Early Childhood Educators - you may be eligible for HECS-HELP Benefit!

Having just finished talking to the very helpful ATO, I am keen to share this piece of 'gold'.  Many of you, as early childhood educators in remote areas (check the eligible postcodes listed), will be in a position to have some of your HECS-HELP debt paid off.  Read this useful Government link to find out if you are indeed eligible: HECS-HELP Benefit Early Childhood Education teachers. 

Transition to School from Preschool - making inclusion easier

Transition to school is a big deal.  Research tells us, parents tell us, educators tell us, and children show us.   The Transition to School Position Statement released by Charles Sturt University in 2010, identified the process as being characterised by:  Opportunities, Aspirations, Expectations and Entitlements – for the children, the families, the school and the community.  It also recognized that the process of transition may occur over a varied length of time, depending on the needs of individual children and their families, and that it is a ‘dynamic process of continuity and change’. For the families of children with additional needs, the thought, let alone the act of change can hold any number of additional stressors as they strive for their own child’s successful transition from preschool to school. 

LinkedIn - Why Educators should use it

LinkedIn is a terrific resource for professionals to network.  I have recently given it a whirl, and the scope is vast!  By keying in your interests/skills in your profile area, the system generates suggested resources for you to link in with.  Furthermore, your own connections can provide you with a myriad of groups and other connections with which to explore your interests.  I have discovered boundless online courses, documents, blogs and discussions relevant to Early Childhood, Inclusion, Emotional and Social Intelligence, Management, IT in the classroom, Autism, International and National Supports - just for example.  The following link is geared towards all Educators and so not Early Years specific.  It highlights the main areas of the professional network, and may make navigation a bit easier!  Look for me if you join! Sara Retief (Stockman)

Why Educators should use LinkedIn

The Government SCAN Program Guidelines & Forms current as from 2010

The Government Guidelines for SCAN are detailed here: Government Guidelines for SCAN