While visiting the Diana School in Reggio Emilia in 1997, I saw a little triptych posted outside a classroom, on which there were hand-written notes and drawings describing the children’s day for parents to read. I suddenly realized that there was, in that triptych, tremendous potential for documenting children’s process and thinking in an immediate, yet still fairly deep, way. From that point forward, I kept a “daily log” of the group process in our classroom. I found these logs indispensable to the process of teacher research. Soon I realized that those moments of brilliance that were documented in the log were too good to keep to myself. I began to share them with parents, as attachments in email. Finding this method of dissemination problematic (only some of the parents could access the log), I tried every form of technology as it came available to me over the years: writing in Netscape, with Dreamweaver, with iWeb. When blogging became popular, the concept and infrastructure finally coincided, and what was once a private blog for only the parents and teachers at our school could then become public. I invite you into our world of one thousand moments…of the lessons we adults can learn from the voices of children. Thank you for reading!
Reggio-Inspired Beginnings In A Title One Traditional Public School
One of the great dilemmas facing teachers in public schools these days is how to reconcile the demands of the testing-oriented public school environment and the knowledge that learning in early childhood happens best through supported play. How do you create time and...
read moreThe Evolution Of Courage eBook, Second Edition
The second edition of The Evolution Of Courage: The Power Of Imagination And Intellect To Conquer Fear is now available in pdf form online here and will soon be available for purchase in...
read moreThe 13th Child: Making A Case For Group Work
For the past several months I have been collaborating with a small school in North Carolina that has a long and cherished culture that honors the individual child above all else. Thoughtful and reflective, the teachers are aware that in other schools children engage...
read moreComing Up: Sabot Institute For Teaching And Learning Symposium
I am honored to be presenting, along with Lella Gandini, U.S. Liaison for the Dissemination of the Reggio Approach, Susan Mackay Director of Teaching and Learning at Opal School, Mary Driebe, and teachers from Sabot At Stony Point School at the 2017 Spring...
read moreWhy Do We Teach? To Transform And To Be Transformed
Step back for a moment, if you will, from curriculum mandates. Away from Common Core and inauthentic assessment. Away from parental angst about getting their children into the “right” next school. Take a birds’ eye view at why we teach. Isn’t...
read moreResources For Learning Spaces
In the spring of 2015, I received what was probably a once-in-a-career opportunity to create a teaching and learning space with essentially no limits on funding (for my part, anyway). A great opportunity and a great responsibility! I got to imagine, design, shop, and...
read moreAn Incomplete Message: Supporting Parents’ Image Of Learning
On a four hour flight from LA to Atlanta last month, I sat beside a bright, well-educated young couple and their 16-month-old daughter. We exchanged pleasantries, which included what everyone does for a living. Once they learned what I do, the parents peppered me with...
read moreDifficult Topics: Death And Beyond
“We don’t talk about that here” are limiting words. There’s a gift in difficult topics. I offer you the story of the dead fish. One morning we entered the classroom to find that the Betta fish that we’d had for about a month had died. The...
read moreAdult-Child Interaction For Support Of The Competent And Resourceful Child
We hold these as truths: children are competent, strong, resilient, resourceful and driven toward relationship with each other, with ideas, and with the world. Though they come to us as full citizens of the world, they do need us. What can we as adults offer them?...
read moreeBooks Are Now Available
Thanks to reader, Linda Sutherby, I learned that the eBooks I thought were available on this site were not. The problem is fixed now, and you can download the two eBooks currently available, “Project Frozen: An Unexpected Investigation” and “The...
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