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Conclusion

As Bennett (2010) stated, the concept of assemblage indicated a “human-nonhuman working group”, in which different factors are linked and come together to create something new. Assemblage challenges traditional ideas and opens up new potentials for children to express their emotions and show their personal stories. Therefore, I believe it is important for us as educators to implement the concept of assemblage in early childhood settings.

Reference

Anderson, B., Kearnes, M., McFarlane, C., & Swanton, D. 2012. ‘On assemblages and geography’. Dialogues in Human Geography, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 171–189.

Bennett, J. 2004. ‘The force of things: Steps toward an ecology of matter’. Political Theory, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 347– 372.

Bennett, J. 2010, Vibrant matter: A political ecology of things, Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Deleuze, G., & Guattari, F. 1987. A thousand Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V, Kind, S & Kocher, LLM 2016, Encounters with materials in early childhood education, Routledge.

Victoria University 2023, Session 1-3, viewed 10th May 2023,

https://vucollaborate.vu.edu.au/d2l/le/content/1784626/viewContent/8564379/View

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Discussion:
I found some empty soft drinks and snack boxes. They were randomly piled up on the desk pad and I started to play with them. When I stood them up, I suddenly noticed they look like a mini city landscape. A plastic bottle is just like a tall building, boxes are like apartments, while the green bottles below acted as land with grasses. The different elements - soft drinks, snack boxes, bottles, and desk pads - were interconnected yet formed a new element (Bennett 2010).

Source from:http://www.louisapenfold.com/make-a-cardboard-assemblage/

Implications:

1. Learning Intentions:

In this experience, the children will have the opportunity to explore:

Their creativity, problem-solving skills and fine motor skills

Imagination and concept of assemblage

2. Learning experience:

Children age: 3-5 years old

Children will be encouraged to play with loose parts (such as cardboard, bottles, paper, markers and so on) to create a cardboard assemblage. They can use their imagination to design their own cardboard and create everything they want.

3. Analysis and justify learning plans:

This activity encourages children to understand the idea of assemblage by playing with different elements and creating something new  (Pacini-Ketchabaw et. al 2016, p.57)

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6. Cardboard assemblage learning experience photo

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6. Cardboard assemblage learning experience photo

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Source from:http://www.louisapenfold.com/make-a-cardboard-assemblage/

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Discussion:
A few days ago, while preparing to throw away the trash at home, I suddenly had the idea of using the unused fabrics in my house to create something new. When I picked up a pillowcase, I initially had no specific ideas. However, as I played around with it, I wrapped a ribbon around it and it started to resemble a large butterfly bow. I thought it would look even better if it was attached to clothing, but unfortunately, I didn't have any sewing needles. Through this process of exploration, I discovered that different elements can be combined to create something new in creative ways. This experience highlights the concept of assemblage, demonstrating that the combination of different materials and elements can lead to the creation of new and unique objects (Bennett, 2010).

Photo source from: empowered educator

Implications:

1. Learning Intentions:

In this experience, the children will have the opportunity to explore:

Social and emotional skills

Creativity and imagination

the notion of assemblage

2. Learning experience:

Children age: 3-5 years old

Children will play in groups, using their imagination to explore the concept of assemblage in drama by building a story together using natural materials. Children will be encouraged to create a variety of costumes by themselves (e.g. using leaves and paper to create a T-shirt, using carpet to pretend to be scarves). As the children progress through the story, they will have the opportunity to add different elements to the assemblage, such as props and sounds, further enhancing their creative and imaginative skills. After the play, ask open-ended questions to children, such as “How do you feel about working together to create something new”.

3. Analysis and justify learning plans:

This learning activity helps children explore the notion of assemblage in drama as they work together, adding different elements to create a new story  (Bennett 2010) .

The activity allows children to use their imagination and creativity through movement, props and storytelling to work in groups and develop their social skills when exploring the idea of assemblage.

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https://www.theempowerededucatoronline.com/2017/06/dramatic-play-outside-ideas.html/

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Discussion:
As I listened to the symphony, I felt the rhythmic flow of the music. With the paintbrush in my hand, I followed the music and drew beautiful lines on the paper. I experienced the assemblage of music and painting when all these things come together as one (Pacini-Ketchabaw et. al 2016, p.57).

Implications:

1. Learning Intentions:

Children age: 3-5 years old

In this experience, the children will have the opportunity to explore:

Fine motor skills

To encourage creativity and experimentation with colors and textures

Photo source from: Northwest (see attached photo)

2. Learning experiences:

Children will work together in groups to play with musical instruments such as drums, shakers, and bells to create patterns and textures on their paintings. They can also use their bodies to create sounds and movements while painting.

3. Analysis and justify learning plans:

This activity is aligned with the capabilities of assemblages, as music, children and watercolour coverage as a whole (Gilbert 2004, cited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et. al 2016, p.59).

It creates an assemblage that allows children to experience powerful effects and intensities (Pacini-Ketchabaw et. al 2016, p.57).

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https://www.nwmontessori.vic.edu.au/painting-to-music/

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Discussion:

Inspired by my previous painting, I had a bolder idea: Why not experiment with painting directly on fallen leaves? Why should we always paint on paper? Playing with fallen leaves, I used my fingers, my hands, and brushes to create an abstract painting. After experimenting, I found there were beautiful leaves surface on my palms. That is, painting ignited the new assemblages, in which my hands were transformed into a canvas for natural patterns to leave behind beautiful impressions. (Pacini-Ketchabaw et. al 2016, p.54)

Photo sources from: The Sun (please see attached left highlighting in blue)

Implications:

1. Learning Intentions

In this experience, the children will have the opportunity to explore:

Fine motor skills

To encourage creativity and experimentation with colors and textures

2. Learning experiences:

Children age: 2-3 years old

Photo sources from: The Sun (find attached )

Provide children with natural resources (such as blueberries, and roses). Let them experiment with different techniques such as finger painting, palm printing, and using a combination of fingers and palms to create different textures. I will encourage them to cooperate to paint on each other’s hands and skins. Additionally, I will encourage them to explore colour blending by mixing colours and observing how they intermingle on their skin. After the activity, we will share our hands with each other to see the beauty of the artwork produced.

3. Analysis and justify learning plans:

This activity showcases the importance of the emergent forms that manifest within the classroom through the assemblages of paint, hands, children, natural resources, and educators, which creates an improvisational process (Anderson, Kearnes, McFarlane, & Swanton, 2012, p. 175).

This learning experience helps assembles the classroom and provides an opportunity for children to engage in cooperative learning, where they can explore painting on their skin.

It highlights the idea that bodies play an important role in painting assemblages, indicating that bodies are not singular entities but rather composed of multiple elements, thus fostering a sense of collective creation (Manning 2009 cited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et. al 2016, p.57).

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3. Hand painting learning experience photo

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3. Hand painting learning experience photo

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https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/19802290/banned-son-painting-school-cant-afford-replace-uniform/

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Discussion:

After collecting some fallen leaves on the street, I was inspired by their potential for creating an artwork using these natural resources. When I creating my artwork, I noticed that painting served as a medium that enabled an 'interaction' with 'more-than-human' elements (Ingold 2011 cited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et. al 2016, p.53) Leaves were used as stencils when I placed them on the blank paper and paint around them.

Implications:

1. Learning Intentions:

In this experience, the children will have the opportunity to explore:

Shapes, colors and textures of leaves

Fine motor skills

2. Learning experiences:

Children age: 2-3 years old

Photo source from: Empowered Parents (see attached photo below)

Children will go on a nature walk to collect leaves of different shapes and sizes. We will then experiment with different painting techniques using the leaves as brushes, such as dipping them into paint or using them to apply paint directly onto the blank paper.

I will encourage children to observe the various colors and patterns created by the leaves and to explore links between their hands, brushes, leaves, colors and papers. After finish, we will share our artwork with peers and celebrate the beauty of nature.

3. Analysis and justify learning plans:

This activity is aligned with the idea of “paying attention to what the paint can do” rather than “what we can do with painting”, highlighting the capability of the paint (Pacini-Ketchabaw et. al 2016, p.53).

This learning experience helps assemble the classroom and allows children and educators to gather together and witness the natural materials’ artwork. As Bennett (2004) suggests, assemblage creates diverse forces that can  “interact and interfere” with one another.

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Discussion:

While experimenting with brushes, watercolors, and bottle caps, I observed the concept of assemblage, in which each element is interconnected and forms a "human-nonhuman working group" (Deleuze and Guattari 1987). As an extension of using brushes, I used bottle caps to play and mix with green and yellow colours. The final artwork looks like the arrival of Spring and reflects the idea of sustainability.

Implications:

1. Learning Intentions:

For the children to understand the concepts of assemblage through playing and painting.

In this experience, the children will have the opportunity to explore:

Shapes and sizes of different bottle caps

The names of different watercolor

The idea of sustainability in art

2. Learning experiences:

Children age: 0-2 years old

Photo source from: Pre-K Fun (please see attached photo below)

In this learning experience, we will explore paintings with recycled materials, such as bottles, bottle caps, and sticks.

By using these tools, we will experiment with different bottle cap sizes and shapes to achieve various effects and mix colors to create a composition. Children will develop their creativity, fine motor skills, and understanding of color theory.

3. Analysis and justify learning plans:

This activity gives children opportunities to engage in artistic expressions, such as mixing colors, applying brushstrokes, and contemplating the painting process. Painting has become more than a tool for the development of their sensory skills (Ingold 2011 cited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et. al 2016, p.53).

It showcases the concept of assemblage as children use different tools to create and play with watercolours. (Victoria University Session 3, 2023)

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1. Painting using bottle caps learning experience photo

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1. Painting using bottle caps learning experience photo

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https://www.prekprintablefun.com/blog/plastic-bottle-stamping
In this learning experience, we will explore paintings with recycled materials, such as bottles, bottle caps, and sticks.

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2. Leaves painting learning experience photo

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2. Leaves painting learning experience photo

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https://empoweredparents.co/benefits-of-painting-for-children/

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According to Deleuze and Guattari (1987), the concept of assemblage asserts that each element is interconnected and establishes a "human-nonhuman working group", which indicates elements are “forming each other and breaking apart” (Bennett, 2014). Engaging in a profound examination of the idea of assemblage, I experiment with diverse elements, including materials, paintings, sound, dance, and movement, to showcase my exploratory journey with this concept.