who would they go to….. library, local community health service...... WHEN I RING UP THEY SAY NO! OR WE CAN’T HELP YOU, WHAT WILL I DO? Perhaps start by thinking about it from their perspective, they are busy and they might be coping with a difficult situation with one of the families but they also like to help students succeed. What information does the person on the other end of the phone need if they are to help you? Prepare a script so you can be clear and succinct and you don’t fumble with lots of ummms and ahhs. So what do they hear first even if it is your tenth call? First impressions are important, your phone voice will be upbeat, friendly and professional (which of course you are doing already). You need to introduce yourself succinctly something like....Hi my name is ......I am in my third year at UWS and am doing a university research project about services that support young children and families be the best they can be and I have identified your organisation as one that works with children and families in the LGA..... I believe your ...project supports children ......by ...... This is where you need to have done your research on the internet you need to have some idea about who you want to talk to, not just ask broadly do you help children who have experienced trauma?- this could be many things to many people so be specific. Remember they may have already had many phone calls from school, TAFE and university students so be sympathetic I understand you are very busy but this will help me to be a better professional when I am working in the field or (I don't need you to do my assignment) I am required to interview someone working in the field so I better understand the important work you do and the challenges for organisations like you, I would like to talk to someone about how the services are provided (or something similar). If they can't help then yes certainly ask them to pass you on or provide some guidance... Soon I will be working in early childhood services and I am wondering what type of agencies I would refer families to if they had experienced trauma associated with ....disadvantage such as ....a difficult start in life due to ..... (pick just one and make it specific to your area) If it is a generalist service then you may need to change your script I am interested in the work you do with children and families, my understanding is that your service (be specific).... OR could you tell me a little about the types of programs you offer young children and families. Once you know this you can then ask to interview someone specifically about one type of project. You will then need to explain what is required and explain you can send an email (the letter is in the LG) with more details, also if they say they are not sure ask when you could ring back to speak someone else. I would come to your service at a time convenient to you and interview one of the staff for no more than 30 minutes and ask about 10 questions about how the service helps families and children. I will use this as a basis of my assignment to consider how our community strengthens families and communities to improve outcomes for children. Remember you need to have a good idea about what EIP is and what you asking for so before you get on the phone. Writing down exactly what you will say in full (a script) particularly when you are not confident at first will help. Practice with a friend to develop your confidence, ask them to ask tricky questions so you can think about your response. WHY DO I HAVE TO DO A FACE-FACE INTERVIEW? This assignment asks you to learn more about the types of services that support improve outcomes for children. Throughout this assignment you are developing your communication skills and learning about the service system, the range of services available (and not available), some of the challenges of finding the right service etc DURING YOUR INTERVIEW YOU WILL GATHER PERSPECTIVES ABOUT THE CONTEXT OF THE PROJECT AS WELL AS GATHERING INFORMATION ABOUT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA WHICH WILL HELP YOU COMPLETE NOT ONLY YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENT BUT ALSO YOUR SECOND ASSIGNMENT. CAN I SEND THE QUESTIONS BY EMAIL AND ASK THEM TO WRITE THEIR ANSWERS? You can send the questions prior to your interview so the interviewee can be prepared BUT you must interview the person face-to-face for 30 minutes. THE SERVICE SAID THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE AUDIO RECORDED, WHAT SHOULD I DO? You should respect their wishes and ask them to note this on the Interview Permission form. Take detailed notes in response to each of your questions. CAN I INTERVIEW SOMEONE FROM THE SAME ORGANISATION AS ONE OF MY GROUP MEMBERS? Yes, as long as you are interviewing them about different projects and you ask some different questions. CAN I DO THE INTERVIEW OVER THE PHONE? Again no, you must do the interview face-to-face. It provides you with the opportunity to see more of the service, think about how easy it is to access the venue, evaluate the facilities and learn more about the working conditions of staff. WHAT IS A TRANSCRIPT? The questions and responses but you can leave out the umms and aahs. WHAT NEEDS TO BE IN A TRANSCRIPT? I was just wondering for the transcript, do we need to write everything that was said in the interview (such as the responses) or only the interview questions that we have asked? Your purpose for this transcript is to provide a clear record of the interview, so that you can access the information and show your lecturers how you went about the task. It will be very useful as a basis for your future interviews too, as you can review which questions are most successful for gaining information. Speaking and writing are very different forms of language and when you first write down speech it may look a bit messy. For your purpose you need to include the turns of both the participants (you and the interviewee) and the words they say, with limited extra markers of speech added to enhance the information. Include the speaker’s words and long pauses, laughter and restart s where you completely reword your question. Add punctuation. Don’t include all the umms and ahhs, restarts of the same words (yes, they happen, actually happen a lot in speech) and little interruptions that don’t affect meaning. Example: Include all these details of the interview as a true record. Transcription of interview conducted with Tim Jenson*, Senior Practitioner of *** Child and Family Services (* not his real name for the purpose of this example) Interviewer: Student A Date: Time: Location: This is a turn Me: So the first question is who the Sunshine program is funded by? Separate the turns so it is clear to see who is speaking. Turns can be long or short. Tim: It’s actually funded by DoCS* (*Department of Community Services) Me: And how does the funding affect your ability to intervene? The long pauses are included here to show where the speaker is thinking and a change in direction. Tim: Basically we are funded every three years and we have to reapply for the funding at the end of the three years and it is measured on how many families we are able to engage and how successfully we are able to make progress with the families. The Woods report that came through this year had a really big impact on the way DoCS was structured and when they rolled out this program, it was (pauses)...this program has been in existence for about four years now, so when they first rolled it out they was a lot of promises and hope for this program and there was defiantly no way we weren’t going to be refunded because it was brand new and DoCS was moving into this direction we’re they wanted family intervention to prevent families from getting into their own system and as soon as the Woods report and the investigation came through they gave us more (pauses and continues) DoCS really separated themselves dealing exclusively with significant risks of harm to children and with other agencies like us dealing with less serious matters so because that only rolled out this year we have to kind of do ... well DoCS will continue to do research with UNSW to see how well it’s been taken up by families and how well they are able to intervene before they get to the significance risk level. Write down the laughter here because it shows the speaker’s tone and the rapport between the interviewer and interviewee. Me: Is that the only way families come into contact with this program? Tim: No that’s one way, the other way is through community referrals so community referrals is by either a health professional like doctors or psychologists or other family workers or other agencies or teachers as well so if they see a family struggling they can... they can have discussions with parents and say they know of this program that they think may be suitable for them and then they fill in a referral form and send it to us and then we will contact the families so I guess in that sense it’s much easier to work with those clients because they want to work with us, the DoCS pathway is a bit more difficult because they don’t know that a report has been made against them so we have to try and convince them that working with us is beneficial for them and because it is voluntary they can say no but we try to really engage with them and like obviously there is an issue because a report has been made against them so we really try and kind of sell our product as best we can Me: and I’m guessing that doesn’t always go as planned Tim: (laughing) no defiantly not! IT IS TAKING SO LONG AND I KEEP NEEDING TO REPLAY IT, HOW CAN I MAKE IT EASIER? To make it easier to transcribe the interview you can slow down the speech using software such as Audacity which is free software you can download from the web. WRITING IT UP WHAT DO I WRITE ABOUT IN MY ESSAY? First you need to analyse your research. See a scaffold available on vUWS in the Powerpoint for this assignment. Introduction • Very briefly describe the two early intervention and prevention projects you have selected. • Identify in what ways your selected focus ‘area of vulnerability’ might influence children’s development, learning, health and well-being and how the project relate to this. Body of your essay • Critically analyse the two projects using Siddiqi, Irwin and Hertzman’s TEAM-ECD framework (2007). You should identify which sphere(s) of influence the project is hoping to support and strengthen. • Evaluate the extent to which each project supports community, families and children capacities to ameliorate the risk factors and nurture children’s development, learning, health and well-being. • Identify and compare the effectiveness, strengths and limitations of each project; • Consider how each project engages ‘hard to reach’ families and responds to the diversity of the community. Conclusion • Summarise your key findings DO WE HAVE TO COMPARE AN INTERNATIONAL OR NATIONAL PROGRAM TO OUR SELECTED LGA PROJECT? Yes and use TEAM-ECD as a framework to support your analysis PRESENTATION AND SETTING OUT THE ASSIGNMENT CAN I USE HEADINGS? Yes, if you want. You can decide how you set it out, it is up to you but it must meet APA Style Guidelines for referencing. CAN I USE FIRST PERSON? Yes, you can but your essay will have a more authoritative voice if you write it in third person. CAN I GO OVER THE WORD LIMIT? There is a tolerance of 150 words. Your reference list is not included in the word count. Learning to write succinctly develops with practice, so leave time for editing and refining your work. You will receive more marks for critical analysis, so describe less and analyse more. WHAT GOES IN THE APPENDICES? Any supplementary material that is relevant to your assignment. It goes at the back of your assignment. ORDER: Essay Reference List Appendices (plural) This page would have a list of the Appendix included behind Appendix A: Interview Transcript Appendix B: Interview Permission Label each page e.g. Appendix A: Interview Transcript For more information see the APA Style Guide SUBMITTING MY ASSIGNMENT DO I HAVE TO SUBMIT A DRAFT TO TURNITIN IN? Yes …so….. Do it….. Do it now. Just submit what you have. Your whole assignment does not need to be completely finished. This step ensures you know how to submit to Turnitin and that you can submit i.e. your name appears in the submission link. It also ensures you have received feedback from your Originality report before your final submission. Lastly it means that you are not trying to learn how to combine all your documentation at the last minute. ARE YOU A HARD MARKER? All markers mark to the criteria. Review the marking criteria to see what is expected. CAN YOU READ MY ESSAY TO SEE IF I AM ON TRACK? Unfortunately with so many students it is not always possible to give formal feedback to everyone and it would be inequitable to do it for some and not others. Therefore you have a number of options available to you. • You could meet up with your group and provide feedback to each other about how to refine and improve your essay. • You could bring it to class and we might be able to find some time to look at it. Before doing this, self-assess by checking your assignment against the assignment criteria in your LG and attempt to complete the rubric. Bring this with you to class. • You could visit the library and use the Academic Literacy Adviors in the library. • You can use the YourTutor service. There is a link on your vUWS page. CAN I HAND IN MY ASSIGNMENT EARLIER IF I FINISH EARLIER? Yes, your final submission up to the due date is the assignment that will be marked. GETTING HELP WHERE DO I GET HELP? Help is available. The first thing it to work out what information you need and where is the best place to get that help. • There are many resources available online – look through this guide • Get together with friends or your group to provide mutual support • Come to class with questions • Post questions on the discussion board • Go to PASS online THINGS ARE NOT GOING WELL FOR ME AT THE MOMENT • If you feel you want to talk to someone about your studies please contact the Student Counselling Service who can provide support, information and advocacy advice. • Consider applying for an Extension or Special Considerations.  REFERENCING Go to the vUWS Assignment Overview folder or the Reading and Resources folder for videos and easy to follow guides. HOW DO I REFERENCE TEAM-ECD? Use APA reference style. See the Learning Guide for more details Reference List Siddiqi, A., Irwin, L.G. & Hertzman, C. (2007). Total environment assessment model for early childhood development (TEAM-ECD). World Health Organisation’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. Retrieved July 17, 2009, from http://www.earlylearning.ubc.ca/globalknowledgehub/documents/Evidence_Report-Total_Environment_Assessment_Model_for_ECD.pdf First time: Use the full title Total Environment Assessment Model for Early Childhood Development (TEAM-ECD) then TEAM-ECD In text referencing: Siddiqi, Irwin and Hertzman (2007) then Siddiqi et al (2007) HOW DO I REFERENCE AN INTERVIEW? You reference it as personal communication. To do this accurately see the APA Citation Style Guide available on the library website and there is a link is on vUWS. http://www.apastyle.org/learn/faqs/cite-interview.aspx . There is a ‘how to’ video on vUWS. REFERENCING You are expected to use the American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style in all Education assignments. The WSU library provides a range of citing resources. For APA see http://library.westernsydney.edu.au/uws_library/sites/default/files/cite_APA.pdf. Use this as a reference when preparing your assignment. Following are some other helpful APA resources: • For help with referencing the UWS library is the best place to start see Referencing and Citation including the APA Style Guide • The library has a number of resources to help you with referencing including short video clips http://library.uws.edu.au/uws_library/guides/referencing-citation and they are linked on the vUWS page. • The librarians can also provide you with guidance about improving your referencing skills and have a great online chat facility on the library home page. • APA has new online tutorials to get you started http://www.apastyle.org/learn/index.aspx • APA also has a Frequently Asked Questions section http://www.apastyle.org/learn/faqs/index.aspx • APA referencing guides are available to borrow at the library or purchase at the bookshop.   ACADEMIC LITERACY SUPPORT FOR ASSIGNMENT PREPARATION ACADEMIC LITERACY • The Library’s Study Smart site is a good place to start • The Study Smart Literacy Advisors provides up to 20 minute individual assistance. Check when and where online. • You can chat with an experienced tutor online via the YourTutor service. Look for the YourTutor link in the left hand menu of any of your unit vUWS sites; • Use the The School of Education ‘Effective Communication at University’ vUWS site • Each School of Education program has an Academic Literacy Advisor. They can talk with you about your options and where to get help to improve your academic literacies For Early Childhood students contact Dr Criss Jones Diaz [email protected] PASS ONLINE Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) are available for Children Families Communities in 1H 2017 Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) are free, weekly ‘super-group’ learning sessions. PASS is facilitated by senior students who have successfully completed the unit before. During the sessions you will meet and work collaboratively with other students from to understand the unit content and develop study strategies to help improve your academic performance. Many students find this unit challenging, and PASS has a strong record of helping all students to excel. PASS sessions are available both face to face on campus and online, offering you more opportunities to achieve more together with PASS! To see the PASS timetable visit the website www.westernsydney.edu.au/pass Any students with an AIP attending PASS sessions should contact the PASS Coordinator on [email protected] to ensure necessary adjustments are in place. ONLINE STUDY RESOURCES Did you know about these online courses? Improve your academic writing and referencing skills before submitting further assignments! Check out these links to resources and workshops available on the WSU website see Students>Student Support>Skills Workshops or attend a workshop focused on paraphrasing. You may find the Online Study Resources, in particular the Referencing in Academic Writing module more accessible. WRITING YOUR ASSIGNMENT Students should: • Use relevant style and structure – with an introduction, body and conclusion in clearly organised paragraphs. o The introduction should clearly outline key points that will be covered in the essay. o The conclusion should summarise the main points accurately, objectively and adequately. • Connect ideas, sentences and paragraphs coherently. • Structure paragraphs well so that – o the main idea is introduced in the topic sentence. o the main idea/argument is elaborated in the supporting sentences . o each idea is given adequate explanation with evidence from readings, referenced correctly. o the paragraph finishes with a sentence that links the idea back to the question/essay topic. • Paraphrase accurately and appropriately. • Quote minimally - references should strengthen your argument or discussion. EDITING YOUR ASSIGNMENT Some strategies that are useful when editing:  Edit your draft in terms of content, structure and cohesion.  Use the assessment standards to assist you in editing your paper and ensure you have addressed each of the requirements.  Thoroughly proofread for spelling, grammar and referencing.  During the editing process, submit your assignment to Turnitin, analyse the Originality Check report and edit your work to ensure you have referenced correctly.  Check your word count is not more than 10% either side of the word limit.  Read your paper aloud, record it and listen to it the next day.  Use text to speech on your computer to listen to your assignment.  Give it to somebody else to read critically – ask them to let you know where it doesn’t make sense. PRESENTATION You should take care that your assignment is presented professionally and meets academic expectations. • Check that your paper is easy to read. Make sure the font is not too small - 12 point font in a clear type e.g. Arial or Times New Roman font are best. Ensure that there is appropriate spacing between each line – 1.5 or 2 line space makes it easy to read. Your margin should provide enough space for the marker to make comments. Your reference list should start on a new page. • Include your name, student ID, page number and unit name and number in the footer. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES A number of resources have been made available to assist you with your learning in this unit. These include:  Lectures notes available on the unit vUWS site  Readings available online  Extensive additional reading list and web links  Frequently asked questions discussion board on the vUWS site  Online peer group assessment discussion for each assignment topic  Turnitin to assist with checking referencing  Conferencing of assignments in tutorials  Annotated examples of assignments on vUWS  Proformas to assist with meeting assessment requirements   FORMS AND CHECKLISTS TO GUIDE YOU MODULE NOTES As a result of this module I have the following questions I need to do the following: Action Resources Required Due Date  Done Identify suitable projects Internet; council website; community centre Week 1 Friday  Develop script for when I am going to ring the services See examples in FAQ Week 2 Wednesday Write interview questions Talk to group See examples in Assignment overview and FAQ   COLLABORATION: AGENDA FOR FIRST MEETING Time: Date: In attendance: AGENDA ITEMS Sharing past experiences  Strengths - things that worked well  Barriers - things that have been challenging? Therefore our group expectations are… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Communication Strategy Exchange Contact details Meetings  Face to face o Best time to meet o Frequency o Venue Sharing information and facilitating communication  SKYPE  Google hangout  vUWS  ZOOM What do we know about our focus area? What do we know about our LGA ?  Where to get information  Services available  Who will contact which services Next Meeting Actions TO DO BY WHO BY WHEN COMPLETED   Services I can contact Record of who I have contacted Action Name of the organisation Project Address Telephone number Email address Web Address I spoke to - Staff member’s name and title Date Time of Call Response Sent Email with letter from Learning Guide attached Yes No   ASSIGNMENT 1: CHECKLIST FOR THE INTERVIEW Prior to the interview NOTES Interview DATE DAY TIME  I know the name of the person I am interviewing Staff member’s name  I have the contact details Street Address Telephone  I know how to get there Travel details  I know how long it will take me to get there Estimated Travel time  I have sent a copy of the letter of introduction (available in the LG and on vUWS) to the organisation  I know how I will record the interview  I have carried out a risk assessment to ensure my personal safety On the day of the interview  I am aware of any protocols expected of the agency  I have a copy of the permission slip to be signed This is available in the LG and on vUWS in the Assessment folder  My recording device/phone is charged  I am dressed appropriately and professionally  I took a ‘selfie’ of me at the interview After the interview  I have sent a letter of appreciation to the organisation expressing my gratitude. I have proofread it carefully and it presents me in a professional manner. You should aim to do this within 5 days of the interview.  I have transcribed the interview ready for analysis.  I have scanned/photographed the permission and it is ready to add to my essay in the appendix   ASSIGNMENT 1: SCAFFOLDING YOUR ANALYSIS OF THE 2 PROJECTS WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY ABOUT YOUR FOCUS AREA? The research says – dot points What did you learn about your focus area from the literature? How does this focus area influence a family’s capacity to nurture their children? What are the main risk factors for children experiencing disadvantage as a result of this vulnerability/focus area? What protects children when they are experiencing this disadvantage or vulnerability/focus area? How does this research challenge the common discourse about children and families experiencing vulnerable circumstances or disadvantage? WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT YOUR PROJECTS? Project 1 Project 2 Implications How are they different or similar? Name of Project Reference Source use APA Journal article Personal Communication What does the project aim to achieve or what are the outcomes of the project? Who does this project hope to influence? (spheres of influence) Why? Why does this project do what it does? How does this project enable families to nurture their children? How does this project engage with families? How does it help families to access the services? How does this project cater for families from culturally and linguistically diverse families? How does this project cater for Aboriginal families? Do you feel these are suitable approaches? Could it be done differently? What are the strengths of this project? What does this project do well? What are the challenges of offering this type of service? What could these projects do differently to improve the outcomes for children and families?   ASSIGNMENT 1 CHECKLIST This checklist will help you to check that you fulfilled all the requirements of this assignment? See the Learning Guide and marking criteria for more details. Yes/No Have you fulfilled all the requirements of this assignment? (see the Learning Guide submission details) Did you select an early intervention and prevention project that seeks to improve outcomes for children birth to eight and their families? Is it relevant to your area of focus? Was the focus ‘area of vulnerability’ the same as your assignment group? 1 RESEARCH PROJECT1 Is it • an Australian (a project that is provided Australia) or • an international project (a project that is delivered overseas)? Is the project/program described in either a o Journal article or a o research paper (you accessed it from a peer-reviewed journal)? 2 PRACTICE PROJECT Did you select and visit a local community project providing an early intervention and/or prevention service to families in your group’s Local Government Area? Did you conduct a 30 minute face-to-face interview with a staff member from an EIP project? Did you include the signed permission slip in your appendices? Did you consider literature available about the local project including the original submission, website, flyers and evaluation reports? Did you include a transcript of your 30 minute interview including the questions, date, time, location and the signed permission slip in the appendices? WRITING YOUR ASSIGNMENT Did you briefly describe the two early intervention and/or prevention projects and how they influence young children’s health, development, learning and wellbeing in the focus area? Did you identify the spheres of influence for each project and discuss the relevance to the outcomes? Did you analyse, compare and contrast the two projects using TEAM-ECD framework? Did you examine the extent to which the projects support community capacity, family strengths and children’s learning, development, health, and well-being? Did you evaluate the effectiveness of the projects drawing on a range of relevant readings including reputable international and national research? PRESENTATION Did you present your work professionally demonstrating appropriate academic literacy? Did you proof-read and carefully edit your work? Did you use APA referencing style, paying careful attention to the detail? Did you reference your personal communication with the interviewee using APA referencing style? Did you submit a draft of your work one week earlier than the due date to Turnitin so that you could edit your work after receiving the originality report? Have you checked your TURNITIN originality report and ensured you have referenced correctly? Are you ready to submit an electronic copy of your assignment including the reference list, interview permission and transcript, ‘selfie’ and letter of appreciation as one documentation to TURNITIN by due submission date? Have you sent a letter of appreciation to the interviewee and included a copy in your assignment submission?