I am looking forward to this class, although art is not my strong point, I love the creative ability it gives me and allows me to be my authentic self.

I can't wait to look back on this reflective journal to see my progress in EPA3200.

The picture I have selected to represent me is a bunch of sunflowers. I love this because I feel they follow the sun, I love being outdoors, they are yellow, my favourite colour and bring me happiness.

Hannah.

This week we were asked to collect recycled items from around the house to use in constructing a characters/ objects for a stop motion (next week) to communicate a message of sustainability. I thought this activity was great, not only did it get me to reuse recycled items but also to create something to send a sustainable message (rubbish in the ocean but making the fish out of 'rubbish')

So what?

During this process I had many ideas come to mind and thinking about how I would use them in my stop motion. Keeping it simple (I did these 2 weeks together). This creative process was fun but a challenge for me because I overthink projects like this. I felt I had a ‘creative flow’/ theme going in my padlet with flowers. I used cutting skills to cut the shape of a flower out with cardboard and I used sticky tap to make the milk caps stick to the cardboard.

Now what?

I enjoyed this activity and I feel by including this as a classroom activity/ project, is a great way to allow childern to develop and show their creativity but also teach the importance of sustainability. Allows development of fine motor skills. Eg. cutting, using sticky tap to make it stick.

During this weeks learning activity we were to create a stop motion communicating the message of sustainability using our creation from last week using recycled materials.

So what?

I thoroughly enjoyed this activity and the creative process involved. I had many ideas cross my mind during the incubation stage. As I tend to over think things lots, I throughout I would keep it simple. Although this stop motion could have communicated the message of sustainability a lot better, I was trying to show to the process of growth and the importance of this in a sustainably world.

Now what?

I loved this activity and I feel incorporating a similar activity allows students to show their understanding of idea using ICT and elements of arts. It gives student an opportunity to be involved in a creative process of authentic arts and communicating with audiences. This activity could be used using 2 arts learning areas but also allows the possibility to be integrated with other learning areas.

So what?

This activity made me think of both music elements and how I could represent these using the elements of visual art (colour and line). I selected the tortures movement and elephant together. I enjoyed listening to a few of these different sounds and completing this task during a “study break”. I felt quite calm throughout so I have used majority of cool colours to represent this however during the elephant I felt it was a little more attention grabbing so I used a warm colour (orange) to represent this. I have used different lines throughout the page to show the different uses of music elements throughout the pieces. The volume shown with increasing/ decrease in size of the wave and the shape sound of the piano with the point in the lines. I let myself feel the music and move the pen on the page with it.

Now what?

I think this would be a great calming activity for students, I feel it would be a great way for students to express themselves especially when listening and responding to different music.

This weeks activity we were to create a soundscape composition in responding to a visual art work.

So what?

I struggled with this activity and played around with it lots. I defiantly feel I could have had more time doing this activity. I selected Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” piece. This artwork reminds me of the little village in ‘The Lorax’. although this is very different from may other people. I had trouble uploading and did not leave enough time and did not have enough space…. Note to clear my folders other.

Now what?

This is great way to integrate visual arts and music however, I struggled and feel I defiantly would need to develop my skills and knowledge in this area before introducing an activity like this to students.

This activity integrated the learning areas science and dances, we were asked to create a short movement sequence showing the physical and behavioural characteristics of a native Australian birds. During this weeks tutorial we looked at the ‘Brolga’ - Bangarra Dance Theatre video before completing this task. I have selected to do galah. I have selected this bird because I love their fun characteristics and because it is my grandmas favourite bird.

Science - research physical and behaviour characteristics.

Dance - create a short sequence of movement (using dance elements)

So what?

Although I did not record this activity the way I could have done this, would have been to begin to day in a small ball then displaying the growth with my arms tightly tucked close to my body and then expanding them out slowly and moving around by small jumps and making laughing noises.

Now what?

I would do this activity as a whole class where we watch dance video by Bangarra as we did in the tutorial and ask students in groups to select a bird to complete a sequence together.

I would have not thought of integrating science and arts together like this but thought it was very clever

This looks at HASS and Drama integrated together aligned to the year 4 curriculum. It looks at investigating first fleet knowledge using drama. It asked students to imagine they’re on a boat during this time. This would be done over several weeks (a term) to build knowledge through looking at books, events of the time. Through specific lessons of both. It is important that students understanding the knowledge and skills used in drama performances and then using this to construct their knowledge of the first fleet. Role play is important

So what?

Now what?

This integration of HASS and Drama can effectively add to student knowledge of both learning areas but also allows them to develop a clear understanding of life’s and events during this time in an interactive , engaging and fun way.

During this weeks active learning we were asked to step into our outdoor space and reflect on our feelings during this time and select items to create an assemblage that represents this.

So what?

During this activity I step into my outdoor space (which is shared with many other on the station) this space was filled with noise of cattle, the breeze of open spaces, pattern of fences, the grass had been freshly mowed and trees. At the time I did this activity a beautiful sunset in the Kimberleys Western Australian, while I sat an appreciated this space, I was reflective of my journey to where I was. I enjoy going for runs and walks in this space also due to the open space dirt roads. There are not many ‘items’ to collect around so I have used a photo of the sunset over the yards and the pattern of the cattle along the bunk eating.

Now what?

This activity allowed me to be reflective and take time out in an outdoor space. I love being in the outdoors and I feel there are so many differently environments I love being in and make me feel different things (The beach, home backyard, station ‘backyard’, parks, ect). For students this could be calming to step into nature and have an appreciation for it and the pattern seen. I did this as an activity with my two students when I was a governess. They observed the outdoor and drew patterns they saw, they used leafs and colours over then to add texture to their page. My students loved this and they loved doing ‘art’ outside. This gives students that struggle in the classroom to focus to thrive and demonstrate their understanding and develop a sense of authentic self.

links between course theroy and practice.

Insights from praxis ? (would you do this in your future classroom, why?)

How did active learning throughout the semester build arts skills, knowledge and understanding? 

- Throughout the semester I have learnt the effectiveness of the arts through integration with one another and also the ability to enhance learning in other learning areas in the Australian Curriculum through an arts-based approaches and integration. 

- Building skills, knowledge and understanding weekly. Constructing consecutively understanding allows consolidation - making alignment from learning, activities and assessment. Although I did not complete these tasks weekly as suggested it see the value and importance of constructing learning weekly and completing these tasks as they come.

- These praxis can be used in future classroom activities to engaged students, allow student to express themselves in alternative ways which considers all students and their needs and abilities. 

Integrating arts into other learning areas makes learning fun, engaging and allows students to develop a creative sense by providing students opportunities to be involved in activities that activate the creative process.