Education Update

From Glenda Caradus | Kaiwhakahaere Pūtea Mātauranga | Tertiary Education Funding Manager

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EDUCATION UPDATE

Welcome back to a new term and a post-lockdown world where a few things have changed including for Education. It is really exciting to see the large number of students resuming their education journey after a pause. Especially, those now busy working on assessments that involve being on session which wasn’t possible during lockdown. 

During April to July over 550 individuals accessed modules online. More hoped to but some found lockdown wasn’t the right time. There is now a huge resurgence of activity with 400 registrations for places in the online modules which start in August and a similar number of registrations for face to face workshops in Term 3.

For the B-series modules, where possible, we aim to give learners a CHOICE of the module face to face or the module online. The content is the same and the assessments are the same in either mode. If you choose a face to face module please register on the Playcentre website as we need to know who is planning to come.  We can then contact you if we have to make changes to times or dates and if you are unable to come please cancel your booking.

Units or sections within the online module match face to face workshops so if you miss a workshop due to illness or something unavoidable you can “catch-up” a missed workshop online but if you commit to a face to face series please aim to attend the whole series.

B403 now joins B401 and B402 as an online option and in the longer term B404 will be available online too but for now it is only offered in a face to face delivery mode.

For the C-series modules – all modules will be ONLINE ONLY except for C408 Communicating Effectively. Our vision is that all C-series students have an opportunity to meet with others during this module to experience group skills in a workshop environment. It will be the one special event (over perhaps 2 days or as a 5 workshop series) where planning to attend may involve some travel for those wishing to complete the NZ Certificate ECE and care at level 4.

Now that you can do assessments on session we recommend you only do one C- series module at a time and complete it including assessments before doing another module. However, once you have started on C405 you can do C408 whenever you find a suitable opportunity to attend even if you will be doing it at the same time as another module.

It is our aim to have the last two small modules in the programme available for students as soon as possible: C410 hopefully by Sept and C409 by October.

All the C-series online modules and B403 have been redesigned so that the content is presented in continuous sections, rather than as separate individual units. This will improve the learner experience, tutor support, simplify logging in and will provide a single “talk channel” across the content of the module to make communication between students and their tutor easier.

All of C405 will be available online from 1 August. If you have finished the PEA and want to start C405 – just register your interest on the Playcentre website.

• Over 100 people had completed all the learning material face to face before lockdown and just need to complete assessments which in this case should be sent to your regional assessment email. If you have had an assessment marked and your commenter has asked for more work or a re-submit you can send that work directly to your commenter rather than the assessment email.
• Over 180 other learners are part way through having started this module either face to face or as Part A online and you may be missing workshops or units/sections online and/or have all of Part B to do. We will email all students in this group with advice on how to proceed to complete this module. There is no hurry, register when you are ready and maybe finish other modules you are working on first so the demand is spread. We will schedule some extra groups but can’t satisfy everyone with a place on the 1^st   

Important reminders:

Assessments – If you did the module face to face then send to your work to your regional assessment email for it to be allocated to a commenter but if you did the module online then upload your assessment to the assessment unit online and your online tutor will mark it.

Practicum – Please make sure you are signing in on Discover for sessions which count towards your practical requirements so that a report can be printed from Discover as evidence of sessions done.

 First Aid Certificates – Be aware you will need a first aid certificate achieved less than 3 years ago to receive the NZ Certificate ECE and Care level 4.  

Do you need more Information?

Frequently Asked Questions about booking workshops or about online modules. Look at the bottom of the page where you go to register for workshops or online modules.

https://www.playcentre.org.nz/current-members/find-a-workshop/

Information on the programme

https://www.playcentre.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Playcentre-Education-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Ngā mihi
Glenda