Children have a boundless enthusiasm for life, a natural curiosity and an inbuilt desire to learn. Reggio Emilia Schools in Mclean VA focus on these characteristics, putting students at the heart of the learning experience. Learning takes place at a pace dictated by the student and is encouraged by relating to adults, peers and the environment in meaningful ways. This approach has been followed by centers in Italy for over forty years with great success.
The curriculum used is flexible and is often based on ideas and thoughts that originate with the students. This is far removed from following a rigid curriculum that may not have changed for many years. Teachers can come up with fresh, creative ways to encourage learning by carefully observing and listening to their students. Problem solving, discovery and creativity is stimulated and often continues for a lifetime.
Learning is seen as a journey and the children are allowed to help direct the pace. They can move more quickly through some areas and take more time when they need it. Children determine when they are ready to move on instead of having this decided by a teacher who may be unaware of a gap in understanding.
The educators also function differently. They function as nurturers and guides rather than as an authoritarian figure. Italian teacher, Loris Malaguzzi, saw the need to change the way teachers and students interacted. He felt that a teacher needed to facilitate exploration, discovery and problem solving by listening closely to what students have to say and observing their interactions.
Students in a school like this are encouraged not to just sit still and listen. The lessons are interactive and students use materials and language skills to make their thinking apparent. Movement, shadow play, drawing and music are just some of the means used to stimulate creativity, communication and symbolic skills.
Children are not just taught surface knowledge as is the case in so many schools. The knowledge they absorb is on a much more meaningful level. They learn how connect ideas, solve problems and develop insights. They also absorb values like respect for others and responsibility for their actions.
Parents are not excluded from the learning process and are often encouraged to share their ideas and skills. They are also able to share the experiences of their child in the form of documentation kept in a book or panel. This may consist of items like photographs and transcriptions of dialogues. This documentation also helps a teacher to self evaluate.
Parents, teachers and students all have an active role in the learning process but with this approach the student is right at the center. In a society where all individuals are increasingly required to have entrepreneurial, problem solving and inspirational qualities, schools like this are needed. A shift from a superficial type of education to one of a more meaningful kind is vital, creating adults who can make an important contribution to society.
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The Philosophy Of Reggio Emilia Schools In Mclean VA
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