Innehållsförteckning för JULY/AUGUST ISSUE 12 2022 ADVOCACY från Pedagogy+

ANNA, CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT EUNGAI PRESCHOOL? The preschool is located on the edge of a little village, in a very rural part of the beautiful Nambucca Valley about an hour North of Port Macquarie. Our building is actually the original Headmaster’s house which parents organised to have moved from the school next door in the early 80’s. Our families come from more than 5 different rural communities in the area. From beach villages to farms an hour’s drive away. Many of our parents came to Eungai Preschool themselves; other families have arrived in search of a ‘tree-change’. This creates a wonderfully rich dynamic of diversity, and a wide range of differing needs. CAN YOU SHARE WITH OUR READERS HOW YOUR JOURNEY BOUGHT YOU TO EUNGAI PRESCHOOL? In a…

As an early childhood professional, you may think you are unprepared or unqualified for advocacy. In fact, it is your first-hand experience and personal knowledge that makes you the perfect advocate. You know what is needed to drive change within the sector and support the wellbeing of young children, yourself and your colleagues. Through advocacy and working together, we can leverage our voices to ensure all children have the opportunity to flourish and succeed. And that early childhood teachers and educators enjoy professional recognition, respect, appropriate remuneration, and good work conditions. Leanne Gibbs, Lisa Bryant and Liam McNicholas – to some of you, these names will be synonymous with advocacy and speaking out. Individually and collectively, their contribution to the sector ensures that contemporary issues are debated and discussed. Their…

Artists make objects and visual works that not only decorate our environments, but also communicate ideas, experiences, sensations, history, beauty and so much more. The same can be said of the creative work of architects, designers, florists, actors and performers. Artist’s work may reveal whispers of their style, beliefs, culture and context; or perhaps explicitly shout out personal responses to the world. In education settings, the arts experiences children engage in also reveal a great deal, not only about the ideas and capabilities of the child, but about the beliefs and practices of the educator who planned the arts experience. In their book exploring the many ways art is important, de Botton and Armstrong (2013) suggest the functions of art include remembering, hope, sorrow, rebalancing, self-understanding, growth and appreciation. I…

Books and storytelling have long been part of our human identity. Author, comedian, actor and social activist Stephen Fry tells us that ‘books are uniquely portable magic’. And while I do carry my faithful Kindle on my travels, I find myself in total agreement with the learned Mr Fry for a second time when he added…’books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators’. My close friends know to steer me past a bookshop; else I enter the literature vortex and am lost for hours. Books are enticing – whether it be fact, fiction or biographical the narrative wraps itself around you. We all know that wonderful feeling of anticipation as we turn the first page. Then, hours fly by as you tell yourself, ‘Just one more chapter’.…

From the sublimely beautiful… To the ridiculously expensive… SOLD 9 MAY 2022 USA $195m | Australia $281m | Great Britain £158m ‘Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe is the ultimate Pop Art testament to celebrity, fame and beauty. It’s the Mona Lisa of the 21st century, immediately recognisable, countlessly reproduced, appealing in its indescribable pull’ – Alex Rotter, Christies Pop culture icon Andy Warhol died in 1987. Now, more that 30 years after his death, he and his work are the subject of a cultural resurgence including the release of a recent Netflix docuseries, three on-stage productions and a 2021 exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Synonymous with Warhol’s work are his colourful silkscreen images of movie star, fashion model and sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe. In 1962, soon after Marilyn’s tragic…

‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.’Martin Luther King Throw the word advocate into a conversation with a bunch of early childhood professionals and watch what happens. I can almost guarantee the group will have two reactions. The first group will be excited, they’ll ask questions wanting to know more about your passions and how you incorporate advocacy into your role. The second group will either stay silent or wonder aloud about whether advocacy is appropriate for our sector. Too often I see this play out in social media spaces, debating of course ensuing. Advocacy, however, is not a choice that we have but a requirement of our roles as professionals, as leaders in our sector, and as human beings hoping for best…

We wrote this article while on beautiful Wurundjeri and Gadigal Countries. Wherever we are across Australia, we are on Aboriginal land. We acknowledge Elders & recognise their central place as teachers across early years learning communities. All children have a right to live in a fair and socially just world. Anyone who has any influence in the lives of children has a responsibility to speak up and speak out! This may be in the staff room, the classroom, by the swing, on the trapeze, on the stage or in government reviews of our profession. Advocacy and activism can happen anywhere and at any time. It is everyone’s business. Educators need to recognise their own biases. ‘Your values and beliefs can accept and embrace diversity and difference OR your values can…

As the nights draw in and temperatures drop, we don our winter woollies—skivvies and jumpers indoors, a throw on the sofa, an extra blanket on the bed and the heating, dormant since summer, is turned on. Outdoors - we rug up with coats, scarves, gloves and beanies. All of these layers and interventions help us stay warm and well. But what about our best friends—our pets. They feel the cold just like us – what can we do to maintain their well-being and keep them healthy and warm? It is important that your pet continues to enjoy life during the cooler months, so don’t become a couch potato. Keep up the exercise with your pet, no matter the weather. Your health and well-being will also benefit from time spent in…

Dea Ms Dunn I can see trees from here, way up high in our apartment in the city. I think you live somewhere like this too. Do you like trees? The other day my dad seemed unhappy. I asked him why. He said he had to write to you about advocacy, which he says is when someone tries to help someone else make things better. He said it was hard cos most times these helpers do really great stuff, but sometimes he says they may not listen hard enough to who they are helping. I reckon I have a happy helper story so I asked if I could write it to you. He said yes. Those trees I can see are in a park I can see out of one…

We invite you to join our innovative professional learning program for early childhood teachers and educators. Our workshops, designed to inspire and build confidence, offer opportunities to experience our artist led approaches and resources for developing creative learning experiences through contemporary art. Through our educational programs we aspire to build a community of colleagues to share ideas, resources and inspiration. Our workshops offer opportunities for you to engage with contemporary art, exchange ideas with colleagues and join MCA Artist Educators for interactive gallery tours and art making experiences in our National Centre for Creative Learning, all while celebrating the voices of young children, families and teachers within cultural organisations and beyond. What can you expect from MCA Our intent is to share our thinking by offering access to our Artist…

Chat with any early childhood professional and it doesn’t take long for the concept of children’s agency to enter the conversation. Spend time in an early childhood setting and you will see children making choices from a variety of provisions, deciding when to have their morning tea and reaching for the brush and shovel to sweep up after themselves – exercising their agency. The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) notes children’s agency as a key component of the identity learning outcome. In early childhood education we are well versed in children having a sense of agency, but what about ourselves as teachers and educators? How often do we think about or plan for our own sense of agency? Where and how are we making choices to exercise agency? We understand…

How important it is to find a balance between function and design of early learning spaces – Alexandra Kidd has found a solution. A huge thank you to Alexandra Kidd Design for providing the beautiful images of thoughtful spaces featured throughout this article. When a designer collaborates with a developer and embraces the understanding of ‘the grammar of three-dimensional space’ (Stenglin 2004), functionality becomes a design aesthetic that creates tranquil and beautiful spaces for young children and adults. The spaces designed by Alexandra Kidd for the Cheltenham Early Education Centre in New South Wales, reflect Stenglin’s (2022) concepts of binding and bonding which are ‘concerned with the interpersonal relationship between a space and its occupant(s)…developing a sense of emotional engagement with the institution and feeling secure enough to explore ideas…

Each year since 1945 the CBCA has brought children and books together across Australia through CBCA Book Week. During this time education settings and public libraries spend one glorious week celebrating books and Australian children’s authors and illustrators. Classroom teachers, teacher librarians and public librarians create colourful displays, develop activities, run competitions and tell stories relating to a theme to highlight the importance of reading. CBCA MEMBERSHIP Get more involved by joining the Children’s Book Council of Australia. As a CBCA member you will enjoy special benefits and exclusive access to a range of wonderful resources related to children’s literature, including discounts on CBCA Book Week merchandise. Membership is open to individuals and educational institutions – all are welcome! Contact your local branch to become a member today. https://cbca.org.au CELEBRATING…

OTHER NEW FACES TAKING THEIR PLACE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ‘100 or so years ago, there was a woman called Vida Goldstein, she was an internationally renowned suffragist … she ran as an independent several times because she was so independent, that she couldn’t bring herself to run for either of the major parties. Vida was not elected. This seat is in her name, and today, I take her rightful place’ Zoe Daniel MP for Goldstein, victory speech 21 May 2022 Protest to be effective, must be followed by resolute action and at this crisis in world history when materialistic energy aims at overthrowing spiritual energy and moral values, action needs to develop into a world crusade for the Spiritual Humanity.– Vida Mary Jane Goldstein Vida Jane Mary Goldstein…

These issues are embodied in The National Quality Framework – The Musical! Over two thousand educators have already seen this piece of early childhood theatre written and performed by Dr Red Ruby Scarlet and Louise Dorrat. It is an inspiring way to reinvigorate teams and watch social justice issues in action through the eyes of the coordinator (Louise) and the educational leader (Red). The musical addresses all issues of bias in curriculum, pedagogy and the broader conversation with the Australian community. The musical is a creative way to learn about the NQF and how it is indelibly imbibed with the Anti-Bias Goals – in fact, it could have been called Anti-Bias – The Musical! The musical is an example of how we learn through art – in this case, the…

Advocacy is about speaking and acting out, or writing on behalf of individuals or groups to promote, protect and defend changing the system – that is legislation, policies and practices in ways that will benefit others. Advocacy is active; it involves doing something. Early childhood professionals have an ethical obligation to promote shared aspirations amongst communities in order to enhance children’s health and wellbeing, advocate for the development and implementation of laws and policies that promote child-friendly communities, and to utilise knowledge and research to advocate for universal access to a range of high-quality early childhood programs for all children – Early Childhood Australia ECA CODE OF ETHICS The ECA Code of Ethics provides a framework to support advocacy on behalf of young children. The core principles in this Code…

Border crossing - not the one that needed you to quarantine for fourteen days! The thought of travelling across the borders here in Australia, let alone out of the country, is something many of us still feel quite anxious about. Not quite sure of the rules, the safest destination or even what might happen when we get there has triggered the freeze response and left us also scared of the flight response. What if I said here are some borders you can cross where there are no rules, boundless destinations, and not knowing what might happen when you get there is the most joyous part? The borders I am talking about are the ones we have created for ourselves, protecting us from what might challenge us and keeping us safe…

‘We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.’– Albert Einstein As Albert Einstein reminds us, sometimes, we need to look beyond the situation we face to see the conditions that give rise to it. Otherwise, we may find ourselves doomed to become a part of the very problems we are trying to solve and perpetuate those structures we are attempting to challenge. Rather than responding to the challenges right in front of us, this suggests our actions might be more powerful if we looked ‘upstream’ for their root cause. In this light, our advocacy could be for transformative possibilities we are hoping to realise, rather than only a reaction to the present. In Early Childhood Education and Care, we have a long and…

Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: Part1: States Parties recognise the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child, and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts. Part 2: States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity. Australia ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in December 1990, which means that Australia has a duty to ensure that all children in Australia enjoy the rights set out in the treaty. The Australian Human Rights Commission references Article 31…

23-25 MARCH 2023 SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE Inspire 2023 invites delegates into a world of fantasy opportunity and reality. It proposes that to work in the early years of education, we must foster our ability to fantasise about possibilities and release ourselves from practice and mindsets that can trap us from moving forward. Inspire 2023 straddles our ability to dream big whilst ensuring we continue to deliver exceptional outcomes. What might our sector look like if we dared to dream? What might children’s education look like if we could release ourselves from the mundane and collapse into the world of delight? Opportunity presents itself when we take a leap of faith and see the many ways in which our practices might present themselves in the everyday. Our collective wisdom and…

1 If you are in an electorate with a Labor local member, make an appointment to see them. Not sure who your local member is, or if they are Labor? Go to www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members 2 Invite your local member to your centre. Talk about what you do – the joys and the challenges. This is important – the more they know about education and care services and our needs, the more informed they are about what is necessary for a quality and sustainable sector. 3 Handwrite a letter to your local member. Hand writing is more unique and sticks in their minds for longer than an email or typed letter does. 4 Get families from your service to email the local member. The more that politicians hear the same thing from lots of people,…

‘I think the city belongs to the cars because there are so many cars!’ Oscar ‘I think the city is for grown-ups because the kids don’t have places to work in, but the grown-ups do.’ Deva ‘It belongs to the mayor. He’s got lots of money, and he’s the boss of the postmen.’ Ellis ‘It’s for grown-ups because the grownups can go to the city and eat there and have good silence. Kids can wreck things.’ Sam These are the responses four 4 and 5-year-old children gave to the question ‘Who does the city belong to?’ While we might initially smile at some of their comments, if we reread them and take the time to think about their insights more closely, there is also something deeply sad and troubling about…

21 May 2022 – A most unusual election… The Australian Election 2022 has been described as ‘a most unusual election’. It was an election where we, the Australian public, took our voice to Canberra. We sent a message to the major political parties that enough was enough – we want a government that responds to our diverse communities’ concerns and needs, locally and globally – a government that works with us and for us. In the words of political journalist and commentator Annabel Crabbe, ABC News ‘The proposition that Australians were disengaged from politics has become something of an orthodoxy in recent years. Polls showing high rates of undecided voters before the election seemed to confirm this analysis… …But come election night 2022, it became clear — horribly so, for…

Crikey the world can be complicated. Even something as fundamentally decent as advocating on behalf of someone else can still get stifled in a mire of misinterpretation, and misrepresentation. But language is complicated. At its simplest advocacy seeks to garner support for an idea, a procedure, or a process in a greater community be it private, public or promotional. So far so simple. But are we exploring self-advocacy (standing for oneself), individual advocacy (standing beside someone else) or system advocacy (which targets those that have authority over aspects of existence that impact significantly on others)? Advocacy was once couched in terms like ‘acting on behalf of’ or ‘being there for the disadvantaged’… you can see it already, can’t you? The language in itself could be disempowering to a person already…

GOODWILL STORE SOLD AN ANCIENT, PRICELESS MARBLE BUST FOR USA$34.99 It is the stuff of our wildest dreams – a priceless treasure found in a Goodwill store. And the backstory is more intriguing than value – ‘it’s a great story whose plot includes the World War II-era, international diplomacy, art of the ancient Mediterranean, thrift shop sleuthing, historic Bavarian royalty, and the thoughtful stewardship of those who care for and preserve the arts, whether as individuals or institutions.’ – Emily Ballew Neff, Director, San Antonio Art Museum In 2018, Laura Young the owner of an Antiques & Vintage goods boutique in Austin, Texas spotted a marble bust in a local Goodwill store. It was resting on the floor, under a table with a yellow price tag on its cheek -$34.99.…

The Early Years Learning Framework suggests the United Convention on the Rights of the Child “recognises children’s right to (play) and be active participants in all matters affecting their lives” (EYLF p,5). We must therefore find some practical ways in which we can uphold children’s rights in our everyday practices in early childhood settings. Just making a simple start can be an important first step toward ensuring that all children in your setting have the right to have a say in what happens to them. Inviting children to a nappy change … “Could I change your nappy now?” If the answer is no, then “No problem, I’ll come back in a few minutes” Knocking on the door before entering a children’s space (if you are visiting or passing through) ……

From the sublime artisan craftship of Stradivari… To the ridiculously expensive… A violin from Stradivari’s golden period and Hollywood’s golden age – the ‘da Vinci’ ex-Seidel SOLD 9 JUNE 2022 USA $15.34m | Australia $21.64m | Great Britain £12.65m Crafted in Italy in 1714, by the legendary Antonio Stradivari, the famous ’da Vinci’ ex Siedel Stradivarius sold for a record US$15.34m. The‘daVinci’ at 308 years of age is a rare example of craftmanship from Maestro Stradivari’s ‘golden period’ — a culmination of his honed design skills, the choice and attributes of the wood and refined varnishing techniques. ‘By all standards, the ‘da Vinci’ is an exceptional Golden Period Stradivari – fetching, beguiling and in excellent condition.’ Previously part of several 19th century collections, in 1924, for the purchase price of…

Hot of the press and an oldie but a goodie. These gorgeous picture books — delicious illustrations set to lyrical prose will engage and delight our youngest readers. MIIMI MARRAAL, MOTHER EARTH (PICTURE BOOK) Melissa Greenwood Published May 4, 2022 by HarperCollins Australia A beautiful and lyrical picture book for new babies Miimi Marraal, she created us, you and me … From Gumbaynggirr artist Melissa Greenwood, of mother-daughter art and design label Miimi and Jiinda, comes a deeply felt and heart-stirring picture book about the connection between mothers, babies and Miimi Marraal, Mother Earth. KISSED BY THE MOON Alison Lester Published September 25, 2013 by Penguin Random House Australia Part poem, part lullaby, this gentle story celebrates a baby’s wonder at our beautiful world. From Australia’s favourite picture-book creator Alison…

www.hayvkahraman.com Hayv Kahraman was born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1981, and now lives and works in Los Angeles. A vocabulary of narrative, memory and dynamics of non-fixity found in diasporic cultures are the essence of her visual language and the product of her experience as an Iraqi refugee/come émigré. The body as object and subject has a central role in her painting practice with female figures featuring heavily in her work, as she compositely embodies the artist herself and a collective, and reflects on the controversial issues of gender and the female identity. Kahrman’s series Marionettes (2009) is the embodiment of the aforementioned themes. Here, Kahraman explores this subject of female oppression with particular reference to war in the Middle East and specifically in her home land of Iraq. At…

Good olive oil is not like a good wine, it does not improve with age. The peoples of the Mediterranean and Middle East have cultivated and pressed olives for many thousands of years. Trade in olive oil supported ancient economies – in Crete by 3000BC the olive was widely cultivated and a highly prized item of trade. Described as the golden age of olive oil, the ancient Greeks, according to age-old texts used olive oil for multiple purposes – food, food preservation, fuel, perfume making, adornment and in medicine. Legendary Greek author Homer referred to olive oil as ‘the golden liquid’ – so as the Hellenic empire spread across other parts of the Mediterranean so did olive farming. The Greeks introduced the cultivated olive to Spain. The Romans expanded its…