Wednesday, July 12, 2016

Yesterday was the first day of #cmk16 proper. It was not as productive as I hoped, but I accept it.  I am ready to proceed.  My mind is ready. My plan for documentation is ready. I’m beginning now.

 

Click here for an Adafruit tutorial for what I’m making.

And here is the preview I put together Tuesday:

The process of choosing a project to start with took me on a few goose chases related to my own poor planning. But I’m prepared for this project so I’m good to go.

Reflection time was helpful to me since I’m working solo and yet don’t wish to be isolated. We went out to Gauchos Brazillian Steak House, the tradition at CMK, where I managed to sit with people I hadn’t yet met.  The conversation was fabulous because we all had some commonality of interests and experiences which was made even more amazing given all the differences in our backgrounds, positions, and passions.  We talked about woodworking, programming, all kinds of things, with an enthusiasm rarely found in a team meeting at school. Collaboration at dinner can be so much easier than during the work day.

So that was Tuesday, the halfway point in the CMK journey. Then came Wednesday, which was the day for the keynote speaker.  Carla Rinaldi gave a riveting presentation. She had some slides, but the way she spoke was the highlight.

Here are some tweets from the event:

Participation and cooperation are values that are integral to the community in Reggio Emilia. School was built by people after war.

At Reggio Emilia school, culture is both transmitted and renewed. It’s a system within a wider system.

A child is bearer of rights and potentials. A child is to be trusted. Never to be betrayed. They never betray us. Reggio Emilia

Teachers are part of learning dynamic at Reggio. Participants in learning process. Leave traces.

Learning in relationship with others as a group is central to Reggio Emilia.  Child raises village as much as village raises child.

Best learners must be the teachers.

Reggiochildrenfoundation.org  has seven on Scientific Committee.

Listening to list of what a child cannot do is vastly different approach than listening to the 100 languages of children learning.

Teachers have choices when listening to children learn: enlarging the questions, offering complexity, offering connections.

Children are researchers making theories, hypotheses, doing science. Don’t betray them.

Reggio Emilia chooses continuity in child’s school life, as a research of meaning, of beauty ( not aesthetic ) as a connector.

Having a qualility of caring in relationship is a child’s right.#cmk16 Reggio Emilia via Carla Rinaldi

Dialogue between children and nature: children use various materials in scientific research about it, including digital means.

Carla Rinaldi thanks the teachers of Reggio Emilia who are allowing the children to learn in this way.
Standing ovation.

It was a moving presentation that I will carry with me moving forward.

In my next post, I will pick up where Carla’s Rinaldi’s talk left off.

What do you think about Carla’s ideas?

What do you know about Reggio Emilia?

Is there anything about it that strikes a chord?