Reinvent

After returning from Reggio, I was barraged by colleagues, friends and family, dying to know all about my experience and what my impressions were.  Honestly, I had a hard time coming up with just the right words to describe what I experienced.  I not only saw environments that changed my vision for what is possible, I felt transformed, myself, as a teacher and a parent.   I was filled with energy to march home and exude Reggio from my fingertips.  Where would I begin?  I walked into my first grade classroom Monday morning and wilted.  I stared at my plan book and curriculum map and felt deflated. I then proceeded to open an email from a parent asking for more homework for his six year old daughter.  He writes:  "Is reading all you want her to do?  Don't you have packets of homework to send home?"    How can I infuse pieces of this beautiful philosophy that values and trusts children, into a system that is hurrying children along at lightning speed?  And then one rainy Seattle morning, as I'm reaching into my cupboard for a coffee mug, the mug I was about to grab spoke to me.

Reinvent.  Reinvent Reggio in my own soil.  That's it.  It's impossible to replicate all aspects of what is present in Reggio Schools, but we can surely bring pieces into our settings that make sense.  I responded to the father that asked for more homework, and here is what I wrote.
"No, reading is not the only homework.  Open your backyard door and let her run!  Tell stories, explore, build, sing, and invite her to be a kid.  This is more valuable than any homework packet I could ever provide."

Lost in translation...

I've been putting off this post because I don't know where to start.  I went to Reggio thinking I had a general idea of what I was going to see and experience, and I came away utterly dumbfounded.  How is it that we as a nation have not looked to our colleagues in Italy and learned a thing or two about how to implement such authentic, child-centered environments for our children?  I'm shocked that there are not more "Reggio Inspired" schools in our country.  I guess that is another post in itself. 

I think I'm going to slowly post my impressions, as they become clear in my mind.  Here are a couple that I've been chewing on lately.

• The educators in Reggio Emilia have a completely different philosophy about the purpose of education.  First and foremost, they believe education is the right of all children from birth.  They believe that education is the responsibility of the community in order to promote the potentials of all children...it's the "It Takes a Village" idea. They stressed that their job is to help "form the human" by constructing conditions that allow children to grow and develop into thoughtful, productive, citizens.  They have a word for this in Italian, which I can't remember exactly, I think it's "formazione."  They said that there isn't a true translation for it in English. It made me think about the state of our education system and how everything is about "Getting Ready" for the next level.  Kindergarten Readiness. Getting ready for the "next grade level"  Getting ready for middle school/high school.  And now the infamous "College and Career Ready."  I wonder if the Italians have a translation for this perseveration on "readiness."  I seriously doubt it.
• The Image of the Child is something that stood out to me.  Again, it's the idea that children have infinite potentials for learning.  When we stand back, and let children "be," they can astound us.  They have a natural affinity for exploration, discovery, and figuring things out.  How is the Image of the Child different in US school settings?  I've been thinking about this, and it seems that it comes down to trust.  The educators in Reggio have a level of trust in children (it's actually recipricol) that allows the children to take their learning to extraordinary levels.  The adults stand back (although they are very intentional, and I'll touch on that later) and allow children to author their own learning.  They don't have all the answers, they're not standing and spewing directives, teaching points, facts, etc.  They ask legitimate questions and they guide. They have patience.  There is no rush.  Remember, they're not trying to propel children to the next benchmark, Fountas/Pinnell level or grade level for that matter.  Instead, they trust in the innate capabilities of children to learn and construct knowledge.  I know I'm getting very deep here!  However, there is nothing shallow about Reggio Emilia! :) 

More later...my brain hurts.

Under the influence....

of Reggio! I'm back, and forever changed. I know it sounds cliche and overly dramatic, but there is no other way to describe. I'm still trying to process the experience. For now, here are a couple of nibbles.  And yes, cheese was involved every step of the way.

 

 

Caine's Arcade

Watch this and be ready to say HOLY FIRECRACKERS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faIFNkdq96U&feature=relmfu

At first sight, I was utterly dumbfounded at the brilliance of Caine's Arcade.  What an incredible story this is!  Caine is one genius of a kid!  Questions that came to my mind while watching:  How is it that this filmmaker was his first customer??  Who are the folks that walked by and didn't want to humor him and play?  Can my kids create something like this?  What can we as educators learn from Caine?    Then when I started to process it more, I came to the realization that ALL children are capable of what Caine created, that is, if we help to create structures and opportunities for kids to create!  What are those structures and how can we bring them to our classrooms PRONTO? 

What are your thoughts?

Blocks Beyond Kindergarten

Where do I even begin when it comes to the value of block building in early childhood development?  Building with blocks allows children to "learn by doing" which is a central idea expressed by educational philosopher, John Dewey.  Children who build with blocks learn about science, math, social/emotional development, and the list goes on.  The value of blocks can be seen beyond the early childhood years as well.  My first exposure to the idea of blocks being present in classrooms "beyond kindergarten" was at Teachers College, Columbia University.  A doctoral student in my department was investigating the benefit of children in upper-elementary classrooms having access to building blocks.  This was a new idea for me.  I couldn't imagine 4th graders playing with blocks in the classroom.  But when you think about it, a 4th grader is still in the "concrete-operational" stage of development according to Piaget, learning by actively engaging (manipulating testing, investigating) with their world.  Blocks are the perfect medium!
Along the same lines are other constructing materials such as Legos.  My neighbor boy (4th grader) creates unbelievable Lego ships/planes/vehicles and the thought process that goes into building these is most definitely building his spatial skills!

I've beefed up the block area in my classroom, by adding cars/trucks/people/animals.... although it's still a work in progress.  I need more blocks!  I'm hoping to apply for a grant to bring blocks to other classrooms in our school, beyond Kindergarten.  Convincing others that blocks beyond kindergarten is a good idea might be another job in itself! 
Stay tuned for more about blocks....

Digging Deeper into Reggio Emilia

Just what is Reggio Emilia?  When researching preschools for Addison, I heard about RE as being "the best of all worlds."  Meaning a sprinkling of a couple of widely regarded different approaches to early childhood education, such as Montessori, developmental, Waldorf, etc.  I never went to visit one (there are not many in our area) because I found a local school that I fell in love with right away that was a perfect fit for Addison.  Looking back at her experience at this school, what I loved about it is similar to why I'm drawn to the RE philosophy.  Addison and her classmates were at the forefront of every decision made.  It is truly a child-centered school, one that respects and honors children, from head to toe.

Here's MY interpretation of what RE boils down to:
1. Children's interests/wonderings DRIVES curriculum
2. Conversation, listening closely, collaboration and intense teacher observation leads to this
3. Artistic expression is a pillar of the philosophy
4. RE environments are aesthetically pleasing, filled with light, inviting and orderly
5. Documentation of learning is displayed in a multitude of ways, which honors each step of the process (traces of the minds of children)
6. Relationships: Family and community involvement is the norm, utilizing the gifts and talents of all

Sounds like a dream world, right?  In American preschools and elementary classrooms, we see bits and pieces of this dream.  Howard Gardner, an American Developmental Psychologist (author of  the theory of Multiple Intelligences) says about the Reggio Emilia philosophy: "Like a flower, you can't take it from one soil and put it in another one.  That never works.  This doesn't mean at all that Americans can't learn a tremendous amount from it, but we have to reinvent it."

The educators at RE have been known to say that RE cannot be duplicated in its' entirety because the approach evolved in a very unique, particular cultural context.  It began in post World War II Italy, as a result of the devastation left behind in the war, and an opportunity for the people of the region to build a "new and different place for our children."  It has a unique beginning, that's for sure! 

My understanding of RE now will most certainly change and grow once I see it in person, where it all began.  I'm looking forward to learning and growing and finding ways to reinvent Reggio Emilia in my own soil.

Italy Bound

One of the main reasons I'm starting this blog is to chronicle my preparations for my upcoming (October) trip to Italy to tour Reggio Emilia.  I was invited by a highly respected friend/mentor/educator/consultant to travel to the town of Reggio Emilia, Italy with 50 educators/authors/professors/consultants and tour the place where the Reggio Emilia philosophy of education began, the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre and Reggio Children schools.  I can't begin to tell you how honored I am to be a part of such an esteemed group of educators.  I will be surrounded by people who "write the books" that we read professionally as educators.  I'm sure I'll be pinching myself while I'm there!
I'll be posting throughout the summer and into the fall about how I'm integrating this "Reggio" philosophy into my classroom, and with my own children.  So much of it is a natural progression of learning, it won't seem revolutionary to many of you.  However, in this age of high-stakes testing and the pressures to "get through" curriculum in our classrooms, it might sound like a challenge.  I'm ready to take it on, full force!

Upcoming posts: 

• Diving Deeper into the Reggio philosophy
• Blocks Beyond Kindergarten 

Stay tuned... :)

Beginnings

I've been toying with the idea of starting a blog to chronicle life with my two "budding bambinis" and the sweet bambinis in my first grade classroom.  So here I am!  I plan to share my thoughts, wonderings and insights about parenting my own little muffins and the joy of teaching sweet six year olds.