As future teachers, I highly recommend that you see the documentary film, "Waiting for Superman". It may still be playing at Levis Commons, and a matinee ticket is $7.25. Remember to bring a box of kleenex with you. If you can't afford to see the film, then I encourage you to visit the website, www.waitingforsuperman.com. If you check all components of the website, it will give you some sense of what the film is about. Students that have seen the film should also visit the website as well. You might also google the Kipp Schools; the Harlem Children's Zone; and the Manchester Bidwell Corporation. All are agents of change for a better education for our children. Once you have done some investigating, please address the following question.
Since we have spent much of our discussion this semester on the Reggio Emilia Schools, which have a major visual art component in the curriculum, do you feel that these schools can compete with the other schools (mentioned above) in insuring that ALL children have a quality education and can be successful adults? Can the visual arts really help underprivileged children to succeed? Please site specific examples in your response. You may check other websites to help you answer this question. Please site your sources.
You have until November 18th to respond to this question. Your response should be no less than 150 words.
Unfortunately I was unable to make time to go and see the movie but after researching the suggested websites I would definitely say that Reggio Emelia Schools are on the same level as these other schools as far as providing the opportunity for all children to become successful adults through a quality education.
ReplyDeleteAlthough these schools are worlds away from each other they seem to have similar underlying philosophies that enable them to provide a high quality educational experience to underprivileged and disabled children. Like Reggio Emelia Schools these other schools not only focus on curriculum but all aspects of a child’s life and environment. According to the Harlem Children’s Zone the two fundamental principles of The Zone Project are to help kids in a sustained way, starting as early in their lives as possible, and to create a critical mass of adults around them who understand what it takes to help children succeed. They surround them by an enriching environment of college-oriented peers and supportive adults, a counterweight to "the street" and a toxic popular culture that glorifies misogyny and anti-social behavior. Also similar is the vision of Bill Strickland, of the Manchester Bidwell Corporation. His vision is to create healthy communities through culture and enterprise and a healthy, thriving community is what it takes to foster a community of young learners to be successful in school and as future adults.
Each one of these schools offers enriching environments to their students and whether it is the visual arts that Reggio Emelia offers or the musical arts that are offered by the other U.S. schools they each offer an exciting and different way for students to express their thoughts and feelings all while learning new tools and information that will prepare them for the future.
The arts based Reggio Emilia schools have a very strong influence on how children learn. Since the Reggio school are right now geared towards younger children, my focus will be on this.
ReplyDeleteWhile researching the KIPP schools, http://www.kipp.org/ I was very encouraged to know that there are schools performing at such high levels and teachers willing to go the extra mile to make that happen. They have a higher than average rate of graduating students, and their success has defied all socio-economic backgrounds. I was not able to get a good feel for the curriculum however, but in searching through the website and looking at classrooms, they do look like traditional American classrooms. This is not entirely a bad thing, because their results are so profound, but it does eliminate the potential for the environment as the third teacher. They are also very focused on college preparatory work which makes me wonder if they are teaching the children about the arts and getting them to think creatively. I’m not saying that the KIPP approach is wrong, I think that they are making huge strides in education of our youth, I just wonder what their results could be if they integrated the arts as much as the Reggio schools.
The Harlem Children’s Zone is such an inspiring program. They indicate that they want to stay with the children from birth until the time that they graduate from college which is such a huge undertaking. The website http://www.hcz.org/home states that they do not only provide educational services, but also health services, social services and dietary services. This is not only a place where children can go to learn, but also a place where they can get help in other areas. The fact that these services are provided free of charge makes it easier for all children to get the services that they need. They have a “Baby College” for expectant parents which helps promote reading to children. This is a very innovative approach to the literacy problem we are having in the United States because it is helping the parents become literate before the child is born, so that the parents can help their children to read earlier. I think that schools that offer these types of programs can really compete with the Reggio schools. The thing about schools like the Harlem Children’s Zone however is that they are really focused on helping underprivileged children that if put in a more affluent area, I’m not sure what effect that would have. I think that this program is very crucial to this area, but like I stated in the previous paragraph, it seems as though they teach in more traditional ways and wonder if they could get more children’s interest by integrating the arts.
When I went to the website for the Manchester Bidwell Corporation http://www.manchesterbidwell.org/ , I immediately felt that out of the three schools (Kipp, Harlem Children’s Zone and Machester) this one replicated the Reggio approach the most closely. It is apparent even from their home page. In their history they say “we have a simple philosophy – environment shapes people’s lives”. Based on the Reggio approach this so so true. I do definitely feel that the diversity this program provides can compete with the Reggio Schools. I know that they are a non-profit program, but not sure of the cost to the children. One thing that may hinder children from this program is the cost.
Overall, I think that certain socio-economical areas, need specialized approaches to learning because of their diverse needs. The Harlem Children’s Zone was founded because there was a need for services like this and it is succeeding because they have met that need. I do think that the arts can help all children succeed and that each of these schools is doing amazing things at helping children succeed and become thriving adults.
First I want to say that I did find the time to go and see the movie “Waiting for Superman” although I had to go to Livonia Michigan to see it as it is no longer available in this area. I took my 16 year old daughter with me and we both very much enjoyed the film and found it informative and interesting. As she put it, “I just go to school every day and never thought about all of the issues that are related to the schools or even considered that every school can be so very different than mine.”
ReplyDeleteI feel that comparing these two types of schools (those in the film and the Reggio Emilia based) is like comparing apples to oranges. The only school that I saw that was offering the arts in a similar way to what a Reggio school does is the Manchester Bidwell Co. School. It has a quote from a student on the web site that is “I was an uncomfortable 16-year-old with a developing passion for art and design. After my experiences at MCG, a bit of that self-consciousness disappeared, and my energy was focused on the arts rather than on the problems I had with myself.” The KIPP School even has an opening for a “specials” instructor in the Bronx that includes the teaching of “Art/Music/Dance/P.E./Drama/Other Specials” in the job description. I feel that these schools focus more on the academic content areas and while offering the arts, are not focused on them in quite the same way that the Reggio schools are.
The classrooms that I had seen, both in the film and on the websites did not look like they were using the environment as a teacher. They look very similar to a typical classroom, clean and organized, books and bulletin boards. I did not see an inviting environment concerned with inspiring students to be creative, however they were clearly better than the other classrooms depicted in the film and I can certainly understand why a parent would want to have their child attend those schools instead. Does this mean that the teachers are not inspiring their students’ creativity? I cannot answer that, does a child have to be exposed to art only through the Reggio method to ensure that they are creative? In the end I do not know if using the visual arts is a way to promote an underprivileged student achievement, but clearly both types of schools are working and the students are successful, and that is the ultimate goal.
Both types of schools seem to work for the students that attend them, I guess the key is in finding which school best suits each individual student. My youngest daughter would absolutely love a Reggio school; she is very creative and has always loved the arts often turning a simple homework project into a major art project. My oldest daughter is very straight forward and analytical, hated art class and anything that requires her to draw or be creative. She would clearly feel more comfortable in the more academic school. But maybe that is what offering the different types of schools all is about, not only to steer into a child’s natural ability, but to push them outside of their comfort zone and expect more from them, an whether that is expecting more creatively or academically or both. As teachers we are searching for the ways to bring the child’s interests in line with the child’s needs academically and somehow fuse the two into an education. Learning about these schools is just another way for us to look at potential options that we can incorporate in our future classrooms.
i did make it to the theater to see the movie. i thought the showing times made it difficult for the people that need to see it impossible. this would have been an excelent movie for teachers and students. a co-worker thought it would be a good feild trip for the high school i work at but the times wouldn't get us back until after 3:30. the other time available was 3:30 another problem for teachers to make it even after school. another odd thing was that it was only shown in the nicer area of town where there is no problems like the inner city schools. i had just seen the movie and off the express way i saw the big modern building that i asume is a school because of the yellow buses parked in the back. i think the movie should have been more accessable to people that could have benifit from the movie. one of the things that was upsetting was the fact that the government spends more money on prisons that education. it just seem backwards not tring to educate more to keep more out of prison.
ReplyDeleteas far as the visual arts in the schools i do think it is important to add to the curiculum. in some cases the art and self expresion might be the only outlet the stdent may have. i think that encouraging students to use their imagination could help with other subjects in ways of studying. art can be used in all classrooms and benifit the students by getting them to think outside the box. finding ways to be more creative with schoolwork can make it more interesting and keep them involved.
If the question is "Can Reggio schools compete with the schools from the film in ensuring quality education?” I think the answer is a resounding "of course". After all, Reggio schools have had a profound enough impact to influence the college education courses of a city halfway around the world--this class--and if the examples presented in class of effective Reggio teaching methods is counted as just some of the evidence for its positive impact on students, then I would say that Reggio schools not only can compete, but are part of a foundational wisdom that innovative pedagogies and progressive philosophies of education are what produces better outcomes for students.
ReplyDeleteThe Harlem Children's Zone is an amazing example of taking some of the foundational philosophies of education as found in Reggio schools i.e. integrating the school, students, and the community into a cohesive enterprise for social change and progress. The founder Geoffrey Canada, and also the main protagonist in the film, expressed that he knew he had to get parents and the community involved; he knew the importance of school as an instrument of change for a community and its members. The Harlem's Children Zone has some amazing results: they effectively have closed the Achievement Gap by outperforming the best predominantly white schools in the state, 90% if their high school students in after school programs went on to college, and in their early childhood education programs, 100& of the students were at or above grade-level.
But there still remains a big difference between these schools and Reggio schools. Reggio to me seems to be still more innovative because it asks perhaps more foundational questions i.e. What exactly is it that children ought to learn? What is most important for children and students to learn?
One thing I like about the Reggio approach is that the answers to those questions are rooted within the student, the child. The best way to know how to teach is to learn from the students. Geoffrey Canada's approach does seem to do this to an extent, insofar as he recognizes the student's need as part of a community and now just part of a class.
As for art, I think the greatest thing about the Reggio approach is that uses the philosophy of teaching THROUGH art, as opposed to just teaching art. Art as pedagogy rather than a subject in itself, is what makes the Reggio approach so applicable, in my mind at least. If we consider that Art is so encompassing that it could potentially be used as a pedagogical facilitator in every subject i.e. science, math, language arts, then the art-based approach seems like a very viable and practical approach to education.
I tutor high schools kids in science on Wednesdays, and they did a project that involved creating a "Cell City". The cell city was a way for the student to create analogies between how a city functions and how a cell functions. Even though it was a biology class, this seems like an easy example of how to integrate an art-based project into the curriculum in order to facilitate the leaning in an active and critical way. And of course there are a myriad of possibilities in which art can be used to facilitate learning of any curriculum. Another example I tried in my tutoring class was making proteins out of pipe cleaners, because apparently, the particular shape of an amino acid is what makes all the different in the world. Amino acids, in all their various shapes, combine to form proteins, and the function of the protein is almost entirely dependent on the particular shape of the amino acids that make it up. So this is another example. But the significant thing about Art is that it seems to be something that nearly everyone enjoys. In one form or another, everyone is an art lover. Whether it be music, photography, painting, drawing, animation, film, etc. I think there's a way to synthesize art into any curriculum so as to make the learning experience more pleasurable, and therefore more active, critical, and meaningful.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to go see the movie . I visited the website and I definitely want to see it, so I will have to wait until it comes out in the video store. After visiting the waiting for superman website, googling Kipp Schools and Harlem Children’s Zone, I feel that these schools are somewhat on the same page and level with wanting the best for their students and going the extra mile for students and giving them every opportunity possible to further their education. Visiting the Kipp website ; www.kipp.org, I was impressed that students there were exceeding higher levels of education and the teachers at kipp will do anything for their students. The teachers keep the students moving forward and are making education interesting. Another thing that I found interesting about Kipp was they have a higher rate of graduating students and the students who attend Kipp come from all socio-economic backgrounds, which is impressive. I almost feel though at this school they do not have a strong environment as a third teacher setting because their classrooms appeared to be very traditional like ours.
ReplyDeleteManchester Bidwell Corporation is the closest model to Reggio Emilia School. Their website is, www.manchesterbidwell.org. This quote by a Manchester graduate caught my eye and I really thought it related to a Reggio motto, “MCG was one of the few places that you could go and do something you love. There were always people there to encourage you and open doors that would lead you down the path of success.”- Stacey. Also, on their homepage they state, The Manchester Bidwell organizations are diverse entities that combine to create a model for arts, education, training and hope to reshape the business of social change. I feel with that quote it is helping create the third environment, it is tying in education, arts, training and hope all as one, and that is how I feel the Reggio approach is as well.
Harlem Children’s Zone was one that has impressed me the most. You can visit this website at : www.hcz.org. I knew I would be impressed with this program when I read that their goal is to be with children literally from birth all the way through college graduation. That is a lot of dedicated teachers who clearly want to get to know their students and want the very best for them. I believe that the students would like that as well because they would get to know their teacher so well that they, the students, could talk to them about anything. They would basically be like family. I liked how not only do they provide educational services but also provide free dietary services, which I think is so very important in today’s society and they also provide health and social services. I feel that this program is very important in today’s society it is helping everyone who needs a lot of assistance to very little assistance.
I feel that arts can help every student become successful and all three of these schools are helping students become successful and giving them endless opportunities to become successful adults in the near future.
In my opinion Reggio is carrying out a terrific program, and many will not be able to compete. The program is originated and many are trying to duplicate it. I think setting the environment as the teacher and letting the child decipher what is interesting is very helpful, which makes the program a success. I noticed in the website for Manchester that they have partially adopted this philosophy. They believe that it's vital to construct an environment that would shape the child's life. Witht his perspective I think the school is setting up success for the child to succeed. I'm curious as to how many actually have a chance to participate in this program. While thier perspective is enlighting to the viewers, are the less fortunate able to attend this program? In this program they have adopted music, art, and staff to ensure the children further success according to the website. I believe this is essentially setting up a program for success and exposure to many relevent areas of study.I noticed that the Kipp program highlights a five pillar program to ensure that everyone has a commitment in the success. Similar to the reggio approach, where they ask all parties to be involved. This too is critical in success. I believe many of the children fail due to the lack of involvement by the family, which promotes the children to develop poor attitudes about their success. After all many who achieve had a promotor behind them, ensuring that they could succeed. I think this essential in productive development. So I admired the fact that KIPP pushes for involvement from all involved. Like KIPP, many of the Toledo Public schools are pushing for these same contracts, and unfortunately Our schools aren't rating the best success. So, I think a successful education must go in depth further than just involvement. This is where I favor with Reggio and their perspective of using the environment and letting the experiences provided be the teacher. The children in Reggio are exposed to a vast array of experiences, which stimulates the brain and produces learning. I think more of this needs to be taking place. I viewed the clips of waiting on superman, and I believe that the movie is quite interesting from what I seen. However, I'm not sure that I can develop an idea or capture the full essence of what was being presented. I would have liked to see it in it's entirety before I conclude.
ReplyDeleteI think that Manchester is on a great road of success. It seems that many of the ideas that Reggio use is adopted into this program. However, I think that Reggio is still further ahead in their practice. I believe children need the art experience in order to fully have the enjoyment and experience of expressing.
Although I was not able to see the movie, I will for sure be renting it when and if it comes on DVD. Over the past weekend, I had went home to visit my family and had the oppurtunity to teach my mom about Reggio. To me, it was a honor due to the fact that my mom is a second grade teacher and has been for the past 20 years. She has taught in public schools the whole time and really had no knowledge of what Reggio is. I had showed her some websites and youtube videos that I researched to show her what the schools are like. She was amazed at how children have there own sense of learning and no outline for the day. To her, after 20 years of teaching im sure this would be very different for her to be apart of. But to me, I kind of like it. I looked at the KIPP school and was amazed at there facts. More than 85 percent have graudated and gone off to college. I looked at the one in Columbus,Oh and amazed at what these schools have to offer. Free meals, free trips, free enrollment, free uniforms, and more. The list could go on and on about how much KIPP has to offer. I watched Mr. Woods Geometry lesson on Youtube which the KIPP website had to offer, and the way he was teaching was so hands on and interesting. He had the kids not only involved with everything he did but, he also had objectives that they were to overcome during the lesson. This somewhat is like Reggio due to the fact that if the kids want to work on something all day to learn about it, they can. The objective for that day would be to have those students understand the meaning of say adding. I do believe that schools such as KIPP do have a chance to compete against schools such as Reggio due to the facts stated. Not only do the facts back it up, but the childrens output on life and the mentality they have when graduating insures that ehy are willing to strive for something more as an adult.One in five low-income students makes it to college. With KIPP, they are striving to change that and focus in on the children much like Reggio. I feel they will not pass a student nor let them by, say as a public school would, without understanding the lesson.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the KIPP schools being as successful as Reggio schools, I think that they are two entirely different beasts. The Reggio schools seem to be the base for most educational reform, no matter the direction taken. The KIPP schools, after looking through the website, seem run like a traditional American classroom. At first glance, the website seems very inviting. But more research makes this seem like a glorified cult. After admission into the program, They are considered lifelong “KIPPsters”. To be admitted, they whole family has to sign a contract that they will help the child, no matter what, succeed and go to college. The class days run from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm. Middle school students are also required to go to 2 – 3 week mandatory summer classes. In all, KIPP students spend 60% more time in school than their peers. So, even if 85% go on to college, at what cost? Sure, the school is “successful” in the American vision of it, rooted in mathematics, reading and science, but isn't the point of Reggio schools to encourage the child's imagination to grow? I think that children that grow up with a Reggio style childhood are more likely to be happy with their lives in the long run compared to KIPP students.
ReplyDeleteI feel that these schools are so beneficial to the communities they represent. I suggest to all that you read Paul Tough’s book, Whatever it Takes, This documents Geoffrey Canada’s experiences throughout life including the work he has done in Inner City New York to get these types of charter schools going. These charters are privately funded by beneficiaries, yet still receive per student funding from the state. I am going to student teach at the Bennet Venture Academy in the spring and I am very excited to learn more about charter schools. Tough’s book outlines the benefits to these schools, at first opening the results were not promising but after a few crucial years of development, these schools reduce violence, improve achievement, focus, community spirit, academic outlooks, reduce dropout rates, and teen pregnancy. The Harlem Children’s Zone, including the promise academy doesn’t necessarily focus on visual arts but im sure they still have these programs. I also assume that the therapeutic nature of art and art studies can only help the children’s situations in these downtrodden areas.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that it is topics like this that remind me; this is why I am becoming a teacher. As we grow into our adulthood and seek “who we are” as a person in society, there are many influences that affect who we become. Some of these influences are found within one’s own family while others could be from things as impersonal as the media. Educators, I feel, tend to be the more often than not, forgotten influencer. It seems that children have less and less stability in their lives (this is a large over-generalization) however they see their teacher everyday for hours on end. In some cases, that may be the only constant. For these reasons, I believe how we not only teach the children but also how we teach educators to teach is extremely fundamental to the wellbeing of the children’s futures.
ReplyDeleteCan we insure that ALL children have a quality education? I wonder if that is nothing more than a fantastic dream. Of course that is what I want, but in reality how can we insure something so great? I feel what the focus should be not can we do it or not, but let’s try our damnedest anyways. The KIPP schools, the Harlem Children’s Zone, and the Manchester Bidwell Corporation are three examples of places that may not have all the answers and may not be perfect, but they are however trying to change children’s education for the better. After reviewing KIPP’s website, I think there are a lot of potential at what they are striving for, but the website provides sugarcoated topics. The Harlem Children’s Zone sounds like it is on to something as well. At least superficially I feel they are providing a network of schools and programs to better insure the success of the children. What I appreciate from the CEO (Geoffrey Canada) is that he has said numerous times that his schools and programs are not perfect and some may even be not working, but they are trying. I was really interested in what he had to say on the Q & A videos on the movie’s website. His attitude reminds me of the saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”. We must fail in order to see what is needed to succeed. The Manchester Bidwell Corporation has a number of after-school programs that provide outlets for children in things such as music and photography. These kinds of programs, I believe are a wonderful idea as long as the people who are implementing the programs are teachers or at least understand how to teach to children and young adults.
Now the question is, can the visual arts really help underprivileged children to succeed? From the bottom of my heart I want to believe that we the arts can in fact help these kids succeed. When children are given an opportunity to create something that is their own, they thrive. So many hours in the school day is spent with memorization and strict rules. Perhaps there are times when these are important, but children also need time to be expressive and have a chance to be themselves. If the visual arts can provide an outlet for children to find something that they like or even enjoy to do, then perhaps they will be more likely to apply the same to other subjects. I think it is important for teachers to find that thing that makes the child “tick” in a good way and run with it!
I was unable to see the film, but I think I have a pretty good understanding of what it's about. In looking at the KIPP website, they state that "Every day, our teachers embody the approach that makes KIPP schools successful: a culture of high expectations for achievement, a focus on results, and a philosophy that recognizes there are no excuses and no shortcuts in establishing a foundation for lifelong learning." To me, this statement alone makes KIPP schools inferior to those of Reggio Emilia. Reggio Emilia schools are not focused on results, but focused rather on the process as a learning experience. Also, KIPP schools talk about how they teach students that there are no excuses and no shortcuts when it comes to learning. While I somewhat agree with this statement, I think it should be more aimed toward teenagers and young adults. Children, on the other hand, if they are really engaged and interested in what they're doing, will not try to make an excuse or take a shortcut. Students are going to learn better by being completely dedicated and interested in what they're doing anything. I also think the KIPP schools look to more time in schools as being a solution to educational problems, but I don't agree at all. School should be a big part of childrens' lives, but it shouldn't be their WHOLE lives. I think the answer lies more creativity and more freedom, and classrooms that are learner-centered, rather than in forcing our children to spend their childhoods in a classroom.
ReplyDeleteI think the Manchester Bidwell Corporation is more headed in the right direction than the KIPP schools, because I truly do believe that children can gain so much knowledge by incorporating art, light, and music into their everyday educational experience. I think it is a tragedy that so many schools dismiss the arts, and they're almost always the first programs to get cut from schools. Since we obviously can't bring a real Reggio Emilia school to the U.S., I think schools like the Manchester Bidwell Corporation is a good runner-up.
Unfortunately I haven’t had the time or the right circumstances to be able to see the film. However by comparing Reggio Emilia schools to the other schools listed, is a bit of a stretch because each school is based upon and operating through a different concept. For instance the main goal of KIPP schools as it states on their webpage, is to insure that each students is prepared for college. From the start of kindergarten on up KIPP schools are preparing their students for a successful college experience. The one thing that KIPP and Reggio have in common is that they involve the community and work as a team with the parents and students. In my opinion each program is functioning on the idea that “it takes a village to raise a child”. As well as with the HCZ (Harlem Children’s Zone) their main focus is getting children into college and preparing them for the career world. I believe they put a little more emphasis on college and take a few extra steps towards the success of college for students by engaging college students into the zone. Reggio Emilia and MBC (Manchester Bidwell Corp.) have a similar philosophy – environment shapes peoples lives. Both focus their attention on the creativeness and intuition of their students. Reggio Emilia schools have are on the same level of helping children succeed as the other schools. It’s just that they help those students reach that level of success in a different understanding. Art is just as empowering for someone as any other subject.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that Reggio Emilia Schools can compete with schools such as the Kipp Academies and the Harlem Children’s Zone. Although the Kipp Academies and similar charter schools have been very successful in terms of boosting test scores, increasing reading and math skills, and increasing the percentages of students admitted to institutions of higher learning, these schools tend to have very structured programs compared to the programs of Reggio Emilia schools. One might argue that in many cases structure is important because many of these students are coming from schools were they have fallen through the cracks, from families with little structure, from single-parent families where the parent works so hard to put food on the table and a roof over their heads that the parent has little time left for parenting, and/or from schools where there are no funds to pay for the necessary tools and equipment necessary for quality education. I think that if these children had the opportunity to begin their education in a Reggio Emilia school they would be just as successful as in the more structured environments, but if they are being introduced to quality education later in life some combination of the two programs might work better.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is important to take away from the film, Waiting for Superman, that there is an educational emergency in the United States. The successful charter schools depicted in the film are simply a band-aid on a gigantic gaping wound. A few lucky children are able to take advantage of the band-aid. This is wrong. Good education should not be available only to the rich and the lucky.
Did I get to see the movie “Waiting For Superman?” Unfortunately not, but I did watch a couple movie trailers and visited the website to get a good understanding of what the movie was about. I plan to watch the movie as soon as I can because it looks very interesting & can be valuable to me in gaining insight into the problem we have with our education.
ReplyDeleteDo I feel that the Reggio Emilia Schools can compete with the Kipp Schools, the Harlem Children's Zone, and the Manchester Bidwell Corporation, in insuring that ALL children have a quality education and can be successful adults? Definitely. The teachers of Reggio know where the students need to be educationally when they are to move on from their Reggio school & this demands a high level of teacher understanding, study, involvement and commitment. The students get to leave their Reggio school having a greater understanding for the importance of cooperation and collaboration, creativity, & interactions with others. They have been surrounded by positive attitudes and encouragement & this foundation that becomes created will help them to become successful adults because of the early positive intervention.
Do I believe that the visual arts help children to succeed? Without a doubt. The visual arts can help balance our students’ education and help to build their mental skills, such as creative thinking & problem solving. They have a more well-rounded view of our world, they are less afraid to be expressive, and their self-esteem is strengthened through all of their artistic accomplishments. The students get to walk away with a feeling of self competence in the arts.
Sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFN0nf6Hqk0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6AfN5EiUIg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOnAIdIMoeI
http://www.kipp.org/
http://www.kipp.org/about-kipp
http://www.hcz.org/
http://manchesterbidwell.org/
http://www.kipp.org/index.cfm?furl=/press-center/multimedia-archive/kipp-videos/kipp-video-display/&video_id=6
Hi. I hope some of you are still monitoring this site. There IS a highly successful Reggio Emilia school right here in Portland, Oregon. Our daughter attended this K-5 school: The Opal School. I know it might not be practical, but I highly recommend attending Opal's annual symposium in June. The Reggio style is difficult to wrap your head around in the abstract. You must see it in action. It's a revelation. The best thing (next to small class size) I've seen in education. For more info: http://www.portlandcm.org/educators-2/opal-school-main/
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