Projects
Glass Project: Step Gently on this Earth and this Sky |
"At the still point of the turning world...at the still point, there the dance is" (T.S. Eliot). |
This project is a unique collaborative undertaking spanning five years, between the University of
Melbourne’s Early Learning Centre and Philip Stokes Studio Glass, as part of a mutual commitment to providing children with the opportunity to learn from and work directly with artists. Each year the Early Learning Centre’s curriculum engages with the United Nations International Year
theme, which aims to foster care of and concern for the environment through education and each of the
glass projects is an extension of that broader educational framework. The exhibition of the glass projects
therefore develops chronologically:
The poetic title of this exhibition 'Step Gently on this Earth and this Sky' is inspired by the idea of children's vocabulary as poetry and was developed around discussions of the fragility of the environment during the International
Year of Biodiversity. The children have transformed other themes set by the United Nations into poetic
titles such as “The Octopuses Garden” and “The Iceberg’s Heart”. In 2007 the children were looking at the
glass art of Dale Chihuly who lost one of his eyes in an accident and wears a black eye-patch. They
imagined Dale as a pirate of the sea in an underwater glass garden and so, “The Octopuses Garden” was “The Iceberg’s Heart” arose in 2008 from the children immersing themselves in the wonder of Antarctica and posing questions to the Scientist Bob Jone at Casey Base such as; 'Do Iceberg Roses grow in Antarctica?' and 'Do Icebergs have a heart?' At the heart of this collaborative project and exhibition is the wonder of children; the commitment and inspiration of teachers; the skill and generosity of artists; the resources of the University of Melbourne and Philip Stokes Studio Glass and a willingness to commit those resources to children and to art. |
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Environment Project: Eco-cubby
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Eco-Cubby promotes the concept of sustainable design and building, and celebrates children as designers, mud brick makers and builders. It demonstrates the positive collaboration between architect, artist, teachers, children and families that enabled the children to develop a range of skills and understandings with the building of an 'Eco-Cubby' in the playground. Eco-Cubby is a workshop program for young children, that aims to illustrate how to adapt sustainable technology and principles to everyday living. By designing an Eco-Cubby, students engage in challenging dialogue about sustainability and are encouraged to adopt sustainable living principles. At the end of 2008 the ELC was the only preschool along with 10 primary schools to be selected to be involved in this exciting project. The ELC Eco-Cubby project led by Rachel Giansiracusa and Ann Ferguson has engaged children in the development of an Eco-Cubby for the ELC play ground. The project focused on the process, identification and understanding of issues raised through the development of a sustainable building. Teachers, children and families were involved in a myriad of experiences, including mud brick making, related to building and construction. Participants became familiar with different design tools, logistic considerations and natural materials that could be used for building. building and construction of the cubby – children, families and staff observed as the model, developed in 2009, came to fruition as a magical play space taking pride of place in the centre of the ELC playground. An official opening of the cubby took place in September with Professor Collette Tayler, architect Mat Foley, Regional Arts staff, and ELC teachers, children and families in attendance. Documentation of the thought and design
process along with Eco-Cubby scale models were |
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Beyond the Canopy - An investigation of a Reggio inspired dialogue between children, teachers, parents and forests."The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences. We must widen the range of topics and goals, the types of situations we offer and their degree of structure, the kinds and combinations of resources and materials, and the possible interactions with things, peers and adults" (Loris Malaguzzi 1994). |
This project is an investigation of a Reggio inspired dialogue between children, teachers, parents and the trees. It introduces the ‘Reggio Emilia Method’ suitable for use by Early Years teachers and parents. A year-long project based on the International Year of the Forest 2011, it captures the collaborative learning journey of preschool children, their teachers and parents from the point of project provocation to its conclusion. Emphasis will be placed on presenting learning environments that support complex and challenging thinking between individuals and their worlds of experience, both within the preschool and in the local community. The voices of teachers will describe their inspirations for the establishment of sensory rich environments that stimulate collaborative multi-layered inquiry. Indigenous perspectives will also be included. Thanks to funding so generously provided by the 'Frank Leydon Tot-Ed Trust' the development of a multimedia teaching resource will provide teachers and parents with a systematically documented ‘step by step’ insight into how teachers support the selection of a project of significant social concern and how the project theme provokes children’s creative thinking and problem solving and involves diverse groups of children. The reciprocal nature of teacher-directed and child-initiated learning will be showcased with examples of multiple modes of inquiry, including language, mathematics, science, drawing, sculpture, dramatization, dance and music making fostering children’s authentic involvement in the ongoing process of exploration and evaluation. Children’s outcomes of learning will be featured as a way of demonstrating the importance of evolving products as vehicles for exchange and assessment of learning. This multimedia product includes Teaching and Learning Notes that will be informed by contemporary research and provide an intersection between theory and practice and form the platform for a ‘train the trainer’ Seminar Series which will be offered both at the Early Learning Centre and on-line through the ELC’s website during 2012. A BLOG, specifically dedicated to participants of this project will be developed within the ELC website, enabling online information dissemination and support for those who wish to replicate the project approach to teaching and learning.
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A Recipe for Community |
Over the past five years the ELC has collaborated with Interact Australia to conduct a number of projects that have brought together ELC children and their teachers and adults with disabilities to enjoy relationship building through arts-based activities. Interact Australia is a successful and innovative not-for-profit organization that provides community based programs that offer an exciting range of creative opportunities for both young and old with a disability to practice as visual and performing artists in their local community. Interact emphasises engagement in collaborative projects with other arts and community organisations. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
EXPECTED OUTCOMES |