Teaching and Learning Collaborative Exploration of the Reggio Emilia Approach

by Fu, Victoria R.; Stremmel, Andrew J.; Hill, Lynn T.

• ISBN13: 9780130287830
• ISBN10: 0130287830
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-05-08
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

The Reggio Emilia approach is reintroduced in this book through rich stories and examples of children's projects that invite readers to examine their personal learning process. It offers innovative ways to meld theory with teaching and action research while considering the professional development of each reader--pre-service, in-service, teacher educator, teacher researcher. Unlike other texts on Reggio Emilia, it considers assessment, cultural diversity, and teaching issues from a U.S. perspective. The place of Reggio Emilia in the United States. Amiable communities for learning. Teacher education: Inquiry teaching and the possibilities for change. Progettazione and documentation: Learning moments among protagonists.

Author Biography

Victoria R. Fu teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in child development and early childhood education with her colleagues Andy Stremmel and Lynn Hill. She is a professor at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and serves as a pedagogical consultant at the Child Development Laboratory School. She values learning and teaching as a lifelong endeavor that happens in relationships. Her recent research and writing reflect her philosophy of teaching as inquiry from a social constructivist perspective. She has visited the schools in Reggio Emilia and finds that their philosophy and practice offer possibilities to make meaningful the role of teacher as researcher. As a member of The Lugano-Reggio Teaching Research Collaborative, she is actively engaged in recasting the Reggio Emilia approach to inform teaching in the United States. She has published extensively in professional journals and books, including Affirming Diversity Through Democratic Conversations, which she co-edited with Andy Stremmel.

Lynn T. Hill lives on a farm in Giles County, Virginia, with her husband, two daughters, and several dogs, cats, and horses. Her love of nature contributes to her work as the Studio Teacher for the Virginia Tech Child Development Lab School, where she is also the Director of Curriculum. She also serves as an instructor in the Department of Human Development, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Early Childhood Education. She has been inspired and provoked by the Reggio Emilia approach for over a decade and has been most profoundly affected by the concept of "an education based on relationships." In an attempt to understand and live this concept, she has collaborated on several projects, including The Blue Door Creative Re-Use Center; The Great Duck Pond Project, Blacksburg Middle School's attempt to open a Reggio-inspired program for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders; The Lugano-Reggio Teaching Research Collaborative; a study-abroad tour for Early Childhood Education majors; and several conferences on the approach.

Andrew J. Stremmel is associate professor in Human Development and director of the Child Development Laboratory School at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He received his B.A. in psychology from the Pennsylvania State University in 1978 and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in child development and early childhood education from Purdue University in 1981 and 1989. He is a member of the Academy of Teaching Excellence at Virginia Tech and has taught courses on curriculum and program planning in early childhood education, principles of working with children and parents, perspectives on multiculturalism, and child development theories. His research interests are in the areas of early childhood education, particularly the formation and transformation of pre- and inservice early childhood teachers. He has written on issues of early childhood teacher education, including the application of Vygotsky's theory in early educational settings; diversity and the development of multicultural awareness in teachers; and images of teaching and the role of self. He has also written about intergenerational exchanges between preschool children and older adults. He has co-edited a book with Vickie Fu entitled Affirming Diversity Through Democratic Conversations and is currently working on a curriculum book, Life in the Classroom: Teaching as Inquiry with Inspirations from Reggio Emilia, with Lynn Hill and Vickie Fu.

Table of Contents

Part 1 The Place of Reggio Emilia in the United States	2	(64)
An Invitation to Join a Growing Community for Learning and Change	5	(8)
Victoria R. Fu
Andrew J. Stremmel
Lynn T. Hill
A Community in Search of Possibilities for Teaching	5	(3)
Themes and Organization of the Book	8	(2)
The Place of Reggio Emilia in the United States	8	(1)
Amiable Communities for Learning	9	(1)
Teacher Education: Inquiry Teaching and the Possibilities for Change	9	(1)
Progettazione and Documentation: Learning Moments Among Protagonists	10	(1)
Reflections: Lessons Learned and Possibilities for the Next Steps	10	(1)
An Invitation to Reinvent	10	(1)
References	11	(2)
The Story and Foundations of the Reggio Emilia Approach	13	(10)
Lella Gandini
A Few Notes About Beginnings and Development	13	(2)
Basic Principles of the Reggio Emilia Approach	15	(6)
The Image of the Child	16	(1)
Children's Relationships and Interactions Within a System	16	(1)
The Three Subjects of Education: Children, Parents, and Teachers	16	(1)
The Role of Parents	16	(1)
The Role of Space: An Amiable School	17	(1)
The Value of Relationships and Interaction of Children in Small Groups	17	(1)
The Role of Time and the Importance of Continuity	17	(1)
Documentation: Teachers and Children as Partners	18	(1)
The Power of Documentation for Constructing Curriculum	18	(1)
Cooperation and Collaboration as the Backbone of the System	19	(1)
The Interdependence of Cooperation and Organization	19	(1)
The Many Languages of Children: Atelierista and Atelier	20	(1)
Projects	20	(1)
Conclusion	21	(1)
References	21	(2)
The Challenge to Reinvent the Reggio Emilia Approach: A Pedagogy of Hope and Possibilities	23	(14)
Victoria R. Fu
The Challenge to Reinvent---Is the Reggio Emilia Approach a Fad?	26	(3)
What Is Teaching?	29	(1)
Arts, Aesthetics, and the Art of Teaching	30	(2)
Arts, Aesthetics, History, and a Pedagogy of Hope and Possibilities	32	(3)
References	35	(2)
The Cultural Construction of Childhood: United States and Reggio Perspectives	37	(14)
Andrew J. Stremmel
Who Is the Child? What Is a Child? What Does It Mean to Be a Child?	37	(2)
Historical Views	39	(1)
Theoretical Perspectives of the Child	40	(2)
Philosophical Views	42	(1)
Current Perspectives: Images of the Child	43	(2)
An Answer: Reggio Emilia	45	(2)
How Can We, As a Society, Learn From the ``Image of the Child'' Championed in Reggio?	47	(1)
Summary	48	(1)
References	49	(2)
The Reggio Emilia Approach and Accountability Assessment in the United States	51	(15)
Diane M. Horm-Wingerd
The Compatibility of the Reggio Emilia Approach with Accountability Assessment in the United States	51	(1)
A Story and Its Morals	52	(2)
The Role of Standards	54	(2)
Accountability Assessment in Contemporary America	56	(3)
Implications for Preservice and Inservice Professional Development	59	(3)
Summary and Conclusions: The Compatibility of the Reggio Emilia Approach with Accountability Assessment in the United States	62	(1)
References	63	(3)
Part II Amiable Communities for Learning	66	(66)
Developing a Sense of ``We'' in Parent/Teacher Relationships	69	(14)
Carol Bersani
Debra Jarjoura
Making Our Values Visible	71	(2)
Individual Identity	71	(1)
Knowing Each Other: Building Relationships	71	(1)
Listening and Sharing	72	(1)
Inquiry and Reflection	72	(1)
A Collaborative Organization	72	(1)
Making Organizational Changes to Support the Work	73	(8)
Constructing Meaning Together	74	(1)
Home/School Journaling	75	(1)
Portfolio Development	76	(1)
Project Documentation and Study	76	(4)
Group Parent/Teacher Conferences	80	(1)
References	81	(2)
A Journey to Recast the Reggio Emilia Approach for a Middle School: A Pedagogy of Relationships and Hope	83	(26)
Lynn T. Hill
The Personal Context	84	(1)
The Leadership in the School Context	84	(1)
The Community Politics Context	85	(1)
How It All Began	85	(16)
Travel as a Conduit to Change	85	(1)
The History of the Project	86	(1)
The Great Duck Pond Project	87	(4)
An Invitation to Reform	91	(3)
Lella Gandini Arrives on the Scene	94	(2)
More Obstacles, More Solutions	96	(5)
Making Sense of the Journey	101	(1)
Dispositions and Attitudes of the Reformers	101	(1)
Implications for Value in Other Settings	102	(1)
Lessons Learned	102	(4)
Hurdling the Personal Barriers	102	(1)
Hurdling the Leadership Barriers	103	(1)
Hurdling the Community/Political Barriers	104	(1)
A New System of Middle-Schooling	104	(1)
Finding the Moments of Opportunity	105	(1)
Author's Notes	106	(1)
References	107	(2)
An Outstanding Education for ALL Children Learning from Reggio Emilia's Approach to Inclusion	109	(23)
Sharon Palsha
Historical Beginnings	110	(1)
Environment as the Third Teacher	111	(1)
An Education Based on Relationships	112	(2)
Identifying Children with Special Rights	112	(1)
Assessing the Needs of Special Rights Children	112	(2)
Small Group Projects	114	(1)
Educational Planning---The Hundred Languages of Children	115	(1)
Declaration of Intent	116	(1)
Documentation	117	(1)
Teacher Inservice Education	118	(1)
Integrated Therapy	118	(1)
Case Studies: Observing Best Practices in Inclusion in Practice	119	(5)
Stella Is Fully Included in the Day's Activities	120	(1)
Andrea's Unique Language Results in Unique Educational Experience	120	(2)
Rosa Builds Relationships and Skills within an ``Ordinary'' Preschool Day	122	(1)
Filippo and His Classmates Reach Out to Each Other	123	(1)
Implementation in the United States	124	(2)
Implications for Practice in the United States	126	(2)
Acknowledgments	128	(1)
References	129	(3)
Part III Teacher Education: Inquiry Teaching and the Possibilities for Change	132	(48)
The Transformation of Self in Early Childhood Teacher Education: Connections to the Reggio Emilia Approach	135	(12)
Andrew J. Stremmel
Victoria R. Fu
Lynn T. Hill
Repositioning Teaching: Teacher as Researcher	137	(3)
Promoting Self-Awareness and the Reinvention of Self	140	(4)
Exercises and Activities	141	(3)
Concluding Remarks	144	(1)
References	145	(2)
The Development of Documentation Strategies to Support Teacher Reflection, Inquiry, and Collaboration	147	(14)
Jeanne Goldhaber
Dee Smith
Who We Are	148	(1)
Program Development Takes Time	149	(1)
Early Documentation Efforts	149	(1)
A Shift in Focus	150	(1)
Under Construction: A ``Working'' Definition of Documentation	150	(2)
The Infant/Preschool Investigation	152	(1)
A Shared Focus: The Development of Representational Competence	153	(2)
Annie's Story	155	(2)
Reflecting on Annie's Experiences	156	(1)
Joan's Story	157	(3)
Reflecting on Joan's Experiences	159	(1)
Final Thoughts	160	(1)
References	160	(1)
Passion and the Art of Teaching	161	(19)
Deborah W. Tegano
Teaching as an Art, Art as Imagination, Imagination as Passion	161	(3)
Finding Teachers' Voices	164	(6)
Passion: New or Renewed?	167	(3)
Collaboration in Teacher's Voices	170	(1)
Intellectual Vitality Through Collaboration	171	(3)
Collaboration as a Humanizing Enterprise	174	(3)
Passion and the Art of Teaching Means Overreaching Ourselves	177	(1)
References	178	(2)
Part IV Progettazione and Documentation: Learning Moments among Protagonists	180	(41)
Ordinary Moments, Extraordinary Possibilities	183	(14)
Alise Shafer
Our Beginnings	184	(1)
An Ordinary Moment	185	(6)
Appropriateness of Topic	191	(1)
Learning the Facts	191	(1)
Thinking Metaphorically	192	(1)
The Gravity Discussions Come to a Close	192	(1)
Why In the World?	193	(1)
Conclusion	194	(1)
References	195	(2)
Big Ideas and the Essence of Intent	197	(24)
Pam Oken-Wright
Marty Gravett
Inviting Clues to Intent	201	(1)
Explicit Intent	202	(3)
Trust as a Factor in Helping Children Give Voice to Their Intent	205	(3)
Imbedded Intent	208	(8)
Finding the Clues to Intent	208	(1)
Reading Group Intent	208	(1)
Haring Good Conversations	209	(3)
The Role of Documentation in Reading Children's Intent	212	(1)
Prorocations and Hypotheses about Intent	213	(1)
Reading of Intent and the Big Idea	214	(2)
Why Think in Terms of Big Ideas?	216	(1)
Big Ideas Transcend Time, Geography, and, in Some Cases, Culture	217	(2)
Labyrinth	219	(1)
References	220	(1)
Video	220	(1)
Reflections: Lessons Learned and Possibilities for the Next Steps	221	(18)
Changing Images of the Town and the Schools of Reggio Emilia	222	(8)
First Impressions of Reggio Emilia	222	(3)
Changing Images, Changing Intentions	225	(5)
The Lugano---Reggio Teaching Research Collaborative: A Community in the Making	230	(4)
Where Do We Go From Here?	234	(2)
Last but Not Final Thoughts	236	(2)
References	238	(1)
Index	239

Excerpts

It is paradoxical that a preface is almost always written after the completion of a book. This one is no exception. We would like to share with you some of our thoughts regarding this book. The three of us worked as a team in putting this volume together. We are good friends and colleagues who really enjoy teaching and learning together and, more often than not, think collaboratively. These sentiments carried us through this project as we wrote and edited the book, sharing responsibilities.In writing the chapters for this book, we--knowingly or unknowingly--were taking the next leg of our journey together to recast the Reggio Emilia approach to inform practice in the United States. This project created a venue for us to continue our conversations with purpose in a community of "us" who value learning and teaching, multiple perspectives, sharing stories, and conversations that provoke us to understand, to make meaning of our experiences, and to invent. For all of these enticements, we thank our friends who contributed to this book.We would like to thank Lelia Gandini for her friendship, collegiality, and generosity for her chapter, "The Story and Foundations of the Reggio Emilia Approach." In this chapter, the essential history and philosophy of the schools of Reggio Emilia are provided as a context in which the other chapters are based. We are privileged to hear her voice, one that has a lived knowledge of the Reggio experience.In this way, her chapter provides a crucial bridge between Reggio Emilia and our experience to recast and reinvent its philosophy in the context of learning and teaching in the United States. Additionally, in the spirit of documentation, her chapter offers the opportunity for us and the reader to revisit and find new meanings and understandings about our work as teacher-researchers.We would also like to thank the following reviewers: Jane H. Bugnand, Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell; Pat Hofbauer, Northwest State Community College (Ohio); Karen Menke Paciorek, Eastern Michigan University; Karen L. Peterson, Washington State University Vancouver; and Colleen K. Randel, University of Texas-Tyler.We invite you to join our exploration and our conversation. We hope you will share your stories, reflections, and insights with your friends and colleagues, wherever you are, so together we can build amiable communities for learning and teaching. Vivkie Fu Andy Stremmel Lynn Hill