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Research to get to know light and shadow

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Research to get to know light and shadow

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Light has visual sensory input and movable, and yet it is intangible that promotes inquisitiveness and possibilities. In completely deep dark, we can feel how powerful light is.

A shadow is an absence of light. If light cannot get through an object, the surface on the other side of that object will have less light reaching it. A shadow is not a reflection, but the shape is often the same shape as the object.

There are many different sources of light, e.g. natural sunlight, candles, light bulbs, torch, fireflies etc. The direction of the light source can change the shape of shadow, that makes the possibilities of light and shadow play. The limitation of shadow play is it needs to have a light source, an object to block the light and a surface for a shadow to form.

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Research the history to get to know paper...

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Research the history to get to know paper...

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According to Wikipedia (2023), paper is "thin, non-woven material traditionally made of milled plant and textile fibres". The first paper-like sheet of writing happened in Egypt but the first documentation of how to make paper was found in China at Eastern Han Dynasty.  Then papermaking skill spread to Europe and European refined the papermaking technique from plant-based to wood-based.

The use of paper affected people living style from the beginning for wrapping medicine, then widely used in writing, wiping, crafting etc. Paper is a highly versatile material suitable for many purposes and uses. Nothing can limit the possibilities of paper, but human's imagination and perception.

Paper comes from the environment, it's recyclable, reusable and composable back to the environment. However excessive usage of paper may cause deforestation, the use of enormous amounts of energy and water as well as air pollution and waste problems.

The durability is paper's restriction. Paper deteriorates rapidly with temperature and relative humidity changes. It could be torn, burnt and  ripped holes.

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Powell (n.d.) mentioned that she used Japanese paper, indigo dye, silk screen printing, stitch and collage in making this artist book.

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Fast motion video for my slow experimentation on paper

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Inquiry documentation on making recycled book

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Inquiry documentation on making recycled book

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Draw, scratch, crumple, tear, twist, bend, fold, press, examine, test, adjust, soak in water, blend, squeeze, roll, absorb, blow dry, bake, add flowers, cut, assemble & hand-sewing

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Research the history to get to know paint

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Research the history to get to know paint

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Humans have been painting to memorialize their lives since the Stone Age

According to Hall (2015), color was a rare commodity that symbolized one's wealth, nobility, and religion. The earliest paints would have used any mineral and organic based pigments e.g. emerald, lapis lazuli, sea snails, dried mummy, cow's urine, iron-rich soil etc. Sometimes, those paints were scarce, expensive but poisonous and caused death. Some paints might not last long. With advanced technology, people can get paint easily and cheaply, the paints are durable.

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- I wonder how to make paper into 3D shape?
- I wonder how to prevent the sharp colors of paper from fading over time?
- What if I wet the paper and blow dry it, will the paper still be in its shape
- What if I put the paper in an oven, how hot the paper can bear without burning the paper and if the strength of paper may change?
- I wonder if food scraps can make paper?
- Instead of making plain recycled paper, what can I add to the recycled paper to make it more colorful?
- What can I use the recycled paper for?

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Paul Klee was influenced by artistic movements such as expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. He used a lot of expressive, powerful, colorful abstract watercolors in his artwork.

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https://youtu.be/W6SaM6sULRc

Fast motion video for my slow experimentation  on paint

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Autism Speaks (n.d.), Sensory Issue, viewed 16 April 2023, <https://www.autismspeaks.org/sensory-issues>

Bertram, H 2016, Just Draw artist Hannah Bertram installing her work Towards Dust @ BRAG, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, Youtube, viewed 14 April 2023, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp4cd1l2Cxw>

Fletcher, D 2003, Wayang Kulit-Shadow Puppet, Flickr, viewed 15 April 2023, <https://www.flickr.com/photos/f_l_e_t_c_h/6476811261/in/photostrea>

Fornaciari, P (2011), ATELIER RAGGIO DI LUCE - The wonder of learning - 2011, Youtube, viewed 16 April 2023, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3iodP-fRKQ>

Hall, C 2015, A history of paint (part one), Burnaway, viewed 7 April 2023, <https://burnaway.org/magazine/a-history-of-paint-part-one>

Hall, C 2015, A history of paint (part two), Burnaway, viewed 7 April 2023, <https://burnaway.org/magazine/a-history-of-paint-part-two/>

Klee, P. (n.d.). The seaside in the rain. [Watercolors], viewed 12 April 2023, <https://thespacegallery.com.au/blogs/news/7-most-famous-watercolour-artists>

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V, Kind, S & Kocher, LLM 2016, Clay Ecologies, Encounters with materials in early childhood education, Routledge, New York, pp.62-72

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V, Kind, S & Kocher, LLM 2016, Thinking with materials, Encounters with materials in early childhood education, Routledge, New York, pp.1-21

Pelo, A 2017, The langugae of art: inquiry-based studio practices in early childhood settings. St. Paul, Mn: Redleaf Press.

Powell, L (n.d.) The Southern Ocean, Water Exhibition, Glassworks Art Park , viewed 3 April 2023,<http://papermakers.org.au/exhibitions/previous-exhibitions/water-exhibition/>

Rinaldi, C 2011, The Pedagogy of Listening, viewed 26 March 2023, <https://vucollaborate.vu.edu.au/d2l/le/content/1768105/viewContent/8489025/View>

Robinson, K 2006, Do schools kill creativity?, TED Talk, Youtube, viewed 10 April 2023, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY&t=40s>

Wikipedia 2023, History of Paper, viewed 29 March 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_paper>

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My reflection on paper exploration & how does my experimentation affect my future ECE practice 

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My reflection on paper exploration & how does my experimentation affect my future ECE practice 

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1) My experimentation confirmed John Dewey's theory of learning by doing. When I was wondering how the twisted paper could stand on the table, I tried to bend it, then folded both ends of the paper, adjusted the angles, twisted a little bit more and tested again after each little adjustment, until the paper stood on the table. In the process, I (human) was interacting with paper (non-human), I reacted to what the paper responded to me. We were co-participants in making shapes and recycled paper. This inquiry-based experience let my curiosity flow, and I followed my curiosity to think of possible solutions, anticipating the outcomes and carried out the experiment. The learning process was natural and unplanned, but knowledge was gained through the hand-on experience.

In my future ECE practice, I understand that children are unique and they learn in their own ways and at their own pace. Knowing that learning by doing is one of the ways for children to learn impacts my way to handle my students, set up group projects and adapt individual learning. For those children who are kinesthetic learners, I would let them have more hand-on experience to explore different materials and develop problem-solving skills.

2) When I was having my exploration, it was my day-off and my daughters were at school. I had quiet and sufficient time for me to focus on my inquiry at my home, so that I could let my thought and wonder flow. Although the final product was not as colorful as I expected and the dried flowers came off easily, I enjoyed the whole investigation process as I created something new and I knew next time when I make the recycled paper again, I can improve by adding other elements and I learned from my mistake. As Robinson (2006) suggested that in order not to grow out of creativity, we need to prepare and not to be afraid of being wrong, so that we can find something from originals.

In my ECE practice, I noted the importance of setting up a studio where the children can spend time to focus on their work and reflect. According to Pelo (2017, p.18), studio is a place for research. The teachers offer art materials, help children to observe, notice, reflect, and make meaning during the interaction with the art medium. Teachers need not be very good at art, but are willing to "investigate alongside" with the children.

3) I would feel guilty if I use plain paper to perform my exploration as I understand trees are chopped and chemicals are added in making paper, so I tried to get any recycled paper, packaging boxes in the exploration. I also used recycled materials for my stop motion animation assessment. At the same time I understand creativity comes from trying out different materials, it may not be environmental friendly sometimes.

In my ECE practice, I would try to get a balance between creativity and sustainability. Sometimes we can use blank paper/canvas to paint, but we can also encourage to paint on the back of old single-sided posters. I can create a recycled craft basket and invite family to contribute old packaging boxes, carton, bottles, bottle caps etc so that the children can give trash second lives to "invent" somethings. In the process of box creation, the children may still use excessive sticky tapes, staples, glues etc. but i think it is still acceptable to me when balancing the waste and encourage material encounter.

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Flickr image: Wayang Kulit - Shadow puppet, Fletcher (2003)

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This artwork reminded me a puppet show I saw when I was little. At that time, I couldn't understand the story and there was no colors, but black shadows but I found the moving puppets interesting and they got my attention. I am thinking to explore shadow play with my daughters.

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Inquiry documentation on painting lisianthus with spice powder

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Inquiry documentation on painting lisianthus with spice powder

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I get some spices from my kitchen and start to paint with them. I use paprika for a pot, tumeric for a sauce, green tea for leaves, curry and nutmeg powder for flowers.  My exploration attracts my daughters to come and see. They keep saying "it smells good", "it looks fun", "can I try too?".

A poem to paint:
Paint, you are spices you are paint,
I find you in dishes and palette.
You may be messy,
But what you bring is worthy.
Through paint, children explore,
A world of possibilities and more,
Your limitation fades away,
As imagination comes to play.

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- can I make circles with paintbrushes?
- can I make gradually blend from one color to another using 3 primary colours
- what if I use materials other than brushes to paint? E.g. fork, my finger, foil, sponge stamp etc
- what kind of sound I can make if I’m using brushes, foil, finger, fork and stamp to paint?
- maybe I can use more/ less strength on the materials to see what the difference is?
-what kind of action I can use? E.g. gentle dot,  turn, stamp, stretch, paint, draw, fold, scrunch, scrub etc
-what if I use the spice powder for paint?

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My reflection on paint and how does my experimentation affect my future ECE practice 

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My reflection on paint and how does my experimentation affect my future ECE practice 

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1) We give lives to the materials. We are not letting the original usage of that material to shape or limit our creativity. For example, spices are for cooking but we can use them to create a watercolor painting. At first, the spice is too dry to paint on, the powder still left on the paper. The more water I add to the spice, the powder becomes paste and easy to use like paint.

In ECE practice, I will provide variety of materials for children to explore, because "materials themselves propose particular possibilities...They also provoke different ways of thinking as a child engages and works with them" and "Paint invited bodies to collaborate, to cooperate. It invited forces to interact and interfere with each other" (Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind & Kocher 2014, p.13 and p.48)

2) Painting is therapeutic, I feel calm and focus in the process. When I'm happy or angry I tend to use warm colors, when I'm sad and bored I tend to use cool colors. I love to follow my thought and flow to paint and end up I paint a rainbow and flowers.  However, is every one feel the same as me? I use paint to create something pretty. However, sometimes people use paint to hide somethings that is ugly.  Different interpretation on using stencils from Just Draw artist Bertram H's (2016) Dust installation inspired me to see different children's perspectives about art.

In ECE practice, some children with special needs may like patterns, do not like something creative, sticking to daily routine or with limited verbal communication. They can express themselves and tell stories through art. Patterned art or stencils may help them to communicate their thought more easily and comfortably as well as helping them to focus and regulate their emotion. Creativity in stencils can be  promoted through exploring different colors, painting and cutting, collage etc. Besides, some children may attend kindergarten at 3 without any pen grip experience before, it may be hard for them to create something from drawing/painting, developing fine motor skills are their needs. Therefore when I plan for art and craft in my program, I need to consider different children have different ability and developmental milestone, one can draw detailed self-portrait at 3 years old does not mean every child can do it. I need to remind myself to see children with different lens and follow their needs and interest, provide options for children to choose what they want to explore.

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https://youtu.be/NpZmiIag79E

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Research the history to get to know clay

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Research the history to get to know clay

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Clay comes from the ground, usually in areas where streams or rivers once flowed. It is made from minerals, plant life, and animals—all the ingredients of soil. Over time, water pressure breaks up the remains of flora, fauna, and minerals, pulverising them into fine particles.

Because clay holds its shape, it can be pinched, rolled, cut, or built up in layers to form shapes of all kinds when it's wet, it hardens when it dries. Clay may last for long time when it is baked or fired in an oven. That's why people use clay to make  pottery for daily use. "When the clay cracks, it returns to dust." Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind & Kocher 2016 p.53)

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My uncle's clay house in the countryside, China in 1980s

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In the lesson, I and other classmates discussed how people use clay differently in geographical perspective. One classmate mentioned in India, people used clay to build their house to keep the temperature cool. That reminded my own childhood experience of visiting my uncle's old house in the countryside of Mainland China in 1980s. It was a clay house with a clay stove and straw roof. It was simple, small but 8 people in it felt warm and comfy.

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Feel, squeeze, break roll, knead, poke a hole in the middle, add water, pinch, rub, twist, shape, cut, assemble, reflect, correct, admire

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-Why is it not working?
-Why is the clay not standing?
-Why does the clay crack?
-How to add something to the side without falling off?
-How people use clay in their daily life differently in places around the world?

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My reflection on clay and how does my experimentation affect my future ECE practice

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My reflection on clay and how does my experimentation affect my future ECE practice

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Reflection
1) I felt resistant at the beginning, both the clay and me were working against each other. However, when I spent more time on the clay, my hands got warmer and with more water, I felt we were more equal to each other and this is encounter and the relationship between human and nonhuman bodies (Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind & Kocher 2016 p.5). The clay and I were co-participant.  Then I felt the possibility of clay was endless, I reacted to the clay's response, then it was mouldable.

2) It was individual business of creating but at the same time, my classmates and I learned from each other in the same table, we interacted as a group and learning from each other, we shared the tools and techniques, and promoted a sense of belonging. "Learning the language of art is the same as learning any other language" through experiment, play, listen and interaction (Pelo 2017 p.17)

3) We were not only creating, we were also reflecting during the exploration, we needed space and time to explore and to think and reflect.

4) Different people with different experience will make their art with clay differently. Art pieces are unique due to the unique experience of the creators, there's no right or wrong in art because people are from different environment and art is something subjective, who has the power to set the profession?

5) It took me long time to create with clay as compared with paper and paint, I could stop at any time when I drew or painted on paper. But I couldn't stop any time for exploring clay as it needed more strength, I needed to wash my hands, took time to see how clay reacted to me. During the process, I feel calm and relaxed.

In my future ECE practice:
I find some limitations of using clay in program, e.g. need to wash hand, demanding for longer time, family culture towards sensory play/ messy play. After the lessons, I believe those limitations can be eliminated by the following ways:

1) The teachers need to educate parents the benefits of messy play (creativity and experience curiosity and sensory, muscle exercises for holding pens in future, cause-effect relation etc for school transition). It's better to mention the benefits at the information night/ orientation, so that the parents can prepare children come home with messy clothes or to let children wear old t-shirts to the service.

2) Arrange teacher-parent interview, so that the educators can understand family's background, needs and how they see messy play.

3) For some children hesitate to touch clay, think clay is "dirty" or "poo", we could introduce clay by talking about how clay comes from, how it feels like, what can we make clay for, then we can show children some pictures of how people use of clay around the world. Then children can experience creamy clay first then dark clay. Teachers can sit next to children to explore and observe together.

4) Educators focus on process instead of product art. Because children's art is telling stories and their art is affected by the Bronfenbrenner's Ecological system (Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind & Kocher 2016, p.65), i.e their experiences and the most important people around them. Children's unique experience leads to the uniqueness of their artwork.  Educators provide enough time and space for children to reflect and come back for any adjustment.

5) For children fidgeting or struggling in mat time, I may provide putty/ clay for them to feel and sense to manage their emotion and calm them down. According to Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind & Kocher, clay is able to slow things down in the studio (2016, p. 72).

6) I may set up clay experience indoor as well as outdoor as the environment affects the clay texture and the way how human encounter with clay. For example we have moulds and tools indoor while we have leaves and sticks outdoor to play with clay. "The clay invites the children to follow its unexpected movements" when it interacts with different environment / surface (Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind and Kocher, 2016 pp.63-65).

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Inquiry documentation in creating shadow play

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Inquiry documentation in creating shadow play

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We used visual sense to create the scary atmosphere, next time, I may add some owls hooting sound effects in the background to simulate the spooky scene.

A poem to light:
Light, you are powerful in the dark.
Make us feel safe like in Noah's ark.
To children you are as important as parks.
As you let children's interest spark.

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-What happen if I move the object closer or further away to the torch?
-Can the color of light changes according to my emotion?
-How does the torch light reflect on a mirror in a dark room?
-why is the sky blue, grey, purple, orange or white?
-why rainbow colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet but not pink, grey, brown and black?
-How may the shadow change if I move the light source from behind to the side?

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My reflection on light and how does my experimentation affect my future ECE practice

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My reflection on light and how does my experimentation affect my future ECE practice

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Reflection
When I was exploring light in different areas of my home and at a gallery, I asked myself which kind of light that I love the most. I found my favorite type of light was depending on what I was doing. I always like bright white light, especially when I need to read, but if I want to have warm and comfortable feeling, I prefer warmer soft light / natural light. Light affects our emotion and holds memories. That's why I still remember the shadow puppet show I saw. When I held up the tealight, the flashing candle flame reminded me the happy moments when I celebrated birthdays with my family. When I saw firework shows, I remembered I almost burnt my uncle's house when I launched a firework at his backyard and the trouble I had after that.

Future ECE practice
Light is essential in ECE play, light is surrounding us and endless. In ECE practice, I learned that human have 8 senses in ECE2006, maybe I can let children use their visual, auditory and interoceptive senses to engage in some setting, e.g. curtain down, lights off, raining recording to simulate a raining environment in drama play?  During lunch time, I can put a tealight on tables instead of fluorescent light to pretend we are eating at "a nice restaurant" so as to encourage dining etiquette and make use of their visual, gustatory, olfactory, interoceptive and auditory senses.

I can use light to encourage children to challenge new experience, let them have wonder or creative thinking like where the light comes from, not to scare with the dark / different light setting at light play, especially when we are exploring art/ craft / science. Fornaciari (2011) showed that light play can stimulate children's brain, the children develop curiosity, confidence, creativity, persistence for learning.

I also wonder how I can use light to cater for every child's need. Lighting is powerful to stimulating children's brain, but sometimes too much light, too much colors may over-stimulating some children. Especially some autistic children may experience hypersensitivity to bright lights or certain light wavelengths (LED or fluorescent lights). According to Autism Speaks (n.d.), certain light can be overwhelming to some autistic children that causes sensory avoidance (pulling away from the bright light). To understand children's sensory issue, I need to have good communication with parents and other professionals (e.g. OT) to know better children's need because not every autistic child experience the same. Then I accommodate their need by modifying the environment, be flexible and open-minded. For example, I can use light cover, let the children wear sunglasses indoor, use adjustable lighting in order to create a calming effect etc.

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Overall reflection on paper, paints, clay and light

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Overall reflection on paper, paints, clay and light