https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g How does being present shape children's movement? en-us 2019-06-19 02:28:43 UTC 2025-12-10 12:29:57 UTC hello@padlet.com https://imgglb.padletcdn.com/v13/image?t=g_auto&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpadlet.net%2Ficons%2Fpng%2F1f4a1.png emily_gawne https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368230101 When we entered the EWP service, a really popular resource was toy trucks- these were just set up on a mat on the ground for kids to play with as pictured. I noticed that this activity is used every single week and there was a large presence of children, parents and other educators that would only play by sitting down around mat and roll the trucks around on the mat with their hands. As it was originally set up so minimalist, I think an ill-intentional expectation of ‘the trucks and cars move on the mat’ was generated. It demonstrated a clear vision of physical limitations to only fine motor skills of movement in the hands and fingers- which then seemed to correlate with the intellectual movement, that trucks drive on roads and that’s all. Especially with the present adults only moving the trucks and cars on the plane mat, it was our jobs as educators to give a “little nudge” and change this up. This limitation of physical movement has been annotated. ]]> 2019-06-19 03:12:35 UTC https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368230101 emily_gawne https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368230332 2019-06-19 03:14:17 UTC https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368230332 emily_gawne https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368230451 After undergoing this unit of moving with children and generating my own question of ‘how does being present shape children's movement?’, I was now able to understand what needed to be added and the present action I needed to take to create a better experience for play. I added neon train tracks, more vehicles of different sizes, vehicles on strings, eliminated chairs and pillows for sitting all in the hope that the students would feel they can move around the room better. The students no longer sat down around the mat… they were on the mat or running down the space in the room for example which I have recorded as a live photograph. I noticed children feeling comfortable to take the vehicles over to other resources, over to their parents and intertwining the use of trucks with rocks, bark, animals and any other resource around. ]]> 2019-06-19 03:15:24 UTC https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368230451 emily_gawne https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368230537 2019-06-19 03:16:08 UTC https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368230537 emily_gawne https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368230785 2019-06-19 03:18:43 UTC https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368230785 emily_gawne https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368231707 My question is ‘How does being present shape children’s movement?’ as I focused on how heavily invested children, families and teachers are with their movement patterns in play and movement. We are always naturally moving as we are naturally being present.  “Being present” can be defined as not only your physicality within an existing place or space, but also having your energy, thoughts and emotions all fixed on the occurring learning experience we call life. I think this was relevant that children at my service were dedicating their presence to the corner of cars and trucks so I figured how can we amplify and extend their dedication and investment to play? I wanted children to make that conscious decision to be able to use motor skills with their creative thoughts entwining their different forms of movement and resources while they are present.  I believe by setting up the resources slightly differently the children felt more comfortable being there to showcase their creativity and making connections to the world around them. ]]> 2019-06-19 03:27:22 UTC https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368231707 emily_gawne https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368275900 How does being present shape children’s movement? ]]> 2019-06-19 09:12:11 UTC https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368275900 emily_gawne https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368280461 2019-06-19 09:43:13 UTC https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368280461 emily_gawne https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368280725 2019-06-19 09:43:58 UTC https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368280725 emily_gawne https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368282882 I expected the resources to be as popular as what they always are, seeing as there were so many more available with more colour and more movement paths available. I also expected a lot more engagement and presence from families as there was now more stimuli for creative movements and scenarios. I also did expect many more present children for a longer period of time, rather than just rolling the vehicle up and down the mat and then moving on. As expected a lot more comments were made by parents about 'how great it looked' yet a lot of them wouldn't be present with their child in using the materials. ]]> 2019-06-19 09:58:27 UTC https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368282882 emily_gawne https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368283053 I didn’t expect the incredible levels of comfort and relief being present in the space and atmosphere throughout the classroom- most kids were sitting, lying, running around the mat which I had not seen in previous weeks. I didn’t expect such a large movement through the room and mixtures of rich resources tailored to each individual learner which was valuable to observe. The children were really working in the space of our service, moving through the world around them. Neither did I expect such a mixture of presence from parents- some really backed away with no chairs and as the children were moving more so they were easier to observe, whereas some parents got down on the floor and engaged with the emotional and intellectual movement through creating imaginative scenarios with multiple resources. ]]> 2019-06-19 09:59:46 UTC https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368283053 emily_gawne https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368283487 This curricular experience was important to my practice as a pre-service teacher as it is the beginning of my journey and understanding movement is a small stepping stone to each service. Seeing this provocation in action allowed me to slowly break those dominant discourses of the ‘trucks need to stay on the mat’ and that ‘the trucks follow the roads’. It is important to acknowledge and grapple with children’s movement in a more theoretical way in our practice so children are comfortable, encouraged and confidence to touch base with their presence and move through life successfully. ]]> 2019-06-19 10:03:06 UTC https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368283487 emily_gawne https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368283533 In future in terms of my practice and further services, I hope to take open these activities to the option of outdoors as well and indoors so they’re getting the richest possible engagement in the world. I would also love to try and use toys of different materials from our world rather than just plastic. However, this whole provocation has made so curious about what children are thinking when being present in place. How much they actually thinking about as they are placing in different spaces with different materials. I will always find the knowledge and play of children so powerful. I hope to educate the wider community about the importance and value on movement and play- yet this is only just the beginning on my teaching journey.  ]]> 2019-06-19 10:03:30 UTC https://padlet.com/emily_gawne/mvvy04p67u1g/wish/368283533