Designing a Bush Kinder Assessment Tool
About
🌱 FREE Online Professional Learning EventHow do you assess outcomes in bush kinder?
Join us on August 3, Monday, 6PM, for a special presentation with Dr Chris Speldewinde, sharing the outcomes of his AGECS Fellowship project – a meaningful collaboration with bush kinder educators across Australia. Together, they’ve developed the Bush Kinder Assessment Tool (BKAT), a practical, EYLF-aligned tool co-designed by educators, for educators, to help capture and report the rich learning that happens in nature-based settings.
If you've ever found it tricky to put into words what children are truly learning out in the bush, this one's for you.
️🗓️ Monday, August 3, 2026 | 6:00pm AEST
🎟️ Free to attend
💻 Online via Zoom
✅ Open to teachers, educators, pre-service teachers, service leaders (e.g. nominated supervisors, educational leaders, EYMs or volunteer parent committee members), tertiary educators, and anyone passionate about quality outdoor and nature-based education. Attend as an individual, or invite your colleagues/teams to join too.
About the speaker:
Dr Chris Speldewinde is a Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at Southern Cross University. Based in Victoria, Australia, he has lived with his family and worked on the Surf Coast for over 25 years. He completed his PhD in 2022 at Deakin University titled STEM teaching and learning in Bush Kinders: An ethnographic study. His research background focuses on nature-based education approaches and STEM teaching and learning in early childhood education. His current research interests are assessment of children’s learning, teacher professional learning and curriculum and pedagogy. He is Deputy Editor of the Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education.
This event is brought to you by the Association of Graduates in Early Childhood Studies (AGECS), a non-profit charity dedicated to supporting ECEC professionals through free professional development opportunities and resources.
Join AGECS https://agecs.org.au/join/
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
How long is the event?
The event runs for 60 to 90 minutes.
When can I get the Zoom link?
Zoom meeting link will be sent on your registered email on the day of the event.
Will this event be recorded?
Yes, this event will be recorded. However, event recordings are only made available to AGECS members. If you are interested in the recording of this event, and all previous AGECS Online Professional Learning events, consider joining at www.agecs.org.au/join for a $50 one-off payment for a lifetime membership. Your membership is extremely valuable to AGECS as it allows us to host free professional learning events like this.
I'm not an AGECS member, can I attend this event?
Yes, this free event is open to everyone. However, to make online events manageable, we do cap the number of attendees. If you register for a ticket but can no longer make it, please cancel your booking by emailing engagement@agecs.org.au.
Can I get a Certificate of Attendance?
Yes. After the event, you can request this by emailing the organiser, Nicole, at engagement@agecs.org.au. We will provide you a certificate stating the length of the PD and give you an information sheet with links to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
If you have other questions, please email the organiser.
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Designing a Bush Kinder Assessment Tool
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