Virtual Schoolbag Advantages And Disadvantages

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The most powerful influence upon a child’s educational outcomes and attainment is the social context in which they live. As children enter through those school doors they bring with them the things they have learnt from their homes, from their friends and the things they have learnt from the world they live in (Thomson, 2002, p. 1). Each of these things makes up what Pat Thomson refers to as a virtual schoolbag. This essay will explore how the virtual schoolbag enables schooling experiences, through the use of the enacted curriculum, to be connected with children’s communities and backgrounds providing children with a sense of belonging, creating educational equality and reducing the impacts of social disadvantage (Low SES Schools and Equity, …show more content…

The virtual schoolbag enables children to grasp a better concept of their identity, who they are, where they came from and be proud of the positive abilities they possess such as their current skills, knowledge and interests. Through the intergraded use of the intended, enacted and hidden curriculum and frameworks children are able to gain the confidence they need in order to succeed. Research suggests that positive self-esteem depends on whether or not children feel that others accept them as competent and worthwhile (Siraj-Blatchford & Clark, 2004, p. 23). This research also suggests self-esteem is also connected to academic achievements (Siraj-Blatchford & Clark, 2004, p. 23). Exploring the Early Years Learning Framework, outcome one point four, children have a strong sense of identity: children develop knowledgeable and confident self-identities (EYLF, 2009, p. 21). The implementation of the curriculum is a dynamic process and in order for outcome one to be achieved, reference to the social, cultural and community context in which the curriculum is created is required (MacLauchlan, Fleer & Edwards, 2010, p. 65). In the early years children are vulnerable and the various adults in a child’s life can impact on their beliefs, views and actions (Siraj-Blatchford & Clark, 2004, p. 22). As teachers are highly influential beings within a child’s life, it is important …show more content…

Not only that the virtual schoolbag enables schooling experience to be connected to children’s community and background, it boosts children’s self-esteem thus increasing their academic achievements and allows children to feel a sense of belonging. This can be achieved through use of the intended curriculum as well as through identifying aspects of the hidden curriculum that create these disadvantages and inequalities. As Thomson explains “it is not the children who are disadvantaged but rather it is the school that does the disadvantaging” (Thomson, 2002, p. 4). One of the aims of the Australian Curriculum is that all young Australians become successful learners (ACARA, 2013). This can be achieved by enabling all children to open up their virtual schoolbags and by incorporating and implementing this through the curriculum and frameworks in order to create educational

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