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Process
Hi, my name is Jessica McQueen and I am a pre-service teacher at ACU Melbourne.
I am currently in my 4th and final year of my degree and as part of our EDAR422
subject we had to work in a group of other pre-service teachers to complete an
installation that is based on a particular message.

The message that my group received was from the Declaration of the Rights of
the Child (1959). We received principle 4, which states, The child shall enjoy the
benefits of social security. He shall be entitled to grow and develop in health; to
this end, special care and protection shall be provided both to him and to his
mother, including adequate pre-natal and post-natal care. The child shall have the
right to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medical services.

The Declaration of the Rights of the Child marked the first major international
consensus on the fundamental principles of childrens rights [and was a] historic
document that recognised and affirmed for the first time, the existence of rights
specific to children and the responsibility adults towards children (Humanium,
2016, para.1). Therefore it is the responsibility of adults to ensure these rights are
met which assist in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all children in the world.

These came out of the belief that due to childrens physical and mental
immaturity they need special safeguards and care but before and after birth. This
allows the child to have a happy childhood (Declaration of the Rights of the
Child, 1960). Initially such policies were only targeted towards children who were
at risk such as orphans, abandoned/neglected children or children from low social
classes. However later on the policies became concerned with all the children ,
irrespective of their social origin or individual condition(Moody, 2015, p.17).

Principle 4 addresses the childs right to having access to basic needs such as
appropriate nutrition, housing and medical services. McHale and Cordell McHale
(1979) explain attention to basic needs [such as] food supply, education, health
and housing has always been a strong component in traditional development and
aid programs (p.15). However there is still a large number of people, including
children around the world who do not have access to these basic needs (Weil,
Lemer, Webb & Hargreaves, 2015).

Out of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child came the notion of an ideal
model of childhood, in which each individual develops harmoniously and becomes
an adult who is useful to society, was co-constructed at the international level by
the broad dissemination of knowledge and methods to guarantee this ideal
childhood (Moody, 2015, p.17). As future it is imperative that we raise awareness
of these injustices that children all over the world are facing but also ensure that
we are active in meeting the needs of the children that in our classroom.


To begin exploring this principle we decided to look at all the different elements
that it consisted of. We all agreed that the overall message was about the
importance of social security for children. The different elements of this principle
include medical services (including pre and post natal care), nutrition, housing,
recreating and growth/development. We then discussed how we could create an
installation to show that children need all of these elements to grow and achieve
their full potential, which is where the idea of the tree came in. On each of the
branches we decided to hang all the elements that help a child grow and light
up, such as food, school, housing, family and friends. We then each took one of
these elements and made and collect different items to signify our element. When
its put together you can see the interrelationship between all the elements and
how important social security is for a childs development.

We decided to install our site-specific installation in a primary school setting
therefore meaning our audience would be primary school-aged children. We
decided that it was important for students to have an understanding of social
security and what has an influence on this. We also believe that it is important for
students to understand how these elements can differ between countries and
how this can influence the social security that children experience.

Curriculum Links

Fisher and McDonald (2004) explain the call for curriculum integration with and
the through the arts is evident within many elementary school environments
[with] arts specialist frequently asked to link their classroom curriculum to other
content area instructional goals and standards (p.240). However teacher
sometimes struggle to understand how to connect learning within the general
curriculum while at the same time preserve the integrity of discipline-specific
instruction in the arts (Fisher & McDonald, 2004, p.240). The aim is not to reduce
the content of either the arts or other curriculum area but to establish
purposeful, integrated learning connections which are designed to increase
student understanding, participation, enjoyment and knowledge (Fisher &
McDonald, 2004, p.240).

I specifically looked how Personal and Social Capability could be integrated in
with the Arts. The Personal and Social Capability is essential in enabling students
to understand themselves and others, and manage their relationships, lives, work
and learning more effectively. The capability involves students learning to
recognise and regulate emotions, develop empathy for others and understand
relationships, establish and build a framework for positive relationships, work
effectively in teams and develop leadership skills, and handle challenging
situations constructively (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA),
2016a, p.4).

A major focus on the Personal and Social Capability is students learning to
recognise and express emotions, develop their resilience and gain an appreciation

for diversity whilst exploring the importance of different social relationships.


Through this learning area students learn to identify and manage their emotional
responses in a range of different settings (VCAA, 2016a).

Personal and social capability is linked to the Arts curriculum in a number of ways.
Through the Arts curriculum students are provided with multiple opportunities to
recognise, name and express emotions as they make and respond to various
artworks (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA),
n.d.). As art makers, performers and audience, students develop and apply
personal skills and dispositions such as self-discipline, goal setting and working
independently, and show initiative, confidence, resilience and adaptability (n.d.,
para.21). Students have the opportunity to develop and practice social skills
(effective communication, collaboration, leadership, making group decisions) as
they work with others (ACARA, n.d.). Through making and responding to
artworks students learn to empathise with the emotions, needs and situations of
others, to appreciate diverse perspectives, and to understand and negotiate
different types of relationships (ACARA, n.d., para.21). This last point is
particularly relevant to my groups installation as it can be used as a valuable
teaching and learning resource to explore how different peoples lives can be.
Students can empathise how poor social security can impact peoples lives and
their emotions.

Another learning area that I explored was Critical and Creative Thinking. The
Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians recognises
that critical and creative thinking are fundamental to becoming successful
learners (McIlvenny, 2013. p.18). Critical and Creative Thinking capability focuses
on the development of increasingly complex and sophisticated processes of
thinking. Critical and creative thinking processes are fundamental to effective
learning across the curriculum [and] are a necessary component in each
learning area (VCAA, 2016b, p.5). It encourages students to think more broadly
and deeply.

The Arts curriculum provides an invaluable platform to actively engage students in
developing their critical and creative thinking capabilities (Alter, 2011). Being a
critical and creative thinker is now recognise as being an essential in achieving life
success in todays society (Alter, 2011). Critical and creative thinking is present in
the Arts curriculums as students are encouraged to become autonomous
thinkers who can interpret and determine the purpose of artworks for
themselves (Alter, 2011, p.12). The curriculum encourages students to examine
peoples beliefs, values and lives in the context of art and the world means that
the visual arts are given a multi- disciplinary focus. This allows for study and
research to reach beyond the boundaries of the subject area (Alter, 2011, p.12).

The critical and creative thinking curriculum is integrated with the Arts curriculum
in my groups installation as it can be used to respond to artworks as students
learn to analyse traditional and contemporary artworks and identify possible
meanings and connections with self and community (ACARA, n.d., para. 18). This

allows students to use artworks as a window into gain understanding of the world
and how people have varying levels of access to social security.

Learning Theories


Due to our art installation and my curriculum links having a strong focus on
childrens social development I decided to look at 2 theories that are associated
with this.

Bronfenbrenners Ecological Model
Bronfenbrenner uses 4 circles to represent different sets of factors that have an
influence on a childs development. These are, from the inner to outer:
Microsystem the childs immediate family and surroundings
Mesosystem broader surroundings and influences on the childs
development; school, medical services
Exosystem people who indirectly influence the child; parents
workplace, services available to the family and the support networks they
are involved in
Macrosystem even broader system that includes the values, customs
and attitudes of the cultural group that the child belongs to (State of
New South Wales, Department of Education and Training, 2006, p.9).

This theory recognises there are different aspects which influence a childs
development which is also visible in our installation. Our installation demonstrates
that there are a number of factors that account for and influence the
development of a child. Bowes, Grace and Hayes (2012) supports this by saying
the ecology of human development involves the scientific study of the
progressive mutual accommodation between an active, growing human being
and the changing properties of the immediate settings in which the developing
person lives, as this process is affected by relations between these settings and by
the larger contexts in which the settings are embedded (p.6).

Vygotsky
Lev Vygotsky is a theorist who has had much influence on how we understand
cognitive and social development. Vygotsky places great importance on the
interaction and relationships formed between children and adults. Vygotsky
believed that childrens cognitive understandings were enriched and deepened
when they were scaffolded by parents, teachers or peers (State of New South
Wales, Department of Education and Training, 2006, p.9). Principle 4 from the
Declaration Rights of the Child emphasises the importance of the relationship
between the mother and child which Vygotsky argues is an essential component
for the childs development. It is through this relationship that the child can grow
and develop into an active community member.

My personal learning

As my journey as a pre-service teacher comes to an end this art installation


prompted me to reflect on how much I have learnt over the past four years. I have

developed the knowledge and skills in being able to take an important document
such as the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and create a teaching and
learning resource. In addition I am able to ensure that I integrate multiple learning
areas together. Integrated curriculum approaches allow educators to bring
together the separate pieces of a curriculum into a coherent whole that facilitates
meaningful associations across subject matter (Anderson, 2013, p.1). Such an
approach results in improving students interpersonal skills, student engagement
and academic performance (Anderson, 2013). I believe that this art installation is a
fantastic way to showcase the growth in my skills, abilities and knowledge over
the past 4 years.




































References:

Alter, F. (2011). Exploring Visual Arts Pedagogies that Support Critical and Creative
Thinking. Australian Art Education, 34(1), 10 29. Retrieved from
http://search.informit.org/fullText;dn=771288507220156;res=IELHSS

Anderson, D. (2013). Overarching Goals, Values, and Assumptions of Integrated
Curriculum Design. Schole: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation
Education, 28(1), 1 10. Retrieved from
http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy2.acu.edu.au/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA4366
97300&v=2.1&u=acuni&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&authCount=1

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (n.d.). The
Arts. Retrieved from http://v7-5.australiancurriculum.edu.au/the-
arts/general-capabilities

Bowes, J., Grace, R., & Hayes, A. (2012). The Role of Context in Childrens
Development. In J. Bowes, R. Grace, & K. Hodge (Eds.), Children, Families
and Communities. Contexts and Consequences (pp. 3 16). South
Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Declaration of the Rights of the Child. (1960). Childhood Education, 37(2), 50 51.
doi: 10.1080/00094056.1960.10727835
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Humanium. (2016). Declaration of the Rights of the Child, 1959. Retrieved from
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McHale, J., & Cordell McHale, M. (1979). Meeting Basic Human Needs. American
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McIlvenny, L. (2013). Critical and creative thinking in the new Australian
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Moody, Z. (2015). The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959):
Genesis, transformation and dissemination of a treaty (re)constituting a
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State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Training. (2006). A basic
introduction to child development theories. Retrieved from
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s/theories_outline.pdf

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). (2016a). Personal and
Social Capability. Retrieved from
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capability/introduction/rationale-and-aims

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). (2016b). Critical and
Creative Thinking. Retrieved from
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thinking/introduction/rationale-and-aims

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). (2016c). The Arts.
Retrieved from http://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/the-
arts/introduction/about-the-arts

Weil, L., Lemer, C., Webb, E., & Hargreaves, D. (2015). The Voices of Children and
Young People in Health: Where are we now?. Archives of Disease in
Childhood, 100(10), 915 917. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2014-307492

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