This experience links to my assessment 2 creative piece; I used the sounds of water layered over my voice and other sounds in nature. This added the element of music/sound, I spoke about the two rivers meeting in Wangaratta and the sounds the water made in my on-country visit. When planning this experience, I reflected on the ‘Sensory Story Telling’ video and how they used different items to make noises (such as water and rain) and the added sensory elements to the story telling. (Sensorium theatre 2016) It also reminded me of Victor Wooten’s ‘Music as a Language’ video and children learning music through experience over it being taught. (Tedx Talks 2013)

Step 1. Fill tray with water, only half full leaving room for pouring and splashing.

Step 2. Play water sounds using a music device such as an iPad

Step 3. In small groups, encourage children to listen to the water sounds and think about how we can make them together

Step 4. Show children to the water tray and place hands in making different sounds.

Step 5. Stand back and watch them create sounds/music

Experience links to the EYLF-  

Outcome 1.2 Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and agency

Outcome 2.4- Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment and nature.

Outcome 4.2 Children develop a range of learning and thinking skills and processes such as problem solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating

(AGDE, 2022)

The positive take aways from this experience were some leaves and petals fell into the water which added another element to the experience and the children were excited to see them falling into the water. All children were interested in having a play in the water to make different sounds. One child used a small milk jug to slowly pour water into the tray and said it sounded like a waterfall. The negative was how wet the children became but, in the future, we could use long sleeved art smocks or pick a warmer day.

This experience links to my assessment 2 creative piece; I included the golden wattle and eucalyptus trees while describing my surroundings and sense. I will source these both from where I had my on-country visit and they were also included in my artefact video and photos. The article ‘Creative Dance-Play for Early childhood’ gave me the idea to use props when moving and dancing in nature, in the article it mentions scarves and pieces of material to emphasise movement. (Dance teaching ideas n.d) I will use the wattle and leaves in place of the scarves to encourage children to join this experience and learn through dance and movement. The same article also talks about the importance of children dancing in nature to allow all their senses to explore.

Step 1. Hand children a variety of the plants so everyone has some wattle and eucalyptus

Step 2. Ask children to imagine they are a tree, blowing in the wind and what this would look like

Step 3. Demonstrate the activity yourself. You can add sounds by waking whooshing noises with your mouth

Experience links to the EYLF:

Outcome 2.4 Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment

Outcome 3.2 Children become strong in their physical learning and mental wellbeing

Outcome 4.1 Children develop a growth mindset and learning dispositions such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity

Outcome 4.2 Children develop a range of learning and thinking skills and processes such as problem solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating

(AGDE, 2022)

A positive take away from this experience was that children were able to extend on their learning by incorporating the plants into their play for the rest of the day in other types of outdoor play like the sandpit, and in the café as flowers. Later in the afternoon I could hear children saying they were being blown away by the wind and were zig zagging across the yard, restarting our experience from earlier in their own way.

This experience links to my assessment 2 creative piece, there is kookaburras laughing as one of the layers of sound, it is also included in my original artefact. Sophia’s video of ‘Journey to Healesville’ (DETV 2018) showed me how using puppets, props and costumes for a dramatic experience can be very engaging and exciting for children and let them become immersed in the activity. I want to create something similar and know that the children already really enjoy playing with puppets.

Step 1. Begin my telling the children someone special is coming to read them a book and ask them to sit down together

Step 2. Introduce Koo Koo to the children and remind them to be gentle

Step 3. Read the book in an expressive and interacting way allowing time for questions and comments from the children

Experience links to the EYLF:

Outcome 2.4 Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment

Outcome 5.2. Children engage with a range of texts and gain meaning from these texts

(AGDE, 2022)

I have learnt how temporal arts can be beneficial for children and an important part in learning and developing and plan to carry on this knowledge as a teacher

https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf

Dance Teaching Ideas (n.d.) Creative Dance Play for Early Childhood https://danceteachingideas.com/creative-dance-movement-for-toddlers/

Department of Education and Training VIC (2018) Journey to Healesville- learning through drama [Video] Vimeo.

https://www.vic.gov.au/literacy-teaching-toolkit-early-childhood/videos/journey-to-healesville

Sensorium Theatre (2016, April 19) SENSORY STORYTELLING Guide: A Webinar for Teachers and Parents [Video] Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/163371099?fl=pl&fe=sh

Tedx Talks (2013, May 30) Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland [Video]. YouTube.  https://youtu.be/2zvjW9arAZ0