Target Audience

PreK - Grade 3 teachers, curriculum specialists, school directors/principals, home school net-works, and teacher educators / trainers.

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Background

Heralded by Harvard University's Project Zero, the Reggio Emilia Approach is blend of theory and
practice that is based upon decades of research in early childhood development. Founder Loris Malaguzzi designed a teaching approach which is alive, creative and emergent in form.

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By the end of the workshop, participants will be equipped with the following: 

• Ability to meet with school teaching teams and share key tenants of the Reggio Emilia Approach PRE-K to GRADE 3.

• Ability to implement small group investigations based on the interests of students.

• Ability to articulate an understanding of emergent curriculum in practice.

• Gain an understanding of the documentation cycle as action research in practice, driving a curriculum that is emergent in form and responsive to student interests and needs.

• Advocate for transforming learning environments by utilizing open-ended materials, creative tools, and artistic materials.

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Session 1

Your Image of the Child: Where Teaching Begins

We begin with the teachings of Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of Reggio Emilia schools.

 

When we have a strong image of the child it changes the way we interact with children. Our own perspectives really are where teaching begins. As teachers, we are the creator of the learning environment in our classrooms.

 

An environment reflects our image of the child as an active learner. Environments that acknowledge the child as curious and inventive. Environments that recognize we all learn alongside others - as social learners. It is a school environment that is inclusive, challenging in content, and joyful.

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Take-aways

• Discover the importance of understanding your own biases and how this impacts your perception of the child.

• Advocate for a form of education that is based upon creating environments that draw children together.  Learning environments that help children build strong relationships with others, with the environment, and with ideas. ​

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Key Exercises

• Review one to two weeks of photos and notes, determining what and where you focus your attention.

• Analyze students that are absent from photos.   Why are these students not captured in your documentation?  Analyze students that seem to appear with regularity in photos.  Why is this student so often present in your documentation?   Do your notes and images indicate you have a preference for specific room location, or activity, or subject matter?  How will you resolve these biases?
   

Session 2

An Environment that Teaches

Educator and author Lella Gandini writes, "In order to act as an educator for the child, the environment has to be flexible: It must undergo frequent modification by the children and the teachers in order to remain up-to-date and responsive to their needs to be protagonists in constructing their knowledge." (1988)

An environment that teaches is flexible, responsive and reflective of the children's interests. In Reggio Emilia-inspired schools, great care is given to providing open-ended materials. We do this because we are most happy when we are creating something.

 

Children create every day with paints, clay, blocks, wood, and so on. We learn deeply when we are creating something of value to us and to the group. As such, much emphasis is placed on group work and investigations that teach across the curriculum.

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Take-aways

• Understand the importance of creating learning environments that are engaging, high-sensory, and offer surprises.

• Advocate for a form of education that is based upon creating environments that draw children together.  Learning environments that help children build strong relationships with others, with the environment, and with ideas.

• Advocate for classroom environments that are beautiful spaces, reflective of our values.  Advocate for the use of open-ended materials, natural materials, mirrors, and light.

 

Key Exercises

• Describe the process you use to create a curriculum based upon the interests of children.

• Create a small group invitation that implements the use of open-ended materials.   Document children’s investigations and creations.

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Session 3

Documentation: The Art of Making Learning Visible

In this third session, we examine Loris Malaguzzi's suggestion that teachers should behave like
researchers.

One of the tenants of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education is the development of a curriculum based upon the interests of the children.

 

Curriculum, emergent in form, is developed within the context of a relationship-driven classroom. In this session, you will be introduced to concepts of emergent curriculum, documentation practices, and social cognitive theory.

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Take-aways

• Ability to describe the documentation cycle, an action research model that drives emergent curriculum.

• Advocate for use of project work both within the classroom and within the whole school community.  

• Articulate how project work builds a shared learning experience, shared investigation, and shared knowledge within the group.  It is this shared experience that builds and sustains relationships between students, the environment, and ideas.

 

Key Exercises

• Document a learning experience of one student in your classroom using notes, photos, and capturing images of the student’s creations.

• What materials, books, and discussions did you foster around this interest?   Share your documentation with a colleague, asking for their ideas on how to move the learning forward.

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Session 4

The Hundred Languages of Children: Life in the Atelier