Mrs Olivia Karaolis
My name is Olivia Karaolis and I hold a degree in acting (Ensemble Acting Studios), a master’s degree in early childhood intervention (Griffith University) and hold a PhD (University of Sydney and have a diploma in Puppet Therapy (Puppet therapy Chile). My research interests and expertise revolve around the inclusion of children and young people with disabilities in education with a particular focus on the application of the creative arts as a pedagogy to address ableism and inequity.
My current role as Lecturer Special and Inclusive Education, Sydney School of Education and Social Work draws on my extensive expertise teaching children and young people with disabilities in Australia and in the United States. My work in this area was recognized in California with my appointment as an Inclusion Consultant for the Los Angeles Unified School District, my invitation to be part of the Early Start Interdisciplinary Assessment team for the Californian Department of Disability and my awarding of a contract to implement creative arts to underserved urban school is Los Angeles by the Kennedy Centre, VSA.
This experience has informed and shaped my research and led to my PhD research supervised by Dr. Cathy Little and Professor Emerita, Robyn Ewing at the University of Sydney. The study received an award from the NSW teachers Guild in 2021 and has led to several publications in peer reviewed academic journals. Olivia is currently involved in understanding the experience of early childhood educators with Dr. Cathy Little at the University of Sydney and together they have recently published an article on the significance of Joy in early childhood education.
My learning is always through relationships, and I regularly contribute to conference presentations (AJEC, AARE, C&K Early Childhood) writes in professional journals, mentors’ students at the University of Sydney and has been invited to review research for Australian Journal of Early Childhood Education and the European Journal of Early Childhood education. She is a member of the Australian Association Research in Education’s Early Childhood Signatory Group, the European Early Childhood Research Association Special Interest Group Disability Studies and Inclusive Early Childhood Education and this role has participated in the review process of abstracts for their annual conferences. I am also the Australian delegate for Union International Marionettes (UNIMA) and UNIMA Australia. I interested in preparing teachers to be creative and curious and joyful in their work with children and young people. I am interested in changing the perception of inclusion- from one that is about disability to one that is about everybody.
My teaching is informed by my research and my commitment to inclusive education. I teach units of study in special and inclusive education , creative arts and play.
AARE
UNIMA
EECERA
Teachers Guild Award for Reesrach 2021
Publications
Journals
- Karaolis, O. (2023). Being with a Puppet: Literacy through Experiencing Puppetry and Drama with Young Children. Education Sciences, 13(3). [More Information]
- Little, C., Karaolis, O. (2023). The lost art of joy in early childhood education. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, Online first. [More Information]
- Karaolis, O. (2022). Puppets and inclusive practice: Engaging all learners through drama and puppetry in preschool contexts. Teachers and Curriculum Journal, 22(2), 7-16.
2023
- Karaolis, O. (2023). Being with a Puppet: Literacy through Experiencing Puppetry and Drama with Young Children. Education Sciences, 13(3). [More Information]
- Little, C., Karaolis, O. (2023). The lost art of joy in early childhood education. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, Online first. [More Information]
2022
- Karaolis, O. (2022). Puppets and inclusive practice: Engaging all learners through drama and puppetry in preschool contexts. Teachers and Curriculum Journal, 22(2), 7-16.
2021
- Karaolis, O., Little, C. (2021). Through the eyes of the puppet: Using puppetry to foster children's sense of wellbeing and belonging. New Zealand International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal (NZIRECE), 23(2), 52-62.