1. EDFD127 – CONTEXTS FOR LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
ASSESSMENT TASK 1:
ECOLOGICAL MAP
Name: Sarah Cutajar
Student Number: S

2. ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS THEORY
The Ecological Systems Theory was developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner. This theory views the child as developing within a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of surrounding environment. (Berk, 2007, p.25).
The Ecological Systems Theory is broken down into 5 systems:
The Microsystem – This system is the inner level of the environment. It focuses on the immediate surroundings such as family, neighbourhood, peer group and childcare environments.
The Mesosystem – This system is the second level of the model. It focuses on the connections between the immediate child’s setting such as child’s home and school.
The Exosystem – This system focuses on the external environment that does not contain the child but the child’s experiences such as parent’s workplace, health and welfare services and parent’s social networks.
The Macrosystem – This system looks at the overall cultural values, customs, laws and resources, and how they connect with the inner levels of the environment.
The Chronosystem – This system was added amongst the previous four original systems but plays an important part in the Ecological Systems Theory. It focuses on changes in the child’s environment, which then produce changes that affect the development of the child.

3. BRONFENBRENNER’S MODEL OF THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS THEORY

4. CHRONOSYSTEM MACROSYSTEM EXOSYSTEM MESOSYSTEM MICROSYSTEM INDIVIDUAL
Changes in the child’s environment
MACROSYSTEM
Cultural
Values/Religion
Customs
EXOSYSTEM
Laws
Health and welfare services
Parent’s workplace
Resources
MESOSYSTEM
Media
Extended Family
Child’s home
Parent’s social networks
Child’s school
MICROSYSTEM
Neighbourhood
Play area
Friends
Friends
Family
Childcare Centre or School
Peer Groups
INDIVIDUAL
Age
Weight
Height
Sex

5. Isaiah My Virtual Child Characteristics: Name: Isaiah Age: 4 years old
Gender: Male
Height: 86 centimetres
Weight: 12 kilograms
Description:
Isaiah has dark brown curly hair, green eyes and very tanned skin. He has an average weight and height for a child his age. Isaiah is very active and has a slightly lower intellectual level of an a average four year old. Isaiah suffers from severe asthma and learning difficulties.
Socio Economic Status:
Isaiah was born in the remote outskirts in Africa. His mother, Romina was a single parent, who didn’t come from a wealthy family as it was hard to provide for any member of the family with the little money that was given for the work that they did.

6. Romina, had a hard life and it affected the way that she was going to bring up her child. At the age of 16, Romina was raped and she then found out she was pregnant. Romina, being only 16 at the time and a victim to rape didn’t want to raise a child, knowing that the child world be brought into this world as a result of rape and knowing that she could not financially support a child at 16. It was against her religion to abort the baby, so the only thing that she could do was give the baby up for adoption and hope that it would go into a family that could support and love her child. Romina had prepared with a family from Australia, that when her child was born she would give the baby to them.
Isaiah was adopted when he was just born by a loving couple named Adam and Rachael. They named him after Rachael’s Grandfather. They are a very wealthy couple that live in the suburbs of Sydney in an average two story house. Adam drives a four wheel drive and Rachael drives a Mazda. Rachael doesn’t work, so she looks after Isaiah, where as Adam works during the week and makes a substantial amount of money, as he works for one of the top law firms in the city, so he is the provider for his family. By adopting Isaiah, Rachael and Adam had to make some changes in their lives, as they had a new baby son. It affected both of them because it had been five years since they had a new born child in their family so they had to adapt to the changes of what was ahead such as getting no sleep due to the odd hours the baby had to be fed and also the different routines that they had to get themselves into as well as the way they would take care of Isaiah. Now that Isaiah is four years old they still have to adapt to the changes as he is getting older and there is more of a demand on the both of them.
Rachael and Adam live in a very supportive and close neighbourhood, so there was a huge amount of support from the community. They would help them out by cooking them dinner and also helping out with the washing and gardening. Rachael and Adam had everything under control because having a second child wasn’t that much hard work for them as they had the experience when they had their daughter, Chloe. After four years the neighbourhood is still very supportive of Rachael and Adam’s family. This is because prior to the adoption of Isaiah, Rachael and Adam were very supportive to their neighbours and helped them out whenever they could so the neighbours want to return that favour.

7. Rachael (mother) Adam (father) Chloe (daughter) Isaiah (adopted son)
Family Structure/Family Pattern:
The family Structure involves Rachael and Adam who are the non biological parents of Isaiah but the biological parents of Chloe. Chloe is the non biological sister to Isaiah. Each member of this family live in the same household. Rachael is a stay at home mum, Adam goes to work during the week, Chloe attends the local Kindergarten during the week and Isaiah attends the local pre-school three times a week. Being adopted into the family, Isaiah now has four additional grandparents, two aunties, two uncles and 3 cousins.
Rachael (mother) Adam (father)
(parents)
Chloe (daughter) Isaiah (adopted son)
Education:
Isaiah being four years old is at the age where he should be interacting with other children his age so he can be prepared for school. Isaiah attends the local pre-school named Ready, Set, Go, three times a week. It helps him develop social, physical and learning skills that he needs. Isaiah has a slow learning ability to the rest of the children in his pre-school so the teacher allocates a few hours each time that he is there, to have one on one time with each other so they can work on his learning skills. This one on one time helps Isaiah focus and not be distracted from the other children that is around him. Each week he is assessment on the outcomes that were achieved that week, so then the pre-school can work out what they need to further develop on to prepare him for Kindergarten the following year. Further to develop Isaiah social and physical development, Rachael takes Isaiah to the local neighbourhood play area where he interacts with other children from the community. This enables him to develop the skills on how to interact with the children around him.

8. Community Involvement:
Disability:
Isaiah suffers from bad asthma and has had it since he was one. He also has slight learning disabilities and makes it harder for him to keep up with his peers. It might take him a little longer then the rest of the class to achieve a task but when he is having one on one time in the pre-school, Isaiah does develop the skill that the rest of the class is achieving but it just takes him longer.
Religion/Culture:
Being adopted into a new family, Isaiah has developed a new Religion/Culture. He was baptised in the Catholic Church and is now a Catholic. Isaiah attends Church, every second Sunday with his family.
Community Involvement:
Isaiah is involved in the community through his participation in swimming groups. Once a week, Rachel takes Isaiah swimming so he can learn the skills of swimming. He interacts with other children in the community. Isaiah also attends the local neighbourhood park, where many members of the community bring their children so they can play and interact with each other. Through Isaiah involvement he has made some very close friends named Jason and Sam. By having these two other boys in his life, will help Isaiah develop as a child because he also has other children that he can learn from.

9. APPLYING BRONFENBRENNER’ SYSTEM THEORIES TO MY AVATAR

10. THE MICROSYSTEM My Avatar Isaiah
The Microsystem – This system is the inner level of the environment. It focuses on the activities and interactions in the immediate surroundings of the child such as family, neighbourhood, peer groups and childcare environments.
My Avatar
Isaiah
In this system, it focuses on the activities and interactions in his immediate surroundings. Isaiah, aged four years old and was adopted into a loving family. He has a mother and a father named Rachael and Adam and a sister named Chloe.
Isaiah attends the local pre-school named Ready, Set, Go, 3 times a week. It helps him develop social, physical and learning skills that he needs. Isaiah has a slow learning ability to the rest of the children in his pre-school so the teacher allocates a few hours each day that he is there, to have one on one time with each other so they can work on his learning skills. This one on one time helps Isaiah focus and not be distracted from the other children that is around him. Each week he is assessed on the outcomes that were achieved that week, so then the pre-school can work out what they need to further develop on, to prepare him for Kindergarten the following year. Further to develop Isaiah’s social and physical development, Rachael takes Isaiah to the local neighbourhood play area where he interacts with other children from the community. This enables him to develop the skills on how to interact with the children around him of different ages and cultural backgrounds. Isaiah also attends the local swimming group once a week so he can learn how to swim.

11. MACROSYSTEM EXOSYSTEM MESOSYSTEM MICROSYSTEM INDIVIDUAL
Rachael (mother)
Swimming group
Adam (father)
Sam (friend)
Clayton Park (neighbourhood Play area)
Chloe (sister)
Peer Groups
Ready, Set, Go (childcare centre)
Jason (friend)
INDIVIDUAL
Isaiah
Age: 4
Weight: 12 kilos
Height: 86 cm
Sex: Male

12. THE MESOSYSTEM My Avatar Isaiah
The Mesosystem – This system is the second level of the model. It focuses on the connections between the immediate child’s setting such as child’s home and school.
My Avatar
Isaiah
In this system it focuses on Isaiah’s connections in his immediate setting. For Isaiah, he lives in a secure home environment with his mother Rachael, father Adam and sister Chloe. Through his immediate family, Isaiah has been brought up with a large extended family. He has four grandparents, grandma’s Catherine and Jane and grandpa’s Tony and Joe. Isaiah has 2 aunties, aunty Carol and Sue and two uncles, uncle Charles and Paul. Isaiah has 3 cousins, Lisa, Audrey and Braydon. Through the extended family Isaiah has developed a close connection because he has known them since he was born. Isaiah attends the local pre-school named Ready, Set, Go, 3 times a week. He has developed a very strong bond with his teacher Miss Frances. Miss Frances helps Isaiah develop many social, physical and learning skill to help him get ready for Kindergarten. Due to Isaiah having a slow learning ability, she sets aside time to focus on Isaiah and have one on one time with him to work on his learning skills. Miss Frances performs assessments on Isaiah to see the development in his skills each week. If the outcome isn’t achieved then further development is required. When at Ready, Set, Go, Isaiah interacts with the other children, especially his two best friends Sam and Jason. They are always together and have developed a very strong friendship Isaiah, Sam and Jason also attend the local swimming centre where they learn how to swim. This also allows them all to interact with other children in their age group in a different environment.

13. MACROSYSTEM EXOSYSTEM MESOSYSTEM MICROSYSTEM INDIVIDUAL
Swimming group
Lisa, Audrey and Braydon (cousins)
Sam and Jason (friends)
Aunty Sue and Uncle Paul (extended Family)
Aunty Carol and Uncle Charles (extended family)
MICROSYSTEM
Grandma Catherine and Grandpa Tony (grandparents)
Grandma Jane and Grandpa Joe (Grandparents)
Miss Frances (pre-school teacher)
Ready, Set, Go
(pre-school)
INDIVIDUAL
Isaiah
Age: 4
Weight: 12 kilos
Height: 86 cm
Sex: Male

14. THE EXOSYSTEM My Avatar Isaiah
The Exosystem – This system focuses on the external environment that does not contain the child but the child’s experiences such as parent’s workplace, health and welfare services and parent’s social networks.
My Avatar
Isaiah
In this system , it focuses on how the external environment, that doesn’t involve Isaiah but his experiences. Adam. Isaiah’s father works in a large law firm and makes a substantial amount of money. Adam affects the life of Isaiah through his work. By his father working, he is bringing in an income to support and provide for the family. It makes the household that they live in a happy and positive environment for Isaiah and everyone in the family because each member knows that there is money being provided to them to support them. If his father didn’t work or lost his job it would affect the living conditions of the family. The environment, would be negative because they would all know that there is no income being brought in. Whilst Adam is working he doesn’t get to see Isaiah during the day and most of the time he is asleep when Adam gets home. This would affect the social and bonding connection between Isaiah and Adam because they hardly see each other during the week. Rachael being a stay at home during the week, attends two social networks called Mother and Child and Athlink. She attends groups two times every month, when Isaiah and Chloe are at pre-school and school. These social networks lets Rachael become involved with other people in the Clayton community and helps her develop friendships and from these friendships Isaiah will form friendships with their children. Mother and child social network focuses on the mother and how she is dealing with the adoption of her new child. It helps them understand the child and develop and stronger bond with the child. This is good for Rachael because she is learning how to understand Isaiah and his culture, coming firm Africa. She forms is developing a stronger bond with him from the help of the social class Mother and Child. Rachael also attend Athlinks which is a exercise network. She gets together with a group of people from Clayton community and they organise to have a training session once a week during school times. This allows Rachael to get involved with the local people and get exercise at the same time as she doesn’t have the time when she is with her family. Due to Isaiah having very bad asthma problems, Rachael is part of Rivers medical centre. This allows her to go into the centre whenever Isaiah develops a severe asthma breakout and they need the services from a doctor to help control it.

15. MACROSYSTEM EXOSYSTEM MESOSYSTEM MICROSYSTEM INDIVIDUAL
Rivers Medical services
Jacksons Lawyers (Father’s work place)
MESOSYSTEM
Clayton Community and neighbourhood
Mother and child (social network)
MICROSYSTEM
Athlinks (social network)
INDIVIDUAL
Isaiah
Weight: 12 kilos
Age: 4
Height: 86 cm
Sex: Male

16. THE MACROSYSTEM My Avatar Isaiah
The Macrosystem – This system looks at the overall cultural values, customs, laws and resources, and how they connect with the inner levels of the environment
My Avatar
Isaiah
In this system, it focuses on the overall culture, customs and laws of Isaiah. Being adopted from Africa, there was a lengthy process that Rachael and Adam had to go through, in order to adopt a child from an overseas country. They had to go through the Adoption centre and had to make sure that they followed the adoption laws in order to adopt Isaiah from Africa. The law was developed so that it would look at the individual child and focus on the best needs for that child. As they followed this Law they were able to adopt their son Isaiah. When Isaiah came to Australia he developed the Catholic Culture. He was baptised in the Catholic Church and from then on developed the Catholic Culture. Through this, Isaiah attends local mass with the family and will be attending the local Catholic Kindergarten where his sister Chloe attends. Isaiah, being from a African family, still will have his own cultural background because he was born in Africa and that is who he is. Rachael and Adam didn’t want him to forget his culture because they knew that when he gets older he will ask about his background and family and they want to be supportive of his culture but still want him to be brought up with their values and cultural beliefs because he was their son and that’s how they wanted their children to grow up. The media depicts some bad images and views about different cultures. Adam and Rachael wanted him to realise that he is an individual not influenced or the same as what the media portrays. Rachael and Adam wanted to develop a strong bond with their family, so they had a custom to family time. This allowed the family to spend time with each other every weekend so that they did develop a strong bond with each other because it was important to Rachael and Adam to have a close family where they could she a special bond.

17. African background and Culture Media on the television
MACROSYSTEM
African background and Culture
Catholic Religion
EXOSYSTEM
Custom to Family Time
Catholic Church
MESOSYSTEM
Media on the television
Adoption laws
MICROSYSTEM
INDIVIDUAL
Isaiah
Weight: 12 kilos
Age: 4
Height: 86 cm
Sex: Male

18. MACROSYSTEM EXOSYSTEM MESOSYSTEM MICROSYSTEM INDIVIDUAL
African background and culture
Catholic Church
EXOSYSTEM
Catholic Religion
Rivers Medical services
Athlinks (social network)
Media on the television
Custom to Family Time
Clayton Community and neighbourhood
Jacksons Lawyers (Father’s work place)
MESOSYSTEM
Miss Frances (pre-school teacher)
Grandma Jane and Grandpa Joe (Grandparents)
Adoption Laws
Mother and child (social network)
Swimming group
Aunty Sue and Uncle Paul (extended Family)
Lisa, Audrey and Braydon (cousins)
Sam and Jason (friends)
MICROSYSTEM
Grandma Catherine and Grandpa Tony (grandparents)
Ready, Set, Go
(pre-school)
Clayton Park (neighbourhood Play area)
Rachael (mother)
Aunty Carol and Uncle Charles (extended family)
Chloe (sister)
Swimming group
Adam (father)
Ready, Set, Go (childcare centre)
Sam (friend)
Peer Groups
INDIVIDUAL
Jason (friend)
Isaiah
Weight: 12 kilos
Age: 4
Sex: Male
Height: 86 cm

19. Data to compare the characteristics of avatar with the traits for the general population

20. Characteristics of Avatar Characteristics of the Australian Population
Socio Economic Status – Isaiah was born overseas in Africa, having a single mother aged 16 who was affected by rape needed to give up her child because she couldn’t face the child everyday and couldn’t support him, so he was adopted into an Australian Family.
According to the 2006 Census, 22% of the Australian Population were born overseas.
People born overseas who came into Australia increased between 1996 and 2006 by 13%, from around 3.9 million to 4.4 million
Adoption of children overseas to come into Australia has decreased. Around 10,000 children were adopted from overseas countries such as Africa in the late 1970’s now only 700 children from overseas have been adopted in the late 1990’s.
Socio Economic Status – Isaiah came from a family living in poverty in Africa and has now been brought up in a wealthy household.
70% of children live in poverty overseas compared to children in Australia.
Only 35% of children live in poverty in Australia.
Over half the population make an average wage so they can support their families and provide them with the essentials that they need.
Family Structure – Isaiah is now adopted into a family. His family consists of two parents, a mother and a father, as well as his adopted sister.
80% of children live in a 2 parent household compared to the 10% that live in a single parent household.
700 children are being adopted into 2 parent households to provide the child with the care that they need.
Education – Isaiah attends the local pre-school three times a week.
In 2001, 56% of all four year olds attended preschool.
School believed that early learning in ages three and four before school promotes children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development and wellbeing.
Disability – Isaiah suffers from severe asthma
In 2001, 12% of the Australian population had asthma.
14% of asthma was more prevalent among children aged 0-19 years.
8% of children 0-4 years old developed asthma and was recognised by doctors and nurses.
17% of the overseas born population developed asthma.
18% of children aged 0-14 had an asthma action plan

21. Disability – Isaiah suffers from slow learning disabilities.
In , 11% of children had a learning or mental disability.
33% of the population have a slow learning or understanding disability
Mental and behavioural disabilities were more well-known to be the severe disability.
Socio economic – only one parent works but its enough to support their family.
Parents who work and get paid for what they do feel the social and economic benefits to their families and themselves.
Families that have one parent working receive money from the government.
Non working parent can receive up to $450 a week depending on the income of the other partner and the amount of children and their ages.
Religion - Catholic
In 2001, the updated statistics on the amount of people who were Catholic were 27%, 21% Anglican, 21% other Christian denominations and 5% non Christian religions.
Christianity is the largest increasing denomination.
Catholicism increased by 4.2% since 2001.
Characteristics – Isaiah is 4 years old, 12 kilos and 86 centimetres. He is an average weight and height for his age.
25% of young boys were classified as overweight
23 of young girls were classifies as overweight
50% of both young boys and young girls were classified in the average weight range.
Education – one on one teaching at the pre-school.
In 2002, the student teacher ratio decreased from 20 children to 16 children per teacher. This allowed the teacher to focuses more on the children in her class and by not have the extra 4 children in the class allowed the teacher to have one on one time with the student if they needed it.

22. References
Berk, L. (2008). Infants and Children: Prenatal through Middle Childhood. Illinois State University.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2009). Children with disabilities. Retrieved March 12,2009, from
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2009). Adoptions in Australia. Retrieved March 12, 2009, from
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2009). Changes in Health. Retrieved March 12, 2009, from
Australia Bureau of Statistics. (2009). Mortality and Morbidity. Retrieved March 12, 2009, from
Child and Adolescent Development. (2005). Urie Bronfenbrenner and Child Development. Retrieved March 12, 2009, from