Through my experimentation, I realised the value of pedagogical narrative, focusing on the importance of the function of resources in the learning process. (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2015) emphasised that materials should be viewed as active co-creators of children’s learning experiences rather than passive objects. This point is seen as the paper comes alive through the way it rips, curls and twists, these elements affected my approach to the octopus project, mirroring the notion of "journeys" in which pedagogy emerges through lived experiences rather than predetermined plans (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2015).

I began by using my imagination as a prompt to promote interest. I ripped strips along the edge of the paper with twists and rigid edges to represent the arms. These elements allowed me to envision the octopus's movement and personality. Pacini-Ketchabaw et al.'s (2015) claimed that materials have agency, creating options that expand children's tales and imaginations.

My findings in the photographs included the paper’s ability to bend but not always stay in place; these little details revealed how children can gain knowledge about paper qualities while engaging in creative storytelling, according to Pacini-Ketchabaw et al. (2015).

My inquiry involved two levels of learning material comprehension and narrative development. As an educator who fosters activities like 3-D objects in children’s learning, I would be able to encourage children to problem-solve and develop their creative skills (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2015). To further engage children, I could broaden the activity into a sustainability discussion, considering

Where does the paper originate from?

Its transformation?

Are there any environmental issues we need to be aware of?

Would paper still feel the same after it's been wet and dried?

Would the flexibility of paper change after it has been wet?

The 3D paper octopus showcased the transformative power of paper as a learning tool. Through various methods such as ripping, folding, and curling, it revealed the supple yet robust nature of paper, highlighting the connection between material discovery and story development. The octopus symbolised metamorphosis and the journeys between children and materials.

Loose parts used for activities help to enhance learning processes in children by allowing them to explore in nonverbal and creative ways, whilst promoting inclusion and empathy (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2024). Children can work collaboratively together when creating emotions, allowing them to develop multiple interpretations of the same experience, promoting discussion about emotions and perspectives.

How can this be extended?

Rather than an individual emotion, each child could work collaboratively and create a mural.

What would a big mural of each child's emotions look like?

Are there any similarities in each child's emotions that they have created?

This approach focuses on the uniqueness and collective of emotional expression while presenting materials as co-thinkers. This uncovers the dynamic interaction of materials, emotions, and learning, with expressions being flexible and influenced by our purpose and material possibilities.  

I documented my work through photographs and videos, capturing my journey with the clay. The visual documentations showcase my hard work, highlighting the delicate formations I have created. This journal entry is a visual narrative of my experience with clay and my learning process.

Throughout this time, I explored a range of dimensions of clay work, and I invited my family members to contribute and leave their imprints. I asked them what the texture felt like to them, if it was easy to manipulate into the shape they wanted to create, or if it was firm and needed a lot of pressure. They felt that it had a "slimy" texture when they first touched it and that, in the beginning, when the clay was cold, it required some pressure to mould. This revealed how this material can be a social fabric of collaboration by allowing each person to leave a mark with equal weight.

Reflecting on my experience, I wondered how clay would work among a group of people rather than individually.

How may it hold the memory of a group of children rather than one?

How could children collaboratively work together and create a piece of art that represents each one of their own qualities that are alike?

(Pelo, 2016) highlights that clay could hold deeper philosophical thinking, developing a broader understanding of education and learning,

Utilising clay as an educator provides the classroom environment with endless possibilities for memory, discussion, and collaboration. Children should be provided with opportunities to investigate the clay’s weight, coldness, and tendency to fall apart when not being used. This material may be a medium for capturing children’s experiences of identification and belonging, as well as how collaborative clay production can serve as a gateway for creating inclusive environments. These provocations will influence my practice as I return to clay as an artistic medium and collaborator in rethinking pedagogy (Pelo, 2016).

I worked with ordinary day-to-day objects, such as a glass of water, a plate, and a flashlight, in a dark room to investigate how objects reflect light. The refractive properties of the objects I used produced light to glimmer and multiply, resulting in ephemeral patterns against the floor. Real learning for me took place when I saw how the emotive and aesthetic properties of light reflected each of the glasses' and plates’ patterns against the floor, in ways I could not have predicted. I realised during this experience that materials are “more than home”, which resist mastery and co-create meaning with us (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016).  

I concentrated on the importance of documentation, using pictures to capture forms and patterns that drawings couldn't fully represent. This approach conserved learning and allowed me to consider its deeper significance. The unpredictable nature of light and its potential for metaphorical and creative interpretations broadened the learning spectrum, confirming that knowledge in early childhood encompasses scientific accuracy, aesthetic, emotive, and creative modes (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016).

During this inquiry, I had many pedagogical questions about the use of light outside.

How may light be used outside, where it interacts with branches, leaves, puddles, and mirrors?

How may the reflections of leaves and branches differ from glass?

Is it possible to create a reflection from glass without sunlight?

What other materials may reflect when in light?

It is crucial to foster an environment that allows children’s curiosity, and establishing documentation processes that value children’s meaning-making rather than limiting them to developmental stages (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al. (2016).

(Pacini-Ketchabaw et al. (2016) emphasise the need to think critically with materials and fight the tendency to view materials as neutral or controlled. As an educator, it is important for me to foster environments for inquiry to thrive amid uncertainty and wonder by embracing light as a co-constructor of meaningful learning.

ISBN: 9781317588573

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Nxumalo, F., & Kocher, L. (2015). Journeys: Reconceptualizing early childhood practices through pedagogical narration. University of Toronto Press Higher Education. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=nlebk&AN=1565458&site=ehost-live&custid=s1145751

ISBN: 9781442609440

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Kind, S., & Kocher, L. L. M. (2024). Thinking with materials. Encounters with materials in early childhood education (2nd ed., pp. 1-23).

Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003322559-

Pelo, A. (2016). Clay. The language of art: Inquiry-based studio practices in early childhood settings (pp. 92-114). Redleaf Press. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?docID=4674378&ppg=105 ISBN: 9781605544588

This is the pot I had made when I was 8 years old; now it has some cracks in it that it didn't have before.