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American Forrest and Paper Association, History on Paper, viewed on 11 November, 2019 <https://www.paperrecycles.org/about/the-history-of-paper>.

Ipswich Art Gallery 2017, Light Play Resource, viewed on 11 November 2019 < file:///Users/mirandafranken/Downloads/LightPlay-2017-Education-Resource.pdf>.

Mckee, P 28 February 2017, Pottery and Clay, viewed on 11 November 2019 <https://www.infoplease.com/clay-and-pottery>.

Nicholson, S, “How Not to Cheat Children: The Theory of Loose Parts,” Landscape Architecture, v62

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Kind, S. and Kocher, L.L., 2016. Encounters with materials in early childhood education. Routledge.

Reggio Children 2019, viewed on 17 November 2019 <https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/?lang=en>.

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2019, Victorican Early yearly Learning Framework, viewed on 17 Novemeber 2019 <https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/curriculum/earlyyears/veyldf/veyldf-illustrative-maps/Pages/Learning.aspx>.

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Since the first piece of clay fell into a fire and was transformed into a glasslike material, people have used clay for domestic wares, ritual tokens, and decorative items. The oldest known pottery fragments stem from the Hittite civilisation, 1400-1200 B.C.
Clay comes from the ground, usually in areas where streams or rivers once flowed. It is made from minerals, plant life, and animals—all the ingredients of soil. Over time, water pressure breaks up the remains of flora, fauna, and minerals, pulverizing them into fine particles. Larger particles are filtered out through rocks and sand, leaving silt to settle into beds of clay. How far silt travels from its source and how pure the silt is determines the type of clay it becomes. (McKee, 2017)

With Clay You Can

Wobble, pinch, poke, press, stick, slice, engrave, join,  decorate, mold, form, wash, move, throw, drop, make, shape, break, mend and flatten

Class Discussions on Clay

As a group we discussed how clay is our least favourite material to use, as it's messy and a lot of work to use it and to set up. (I know, bad). We discussed how we didn't think much of clay or how versatile it really is. I now look back and think why did I always avoid using clay in my classroom? Just because I didn't like it, doesn't mean I shouldn't let he children be able to play with it. It made me question myself as an educator.

How Can I Use Clay in my Teaching?

I always thought that clay would have to stay inside, since reading Encounters with Materials in early Childhood pp. 64 (Kind, Kocher, Pacini-Ketchabaw, 2019) and discovering I can take the clay in the outdoor settings has inspired me to do this in my future teaching. Taking the clay somewhere, where it changes like the waterbed will show children how it can change and become soft, gooey and how it can be manipulated into different components.

Broaden their understanding of the world in which they live. (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2019)

Learning Outcome 3: Children are connected with and contribute to their world

What I Observed in my Teaching

While outside the kinder children discovered chalk, they started to draw on the ground and noticed the chalk dust. They decided to crush up the chalk and added water to create paint 'Just like the Aboriginal people' The mixture was used for handprints and even put on their faces as they danced together.
Even though it was clay, I loved watching the children use chalk as their material and change it and made it into something different.

My Poem on Clay

Make me hard
Make me soft
Crush me
Wet me
I can be whatever you want me to be

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I loved the idea of rolling the clay, for some reason I just wanted to roll it. I then used the match stick to carve the clay to create a smile. I then used the match stick to hold both balls together, which also create hair for my people.

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Here is crush clay, another way clay can be used, if you add water to it, it will become hard and whole again.

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This video shows how water changes the property of the clay

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Loose parts was first proposed by Simon Nicholson in 1971. Soon enough it was introduced into ECE settings as  play based learning. Nicholson believed that loose parts in our environment will empower children's creativity (1971).

Loose Parts Can Be....

Moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, taken apart and put back together.

Loose Part Materials Can Be...

Stones, wood, balls, create, boxes, shells, flowers, tubs, plastic, natural and synthetic.

Class Discussions on Loose Parts

As a table we agreed that we preferred the term loose parts over the term junk, to us junk felt like it had no meaning and sounded useless. the term loose parts sounded more professional and gave it more meaning for us to be able to use it in our practice. We also discussed what loose parts meant to us. Some of the people on the table don't work in the field some of them struggled to understand what a loose part can be. At the start of the course, i viewed loose parts as more of a natural material, throughout the week I now know that a loose part can be anything for the child to use.

How Can I Use Loose Parts in my Teaching?

As part of my teaching philosophy, I believe the principals of the Reggio Emilia approach:

Children must have some control over the direction of their learning;

Children must be able to learn through experiences of touching, moving, listening, and observing;

Children have a relationship with other children and with material items in the world that they must be allowed to explore;

Children must have endless ways and opportunities to express themselves.(Reggio Children, 2019)

Having a corner dedicated to art, children having access to a different variety of loose parts and paper for children to express themselves.
Using materials that aren't colourful and plastic. Sourcing materials from parents.
Allowing the children to immerse themselves in their learning environment.

Children develop knowledgable and confident and self-identities (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2019)

Learning Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing

What I Observed in my Teaching

The other children in the baby room have been developing self care skills, I went home and collected loose parts to create a treasure basket.
The children were able to explore my 'bathroom treasure basket' filled with toothbrush, soap, brush, empty shampoo and conditioner bottles and spray bottle (I added water to it) The children explored the materials and were able to touch  and use these materials to their liking.

My Poem on Loose Parts

I can use this how I want
It doesn't have to be a not
Now I have a lot
Would you like to play with me?
It can be whatever be

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Paper was first made over 2000 years ago by Ts'ai Lun in China. To make the paper he mixed mulberry bark, hemp and rags with water, mashed it into pulp, pressed out the liquid, and hung the thin mat to dry in the sun. As the centuries went on the demand for paper become high, the mills changed used fiber from trees because wood was less expensive and more abundant than cloth. Today paper can be recycled to reproduce more paper products. (American Forrest and Paper Association, 2019)

Paper Can...

Flap, float, glide, hover, soar, tear, rip, sway, fly, roll, crumple, fold, paste, catch, weave, read, crinkle, flutter, shred and bend.

Class Discussions on Paper

Our table all agreed on that we did't really think much of paper. We didn't know what paper was capable of and how it can be used in so many different ways in ECE and how paper is used in everyday life. Our main discussion was how we NOW look at paper.
We focused on words to describe what paper can do and what paper means to us. We discussed how children use paper to draw then they ask us to make them an aeroplane out of that paper. That child wanted to change that paper into something else that they can use it for. The paper will now be able to fly.

How Can I Use Paper in my Teaching?

Paper is very versatile, and i want to be able to use that in my classroom. Children will be able to have access to paper throughout the day, indoor and outdoors. If the children ask to use the paper in different forms, it will be available for them to do so. Make aeroplanes, cut, draw, paint, origami , papier-mache and so much more.
Allowing children to explore the paper and make their own choices in what they want to do with it gives the children to have control in their learning.

Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity. (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2019)

Learning Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners

What I Observed in my Teaching

As I currently work in the field I am able to put my learning into practice on the job.  One day I observed a group of children at the art table, they had paper and were drawing with texter, next thing the children decided to the fold the paper so they were holding it like a stick and used it as a microphone. Here the children went from drawing a picture, then changing the form of the paper into something different, then using their imagination for the paper to be then used as a microphone.

My Poem on Paper

Paper comes from trees
How does it come to my knees?
What will happen to it once I'm done?
Will it still be here for me?

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Light is a transverse, electromagnetic wave that can be seen by the typical human. The wave nature of light was first illustrated through experiments on  diffraction and interference. Like all electromagnetic waves, light can travel through a vacuum. The transverse nature of light can be demonstrated through polarisation.

Light Play...

Lets children investigate children investigate the properties of light and how light interacts with different materials
encourages collaborative play, collaborative play, creative experimentation and discovery

-based learning. (Ipswich Art Gallery, 2017)

Class Discussions on Light

It was interesting to hear that no one on our table uses light in the classroom. I sometimes would have a light board but never really understood why I put it out for the children. We never looked at light as a material, or the value of light in the class room.

How Can I Use Light in my Teaching?

I would use shadows in my teaching, use torches and even the sun. Use animals or trains for children to trace.
Show children how shadows can become bigger and smaller.
Light boxes are a great way for children to explore at their level, putting all sorts of materials gives it a sensory experience. I would even put loose parts on it and also sand.
Use reflective materials like CDs to create all different reflective lights.
Turn off the classroom lights and use different mediums of lights

Manipulate objects and experiment with cause and effect, trial and error, and motion (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2019)

Learning Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners

What I Observed in my Teaching

In the baby room the children were exploring with the stained glass window blocks. They were putting them up to their face so they can see different colours.

My Poem on Light

Light is bright
Bright is light
Shine in the dark
Shine in the light

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Layering the different shapes of paper and the use of water created shapes. Here you can see what happened when too much water was added to the paper. The water turned the paper into soggy paper, making it bend and become floppy, the wet paper couldn't hold it self up, it almost became weak. Once the paper had dried it changed again, it became hard and sturdy. the dryness of the paper shrivelled up and changed textured. (Kind, Kocher, Pacini-Ketchabaw, 2019)

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Exploring the paper I am able to scrunch it in my hand, change the material from being flat to a ball. It changes in weight and how it can be used to fill in something. I like the feeling of scrunching the paper in my hand. (Kind, Kocher, Pacini-Ketchabaw, 2019)

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I love how this space uses light to set the mood. It's a calming environment for the children to play in. I would also use light as a medium to create moods for the room. (The Curiosity Approach, 2019)

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Here is the photo of the kinder children using the chalk to create paint

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For some reason I was drawn to the colourfulness of the match sticks, I put it in a cup and layered up with the plastic container with icypole sticks. I then grabbed the cup filled wioth the match sticks then created it into a maraca. It made a lovely noise.

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The use of different textured of paper I was able to create a rocket ship using thick cardboard to bend it in the position I wanted it in. The lightness of the newspaper swished as it hung from the bottom of the rocket ship. The use of using other materials like sticky tape helped the creation to stay in place. The cardboard did struggle to stay up in a triangle in the way I wanted it to, using more sticky tape still didn't allow it to stay in place. (Kind, Kocher, Pacini-Ketchabaw, 2019)