Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/going-deeper-exploring-reflective-practices-with-inspiration-from-reggio-emilia/5020236/
Rich artwork, beautiful classrooms, articulate educators: through conferences, art exhibits, lovely books, and fabulous study tours early childhood programs in Reggio Emilia have captured the attention of the early childhood community all over the world. The study of Reggio Emilia has engaged many educators in a dynamic dialogue about the potential of children and the direction of education, helping us think of ourselves not as child-minders, but as researchers, facilitators, curators, and active co-participants in a dynamic process. For many of us this has elevated the work we are doing to a new level of intellectual challenge and inspired us to see children, families, and ourselves through new lenses. Along with this inspiration has come an endless series of questions and the challenge to find a way to begin the explorations necessary to respond to those questions.Initial introductions to Reggio Emilia, whether through independent reading, conferences, or �" for the lucky few �" a study visit, often trigger an impatience to get to work implementing new ideas and making improvements. However, this can lead to a critical misinterpretation of what is going on in Reggio Emilia. We end up admiring the product without understanding the process.
Educators ...