It is a constructive feeling that must be reinforced so that the connected pleasure lasts even when reality may prove that learning, knowing and understanding can be difficult and require effort.
I think this is so vital to acknowledge and plan for. Working in a traditional school, there seems to be no consideration for this either in how curriculum teaches children or for how the school/district supports classrooms.
We have to convince ourselves that expressivity is an art, a combined construction (not immediate, not spontaneous, not isolated, not secondary); that expressivity has motivations, forms and procedures, contents (formal and informal), and that the ability to communicate the p redictable and unpredictable.
This idea that we must convince ourselves that 'expressivity is art' is something, I believe, to dissect and consider why. And also to consider how it is co-constructed and what it's communicating.
We have to convince ourselves that expressive competencies grow and mature their languages near and far from home, and that children discover with us the friendliness of actions, of languages, of thoughts and meanings.
This is an interesting sentence and one that is taking me some time to digest.
For us the atelier had to become part of a complex design and at the same time an added space for searching, or better, for digging with one's own hands and one's own mind, and for refining one's own eyes, through the practice of the
I think the idea of 'digging' into one's own learning is wonderful, both as a metaphor and a literal place to start with nature and bringing the body back into learning.
"atelier, " which evoked the idea of a laboratory for many types of transformations, constructions, and visual expressions
The photos of the way in which materials for projects are designed very much reminds me of a laboratory and I love this concept as a way to construct the environment for learning.
progressive city governments
I would be curious to know more about the values and mission of the progressive city governments in Italy at this time.
In this way, not only does the indi-vidual child learn how to learn, but the group becomes conscious of itself as a •teaching place," where the languages are enriched, multiplied, refined and generated but al o where they collide and hybridize with each other, and are renewed.
This is such a wonderful objective of creating an environment for learning and to foster not only individual growth, but the importance of the collective.
As children communicate their mental images or theories to others, they also represent them to them-selves, developing a more conscious vision. This is what internal listening" means.
This piece is so interesting to me. The act of speaking making ideas more tangible and concrete.
Listening should be sensitive to the patternsthat conne t us to others.
I love this statement.
Theories should also please and be attractive to others.
That makes sense. :)
This is why we, in Reggio, view children as active, compe-tent and strong, exploring and finding meaning -not as predetermined, fragile, needy and incapable.
This certainly helps me understand the meaning in Reggio Emilia of the competent, capable child.
Striving to fulfill these ideals is demanding, they well know, but rewarding and sustaining as well, and vital to the progress of society and human well-being.
Reggio Emilia does really seem to embody this pursuit in a thoughtful and rigorous way.
REMIDA (the Recycling Center),
I wonder if they get materials for the classroom here or what this relationship consists of.
Intellectual conflict is understood as the engine of all growth in Reggio.
I find this quite refreshing, as I currently lack this in my current environment.
Marina provided necessary background and explained why the small group is the most favorable learning context
This is interesting and not surprising.
In addition, how-ever, a method of extended mutual criticism and self-examination is very much accepted and an important part of teacher professional development in Reggio Emilia, where a small work group
This extended examination in the work of children all the way to the mutual criticism and self-examination within adult relationships is inspiring.
in Reggio Emilia intellectual conflict is considered pleasurable for both adults and children.
Wow, I love this!
someone who generates new ideas about curriculum and learning, rather than being merely a consumer of certainty and tradition.
Sounds so exciting!
Analytic and critical activities are vital to the development of the individual teacher and, ulti-mately, the Reggio Emilia system as a whole.
I love how the Reggio approach really considers the entire ecosystem of learning and community. I feel like in traditional US schools, we often give lip service to individualism and agency for students, but then the roles of adults are not fulfilled in those same ways.
Throughout the project (as well as in other daily work), the teachers act as the group’s “memory” and discuss with children the results of the documenta-tion
This seems like an important distinction and role for the teacher that provides helpful guidance, but not too much interference.
he also believes that the teacher’s role must be imagined in terms that are holistic and circular, not segmented and linear.
Yes!
In many discussions, she has highlighted how a teacher’s work should be grounded in politi-cal beliefs and advocacy.
This is something that has drawn me to teaching. While early childhood seem to offer more opportunity for movement and creative expression, it's still so full of political advocacy for equity, education, and building a better world.
They considered whether the sun has friends, and who are these friends.
I love this! :)
And our expectations of the child must be very flexible and varied.
Yes! While this can be challenging to apply in a traditional (US) learning environment, this is something I'm very much working on.
The definition of the teacher’s professional identity is thus not viewed in abstract terms, but in contexts, in relation to her colleagues, to the parents, and above all, to the children; but also in relation to her own identity and her personal and educational background and experience.
I love this adherence to context and individual experience for the teacher as well. Working in a traditional public (charter) K-8 school, this is not the case.
Each unique child is tightly connected and linked to conditions in time and space.
I think we often disembody learning, as well as in many other aspects in Western societies. Considering space, time, and context when attempting to reconstruct the body into learning seems like a foundational place to start.
Children are protagonists in society, bearing the right to be listened to and to participate, to be part of the group and take action alongside others on the basis of their own particular experiences and level of consciousness
This is so interesting to think about and to dissect on a political and philosophical level.
the audience who watches, sometimes claps, some-times remains silent, full of emotion, who sometimes judges with skepticism, and at other times applauds with enthusiasm.
Children's creations are often quite complex and interesting, that there is opportunity for real inquiry!
sometimes the director, sometimes the set designer, sometimes the curtain and the backdrop, and sometimes the prompter.
As someone from an arts background, I think this a huge part of why I'm inspired by early childhood and particularly the Reggio Emilia approach, as it gives room for so many applicable spaces for creativity!
Children have a right to pretend with glass, but not a right to drop it 'cause that's not safe."
Having the 'right' not to drop something and the challenges inherent in this situation highlight the balance between what children might think of as choice and an incident related to not having the developed refined motor skills to execute a task (not so much just with glass- I've been in Montessori classrooms where glass was safely used by the children- but such as the desire for a small car to get around, etc).
he pref-erence for such isolating assessment techniques may help explain why "tests of children show far fewer capabilities than children exhibit in the course of the day, in conversation"
Interesting.
Adult society is future-oriented. Adults tend to concern themselves with upcoming appointments, undone tasks, and even more distant events such as their children's enrollment in college and their own retirement.
I wonder if/how this changes in different economic systems.
but letting children exercise autonomy often requires patience.
I think this is interesting, particularly in relation to our current adult culture that uses cars, planes, and other means of motorized transportation most commonly.
They declared, "Children have a right to pretend every-thing,· and "Children have a right to play all day:
An agreed upon 'right' by many adults and probably all children. :)
A children's rights movement must be as much about "adult ears"
I think this highlights an interesting point about the person who 'administers' rights (ie, the state) and the individual who 'receives' those rights. What does this mean in relation to children who are generally not a part of the governing body.
So it does not depend on the age of the teller, but on the sensitivity of the listener.
This is a wonderful statement!
hildren have a right to pretend everything•
Touche!
Children have a right to pretend thatthere's a beach anywhere
This made me laugh and appreciate this right for all of us! :p
t’s important for the teacher who works with youngchildren to understand that she knows little aboutchildren.
I would say this is one of my strengths.;p But truly, I think that having this perspective is incredibly helpful, but in a traditional setting can be perceived as insecurity.
We need tocompare these with our own in order to work welltogether
This idea of comparing our inner state and resources with the child's in order to work well together is really wonderful and different from what I would say teaching has meant to me (at least in relation to administrative expectations) in the past three years I've been working in kindergarten.
Life has to be somewhat agitated and upset, a bitrestless, somewhat unknown
This sentence strikes me at odds with much of how our society likes to think about what is good and proper, but I very much align with this idea. Thinking about it along side early childhood education is important, I believe.
Each one of us needs to be able to play with thethings that are coming out of the world of children.
I initially read this sentence as 'Each one of us needs to be able to play with the things that are coming out of the world,' which I thought was a lovely idea to think about. Working to process all that the world offers and developing it into play. But I also love the idea of being able to play with children's worlds.
n process locally toexamine needs and strengths, thus finding possible ways to construct change
I think this is critical to my thinking in my current teaching situation that is based primarily on curriculum-based lessons, and instead of automatically feeling defeated, seeing how I can approach the situation with creativity and perspective for my own parameters and community. But also, of course, not giving up in terms of advocating for my students' and communities needs.
they considertheir work as an educational experience that consists of reflection on theory,practice, and further careful reflection in a program that is continuously renewedand re-adjusted.
This is interesting.
Projects may starteither from a chance event, an idea or a problem posed by one or more children, oran experience initiated directly by teachers.
This seems like much more sensitive and engaging approach for young learners. I don't know what to do when my students tell me the lessons I'm giving them are boring, as they are all curriculum based.
Reggio educators the children's use of many media is not aseparate part of the curriculum but an inseparable, integral part of the wholecognitive/symbolic expression involved in the process of learning.
This is a large part of why I made the decision to work with younger children- the opportunity to incorporate my dance and arts background into learning. The emphasis in the Reggio Emilia practice fully into learning is inspiring!
Oncethese documents are organized and displayed they help to make parents aware oftheir children's experience and maintain their involvement
I noticed this in the Everyday Utopias video how the daily journals by teachers were designed to engage parents and help them be aware of daily activities.
instructive power of space
'The instructive power of space.' Love this!
Each school is viewed as a system inwhich all these relationships, which are all interconnected and reciprocal, areactivated and supported.
While I understand that the Reggio philosophy and practice values research and the latest science, I think this emphasis on community, family, and individual context helps to ground the pedagogy in not creating a one-size-fits all approach and can really appreciate that.
Reggio Emilia educators have continued to keep abreastof the latest research in child development and education
I like that keeping informed and continually reevaluating practices is embedded in the Reggio Emilia philosophy.
serious readers of John Dewey, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, DavidHawkins, Jerome Bruner, Howard Gardner and other world renowned scientistsand philosophers.
I hope we will get a chance to understand more deeply these influencers/thinkers.
orming cooperatives
I love the idea and implementation of cooperatives. They are much stronger and prevalent in Europe than in the States. I see how the strength of these values definitely helps form the Reggio Emilia practice.
the quality of these services in those municipalities that haveinvested seriously in them has been generally outstanding
Looking at Italy as a model for how they've created high quality early education centers would be interesting.