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My parallax view of Narre warren residential park area that I walk often.

Womendjika!

I would like to pay my respects to the Wurundjeri/Boonwurrung people of the East Kulin nation as the traditional owners of the land I live and learn. I pay my respects to their Elders past, present and future.

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Title: SWOOPING SUPERMUM!

Audience Age: 3-5 yrs

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Today, I went on my walk to the local park. But instead of occupying my thoughts listening to audio book as I usually do, I decided to practice deep listening. This meant tuning in purposefully listening to sounds around me, I consciously focused on the present paying attention to every detail. According to Pauline Oliveros (founder member of Centre for Deep listening Ted talks, 2015) “with ears we hear; we listen with brain and experience with hearts”

It was a bit strange at the beginning, I felt restless and impatient wanting to multitask and not waste time. However, as I persisted, I began noticing things I had overlooked before. How spring had softened the air, infused with perfumes of damp soil and eucalyptus, distant hum of traffic and feel of grass and leaves crunching under my feet. For a moment, I imagined the world as a living temple with its tall trees as columns and its floor carpeted with green and gold.

As I wondered the winding paths of the park and tried to see the park with scattered gum trees through the parallax perspective made me realize how its beauty and serenity have given many of us an escape from hustle and bustle of everyday life.

This resonates with Dadirri (Ungunmerr.M.R.n..d, 2002) “I can find my peace in this silent awareness. There is no need of words. A big part of dadirri is listening; there are deep springs within each of us.”

I also happened upon a magpie, with her black & white feathers glimmering in the sunlight. As I watched her forage along the ground with deliberate care, as though each movement were part of a ritual. Then, without hesitation, she lifted into the sky, carrying some small secret in her beak, vanished into the arms of a tall gum tree.

As I followed her flight, something stirred in me; perhaps it was admiration for her simple life, or perhaps it was envy- that she knew exactly what her morning required, while I wandered searching for meaning in the spaces between birdsong and breeze. Lingering under the trees, I realized, I was not only an observer, I too, was building a nest of sorts with moments. Each sound, sight, and smell and feeling was a thread in the home I carry within me. I compare this to Reggio Emilia's pedagogy of listening that fosters “pleasure of researching”, wondering, co-learning in both adults and children as co-researchers. (Dahlberg.G,2012)

When I finally turned to leave, I felt lighter and at peace. I felt like the magpie had reminded me of a profound message that even in the ordinary rhythms of a morning, there are portals/gateways into wonder, if only I choose to step through.

Which resonates with Racheal Carson “children have an inborn sense of wonder; they need soul enriching experiences to grow into the fullness of what it means to be human.” (Wilson.R, 2018)

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TEDx Talks. (2015, November 12). The difference between hearing and listening | Pauline Oliveros | TEDxIndianapolis [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QHfOuRrJB8

Ungunmerr-Baumann, M.-R. (2002). Dadirri: Inner deep listening and quiet still awareness (pp. 1–4). Emmaus Productions.

Wilson, R. A. (2018). Natural outdoor playspaces. Nature and young children: encouraging creative play and learning in natural environments (3rd ed., pp. 18–32). Routledge.

Wilson, R. A. (2018). Nature play. Nature and young children: encouraging creative play and learning in natural environments (3rd ed., pp. 5–17). Routledge.

Dahlberg, G. (2012). Pedagogical documentation: A practice for negotiation and democracy. C. Edwards, L. Gandini, & G. Forman (Eds.), The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation (3rd ed., pp. 225–231).

Griffiths, K. (n.d.). Ken Griffiths. https://www.istockphoto.com/search/2/image-film?phrase=australian+magpie+in+flight