This paper reports on a completed field study that examined the usability and effectiveness of learning objects designed for Australian and New Zealand primary and secondary schools. It focuses on student engagement by observing the ways students interacted with learning objects and by listening to what they said about them. Questions that guided the field study included the following: Could the students use the learning objects easily? Did they enjoy the experience? Did they engage with the intended learning? These questions are examined with reference to students at different levels of schooling, and examples drawn from the fieldwork illustrate that, while some learning objects achieved their potential as engaging multimedia educational resources, others fell short. The paper provides a detailed examination of two learning objects to reveal what worked and what created barriers or subverted the intended learning. In particular, it explores interest, challenge and importance as elements that contributed to engagement and socially constructed learning.

This paper outlines the results a three year national research project which investigated a pedagogy for multiliteracies and ICT in early childhood education in disadvantaged communities. The results of the study indicated that the integration of ICT and a multiliteracies framework enabled teachers in preschools and the first year of school to build on the strengths and lived experiences of children to plan for effective learning outcomes and support the positive transition to school.

This paper reports on a completed field study that examined the usability and effectiveness of learning objects designed for Australian and New Zealand primary and secondary schools. It focuses on student engagement by observing the ways students interacted with learning objects and by listening to what they said about them. Questions that guided the field study included the following: Could the students use the learning objects easily? Did they enjoy the experience? Did they engage with the intended learning? These questions are examined with reference to students at different levels of schooling, and examples drawn from the fieldwork illustrate that, while some learning objects achieved their potential as engaging multimedia educational resources, others fell short. The paper provides a detailed examination of two learning objects to reveal what worked and what created barriers or subverted the intended learning. In particular, it explores interest, challenge and importance as elements that contributed to engagement and socially constructed learning.

s and sample art cles ava lable onl ne www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au Vol. 31 no. 1 March 2006 Gr eshaber, S., & Walsh, K. Ed tor al Sums on, J. From Wh tlam to econom c rat onal sm and beyond: 1-10 A conceptual framework for pol t cal act v sm n ch ldren’s serv ces F sher, K., Thomson, C., The mplementat on of Fam l es F rst NSW: 11-19 & valent ne, k. Process lessons from the first four years El as G., Hay, I., Enhanc ng parent–ch ld book read ng n a d sadvantaged commun ty 20-26 Homel, R., & Fre berg, K. Hatherly, A. The stor es we share: Us ng narrat ve assessment to bu ld 27-34 commun t es of l teracy part c pants n early ch ldhood centres Mohay, H., & Re d, E. The nclus on of ch ldren w th a d sab l ty n ch ld care: The nfluence of exper ence, tra n ng and att tudes of ch ldcare staff 35-42 Nupponen, H. Leadersh p concepts and theor es: Reflect ons for pract ce for early ch ldhood d rectors 43-50 Stephenson, A. Troubl ng teach ng 51-56 Arthur, L. Book rev ew: ‘How to develop ch ldren’s early l teracy: 57 A gu de for profess onal carers and educators’, Mak n & Wh tehead Vol. 31 no. 2 June 2006 McArdle, F., & Black, A. Ed tor al Jackson, D. Playgroups as protect ve env ronments for refugee ch ldren at r sk of trauma 1-6 Guo, K. Ra s ng ch ldren n Ch nese mm grant fam l es: Ev dence from the research l terature 7-13 K sh da, Y., & Kemp, C. Measur ng ch ld engagement n nclus ve early ch ldhood sett ngs: Impl cat ons for pract ce 14-19 W ll amson, D., Cullen, J., Checkl sts to narrat ves n spec al educat on 20-30 & Lepper, C. McLachlan, C., Carvalho, L., L teracy n early ch ldhood sett ngs n New Zealand: 31-41 de Lautour, N., & Kumar, K An exam nat on of teachers’ bel efs and pract ces Lambert, E. B. Can draw ng fac l tate problem solv ng? An exploratory study 42-48 Fenech, M. The mpact of regulatory env ronments on early ch ldhood profess onal pract ce 49-57 and job sat sfact on: A rev ew of confl ct ng d scourses Vol. 31 no. 3 september 2006 Bla se, M. Ed tor al: Contextual s ng early ch ldhood educat on La , Y. C. Prel m nary study of teachers’ percept ons of teach ng sex educat on n Hong Kong preschools 1-5 da S lva, L., & W se, S. Parent perspect ves on ch ldcare qual ty among a culturally d verse sample 6-14 K ng, P., & Boardman, M. What personal/soc al sk lls are mportant for young ch ldren commenc ng k ndergarten?: 15-21 Explor ng teachers’ and parents’ ns ghts Skouter s, H., & Kelly, L. Repeated-v ew ng and co-v ew ng of an an mated v deo: An exam nat on of factors that mpact on young ch ldren’s comprehens on of v deo content 22-30 Taylor, J. L fe chances: Includ ng the ch ldren’s v ew 31-39 Hard, L. Hor zontal v olence n early ch ldhood educat on and care: 40-48 Impl cat ons for leadersh p enactment Fenech, M., Sums on, J., & The regulatory env ronment n long day care: 49-58 Goodfellow, J. A ‘double-edged sword’ for early ch ldhood profess onal pract ce Vol. 31 no. 4 December 2006 S ms, M. Ed tor al: Early ch ldhood educators: ‘Dr vers of soc al change’ Boardman, M. The mpact of age and gender on Prep ch ldren’s academ c ach evements 1-6 G bbons, A. N. The pol t cs of technology n early ch ldhood n Aotearoa/New Zealand: 7-14 F tt ng early ch ldhood educators n the ICT gr d Kennedy, A., R dgway, A., & ‘Boundary cross ng’: Negot at ng understand ngs of early l teracy and 15-22 Surman, L. numeracy pathways G llen, J., & Hancock, R. ‘ A day n the l fe’: Explor ng eat ng events nvolv ng two-year-old g rls and 23-29 the r fam l es n d verse commun t es Stamopoulos, E. Empower ng preserv ce teachers to embrace d vers ty 30-39 Ortl pp, M. Equ ty ssues n pract cum assessment 40-48 Purcal, C., & F sher, K. Affordab l ty fund ng models for early ch ldhood serv ces 49-58

THIS PAPER REPORTS ASPECTS of a large-scale project conducted in rural and remote regions of Australia. The study was designed to assess teaching and learning practices in early childhood programs with a particular focus on literacy, numeracy and the use of information and communication technologies. Programs had been specifically designed for use in rural and remote areas and were implemented through schools of distance education with teachers conducting regular ‘lessons’ via radio or internet-based satellite technologies. Home tutors, who were not necessarily trained educators, delivered the programs face-to-face. A range of tools to document these early-years programs was developed. Data was collected through questionnaires, interviews with teachers, home tutors and the children themselves. This was supported by observations of ‘lessons’ using an observation schedule. The focus of this paper is to describe some examples of the pedagogical practices of home tutors, using the observation schedule as the tool as they engage in a 30-minute lesson with children between the ages of five and eight years. Key findings from this latter instrument are presented in this paper.

This article critiques the Smart Population Foundation Initiative (SPFI), which was established to 'bring parenting information and the science of child development to Australian parents and carers' (Smart Population Foundation, 2006) and to satisfy the need for a credible and easily accessible source of information for parents. The article draws on the notion of modern governance developed by Rose and analyses the Initiative as a deeply political project. It looks at the Initiative from a critical distance created by the context of governmentality. The authors argue that the discourses produced by the Initiative constitute a particular notion of parent as 'smart' (lifelong learner, responsible and informed). These discourses govern parents through 'ethopolitics' to take up a certain art of parenting as their supposed free choice. Through standardising and sanctioning a particular way of acting as a parent, the SPFI translates governmental objectives into parents' own values and practices. As a result, the discourse the SPFI constitutes about parenting effectively 'shuts down' multiple understandings of being a 'good' parent. Hence, parents' conscious formation of their parenting practices are inhibited and with that, the ethical debates around this contentious issue are silenced.

This paper reports on an early childhood technology project that has been conducted in Australia since 2000. The background to the project is that IBM extended their international KidSmart Early Learning program to the Asia-Pacific region. A partnership with the Australian National Schools Network was formed to implement the program in Australia. This organisation took responsibility for identification of early childhood centres (preschool and day care) serving low socio-economic status communities across Australia (approximately 100 centres per year), the design and facilitation of professional development for teachers and research and evaluation in conjunction with the program. Whilst this was a national project, this paper deals only with the research conducted in Western Australia with the first round of centres involved in the project. The paper highlights themes emerging from teacher action research based in early childhood centres. The pedagogical considerations, challenges and dilemmas emerging from teachers' use of ICT in early childhood settings are also discussed.

The project was commissioned to investigate and analyse the issue of effective support for distance education students in the early years of school to maximise literacy and numeracy outcomes. The scope of this project was limited to students living in rural and remote areas who are undertaking education at home and who are in their early years of schooling. For the purpose of this project, the early years are conceptualised as the first three years of formal compulsory schooling in each of the States and Territories. There were a number of key tasks for the project which included: 1. Examining of the role of home tutors/supervisors This included interviewing personnel from the State and Territory distance education providers as well as the principals, teachers, home tutors and children. 2. Describing literacy and numeracy teaching and learning, and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in distance education This aspect of the project involved a critical review and analysis of relevant literature and reports in the last five years, and a consideration of the new initiatives that had been implemented in the States and Territories in the last two years. 3. The development of resources Through examination of the role of home tutors/supervisors, and an examination of literacy and numeracy and the use of technology in distance education, three resources were developed: ● A guide for home tutors/supervisors and schools of distance education about effective intervention and assessment strategies to support students’ learning and to assist the home tutors/supervisors in implementing ICT to support the development of literacy and numeracy in the early years. ● A calendar of activities for literacy and numeracy that would act as a stimulus for integrated and authentic activity for young children. ● An embryonic website of resources for the stakeholders in rural and distance education that might act as a catalyst for future resource building and sharing. In this way the final key task of the project, which was to create a context for a strategic dissemination plan, was realised when a strategy to address effective dissemination of the findings of the project so as to maximise their usefulness for the relevant groups was achieved.

There are increasing calls in the science education community for ‘science for citizenship’ as an important goal for the school science curriculum of the 21st century. The potential influence of portrayals of science and scientists in popular culture on the achievement of this goal is explored in this paper through a review of the literature. We develop a framework of important questions citizens ask in considering personal and social decision making in relation to science and technology issues, and how portrayals of science and scientists might contribute to this decision making process.

In contemporary society we have become highly dependent on a technological, scientific and mathematically literate population. There has been considerable debate for many years about the lack of talented people entering professions associated with these literacies and about the level of understanding of science and technology in the general community. Since perceptions of and interest in mathematics, science and technology begin in early childhood, teachers of very young children play an important role in fostering and supporting these interests. The research problem investigated in this article emerged when the researcher became aware that teachers in Brisbane, Australia nominated as many as five times more boys than girls for a mathematics and science enrichment programme for gifted young children. Hence, teachers' conceptions of what it means to have high ability in mathematics and science in early childhood appeared to be influenced by teacher beliefs about gender. Single in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 early childhood teachers who nominated children for the above mentioned enrichment programme. Based on interview data, a model of teachers' conceptions of giftedness was developed, comprising seven categories of description or ways that teachers see the phenomenon of giftedness in relation to young children. A latter interpretative analysis of this model found that teachers' conceptions of giftedness are indeed gendered and that each of the seven categories of giftedness guides teacher behaviours or actions that directly disadvantage girls. This article explores this latter analysis and concludes that gender is a significant influence on teachers' conceptions of giftedness in young children.

Efforts by schools to cater more adequately for highly able students necessitate a shared understanding regarding the gifted and talented. This research aims to ascertain the qualitatively different ways in which teachers identify and describe gifted and talented children. It examines the variety of conceptions of giftedness held by teachers and analyses the patterns and inconsistencies among them. Initial findings of the study, conducted with 16 early childhood teachers (two male and 14 female), are reported. A qualitative phenomenographic research design was adopted because of its focus on revealing individual understandings (conceptions). These results show that teachers understand giftedness as a series of conceptions, namely excellence, potential, rarity, behaviour, innate ability, motivation and asynchrony. These are discussed with reference to existing theories and pertinent research. Results represent the initial findings of an ongoing major research project.

Innovative Shared Practical Ideas (I-Spi) is a guide to help you and your children learn together. It is designed to affirm, support and strengthen your role as home tutor/supervisors in your daily learning sessions with your children. In this guide particular emphasis is given to the value of talk, formal and informal early literacy and numeracy practices (including ideas from distance school lessons, from home tutor/supervisors, research, and beyond), assessment of these practices together with informal assessment ideas for gauging your children’s literacy and numeracy progress, and stepping in and building on strategies