La Petite Boucherie

I'm a teacher and arts educator and an advocate for 'cultivating creativity' in children and young people. I believe the arts are key to unlocking children's potential and can offer unique opportunities for teaching and learning.

I'm heading to ITALY for a study tour to Reggio Emilia and I need your help to get me there!

Reggio Emilia is a town in Italy and the birthplace of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. The Reggio Emilia approach is an innovative and inspiring approach to education that values the child as strong, capable and resilient; rich with wonder and knowledge.



The Reggio Emilia approach does not follow a set curriculum. The curriculum guidance is known as “emergent and informal” (Edwards et al, 1998 p. 41). “The children’s questions and ideas are used as starting points for developing their learning…” (Thornton and Brunton, 2007 p. 67). Children are encouraged to view themselves as researchers, and reflect on their experiences with assistance from the educators.

At the heart of this system is the powerful image of the child. Reggio educators do not see children as empty vessels that require filling with facts. Rather they see children as full of potential, competent and capable of building their own theories. Every child brings with them deep curiosity and potential and this innate curiosity drives their interest to understand their world and their place within it. The role of the educator is to listen and to act as a co-researcher, facilitating the child’s learning and offering insight and guidance on a topic initiated by the child as well as to participate in the education and make visible the interactions and intentions.

An important aspect of the Reggio Emilia approach is the atelier (art studio). Each centre or pre-school has an Atelier where a teacher with an arts background (atelierista) facilitates children's exploration of materials, ideas and expression, thus becoming part of the process by which knowledge is built. The approach emphasises hands-on discovery learning and investigation that allows the child to use all their senses and all their unique expressions to learn. Children are encouraged to explore and generate many possibilities.



The fundamental principles of the Reggio Emilia approach are:

- Children are capable of constructing their own learning
- Children form an understanding of themselves and their place in the world through their interactions with others
- Children are communicators
- The environment is the third teacher
- The adult is a mentor and guide (a co-collaborator in learning)
- Long-term projects as vehicles of learning
- Emphasises the documentation of children’s thoughts
- The Hundred Languages of Children (the belief that children use a multitude of ways to show their understanding and express their thoughts and creativity)

The Reggio Emilia approach effortlessly informs the five learning outcomes of the Australian National Early Years Learning Framework:
- Children have a strong sense of identity.
- Children are connected with and contribute to their world.
- Children have a strong sense of well-being.
- Children are confident and involved learners.
- Children are effective communicators.



Why go to Reggio Emilia?

The Reggio Emilia approach is unique to Reggio Emilia in Italy, it is not a method and there are no training colleges to learn to be a Reggio Emilia teacher. The way the approach is developed in Reggio Emilia can not be copied because the people, the environment and culture are significant to the place. Outside of the town of Reggio Emilia, all centers and pre-schools are Reggio-inspired and using an adaptation of the approach specific to the needs of their community. This is important as each student, teacher, parent, community, and town are different.
To travel to Reggio Emilia on an organised study tour is the only way to visit and experience the centers and pre-schools of the municipality. Not only is it an opportunity to be immersed in a dynamic program of tours, school visits, conferences and workshops, it is an opportunity to engage with an important international network of educators and researchers promoting the rights and potentials of all children.

In addition to this, the economic proceeds from these activities is invested back into the municipality of Reggio Emilia for the strengthening and expanding of local, national, and international early childhood services and educational experiences.



My research interest investigates how the Reggio Emilia approach can be used to cultivate creativity in teaching and learning, not only within the education system but also as 'pedagogy of community'.

To travel to Reggio Emilia for this study tour is a commitment to my professional development as an educator and as a passionate advocate for the arts in education. To immerse oneself in a community that actively cultivates creativity via complex pedagogy, deep research methodology and reflective practice, one is opened to possibilities born via osmosis. By observing the Reggio Emilian processes I might gain insight into different ways of seeking and learning. I might experience marvelous wonder, delight and excitement. I might even find my belonging place!


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'We attempt to go beyond the theory of pedagogy it's rather an epistemology of humankind, not separate but in relation to each other. Children are not neutral to each other but learn to reach out and are drawn towards each other. We start to work on a trajectory in the neuroscience, weaving together a fabric of understanding…'
- Angelica Luizzi (Reggio Children, Italy)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



References:
Edwards, C., Gandini, L., Forman, G. (1998). The hundred languages of children. (2nd ed). Greenwich: Ablex Publishing Corporation.
Thornton, L., and Brunton, P. (2007). Bringing the Reggio approach to your early years practice. Abingdon: Routledge.

Study tour / conference fees $2500
Accommodation $850

Self funded projects can be challenging, however your generous support will secure an opportunity!