After our walking tour during the day, we retraced our steps to view the picturesque town of Reggio in the evening.  We are taken with the balconies filled with flower boxes, cobblestone streets, and colorful dancing fountains.

Apparently, jet lag occurs the day after you arrive because it was a long night of no sleep for the three of us, so although a bit weary, we were excited to begin our journey at the International Centre Loris Malaguzzi this morning with a review of the Reggio philosophy.  There are over 130 participants from all over the world here including a delegation of Education majors from Texas University.  The presenters noted that each Study Group includes undergraduates to promote our future profession.  It is interesting to learn about other schools, meet new colleagues, and share this learning path with fellow teachers who are equally inspired. 

Our favorite “Take-Aways” from the morning include…

·      Give value to all aspects of the educational experience.
·      We can fill children up with knowledge, but that has nothing to do with understanding or learning. 

 · “Teaching is a profession for not thinking small.”  Loris Malaguzzi - "Think Big" and Loris  are definitely like-minded! 

The best part of the day, besides the daily gelato stop, was visiting our first Reggio School!  We toured Nilde Iotti which is an infant-toddler and preschool centre.  The school is not a fancy building, but it was constructed with children in mind.  It is simple, purposeful, and filled with aesthetic materials that provoke wonder, curiosity, and self-expression.  

In this school, each room was designed to include a “Winter Garden” which is similar to a sunroom that leads directly to an outside patio and green space. The materials both inside and out have us thinking about ways we can build a collection of natural items for our classrooms in the coming months.  We ended the day having dinner with new friends from Massachusetts, Chicago and Kansas City to compare notes from our different preschool visits.  Ciao! The Three Wisconsin Girls