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I found this game very interesting as I have never been involved in an activity that requires for us to stop and just observe what you see using creativity. The whole purpose of this game is to open doors to imagination and creativity as by closely observing using our five senses, it can really go a long way in terms of ideas. This specific game can really help children, adults, or even older people to understand the meaning of ‘gratitude’ and how that one word doesn’t need to seem so complicated. Personally, I gained an outcome of feeling gratitude as often as possible for the life we have, the people we have, for the knowledge we get to build on, for admiring the beauty of things as they are and so much more. In current society, we see everyone go by their day-to-day routine on a constant time schedule, this idea of just taking a pause and observing can really benefit someone’s health and build on their admiration for beautiful things their eyes see. I believe implementing this amongst young children is a must as it teaches them a few skills in life that could possibly benefit them long term the older they grow up. It is very evident that each child builds a connection to each place different, whether it be based on experience or just observations they have made, however it reassures them that whatever they feel is healthy and okay. Furthermore, this helps them to understand that whatever land they stand on should be taken care of and cherished at all costs. This is a very beneficial activity to be introduced in a classroom setting, this activity could even be done as an excursion for children. The overall outcome of the Parallaxis is to really understand that observations, gratitude, and connections are important.

Reference:
The Parallaxis - A game of walking between worlds 2022, The Parallaxis, viewed 29 June 2022, <http://www.the-parallaxis.com/>

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The game teaches us to stop, to take in our surroundings and that it's special to be aware of even the smallest things. It opens your imagination and allows you to grow a strong attachment to place. By having a connection to where we are in space and time, allows us to feel present and to grow a love and appreciation for things that may have previously been overlooked. The idea that it is a spell and that it can be broken and or made makes this whole experience seem magical. Everyone plays the game differently because everyone notices different things, hears different sounds and smells. This is a positive concept that we can bring into our classroom. There is no wrong or right way to build a connection to place and that what you get out of those connections doesn’t always have to be joyful and happy, it is allowed to open up a sad and reflective feeling. Allowing children to build connections to place helps them grow a love an appreciation for where they are and who was and who is to come after them. It will help them look after the place they are on and acknowledge that this land isn’t full of infinite resources, that it needs nurturing and protection. The Parallaxis Game insures that connections happen everywhere, no matter how big or small and they happen without thinking, it becomes apart of us.

Reference

The Parallaxis – A game of walking between worlds 2022, The Parallaxis, viewed 29 June 2022, <http://www.the-parallaxis.com/>.

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Imagine believing that children have the ability to express themselves in more than one way. The Hundred Languages are often expressed through "drawings, sculpting, dramatic play, writing and painting."

The hundred languages are a key principle of the Reggio-inspired approach.  It refers to communication and emphasizes the importance of providing children with one hundred ways to share their thinking of the world around them. The hundred languages also represent the infinite amount of potential each child naturally has and each child’s individual view and take of their community.  As is widely accepted by educators and supported in research, children learn in a variety of ways. This knowledge is the reason why providing different means for learning and exploring is critical in the educational journey.  These means of exploration can include talking, writing, acting, drawing, the use of natural materials, and dancing.  Providing children with free play, encouraging exploration of a child’s own interest, and creating a safe and positive environment and community also supports the Reggio-inspired approach and the hundred languages.

Reference:
The Hundred Languages of Children: the Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, 3rd Edition : The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, edited by Carolyn Edwards, et al., ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/detail.action?docID=820317.
Created from vu on 2022-06-29 16:20:13.

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Victor Wooten’s TED talk about ‘Music as a language’ really resonated with me, particularly the relationship between music and language, freedom and listening. In early childhood, as an educator I don’t think twice about talking to a child and listening to their voice, trying to support and extend upon their thoughts and learning. With music, it’s different I find we try and teach children rather than give freedom of expression. I provided children with a musical provocation during term 1 this year during an indoor/outdoor program. I placed the drum (a real instrument) on the deck with drumsticks and a chair along with a cymbal that was hanging within arm and stick reach, for the children to explore. The children were able to make their music and there was no expectation that they had to do things a particular way. I believe their curiosity came from their ability to explore their creativity. Victor discussed speaking through an instrument and the process of teaching children how to play before they know music. There are many opportunities through the early childhood environment for children to explore music in a less structured manner. A basket of instruments on a picnic rug outside with also spark children’s interest and curiosity encouraging that exploration perhaps even creating a band. Children based on their individual experiences may have been exposed to different music. I recall seeing Peter and the Wolf on stage as a child, the performers on stage didn’t stay with me however, the music did. The different woodwind, string and percussion instruments that were Peter, the wolf, and the other characters, the volume, tempo the way I felt listening. The idea of listening is so important in our interactions with children, by listening we can understand children and support those opportunities for creativity and curiosity.

Reference:

Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDx GabriolaIsland 2013, online video, TEDx talks, viewed 26 June 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0&t=6s

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When I watched Victor’s video, it resonated with my thinking of the way I thought about the learn music was completely different. He presented his passion for being a musician and he talked about how his environment helped him to be a successful musician. He talked about the importance of music learning as a language and freedom.

Victor mentioned children learn music before they are born, and every child is born musical also children need to understand the music first before they learn to play an instrument.

Music is more than just a language, music is a lifestyle. Music brings people together and it can save the world, these phrases, I appreciated and agree with him.

As early childhood educators, we need to implement music and expose children to a musical environment, that will enhance children’s understanding of the language of music. Children can explore and learn as a language. We need to give the freedom of exploring to children and that freedom will benefit children to express their creativity through music and movement.

Reference:
Wooten, V 2013, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland, YouTube, viewed 28 June 2022, <https://youtu.be/2zvjW9arAZ0>.

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I was very impressed by what Victor Wooten mentioned about ‘Music as a Language’.  I have watched his Ted talks twice in a row and listening to his music, I realize what he was trying to say to us.
His music, his voice, and his sentences gave me a lot of insight.
As he stated, my language began before I was born, listening to my parents and siblings. It grew from my mother's lullaby, which I have heard since I was a baby. It is obvious that we learn many things without even noticing.
Victor Wooten mentioned that Whenever you could hear is when you probably started learning it(TEDx Talks 2013).
Everything around me was learning, and as a result, I became who I am today.
However, I, who grew up so freely, did not follow the naturalness of teaching and delivering something to children under the name of a parent and an educator.

Little children are born with freedom.
We need to find a way to keep that freedom.
Whether it is music, dance, or language, whatever works best when we have something interesting to do.
If children really like music, while listening to music, children enjoy moving their bodies, which allows them to experiment and develop their physical abilities through rhythmic movements. They can also naturally learn how to express themself through music.
I don't think his words are restricted to music.
I believe that dance and art, like music and language, serve the same purpose and are forms of expression.
As an educator, we must trust children’s ability to choose what is needed for their development.
So, let’s give them a chance to be carefully prepared to meet all their individual needs and interests.

Reference
TEDx Talks 2013, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolalsland, online video, 30 May, YouTube, viewed 27/06/2022 <https://youtu.be/2zvjW9arAZ0>

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The ted talk ‘Music as a Language’ by Victor Wooten changed my perception on how we ‘teach’ music. It had never occurred to me that music can be viewed as a form of language and having the opportunity to be immersed in music allows you to learn. Just as the way a child does when they are learning their first language. Victor Wooten spoke about how children are free to be a beginner and that no one tells children to sit in the corner and practice. I thought this was a powerful statement because that is how we treat music. That if you want to be good, you have to sit and practice from someone who is more advanced than you. Victor Wooten spoke about how we teach children how to play an instrument before they are able to learn and love music. The joy and beauty of the raw sound of music gets lost by teaching before the love and understand of music is taught. Freedom is lost and rules and tests are put in place to showcase someone’s knowledge of music. I thought the most powerful statement from the video was about the boy playing air guitar and the smile on his face and then after his first guitar lesson, he loses that smile. As educators it is important to keep the joy and excitement in learning and to not take away the magic and the sparkle that inspires the kids to learn and be engaged

Reference

TEDx Talks 2013, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolalsland, online video, 30 May, YouTube, viewed 29/06/2022 <https://youtu.be/2zvjW9arAZ0>

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Victor Wooten has explained that music is a form of language. The way he described the meaning of music has resonated with me. In his idea of music, music brings us freedom and brings people together. Music is a language we don’t speak. I couldn’t explain the definition of the music clearly until I watched this video. Wooten (TEDx Talks 2013) mentioned that music makes us feel safe. I find this statement powerful. I reflect on what I have done in the classroom where I often sing not only to entertain but to persuade children motivation to learn and engage with others. We sing ‘Hello song’ every morning when children turn up in the classroom. They pack away their bag and walk around while hearing the ‘Hello song’ in the background. The music gives children a sense of belonging and security.

Wooten (TEDx Talks 2013) also stated that we were born as a musician. We already understand music before we even know how to play the instruments. This give me an idea about how can I use music in my teaching practice. The tone and the sound are analphabet language. I often see the teacher turn on a music just to give children an idea about what we are going to learn. Just like Wooten says, “we learn how to spell ‘milk’ after we drink” (TEDx Talks 2013). As I remember, I heard an A, B, C song before I learn how to write. It now makes sense to me, and I realised that music plays a significant part of our learning life. Especially, in the early year learning, we introduce the world to children using music. They have a freedom to learn and express their feeling through music. Music gives children a free emotion to move independently and that’s how they learn.

Reference:

Wooten, V 2013, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland, YouTube, viewed 29 June 2022, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0&feature=youtu.be>

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In the YouTube video ‘Music as a Language’, Victor Wooten raises some interesting ideas around music being just like a language and goes into his personal experience growing up within a musical family. Wooten’s TED Talk sparked thoughts within my experience learning how to speak English as a child. In the video, Wooten mentions that “you were speaking, I’d probably say, before birth. Whenever you could hear is when you started learning it” (TEDx Talks 2013). This thought intrigued me and made me realise the somewhat truth behind this. I cannot recall being taught to speak English because I never was. It was something that I learnt at a subconscious level, as I was always exposed to it with my mother reading me books whilst in the womb, as well as singing to me as a baby.

From this TED Talk, I learnt that as a future Early Childhood educator I should be thinking about how I will introduce music into my practice, and re-iterated that as educators, we must allow the children freedom to express themselves through movement. Wooten makes a great point when he says “a kid playing air guitar will play with a smile on their face” (TEDx Talks 2013). This particular comment encouraged me to think about when I was a child, and all the times that my sister and I would make up our own dance routines and force our parents to watch us. They never once told us that we weren’t performing the dance moves correctly. They would always cheer and encourage us to keep going.

REFERENCE:

TEDx Talks 2013, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolalsland, online video, 30 May, YouTube, viewed 29/06/2022 <https://youtu.be/2zvjW9arAZ0>

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Whilst watching Victor Wooten’s TED talk about ‘Music as a Language’, he talks about how music is more than just a line of tunes. During the video, I was able to resonate with Victor Wooten’s certain points he raised. Specifically, when he talks about when we as humans started to speak and learn English, he mentions that “whenever you could hear is when you probably started learning it” (TEDx Talks 2013), that really resembles with me in a lot of aspects in my life. My personal experience growing up, this is how I was exposed to love Bollywood dancing as form of art, as from a very young age I would constantly feel shy to dance around family or at events despite loving the form of expression it provides. However, the more I saw my parents and family members get involved this helped me push out of my comfort zone and take a huge interest performing Bollywood dancing for a huge crowd. As a future educator I would really implement this in any teaching, especially with music, dance, and arts as I believe these aren’t as focused as compared to main subjects in school. If I notice a child having a huge interest in these art forms, I will recognise it and encourage them by providing them a chance to explore what it is they like about it and really help them have a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing. If needed, I would step in and implement learning in a way they would be encouraged to listen and gain content out of. Educators limit their understanding as to how they view children and what they are capable of, therefore, I aim to be the change and really help them pursue this for long term.

Reference:
TEDx Talks 2013, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland, online video, 30 May, YouTube, viewed on 29 June 2022, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0>

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‘Who Owns the Story?’ discusses ownership of traditional stories and folklore. Respecting those stories and the way that they are shared. This got me thinking in relation to how do we give children and their stories agency in an early childhood setting? How often do children share stories with us? How do we listen and record those stories? Is there consideration given to who owns the story? Children like to make books and create stories through their play and interactions with their peers. In advocating for children’s rights, is this something that should be given more of a voice. If the story is retold or shared as part of a group learning experience how is the author given a voice, if they are not yet able to read. By reading a child’s story how to we ensure that their voice is maintained to their satisfaction? While this article discusses cultural ownership of stories, I don’t see that this should be independent to what we would support by way of storytelling in early childhood settings. Then further to creative expression of stories by children, when we support the children in acting out stories and performing with and to their peers are we being true to these stories? This article raised more questions for me with respect to our representation of the dramatic arts and movement of the children we are with. It leaves room for reflection and further discussion.

Reference:

Welch, W 2009, Who Owns the Story?, Storytelling, Self, Society, vol. 1, no. 5, Wayne State University Press, <https://www.jstor.org/stable/41943296?saml_data=eyJzYW1sVG9rZW4iOiIxZGU3NjE2Mi00NmU3LTQyZTMtOTJkYi01MWQ0NmExNGZkN2IiLCJpbnN0aXR1dGlvbklkcyI6WyJhNDUxYTM0OS1iNDc2LTQzMzQtYTNkMS0wOGNlZTk0ODhhZDgiXX0&seq=1>

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I found the video to be really inspiring and something that allows me to think about music in a different way, allowing me to enjoy its various tones and sounds. Victor's idea of children having the "freedom" (TEDx Talks 2013) to express themselves appealed to me a lot. This allows children to be present in the moment while simultaneously using their creativity to create their own music. Victor discusses how, as educators, we prioritise teaching children to play musical instruments. He emphasises that the goal is not to teach the children how to play a certain musical instrument but rather to teach them the fundamentals of music. Victor remarked in the Ted Talk video that it does not matter whether you play the musical instrument correctly or incorrectly; it is all about how it feels to you. It reminds me that nothing in life requires perfection and, as music is freedom, nobody is judging what you have created. This makes me realise that it is the same as learning anything, working in an early learning centre, or evaluating children's abilities or growth. It is vital to allow children to explore; there is no right or wrong method to learn or develop. Also, I heard him remark somewhere that it's not about how good you can sing, but about‘singing because it feels good.' It is exactly what I do. I sing whenever I hear a song that I relate to and that awakens my soul because it feels nice. I'm not a particularly excellent singer, but listening to the lyrics, the sound of the music, and the instruments playing feels like an invitation; I become lost in the moment, feel the rhythm, and sing because it feels wonderful. This is what music means to me. Therefore, as an educator, I must make music or any other material available to children at any time and in any setting so that they can explore and learn while playing.

Wooten, V 2013, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland, YouTube, viewed 30 June 2022, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0&feature=youtu.be>

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I gleaned several different ideas or concepts from Chapter 16 of The Hundred Languages of Children that got me reflecting on my practice. Those ordinary moments with children are the ones that can provide the most inspiration and joy. Observing children in those moments can lead to a greater understanding of each child and the way that they interact with the provocations that are provided. In setting up a space for children, front and centre is always going to be the aesthetics. If it’s not appealing initially, then children will be less inclined to interact. During term 2 we have had a listening post in a quiet corner of my service, with headphones and a CD player with various books containing songs and stories for the children to choose from. This has been moved to different spaces to encourage children to interact with different peers and give all children an opportunity to be involved in the experience. While aesthetically this isn’t a beautiful space, the children have been joyful in their engagement, often asking for the CD to be changed or restarted. The happiness in their expressions, particularly if two children are listening to the same piece is beautiful to observe. In my view this is an amazing example of the hundred languages of children. They are creating meaning and enjoying music and language together without using language, just sharing an experience. These capable and competent individuals that we are learning alongside come with an innate understanding of the world they are in and I enjoy questioning my understanding. What can we learn from and with children, if a piece of music is added to the environment without any fuss, would the children stop and listen? Do they move to the rhythm? Are they acutely aware of the tempo? Would they singalong? Would they find a quiet place later and sing quietly to themselves? It’s all part of this co-construction of knowledge that we are so fortunate to be part of.

Reference:

Edwards, CP, Gandini, L & Forman, GE 2011, The Hundred Languages of Children: the Reggio Emilia experience in transformation, 3rd edn, ABC-CLIO, LLC, <https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?docID=820317&ppg=322>

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The theory of the hundred languages by Reggio Emilia is very interesting. After I read the chapter; Is Beauty a Way of Knowing? I have become more understand how children learn in the different ways. Children learn from every movement, everything they touch, they see and hear or response. Every human has their own talent and sensibility which Emilia (Edwards, Gandini & Forman 2012) called an aesthetic dimension. From my understanding, an aesthetic dimension is the beautiful of our experiences, the attitude towards things around us. For young children, they develop their learning from the environment and making meaning around them. Emilia also uses the phrase ‘rich normality’ to describe the environment include physically, emotionally, socially attention. The environment in the kinder room or school gives the quality of the learning experience. Children play outside at the playground, swing their hands in the air or move their two fingers on top of the window frames are the process of learning which can add to the hundred language definition.

Children learn through play; they learn from natural surroundings. I will provide the rich experience and will use the Reggio-hundred language approach to my teaching practice where I’ll allow children explore their learning independently, provide a natural resource for children to embedded and connected with their world. The hundred language is also described as the way we know things which reflect to who we are, our experiences, families, and communities. The implication of hundred languages also supported by other two theorists John Dewey and Malaguzzi. Dewey (Edwards, Gandini & Forman 2012 p. 298) described in the chapter that human experience is aesthetic. The simple way to summarise the hundred language theory is that children learn from every moments, every situations and everything they’ve experiences.

Reference:

Edwards C, Gandini, L & Forman, G 2012, The Hundred Language of Children: the Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, Praeger, 3rd edn, pp. 295 – 302.

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Out of this whole book, this specific chapter 16 ‘100 Languages’ discusses the relationship between learning and teaching. This chapter aims to shine light on the importance of providing children with a 100 ways of thinking about the world around them. Through this it targets the subcategories of “physical, social, emotional and cognitive environments” as these play a very beneficial role in “continually [aspiring]” children (Cooper M 2012). As Reggio Emilia discusses the different ways to observe the images shown, she really questions into each detail of an image despite what is given as behind every image there are multiple ways to observe them and would differ from person to person. Similarly, this correlates with how children learn in multiple ways. The way teaching is catered to each child, it differs based on their strengths and weaknesses, as well, what is the best way they learn. As an educator, I really provide the children to show their potential of what’s the best way of learning for them by trying a range of methods and see what works for each child. Some learn better visually; some learn better by hearing, and some learn better by touching. Personally, growing up, I resonated with learning visually and through hands on activities. This really benefitted me to thrive in whatever I chose to do as it was specific for me. Therefore, Reggio Emilia inspired me to try different approaches and use observation as a day to day must and provide opportunity to free learn based on their interests and having the confidence to communicate. Understanding this from an early age can be very critical in a child’s lifelong term as it has many benefits along their education journey. This practice can be implemented in any aspect of anyone’s life, not just specifically for children.

Reference:

Edwards, CP, Gandini, L & Forman, GE 2011, The Hundred Languages of Children: the Reggio Emilia experience in transformation, 3rd edn, ABC-CLIO, LLC, <https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?docID=820317&ppg=322>

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The key phrase that stood out to me while reading chapter 16, The Beauty of Knowing, of Reggio Emilia's 100 Languages of Children was that "aesthetic experience is the freedom of thought," and I completely agree, because aesthetic, as we know and think about it, is not just about art in painting but art that can be expressed in numerous ways, such as music, drawing, dancing, and many other ways, and it goes beyond just art. Children who are allowed to think freely can explore numerous dimensions of things and use their imagination to develop and expand on what they already know. Everything we do is beautiful, including "racing fingertips along a fence line, twisting and darting in open spaces, breathing deeply the smells of the natural world." These are all approaches for children to gain understanding by using all of their senses. This is all about aesthetics.

Also, it has given me important insight into how to apply it to my profession as an educator. I believe it is vital to provide children with a variety of ways to express themselves about the world around them. As early childhood professionals, we will be able to provide an environment in which these young learners can express, explore, and connect their thoughts, feelings, and imagination if we consider children as capable and full of potential. A programme guided by children for children to convey their knowledge so that they can create their own learning utilising their hundred languages and senses through hands-on learning experiences and materials given as Malaguzzi (1994) defines the child's image as one of potential, strength, power, competence, and connection to adults and other children.

As an educator, I believe that Reggio's theory of hundreds of languages is essential to my practice. My role is to study with children, serving as guides and resources throughout their learning journey

Edwards, CP, Gandini, L & Forman, GE 2011, The Hundred Languages of
Children: the Reggio Emilia experience in transformation, 3rd edn, ABC-CLIO, LLC, <https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?docID=820317&ppg=322> .

Malaguzzi, L 1994, Your image of the child: Where teaching begins, Exchange, vol 96, p 52–56.

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Victor Wooten’s Tedx Talk ‘Music as a language’ has really opened my eyes to music in a way that I hadn’t thought of it before. What an incredible way to view music, as an innate language that we are all born with and have the ability to advance if given the chance to. If you take the concept of learning language in the womb as soon as we are able to hear and apply this music, then it becomes fundamentally obvious that we can be born knowing how to play an instrument. The notion that if we take away the rules of learning and implement the skills of already knowing, just as we do with learning to talk, along with constant exposure makes to music then it makes complete sense. Having the freedom to listen, explore and play rather than learning rules from someone needing to teach you will nurture that innate ability. As early childhood educators it is incredibly important that we adopt this concept to allow children the freedom to explore their own natural ability. Giving children a multitude of opportunities to tap into their musical ability as much as possible, without restriction and rules can truly nurture the talent within. Incorporating music and the arts in early childhood education is also important as this might not be something that children may be exposed to at home. Giving the children the chance to be free to explore music will also open the door to movement. It is rare that someone can hear music and not feel the need to move their bodies. Music has been shown to have so many emotional and physical positive attributes that enrich our lives in a meaningful way. Providing children with these opportunities is of utmost importance so that they don’t lose the skills that they are born with.

Reference
Wooten, V 2013, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland, YouTube, Viewed 29 June 2022, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0&feature=youtu.be>

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The video ‘Wrong Skin’ immediately caught my attention and a clip I found I could not look away from.

Musically, they chose a song that is well known to the world, and a sound that will catch the attention of anyone. Even though the song was produced in the 1950’s, I remember as a young girl dancing in the rain, singing along to this tune. Especially when holding an umbrella!

I believe this was done intentionally. Capturing the audience by a familiar sound. You can see the dancer’s using moves from the original video clip. Then suddenly, you can hear traditional instruments such as didgeridoos and clap sticks, and we are now watching a beautiful, indigenous work of art.

When their performance transitions into traditional dancing is when this video becomes inspiring. I loved hearing the audience’s reaction to this, they are encouraging and fascinated, and watching the dancers move culturally to the sounds of their indigenous instruments.

I enjoyed watching the performers using their umbrellas as a representation of a spear and using the umbrellas in their dance as a prop. At one point of this video, you can hear them chanting and singing in their native language but still using the original song ‘Singing in the Rain’ as a back track. Finally, it ends with them, once again, using original dance moves such as kicking the umbrella up to their shoulders, and walking off stage. I loved their creativeness in this area, beginning and ending with the original piece of music and having a powerful, captivating native dance between.

Reference:

Djuki Mala, ‘Wrong Skin’ – Singing in the Rain, 2015, viewed 29th June 2022,

https://vimeo.com/119091909

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Second response – ‘Is Beauty a Way of Knowing? 100 languages by Reggio Emilia: The ‘hundred languages’ show how children can be so creative through a key point of “hundred languages. It made me realise how children with the hundred languages, hundred ways of thinking, listening, singing, loving, touching, feeling, and understanding can grow in their own outcomes. These all help shift the children in growth with their involved learning and communication, also connecting through to building their imagination skills through this concept of hundred languages. The article makes me think about how different topics can help the children build on their imagination skills, even if it is a simple topic. It provoked great new teaching practices for myself as it has helped me realise how music and a topic can promote imagination skills for children. I also believe having children sing and speak would really help other children feel equal and safe as they would find it very similar to themselves.

The concept expresses the idea of children basically having hundred ways to express themselves which allows the children to grow on their imagination skills.

I would implement children the idea of hundred languages as it would help them build, social skills, imagination skills, communication skills, and promote belonging. These are all very important for children to grow on which I believe this article could help as it expresses children singing, promoting music, imagination growth and social skills. I could implement this through many ways such as activities that contain hundred item or even showing the hundred languages videos to the children. Hands on activities could also help the children with socialising along with imagining and connecting. I believe it’s also an entertaining activity which is great.

The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia experience in Transformation, 3rd Edition:

Ebookcentral.proquest.com. 2022. Victoria University Central Authentication Service. [online] Available at: <https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/detail.action?docID=820317> [Accessed 28 June 2022].

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Third response – The Parallaxis Game: This game is a perfect way to appreciate your surroundings, respect the land and tradition owners and build your belonging towards your country. The game helps through walking slowly in an area and building your connections to the place. This helps feel connected to your world and feel belonged which is an outcome in the Early Years Learning Framework. It is a great way to also build on your imagination skills as the game can be observed very differently by each person. You can point out different things with the images to what others could have observed.

Playing myself it made me realise how important and different you can find things when you think deeper. I observed things I usually wouldn’t and felt belonged to the space. Overall, I believe it’s a great game that helps promote belonging.

These inform my early childhood teaching practice as I would implement an activity which contains observing and walking through an outdoor space in which they can discover and connect to their worlds. This would help the children with socialising, communicating, feeling belonged and building on their imagination skills which are important aspects for children and their growth.

This activity connects with early childhood perspectives as it’s a great way of allowing the children to bond with the things around them and feel safe in our environment.

The Parallaxis. 2022. The Parallaxis – A game of walking between worlds. [online] Available at: <http://www.the-parallaxis.com/> [Accessed 28 June 2022].

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This shot clip begins with breath. The sound of someone’s breath instantly transforms and calms you. It reminds you to take a breath and to relax. The images in the clip follow the landscape with a focus on water, the images and sounds make you think of fresh crisp morning air and reminds you to listen, to connect. While watching the clip I thought about how the Indigenous communities have such strong love and respect for the land they are on. They are in no rush; they are slow and calm and have patience for what is to come. For how the land will grow, how their children will grow, how our sprit as a nation and not just ourselves will grow. This clip makes me feel still and reminds me that there needs to be a time for calm reflection, to be able to know where we are and where we are going. As educators it is important that we have calm reflection time with the children. They don’t constantly need stimulus to grow, to learn, to be engaged. The power of breath and stillness are skills they also need to learn. The skill to connect with the place, to grow an appreciation and respect for everything and everyone around you are the lessons that will help them in all aspects of their lives. We as educators need to encourage the children the be mindful so they can have a chance to see and notice everything no matter how big or small.

Reference

MiriamRoseFoundation 2017, DADIRRI (Official Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Video) :: 3 minute promo, YouTube, viewed 30 June 2022, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tow2tR_ezL8&t=4s>.

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I was sceptical about what I would read and relate to on this website when I initially clicked on it and started reading, but as I continued reading, the notion of the game reminded me of performing place walks from previous units. Walking around somewhere new or familiar and focusing on what you see, hear, sense, and feel is something I don't think we do enough in our hectic lives. The game's aim is to make people experience the world differently through your lenses. I found the game to be interesting in all areas, and each one to be valuable in relating them to my practise on its own. What do we see, imagine, or feel in our environment? I believe that entanglement occurs everywhere in nature. I was desperate to connect to the game by playing it myself. So, I went for a walk around my house, not knowing what to look for at first, so I kept walking and tried to focus on what I truly noticed around me. Walking on the trail close to my house during the early hours gave me opportunities to see different scenes, hear different sounds, and open my mind to a new perspective. I didn't realise the scale of movement around me until this thought-walk. Also, young children learn through interaction with their environment. Therefore, as an educator, I would continue to encourage children to explore the world on their own. Furthermore, I aim to strengthen the connection between the children and their surroundings through various activities, such as taking them to the neighbourhood park or to the local library. Children can explore their senses in the classroom by listening to what they can hear in the yard and smelling the plants that we grow together.

Reference:

The Parallaxis - A game of walking between worlds 2022, The Parallaxis, viewed 30 June 2022, <http://www.the-parallaxis.com/>

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After watching the Tanderrum ceremony and listening to people from Dja Dja Wurrung of the Kulin Nation at Federation Square, it made me reflect on how important it is to their mobs and to our history (the city of Victoria) for First Nation people to be able to express themselves through music, movement and dance. The importance of using traditional dress, traditional artefacts as part of their identity, such as tar, feathers, possum skin, cement, pebbles etc, to make a connection to earth. It saddens me to know that history tells us that the First Nations people before them were, stifled from their cultural rights and given no freedom to share and practice their language, song, dance and cultural rituals with community. As an educator’s perspective, this makes me think about how there is so much to learn and explore by allowing these ceremonies to be shared with non-Aboriginal community. By attending these ceremonies would allow me an opportunity to work with local Aboriginal people to further my own connection with place and Aboriginal Australia. This will give me a deeper knowledge to share with my Kindergarten community and have a mutual respect for cultural expression and artistic practices of our First Nation People. Through this it will help strengthen relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians in my Kindergarten and the wider community. I look forward in connecting with Wurundjeri-Woiwurrung people at the next Tanderrum ceremony by being there in person.

Reference. Tanderrum with the Dja Dja Wurrung.

https://vucollaborate.vu.edu.au/d2l/le/content/1399643/viewContent/7526111/View

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I watched the video Mutton Bird by Bangarra Education Resources and was interested to learn about the link the Mutton birds have to Indigenous culture. In my findings Mutton birds have been hunted and eaten for 10,000 years by the Tasmanian Indigenous people. It was interesting to also learn that the Mutton bird population is carefully assessed by Aboriginal people in particular, when numbers are low to allow this ritual and culture to continue for generations to come. This demonstrates that the Aboriginal people have a strong connection to the environment, living and non-living existence and to their community. Watching the video made me realise that there are so many different ways to tell stories and ways of expressing culture through dance, music and movement by giving it a voice.  The Bangarra approach can guide me in an Early Years setting by acknowledging that there are social and political issues that affect us and through artistic expression we can tell stories in other forms through dance, music and movement on issues such as, the environment, racial discrimination, gender inequality, etc in an appropriate and respectful manner to give meaning to young children.

Reference.

Bangarra Education Resources- Mutton Bird

https://youtu.be/o-PV98Oshkc

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The video ‘The Hundred Languages’ caught my attention. There are children who believe that the child is made of one hundred. They have hundreds of languages, hands, thoughts, and methods for exploring the world, but we (grow up) stealing ninety-nine of them. What does that mean, exactly?

Reggio educators believe that the majority of public educational systems limit children in a variety of ways.
Children should receive support from adults for their opportunities for experiences, experimentation, and play in a variety of ways. We should not limit their creativity or ability to set up.
The hundreds of languages construct concepts and consolidate their understanding of the world around them.
For this, we need to have a view of education for children, with children at the center.

However, we sometimes make the mistake of viewing children through the same lens.
Education should focus on each child as an individual through interaction and mutual respect between teachers (adults) and children.
Children interact with and contribute to their world. Children's experiences range from birth to living and learning with others in a variety of communities.

So, I believe that when educators create and provide positive experiences for children, they can become more respectful, responsive, and active members of their community and society.
We should allow them to experiment, fail, and make mistakes so that they can maintain their many different ways of seeing and being.

Reference

Malaguzzi, L 2016,The Hundred Languages- A Maker's Mindset, Slaughter, M, viewed 29 June 2022 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnQcF7x34V0>

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This video is inviting us to the Tanderrum Ceremony held in Federation Square. It is the meeting of five clans of the Kulin Nation: Wurundjeri, Boon Wurrung, Taungurung, Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung. I admire that it is held at Federation Square, a very central and well-known area of Melbourne and Victoria, and I find it beautiful that it invites everyone to dance and sing along to celebrate culture. The description of this inspiring video quotes ‘With sand, leaves and bark, a space is made and it’s a space to be shared. Come dance with us. (Archivist Media, 2017)’ This quote is so beautiful. It creates a feeling of genuine involvement and wanting to dance and sing in Tanderrum.

I find the importance for such an event to be involved in the Melbourne Festival each year. We must consistently be creating awareness of the Kulin Nation and expressing their culture through music and movement. It is admirable to see people gather and dance and sing about something that is so meaningful to many.

The Music Director of Tanderrum quotes ‘For me, Tanderrum is about the coming together and the maintenance of language, of song, of dance and the cultural ritual. (Lou Bennett, 2.48, Tanderrum with the Dja Dja Wurrung, 2017)’

I believe this qupte expresses exactly what we want to learn and imbed from this unit. How music from cultures, can gather, sing and dance to become one and pay respects to the original custodians of the land.

References:

Dja Dja Wurrung, Tanderrum, 2017, viewed 29th June 2022,

https://vimeo.com/223399804

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After watching “The Tanderrum Celebration” video, I have come to know the importance of culture for Indigenous Australians and the meaning of connection to the land. Non- Indigenous people may consider land as something they own whereas for Aboriginal people the relationship to the land is much deeper. Connection to the land is very important for Aboriginal people because it allows them to receive their identity and sense of belonging. It is more than land and place rather it’s their history. They are deeply connected to the land spiritually. Aboriginal culture and sovereignty are shaped by the interconnectedness of their law and spirituality with the land, the people, and creation. In this video, the Dja Dja Wurrung of the Kulin Nation alongside other clans of the Kulin Nation come together to celebrate both their cultures and ancestries. Through movement and music, they were able to tell their story. I have found this very emotional and inspirational. It is noticeable that as part of Indigenous culture, song and music are expressions of a distinct and enduring heritage and are fundamental to a sense of self, place, and belonging. The propagation and preservation of Indigenous traditions rely heavily on Indigenous music. Therefore, as early childhood educators, it is vital to engage with place. Engagement with local place, by foregrounding local expressions of Aboriginal culture as part of everyday moments of teaching and learning with young children. Engaging with place would help focus on creating and developing relationships with families, children, and educators. Being able to embed this into my everyday teaching will allow both the students and I to enhance our understanding of the first nation people and why connection to the land is important. Music is very important and can be seen as means of explaining and storytelling it provides people the opportunity to express themselves without having to speak vocally.

References

Dja Dja Wurrung, Tanderrum, 2017, viewed 30TH July 2022,

https://vimeo.com/223399804

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First response - Music as a Language’ by Victor Wooten: The YouTube video ‘Music as a Language’ by Victor Wooten made me build great knowledge on the importance of music for children as a language aspect. I realised how music does make a big impact as children think that music is a free, and professional singer as when your younger music and singing seems to be like you have been singing all your life even if you don’t know all the lyrics and words to a song. I learnt that children learn music as a language as they are also still learning how to speak when learning how to sing. Victor made me realise how important music and instruments are for children. It helps them through learning how to speak and feeling professional within what they are doing. The way he states that by the time a child learns how to say a word they already know so much about the word. Which backtracks to the idea of by the time a child knows how to sing they have heard and learnt the song many times. This helped me shift my future teaching practice as I would make music as important as speaking normal language as music helps children with freedom, confidence and speaking skills.

The video provoked the thoughts of how important music is even for myself so I could imagine how it feels for children. As an adult I love singing while cooking, showering, driving and many different situations which is because music is also a “lifestyle” as music can promote all different emotions. Same for children as children do tend to sing a lot when they are very happy.

The video helped me inform key aspects of Listening to music is a great key in early childhood settings as it helps the children to build social, emotional, physical outcomes which relate back to the Early Years Learning Framework. This is a reason to why I would implement music in my teaching practice for the children. The video builds connections for my future teaching practice as it helped me realise how music can be very beneficial for children.

Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDx GabriolaIsland 2013, online video, TEDx Talks, Youtube.com. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0> [Accessed 28 June 2022].

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Respons to Parallaxis

This is a game. A game about a moment record. A record about movement.

When I opened the home page of this site, I had no idea about it at all. Then I was drawn to the pictures posted. In this game, everyone relays to record a certain moment around themselves, and everything looks so calm, ordinary, and even a little boring. It's one of the countless moments that exist around us, because there are so many of them that we don't even pay attention to it. When they are recorded in this way, very magical things happen, these moments that are always blind to us, full of vitality, full of presence. I feel strongly that so many moments are also vibrant when we ignore them. When they are shown to be valued, they look very interesting. These simple pictures seem to make time stand still, but they show the changes and effects of various time transitions that exist behind them on the environment. It seems that every little part tells a story. Tell us that we are living. I felt the greatness, the power, and the eternity of the small.

These little moments are beautiful, quiet and telling, weak but full of vitality. They reminded me that there were so many details around us. Sunlight, shadows, lines, shapes. They make up our complex lives. They are casually placed to show their beauty. Disordered and random. Does art just exist in design and placement that can be done? There are all forms of art all around us. In our daily practice, how do we use these little moments to influence children's perceptions of things? I think it's also about quieting down from tension and purposefulness and letting slowness and detail affect your actions. Pay attention to your feelings, feel your feelings, and feel the details of how you feel. Children can also learn to enjoy the moments and enjoy the details with us, and find the little story around us.

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Response to Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland

As I watched this video, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland, my mind kept flashing through all sorts of art education scenarios that I had experienced or seen, and I was generating ideas along with the Victor Wooten's narrative.

He used a very clever way to compare the differences in our usual language education and musical instruments education to children. He sparked our thoughts. Generally speaking, when we learn musical instruments, we will start with simple music theory knowledge, and after a few lessons, children will begin to use instruments, which is actually a lot like developing a skill. And the instrument is just a tool in our hands. Then there will be years or decades of daily practicing, or some people give up in the process. Because it is indeed a painful and torturous progress. It's learning a technique rather than music.
And the real learning of music should perhaps start with something simpler, funner, or even a little "useless". Music is more of a feeling to me. Where does it exist? It can be said that all kinds of sounds in nature are the birthplace of music. Therefore, the cultivation of music should be to constantly contact, feel and associate. Then the instrument is the tool and medium through which you want to express your feelings through something. Is music education and other arts education necessarily difficult and expensive? There are endless resources around us that allow children to convey information to each other in their senses and music. Through continuous contact and accumulation, some things will happen naturally, and children themselves will be curious and want to try to express themselves through musical instruments. The pursuit of their musical dreams will not be in a hurry. It's just pure love and excellence.
So, music cultivation should be more natural, and there is a lot we can do to help children with music learning in our daily practice. A small inadvertent moment may start a child's musical journey.

Reference:

Victoria University 2013, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland, YouTube, 30 May, Victoria University, Melbourne, viewed 30 June 2022, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0>.

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Music is a powerful source that unchains us to learn, be free, feel, and find our place in the world. Victor Wooten’s video on ‘Music as a Language’ opened my eyes to music in a different manner and to understand music plays a powerful role in our life. While watching the video, my attention and thoughts were drawn to the connection music and language has, and the power of music Victor speaks about, where it all just begins by listening. Victor outlines when we listen to our surroundings we begin to learn and those sounds mold us into who we are, allowing us to know our interests, and leading to the learning of language. With this thought, I was able to reflect on my own life, where my parents would play Sri Lankan songs at home for us to learn our native language, Sinhala, which helped us to recognise Sinhala words, to pronounce, and learn to make sentences without us even knowing.

“Music allows you to be free and have a voice” (TEDx Talk 20013). I find this to be a powerful quote as music allows every one of us despite our age, to listen, feel, understand, find interest, move our bodies, find our voice, and use different tones, which allows us to be free, speak out, and be happy at any given age and situation. Music also allows us to communicate messages and learn by feeling the music and the message being communicated. As an early childhood teacher, I find music is a powerful teaching tool to utilise in the learning environment for children to feel free, move their bodies, develop themselves, find their interests, and learn language through the use of their voice.

This video allowed me to rethink my practices as an early childhood teacher as I recognised the power of music. Music is a wonderful tactic to use in the early years learning environment to embrace culture by playing different ethnic songs for children to acknowledge their cultures and mother toughs, which would result in children feeling welcome and belonging in the learning environment. Playing the music of other ethics would allow children to gain an understanding of who they are, where they are from, and develop respect towards other cultures and practices. Music can also be utilized to help children feel belonging and develop social skills as children hear music, it opens a door for children to move their bodies and be free to have fun, which would result in connecting with their peers.

Reference:

TEDx Talks 2013, online video, Music as a language, viewed 30 June 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0.

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I found this article on the reflection on Dadirri by Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann so inspiring to read. We can learn so much from the Aboriginal culture in particular, the emphases of Spiritual Dadirri which is the quiet stillness and waiting of one. This plays a big part of Aboriginal identity where they see land is sacred and unique. We are always time poor, and I am depended on sticking to schedules and routines of the day. This has made me reflect on what I feel is important in my day and what things I can be more flexible with in a Kindergarten setting. Do we give children enough time to connect with land and their environment through patience with waiting by sitting, listening, and contemplating on their own in silence? Do we see this as unusual to just be for a time or do we need children to constantly be doing in order to learn? I found this quote particularly enlightening,

“Let tiny drops of stillness fall gently through my day” Noel Davis.

I’m certainly going to take this on board with my practices as an Early Years Educator and in my personal life to recognise Dadirri, its inner, deep listening and quiet, still awareness, as an important part of finding my pace in the world.

Reference.

Dadirri. Inner deep listening and quiet still awareness.

http://www.dadirri.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dadirri-Inner-Deep-Listening-M-R-Ungunmerr-Bauman-Refl1.pdf

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Djuki Mala’s ‘Wrong Skin’ singing in the rain video clip is a fantastic example of how our First Nations Peoples traditions and culture can be used in any type of setting including the arts. The way that the dancers incorporated traditional aboriginal dancing to the music of a classic musical/movie from western and predominantly white genre performance piece shows that dance a medium can be transformed into all aspects of our lives. The way that we were able to clearly see, as we the audience, that parts of the original piece were intertwined with traditional aboriginal dancing was such a perfect translation of how we can incorporate all aspects of aboriginal traditions into early childhood education. The way the dancers seamlessly made everything come together and how they used props such as umbrellas which were used in the original piece and not only used it in the same way but also then transformed them into spears for hunting was ingenious. This shows us that as early childhood educators we can easily take aspects of indigenous culture and intertwine them into our everyday teachings. Being mindful that using our bodies as a tool for expression is something that has been embedded into our culture for an incredible amount of time and that it is definitely a tradition that we need to nurture and continue.

Reference
(Djuki Mala 'Wrong Skin' - Singing in the Rain, 2022)

Vimeo. 2022. Djuki Mala 'Wrong Skin' - Singing in the Rain. [online] Available at: <https://vimeo.com/119091909> [Accessed 29 June 2022].

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This game helps us focus on our surroundings from the biggest to the smallest detail around us. It is a puzzle game that has two overlapping worlds. This game can be played by yourself, with a friend, or with a whole group. I have played this game before with my siblings when I was younger. My mother used to make us sit down in a circle and place one finger in between our eyes, on top of our nose. With one eye open and the other shut and then swapping, doing the same with the other eye, and vice versa. Even though the figure doesn’t move, with each eye-opening separately, it seems that the finger changes position. My mother used to question us on how and why it may seem that way. This game is one of the many games my mother used to make us play. It helps us to relax and be more creative with our imagination. As an early educator, embedding this game could be very helpful for young children to start thinking and using their imaginations. This idea of stopping and just observing others and watching what they do can be very beneficial to children. They would start to question their surroundings and what they see. I would continue to encourage young children to participate in making a connection between what they see and what they already know and how the two link together. This game can be played, in various ways which are very interesting.

Reference:

The Parallaxis- a game of waking between worlds 2022, the Parallaxis, viewed 30 June 2022, <https://www.the-parallaxis.com/>

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The TedTalk of Victor Wooten was an interesting topic as it delves into the topic of music as a language. Being born into music, Wooten was exposed to the craft of music from a very young age. He likens music to be his first language, wherein he was taught to play the bass very early on. Except, when he was learning to play the bass, he was taught to do specific things, such as pressing on certain strings to create specific notes. However, when he was learning how to speak, he was not told what things to say, and was not told he was wrong when he used a word incorrectly. Instead, he learned this through actually speaking the language. This relates to children freely expressing themselves, which would potentially allow them to broaden their imaginations and think outside the box. Children, unlike what people view them, have a wide range of ideas which needs to be supported in order for them to flourish as individuals. Music is also a language that we all speak, even when we do not have words. People, even babies and toddlers, respond to music even if they do not have a clear concept of what music is yet. The school system makes children feel afraid to express since mistakes are usually related to demerits. Instead, we should encourage children to not be afraid of making mistakes, because through this they have firsthand experience and are able to distinguish what errors they have made. As educators, we must be beacons of learning and not discourage children to speak up, express their thoughts, and make their creativity shine. In playing music, when playing a note, a chord, or a progression, your ear will catch what sounds good and what sounds off. The same goes for the learning in school, children will pick up on what aspects they are creating mistakes and, in the process, learn and improve.

Reference

Wooten, V 2013, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland, YouTube, viewed 29 June 2022< https:// Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland - YouTube>

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The chapter 16 reading by Margie Cooper titled “Is Beauty a Way of Knowing?” tackles themes of academia and how it constantly evolves. Throughout the years, the view on how educators should approach the field of education has had major shifts. The influence of external factors such as people has been an important viewpoint in understanding the perception of the students. With this, we can pinpoint what culture, beliefs, and practices they are exposed to, which can help us better understand them. This also helps us to become sensitive enough and handle certain situations and topics with discretion. It is also highlighted that the experiences of both an educator and a student in the process of learning is crucial for their development. The atelier is not only viewed as a place for working and creating. Moreover, the role of an atelierista is not only limited to teaching the technicalities of different techniques. Rather, the atelier and the atelierista are viewed in a much deeper sense, wherein the atelier can be seen as a place for the freedom of expressing one’s creativity and aesthetic taste. Meanwhile, the atelierista is also seen as expressive, thoughtful, and sensitive. Most of the time, children feel restricted and barred from expressing their own thoughts and feelings. In these situations, their creativity is hindered, and children often develop a fear or disinterest in voicing out their own views and displaying their creativity. The “Hundred Languages” approach encourages children to be more individualistic and allows them to be creative. With this, they are diverging from what is considered the norm and what the system has deemed to be the standard. The article makes you wonder if the system is truly fair, especially to those who are naturally different from the rest. Is the system truly set up to work fairly for everyone? Or does the system favor a certain group of individuals who are conforming to the school system. It also makes you think if a single school system would be applicable to every child when each individual child is unique from each other.

Reference

Edwards, C, Gandini, L, Forman, G, & Reggio, CS eds 2011, The Hundred Languages of Children: the Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, 3rd Edition: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, ABC-CLIO, LLC, Westport, viewed 29 June 2022, ProQuest Ebook Central

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The music video for Native Tongue by Mo’ Ju tackles a variety of topics such as immigrant struggles, identity construction, and the modern-day diaspora. The video explicitly displays the struggles of immigrant children growing up in other countries, wherein they tend to forget their roots. This is common for children growing up in foreign countries, especially when they are not taught their native language at home. Along with this, they tend to become disconnected from their origin and lack the connection to their homeland. The school system is focused on the status quo that some children feel disconnected from what they see and what they are taught. They feel like they cannot see themselves and that they don’t fit in. Children usually struggle with identity construction from an early age, especially if they are immigrants. They feel as though they don’t look, talk, and behave like the others. It is here wherein they get confused and start to question their identity. In trying to get in touch with their roots, they also tend to get casted out, since they are usually deemed as “too Westernized”. Children being encouraged to speak English usually comes with the neglect of not learning their native tongue, and with this they slowly forget how to use it. In households, the native tongue is usually spoken by the parents, however the children are not taught since they see it as unnecessary already since they are now residing in an English-speaking country. This goes to show that learning a language usually starts at home, wherein you should be freely expressing yourself and encouraged to utilize and explore the language. Moreover, children who belong to CALD (Culturally and Linguistically diverse) communities should feel welcome and comfortable maintaining their home language be it in their home and in the community.

Reference
Mojo, J 2019, Native Tongue: Featuring the Pasefika Vitoria Choir, YouTube, viewed 29 June 2022<http://www. MO'JU (FKA MOJO JUJU) - NATIVE TONGUE Featuring The Pasefika Vitoria Choir (Official Music Video) - YouTube>

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I believe Aboriginal people have particular respect for nature. They have connected nature with their body, mind and soul. Aboriginal people listen to nature deeply and inner to make their connection with the land. They believe that when they are among nature, they feel closer to God. According to the reading, their way of learning is listening. They believe they could not live good and valuable lives unless they listened. Aboriginal people have passed on this way of listening for over 40000 years.

Everything they do is close to nature, and Aboriginal people wait for the right time to do everything according to nature.

I believe provoking the aboriginal perspectives to our learning environment and letting children engage and explore the natural environment is the best way of respecting their beliefs and culture.

Reference list

DADIRRI (Official Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Video) :: 3 minute promo 2017, DADIRRI (Official Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Video) :: 3 minute promo, YouTube, viewed 29 June 2022, <https://youtu.be/tow2tR_ezL8>.

The Indigenous People of Australia n.d., viewed 29 June 2022, <http://www.dadirri.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dadirri-Inner-Deep-Listening-M-R-Ungunmerr-Bauman-Refl1.pdf>.

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‘Music as a Language’ by Victor Wooten has opened my eyes and the way I perceive music to be taught. Before this TED TALK, I have never thought of music as a language, but rather as an interest in children and families. From my observation of this video, I have learned that music can be used and taught throughout our day. For young children, musical training is very beneficial in improving and developing their language skills. I enjoyed how Victor Wooten spoke about language and music being intertwined and going hand in hand. Victor's journey to music brought back a memory from when I was a toddler. My mum used to sing this traditional lullaby about nature and how the world goes in a cycle. Before I could talk, I was able to identify objects outside e.g., when asked “where is the tree”? I would be able to point to a tree. I learned it all by listening and observing my mum when she sang. As an educator, it is crucial to embed music in our teaching practice. Moreover, music can stimulate all areas of the brain. They aid in the formation of abilities such as cognitive development, problem-solving, and self-expression in children. Just like when toddlers begin to talk, they are praised for their efforts in forming a particular word rather than focusing on their pronunciation of the word. Music should be taught the same. Children acquire the sounds and meaning of words more quickly when they listen to music from a young age. It offers the essential groundwork for reading and writing as kids get accustomed to the songs' rhythms, sounds, and rhymes. Additionally, singing might increase a child's vocabulary. Music is a powerful tool for communication.

Reference

TEDx Talks 2013, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland, online video, 30 May, YouTube, viewed on 28 June 2022

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0>

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The video of Mutton Bird by Bangarra Dance Theatre really resonated with me as the mum of a child who has been dancing in ballet and contemporary dance since she was two years old. ‘Mutton Bird’ is yet another demonstration of the incredibly talented work performed by Bangarra Dance Theatre. Their connection to their culture and land in a phenomenal and always so beautifully interpreted into a contemporary dance piece. The Mutton Bird has been hunted and eaten by the aboriginal people of Tasmania for tens of thousands of years. The dance encompasses the connection that our first nations peoples have with the land and their knowledge of not only the land but also how to survive and be self-sufficient. The way that they move their bodies so seamlessly it is clear to see that they are using their arms as wings in quite a majestic way just as a bird does.  The stunning performance leads a way to a path that can easily be incorporated in an early childhood setting. Allowing children to connect with their background and the land around them and express this through movement would be such a freeing activity to use with young children. It’s so important that we allow children the ability to express themselves freely and without judgement. Contemporary dance is so open to interpretation that this can be an easy activity for all children to enjoy and not feel judged or shy.  Reference                                                                        Bangarra. 2022. Mutton Bird (2008) | Bangarra. [online] Available at: <https://www.bangarra.com.au/learning/education-resources/classroom-resources/mutton-bird-2008/> [Accessed 30 June 2022].

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I was moved when I first saw the video because everyone was working together to keep this tradition alive.
It was impressive to see how people connect their spirit with land and bring their culture, language, and people together.
Everyone becomes one during this ceremony and welcomes visitors to their land. It cannot be performed, in my opinion, unless they respect and love people.
If no one inherits this priceless tradition, people's memories of it will fade, and we may lose our roots.
All Australian children have the right to learn about our ancient country and the rich and diverse cultures of First Nations peoples that continue to this day, beginning at a young age.
Educators can promote cultural learning in the early years by incorporating it into the curriculum.
Also, help children develop a sense of identity and belonging while also promoting a culture of understanding and respect for cultural diversity for all children by incorporating cultural learning into the early years.

So, how do I support this learning, and what do educators know about the subject? What steps should I take to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into my work? And how do I bring this into my daily life?

As an educator, I believe that the first step in practise is to understand their culture.
One of the most effective ways for educators to connect with the local community. Educators can build relationships with these communities and invite them to participate by connecting with people or community groups who have knowledge and expertise on living culture.

Make it clear to children that it is important that we acknowledge and respect each other's points of view; everyone sees the world from a different perspective.

Reference

Dja Dja Wurrung, Tanderrum, 2017, viewed 29 July 2022,

https://vimeo.com/223399804

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Not going to lie, the start of the YouTube video made me jump. The sounds were loud and super engaging. I was left wanting to know what was going to happen next.
Honestly, it never really occurred to me that there would be a difference between hearing and listening, however, Pauline Oliveros makes some valuable points. In the TED Talk ‘The difference between hearing and listening’, Oliveros explains this for us. She says that “to hear is a physical means that enables perception”, and “to listen is to give attention to what is perceived both acoustically and psychologically (TEDx Talks 2015). With this newly found knowledge in mind, after watching this video I sat myself down in a quiet room a at home. Oliveros encouraged me to listen beyond the sounds, to tune my ears to the intricate noises around me which I normally wouldn’t hear. I thought that this was a very interesting concept and a great way to connect to place.
As future educators, it is important for us to think about this idea of hearing and listening, as listening is a vital tool for effective communication. We must listen to the children in every way possible. Learn what their likes and dislikes are, become aware of the sounds that make them excited or agitated.

REFERENCE:
-TEDx Talks 2015, The difference between hearing and listening | Pauline Oliveros | TEDxIndianapolis, online video, 13 November, YouTube, viewed 30 June 2022 <https://youtu.be/_QHfOuRrJB8>

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After watching the YouTube video ‘Bangarra Education Resources Mutton Bird’ I was intrigued to find out more about the Mutton Bird itself, and what connection it has to Aboriginal culture within Australia. At the conclusion of the video, I conducted some research where I learnt that the Mutton bird is a large bird that is one of the main sources of food for the aboriginal people of Tasmania (Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia and Education Services Australia Ltd 2013, p. 4). The large bird inhabits the coastal areas of Tasmania and has for many years.

From an educator’s perspective, throughout the video I was thinking of ways in which I could introduce interpretive dance into my practice. One of the ways I could do this is by playing animal sounds to the children, and then with their bodies they would dance and move the way they think that animal would do so.

This video also encouraged me to reflect on my dancing experiences as a teenager. Whilst watching the 3 gentleman perform the interpretive dance, I was thinking about the long hours of practice that would’ve gone into making the performance look so great. To perform the way they did, they’d have to learn technique, and precious.  This takes me back to the previous video we watched in class ‘Music as a Language’ with Victor Wooten where he talks about how multiple people separate might not be as great but put them together and they are amazing as a team. This same concept applies to dance.

REFERENCE:

- Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia and Education Services Australia Ltd 2013, Education Resource: Mutton Bird From the production Mathinna, 2008. Recommended for years 5 and 6, Mutton Bird (an excerpt from Mathinna, 2008). …what is Mutton Bird about?, Bangarra Dance Theatre, p. 4, viewed 30 June 2022 <https://www.bangarra.com.au/media/qrudsr03/muttonbird_5-6.pdf>

- Bangarradance Theatre 2015, Bangarra Education Resources Mutton Bird, online video, 20 May, YouTube, viewed 30 June 2022 < https://youtu.be/o-PV98Oshkc>

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Response to Dadirri - Inner Deep Listening & Quiet Still Awareness

As soon as I start this video, I am deeply attracted. I enjoy every picture I see and every sound I hear in this video. I feel that I am the one who has been cured, my pain was healed, and the whole body and the soul were treated softly and gently. I felt a powerful force that was natural and mysterious, as if it came from nowhere, or emanated naturally from my own body. It makes me feel happy and makes me feel that this is the meaning of life. I was full of unburdened love and being loved, freedom and ease. I can't help but want to record the script. Because I feel like they give me great power.

To know me

Is to breathe with me

To breathe with me

Is to listen deeply

To listen deeply

Is to connect

It’s the sound

The sound of deep calling to deep

Dadirri

The deep inner spring inside us

We call on it and it calls on us…

However, when I had recorded them, I felt that they were so pale. Why there is such a big change, I think it is because in the video we can be affected by the sound and picture of the music in many ways. This is the effect that something very nihilistic, feeling, and beauty brings to us. Like the spirit of Dadirri, that kind of influence and feeling is instilled throughout our bodies, and it is not something that can be completely described in words alone.

Then I read that article. This article gave me a deeper understanding of Aboriginal culture. I began to feel infinite respect and envy for their culture and beliefs. I felt like I was part of their culture. Or maybe I feel like I need to put myself into such a belief and feeling. I think they celebrate the naturalness of human beings as members of nature. In this fast-paced society, we lack the spirit to make our body and mind merge with nature. I suddenly began to understand that I usually saw some of the common specialties of the indigenous people, and maybe that was what Dadirri believed.

To slow down, to feel, to wait. I love this kind of feeling.

Reference:

Victoria University 2017, DADIRRI (Official Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Video) :: 3 minute promo, YouTube, 29 November, Victoria University, Melbourne, viewed 30 June 2022, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tow2tR_ezL8>.

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Throughout Victor Wooten’s TED talk about ‘Music as a language’ I connected with his ideology; to teach children music in the same way we learned our first language, allowing it to flow more naturally without the academic approach and rules overriding the exposure and immersion of children to music. I remember as a child being surrounded by music, whether it be through songs, games, or classroom teachers who loved their musical instruments. Music was something I enjoyed and loved, however when it came to lessons I began to feel discouraged. As Victor quotes, "A kid playing air guitar will play with a smile on their face. Give them the first lesson, the smile goes away." What has been further cemented with me in this video is the relationship between music, language and freedom. In my own teaching practices I desire to provide children a safe and secure environment where they are free to express themselves and experiment with music,and with this comes listening to the children's voice. In music and like other activities it is important to allow freedom to explore what they’ve been exposed to, to interpret the meaning for their own purpose and to produce their own sound and music and how this connects to their world.  As Victor discusses, children's own knowledge of speaking through an instrument in their unique way is a key opportunity to encourage children to be drawn to music, by having it as part of daily practice and access to a range of instruments will enrich the learning environment for children and empowers them to connect to themselves, to their community and to the world.

TED Talks 2013, Music as a

Language: Victor Wooten at

TEDxGabriolaIsland, online video,

30 May, YouTube, viewed on 28

June 2022

<https://www.youtube.com/watch

?V=2zvjWParAZO>

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The Tanderrum ceremony belongs to the traditional owners of the land where the five communities; Kulin Nation: Wurundjeri, Boon Wurrung, Taungurung, Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung come together. Through this ceremony they display their connection to their past and present and encourage younger generations to connect with their own culture and traditions. The ceremony is held each year in Melbourne at Federation Square by the Dja Dja Wurrung who bring the Aboriginal communities through dance, movement and music. The main purpose of it is to tell Australians about their history and culture and its significance. While being dressed in their traditional attire Possum skin, cement, pebbles etc they showcase their connection with the earth and land. They feel proud and honoured as they step into the sand. It is heartbreaking to learn about the atrocities brought upon the First nation people by the British and early settlers. With these practices they feel confident and respected within their space. As an emerging early childhood educator I will ensure to teach children about the past of the Aboriginal communities and the different aspects of their culture that influence our existence. Their music shares stories about their past and how it influences their future. Next time I would feel lucky to attend a ceremony and learn through their music.
Dja Dja Wurrung, Tanderrum, 2017, viewed 29 July 2022,

https://vimeo.com/223399804

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After watching the TedTalk ‘Music as a Language’ I realised that music is a lifestyle and language. It resonated with my thoughts and how differently I thought. The environment helped him grow into the musician he is today. Victor Wooten suggests that bombs divide nations, music unites us all. When music is played regardless of the words, everyone moves in harmony and feels safe. He emphasises the fact that music as a language promotes freedom and safety amongst children and people. As an early childhood educator I will ensure that I incorporate Wooten’s views of music as a language into my teaching practises. They will learn about music first before they are introduced to how to play instruments. Children are naturally able to express themselves through music from a young age. The way playing an instrument is turned into a lesson really demotivates children from enjoying it. It feels more like a chore to them and their smile fades away. In order to ensure that no child feels that way I will encourage them to play an instrument in whatever way their heart pleases to and what sounds and feels right to them. The “no right or wrong” will be upheld during these times. Throughout the child’s early learning years music should play a crucial role in shaping their personalities, more so how they express themselves with the help of music.

TED Talks 2013, Music as a

Language: Victor Wooten at

TEDxGabriolaIsland, online video,

30 May, YouTube, viewed on 28

June 2022

<https://www.youtube.com/watch

?V=2zvjWParAZO>

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When I was watching the Bangarra dance I was absolutely transfixed as they effortlessly moved their body in perfect harmony with their partners, so smooth like water, I love the way they use their elbows as they give me the image of birds dancing in the wild through such an elegant form. It reminds me of birds. When I realized they were meant to represent the mutton birds I conducted my own research as I never heard about mutton birds ever before and from what I have learnt is that it is a large black feathery bird which is also referred as a moon bird and it one of the main source of food for the aboriginal people of Tasmania. –(Bangarra Dance theatre, 2008) The strength oh my to not only hang upside down but also to performs and move their arms and body so effortlessly around I thought was so amazing, The painting on their body and the way it was painted me think of human muscles which the different shades of color makes it look like you can see the muscles moving which I do think it’s pretty cool, the way that they dance has such intensity towards it that you can’t turn away and you want to keep watching it. It is amazing how much movement can tell you so many things than words will ever do and the story that it tells and as it no words the many languages it can translate to, the many ways it could be interpreted. I especially liked the music that it had though not a typical music with words with sounds of the night, I can hear see myself at night in the forest or the bushland hearing sounds of possums and koalas and almost the sounds walking and owls howling’s and the mutton birds shaking their wings high up in  the trees, the  sounds of the leaves brushing with another, the bangarra dance though performed on a stage it felt raw and not necessarily a theatre piece

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The Native Tongue - Mojo Juju is an immigrant to Australia and her father is from the Philippines but she cannot speak her father's native tongue therefore causing her an identity crisis. In the music video she demonstrates how an immigrant child struggles to fit in while trying to figure out their roots and a sense of belonging. The colour of her skin separates her from the crowd as she feels different. From my personal experience I have seen how children of immigrants struggle to resonate with their parent's culture and feel tied to their present culture. The westernisation of their mother language is imposed through prioritising to learn English first which distances them from their mother tongue and child finds it hard to relate to their culture. Even wanting to dress traditionally becomes a task and children need to be persuaded to wear them rather than being comfortable to wear them on their own and embrace their roots. The whole idea of nationality vs ethnicity comes in here too as they feel obliged to say they are "Australians" and not their ethnic selves. Music like such help bring together children who struggle to identify themselves as one. it also expresses their feelings about their experiences.

Mojo, J 2019, Native Tongue: Featuring the Pasefika Vitoria Choir, YouTube, viewed 29 June 2022<http://www. MO'JU (FKA MOJO JUJU) - NATIVE TONGUE Featuring The Pasefika Vitoria Choir (Official Music Video) - YouTube>

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What I took from this video is that it is important to be in the moment and to appreciate where you are now in life and not to take it as granted, which often times I admit I forget go do as I I’m always looking and worrying about what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, after watching that video I set up a timer for an hour just to stay still and meditate though meditation for me now is still currently quite difficult for me as I don’t know how to completely quiet my mind right now I did see an improvement from my first two days and I learnt to focus on one object though my goal is when I close my eyes I’ll see nothing and truly hear everything without my thoughts coming in  the way. it is still hard for me to meditate and I had I’m still that I don’t even consider the now, especially during lockdown as I am looking forward to getting out I forget due to lockdown I personally could spend more time with family more than possible than other times. When Miriam rose said “to know me is to breath me, to listen deeply is to connect” I really didn’t understand at first, but I understand now that you need to be connected to where you are and to truly connect you need to understand yourself to allow others to understand you. And I also think its such a great lesson to teach children as it is so important to learn as when they do learn it they will learn to appreciate simply being who they are, not doing things to impress others and it will help them learn to be confident and calm and not stress themselves.
according to mindworks meditation helps with anxiety
https://mindworks.org/blog/why-is-meditation-important-facts-you-need-to-know/

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When the topic of mindfulness comes up, there are people out there who still imagine that meditation is the domain of free spirits who enjoy zoning out on a woven grass mat somewhere. But the fact is that there's nothing woo-woo about mindfulness and awareness meditation. These life-altering practices have been around for millennia, and virtually every spiritual path integrates some form of them.

Though it has its roots in Buddhism, non-secular mindfulness meditation as practiced today is accessible to people of all backgrounds and beliefs. Despite its remarkable popularity, you may wonder "But why should I meditate?" To begin to answer this (justifiable) question, we provide six interesting facts about meditation below.

A few facts you may not know about meditation:

People who meditate generally lead happier lives than those who don't. Meditation is known to enhance the flow of constructive thoughts and positive emotions. Even a few minutes spent meditating regularly can make a big difference. Scientific evidence supports this claim: extensive studies were conducted on a group of Buddhist monks as they were meditating. The pre-frontal cortex of the monks' brains (the part associated with happiness) was found to be extra active.

The transformative potential of meditation shouldn't be underestimated. Studies conducted at the University of Wisconsin proved that meditation has physiological effects on the brain. For example, researchers found that the part of the brain that regulates stress and anxiety shrinks when meditation is practiced consistently. By focusing on moment-by-moment experiences, meditators are training the mind to remain calm, even in stressful situations. Along with this, they also experience significantly less anxiety due to uncertainty about the future.

The Mindworks Meditation founders are sure that meditation can benefit everyone. It is beyond doctrine: it's about developing calmness, practicing awareness and decluttering the mind. And although contemplation is a key component of most world religions, you don't have to be adhere to a religion to practice meditation. This is good news for the one in five Americans who define themselves as " spiritual but not religious!" Also, in January 2018 the Pew Research Center published findings that show just how mainstream mindfulness meditation has become in the US, regardless of religious affiliation.

The numerous health benefits that result from meditation are another great reason to adopt the practice. Certain benefits can start making themselves felt very quickly after people start sitting. A sense of calmness and peace of mind are common experiences, even if this feeling is fleeting and subtle. In an article published in Forbes online, attorney Jeena Cho lists six scientifically proven benefits that you may not have been expecting, including a reduction in implicit race and age bias.

Some people worry that meditation is having the opposite effect because their minds seem busier than ever. Our advice: stick with it, and keep your sessions short. Meditation isn't about wiping the slate of your mind clean, it's about being aware of what appears there. And you're a step ahead: you're already noticing how busy the mind can be.

Insomnia is a troubling condition - everybody dreads a sleepless night. Sadly, about a third of the American population suffers from some form of sleep deprivation, whether occasional or chronic. If you're one of those misfortunate folk who stare at the ceiling and count sheep all night to no avail, meditation just might be a solution. An article in the Harvard Health Blog confirms that meditation triggers the relaxation response - which is why some people actually have the opposite problem: they fall asleep as soon as they begin to meditate!

Apart from enhancing your happiness and improving your overall well-being, meditation also helps your memory stay sharp and your concentration remain steady. With mindfulness meditation, you train in remaining aware of the present moment in a non-judgmental manner. Consequently, distractions are less and less likely to sweep you away. Just one more reason why you should meditate.

Recommended Course:

We can't imagine that you still need convincing, especially after reading the 6 meditation facts and examples presented above. If you want to know more about what meditation can do, read this article. To get you started and keep you going on your mindful journey, our Mindworks Meditation Courses offer guided meditations, tips, and inspiration. Bon voyage!

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Why is Meditation Important? 6 Facts You Need to Know

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When the topic of mindfulness comes up, there are people out there who still imagine that meditation is the domain of free spirits who enjoy zoning out on a woven grass mat somewhere. But the fact is that there's nothing woo-woo about mindfulness and awareness meditation.

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I was moved when I first saw the video because everyone was working together to keep this tradition alive.
It was impressive to see how people connect their spirit with land and bring their culture, language, and people together.
Everyone becomes one during this ceremony and welcomes visitors to their land. It cannot be performed, in my opinion, unless they respect and love people.
If no one inherits this priceless tradition, people's memories of it will fade, and we may lose our roots.
All Australian children have the right to learn about our ancient country and the rich and diverse cultures of First Nations peoples that continue to this day, beginning at a young age.
Educators can promote cultural learning in the early years by incorporating it into the curriculum.
Also, help children develop a sense of identity and belonging while also promoting a culture of understanding and respect for cultural diversity for all children by incorporating cultural learning into the early years.

So, how do I support this learning, and what do educators know about the subject? What steps should I take to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into my work? And how do I bring this into my daily life?
As an educator, I believe that the first step in practise is to understand their culture.
One of the most effective ways for educators to connect with the local community. Educators can build relationships with these communities and invite them to participate by connecting with people or community groups who have knowledge and expertise on living culture.

Make it clear to children that it is important that we acknowledge and respect each other's points of view; everyone sees the world from a different perspective.

Reference
Dja Dja Wurrung, Tanderrum, 2017, viewed 29 July 2022,

https://vimeo.com/223399804

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After watching the YouTube video ‘Bangarra Education Resources Mutton Bird’ I was in awe of absorbing the Indeginous story being told through the contemporary dance representing the Mutton Birds that inhabit the coastal areas of Tasmania. As the Indeginous people danced I was able to see their movement feel so fluid, being able to telling their stories through song, music and dance, in order to connect people to land, and teach them about culture and the traditions of their ancestors is the way knowledge is passed from generation to generation and in this case, the Mutton Birds. As the mutton birds have been a part of Indigenous communities, being hunted for food for many years by the Tasmanian Indigenous people. This video ties together the ideas from the previous sessions where I’ve discussed the importance of music immersion and using aesthetics to stimulate interest and engagement with children.  This video ties in all those elements and provides a rich base for children to explore a wide range of concepts and ideas stemming from what is featured. Bangarra allows opportunities and insight to this as they are used to build class activities, promote discussion and develop skills in creating contemporary dance. It aims to build respect and rekindle the links between traditional Indigenous cultures of Australia and new forms of contemporary artistic expressions. As an educator it is important to embed these cultural learnings by introducing children to Indigenous knowledge through acknowledgment of the rich history and impact on our places today. Through the contemporary storytelling and interaction children can have with this movement, they begin to see and understand things outside of themselves, fostering a sense of social justice and appreciation for diverse ways of being.

Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia and Education Services Australia Ltd 2013, Education Resource: Mutton Bird From the production Mathinna, 2008. Recommended for years 5 and 6, Mutton Bird (an excerpt from Mathinna, 2008). …what is Mutton Bird about?, Bangarra Dance Theatre, p. 4, viewed 30 June 2022 <https://www.bangarra.com.au/media/qrudsr03/muttonbird_5-6.pdf>

Bangarradance Theatre 2015, Bangarra Education Resources Mutton Bird, online video, 20 May, YouTube, viewed 30 June 2022 < https://youtu.be/o-PV98Oshkc>

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Indigenous people believe that Dadirri is a unique gift, one that they can share with their fellow Australians. For them it is how they connect with country and is less about reflecting and thinking as it is about being aware.

The video in particular uses the sounds of breathing, nature, and music as well as beautiful imagery to draw you in, relax you and help you connect with the content. It makes me think of meditation and mindfulness at first watch, a practice that I have used both in my ECE journey and in my home, however when I dug deeper into the spoken word, I noticed something more. To the Indigenous People Dadirri is more than just a time in the day to stop, relax and be still, it is a way of living.

Ungunmer-Baumsnn says in the video ‘We wait for our young people to grow.’ I believe this is the most important thing that I can take away from this video. In our lives and in ECE I believe we spend too much time hurrying children along, whether its from one experience to another or from one milestone to the next. It is rare that we just let children be. We are constantly questioning them as to what they are doing.

The article further articulates what it means to the Indigenous People to listen deeply and practice quiet stillness, stating that they learn by watching, listening, waiting and then acting, and not by asking questions. Ungunmer-Baumann also says ‘We don’t like to hurry, to be still brings peace – and it brings understanding.’ In ECE we are always intervening and interrupting children, usually with the best intentions, but I wonder how much more we would all gain if we as adults took a step back, took a breath, and just watched and waited.

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I grew up surrounded by music. The radio was on all the time and we listened to Gold 104.3 constantly, in fact one of my earliest memories is singing American Pie in the bath at about 2 years old. I didn’t know all the words, I was definitely singing out of tune and off key, but I was belting out those words like I was on a stage without a microphone. As I got a little bit older I was introduced to heavy metal and rock music, my older brother played guitar, his band practiced in our garage. My sister dabbled in recorder, flute, keyboard and singing throughout the years.

I never quite connected with music the way that my family and peers seemed to. I was always a little bit out of touch with the current music trends, never knew the names of artists or their songs and never really considered myself as musical until I watched Victor Wooten’s TEDx video and began to reflect on my upbringing and use of music in my adult life.

I am surrounded by music all the time! My girls use it as a sleep aid, we listen to music in the car, I listen to music when I walk the dog, even as I sit here writing this I am listening to a specific playlist that I save for the writing of assessment tasks. So while I am not talented enough to write music, play an instrument or sing well, music is all around me, a language that I use to aid in transitions and change mindsets.

When working in ECE I have always used music to spark children’s imaginations. From singing lullabies and nursery rhymes, to playing sounds of nature, to Indigenous and music from other cultures, to Disney songs and Coco-Melon, music has always been at the forefront of my practice.

I have always valued and surrounded myself with music so I question why I condemned my own musicality based solely on the fact that I don’t play an instrument, as stated by Wooten ‘music is a language, music is a lifestyle’ (TEDxTalks 2013).

Reference:
TEDx Talks 2013, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland, online video, 30 May, YouTube, viewed on 29 June 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0&t=1s

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Listening to the video 'Music as a Language' by Victor Wooten changed my viewpoint on how we take the importance of Music in ECE.Early childhood Environment offers numerous opportunities for children to experience music freely. i can resonate that when we sing "Hello" song every morning , it helps children especially toddlers to remember their peer's name, rhyming it in form of song catches their attention. As an educator, i can see my children learning & reaching new milestones so smoothly as   singing other songs like 'wash your hands', 'brush your teeth', sparks curiosity, independence, learning the sounds, activities and meaning of words. As Ted said, music is like a language and child knows it even before birth. The first music a child is familiar with is a mother's lullaby. A child is aware of the pitch of mother's voice , it helps child to differentiate between various emotions like anger, happy, sad, excitement.
From this video, i learnt that as a future teacher, i would be providing opportunities of freedom through the musical moments where children can express themselves, give them moments of joy and excitement, sparks curiosity and intensity of learning for children. When Ted talks about a child playing air guitar, it makes me relate to my toddler girl playing toy guitar & dancing in front of my baby, baby responding as well. Music helps children to make connections with others.

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This text and video resonated with me due to its relation to the sounds of nature and mindfulness. I have learnt from these resources that you can use natural sounds, such as a water, for music. For us and for children.  I have been meditating for 3 years now and found my mind instantly relate this text back to meditation.

It encourages to focus on something specific such as; a bird, a flower, a cloud, a body of water, or even a clump of soil. It reiterates that this can be anything you see and hear. Then, being able to calm the mind and focus on your surroundings. This is a standard example of meditation.

When working as a Learning Support Officer, the prep children would meditate after lunch to calm their bodies and their minds, whilst playing light sounds of water in the background.  I found this such a simple but effective way for the children to repose.

After reading and viewing this video, I would love to initiate children listening to natural sounds of the earth as music to dance to. Playing sounds of the ocean, of trees, of wind, and observe their instinctive movements of the body to how they believe movement fits.

I enjoyed the video giving us a visual representation of the text, and the phrases that was provided within the video.

‘To listen deeply, is to connect. (Miriam Rose Foundation, Dadirri, 0.57, 2018)’

Resources:

Miriam Rose, Dadirri Inner Deep Listening and Quiet Still Awareness, 2002, viewed 30th June 2022,

http://www.dadirri.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dadirri-Inner-Deep-Listening-M-R-Ungunmerr-Bauman-Refl1.pdf

Miriam Rose Foundation, Dadirri, 2018, viewed 30th June 2022,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tow2tR_ezL8

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I was completely mesmerized while watching the video 'Mutton birds' by bangarra as it was perfect coordination of body movements, costumes, lighting, and music. It increased my curiosity to know more about the mutton birds, its relation to the aboriginal culture and the story behind it. dancers were using their hand and body movements to express the pain the aboriginal people are gone through at the time of colonisation and the cultural loses they been through. I find that mutton birds were hunted for 100 years by coastal people of Tasmania, these birds used to make their nests on the ground and that is the reason why these large birds were so connected to their land and people. Dancers in the video were slowly twisting and turning, smoothly folding and unfolding their bodies back to represent the movements and wings of mutton birds. This approach by bangarra theatre throws light on the social and political disruptions aboriginal people been through when they were relocated from their tribal lands and restrictions were imposed on their cultural practices. Being an  Early childhood educator, it is my duty to pay respect and acknowledge the first people of nation and i include it in my practice. It also tells me how to represent a story with children through various movements of drama, action and music on various social issues such as racism, discrimination, environment and climate disruptions etc. It also encourage me to provide opportunities and discussions with children about their background, stories of the land they live on and they belong to.
Reference
Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia and Education Services Australia Limited @013, Education Resource: Mutton Bird from The Production Mathinna 2008, Bangarra Dance Theatre, p.4, viewed on 30 June 2022, <https;www.bangarra.com.au/media/qrudsr03/muttonbird_5-6.pdf>

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As the video starts , the breathe and relax sound is so mesmerising that it forces every individual who is watching the video ta take a deep breath and calm down. After reading the article, i came to know more about the aboriginal culture, why the seasons and rivers play important role in their life, why they are so much connected to nature and land, about the spirit of Dadirri- inner, deep listening. The chirping sound of birds, water and wind sounds and the smooth flow of water helps an individual to connect to the place, experience the beauty of nature. As i came to know through the article that aboriginal people are the least material-minded and most life-minded people. There is another strong statement in the article "to be still and to wait" which encourage me to slow down in this fast paced material world, listen to yourself, connect to your inner voice, enjoy the surroundings, celebrate the beauty of nature.  This article also talks about God -"His time is the right time"which resonates to my culture and my beliefs. I always prefer to leave things happen in its natural course rather than rushing for it, overthinking  or worrying.
Being a future teacher, i would love to include so many things in my practice from this article. We as an educators:

should not try to rush the things for children,

let them enjoy their time ,

let them learn things at their own pace,

let them be calm and make connections to the place,

let them enjoy the childhood,

don't impose tests and rules on them,

don't force them to enter the world of race and competition.

Reference

Dadirri-Inner, deep listening and quite , still awareness<https//www.dadirri.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dadirri-inner-Deep-Listening-M-R-Ungunmerr-Bauman-Refl1.pdf>

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In the YouTube video “Music as a Language”, Victor Wooten shared lots of inspiring ideas around music drawing on his personal musical experience as growing up within a musical family. Wooten demonstrated that we knew how to speak before birth because whenever we could hear is when we probably started learning it (TEDx Talks 2013). When I was in my mother’s womb, I already learnt how to talk and engage with music through her voices as singing songs and reading books for me. As a child, I learnt how to speak my first language by watching and listening to nursery songs and entertainment programs for children. Drawing upon the idea of freedom, I strongly believed that as an early childhood educator, I should allow my students to keep freedom, free to play, free to learn, free to express their thoughts and their emotions (TEDx Talk 2013). Linking to Early Years Learning Framework outcome 5 “Children are effective communicators”, I believe that as an educator, I should provide a range of resources which are not only musical instruments, but also natural materials and recycle materials, to encourage children exploring music by using these resources and provide them opportunities to convey their ideas and make meaning through dance and movement (DEEWR 2009). I also believe that music helps children to make connections with others, so educators should provide to both babies and toddlers the best opportunities to engage with music, learn music, make music and listen to music through playing and the interaction with their peers. The idea of listening is very valuable as listening is one of the successful keys for educators and teachers to understand their students and support their learning. As a future teacher, I will bring music to my classroom in natural ways and help my students understanding about the importance of music as a way people can talk and share about anything, and music is not only a “language” but also a “lifestyle” (TEDx Talks 2013).

Referencing:
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) 2009, Belonging, Being & Becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Australia.

TEDx Talks 2013, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland , online video, viewed 28 June 2022 < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0 >.

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Just like the languages we speak; music is a language that we learn from experiencing it. Typically, music is taught through learning how to play an instrument, being told what you have to play, being forced to practice, etc. However, teaching music in this way, results in the enjoyment and love for music being lost. As we grow up in a world of rules and we learn ways of doing things, our perception of our own abilities and our freedom to enjoy things, such as music, diminishes. This is vastly opposite from our perspective when we are children, believing we are capable of doing or being anything, we put our mind to. Victor Wooten suggests that when we change our perspective, we can change our ideas of the world we previously knew. We don’t need to have lessons and lifelong training to be a good musician, we can be that now just through enjoying music. This idea elucidates how we, as pre-service teachers, can approach music in the early years, and how we have the power to enact change from the bottom up. Music is about exploration and freedom, and we should let children experience it in this way.

Reference:
TEDx Talks 2013, Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland, online video, 30 May, YouTube, viewed 02 July 2022, <https://youtu.be/2zvjW9arAZ0>

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Baumann speaks on her experience as a member of Indigenous culture, exploring the term Dadirri, which means to listen deeply and to hold a sense of awareness. From a young age, Indigenous children learnt through listening and watching, rather than asking questions and acting. She suggests that silence is a comfort, and an opportunity to connect with the physical, social and spiritual aspects of their culture. Through listening, we gain a sense of awareness. Through understanding and learning about Indigenous culture we can learn to be more life-minded, rather than material-minded, to appreciate the natural world and how to act in harmony with it, rather than seek out what the world can give us, and, to be patient and let things happen as they are meant to, rather than to hurry or change the course of things. Baumann advocates that learning and listening should be a two-way street, and a means for bridging the gap between cultures, making way for respect and understanding. Baumann teaches us to embrace silence, and the spirit of Dadirri, allowing the nation to grow together. From an educator's perspective, dadirri is a powerful learning tool, as we should be teaching children to deeply listen to others, and to feel listened to. This encourages children to feel a sense of belonging within the learning environment, and can help children achieve better learning outcomes. For me, Baumann's piece has elucidated the importance of feeling a sense of connectedness with nature, and in my practice as an educator I aim to utilise natural resources, allowing children to explore what nature has to offer, rather than focusing on material items.

Reference:
Ungunmerr-Baumann, MR 2002, Dadirri: inner deep listening and quiet still awareness, Emmaus Productions, pp. 1–4, accessed from <http://www.dadirri.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dadirri-Inner-Deep-Listening-M-R-Ungunmerr-Bauman-Refl1.pdf>

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The concept of 100 languages reflects the philosophy of Reggio Emilia, namely the multi-faceted ways children can learn and grow in a largely unstructured, free flowing environment rich with wide ranging stimuli.  By creating aesthetic spaces furnished with opportunities for children to choose activities to engage with and form meaning making, problem solving and interactive skills.  The learning environment should be free from restriction and promote children’s natural curiosity, to make meaning and ask questions so they can apply new skills and test existing knowledge.  I agree completely that children are indeed drawn in by aesthetics in their environment.  Anything that is pleasing to the senses will ensure children are drawn to try and stay focused on exploring the object or resource. The example given in the text about stoking the fire and the engagement with the aesthetics of the fire and its response; in my experiences I have seen similar reactions from children when engaged in water play, building and making music.  The behaviour of different materials as children interact with them allows them to understand properties of these beyond what a structured lesson could achieve.  Therefore I strongly agree that taking care with designing children’s play spaces with a focus on aesthetics can dramatically affect children’s engagement and depth of interaction, therefore extent of learning and skill building.

Edwards, CP, Gandini, L & Forman, GE 2011, The Hundred Languages of Children: the Reggio Emilia experience in transformation, 3rd edn, ABC-CLIO, LLC, <https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?docID=820317&ppg=322>

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Reggio Emilia educators proposed the theory of the hundred languages which offers a new vantage point for seeing children in their talent and ability in building and enhancing their own understanding (Cooper 2011). Cooper mentioned about “children’s complex ways of knowing the world around them”, that evokes me the ideas of creating educational approach worthy of children and “least restrictive environment”. There is a close connection between children’s behaviour, experiences and environments. As an educator, I would create an active learning environment and encourage children to explore and interact with the environment to make meaning and knowledge through their experiences, social interactions and negotiations with others (DEEWR 2010). Children use many languages to understand the world around them and they are encouraged to develop their own theories about the world and how it works, through exploration in partnership with their teachers, family members and community involvement (Nolan 2011). I would encourage children to learn through experiences of listening, seeing, moving and touching- giving rise to the hundred languages they use to understand their experiences of the world (Nolan 2011). Drawing upon Reggio Emilia philosophy, I completely agree that educators should provide various opportunities for children to express themselves through their many languages (Nolan 2011). Moreover, considering about the classroom environment, I would focus on “nature” element by setting up my classroom with plants and natural light and with ample access to the outdoor spaces. My classroom will be decorated with bright colours, mirrors and photographs on the wall, and I will display children’s work accompanied by transcriptions of discussions. I believe that in the way of connecting classroom to nature, we will provoke children’s curiosity, creative thinking and problem- solving, and are open to different and unexpected avenues of exploration (Nolan 2011).

Referencing:
Cooper, M 2011, The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, in C Edwards, L Gandini, G Forman & Reggio (3rd eds), Is Beauty a Way of Knowing?, ABC- CLIO, LLC, Westport, pp. 295- 302.

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) 2010, Belonging, Being & Becoming: Educators’ guide to The early years learning framework for Australia, Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

Nolan, A 2011, Theories into Practice: Understanding and Rethinking Our Work with Young Children and the EYLF, Essential Resources Educational Publishers Ltd.

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The video “Mutton Bird” is produced basing on the true story of a young Tasmanian Aboriginal girl, Mathinna, who lived in the early 1800s. The story tells of her personal journey and demonstrates some of the key political, cultural and social interactions that occurred at the time of colonisation. The Mutton birds inhabit the coastal areas of Tasmania, they represent the totem of the clan to which Mathinna belonged, and they are also one of the main sources of food for the Aboriginal people of Tasmania. The video brings to me some interesting information and helps me to gain my knowledge about the Aboriginal people and their tradition and culture. Watching this video helps me to realise that the Aboriginal people have built and kept a strong connection to the land, environment, all living and non- living things for a long time ago. From an educator’s perspective, I was thinking of the way how I could help the children understanding about the Aboriginal people’s culture and how they build a connection to the land. I would invite to my classroom Elders from my local community to take part in celebrations and significant events, this will help the children developing their knowledge and understanding of the Aboriginal Australia. I also realised that there are lots of different ways to tell stories and various ways of sharing and expressing culture through music, movements and dances. I strongly believe that children learn and express their ideas and construct meaning through movement and music (DEEWR 2009). As an educator, I would provide many opportunities for children telling stories through dance, movement and drama, this will support their learning, promote their creativity and enhance their physical, cognitive and social interaction development. It is also important that we teach children about paying respect to Aboriginal people’s culture and other people’s culture, allow them to freely share their culture background and express themselves in many ways.

Referencing:
Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia 2022, Mutton Bird (2008), Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia, viewed 28 June 2022, < https://www.bangarra.com.au/learning/education-resources/classroom-resources/mutton-bird-2008/ >.

Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia, Bangarra Education Resources Mutton Bird, online video, viewed 28 June 2022, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-PV98Oshkc >.

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) 2009, Belonging, Being & Becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia, Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

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The hundred languages of children is a Reggio Emelia approach to learning that suggests that children learn in countless ways, and is an approach that places emphasis on the multiplicity and complexity of the process of learning. In contrast to this way of thinking, it seems schools operate in a contradicting way, squashing children’s talent and creativity. As children grow older, they are taught to discover what it already known, rather than seek out and explore the unknown, or to prioritise learning and understanding over joy and following their own interests. The school system seems to be educating young children out of their creative capacities, rather than embracing them. Yet, when we step back and look at the broader picture, creativity and imagination are just as important skills as numeracy and literacy. We cannot think separately to imagining; our thought processes and imagination are connected and need to work in harmony with one another to build our understanding of the universe, and to extend the learning process. As educators we should be encouraging children to use creativity and imagination to support and extend their learning.

Reference:
Edwards, CP, Gandini, L & Forman, GE 2011, The hundred languages of children: the Reggio Emilia experience in transformation, 3rd edn, ABC-CLIO, LLC, <https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?docID=820317>

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The title of the chapter itself, ‘Is beauty a way of knowing?’, instantly made me question, is knowing everything important, or is learning as we discover more beautiful than knowing everything?. With these two questions, I began to read the chapter which discusses the Regio Emilia approach to the hundred languages and the concept of the atelier.

From the reading, I was able to understand how the environment is a third teacher for children to discover their hundred languages. The atelier is designed for children to be free, access multiple resources, discover their abilities, and innovate their own learning through their interests by investigating, discovering, and learning in different ways their own discovering. This, of course, answered my questions, beauty is a way of knowing to discover different techniques and investigating our knowledge which results in long-term learning. The atelier is described to be a rich and well-appointed research environment to create playful and nurturing ongoing experiences for children and adults considering the users of the atelier are thoughtful and skillful researchers (Edwards et al. 2011). This allowed me to understand children are already capable learners through their discoveries and wonders and as educators it is our responsibility to nurture children’s capability to learn by setting up an environment where they can research, discover, put their thoughts to testing, be creative and learn through their hundred languages.

Using the environment as a third teacher in my practice as an early childhood teacher, I would like to implement the concept of the atelier to allow children to gain rich learning in their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive developments through the discoveries of ordinary moments through their capabilities to discover, research, innovate through creativity, and nurture children’s learning allowing children to transform their ordinary moment to an extraordinary moment.

The reading outlines that we as educators should not allow children to learn the set curriculum in schools but also promote children’s imagination and creativity, allowing children to discover their own learning, which creates a rich effect in their lives to discover their capabilities and be connected to the surrounding environment.  Hence, the environment plays a prime role in nurturing children to gain rich learning.

Reference:

Edwards, C, Gandini, L, Forman, G, & Reggio, CS (eds) 2011, The Hundred Languages of Children: the Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, 3rd Edition : The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, ABC-CLIO, LLC, Westport.

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Soon as I watched the video, I was deeply attracted and felt connected with the story, which resulted in wanting to know more. I have always been amazed by the Indigenous culture and their connection to the land. Growing up in New Zealand, I was always told stories and have seen the connection the Māori have to their land and their spirits, like the Indigenous Aboriginals in Australia. Through the video and the reading, I was able to understand the deep connection and respect the Indigenous people have for their land and the resources the land provides for them to survive.

The breathing in the video and the birds-eye view of the land when Miriam Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann says, “To know me is to breathe with me. To breath with me is to listen deeply. To listen deep is to connect” (MiriamRoseFoundation 2018), attracted my attention and I was only focused on the sounds of the video feeling Miriam Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann connection to the land. While watching the video, I was thinking about how much our lands can provide for us, not just resources but also peace in our lives, and us humans are part of this land and each and every one of us has a connection to our lands, which we take for granted and ignore.

The video and article allowed me to understand the Aboriginal culture, their beliefs, their way of living, and their beautiful connection to their land. Culture is an important aspect of our lives, and being surrounded by people who have the same values and respect for the culture allows us to feel belonging. Our land and nature have a power that cannot be described, when we listen to our land, the sounds our lands provide us to listen, give us peace, and enables us to see more than what meets the eye.

With the knowledge I built from the video and the reading, I’m able to involve in my practice as an early childhood teacher to allow children to acknowledge the land they live in, and the ways they are able to appreciate the land, leading to gain respect to their land and find more meaning towards the land than what meets their eye. After watching the video and the reading, I truly believe the land can provide more learning than anything we set in our classrooms.

Reference:

MiriamRoseFoundation 2018, Online Video, Dadirri, viewed 30 June 2022, < https://youtu.be/tow2tR_ezL8>.

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Reflecting on Victor Wooten’s video as an educator I can adopt his concepts of viewing music in different perspectives and as a language by playing music throughout the day so that way children can freely express themselves without disruptions which Victor says disrupts children’s learning when children are “taught” how to do specific things.  Allowing children to freely express themselves they are learning music through sounds and repetition that can be later used through instruments.

My viewpoints on music as a language makes perfect sense, I have observed children who spent a lot of time listening to music learn basic words or gestures. They are often not taught how to do these actions or sounds but are often self-taught which Victor Wooten quotes saying “Music can be a form of communication to discuss topics …. And still feel safe’. Children feel safe and can remain free with how they communicate through music. Victor Wooten says “Listening is a great musical skill for life” which as an educator we can use in our everyday work practice to help engage children in there learning and development. E.g., Singing songs throughout the day to children can help develop and benefit their language skills without teaching children “how to talk”, they are able to learn through listening.

Victor Wooten makes great connection with viewing music as more than something that must be taught but to instead be open minded and have an open perspective on viewing things such as music. He says that if we are viewing it as something bad, it must mean that we need to find a way to change our perspective because if you think about it as an educator we will face many encounters that may look wrong in our eyes but to the children they look happy and are enjoying themselves, I would use that to help me as an educator better understand my image of child and be able to find alternatives. E.g., A child tapping the drumsticks on the floor and not the drum kit is happily smiling and nodding head to the tapping sounds. As an educator we need to find a way to change our perspective and view the child as being a confident learner in his own play and not just being seen as “making noises”. Music brings children happiness and should be embedded into our everyday practice to not only help children’s learning and develop but to help children self-regulate.

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After watching Bangarra I could see the amount of strength and effort that they endured to be able to portray these movements using their body. As an educator I recognise and can appreciate the way aboriginal people are able to tell a story using movements through dance. Reading through the resource link on Bangarra and seeing how they create a space that inspires Aboriginal and Torres strait islander experiences that promote awareness and understanding of their cultures. As an educator I would use Bangarra as an experience to show children the different ways of communicating by using their bodies as the dancers in Bangarra did. I want to be able to spark children’s curiosity and creativity to help open children’s minds to other possibilities out of just routine movements.

As an educator I look to better my understanding on Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander culture so I can promote it to children appropriately.

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s a non-indigenous person reading & listening to Miriam-rose talk about the importance and meaning behind “Dadirri” and making meaning to deep listening and quiet still awareness made me reflect as an educator how we can further promote Aboriginal culture in the early childhood environment through music. Reading about the importance of listening and the outlook aboriginal people have on life made me happy as I believe having 'patience' is needed when working in early childhood.

Miriam -rose says to “listen deeply is connect” when children can listen to sounds such as music, they are able to make connections. As an educator we can use that to promote music in early childhood such as impromptu music time, different music during sleep/rest time which invites children to make those connections on their own. Dadirri shows us that it can be understood through storytelling and songs that has been passed down through many generations and will continue to. Miriam-rose says that “stories and songs sink quietly into our minds, and we hold them deep inside”. This can be seen as children progressing from toddler aged to kinder still being able to remember songs such as ABC and twinkle twinkle little star from listening and learning when young.

Reading about ways of listening through Aboriginal culture and how they learnt from young the importance of listening by watching, waiting, and then acting (responding). It is a great concept on life and can be embedded in my work practice by showcasing kindness, enthusiasm and patience towards children’s learning and development. By adopting the patience and mentally of “not rushing” we as an educators can use that to be more optimistic and allow children the capacity to grow and learn on their own terms and not when forced. E.g, All children given should be given the fair opportunity to learn and grow in a safe and nurturing environment regardless of race, disadvantages and religion.

It is important to consider and adopt the aboriginal way "Dadirri" as it shows our respect for their struggles, hardships they've had to overcome over the years to be able share to the world their culture as the traditional custodians of the land which we reside in.

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When I watched Victor’s video. I was strongly fascinated by his views regarding music. According to him, he learned music the same way he learned English. I never thought about this concept before that we as educators can guide or teach children music or any kind of learning like a language. I have noticed when children approach or engage in something new in preschool or at home, we try to correct them and want them to try new learning in our way. In my workplace, we put music drums with sticks and whenever children went near them and try to play, we educators try to correct them instead of giving them the freedom to understand the instrument. It was clear from the experience of victor’s learning in music that how much the surrounding supportive environment plays a specific role like his eight years old brother knew, what is the best way to guide his little brother teach music at the beginning and his parents were so supportive to bring latest musical instruments. Music is the best way to guide children, even the ground rules, literacy, and creativity.  Everyone feels free when we play or participate in the music session. Music brings everyone together.

TEDx Talks 2013, Music as a Language: Victor
Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland , online video, viewed 7 July 2022 < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0 >.

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When I think about the first people of the nation’s perspective towards nature and people. They have a deep connection with the land and the community. When I watched Dadirri’s video, it got my attention straight away. Dadirri recognizes the deep spring that is inside us. We call on it and it calls to us plus the connection between nature and aboriginal people.

What I believe after watching this video. If we listen deeply to the water of our rivers, wind, birds and animals, boosts mood, decreases stress, and even lessens pain. In addition to this bring positivity to look after our surroundings. I am working in the childcare industry for the last few years and my favorite topic about doing activities and guiding children is sustainability. This video motivates me how much important for us to give opportunities to teach children about caring for the world from an early age. Taking care of the environment is an important part of how children develop a positive sense of self and responsibility towards their surroundings, as well as real-life skills. Plus helps to keep them informed about potential future hazards such as poor air quality and polluted drinking water.

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When I think about the first people of the nation’s perspective towards nature and people. They have a deep connection with the land and the community. When I watched Dadirri’s video, it got my attention straight away. Dadirri recognizes the deep spring that is inside us. We call on it and it calls to us plus the connection between nature and aboriginal people.

What I believe after watching this video. If we listen deeply to the water of our rivers, wind, birds and animals, boosts mood, decreases stress, and even lessens pain. In addition to this bring positivity to look after our surroundings. I am working in the childcare industry for the last few years and my favorite topic about doing activities and guiding children is sustainability. This video motivates me how much important for us to give opportunities to teach children about caring for the world from an early age. Taking care of the environment is an important part of how children develop a positive sense of self and responsibility towards their surroundings, as well as real-life skills. Plushelps to keep them informed about potential future hazards such as poor air quality and polluted drinking water.

MiriamRoseFoundation 2018, Online Video, Dadirri, viewed 6 July 2022, < https://youtu.be/tow2tR_ezL8>.

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After watching this video, I got to know about the “Tanderrum Ceremony” the ceremony about the welcome and hospitality for visitors to the land of the Kulin Nation. Each year Tanderrum is held at Federation Square, which is an incredibly famous place. Where five groups of the Kulin nation,  Woiwurrung, Boonwurrung, Wathawurrung, Taungurung, Dja Dja Wurrung meet and celebrate this ceremony by singing songs in their language and dancing. I learned what is Tanderrum ceremony. Tanderrum ceremony means coming together, Maintenace of languages, dance and cultural rituals. As an educator, I really want to tell children about this ceremony, and I am sure my kinder children will love this video plus I would like to implement activities in our room based on the Tanderrum ceremony. I believe children should know about the first people of Australia, this meaningful video can guide ourselves and children about the rich culture and languages of the Aboriginal perspective.

Reference. Tanderrum with the Dja Dja Wurrung.

https://vucollaborate.vu.edu.au/d2l/le/content/1399643/viewContent/7526111/View

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My heart was beating so quick when I turned on this video from Pauline Oliveros (TEDxIndianapolis 2013). She got my attention straight away. Pauline’s defined the differences between hearing and deep listening in a unique way. The way I heard the sound at the first three second of the video give me a great example of how I feel. Which Pauline describe that hearing involved with physical responses with our own perception. It is true when she said, ‘we confuse hearing with listening’ (TEDxIndianapolis 2013). To listen deeply is about to give attention to what we perceived. After three minutes of watching her video, I gently pay my attention to what she was saying. My brain was thinking and at the same time, I use my imagination response to her story. Listening is a skill that not the same to everyone. Deep listening involved in complexity and boundary. I can agree with this statement based on my experiences. As an educator, I often listen to colleague but to understand in the deep meaning about what they say is quite challenging sometimes. When Pauline talked about listening is about focusing and expanding the connection to the whole environment, it relates to the level of awareness. A deep listening involves subjectivity and habitual understanding. To link this context to the early childhood education and how we teach children to be a good listener is critical. As children have their own background and different experiences, listening deeply may reflect upon their belief system. As Pauline mentioned, listening take a lifetime practicing. And we do have different way of learning. For children, I would use some strategy such as soft tone and sounds. When reading a story, children may hear what educator says but to listen deeply, it might need to include the physical element such as eyes contact and movement to help children stay focus and learn.

Reference:

Pauline Oliveros 2015, The difference between hearing and listening, YouTube, 13 November, viewed 30 June 2022, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QHfOuRrJB8>