The Arts and Technology
When referring to the arts, there are five 'disciplines' that need to be addressed; visual arts, drama, dance, media arts, and music (Dean, J., 2014). Within these four areas of the arts, as educators of young minds, we must find ways to adapt, ensuring we provide children with multiple opportunities and techniques for them to engage in these arts areas.
The Arts in Early Childhood
The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is used as an early childhood educators curriculum as it details five different learning and developmental areas that children require support in. As the EYLF (Department of Education and Training, 2009) is used as a base for educator planning and programming, it is important for educators to have a strong understanding of the learning outcomes for children, focussing on the application of each outcome through their program.
Outcome four and five of the EYLF are two learning outcome areas where the arts are clearly a leading factor, specifically outcome 5.5, "Children use information and communication technologies to access information, investigate ideas and represent their thinking" (Belonging, being & becoming, 2009). In addition, outcome 4.1 and 4.4 can be applied to the arts alongside outcome 3, where children's responsibility for and understanding of their own wellbeing is required. These areas all correlate to the idea that the arts are a way for children to 'stimulate' (Klerfelt, 2011) their sense of self and understanding of social constructs.
The Arts in Primary
When looking at the arts in the Australian Curriculum, a key element found throughout all arts disciplines is 'expression' and the ability to 'communicate' ideas ("The Australian Curriculum", 2021). Not only is this element recurrent through all bands, the skill of 'finding meaning' and 'discovering the purpose of' each arts discipline is also a requirement for teachers to follow when creating their creative arts lessons.
It is also necessary to note, that children within all three primary stages are required to also learn how the arts has formed throughout various social structures and cultural groupings, particularly with regard to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture/communities.
Throughout each stage within the curriculum in relation to the arts, the Department of Education has made clear the need for children to have choice and a chance to express their own creativity while being directed through various mediums, having the opportunity to involve themselves in the five disciplines to find their most comfortable form of communication.
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When looking at the negative repercussions of some arts use, specifically media arts, Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems model (Manning, 2017) depicts the adverse effect and influence that societal structures and communication forms can have over the developing child. For this reason, it is imperative that teachers and early childhood educators teach and model appropriate use of media and methods of using the arts as a communicative and expressive tool.
References
Dean, J. (2014). Teachers thinking in, with and through the arts [Book Review]. Early Education, 55, 34–35. https://search-informit-org.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/doi/10.3316/informit.510143303712865
Department of Education and Training. (2009). Belonging, Being & Becoming - The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia [Ebook] (1st ed.).
Klerfelt, A. (2011). Call for Articles: Special Edition of the International Journal of Early Childhood on ‘Early Childhood Arts Education’. International Journal Of Early Childhood, 43(2), 185-186. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-011-0036-8
Manning, R. (2017). Place-Consciousness and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Model: A Discussion of Recurring Issues that Undermine the Teaching of Indigenous Histories in New Zealand and Australian Schools. The Australian Journal Of Indigenous Education, 46(2), 148-159. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2016.31
The Australian Curriculum. Australiancurriculum.edu.au. (2021). Retrieved 29 August 2021, from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/.
Training.com.au. (2021). [Image]. Retrieved 12 September 2021, from https://www.training.com.au/wp- content/uploads/career-in-technology-feature.png.
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