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THE RAINBOW BIRD- SUMMARY OF THE SESSION

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THE RAINBOW BIRD- SUMMARY OF THE SESSION

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Taking inspiration from the above picture and the drama that I created in my Country visit, I encouraged the small group of 2 children to discuss, create and enact a dramatic play, with birds as the main character.

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LOOK, I AM A TREE - SUMMARY OF THE SESSION

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LOOK, I AM A TREE - SUMMARY OF THE SESSION

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Children will be encouraged to create dramatic movements, using the streamers /ribbons.

Children will be asked to display different movements of trees, using their body as the instrument of expression.

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Children actively use their body gestures, voice, movement to explore, experiment and enact real and imaginary situation. They can transform spaces and items through drama. (VCAA)

Keeping this information at forefront, I will ask children to create a dramatic/pretend play. Because my Country visit drama was created around the seagull, a book called 'Cato's Can Can' will be read to set up the stage.

Children will be asked to narrate their story, so I could prepare the props.

The book, different loose parts and props would be set up as provocation.

If asked, educator could also help with characters and dialogues.

If invited, I would love to play a part in their play/drama.

As proposed by Lark (2019), when natural environment is unavailable, we can bring loss, natural materials to the children in ECE (scraps, logs, rocks, seashells, ribbon, leaves, pinecones, twigs). It will be amazing to see how pretend play and interaction with materials unfolds.

As stated in Wilson (2018) article "Play engages all the powerful senses" allowing children to express and explore the world by engaging in different temporal arts.

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The teaching session will be designed based on my own Country visit. Movement and dance of waves and wildly swaying trees will set the stage for dance/ movement teaching-learning sessions.

The table with ribbons/streamers and posters of yoga poses would be set up near an open large area, where children would get enough space to do body movements, run and imitate the movements seen in nature. I would set up the mood by doing few body poses myself and ask if the children want to join.

The poses done by them would be named and children would be encouraged to hold the pose for 2-3 seconds. They would be asked about which movements were easy/difficult.

As highlighted in VEYLDF (2016), children comprehend world through their senses. Different Art forms allow them to understand, explore and express themselves and create imaginary world through dramatic plays, music and dance.

Connecting 'movements' of my teaching sessions to

First Nation Perspective about Country being more than physical space and geographical areas of water, land and sky. We continue to pass rich wealth of stories, languages and dance, to our young generation.

Wilson (2018) highlighted that creative, pretend play and natural environment are crucial for holistic early childhood development. Playing and engaging in natural environment provide children with opportunities for cognitive, social and emotional development.

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The fabric became the colourful wings of Rainbow bird.

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The melodious songs of our Neighbour-birds

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Taking inspiration from the Oliveros, P. (2015) [YouTube Video], children and myself, have been practicing deep listening with our senses and learning to appreciate the natural sounds in the environment.

The environment would be set up around the big wooden table outdoors, with provocations (musical instruments, the Ipad playing sounds of nature, long ribbons/streamers, soft fabrics) to invite children to the music area. (Reggio Children - Ateliers, n.d.)

As they join, let them play individually/unison, using body/instruments. Explain crescendo and decrescendo of music,

Also let them explore and appreciate the sounds.

Name the instrument and sound produced by individual instruments.

First Nation perspective will be introduced to children, using simple words, that 'Country' is not just physical space, but a living, breathing entity with spiritual& cultural importance. There are intangible connections to stories, songs, movements and cultural practices

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THE MUSIC WITHIN/WITHOUT🎶🎵🎼-SUMMARY OF THE SESSION

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THE MUSIC WITHIN/WITHOUT🎶🎵🎼-SUMMARY OF THE SESSION

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Children will be invited to experiment with different musical instruments (and hands) and will be encouraged to describe the words that represent the kind of sounds produced (soft, loud, harsh, shriek, noise, melodious, calming, rhythmic, high or low pitch) and to learn if they would create their own songs or compose music.

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Rainbow bird was the most beautiful bird in the whole wide jungle. She loved to run around, flapping her wings to display her colorful feathers.

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The forced, loud and fast movement of dancing ribbon/ streamers indicative of the nature's valour and destructive force.

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Department of Education and Training. (2016). Victorian early years learning and development framework. Department of Education and Training. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/edcare/veyldframework.pdf

Gandini, L., Hill, L., Cadwell, L. B., & Schwall, C. (2015). In the spirit of the studio : learning from the atelier of Reggio Emilia. Teachers College.

How singing together changes the brain: Tania de Jong AM at TEDxMelbourne. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. https://youtu.be/I_HOBr8H9EM

LARK, M. (2019). Let’s Play Outside: The Importance of Pretend Play in Natural Settings Marisa Lark Wallin | June 2019

MiriamRoseFoundation. (2017). DADIRRI (Official Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Video) :: 3 minute promo. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tow2tR_ezL8

Oliveros, P. (2015). The Difference between Hearing and Listening | Pauline Oliveros | TEDxIndianapolis [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QHfOuRrJB8

Reggio Children - Ateliers. (n.d.). Reggio Children. https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/rc/ateliers/

The Atelier - The school without walls. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://youtu.be/vNAKhgATlAo

(2001). VCCA [Review of VCCA].

Wilson, R. (2018). NATURE AND YOUNG CHILDREN :

encouraging creative play and learning in natural environments. Routledge.

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My artefact, On Country visit, Altona Beach, Victoria

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Teaching sessions for Music/ Sound, Drama and Dance/Movement were inspired from my own Country visit. The visit allowed sounds, movement and drama of the environment to take me on a journey of imagination.

The children in ECE were shown the video, to recognize and understand my engagement with place through aural and kinesthetic encounters. Thus, setting up the idea and intent of the temporal art teaching-learning sessions.

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Playing in unison, appreciating the sound, pitch, beats, rhythm and the pause. Hands are the musical instruments, and SILENCE is appreciated in the loud environment.

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Music choreographed by the group and lyricist in the making.

The unique orchestra, had distinctive sounds of the different instruments, but when heard in unison, was pleasant to the ears. A girl randomly started singing her own song, the music and the group was her inspiration and motivation.

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PART 3:  Another group of children wanted to create their own music.

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PART 4: When the experience evoked the lyricist in the child

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Flap, flap, flap birdie,

Chu, chu, chu

Fly, fly, fly

fly so high, in the great blue sky

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The calamities- The adverse, angry dance of nature.

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The surging, powerful swell of the streamer depicting the charged and bolted catastrophic dance of nature.

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The dancing representation of lurching and surging waves

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"And this is how the trees will move in the wind" they showed.

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The children were shown the video of my Country visit and were invited to notice the movements of different elements in it.

The children were quick to pick up on the movements of waves and trees.

What went well:

One child was able to show the natural calamities, by naming and using loud, forceful movement of the streamer. I was very impressed.

Another child was able to depict movements as slow, fast, loud and softer using my instructions as clue. Most of the children were enthusiastic participants in copying the 'tree' poses.

What didn't go well:

It was difficult to hold children's attention for a long time and when outdoors, it is challenging to ask them to be at same spot for long.

Extension of learning:

NATURE WALKS could be organized, for children to have first-hand experience-practicing pauses and deep listening. This would also relate to appreciating environment and its elements.

As the children were watching my Country Visit video, a child exclaimed about the patterns, waves were making and about how nature has different patterns. Extending upon his inquiry, children were also invited to create patterns using colourful pegs and drawings using inspiration/provocation board. These activities develop sense of understanding and appreciation of different art forms.

What I might do in my practices in ECE:

Practicing the different dance poses and learning names of stances, so I could share rich vocabulary with children.

I would also learn/explore dance forms around the world, with the children.

Parents would be requested to join in and teach us some dance steps from their country/community.

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The bird 'without any coloured feathers', chasing the Rainbow bird.

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The children discussed amongst themselves, how they wanted to represent the pattern and rhythmic movement of waves in the ocean.

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Rainbow bird is now generous and happily gives away some colored wings to the other bird and they become friends forever. Both the birds happily flap their wings and then fly away.

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Because teaching sessions were to be linked to my own Country visit and had to run for 5-10 minutes (children have much shorter concentration span), each session was divided into sub-sessions of different activities, but all related to music and my own AT2 experience.

What went well:

I could invite the children to the outdoor music atelier, as I started tapping on the table, the number that wanted to join kept increasing. They listened and copied well. Most of them seemed to enjoy.

What didn't go well:

I had to play musical crescendo and decrescendo a few times to make children understand concept of high/low pitch, frequency and importance of pauses. (MiriamRoseFoundation, 2017)

It was difficult to accommodate large group of 16-17 children who wanted to do it together, so session was repeated 2-3 times, while other teachers wanted to children to go back indoors to do group time.

What would be done next time:

More instruments, 2 tables, more resources, involving 1 more educator for smoother implementation.

How might I use this understanding in future practices for ECE:

I would add music to different activities, to create engaging, lively, soothing learning spaces. I might create music atelier, in the room/ Centre. I would ask parents for their contribution by including them to sing their cultural songs/play musical instruments.

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Children developed and created a beautiful story of friendship, taking my own Country visit dramatic play to another dimension.

What went well:

Both children played their individual parts to best of their ability. They were able to express zest of the story.

It is always easy to monitor and redirect smaller group of children.

What didn't go well:

Most of children can do their own pretend play and drama. But when educator sets up the plot or tries to define characters, they find it difficult to comprehend and perform.

The act was to be done repeatedly, because other children would come in actor's way. Sometimes, it was not possible to cover the actors face. The main dialogue was not heard very clearly, in the video.

When children know that this drama is teacher-led, there is some reluctance and chances of corruption.

What could be done better:

Children could be asked to direct their own play/drama.

There should be no limitation of who and how many children can participate.

The drama should not be adult-intervened.

How might I incorporate my extended knowledge into ECE practice:

Dramatic/pretend play areas to be created in different learning spaces

Resources, both natural and constructed could be set up as provocations, for children to use to dramatize.

We could browse through the books/ technology to understand the dramas and costumes, around the world.

Books and parental inputs could be an added resource.

OVERALL REFLECTION AND HOW HAS MY PERSPECTIVE CHANGED ABOUT TEMPORAL ART, AFER ENGAGING IN THIS UNIT:

This unit helped me understand that music, movement and drama are important features of children’s learning and development. How creating different opportunities through aural and kinesthetic art languages, we create limitless ways and build multidisciplinary experiences for children to learn and understand their world.

It also helped me to overcome my own inhibitions and shortcomings. These temporal arts are not about the product, but the enjoyment in the process of doing.

I learnt to develop a unique and sacred respect for nature and its elements and am able to enjoy the joys of nature. I feel more connected with the surroundings now, as I have started practicing deeper listening.

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PART 5: A child was using the twig to paint, I started producing the whooshing sound of the wind that could make the trees to sway violently, and he started stroking the twig on the paper, as if replicating the sound.

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Children's interpretation of "What is drama and play?"

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"What is dance?".

Children's interpretation, during group time.

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'What is music?"

Children's interpretation, during group time.

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Mapping of Sounds(human and non-human components at my workplace.

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Reference: Diagram from My Assessment for playwork placement ECE 2004

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Mapping the movements of human and non-human entities at my Centre.

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Reference: Diagram from my assessment for playwork placement ECE 2004

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Documentation Panel helped me understand importance of democratic display of children's work and educators' contribution and give meanings and testimony to value of education. (Gandini et al., 2015)