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ECE2006 Assessment by Ashika Wijerathna (s8113013)

References

Ipswich Art Gallery. (2021). https://cms.ipswichartgallery.qld.gov.au/uploads/IAG-Light-Play-2021-Education-Resource.pdf

Kashine, D., RECE, E. D., & Bortolotti, R. (2021, May 1). The studio approach to early childhood education. Technology Rich Inquiry Based Research. Retrieved May 19, 2024, from https://tecribresearch.blog/2021/05/01/the-studio-approach-to-early-childhood-education/

NGV Melbourne. (2015, May 4). Artist interview | John Wolseley [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/BcFx5TX49e8

Oh, S. (2016, October 18). An interpretation - Ateliers in Reggio Emilia and studio spaces [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/XMuncOQOecg

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Kind, S., & Kocher, L. L. (2024). Encounters with materials in early childhood education. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003322559

Pelo, A. (2016). https://tecribresearch.blog/2021/05/01/the-studio-approach-to-early-childhood-education/. Redleaf Press.

Reggio Emilia Approach. (1994, March 11). About us. Reggio Children. https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/about-us/

Reggio Emilia Approach. (1994, March 11). Ray of light atelier. Reggio Children. https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/rc/ateliers/atelier-in-presenza/ray-of-light-atelier/

Staines, J. (2021, July 16). Can non-Indigenous people do Aboriginal art? Koori Curriculum. https://kooricurriculum.com/blogs/news/can-non-indigenous-people-do-aboriginal-art

Tancey, J. P. (2011, October 3). DOCUMENTARY - John Wolseley [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZmMesG74cU

TED. (2007, January 7). Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson | TED [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/iG9CE55wbtY

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My thoughts served as inspiration for the Atelier that I intend to establish in my service.

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My thoughts served as inspiration for the Atelier that I intend to establish in my service.

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Light House Atelier/Studio

When I conducted my light experiment with my children, the thought struck me. In my opinion, allowing them to experiment with light will benefit them more in the long run since it will enable them to develop new concepts and comprehend the complexity of light at a young age. Encourage kids to experiment and explore with a variety of supplies. Permit them to play around with the Ghost ideas so that kids are aware that ghosts do not exist. Connect with the light of the sun and moon to help them learn about nature, space, and planets as well as the speed at which light travels. Study shadows, reflections, etc. Encourage them to work in groups to improve their communication skills by encouraging them to share what they have learned. Evaluation of their colleague's experiments. Promote diversity, accept and value one another, and take turns.Thoroughly recording the results of children in order to collaborate and interact with families.

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Reflection -Ateliers in Reggio Emilia and Studio Spaces.

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Reflection -Ateliers in Reggio Emilia and Studio Spaces.

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I was able to identify a lot of details about the ateliers by seeing Soobin Oh's interview video (Oh, 2016).I therefore wanted to thoroughly investigate Reggio Emilia's atelier concepts. It was fascinating to hear him explain in detail how his involvement with children and personal experiences led him to develop his own ideas rather than adopting others'.I adored his idea of the Mosnter Studio, which opened my eyes to a new way of thinking about the range of children's abilities. Because even I have witnessed plenty of young people who have the ability to sketch fantastical creatures such as cartoon characters, anime, monsters, aliens, and so on.It is our responsibility as teachers to comprehend these ideas so that, given the time and resources, children can do exceptional work in the future.

Ateliers in Reggio Emilia Approach

New teachers would be well advised to check this Reggio Children website as it has a wealth of knowledge and ideas. (Reggio Emilia Approach, 1994) I had the opportunity to see and become interested in a range of Ateliers. Such as Ray of Light Atelier, Digital Landscape Atelier, The Secrets of Paper Atelier, In the Shape of Clay Atelier, The Mosaic of Marks, Words & Material Atelier, Photoshoots in the centre Atelier and The languages of Gears. The name itself has a deep significance.(Reggio Emilia Approach, 1994).

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Week 3 - Material Inquiry -Light- In-class discussions.

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Week 3 - Material Inquiry -Light- In-class discussions.

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The readings reflect the experiences I had as a child.
As an example Pacini-Kechabaw et al. (2016) reading material, Early childhood clay play is important, as demonstrated in Chapter 4: Clay Ecology. The chapter claims that the child's and the clay's reactions are always natural. Kids can see and engage with the clay as it changes, and it forces them to practise fun, unexpected movements and create unique narratives.

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In the paint-related interactions, I asked myself what professional artists were doing with their paint creations. And what is exactly Paint Assemblage in ECE?

My questions were answered and I realised that artists are using paint assemblages to communicate stories when I read about Paint in Pacini-Kechabaw et al.,(2016). (Pacini-Kechabaw et al., 2016; P61) "Paint assemblages are alive. They have a life of their own that is more than the sum of their parts." In my opinion, paint assemblage facilitates a child's many developing phases in a childcare environment. During the activities, children engage with one another. They employ diverse interactions and construct a range of entanglements. It lends credibility to the idea that paint assembly is more important than merely expressing a child's thoughts.

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Week 3- Session 7- Material Inquiry- Light

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Week 3- Session 7- Material Inquiry- Light

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Experiment

Light cannot be touched. Light can influence our perception even when an object stays in the same place by generating fluctuating shadows. This explains why the majority of children believe that ghosts exist in the shadows. Therefore, I think that through experimenting with light, they'll be able to understand the concept on their own rather than being told that there is no such thing as ghosts. The shadow dances when the light shifts from side to side and up and down. When light travels both near and distant from an object, the shadow seems large and tiny. Shadows travel in the opposite direction from light. One of the most fascinating things individuals will ever discover is how much there is to observe, explore, and learn about light.

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Stop Motion Movie created by Ashika Wijerathna

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Stop Motion Movie created by Ashika Wijerathna

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The story of Benan and Appla

One sunny day the little boy Benan and Appla went out for a walk.Appla called him too tall and thin, while Benan called him short and fat. They were both so happy to meet each other that they didn't see that the conversation wasn't appropriate. At the first sign of disagreement, the butterfly and the bird fled, scared off. They eventually came to the realisation that discriminating against one another is terrible. Consequently, they became joyful and kind. Upon observing their friendship and kindness, the butterfly and bird also desired to be associated with them.

The moral of the story is to treat everyone with compassion, as kindness and happiness are qualities that nature values above all else.

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Using this picture, I created a stop-motion video for my assessment 2 because I was amazed at how creatively we could use fruits and vegetables. To teach the  children that they can be creative by using any type of material, I tried to connect this idea by using fruits and vegetables to construct a narrative. Additionally helped to convey an important message to them. Moreover, I attempt to teach them how to be imaginative when writing stories by referring to them by their names Benan & Appla without actually mentioning banana or apple.

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Please note that the images and videos in this section were obtained from NGV during the visit. And I enjoyed the rest while photographing the ones I truly loved.

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Admired the inventiveness and abilities of everyone else.

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Admired the inventiveness and abilities of everyone else.

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I admired the creativity of everyone else as I sculpted my autumn tree. We all had a great time and really liked the session.

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Some clay moulds that remind me of my early years from my colleagues.

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Some clay moulds that remind me of my early years from my colleagues.

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In my childhood i had a lot of fun shaping clay into tiny creations like the one above.

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The Autumn Tree. Created by Ashika Wijerathna

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Week 2-Session 5- Interactions with Clay.

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Week 2-Session 5- Interactions with Clay.

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Frances asked every one of us to take a handful of clay, use our imaginations to create anything, and feel and experience the material. I began using a wooden spoon to separate some. It felt solid, equivalent to frozen butter. It was heavy and cold. Clay created bents and shapes as I pushed and pressed at it. The clay was easy to work with yet sloppy and messy. It smelled like actual soil.

The activity reminds me of my early years.Which sent me back to my early years. In our paddy fields, clay is supposed to form. Some of our friends used to bounce and jump on clay, while others used to build a variety of things out of clay. Such as clay pots, jewellery, balls etc. Mostly, the boys would grab a handful of muddy clay and throw it to their buddies, enjoying themselves and creating enduring memories of our early years.

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Studio Exploration - Ref: The teacher's role. Page 23. group discussion.

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My favourite quote from Encounters with Paint

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Week 2-Responding to Artist's work: Australian First Nations paint and assemblage artists.

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Week 2-Responding to Artist's work: Australian First Nations paint and assemblage artists.

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After Acknowledging the Ancestors we continued in our group discussions this week, we looked at the background of paint. In earlier times, humans drew inside the cave walls using various colours. Paintings were used by Aboriginal/Indigenous people to tell stories. Paint was used historically to colour and draw on walls, as seen in the painting of Greek statues and Egyptian drawings. Then, paint took on several forms, including oil, powder, dirt, sand, plant extraction, dust, mud and water.

Discussion on Cultural Appropriation

This was a topic that caught my attention since it's essential to understand that art should respect the land's elders, as some indigenous artists do not want their works to be duplicated or imitated. I gained a lot of knowledge from listening to my colleagues' thoughts and experiences regarding the things they have encountered at work.

Dot Painting

Ideas:

Allow children to create on their own, but be sure not to provide samples and models so that the final products are original.

One colleague gave the example that they should show respect for certain specific ancestors by starting the activity before they do anything else. Eg. If the activity is based on Rainbow Serpent they acknowledge and show respect to the Northern Territory.

Respectfully engaging with children and teaching them respect is our duty of care.

Poppy mentioned that using "the Playschool episode" to teach kids to acknowledge their nation and its territory is a great idea.

To provide a variety of materials to create (not only paint) and also verifying if they have any food sensitivities is important before giving them anything that is unfamiliar.

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Class discussion: Allow them to create what they want, Child-led, To be flexible, guidelines instead of restrictions, Express of self, and more variety of experiences, Educate the educators about child-led play and teach them the importance of free play.

Hearing about colleagues' experiences in their centres was quite interesting. According to Lindsay, children are allowed to draw on windows and furniture in her system, and once they're finished, the drawings are cleaned up.

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A random artwork made out of Brown & Green paint mixed with Dhal.

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Week 2 - Session 3-Material Inquiry - Paint

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Week 2 - Session 3-Material Inquiry - Paint

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This week we started learning about Paint. It was a lot of fun to use whatever was in the kitchen to make your own artwork. While most of my colleagues used a variety of creative mediums such as tomato sauce, spices, fruits, vegetables, lipstick, leaves and Nuttela from their kitchens, I used paint and dhal.

Paint (Material Encounters Exhibition Catalogue, Pg15)

ANTICIPATE, MIX, DAB, STAB, FINGER, PAT, STIR, STROKE, FLICK, COLOUR, LAUGH, COMPOSE, ORCHESTRATE, IMPERSONATE, RESOUND, SQUISH, SLIP, DRIP, SPLATTER, MARK, SLIDE, BLEND, MERGE, BRING TOGETHER, FLOW, DROP, SPILL, WRAP, ARRANGE, COVER OVER, PICK UP, ENACT, DANCE, PERFORM, NARRATE, IMPROVISE, CHOREOGRAPH, MODIFY, SPREAD, MASSAGE, POUR,
CARESS, SPECULATE, EXCHANGE, POINT, EXCLAIM, SHARE, CONFER, TEST, IMMERSE, ABSORB, FILL UP, FILL IN, EMPTY, DRAW OUT, EXTEND, MEANDER, MINGLE, COMBINE, CONVERSE, SCRATCH, SCRUB, WIPE, WASH.

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Community Art - Reflection

We looked closely at what community art is in this section. We also had the opportunity to discuss the subject in class, and it became clear that most of us had never heard of this form of art before. Even if we have seen a lot, to be quite honest, I was unaware of the significance or actual worth of community art due to a lack of knowledge. I was first confused because I had assumed I wouldn't find any, but, as soon as I began looking, I found plenty of them anywhere i go such as train stations, city buildings, community buildings, in front of schools & churches, Libraries, Art galleries, council buildings and also near community parks etc. I enjoyed doing my Assessment 1. This allows me to see art and creativity from a different perspective.

Above all, we discussed the connection between the art and the custodians of this country, the Aboriginal people. The reasons "Why non-aboriginal people can't do Aboriginal art? " have been explained by Jessica Staines. In her blog, she stated that "Remember a non-indigenous Australian (or any non-Aboriginal person around the world) can never create an Aboriginal artwork because only people from specific parts of the country can tell the story of that country. They are the only ones with authority to do so – Aboriginal artists must have permission to tell the stories of their country."(Staines, 2021). I enjoyed watching a video about the "Smoking Ceremony".

Art- Reflection

My perspective on art completely shifted after seeing John Wolseley's documentary & the interview. His use of colour contrast is more in line with nature. And it's incredible how he attempted to convey his point to everyone. I was astounded to find that he tried to recreate a 16th-century art using a dead bird as his stencil—something I hadn't thought of before. Upon examining the videos, several thoughts crossed my mind. Buildings have taken the role of nature to provide convenience for the modern world. Have we ever taken the time to consider the previous inhabitants of these areas in the meantime? Would the younger generations who have grown up immersed in the virtual world, by definition, be concerned about these issues in the current world? Perhaps he is attempting to draw our attention to the fact that this is the cause of the increasing number of endangered species in the globe.

Paper- Reflection

As I read Pacini-Kechabaw et al. (2016), The Arts as method of Inquiry, Pages 7 and 8, I realised that the majority of creativity and ideas are puzzles, encounters, or questions that come into mind. The most meaningful insights often come by surprise, unexpectedly and even against the creator's will.

Important

So as teachers, we need to provide children with a well-organized studio area where they can play and try out various paper activities.

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We discovered that there are three main approaches in art. Which are Progressive, Discipline-Based and Contemporary.

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The language of art: Inquiry-based studio practices in early childhood settings. Page 30-40 

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The language of art: Inquiry-based studio practices in early childhood settings. Page 30-40 

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I found that what Ann Peslo said resonated with me as I read the pages.

Different opportunities to explore a particular art material and a medium. Friendship to grow, opportunities for conversation, and shared experiences, it takes numerous interactions for a child's bond with a material or artistic medium to develop into effortless familiarity. Explore a medium through their senses without a great deal of teacher instructions,

Children deserve to have their own stories not just checklists and assessments. ( Pelo , 2016)

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We saw a few interesting videos today, such as "A Maker's Mindset" & "Do schools kill creativity?". The things that, as the current generation, we all need to reconsider and understand are

Notes taken from the video "Do Schools Kill Creativity?".(TED, 2007)

The future that lies in education is beyond our grasp.

The capacity for innovation the children have is extraordinary

Every child has talents, and we should not criticise them.

If you're not prepared to be wrong you won't learn

Every school prioritises their academic and hyrachi of subjects.

Highly talented creative people think that their talents are not valued

Human Ecology

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"Oh Dear Colourful Artwork" by Ashika Wijerathna

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Proof of my undiscovered poetic ability.

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Proof of my undiscovered poetic ability.

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I am excited whenever I see the hat since the words that first came to mind rhymed. Above all, it makes me happy to share everyone's creative thinking.

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Paper Hat was made from a piece of art my daughter didn't want.

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Surprised we will be able to be innovative even if we don't use any more resources.

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then we discussed the capabilities,

PAPER (Material Encounters Exhibition Catalogue, Pg15)
FLOAT, FLY, GLIDE, HOVER, SOAR, TEAR, RIP, PASTE, CONSIDER, CHOOSE, SWAY, ROLL, EXAGGERATE, GATHER, SCOOP UP, CRUMPLE, CRIMP, LISTEN, FOLD, BEND, TAPE, DRESS, WEAR,WAIT, COVER-UP, BREATHE IN, BLOW OUT, PAUSE, LAUNCH, ELEVATE, TAKE FLIGHT, ENVELOP, WRAP, TIE, OPEN, TWIST, FLAP, REARRANGE, UNCOVER, FILL, UNROLL, EMPTY, CATCH, FASTEN, DRAPE, RELEASE, WAVE, READ, FLIP, TURN, CRINKLE, TICKLE, BUNCH, CLOTHE, WIND AROUND, PEER THROUGH, CIRCULATE, AMPLIFY, RESUME, UNDRESS, RECOVER, SWISH, FLUTTER, PRESENT,
SCATTER, COLLECT, POUR OUT, SWEEP UP, RE-DRESS.

History - Paper is made out of plants, is Recyclable, used as a compost

and Rules as a group- Not to eat or taste paper.

Eg-Newspapers are made of carbon and chemicals. It can be toxic.

China invented paper for writing and drawing first. The first paper mill was constructed in Spain and papermaking methods then travelled from Asia to Europe.

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pg 7 & 8- Encounters with materials in early childhood education / Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw, Sylvia Kind, and Laurie L.M. Kocher.

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We began studying session 1 by having students draw portraits of their peers. I was drawing someone for the first time without worrying about my artistic abilities, therefore it was a thrilling session.

We discussed the capabilities of the paper during the first session. Paper is used by people for a variety of functions, including constructing, containers, storing knowledge, transmitting messages, decorating, making money, and maintaining hygiene.

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Week 1

29th April 2024-Session 1: Materials Inquiry 1-Paper

01st May 2024-Session 2: Do schools kill creativity? Community Art. Assessment 1

Week 1 Reflection

Week 2

06th May 2024-Session 3: Materials Inquiry 2-Paint

08th May 2024-Session 4: Paint use in ECE. Stop Motion Video - Assessment 2

Saturday

11th May 2024-Session 5: Materials Inquiry 3:Clay

Week 2 Clay - Reflection

11th May 2024-Session 6: Visit To NGV

Week 3

13th May 2024-Session 7:Materials Inquiry 4:Light

15th May 2024-Session 8:Studio Pedagogies.Assessment 3 - Digital Visual Journal

Week 3 Reflection

References