edu180atl: carolyn munson 2.20.12

“Our image of the child is rich in potential, strong, powerful, competent and most of all connected to adults and other children.”

This is one of my favorite quotes from Loris Malaguzzi creator of the Reggio Emilia Approach. For five years, I’ve been an educator of young children children at a Reggio Inspired preschool in Atlanta.

I believe you can find extraordinary things in all aspects of life. For instance, this photo is from Reggio Emilia, Italy. What may appear to be a really cool ceiling is so much more. The beams and wood ceiling are original to the Locatelli Cheese Storage Facility. The skylight brings in the beautiful sunshine of the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. This is a ceiling at the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre, a place of research, innovation, and experimentation – a sort of Mecca for all things Reggio!

As I was brainstorming about what I learned today, I listed values I wanted to convey. They almost all began with C…. Choice, Capability, Curiosity, Community, Collaboration, Confidence, Competency, Challenge, and Connections.

Children have a unique way of seeing things. They are more sensitive to details of the world. They have a sort of raw empathy. One may see the surface value of something, or they may read between the lines, see it, feel it and make connections. Take a moment and look at something not just with your eyes, but with all your senses in action, with the sense of wonder of a child.

Carolyn Munson (@cclmunson) believes that children deserve and have the right to respectful, committed, curious, joyful, energetic, bright and loving educators!