About me

I was born in Vietnam. I am an

international student and I am

studying the Bachelor of

Education at the University of

South Australia.

ABOUT ME

My hometown

The Arts Curriculum does not have a central place in the

education system in Vietnam. However, the Arts are a

significant part of Vietnamese culture. Traditional dance,

drama, music, painting, craft etc. are valued and

considered to be important and children are exposed to

them through the celebration of community activities in

school, church, temple, and cultural festivities.

Vietnamese traditional arts

Personally, I have always been interested in the Arts,

particularly in drama, music and dance. As a child in

Vietnam, I was involved in a range of art activities in school,

church and community. We were poor and had very limited

resources but this required us to be very creative and to use

our imagination to make costumes, masks and back drops.

We made our own entertainment and I had many

opportunities to be involved with cultural programs organised

by church and community.

My very early involvement with the arts played an

important role in developing my music, dancing and

singing skills, and was important in helping me to develop

confidence in my ideas and self-expression. My exposure

to the arts throughout my life also had an influence on my

interest in becoming a teacher. I enjoyed exploring artistic

activities with my friends and building close relationships

with them as we choreographed our performances. I also

enjoyed teaching younger children these activities.

A Moon Festival in primary

school (1980s). We were creating

a drama presentation.My costume for performance in a

traditional dance (1980s)

This is

me

This is

me

This is

me

The youth choir singing at a religious festival.

As an Early-childhood educator in Vietnam, I

valued the Arts and I did focus on them in my

teaching both inside and outside of the classroom.

I tried to develop in the students an interest in the

Arts. This was not difficult, especially with young

children because they were naturally creative and

loved to dance, to sing and to perform.

In my study in Vietnam to become an Early-Childhood teacher, I

learned many practical skills and methods for the teaching the

Arts. Each Arts subject was taught as a separate unit. I cannot

remember being taught any theories that formed the basis of Arts

Education, I only remember the practical skills. Because of the

needs for resources for the community and the school where I

worked, I co-wrote and published a book which focused on

dance and drama. I was also involved in the production of a

number of dance and drama performances. I continue to be

passionate about teaching the Arts.

My first book about dance

and drama (2013)

As a director of dance and drama I

was involved in performances for

religious festivals (DVD 2008).

A music CD produced in Vietnam. I was a member

of this choir (2008)

I believe that the Arts are significant in helping us to

understand and express our individual identity. They

also provide meaning and continuity to a culture and

form a valuable connection from one generation to

the next. Exposure to different cultures through the

Arts encourages us to have a new understanding

and respect for cultural differences.

Since my arrival in Australia, I have had a further

opportunity to explore the Arts Curriculum. In particular,

this has helped me to develop a new understanding of the

theory that informs Arts Education.

Arts are central to the education of all students. Through

the Arts, students can come to a deeper understanding of

themselves and develop and explore their imagination,

ideas and feelings. They learn to express these

confidently in creative ways through a range of artistic

activities. They are encouraged to develop their aesthetic

appreciation of professional artists but they also

recognise that they too are artists and have the innate

ability to be imaginative and creative.

I would argue that the wider society, both in Vietnam and in

Australia, continue to value Maths, Literacy, Science and

Technology more than they do the Arts. Arts are considered to

be appropriate for small children and for children gifted in a

specific area of the Arts. Arts are sometime used to enhance

learning in other areas of the curriculum to make learning more

enjoyable and effective. However, it needs to be recognised that

authentic arts education has a valuable place in the curriculum

at every level in its own right.