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Several years ago, Exchange Editor Bonnie Neugebauer visited Reggio Emilia with great anticipation as well as significant reservations. She shared her reflections upon returning in her article, "Unpacking My Questions and Images: Personal Reflections on Reggio Emilia." Here is an excerpt...

"I thought I left home with an open mind, a supply of film, and plenty of pencils. But I wasn't prepared. I have visited wonderful programs for young children across the United States, and I didn't want to forget that. As we began listening and visiting, people would ask, 'Isn't this wonderful?' 'Can you believe it?' 'Do you get it?' I would respond with a verbal 'Yes' and a mental 'but. . . .'

"I had carefully secured the doorstop in my mind, a secure (or so I thought) place from which to hold on to my reservations. I did not want to be blown out of my comfort zone. But as conversations and days passed, the flood of impressions and ideas not only moved the doorstop, they tore the door from its hinges.

"The schools in Reggio Emilia are wonderful places for children and adults to spend their days, working and learning together. They have grown out of a culture that values children, out of the intense commitment of a group of parents, out of the leadership of a visionary man. They have a long history; they have evolved over time. These schools are rooted in the culture that created them.

"It would be difficult, perhaps impossible, for us to try to replicate the Reggio schools in the United States. But it would be foolish to miss or reject the opportunity to learn from them. Whether we study what they have done intensely or whether we visit Italy briefly or attend their seminars here, or whether we read about what they are doing, each of these experiences is an opportunity to change, to look at what we are doing, and to work and live more thoughtfully."

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"Unpacking My Questions and Images..." is one of seven articles on Reggio Emilia included in one of the latest Exchange modules that you can read to receive a CEU from University of Wisconsin-Stout. Other modules just released are...

• Food and Nutrition Challenges
• Outdoor Play Environments
• Observation and Assessment

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