Encountering and Interpreting the Principles of Reggio Emilia

The first encounter or module provides an overview about the Educational Project of Reggio Emilia, the context, the culture and the complexity of this educational approach. The next two encounters will build on this initial information with an indepth exploration of several of the important concepts of the project through interpretations from Australian educators.

In the first encounter, entitled ‘Not just any place’, you will learn:

• information about the geographical, historical, social, and cultural aspects of the city of Reggio Emilia, and
• insights into the educational project of Reggio Emilia’s pedagogical approach to learning and teaching, including some of the why, what and how of the project.

In the second encounter, ‘Seeing things differently’, you will be offered information about some of the pedagogical choices made by educators who work in the municipal early childhood centres in Reggio Emilia and Australian interpretations of this approach, including:

• the role of research and educational documentation
• the importance of the environment in learning
• the question of ‘What is knowledge?’
• the metaphor of the ‘Hundred Languages’, and
• progettazione.

You will also be given the opportunity to consider pedagogical research and will be invited to consider ways that these choices link to daily practice.

In the third encounter ‘Teachers and children as researchers’ we delve deeper into some of the strategies for designing and understanding the learning and teaching that the educators of the educational project of Reggio Emilia engage in as part of their day-to-day work with children.

In the third encounter, you will build on previous understandings of:

• children as co-constructors of learning
• listening as the basis for all learning
• the possibility of seeing our use of time differently
• progettazione as a strategy for designing learning and teaching, and
• the role of collaboration, documentation and educational research. 

In this Encounter, ‘Pedagogy, a context for research’, some of the theoretical underpinnings, values, practices and language of the educational project of Reggio Emilia will be examined in greater depth, although it should be kept in mind that the educational project of Reggio Emilia is always evolving.

In the fourth encounter, you will have the opportunity to:

• reflect deeply on your understanding of some of the terms used in the educational project of Reggio Emilia
• move away from common misunderstandings and stereotypes that have become synonymous with the educational project of Reggio Emilia
• construct new meanings and interpretations of the principles, practices and values of the educational project of Reggio Emilia.