Below is a preliminary list of possible experiences that I suggest all children should have much of the time; the matter of exactly how much time is needed depends on many factors worthy of further discus-sion. Let's start with the following list:
As state/ national standards increase,I wonder how much these possible experiences are decreasing. I wonder what the long-term effects of pushed standards on our society?
too many experiences that are amusing or entertaining and exciting rather than interesting.
These are great planning questions! Is this experiences just amusing/entertaining or is it of interest to the children. Is this experience a time filler or a time enhancer?
alue of frequently engaging young children's minds
and remembering that each child is engaged in different ways, which reverts back to the power of relationships we have with the children.
even very young children can benefit from deep-ening their understanding of matters -
This reminds me that the depth of encounters to explore their theories/questions has a deeper impact that surface level explanation. Deep encounters build true knowledge- the knowledge that we can revisit in our memory and draw on that for their future learning. Depth is infinitely more valuable than breadth.
lates to what it feels like for young children when they are engaged in a vari-ety of projects during which they ask their teachers
Meaningful ways that reflect encounters they will have outside of school. How rarely do we encounter worksheets in our days as adults?
Research on this 'over-justification effect' indicates that frequent praise lacking in content does not increase the desired behavior as well as does occasional, but informative, feedback.
I wonder if children that are part of learning context and community that offer informative feedback are more receptive to feedback/constructive criticism as adults?
We recognize that all expressive, cognitive and communicative languages that are formed through reciprocity are born and develop through experience
Children have a right to these rich experiences.Not just worksheets and coloring sheets
Inevitably and rapidly this interest spreadto educators at schools and universities in the United States and gradually to other countries allover the world.
Had they not valued documentation, would the schools in Reggio be world renowned? How would we have known about them? This is a true example of the power of documentation.
Formulas? There are none. There are only possible strategies.
I think we all need to write this down and hang it on the wall. There is no magic formula for what we are doing.
including a reformulation of ourtheory and practice.
not a "this is how we have always done it model". Imagine how Reggio schools would look/feel if that was their mentality?
who said that it was necessary to become familiar first by using directly what you know and what you have learned in order to acquire further learning and knowledge.
INSPIRING. This quote makes me feel less intimidated.
Over time Malaguzzi worked out his thoughts, hopes, and observations
Inspiring to read about the editing and revision that the schools went through. The intentionality and purpose.
ermanent collegial work and professional development in eachpreschool or infant toddler center for all teachers, atelieristi, cooks, andauxiliary personnel
I am captivated that they value that all staff receive professional development.
women,
Woman for change!
make the young children's creative expression and autonomous desire to be engaged, to discover, and to learn as visible as possible
In what ways can we make the learning and work of our children visible in the community? How would this nourish the communities image of the child?
A second way was through visiting other preschool
Reminds me of our program and how we are all connected to a variety of contexts!
hey have autonomouscapacities for constructing their own thoughts, questions and attempts at answer
We as teachers must listen to and give children the space they deserve to grapple with their thoughts, questions, and answers.
In these fragments lie the past and also the future
Archive of the school and children's history.
children modify and enrich their theories
Children, not the educator. I think that is important to note
"context of multiple listening,"
We have to ask ourselves how this feels, how it looks, how it sounds.
Sociability is not taught to children: they are social beings.
Social beings that are citizens at birth. Knowing that they are born social beings that yearn for relationships. How could anyone in society find value in learning that happens in isolation (Worksheets, desks spread out throughout the room, and teacher lecturing)?
Listening is the basis for any learning relation-ship.
Wow!!! This for me is the most powerful line. Everything we do goes back to listening. This is where we start. This is the gold.
Expressing our theories to others trans-forms a world which is not intrinsically ours into something shared
Social learning Collaboration We can't learn in isolation.
these theories are extremely important in revealing how children think, question and interpret reality, and their own relationships with reality and with us.
It is through listening and sharing that theories come to life. Without sharing them with others, do theories exist?
othat their"whys"orientour search
We discover the whys through observation, documentation, assessment. Through deep analyzation and reflection, we orient ourselves.
In Reggio Emilia, however, the infant-toddler or preschool teacher always works with a co-teacher.
I have never not worked with a co-teacher. I wonder what support systems are in place for reggio-inspired schools that do not have a co-teacher system. How do we translate Reggio's support system for teachers within our own context?
Project work grows in many directions, with no predefined progression, no outcomes decided before the journey begins
Embrace the uncertainty. embrace that you are walking alongside the children, but not steering them to a desired location.
There is nothing that is definite or absolute.
This is refreshing to read.
redictions and projections about how to go forwar
How do we make this thinking visible to other teachers, the children,parents and visitors?
teachers reflect, explore, study, research, and plan together possible ways to elaborate and extend the theme using materials, activi-ties, visits, tools, and other resources.
This is such a vital part of investigations/themes/projects! I think as a team it is always vital to look for time within the day to carve out time for this.
Malaguzzi often stressed the importance of tuning in to exactly what children say (verbally or nonverbally) so that the teacher can pick up an idea and return it to the group, and thereby make their discussion and action more significant.
This action of returning what the children say to them is such a powerful gift from the teacher... it propels the work. I always love when I do this and the it sparks a wildfire of conversation, theory, and questioning.
fully experience pleasure and joy in the game
I am always captivated by the use of the word game in this way. I need to be intentional in how I use it within my observation, documentation, and assessment.
join in their excitement and curiosity.
One of the most beautiful parts of our job!
Their particular context is the source of their individuality; through it, they express themselves using dialogue and interaction in the group and call on adults nearby to serve as partners, resources, and guides.
How powerful it is to be thought of as a partner, resource, and guide for a child!! It is also powerful to think of a child's particular context as the source of their individuality. It makes me reflect on the learning environment at Tulsa Studio and the ways in which the context reflects the identity of each child that is a part of our community.
agree on their basic range of responsibilities. Yet they do not think alike about these responsibilities: how they prioritize them, turn them into concrete tasks, and talk about the reasons for what they do.
This is a powerful thing to reflect on in our own practice. How do we prioritize our responsibilities? What do our responsibilities look like? and what are our reasons for doing them?
Think of a time when, as a child, you didn't think your rights weresupported.
I great journal entry for reflective teacher practice..
They believe that they should be able to make choices, but that these choices are constrained by concerns for safety.
boundaries
hildren show far fewer capabilities than children exhibit in the course of the day, in conversation
When is any work in society done in isolation... I feel at some point all jobs/careers require some kind of collaboration...
n's enrollment in college and th
Good to remember... how can we find common ground in the here and now..
hese languages in the course of growing u
Understand through observation
appreciating the importance of slowing down.
Less is more
his drawing conveys with artistic precision the sense of smallness that children often experience in the world of adults.
How can society change this sense of smallness that children feel?
rarely mark other hallmarks in communication,
How can we as educators an emphasis on these hallmarks in communication so that parents see just as much value in them....
Listening Creatively:
I never thought about listening creatively
Children have a right to pretend withglass, but not a right to drop it 'cause that's not safe
An important right for adults to remember... These are rights that children demand... we as adults need to listen and respect this..
It’s necessary that we believe that the child is veryintelligent, that the child is strong and beautiful andhas very ambitious desires and requests. This is theimage of the child that we need to hold.
It's not only necessary that we believe this, but that we communicate it to the children, families,and the community.
We need to make a big impression on parents, amazethem, convince them that what we are doing is some-thing extremely important for their children and forthem, that we are producing and working with chil-dren to understand their intelligence and their intelli-gences
How am I currently doing this in my practice? What ways can I further make an impression on parents?
theteacher needs to be the audience who applauds
We can't forget this
but a child isalways in search of relationships.
Community & Relationships are key.
What we want to do isactivate within children the desire and will and greatpleasure that comes from being the authors of theirown learning
This is what cultivates a passion for lifelong learning.
We need to think of the school as a living organism
One of the 7 characteristics of living organisms is growth and change. These two things are VITAl for our schools, they challenge and push educators, administrators,and students outside of their comfort zone. Without this mindset around school, would they remain stagnant?
We need to be open to what takes placeand able to change our plans and go with whatmight grow at that very moment both inside thechild and inside ourselves.
I am 100% in support of this. This has been the driving force of my teaching philosophy for the last seven years. However, it is not always the easiest thing to live. My personality type does not welcome change of plans. Knowing this about myself, it was important for me to ask the big question of "HOW TO BE OPEN?".
She brings theseexperiences, feelings, and relationships into schoolwith her.
Why it is important to build strong relationships with families so that we can enter into dialogue about what the child is bringing to school with them.
“What is this child doing in theschool?
Could the use of a daily newsletter, social media, and/or emails help answer this question for parents?
They understandwhether the adults are working together in a trulycollaborative way or if they are separated in someway from each other,
A vital reason for why co-teaching teams should be constructed of individuals that have a strong working relationship. To add to that, administration and teaching teams should also have a harmonious relationship. If not, the children within the program will feed off of the tension.
Each one of you has inside yourself an image of thechild that directs you as you begin to relate to a child.
What is my image of each child within my care? How has these images transformed as I have deepened my relationship with each of the children? How might my image of the parent impact my image of the child? How has my image of the child transformed over my career?
byparents
If a program and/or school is started with families involved or by families, I wonder how this correlates to the natural unfolding of the school cultural holding families at the same value for involvement as the educators and students. Often times, it feels as though family involvement is this "extra thing" that is added to the to-do list. Our students' worlds revolve around their families, and they have a right for their families to be an integral part of their learning community. I feel that I have a duty in my position to interweave these two worlds of the students, home and school.
ontinuouslyrenewedandre-adjusted.
It is refreshing to see that they have never followed the motto, "We've always done it that way!" Educators in Reggio are innovators and unafraid to break barriers.
They
How do they balance the work between projects and other things happening within the classroom? This has always been one of my big questions.
anarchive
Do teachers create archives of each individual child's learning throughout their time within the program?
anddisplayedtheyhelptomakeparentsawareoftheirchildren'sexperience
How might we utilize social media to display the collective work of the children?
Theyaskquestions
We have to be mindful not to ask questions that may direct the children's answers towards an outcome we desire. This is always something I am working on.
They
"They are supported, valued for their experience and their ideas, and seen as researchers."
How might we build a strong image of the teacher within the greater community? How do we move beyond the "babysitter" mentality for ECD educators?
manyforms
What do these many forms of parent participation look like? I understand that each family will be able to serve at a different capacity depending on life outside of the school. I think this is a powerful thing to continually reflect on
family
"but seen in relation with the family"
We must remember that each child/family has their own culture, identity, set of agreements at home, and other customs and traditions that we must be mindful of.
community
"Sense of community"
How does this look within my context? What does community mean to me? What does it mean to the children within my classroom? What communities/neighborhood traditions are the children within my classroom bringing with them? How can I honor their outside community traditions within the our classroom community?