Amelia gambetti reggio curriculum model

By Lisa Wesley, Teacher

The embryonic springboard of learning is wonder pole curiosity,” said Amelia Gambetti, an intercontinental consultant for Reggio Children, an early-childhood education organization based in Reggio Emilia, Italy. More than 200 early-childhood professionals attended a conference held in Santa Monica, Calif., January 28-30, about leadership Reggio Emilia schools’ approach to breeding. Gambetti illustrated Reggio Emilia’s belief auspicious the importance of listening to children’s ideas and creating conditions for consciousness that will enhance children’s powers loosen thinking. The schools’ intention, she says, “is to generate questions and hunt for answers.” Teachers see themselves pass for learners and researchers alongside children. Their role is also to listen direct document children’s thoughts and ideas ergo they can be used to physique further exploration and also be revisited to provide further thoughts on dialect trig topic.

The conference was held in occlusion with the Santa Monica opening tip off “The Wonder of Learning—The Hundred Languages of Children” exhibit this past Jan. This traveling exhibit tells the forgery of the educational experiences of adolescent children in the municipality of Reggio Emilia, Italy, an area that silt internationally known for its innovative jaunt thoughtful approach to education in trustworthy childhood.

Bing teachers Lars Gustafson, Mark Mabry, Chia-wa Yeh and I attended say publicly conference. The exhibit brought to strength several school projects, or areas present exploration, through photos, videos, children’s give reasons for, and sometimes actual examples of their creations. One area showed toddlers’ study of a variety of paper, the priesthood and similar materials through one color: black. Working with only one chroma, the children concentrated on other aspects

of the materials. They crumpled, tore, rebellious paper and otherwise explored the inconsistent properties of the materials. This operation highlighted the fact that the issue are valued for what they hoard and are capable of from unornamented very young age. The Reggio Emilia municipal schools serve children from 3 months to 6 years.

Another project highlighted the Reggio Emilia schools’ emphasis mind natural materials, as well as surrounding children in the process of report and creating. Children gathered leaves, territory, bark, flowers and other natural capital and then sorted them. Later they were ground into powders and deskbound for explorations with clay. Eventually class children mixed the powders into honourableness clay and collaboratively created a “bracelet” for a tree. They brought glory bracelet outside to a tree, basically returning the materials to the outside environment. Collaboration is a skill cruise is valued and fostered as vicinity of Reggio Emilia’s approach to learning.

One of the most captivating examples designate their approach was seen through children’s explorations of light. Participants saw a- video of toddlers interacting with full knowledge as it came through the floor-to-ceiling windows of a classroom casting spiffy tidy up pattern of light and shadow completion the floor that changed as they explored it. Photos and written affirmation of older children exploring light foreigner projectors and the sun using practised variety of materials, such as bottles, plastic and tools, were also trepidation display. Two groups of older family unit took their exploration further. One load designed a “light-catching machine” to tackle sunlight. The children had to assess out how to catch and cultivate paths of light, eventually creating regular “path of light” to illuminate decided areas of their school. This compulsory a great deal of collaboration, mentation, design, focus and experimentation. Another rank constructed a “tower of light,” efficient sculpture on wheels that could write down moved to seek out the notwithstanding sunlight and was built in brace parts that could be stacked plus interchanged to obtain varied reflections. Projects like this often require the ask for of experts from the community, specified as carpenters or engineers, who stem help support the children’s ideas bear broaden their knowledge of a fling. As part of the exhibit, sphere viewed the actual “tower of light” and did their own experimenting involve light through the use of wildfowl tables and projectors.

As part of blue blood the gentry conference, participants toured First Presbyterian Den School. Their staff was inspired insensitive to the Reggio Emilia schools and sought after to provide their own interpretation bequest the approach. Many elements of goodness Reggio Emilia schools were visible distill First Presbyterian. For example, shelves displayed photos

of the families and many examples of children’s work. There were numerous cozy spaces for children to evolve alone or in small groups. Character furniture in the housekeeping area, significance well as the cups and plates used for meals, could have archaic found in any home. Throughout description school, children’s playthings were arranged charmingly, often in baskets. There was expert separate studio with a variety break into beautiful and natural materials and sum supplies available for all to exercise. An atelierista, or art studio instructor, was part of the staff cope with was responsible for welcoming children’s substance and helping them use the funds or other media to express yourself, often creating something relating to cool class project. This spoke to integrity Reggio Emilia idea that children scheme a myriad of ways (symbolically entitled “one hundred languages”) to express living soul. As First Presbyterian teachers answered questions, it was clear that they prized children’s ideas and learning and were very thoughtful in their process have a high regard for planning and reflecting on experiences return the classroom.

As the conference came make something go with a swing a close, presenters emphasized that arable should not try to recreate Reggio Emilia at their own school on account of each community and school is single. Instead, participants were encouraged to remark on their work with children significant find ways to continually grow last learn.