Visual Journal by PHUONG VY LE NGUYEN

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:08:24 UTC

I appreciate to introduce "An inquiry into Materials' Movement". This journal will demonstrate this concept by exploring basic materials such as paint, paper, charcoal, light and clay/soil, so that the children can explore their ideas. Each artefact will be related to unit readings mentioned in this unit. The movement of materials, such as paint, clay/soil, light, paper and charcoal, will be explored by folding, sketching, twisting, rolling and so on, which will become visual art. The visual art will demonstrate the children’s theories around them. This content will challenge my thoughts, show what I have learnt and how this concept related to Early Childhood Education.

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:09:45 UTC

He uses the movement of the fingers to draw the cultural symbols on the face.
Coulthard, C 2013, Yalmarralpana Ochre Pit.

Connections to Readings

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:11:48 UTC

Soil is similar to clay, whose colors educators and students focus on, and pay attention to the land they stand on (Pacini-Ketbachaw, Kind & Kocher 2017). Related to the movement, as the soil adhering on the face, clay adheres to branches, immerses in the water, rolls through the forest and picks some leaves . They also discover the clay by different movements such as pressing, holding, sliding, how they feel when touching it. Also clay, which is taken from the land, like soil attaching to the skin, shows the connections by sticking to pine needles, garbage, soil, moss and many different things. It can transform itself by moving with human and non-human as well (Pacini-Ketbachaw, Kind & Kocher 2017). Pelo (2016) also demonstrates the how to guide students to discover clay's movement, which will be shown later.

Reflection and Implications for practice

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:12:58 UTC

I was playing clay dough when I was a child. I thought clay and clay dough were the same; we can transform both of them any shape we like. But, by discovering through the module, I admit that clay creates more sense with natural smell and the feeling of soft and cool to the skin (Playful Learning n.d.). As an artist, I realize that clay and/or soil not only provides natural color, but also shows the movement of the fingers to draw on face or any surface. This materials are able to transform when someone or something touches it (Pacini-Ketbachaw, Kind & Kocher 2017).
Relating to Early Childhood Education, clay opens their sensation, such as smell and touch, and teaches them the problem-solving skill and critical thinking (Playful Learning n.d.). As an educator, the properties of clay will be first introduce to children by allowing them to feel them, such as climbing on the big block of clay, using their own fingers and toes to press and to dig the clay. The next stage is to discover clay's physical characteristics by adding water to it, sculpting, and exploring its movement and textures (Pelo 2016). Also, the Face Painting culture will be introduced as a part of Aboriginal's culture, that children can paint their own face and their peers’ face. However, I will notice myself how to use this cultural without cultural appropriation, which is using cultural knowledge, intellectual properties and expression without permission (Papallo & Dewald 2016).

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:16:16 UTC

Connections to unit readings

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:16:20 UTC

Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind and Kocher (2017) emphasize paper’s inclination, which means floating in water, attaching and slipping off the walls, floors and children’s body. They also say that paper respond to folding, bonding, crumpling, related to the concept. This piece of art shows the respond to folding and crumpling. The paper and my body move together (Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind & Kocher 2017), and it transform to paper chairs and paper table. This origami art requires the children to be patient, but it is unavoidable if a child finds it hard and start giving up, so the educators need to give guidance. It is also necessary to observe and document during the session (Edwards 2011).

Refection and implication for practice

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:17:09 UTC

I have manage to experience all the movement of paper, such as blowing it, folding it, tearing it, using paper to pull and push something, pulling it and pushing it, and so on. I realize that the movement is not about moving as a final product; it is possible to use the movement by folding it and tearing it into a final product.

As an educator, newspapers is always a good choice for children to explore paper since it is in use once during a day (Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind & Kocher 2017). A range of activities to explore this material is suggested by Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind & Kocher (2017), including attaching paper strips to the wall with water, patting them to a bowl, covering an object with paper strips, floating them in water, attaching them to their bodies and so on. They also stress the experiment how paper strips react to the winds and the flow made from a fan. For origami art, they can fold based on their decisions and show their final products with imagination; it is a way of understanding of children's complicated ways of knowing the world around themselves (Pelo 2016). Hanna (2017) also shows the room with different types of paper for children to explore with light, webcam, moving images and so on, where I can think of preparing different type of paper, and children can explore the reaction of different things.

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:18:51 UTC

The sketch is inspired from "The Language of Art : Inquiry-Based Studio Practices in Early Childhood Settings" (Pelo 2016). I try my best to name each symbols by my black pen.

Connections to reading

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:20:42 UTC

Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind and Kocher (2017) admit that the experience of charcoal is unpredictable. Related to the experience, I planned to design a studio for a center by using charcoal to sketch. I thought the design was clean and easy to seen. But, I did not expect that my hands, my sleeves of clothes, and even my nose were receptive to the blackness, which means the affect of the movement could not be ignored (Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind & Kocher 2017). My charcoal marks were spread all over the surface of paper when my hand accidently touched them. Rubbing the charcoal uncompressed stick makes me feel soft, rich and chalky darkness (Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind & Kocher 2017)

Reflection and implications for practice

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:21:10 UTC

This sketch shows the understanding of studio in Early Childhood, such as the tile floors, the open shelf at children level, light from natural and artificial sources, and space for drying paintings and sculptures (Pelo, R 2016). Educators should understand the importance of children’s expression, creativity and aesthetic (Cooper 2011). Indeed, the children can use charcoal to marks on paper, on their clothes or any surface to express their meanings around the word, as it is beautiful to understand their ways of knowing everything around them (Cooper 2011) though their marks of movements.

Before touching the charcoal, I assumed that it is easy to draw on a piece of paper, like graphite pencils. After exploring uncompressed charcoal stick by sketching the studio, it is harder but more interesting than standard pencils. It’s blackness covers the paper when my hand unintentionally touch the marks. My hand and my clothes are even absorbed the blackness. From that moment, I understand what Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind and Kocher (2017) means when they say touching is to be touched and to be moved. When I was marking the paper with the charcoal stick, I heard the scary sound. It created the noise of movement whenever I put this stick harder onto the paper, which was put on my table.

It is a good idea to teach them how to use art to communicate. For example, visual arts communicate through symbols and spatial (Roy, Baker & Hamilton 2015). The marks of charcoal, sketching on paper, on rocks, on clothes, on skins, or any surface can show their expression with different perspectives. It is beneficial to group learning, where children can share their views and listen to others (Making Learning Visible (2006). The educators can apply listening context, developed by Rinaldi (2011), to interpret the children’s theories through their action, emotion and expression, based on their symbols and images. To introduce this material, I will give them opportunity to discover by themselves as there is a sense of not knowing. The charcoal encounter does not mean to show them how to use it properly; it means to be something other than drawing, such as wearing a piece of paper covered charcoal’s blackness as a costume (Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind & Kocher 2017).

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:23:36 UTC

Inspired from "The Language of Art: Inquiry-Based Studio Practices in Early Childhood Settings" (Pelo 2006). I drew open materials shelf and display of paintings and clay made by children.

Connections to unit readings

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:23:48 UTC

Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind and Kocher (2017) define assemblage as the workgroup of human and non-human bodies. The movement concept is demonstrated through the movement of the brushes and hands on paper, or foots, with full of the watercolor, stepping on the floor. They also state that people cannot control the movements of paint, of brushes, of tempera paints on the easel or the table, since the painting can be dropping or mixing. Furthermore, moving is to feel how heavy the brush is, how the paint looks and how tall of the easel, as they admit.

Similar to charcoal painting, color painting shows their understandings through symbols (Bond 2013), and the educators can analyze their understanding of everything around them (Cooper 2011). Every child seeks to identify themselves (Edwards 2011), and listening should be considered as acceptance of difference and recognizing other’s perspective (Rinaldi 2011), and teachers can discover the different types of paint with their own students because the children can teach their teachers how to open to differences (Rinaldi 2004).

Reflection and implications for practice

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:24:38 UTC

I use the combination of colorful chalks and markers. Their movements are not only about arts, but also about non-verbal expression. In this artefact, I can use my chalks and my markers to express my idea for a studio room for children. Demonstrated by Pachini-Ketchabaw, Kind and Kocher (2017), besides drawings, they can discover the wetness of the paint, touching the paint, putting the paint on the Plexiglas panel, moving their hands inside the water color to feel, or foot massaging with different colors, or they can draw their peers on Plexiglas panel based on the reflection. These activities are all about movement.

The educators should introduce the paint brushes, then invite them to use black and white paint and mix them. After that, tempera paint, watercolor paint, oil pastels and chalk pastels will be reached to children. Each child can choose a paint brush from each jar (Pelo 2016). From their art of movement, which is painting, the children can show their identities by drawing themselves, their families or their ideas. They also can transfer information from a book (Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind & Kocher 2017).; indeed, we can learn this material more than drawing from our own students by teaching us how to open to differences (Rinaldi 2004).

Documentation panel, inspired by Reggio Children (ed. Filippini & Vecchi 2009), can be shown by pictures with some captions;. Documentation can not be existed without assessment; that is, the children find their own values when we share our documentation with them (Rinaldi 2004). From there, we can analyze what they think about the world around them.

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:29:32 UTC

Alesson, S 2018. Light Play Outside

Connection to unit readings

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:30:15 UTC

Hanna (2017) shows the projectors of moving images, where children can interact with the materials. She states that children are guided to use the materials to convey their expression, which become their second language.
Schwall (2015) mentions the uses of found materials, as shown on the artefact, which become the communicative qualities. Consequently, the children should be guided how to use light and its movement, not only inside the studio with projectors, or the artificial lights, but also using the sun light and colorful shadows of found materials.
Additionally, the role of teachers is mentioned as planning curriculum, supporting the children and facilitating play. Light play area should be arranged as the environment become the third teacher (Edwards 2011).

Reflection and implication for practice

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:31:05 UTC

The movement of the light in this experience is demonstrated by reflections of each objects with colorful shadows. The movement of the sun, the mirrors and objects changes the shape and size of the objects. Before exploring the module, I thought the light will be an artificial light. The person on this video demonstrate how to play with natural light, and I can think of the movement of the sun as well.

Relating to Early Childhood Education, some basic concepts ,such as light, shadow, form, color-mixing and so on, will be first introduced. Then, educators can demonstrate different activities, inluding Light Boxes, Echo Tables, Over-Head Projectors, Light Sculptures and Projectors Light Box (Ipswich Art Gallery 2017). Mentioning of Projectors Light Box, Hanna (2017) describes that she uses different materials to interact with the moving images, and she combine music based on the visual idea of each object. It is a good idea to suggest students to make sounds related to the moving images. She also demonstrates Ray Of Light room, where the objects could be moved in front of the projector’s light.
The children also enjoy playing with sunlight and the shadows of the found objects. They can learn the reflection by moving the objects, the mirrors, and they can also notice the movement of the sun affecting the objects' shadows.

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:32:02 UTC

In conclusion, materials movement conveys the expression of ideas and emotions of the children. Paper, Charcoal, Clay/Soil, Paint and Light are considered as materials where children can move in different way, such as folding, drawings, moving and so on, so they can demonstrate different ideas as their second language. Furthermore, educators should guide the use of these materials before they can use them to explore their ideas.

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 04:32:26 UTC

Alesson, S 2018. Light Play Outside, YouTube, 12 April, Interaction Imagination, viewed 22 October 2020,
Schwall, C 2015, 'The Grammar of Materials' , in L Gandini, LT Hill, LB Cadwell, C Schwall & S Seidel (eds),
In the Spirit of the Studio, 2nd edn, Teachers College Press, New York.

Bond, VL 2013, 'Follow and Facilitate: What Music Educators Can Learn From the Reggio Emilia Approach', General Music Today, vol. 27, no. 1

Cooper, M 2011, 'Is Beauty a Way of Knowing', in C Edwards, L Gandini & G Forman (eds), The Hundred Languages of Children, ABC-CLIO, LLC, California.

Edwards, C 2011, 'Teacher and Learner, Partner and Guide: The Role of the Teacher', in C Edwards, L Gandini & G Forman (eds), The Hundred Languages of Children, ABC-CLIO, LLC, California.

Hanna, W 2017, The Children's Music Studio : A Reggio-Inspired Approach, 3rd edn, Oxford University Press USA - OSO, Canada.

Filippini, T & Vecchi, V 2009, Browsing through ideas, Reggio Children.

Ipswich Art Gallery 2017, Light Play Education Resource, Ipswich Art Gallery, viewed 22 October 2020,

Making Learning Visible n.d., Making Learning Visible, viewed 19 October 2020, .

Rinaldi, C 2011, 'THE PEDAGOGY OF LISTENING: The Listening Perspective from Reggio Emilia', Innovations in early childhood: the international reggio exchange, vol. 8, no. 4.

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V, Kind, S & Kocher. LLM 2017, Encounters with Materials in Early Childhood Education, Taylor & Francis Group, New York.

Papalo, J & DeWald, ML 2016, Addressing Cultural Appropriation in the Classroom: Tools and Resources, viewed 16 October 2020, <

Coulthard, C 2013, Yalmarralpana Ochre Pit, YouTube, 13 September, Iga Warta, , viewed 16 October 2020,

Playful Learning n.d., AUTHENTIC ART MATERIALS FOR TODDLERS: INTRODUCING CLAY, viewed 16 October 2020,

Pelo, A 2016, The Language of Art : Inquiry-Based Studio Practices in Early Childhood Settings, 2nd edn Redleaf Press, MN.

Rinaldi, C 2004, ' The RELATIONSHIP Between DOCUMENTATION and ASSESSMENT', Innovations in early childhood: the international reggio exchange, vol. 11, no. 1.

Roy, D, Baker, W & Hamilton, A 2015, Teaching the Arts: Early childhood and primary education, 2nd edn, Cambridge University Press, Australia.

phuongvy2701 — 2020-10-23 05:04:24 UTC

Name: Nguyen Phuong Vy Le
ID: 4558726