Learning with Place: Movement, Sound, and the Power of Imagination by Khoi Vu

Odd parking lot

vanhkhoi2018 — 2025-04-02 01:21:36 UTC

vanhkhoi2018 — 2025-04-03 13:07:56 UTC

The Guardians

vanhkhoi2018 — 2025-04-03 13:10:03 UTC

Check out the audio!

The Train as a Dragon: Transforming Movement into Storytelling

vanhkhoi2018 — 2025-04-03 23:10:03 UTC

Watching the train suddenly pass by in the photo, it appears to be a moment of ordinary movement. However, in my experience, I believe that the movement of the train passing by brings a sense of continuity, of non-stop. At this moment, the train is not simply a means of transportation but a Chinese dragon that is winding and dancing and cutting past me unexpectedly. The presence of this dragon makes me excited, and I must turn my head to look. This reminds me of the Mutton Bird video that turns movement into storytelling. In the Mutton Bird video, the dance represents the migration of birds, showing continuity and ancestral connection (bangarradance theatre, 2015). Similarly, the train, in my experience, turns its movement into a flying dragon that brings a sense of continuity, not just a mechanical object, as if this dragon is in a hurry to migrate to another state because the weather is starting to get cold here. As a future educator, this perspective significantly influenced my future practice by encouraging me to see movement, whether in objects or people, as opportunities to express creativity and storytelling in early childhood education.

From Trees to a couple

vanhkhoi2018 — 2025-04-04 00:10:50 UTC

I noticed a tree in front of me. It stood there with two trunks, one tall and full, the other shorter and thinner. A strange shape. A strange formation. But as I looked closer, it transformed. The trunk grew taller, with more leaves and branches, and at the same time the branches reached up, becoming a man, his arms protecting the smaller trunk, a girl, thin and fragile, leaning on the man's arms. They seemed to be dancing together. They were not just trees. The two trunks, taller and shorter, seemed to represent a couple dancing in a place that seemed to be for only two people, a man who had feelings for the girl, looking at her passionately, using his arms to support her, and the girl also looked at him and smiled with sparkling eyes in response to his feelings. This reminds me of the reading "The Importance of Pretend Play in Natural Settings," which emphasizes how outdoor play in natural settings fosters creativity, social-emotional development, and problem-solving skills in children (Wallin, 2019). Wallin's idea comes from my story about the tree, where two tree trunks turn into a romantic dance between a man and a girl. Just like when children play outdoors with a natural environment, such as trees, sticks, and rocks, when exposed to these materials, it will spark their imagination, they can observe and use natural/loose materials that support their imaginative play. My overall reflection influences my future practice by encouraging the use of natural materials in play spaces, allowing children to freely participate in the environment and spark their creativity. In terms of current practices, this may contrast with more structured, home-focused activities that limit children's interaction with the natural world.

The Wisdom of Quiet Listening

vanhkhoi2018 — 2025-04-05 02:48:45 UTC

The chirping of a flock of three sparrows created a rhythm, their chirping responding to each other and the environment around them. I stood still but still listened deeply to their chirping, noticing the subtle interaction of the birds with the sound of vehicles opposite them. I listened to the fast rhythm of a sparrow singing continuously first, then two other sparrows also sang after that. I felt like they were discussing with each other whether to fly towards the road or not, finally they turned their heads and flew into the tree above the parking lot. It seemed like they were a smart flock of birds, when they listened to the sound of vehicles and they knew that they could not fly out and land in the middle of the road because it would be very dangerous for them, so they chose to retreat to find a quiet and safe place to play together. It reminds me of the moments when I was 15 years old, I was sleeping in an apartment with my family, my house was very soundproof, so it was hard to hear the sounds from the neighbors and outside, but while I was sleeping, a sound like a fire alarm crept into my ears. At first I ignored it but the more I listened, the louder the sound became, strangely no one but me heard that sound in the middle of the night, I felt that the situation was not good and woke my parents up to call the security guard to check, the fire alarm was coming from the neighbor's house across from me when no one was home, the security guard broke the door and rushed in, after investigating, I found out that the neighbor's house had an electrical short circuit and a small fire started and everyone started pouring water to put out the small fire, fortunately no major fire happened. My experience connects with Dadirri in a quiet moment. The moment I heard the faint but growing sound of the fire alarm in my apartment building. No one else heard it, but something deep inside me urged me to listen. That listening led to action and prevented a tragedy. In that moment, I wasn’t trying to interpret or control anything; I was simply listening. Like “There are no words. A big part of dadirri is listening.” (Ungunmerr, n.d.). Like the sparrows who made the conscious decision to fly off the road to a safer space, they stop at the moment, listen to something deeper, analyze a situation, and then take action lastly. As my teaching practice in the future, I hope to create spaces for children to stop, observe, and respond consciously, just as I listen and respond promptly to the fire alarm, or as sparrows choose a safer place to take shelter. That quiet listening will guide my teaching methods in the future.

vanhkhoi2018 — 2025-04-05 07:11:55 UTC

bangarradance theatre (2015, May 20). Bangarra Education Resources Mutton Bird [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-PV98Oshkc

Ungunmerr, M.-R. (n.d.). Dadirri, Inner Deep Listening & Quiet Still Awareness.

https://vucollaborate.vu.edu.au/content/enforced/1816406-ECE2008-1-2023-HWB-151670/Dadirri_Handout%20(1)%20(1).pdf?ou=2150918

Wallin, M. (2019). Let's Play Outside: The Importance of Pretend Play in Natural Settings. community playthings.

https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/the-importance-of-pretend-play-in-natural-settings#:~:text=When%20children%20are%20given%20the%20time%20and%20space%20to%20play,to%20cognitive%20and%20linguistic%20growth.