Bit of an hiatus here while we set up the new blog at www.authenticblogging.com
Once we do (Graeme and I that is), there will be loads of stuff available to help set you (or keep you) on an authentic blogging path.
Stay tuned.
Libby
After having my daughter Bea, I finally sat down to write. Memories, stories, fantasies came forth. It was great. Better out than in.
I had written extensively and professionally before, but to a brief. For an audience, not for myself.
I had fantasies about going the whole way, but other, less isolating pursuits spoke louder. But I have kept writing, and will never stop. No idea where it’s all going, but I laugh as I recall a Leunig cartoon… something about a man going to see a Physician.. “Doctor, doctor… I’ve got this thing inside me. It’s hurting me. Please, please. Take it out.” Doctor asks “what is it?” of course. “A book Doctor, a book. I think it’s a book.”
Have you ever had this feeling? I sure have. Blogging certainly releases the pressure, and there are other pieces of life-saving surgery pending (41,000 words for the MA over the next two years… phew. Hope there’s not too much blood loss. Must plan to allow some post-operative recovery time.)
Some further quotes found just now that help relate these thoughts.
“I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn’t, I would die.” - Isaac Asimov
“Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.” - Cyril Connolly
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart … Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” - Carl Jung
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
Until I work out how to update my old fashioned writing website, I will just add some other stories that never got collected, via this blog. They are several years old now, from what feels like a distance land, with all that has taken place and transformed in this short/long life so far.
First of all, there are several stories up on the original “Here” writing website, which (if anyone is actually out there? But thanks Cyril, I’m with you) is the best place to start.
Then, there was…
The Surrealist’s Ball - just for fun.
Food & Art - deeper ruminations
First Day of School - sweet, vivid memories (with an edge)
Italian Hotel - power, breastfeeding & gender - a short story
My New Friend & Bees - free child voice (inspired by the questioning nature of children and their fascination with guts)
The Oracle - a short but zapping mystery revealed
Days of Milk - fantasies of being a kindergarten teacher
Lick Hum Dresser - sensuous, Australian, languid short story
Has been good to look back, reread, remember what I have been doing with my words over those years. All part of the learning journey. While some have been published or broadcast, most are yet to be read. Not sure what to do with them really… two many interests for one lifetime…
Check out this link for some more up-to-date background on the author. See also the CV submitted for entrance to the MA in Person-Centred Education, or have a laff and do the Google thing.
Weird things going on with links, so click on header to get them live…
I’ve started documenting what I’ve been up to in the last few years, since moving to Freo. So I’m just going to chuck it up on the BLOG for a bit to put it out there while I keep working on it. Here goes.
2003 - 2006
Based in Fremantle, Western Australia
Some work/study in Italy and UK
“Fremantle Village Early Learning Centre”
Co-founder
Establishment of a 62 place progressive early learning centre for children 0-6 years in a child care setting. More than 100 families and sector professionals involved in the development of a holistic “centre for excellence” in early years care and education.
Much inspired by the Reggio Emilia project in Northern Italy with input from Montessori, Steiner, Summerhill and mainstream approaches.
Followed a collaborative community development approach within a social entrepreneurship framework.
[Project ended after three years*, just before building work began on restoration of two adjacent inner-urban heritage buildings in the heart of the local neighbourhood catchment, within walking distance for many families and on a free community bus route.
We had received overwhelming support from local families and early learning specialists.
Developed in association with local parents and their children, early learning practitioners, Erudite Educational Consultants (from Nedlands Early Learning Centre), Reggio Children (in Italy), Reggio Emila Information Exchange in Australia, City of Fremantle, Dept for Community Development, Child Care Association of WA, Children’s Service Support Unit, Education Dept, Health Dept, Dept for the Environment, architects, lawyers, accountants, art specialists.
Stages completed or well advanced:
1. Concept development > visioning > ongoing community consultation.
2. Pedagogical research and development.
3. Business planning (including benchmarking against industry standards and highest quality, Reggio-inspired centre in the State).
4. Site selection and contractual agreements to lease
5. Environmental/architectural planning
6. Quantity surveying & building project management
7. Town planning approvals (in association with local community, Local Government Authority, town planning consultant, traffic engineer and State Gov’t Planning Appeals Tribunal. A case against the local authority was won at a state level to allow the centre to go ahead after local politics would have stopped it.)
8. Recruitment of a senior Director and one other senior staff member.
[*An campaign mounted by a disturbed neighbour ensured the Local Council impose an unprecedented noise and parking management plan on the centre’s approval, and a major reduction in numbers of children allowed to access it. When the State Tribunal Appeal was won to increase numbers to a sustainable level, this person bought one of the properties. At the same time he sent an ‘anonymous’ but traceable email threatening us with words like “dead”, “kill” and “destroy”. The police were sure who it was but could not convict him. In the interests of the children’s and our own well being, we had to walk away. And now, a new life begins…]
City of Fremantle
Lobbying & community participation to review child care policy
& strategic town planning on safe, appropriate locations for child care centres
See www.freofocus.gov.au/…. TBA
WA Child Care Advisory Committee
Advising Minister for Community Development
Community member Nov 2004 - Nov 2005
Wrote “Children at the Centre” - a visioning document for child care in the State.
Adopted as the official draft vision for child care by the committee and the Minister
(About WA CCAC)
Beaconsfield Primary School
Kindy & Pre-primary
Ongoing professional dialogue with teachers, offering assistance/encouragement/equipment.
Conducted several short sessions with children 4-5 years. Planning to do more.
Early Learning Fremantle
Co-founder
Bringing progressive early years educators and students together in the South Metro area. Including state and private, Reggio-inspired, Montessori, Steiner and alternative (Lance Holt / Summerhill inspired). Developed and manage email discussion list (now dormant)
Learning BLOG
Established one of the first weblogs to start commenting on my early learning experiences. Dialogue, reflection and discussion generated globally. Available at www.barkingowl.com/learning
“Reggio & Buddhism”
Short article published in The Challenge” - Reggio Emilia Information Exchange in Australia national journal. Available here.
Additional Education
Introduction to Reggio, Meerilinga (with Marie Martin from http://www.learningconversations.com.au/)
Advanced Study Tour to visit the Preschools & Infant Toddler Centres of Reggio Emilia, Italy
Atelierista Patricia Hunter-McGrath, Bold Park School
First Aid for Children
Other roles
Sustainable Business Network (Aust) (est. 1997)
Ongoing faciliation
See www.barkingowl.com/sustainable
The Big Love Gift Guide
“More joy, less stuff”
http://barkingowl.com/cc/
Conscious consumerism project. “Think before you buy. Gift ideas that show what a big heart you have - that bring us back together and don’t cost the earth.” Created and maintained this popular online resource for anyone wanting to think about how they spend and give. Google rates this in the Top Ten for people searching “gift + guide”, “gift guide” + christmas and No. 1 for “gift + guide + love”. Google returns over 1000 hits for “The Big Love Gift Guide”.
Photography
See a sample of my events, travel and portrait work online here. Portfolio.
Tibetan Support Network
Art exhibition & auction featuring leading West Australian artists. Works donated to help build a school in the former Tibet. Event was packed. Goodwill.
Assisted with promotion, co-ordination & artist liaison.
Treachery & Seduction on the High C’s
New operatic highlights performance. Assisted with concept, promotion & co-ordination. Generated widespread media coverage. Sell-out show.
Auto Angels
Sustainable Car Ownership
Coaching to reflect on (ethical/sustainable) business direction, goals and human resourcing.
ONGOING
Mothering Beatrice (5 years old)
Emerging art (meditation) practice
- Painting at Kidogo Art House with Paul Uhlmann: Advanced Class.
- Painting at Fremantle Arts Centre with Pam Brittain.
- Photographic projects. Portfolio online here (including some conceptual works in progress).
- Keeping a visual diary working towards paintings, photographs, conceptual works and installations
To look at what I was working on before all this…
Well I will just talk about my childcare background for now as that is the key focus of the BLOG and my work at present…
There have, however, been many incarnations as is typical I suppose of Gen Xers like meself.
Snippets of other incarnations at www.barkingowl.com and www.barkingowl.com/here
My application to the Child Care Advisory Committee is available here and tells the story of how a philosophical, searching 30-something-year-old ‘pre-mother’ looking for the best place to devote her work energy can get so passionate about campaigning for excellent child care/early learning models - and about the Reggio project in particular. It’s already out of date (current as of mid 2004), but then.. that’s the learning journey innit.
My undergraduate studies were in media studies, communications and cultural theory - getting hands on, practical skills in communications (writing across genres, photography, strategy) plus critical thinking foundations around the work of Berger, Sartre, Barthe, de Bouviour, Said etc.
This makes a deep interest in the Reggio Project specifically and social constructivism in general, a natural extension.
Early work experiences in the “belly of the corporate beast”, living in the country, becoming a mother, travelling, writing, photography (see ABC radio interview about our sea change here and ABC TV doco here) also shaped my ideas about many things.
More ‘media tart’ links here. We’ve always been pretty keen on documenting the learning journey, which is again why the Reggio project is so appealing. They are into documentation in a big way.
Oh, and I went to a school called the Lance Holt School that was based on the Summerhill school in the UK. That might have something to do with things too… 
Rawwwther an empowering place to learn. Much to be written about that!
Ended up at Presbyterian Ladies College so you could say, educationally speaking, I’ve had some pretty brooooooaaaaddd ranging experiences to draw from.
I’m looking forward to being able to make a contribution to the advancement of high quality child care for ALL from “within the system” - as well as from within the community.
Child care seems like a fundamental thing to get right when you think about it.
Researching, writing and distributing these posts through traditional and online media will hopefully help stimulate debate.
I’m still really struggling with how wanky and opinionated this Blogging thing feels.. still finding my voice and trying to understand the new private/public space I have entered. So leaving comments might help me deal with this. I suppose blogging these ideas and storing information I want to share here might be useful beyond just developing my own thinking. If you let me know if you got something out of visiting here and perhaps even what the context for your interest is, then that will help shape this.
Hmmm… we shall see… is it blowing in the wind…?
My first post. Finally I’m blogging. Hi Gra! Thanks for getting me going. I will probably now start to understand a whole heap more about you and blogging and all sorts of stuff. Good to have the words flowing anyway… now on to putting up that media release, and inserting links and stuff. Wow. It’s happening. The birth of another elephant in the back room demanding to be fed.
This site is called “learning” for a few reasons.
1. I’m passionate about the importance and implications of early learning.
If we give kids and parents a good start, then we can really hope to see human society evolve in healthy, happy ways.
One day we might even start measuring Gross Domestic Happiness, like the King of Bhutan. Heck, even the scientists and economists are starting to talk about that revolution.
The preschools and infant toddler centres in Reggio Emilia are a major inspiration. We will be going there again soon to see them at work. In the meantime, you can catch Carlina Rinaldi, Reggio Pedagogista Extraordinaire at the 12th Conference on Thinking in Australia with Ed de Bono, Richard Slaughter and Co.
2. I’m passionate about my own learning.
It’s a Saggitarian thing.