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Welcome to my documentation panel about these experiences and languages shared with the Dulai-wurrung class during poorneet season/spring.

Experience 1: For the language of music, I provided materials for the children to make props and interact with the wind whilst listening to Indigenous music outside.

Experience 2: For the language of drama, we snuck away to our yarning circle where the children performed a puppet show using Australian animals (warin, dulai-wurrung and a kookaburra).

Experience 3: For the language of movement, the children reinforced their knowledge on the Woi-wurrung animal names they have been learning with Tully from the Wurundjeri Council by re-enacting the animals' movements.

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There were two main elements from assessment 2 which have inspired the experiences for this assessment.

The first element is 'wind'. When I had my On Country visit, it was during the week of the strong winds felt all around Melbourne. It impacted my imagination and encounter with Country. It provoked movement in animate and non-animate objects which totally differed to when I completed my second visit on a still day.

The second element is connecting with place by spending time in nature and caring for Country. Mountain ranges from Lerderderg State Park can be seen from our kindergarten and also where I spent time on Country for A2. I found that taking time to appreciate and reflect on these mountains enhanced my imagination/drama and connection to place thus I am hoping it will do the same for the children.

Experience 1: Music

The children in my class often take the speaker outside and choose their own music to dance to. I provided them with the option of making props which could interact with the wind. I never considered music as a means of 'play' until (Bowman, 2018) said, "we're creating imaginary worlds and we're pulling it from the realities inside ourselves". I was excited to see what the children came up with. I pre-selected some Indigenous instrumental music for them to engage with. I thought by weaving these elements into an experience they already love doing would help to enhance it for them and truly embed the elements and perspectives.

Experience 2: Drama

We are fortunate to have a bush tucker garden which contains a yarning circle and a fire pit. This area looks onto the mountain ranges. We often come as a whole class to participate in story telling whilst we toast marshmallows. I wanted to encourage the children to participate in storytelling by putting on a show using some of the animals which can be found locally and in the mountain ranges. When(Slater, 2020) said, "Storying as a process builds relationships and requires collaboration and sharing of knowledge and/or experiences, while also acknowledging power dynamics and disparities manifest throughout the process", I thought of colonisation and meeting the children on their level to help them grapple with this big concept by performing a short puppet show.

Experience 3: Movement

By providing this experience I was hoping to primarily encourage the children to use movement through their bodies as a vessel for their imagination. I planned to try this experience just before they went home and were gathered on the mat, they're usually tired and need to move at this point. We have been having regular visits from the Wurundjeri council for the past 3 years. Recently they have taught our children the Woi-wurrung names for some animals. We also used some of our IPAS funding to change our classroom names to these animal names with permission from the Wurundjeri council. To reinforce the children's knowledge of these animal names, I decided to complete a quick exercise on the mat. I called out different animal names and the children had to reenact them based on their memory of what that animal was.

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Materials used:

-sticks

-streamers

-paper tape

-portable speaker

Implementation:

I placed the materials on the craft table in the morning. The children started creating with them and making different objects (fishing rods and flags). I attached the long streamers to the end of mine and started dancing with it. I said, "ooh I wonder how these will look when we dance outside later?". The children looked at each other excitedly and all started making streamers. They began playing with them and saying things like "it's raining, it's raining!". We brought them outside along with the speaker. I played Indigenous instrumental music with nature sounds on the speaker.

What didn't go well?

Embedding Indigenous perspectives was hard as they expressed their dismay with my music choices. One Wada-wurrung girl called Emilia, was trying her best to dance. She stopped, looked at me and said, "nah, different song please". I decided to meet them in the middle and play more widely known Indigenous songs e.g. 'Taba Naba - The Wiggles' (2018). They weren't pleased with this either and then requested their usual pop songs. It made me reflect on how we should aim to bring more Indigenous and instrumental music into the classroom.

What did go well?

Having props for the children to interact with was very successful. They often stopped and paused to watch the streamers flow with the direction of the wind. I often see that they like to follow or copy each other during musical experiences. I liked how they were all doing their own thing with their props and following their own lead. It reminded me of when (Yusof & A.G, 2019,p.28) highlighted, "that learners first come to understand new ideas and experiences through interaction with others and then eventually come to understand them internally, within themselves."

VEYLDF Outcomes achieved:

1: Children have a strong sense of identity.

5: Children are effective communicators. (Department of Education and Training & Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority[DTE & VCA], 2016)

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Materials:

-puppets

-a quiet space

Implementation:

I asked a handful of children if they wanted to join me at the yarning circle. I put on a quick show for them once we had arrived utilising the puppets. The show being: During a storm, the warin's hole got flooded and the dulai-wurrung took it over. The warin didn't feel very good about having his home taken away from him. The kookaburra encouraged the warin and dulai-wurrung to find a way to move forward together (concepts of colonisation and reconciliation). My plan was for them to take inspiration or thoughts from my show and then perform whatever show they liked.

What didn't go well?

Nothing at all. It was fantastic and I cannot wait to implement it whenever possible.

What did go well?

Their enthusiasm and excitement. I loved their imaginations going wild with all of the chaos and disasters. Children that are usually quite timid in a larger group were keen to get involved. I asked them afterwards how would they feel if someone took over their home just like the dulai-wurrung did with the warin hole. They said: "bad" and "it's okay they could share with me."

VEYLDF Outcomes achieved:

3: Children are connected with and contribute to their world.

5: Children are effective communicators. (DTE & VCA, 2016)

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Materials:

-Woi-wurrung animal names (dulai-wurrung = platypus, warin = wombat, walert = possum, duart = fish)

Implementation:

I called out the names and mimicked some of the movements which they could follow if they wanted to.

What didn't go well?

We could have done it for longer or outside with more space. Next time I would ask the children to call out the names or come up with their own version of the game in order to give them more power (image of the child).

What did go well?

The giggles and enthusiasm. They definitely seemed to remember the names of the animals too.

VEYLDF Outcomes achieved:

4: Children are confident and involved learners

5: Children are effective communicators. (DTE & VCA, 2016)

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-Bowman, A. Artifact Dance Project. (2018, March 20). Movement, Sound, Play. [Video] TedxTucson. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrgpeuPbp-I

-Department of Education and Training & Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority, (2016) Victorian Early Years Learning and Development framework for all children from birth to eight years. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/edcare/veyldframework.pdf

-Slater, O.J.E. (2020). Storying: A Reflection on Entanglements with Indigenous Australian Methodology. Cambridge Educational Research e-Journal. Volume 7. P 15. DOI:  https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.58324

-The Wiggles. (2018). Taba Naba The Wiggles Feat. Christine Anu Kids Songs.[Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58Xn9bTIxGI

-Yusof, F. B., & Tan, A.-G. (2019). Teaching music in the early childhood classroom for convergent creativity: Views from a meta-synthesis. Y. Tsubonou, A.-G. Tan, & M. Oie (Eds.), Creativity in music education (pp. 245–266).