Gladstone Half Day Workshop

Presenter: David Gilkes

Topic: Mark Making - A Voice for our thinking

Children have an innate curiosity and desire to know, to find out, to research, to construct theories, to make connections, and to express their thinking creatively. When children first pick up a pencil, a paint brush or a stick and make a mark, they are doing something very powerful. They are communicating. How can we be sensitive to these imaginative, creative, knowledge-building and meaning-making processes? How do we ensure that we are providing contexts to support these experiences? David will talk about mark-making as an act of citizenship and participation, as a process of building relationships and knowledge.

Biography David Gilkes has been in early years education for 30 years, the majority of this time working as a teacher alongside 4 and 5 year old children and their families in both Hobart and Canberra. David’s leadership roles include Director of an Early Learning Centre and an Early Years Network Leader in the Tasmanian Department of Education.  The Reggio Emilia educational project and its provocation for the Australian context has inspired and challenged David for many years.

Presenter: Aunty Sharron mirii Bell

Topic: NGAMA

As we walk with Yindyamarra - going softly, slowly, gently with love, honour and respect we acknowledge our past, present and future. Sharron mirii Bell will guide you on a beautiful journey - the making of NGAMA, an amazing heartfelt album honouring her late mother Iris Joan Lindh - nee Bell. Music has the ability to heal and transform as it weaves its magic within you, and around you. As we connect to NGAMA discover new ways to embrace and extend your  Cultural awareness with Sharron mirii Bell through song and dance.

Biography Sharron mirii Bell is a proud Gamilaraay Wiradyuri woman, and founder of Indigenous Insights since 2005, which focuses on Cultural Education and Well-being for children, families and educators, providing live concerts and performances, professional development, and early childhood teachings. As a First Nations woman, mother, Children's Rights Ambassador, singer songwriter, educator and children's entertainer, Sharron's passion shines through each and every song she has ever written and performed. She showers educators and children alike with her rich knowledge and love of her Culture, so we can all walk together creating an authentic, meaningful difference within every educational learning space.

Presenter: Allison Davies

Topic: Music and the Brain - Using Music as a Tool for Regulation

This event grounds itself in neuroscience regarding the relationship between music and the brain. You will come away from this understanding WHY music is such an important regulatory tool and HOW to implement music in the most basic of ways for big impacts. We'll cover:

• How the brain responds to melody, rhythm, repetition, voice, instrument playing, tempo, volume and more.
• Using music to support hyperactivity, survival mode, anxiety, anger, sensory overload and meltdown recovery in ways that will impact children once they leave the classroom and return to their home lives.
• How to facilitate music-based experiences in therapeutic ways regardless of your musical knowledge or background.
• Using technology to create playlists, support individual musical identities and make music accessible.

Biography Education and Professional Career Allison Davies creates online resources for parents, educators and support staff and works with schools to deliver professional development around the topics of childhood brain development and the use of music as a regulatory tool. She is an independent liberatory scholar currently exploring the gatekeeping and classism of the social construct ‘musical vs non musical’.  Allison holds a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Teaching, a Master of Music Therapy and Neurologic Music Therapy training.