Aesthetics, Learning, Citizenship and Participation - NAREA July 12, 2013

It was wonderful being able to experience the summer conference with our pedagogista, Sarah Cooper. More than once, we tapped each other on the elbow or shared a smile at something stated or referenced during the lectures. Feeling validation for what we do and the decisions we make is a very valuable part of these experiences. The theme of one talk gave me encouragement in our current discussion of the role of the Studio [altelier] and Studio Coordinator [atelierista] as it exists in our school. As I have stated many times, and as we discover each time we engage with members of the larger Reggio community, the Grand Rapids Child Discovery is very different from most other Reggio-inspired schools in the United States. Many educators, upon meeting us, and learning about our school are intrigued and eager to learn more about who we are and how we manage to run a successful K-5 public Reggio-inspired school. When asked this question I always respond with two words - flexibility and innovation. Our status as a stand-alone district allows us the freedom and flexibility to make changes quickly and efficiently based upon the needs of our community, and the willingness and expertise of our staff to respond creatively to challenges and unique situations are the foundational elements of our success. Listening to the perspective and philosophy of the atelier and atelierista further validated our current goal of re-defining this central aspect of the Approach and learning process of our school. What we heard at NAREA: "...The atelier is for richer and more complete knowledge....for new cultural visions....creative thinking, teamwork, and research are necessary conditions for cultural and economic development - all require CONTEXT for practice and evolution....the atelier and atelierista role grew out of this belief...that ongoing attention to RESEARCH and INNOVATION....a search for CONSTANT INNOVATION...bring the artistic background." ">>>educational philosophy ...where the aesthetic dimension and the search for beauty have been welcomed are important aspects of our species' life, and consequently into our schools and learning...the adult who constructs environment and supports children's research helps to make it more rich and interesting." We need to think in terms of SENSORY PERCEPTION and AESTHETIC VIBRATION as learning activators...."Children as protagonists of their own learning..." "The IMPERTINENT ATELIER..as guarantor of knowledge and learning...CULTURAL EXCITEMENT as generative....works and investigations that move and advance of their own processes...""...children always without timidity break down divisions between disciplines...this is analogous to brain function....children build knowledge and learn with whole body and all senses with BEAUTIFUL BIOLOGICAL UNITY....this is MYSTERIOUS, and we need to work NOT TO BETRAY."

"The destiny of our children, is linked to our own...." - Lorus Malaguzzi, 1970

As we learned at the NAREA conference earlier this month, the intention behind establishing the Reggio-Emilia Foundation was to insure the destiny of our children, beginning with education. The concept of the school as a "learning community", in which all members participate in work, play and co-construction of learning was something very innovative at the time the Approach was being developed and remains something rare in traditional education. Some of the other new ideas generated by Reggio-Emilia include: environment as teacher, or the notion that there must exist a dialogue between pedagogy and architecture of the learning spaces. Urban Ecosystem, that not only our rural areas need protection, but our cities in which we spend so much of our lives need to be healthy and sustainable as well.

This led to the establishment of the Remida, the community recycling center, in which all manner of cast-off, remnant, and used materials are deposited, gathered, sorted and displayed for use later in project work and play at the schools of Reggio-Emilia. The most amazing thing one learns about the schools in Reggio is that they are not just for the students and their parents, but truly for the whole city.

This town of around 180,000 has an annual Remida Day in which all residents of the city participate in the center of the town.

NAREA 2013 Summer Conference Recap

Dear Readers, First, my apologies for the delay in this posting. I was completely unprepared for the effects of jet lag upon returning from my trip. The 9 hour flight, combined with the six hour time change put my internal clock through quite a change. This, in addition to all of the items on my "to do list". Now that I have all of my excuses out of the way, I will move on to the the conference. First of all, I want to thank all of the faculty and staff at the Mid-Pacific Institute and the University of Hawaii. They have every right to be proud of their beautiful facility and tremendous hospitality. Their most gracious, hospitable and moving welcome and closing were memorable and moving. The NAREA staff, especially Judy Kaminsky and Margie Cooper, along with all of the altelier facilitators, insured an organized, well-planned, and very productive and valuable experience. I took many notes during the lectures and would like to include them, as I wrote them, along with images from the conference. There is no particular design, just the comments and reflections I found most salient, along with a few of my personal connections to what was presented. I hope the following provide each of you with inspiration, validation, or provocation. Please feel free to comment, question or challenge any of what you see here:

"To respond to the right to the education of ALL children..." including the "proper conditions"...."investment of governments"..."we often find early childhood investment is the crumbs....often it is viewed that ANY solution is acceptable..."...."education is the REPONSIBILITY of the community...the COMMITMENT of administrators and governments"...."it is the CIVIC responsibility of everyone...public resources are diminishing constantly....Give the future to our children that we are creating today...this is the GENESIS of experience"

"The child as human being....the essential element of documentation is making learning visible..."it is making learning visible...it is both a LEARNING and a STRATEGY...

"The importance of PEOPLE working in a system....administrators, instruction, support and families...bring EFFORTS and INTELLIGENCES together....we need a SOCIAL RECOGNITION of EDUCATORS....children, in terms of economic sustainability need the FREEDOM to leran in this environment. "Within the PLURALITY of COMPETENCIES we can expand opportunities for students...there needs to exist professional development for ALL professional figures in school.

Co-Presence of teachers in the classroom....teacher does not merely execute the curriculum - but is also a RESEARCHER [crucial issue]". "The city of Reggio-Emilia chose education as a focus of investment

"The STRATEGIC aspect of education as a universal right and essential to common good - like water." "Education as a common good...all children must be able to take advantage without LIMITATION...education draws strength from being viewed as a common good....it finds its essence in civil society....it is a COLLECTIVE and INNOVATIVE solidarity."

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Positon Posting Part-Time Studio Coordinator Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center

Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center Part-Time Studio Coordinator Job Description The GRCDC is seeking an individual to serve as *part-time Studio Coordinator, responsible for the following: - Collaborate and coordinate activities of Studio with classroom curriculum - Conduct classes utilizing art materials and various media to support and enrich content area learning and various student-led projects - Connect studio work to state standards - Reports to Pedagogista and School Principal [approx. 25 hours per week September through May] The desired candidate will possess the following credentials, experience, dispositions and knowledge: - The Reggio-Emilia Approach to learning - Art materials - Art techniques - Child Development - physical, social, emotional, academic - Learning process - Foundations of learning theory - Working with and managing children in educative settings - Strong written and oral communication skills - Belief that every child can succeed - Proof of successful work history - BA in Fine Arts and/or Education All those interested in applying please send resume and cover letter to melcheri@childdiscoverycenter.org

Images from the Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center Spring 2013

5/3 Junior Run - Paraeducator Kelli Belanger led a daily all-school "Running Club" to encourage wellness and an active lifestyle. The experience culminated in student, staff and parent participation in this children-only event, part of the 5/3 River Bank 25K Run held later that week.

Camp Roger All-School Study Trip

Discovery B Outdoor Classroom - Ms. Amash and Friends

Exploring collaboration and brush techniques in Studio

The wonderful and uninhibited curiosity of children

Our community gathered on June 3, 2013 for an evening of food, fun, conversation, and celebration.

3rd and 4th grade Ecosystem Habitat Project Study

The images you see above are part of a larger group of canvases completed by our 3rd and 4th grade students in Discovery E. The students studied, researched and grew in their understanding of biomes, ecosystems and habitats through this year long project. With the guidance and instruction of their teachers Bob Fiore and Brooke Streu, along with the support of paraeducator Molly Casey, not only were the students able to develop their understanding, but they were also honored with the opportunity to display their work at the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts in June. [many thanks to Mrs. Casey who made this possible] My next entries will be from the Pacific Ocean via the island of Oahu. I, along with our Pedagogista Sarah Cooper, will be attending the NAREA Summer Conference at the Mid-Pacific Institute and University of Hawaii. Until then....Aloha! - Erin