Google+ bakers and astronauts: Ciao

22 October 2009

Ciao

I had a dream last night that I was on a tour bus in Reggio Emilia, trying to secretly take photos out the window. And I got in trouble for it.

I leave tomorrow night for Reggio Emilia, and after a cheap flight and a few trains, I'll arrive on Saturday afternoon. I'm looking forward to listening, looking, writing, watching, and eating. I'm looking forward to being inspired by people and spaces.

I got my schedule today - We visit quite a few primary schools. How will that look? What is similar between preschool and primary school in Reggio Emilia? I know of the links and commonalities between the infant/toddler centers and the preschools...but then what happens? Is there a big transition, or jump, for the children to make? Do the primary schools work on an inquiry based system?

It was my biggest hope that I could have been in Reggio Emilia this week, for the week on documentation. It didn't work out - it's a big week here on campus and my director wasn't letting anyone out - not even for professional development. So my week is about "The Experience of The Preschools and Research Contexts and Continuity With Primary School" - quite a mouthful. Our preschool program here is play and inquiry-based; but when the children walk up the stairs to Kindergarten, they are in the world of math block, literacy block, and french class. There is time for free play, and time for the children to choose, but there is something about the first year you start having "Writer's Workshop". It sounds like serious business. And "Writer's Workshop" doesn't sound like something a child would call mandatory writing time.

This is mostly babbling - if you are still reading I'm surprised. The point is, I'm looking forward to learning about something I didn't know I wanted to learn about. I focus so much on young ones, that I forget that they become older ones. They need support even further on their journey, too.

5 comments:

  1. Pack a coat! Eat your Wheaties. It's been an intense, philosophy based, translator infused week. I'm looking forward to hearing about your week here. Please, please, please blog while you're here!!!

    -Lauren
    http://bigvoices.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous22.10.09

    You so lucky! I hope the trip is wonderful for you.

    Mariah

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can't wait to read about what you learn!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'll do my best to write while I'm there - I'm just starting to read your posts, Lauren. I think m y head will be so full of stuff at the end of the day that I'll have to get it out somewhere. And that is the whole reason I started this blog anyway!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm looking forward to recieve my two colleagues who have attended a one week seminar prepared for the danish/norwegian network. I made a blog for them to write on this week and they wrote a little. I think it is a nice way to keep the experiences for future reflections "back on the block", so i do hope you will make blog-reflections while you are there. I visited Reggio 2001 and the feeling are still vivid, I had the privilege to speek with one of the experienced teachers and the atalierista in "Diana" 1/2 - 1 hour and that experience last..

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for joining the conversation!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...