Today we were excited to spend the afternoon visiting four different exhibition ateliers. If you can imagine a cross between an art studio, a museum installation, and a hands-on exploration of a in-depth project from one of the preschools... on steroids. We each chose a different atelier to visit: Ray of Light, Digital Landscapes, and Mosaic of Graphic.

• Ray of Light Atelier - A place of research and experimentation where light can be investigated in its different forms. This educational space promotes new ways of learning and teaching science.

• Digital Landscapes Atelier - An invitation to discover possible encounters between materials and digital tools, and to explore the border areas between optics and scenography, drawing and 3-D, and real and virtual construction work.

• Mosaic of Graphic - This exhibition combined the verbal expression that goes along with children's artistic work. The goal of this exploration was to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between words and stories through drawing.

There was so much to look at in each space and so much to take away to bring back to our children at USM. We were all most impressed by the technology atelier. The use of simple technology and everyday objects are used to inspire children to interact, explore, and work together to create a link between the real world and the digital world. We are making a wish list of things we need - webcams, old slide projectors, overheads, and shadow screens.

We most enjoyed having the time to explore and talk to one another about what we saw, how we could implement these types of experiences in our classrooms, revisit the ateliers with one another to show something that sparked an idea or a thought. The very best thing about being here is the time to talk and get excited with our colleagues. 

We also had some time to explore the city, take a taxi to the recycling center (which was closed!), but it offered us the opportunity to see parts of Reggio we would not have visited otherwise. The culture of the city is most impressive. We adore the energy and the fact that no mater what time of day we venture out, there are people everywhere... children and parents riding bikes, men selling flowers from baskets, elderly people enjoying cups of espresso, people visiting shops and markets, walking, walking, walking and we rarely see anyone talking on cell phones. It has been refreshing to leave all technology behind in our hotel room, besides the use of a camera and our nightly blog, we have been "off the grid" in our day-to-day, which has allowed us the chance to connect with one another, fellow teachers from around the world, and the experience of being here and learning from the Reggio educators.

Signing off for the night with a favorite photo of the day of a local shoemaker working in his shop at dusk, oblivious to the world (and the tourists) going by.