Awakened to Reggio

In Part 1 of this interview, Pam Oken-Wright returns to the pod and shares about her amazing book, Embracing Challenges in Early Childhood Education. Pam has a remarkable way of helping educators feel both deeply seen and thoughtfully challenged, inviting us to approach the complexities of our work with greater reflection, courage, and humanity. Visit Pam's website at https://pokenwright.com/blog/through-the-kaleidoscope-reframing-challenges-in-early-childhood-education-a-new-course-in-the-studio-for-playful-inquiry/

Mara Krechevsky, senior researcher at Harvard's Project Zero , has transformed how educators understand learning and documentation through her pioneering work, including Making Learning Visible. Her insights, shared in projects like A Pedagogy of Play and Visible Learners, continue to inspire early childhood educators around the world.

Jeanne Vergeront is a Reggio-inspired children's museum designer from whom we have so much to learn! Check out her incredible blog about curiosity, creativity, play, and what it means to have a strong image of the child. https://museumnotes.blogspot.com/

This episode honors the legacy of Carla Rinaldi, who recently passed away and was a pioneering voice in the Reggio Approach. In a loving tribute, Dr. Naama Zoran shares insights into Carla’s lasting influence and how her ideas continue to shape the way we see children, learning, and teaching.

Nicky Byers leads the Society of Richmond Children’s Centres in British Columbia, Canada. She brings us inside a multiple school-wide intention and shares her beautiful journey.

Ron Grady is a researcher, educator, and author of Honoring the Moment in Young Children's Lives: Observation, Documentation, and Reflection . He is the former editor in chief at Exchange Press and serves on the editorial boards of the Harvard Educational Review and NAEYC's Voices of Practitioners. Find out more on his website https://childology.co/

Rosalba Bortolotti is a highly experienced and dedicated pedagogist, presenter, pedagogical consultant, author, and the Founder & Executive Director at Acorn Collaborative in Ontario, Canada.

Jennifer Kesselring and Jerry Bates, two of the authors of Curated Moments: Reggio Inspired Classrooms for Infants, Toddlers, and Twos, will help you seek, ask, and answer new questions about the images of children, teachers, and learning in settings for our youngest children.

Leslie Hurd, an atelierista and long-time student of the Reggio Approach and the thinking of young children, shares beautiful stories and experiences of partnering with children in their research.

Lisa Kuh is the co-author of Complementary Curriculum Approach: Transform Your Practice Through Intentional Teaching. Check out her website at complementarycurriculum.com

Dr. Naama Zoran is back to elevate our understanding of the importance of CONTEXT in the Reggio Approach. What does this mean for us as we are setting up our classrooms for the new year? As we are planning for deeper experiences? Stay tuned...

Tsitsi Sithole goes above and beyond to live her values and change the world. Through a Reggio-inspired lens, she has worked to elevate the educational experience for all children regardless of demographics or circumstance. You will undoubtedly be inspired by her brilliance, compassion, drive, and deep understanding of the Reggio approach. To donate to her work in Zimbabwe, please go to https://iamzimtrust.org/team/tsitsi-sithole/

Find out more about Debbie's work: Debbie LeeKeenan is the co-producer of the film Reflecting on Anti-Bias Education in Action and the co-author of Leading Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: A Guide to Change, for Change https://www.antibiasleadersece.com/the-film-reflecting-on-anti-bias-education-in-action/ https://www.tcpress.com/leading-anti-bias-early-childhood-programs-9780807768525

Jesús Oviedo, former studio coordinator at Chicago Commons, is an author, artist-educator, and consultant. He currently manages a program called Playful Learning Landscapes that creates public installations designed to foster learning for young children in non-traditional spaces.https://playfullearningillinois.org/

Josh Rifkin, the Technology and Nature Specialist at the Statenberg-Loup JCC in Denver, Colorado, shares beautiful stories of building on children's brilliance and creating meaning through his collaborations with children and educators.

Dr. Naama Zoran returns and answers listeners' questions. She deepens our understanding of the importance of how materials are offered and teacher presence in opening the learning window. If you would like Naama to answer your question on her next episode, post it on the Awakened to Reggio Facebook page.

Anna Golden, the atelierista from Sabot at Stony Point in Richmond VA, passionately shares the journey of her school, a Reggio-inspired context from preschool-8th grade.

Alex Morgan is the Community Outreach Specialist at Boulder Journey School. She shares about her work with educators, children, and families, and their simultaneous research that leads to powerful learning experiences in the classroom. For more information about the Boulder Journey School Teacher Education Program, please visit: https://www.boulderjourneyschool.com/ma--license-teacher-education-residency-program.html

Welcome to a new season of Awakened to Reggio. Our first episode will be a little different this season. Some of my listeners have suggested that I share about my journey with the approach. Today, the host becomes the guest. I am thrilled to have my friend, colleague and thinking partner, Lisa Plotkin, asking the questions, as I reveal how I became Awakened to Reggio. Thanks to Lisa and to all my listeners! Please be in touch with your questions and thoughts. sandylanesconsulting.com

Beth MacDonald, shares the journey of MacDonald Montessori School in St. Paul MN, where they have worked for many years to weave together the philosophies of both the Montessori and the Reggio approaches. Learn about their upcoming Winter Conference on their website at www.macdonaldmontessori.org

Jen Kesselring, the Pre-School Division Head at Riverfield Country Day School in Tulsa OK, talks about her school’s Reggio-inspired approach from early childhood through high school. She shares beautiful examples of teachers and students tossing the ball back and forth and inspires us to partner with children and adults in research and to create cultures of thinking and possibility. 

Get ready to Reawaken to Documentation with podcast host, Sandy Lanes... Live Webinar Dec 1, 2022 7-8:30pm EST For tkts go to https://awakenedtoreggio.eventbrite.com Early bird and group discounts available

On this episode of Awakened to Reggio, Dr. Naama Zoran, Reggio Children International Representative for Israel, challenges our often accepted notions about the identity of Documentation. Naama returns with beautiful stories directly from the early childhood schools in Reggio Emilia that will both illustrate her revelations and touch your heart.

Simonetta Cittadini, the founder and Executive Director of L'Atelier School and the Center for the Culture of Creativity in Miami Fl, shares her passion, knowledge, and experiences and inspires us to constantly seek and re-seek our "why." You can find out more about L'Atelier School and the CCC at latelier.org

Dr. Brenda Fyfe, author, and Professor Emerita at Webster University, shares her study of the Reggio Approach and the stories of her work with Loris Malaguzzi, Amelia Gambetti, Lilian Katz, George Foreman, as well as many other remarkable educators. She offers us new entry points and inspirations for our work, and reveals the essential nature of collaboration for both children and adults.  

Ann Lewin Benham, founder and director of the Capital Children’s Museum in Washington, D.C. and The Model Early Learning Center, one of the earliest Reggio-inspired schools in the US, shares about her collaboration with the founding educators in Reggio Emilia, including Loris Malaguzzi and Amelia Gambetti. She is the author of many books connected to the Approach, and just released her first children's book, Parsley, a beautifully written and illustrated story-poem. Go to annlewin-benham.com to find out more about Ann's work, and to Amazon to buy Parsley or any of her ground-breaking books on learning and teaching.

Author and educator, Melissa Butler, shares with Sandy about her unique focus on "noticing" as an inspiration for the dispositions of educators studying the Reggio Approach. She is founder of reimagining project and has built a career of diverse projects embedded in practices of noticing, including her current work as a consultant with the Fred Roger Center as the Project Lead for Educators' Neighborhood. You can read more about her at melissaabutler.com. Check out her books How to Notice: Expand Your Experience of Everyday Life and In a Button. Find out more about Educators' Neighborhood at fredrogerscenter.org/what-we-do/educators-neighborhood/

Dr. Junlei Li is Co-Chair of the Human Development and Education Program and the Saul Zaentz Senior Lecturer in ECE at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His work focuses on understanding and building upon the interactions of "helpers" and children. If you want to learn more about his Simple Interactions program, go to his inspiring website at simpleinteractions.org.

Dr. Naama Zoran returns and shares with us the unique way that observation is seen, interpreted and built upon in the Reggio Emilia municipal preschools and infant toddler centers.

Don't miss this opportunity to continue your learning about what it means to be inspired by the Reggio Approach. Join me on February 17, 2022 at 7pm EST. My hope is to help you to find your own entry points in this amazing way of seeing and being. For more information go to https://sandylanes.eventbrite.com or check out my website at sandylanesconsulting.com.

Susan MacKay and Matt Karlsen from Opal School invite us to join children in their thinking as they share about their journeys at Opal School and the evolution of Story Workshop. Find out more about their Center for Playful Inquiry at https://www.centerforplayfulinquiry.com/ and check out Susan's new book, Story Workshop: New Possibilities for Young Writers.

Kristie Norwood shares with Sandy how to live, learn, and lead through her values. Her transformative experiences, including her years at the Reggio-inspired Chicago Commons schools, will take you on a unique journey in which you will find inspiration for your own work. If you are interested in knowing more about the ROW Initiative, please visit https://rowinitative.sutra.co/register

Cindy Foley is the Executive Deputy Director for Learning, Experience, and Engagement at the Columbus Museum of Art, and led the charge to open their award-winning Center for Creativity. Her spirit and passion will inspire us as educators to dig deeper with children, and awaken ourselves to their wonder, curiosity, and questioning. Find out more on the Columbus Museum of Art website https://www.columbusmuseum.org/ and be sure to listen to Cindy's amazing Ted Talks. They are mind-shifting!

Ben Mardell, from Harvard's Project Zero, using a multitude of examples, speaks about documentation, play, and developing a more robust image of the child. 

Louise Boyd Cadwell is the author of Bringing Reggio Home and Bringing Learning to Life, iconic resources about the Reggio Approach. She shares her amazing experiences in the Reggio schools, her partnership with educators as they study the philosophy of Reggio Emilia. and most currently her initiative to bring sustainability education to schools. Connect with Louise at cadwellcollaborative.com.

Listen to the second part of the interview with the incomparable Amelia Gambetti, in which she shares her personal stories from the history of the Reggio Emilia Approach. She will offer many insights to help us elevate our images of the child, educator, and family as well as strengthen our understanding of the role of the educator. 

In Part 1 of the interview with Amelia Gambetti, we are taken on a beautiful journey of growth and transformation. As one of the most noted educators from the history of the Reggio Approach, it is thrilling to hear Amelia share stories of her relationship with Loris Malaguzzi, of learning alongside the children, and of seeing the environment "as a living protagonist."   Stay tuned for Part 2, which will be out shortly.

World-renowned educator and author, Ann Pelo, shares her journey of pedagogical transformation, inviting us to see our moments with children and our understanding of learning in a new way.  Please check out her most recent book, From Teaching to Thinking, which is a powerful and tangible guide to deepening our practice. 

Barbara Moser is a studio teacher at the remarkable Reggio-inspired Cyert Center at Carnegie Mellon University. In this episode of the podcast, she clarifies and highlights the role of questions and materials in the culture of research that can live in the early childhood classroom and school. Barb's beautiful examples give us a window into the importance of listening to and learning from the child.

Dr. Naama Zoran returns to the podcast to help to shift our understanding about the Image of Learning. How can we, the educators, listen and respond to the powerful messages the children are sending us in order for us to partner with them in their research about the world? Please send your questions and comments to [email protected], and I will share them with Naama before her next visit. If you wish to reach out to Naama, please do so through her Facebook page.

Jen Azzariti, the first studio teacher in the United States, gives us new insights into the meaning of the Hundred Languages and shares her amazing journey and interactions with Loris Malaguzzi.

With her stories from Reggio-inspired classrooms, teacher-researcher, consultant, and author,  Pam Oken-Wright, teaches us about creating a climate for listening, dialogue, and learning in the context of a classroom community. Her new book, “Mommy, They’re taking away my imagination!”: Educating your Young Child at Home, has just been published, is available on Amazon, and is a wonderful resource for families and educators. If you want to find out more about Pam, visit her website at http://pokenwright.com/ 

Hedda Sharapan, an expert in child development, and Fred Rogers' long time friend and Associate Producer, shares beautiful stories and important considerations about the image of the child and the role of the adult in a child's life.

With her amazing wealth of experiences at the University of Vermont's Reggio-inspired Campus Children's Center, Emerita Faculty member and author, Dr. Jeanne Goldhaber, deepens our understanding of the educator as researcher. For more information about RIVET's Children and Trees research please see NAREA's September 2019 edition of Innovations or to share your Children and Trees observation or story with Jeanne, please contact Sandy. 

Dr. Naama Zoran, shares amazing insights into the origins and the beautiful philosophy of the Reggio approach. Naama is a Developmental Psychologist and member of the Reggio Children International Network. She spends as much time as possible learning in Reggio, and speaks internationally about the approach. You can reach her at [email protected] for speaking engagements and pedagogical consultation.