ECE2008 Assessment Task 2 - Creative Response by

Artefact - Bird Feathers, Cockatoo, River, Trees and Birds

s_sell2011 — 2023-03-04 10:05:23 UTC

Analysis of the walk
sounds
- birds (squawking, tweeting, hooting, chirping)
- crunching of the grass as I walked
- water flowing just under the tree where the cock-a-too hung above a tree
- crunching from the cock-a-too chewing on a stick
- rustling of the wind moving the leaves/branches
- wind

Movement
-Cockatoo eating a stick on a branch of a tree
-Cock-a-too flying by flapping its wings
-Braches and Leaves rustling in the wind.
-My feet crunching on the dry grass.
- Painted Buntings flying from branch to branch
- nest slightly moving high it a tree full of baby birds chirping that I couldn't see.
- Magpies walking along the grass ahead.

Drama
-Birds losing their feathers
- Cockatoo eating a stick. (Why was the cockatoo eating a stick?)
- Heard baby birds chirping thought might of been nest looked high in the tree see slightly a next above.
-Magpies caught my eye I followed them, till came across some feathers.
- crunching of my shoes on the dry grass
- me conquering my phobia of snakes and spiders

Reflection 1 -"The Bird That Lost Its Leaf"

s_sell2011 — 2023-03-04 10:51:34 UTC

"What drew me to my artefact was the magpies as I made my way towards them, until a white and yellow large feather caught my eye, I wondered "Was it a kookaburra feather." I picked up the feather and then began to look ahead of me. There was a trail of feathers, so I decided to follow them."
The feather and the way my parallax mind went into my inner 3-year-old self-made me think of the article The Hundred Languages of Children: the Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation Experience in Transformation, 3rd Edition: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, (Edwards et al.,2011) when it talks about the shadow of the bird, how the children were determined to keep the shadow in one spot, so they tried different strategies to insure it happened. I thought about Reggio Emilias teaching as well (being the 3rd teacher) and how I could use the feathers as learning opportunities for the children in my Centre. I thought about placing the feathers outside in the yard, like planting the seed to begin the children's learning and watch that seed grow as it begins to explore, "where did the feathers come from?", "What does it belong to?", listen quietly and you might hear the animal it belongs to?" and then begin the parallaxes of the children telling their own story about that feather, research, to then drawing from that story, knowledge and creativity into music and dance.

References

s_sell2011 — 2023-03-04 11:08:03 UTC

Bing. (2019.). why do cockatoos eat sticks. [online] Available at: https://www.bing.com/search?q=why+do+cockatoos+eat+sticks&cvid=32224f6bb9194d909969903155706b61&aqs=edge..69i57j0l8.7582j0j1&pglt=43&FORM=ANNTA1&PC=HCTS [Accessed 4 Mar. 2023].

Dadirri Inner Deep Listening and Quiet Still Awareness 1988., viewed 4 March 2023, .

Edwards, C, Gandini, L, Forman, G, & Reggio, CS (eds) 2011, The Hundred Languages of Children: the Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, 3rd Edition : The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, ABC-CLIO, LLC, Westport. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [4 March 2023].

Wilson, R, 2007, Children, creative play, and the natural environment, in R. Wilson (edn) Nature and Young Children : Encouraging Creative Play and Learning in Natural Environments, Routledge. Ch 1, pp 1-18. >

Reflection 4 The water connected me to Dadirri and nature.

s_sell2011 — 2023-03-04 11:39:23 UTC

"Where the cockatoo was sitting, I looked over and there was a shallow lake, I couldn't believe I got this far into nature." I could faintly hear the water moving." I thought about the article Children, creative play, and the natural environment, in R. Wilson - Nature and Young Children: Encouraging Creative Play and Learning in Natural Environments and how I play a part in the 95% of children that don't go outside nor out into nature, how my phobias such as snakes and spiders are disconnecting my own children to learn and be in touch with nature, in that moment I wasn't worried about those phobias I was in my own little world, wanting to listen, I saw the lessons, the ideas I wanted to explore with my children, the endless possibilities and most importantly I saw the beauty.
I will end with this qoute, I will also read this to the children as we begin to get ready for Bush Kindy as a reminder not only to children but myself when my phobias kick in that theirs so much benifets than fears in nature:
Nature is universal and timeless.
Nature is unpredictable.
Nature is bountiful.
Nature is beautiful.
Nature is alive with sounds.
Nature creates a multitude of places.
Nature is real.
Nature nourishes and heals.
(Wilson. R, 2007)

Reflection 2 -"Follow the leaves, that lead me to a tree."

s_sell2011 — 2023-03-04 12:50:11 UTC

"I began to follow as the magpies watched me, in that moment I did not care if they tried to hurt me, I needed to know, I needed to know, where and what species of bird the feather belonged to all of a sudden, the feathers lead me to a tree, the tree was still but a slight gust of wind came and rustled the leaves."

Reflection 3 - "Cock-a-too sitting in a tree."

s_sell2011 — 2023-03-04 13:01:35 UTC

"as I walked closer to the tree, and continued to follow the path of the feathers, I noticed a bird sitting in the tree, it had the same colours as the feathers I collected, I found the bird YAY!, then I thought about what bird it was, I thought a kookaburra, so I decided to research, the colored (white and yellow) feathers and found it was a cock-a-too, I then wanted to know why it was chewing a stick and found out they do this to trim their beaks. I never had a real interest in birds, but I found myself memorized by the movement the noises around me and so in the moment." I thought about the Wurundjeri woi wurrung people and how they must of felt, connected to this land and at one with nature, that this was once home to them. I thought about the article "Dadirri" and in those moments on the land I felt I was "tapping into that deep spring that is within me" ( Ungunmerr, M 1988" In the dadirri article it talks about how aboriginal people, how they dont like to hurry or more urgent to get to, there is nothing more important than what we are attending to.
This also reminded me of how much I just wanted to stay and continue, to observe and listen, I thought about when I am with the children how much time am I giving the children to just be with one in nature, outdoors, to learn and think for themselves, but also connect to aboriginal culture by connecting to their land and learning. "Hurry up" is a colonial sentence used often in schools, in everyday life, work, families and early childhood. I found I wanted to learn more because it was my choice rather than it be forced upon me. I want to find time in my early childhood sector Centre to give children that time to be imaginative, be creative and just be the teacher on that journey with them and be the person planting the seed quietly, be their rain, sun and soil to guide them to grow.

Creative Piece

s_sell2011 — 2023-03-04 14:30:07 UTC

I wanted to write a children's story about myself if I was a three-year-old child and how I portrayed the eagerness on fulfilling, finding the bird that lost its feather. The story is based on my adult version of what I felt as I went into the walk and found the feather and the birds I saw along the way until I found the bird owner of the feather. Hope you enjoy my story.

The Bird Who Lost Its Feather!

s_sell2011 — 2023-03-05 02:36:37 UTC

This video was the inspiration behind my story book.