Table of contents for NOVEMBER/DECEMBER ISSUE 2 2017 ENVIRONMENTS in Pedagogy+

CLEAN AND COMFORTABLE FURNITURE – gone is the old and tired seating. It’s time for arm chairs and sofas that are clean, comfortable and invite you to nestle in and relax. PUT THE TEAM IN CHARGE AND CREATE A BEAUTIFUL ROOM – discover a style together and create something wonderful with the team e.g. coastal chic, Scandi minimalism, black and white. Aim for chic not aesthetic chaos. BRING IN SOME AMBIENCE – mood lighting can instantly transform a space. Consider turning off the overhead lighting and investing in some table lamps to bring a new mood to the room. TENDERNESS – cushions, throws, a pot plant and objects of beauty send a message of tenderness in what can be a lifeless space. STORAGE FOR STAFF – great storage can eliminate the likelihood for mess…

The pleasure of sitting at a table dressed to impress should not be lost on children; here are some simple tips to turn meals times for children into something memorable. Display of cutlery – consider the interesting ways you can display cutlery for children. Gone are the days of placing cutlery in plastic trays here are three easy options for you to consider OPTION ONE – A recycled aluminium tin with twine and rosemary attached OPTION TWO – A wooden chopping board with rechargeable tea light candles OPTION THREE – Old recycled mini vases with flowers…

Festive Giveaways All Pedagogy+ Magazine subscribers by 15 December 2017 will be eligible to win one of the festive giveaways listed below. TO ENTER, POST A PICTURE SHOWING HOW YOU ENJOY YOUR PEDAGOGY+ MAGAZINE ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM OR TWITTER USING THE HASHTAG #PEDAGOGYMAGAZINE MAGIC GIVEAWAY: A bottle of Margan NV Sparkling Chardonnay, a signed copy of In The Kitchen by Simmone Logue and an extra special gift from Margan Wines – ‘A Margan Tasting Experience’ – a tour of the vineyard, garden and winery, a wine flight (tasting) with olives followed by a 3 course a la carte lunch for two. BLISS GIVEAWAY: A bottle of Moët & Chandon and a selection of Belle Fleur chocolates. BEGUILING GIVEAWAY: Two bottles of Ross Hill Wines 2013 Pinnacle Blanc de Blanc. Magic…

1 YEAR / 3 ISSUES $80.00 (incl. GST) www.pedagogymagazine.com We hope you are enjoying the issues of Pedagogy+ the art of teaching. Each issue of the magazine will focus on a theme relevant to early education; exploring and challenging practice and thinking. The pages of Pedagogy+ brim with inspiring articles, candid conversations, the latest trends and lifestyle treats - our brief being to foster critical thinking and stimulate conversations that can advance the theory and practice of pedagogy in early education settings, and to encourage you to think about you. Why subscribe? – it’s an opportunity to: Slow down, relax and enjoy a well-informed read Share in the insights of highly-respected and knowledgeable education experts Enjoy the experience of deciding – what might I like for me or that would…

Instagram @mondelrosario LAMB KOFTA WITH TOMATO SALAD (SERVES 4) LAMB KOFTAS 600g lamb mince1 tsp cumin, ground2 tsp coriander, ground½ red onion2 garlic cloves, minced½ bunch fresh dill leaves, chopped½ bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped½ tsp of each sea salt & pepper12 wooden skewers TOMATO SALAD 500g mixed heirloom and cherry tomatoes, halved1 tsp lemon rind, finely grated1 cup mixed lettuce leaves / baby spinach¼ cup fresh mint1 tbs pomegranate molasses250g hummusGood lug olive oil1 tbs pistachio dukkah Preheat oven 180 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all the lamb kofta ingredients with your hands and divide into 12 portions. Shape each into a ball and skewer. Shape the mixture around the skewer to create a long oval shape. Brush each one with olive oil. Place on a lined baking…

In my twenty something years as the outdoor teacher at Mia Mia, visitors have often asked me how I define my role, but I don’t think I’ve ever really been able to nail it down. When I asked the children what they thought I did, Aaron said, ‘you’re the boss of the playground!’. Am I the boss of the playground? Certainly, at times I am, particularly when the playground needs someone who will stand up for its rights. But is that all, is bossiness the sum of it? I talked with Jenni, a Mia Mia parent and her four children, (two of whom have flown the nest and are now in ‘big school’) about my role from their perspective. The children wrestled with the idea of the outdoor teacher, negating…

SET A GOAL FOR YOURSELF It could be that you want to lose a few kilos or even just run around the block without stopping. If you are already exercising, maybe it’s an event coming up and you want to beat your previous time. Whatever it is, set a goal for YOU, not for someone else. Make that commitment to yourself. START SMALL If you are new to exercise don’t start training every day of the week from week one. It’s a process that takes time for your body to adjust to. For a start, aim for two or three 30 - 45 minutes of exercise a week and build up from there. Avoid starting too hard in week one and by the end of the second or third week…

It goes without saying that feet are not the most glamorous of body parts, often hidden away in footwear, making a guest star appearance in summer. So why should you pay attention to this often-forgotten part of the body. They work very hard for you and are vital to most aspects of daily life including work. Imagine trying to do all the things you need to do whilst limping or having problems, standing and walking. We often take our bodies for granted and only really appreciate what they do when they’re not working properly. 'Take care of them, you’ve only get one pair' seems obvious advice but it’s true and you need to give them a bit of ‘tender loving care’ from time to time. What follows is a very…

APPS AUSSIE BACKYARD BIRD COUNT This is one of Australia’s biggest citizen science events. Your community could take part in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count — you would be joining thousands of people from across the country who head out into their backyards, local parks or favourite outdoor spaces to take part. To get involved all you need is 20 minutes, your favourite outdoor space and some keen eyesight. It doesn’t matter if you’re a novice or an expert. You and the children record the birds you know and look up those you don’t on the ‘Aussie Bird Count’ app or https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/. On the website you can see live statistics and information on how many people are taking part near you and the number of birds and species counted in…

Favourite clothing brand… My wardrobe looks like this: MJ Bale, Nudie, RM Williams, Hugo Boss, Common Projects … and a dash of Gucci. My last ever meal on this earth would have to be… Hopefully I won't know it’s my last meal, but anything cooked by my partner David. Best holiday destination… Changes all the time but right now I'm in love with Italy again. And desperate to get back to Greece. Piece of technology you can’t live without… My iPhone. Hands down. Essential items to take onboard a flight… Spectacles, headphones, several good books, notebook and pen (flights are great for thinking), iPhone, Chapstick. Red wine, white wine or bubbles… White wine but not exactly averse to the other two. Christmas lunch must always include… Laughter. All I want…

Beauty, as the old saying goes, is in the eye of the beholder. In early childhood education we talk often about the importance of beautiful environments for children. Yet we seem to talk less about what we mean by beauty, and whose ideas of beauty we are invoking. As often happens with subjective judgements our tendency is to assume that our own ideas represent an objective reality rather than simply a point of view. American author Vivien Paley writes elegantly (and honestly) about the experience of being an early childhood teacher. Throughout her writing she regularly describes her own doubts and worries about her abilities as a teacher. In her book 'Boys and Girls' (2014) she writes about her discomfort with the children’s play as they apply nail polish in…

Great design is more than intuition. It takes skills and a trained eye. However, there are some essential elements that applied effectively may help the non-designer create a designer feel space. The world is full of beauty and essentially a great designer is always hunting for inspiration in the most unexpected places. So, keep your eyes open – every day take note or photos of those things that inspire you. You never know when you might need to draw inspiration for that special project or little makeover. I believe that children have the right to beautiful spaces and to provide them with the opportunity to fall in love with beauty is a special gift that should be afforded to all children. So here I share with you my top 7…

Early childhood environments have for decades had a very particular aesthetic code and identity that is replicated in each city, suburb and region. An early childhood environment has a particular ‘order of things’ (Foucault, 1966) that appears to be non-negotiable and institutional. In reviewing the past and the present aesthetic can we possibly imagine a different future for our environments? Could we plan for environments that are unique, and that reflect the architecture and history of the building, its context and community? What can change to embrace the future and shrug off the guise of an institution and to build a ‘memory palace’ (Hollis, 2013) that is different for each child? Much has been written about creating engaging and safe environments for young children, and places for ‘risky play’, nationally…

The elegance of irregularity is best demonstrated in what is known as salon style hanging which originated in France. When it comes to style the French have a way of turning ordinary into extraordinary whether it’s a scarf wrapped around the neck or the placement of objects on a table in preparation for a dinner party. So here is your chance to bring some French flare to how you display framed works in your centre. STEP 1 FIND THE SPACE YOU WISH TO USE it is best to keep the wall you allocate for hanging, free from anything else. This is about impact and clutter has a way of detracting from the impact we are trying to create. STEP 2 SEEK BALANCE While you don't have to hang your frames…

Rob is a leading chef and food hero dedicated to creating a better food culture for Britain and Australia. He is a social entrepreneur whose work has had impact on the positive health of millions of people. To learn more about the Kitchen Challenge go to www.kitchenchallenge.com.au A busy, quality industrial kitchen fired up for serving demanding customers is full of pressure. Deadlines abound, the variables of uncertainty in what will get ordered, the heat, the noise, the smells and the organised chaos of chef and front of house communications are intoxicating. A perfect scenario to test out leadership skills perhaps? You bet! Rob Rees MBE DL and Australian collaborators have developed the perfect model for building people towards their full human potential. I love food. I love people. I…

'It doesn’t take a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.' – Bob Dylan 'What’s reality got to do with it?' – Tina Turner There are some clear trends that are setting the context within which child care centers will operate for at least the next decade: 1. 'So long, it’s been good to know you.' There is going to be a labor shortage in the foreseeable future. The number of workers entering the labor force will decline for at least the next ten years. There will simply be fewer people ages 16-25 available to work anywhere. It will be harder to recruit staff, and turnover is more likely as the competition for staff increases. 2. 'No, Virginia, Piaget is not a watch.' Child care will experience a talent…

This selection of abstracts from the latest research informs your teaching and work with young children. These articles focus upon the relationship between early childhood (mostly outdoor) environments and outcomes for children. These are all open access journals which means you can download the research in full. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN CHILDCARE CENTERS Kathryn E Henderson, Gabrielle M Grode, Meghan L O’Connell and Marlene B Schwartz International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2015 https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-015-0198-0 Child care centres influence physical activity levels among children, yet little is known about the specific aspects of the environment that support generous amounts of activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the practices, and environmental aspects of the child care centre that are associated with children’s moderate and…

I’m one of the lucky ones. I really am. Because, as Mark Twain and plenty more have said – ‘find a job you enjoy doing and you’ll never have to work a day in your life’. Which is pretty much how it’s been for me. You see, I’m a florist, having opened my little flower shop, Jodie McGregor Flowers way back in the last century. And since then, I’ve lost track of the number of people who have told me that it’s a dream of theirs to have their own florist shop. Plus another gazillion who have said how much they just love flowers and how happy they’ve been to receive them from us. But for the peeps out there who think flowers are just a big waste of money…

Sometimes my partner David and I pack our dogs in the car and head south from Sydney to a little dot on the map where our hearts live. It’s neither truly bush nor coast, cottage nor beach house. At the end of a dirt track is an isolated weatherboard house that’s not beautiful in any conventional sense. If there’s a chill in the air, we’ll light a fire and open a bottle or two of wine. There’s no TV and intermittent wifi comes but mostly goes. We’ll go to bed when it’s dark and rise when it’s light with the kookaburras and whip birds. The dogs will point in the breeze as Weimaraners’ should and sometimes they’ll race the wind by the pounding surf. Each one of those repeated rituals…

Built on the shorelines of a sparkling natural harbour, Sydney is recognised as one of Australia’s most beautiful cities. It traces its history through Aboriginal culture and European settlement to the progressive, vibrant city we enjoy today. Sydney’s iconic landmarks and architecture celebrate the story of its traditional custodians, its convict and maritime heritage, its industrial and commercial growth and its culturally diverse community. Today’s city offers a proliferation of activities for all ages and interests. Beautiful gardens, art galleries and theatres, city walks, harbour cruises, the Pitt Street Mall and Queen Victoria Building shopping precincts, a wealth of fine dining restaurants and a colourful and lively café scene. The City of Sydney, in consultation with its many communities, visions, develops and administers this multi-faceted city. As an administration with…

Garnishes Nothing says celebration like decorations, so think about the visual impact of any special occasion drinks. Choose glassware and garnishes to give your mocktail style, consider whether you want to go vintage and use maraschino cherries, cut fruit or cocktail umbrellas or edible flowers, fresh herbs and whole spices. Borage with it’s pretty blue flowers has a slightly cucumber flavour, pansies, violas, calendula, rose and lavender (english works best) are all pretty additions. The lesser known flower of the pineapple sage is a striking red colour. The native hibiscus known as Rosella can be found steeped in syrup from any quality food purveyor, and adds colour and flavour to any summer drink. Pineapple No-jito (Blender) 1 pineapple cored, peeled and cut into chunks6 mint leaves plus extra for garnishJuice…