By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. I have had the good fortune of visiting Reggio Emilia, Italy and participating in two study tours. I have also travelled to Sweden and to Colorado to see how inspiration from Reggio Emilia has been interpreted in those contexts. I am eagerly anticipating a trip to Adelaide, South Australia to visit schools … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. There is almost nothing I like better talking about than emergent curriculum. It comes up a lot in workshops and classes that I teach and there seems to be some misunderstanding. The approach does require intentional teaching; it is not a “free for all”. It also requires consideration and thought about … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. Teaching cannot be separated from learning in Reggio-inspired practice. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with educators at various stages of their journey and while I am often teaching, I am always learning. Recently, during the second of a series of eight sessions with 100 educators … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. I have been thinking about pedagogical documentation and specifically learning stories. Learning stories are based on the work of Dr. Margaret Carr and Wendy Lee of New Zealand. I first heard about learning stories about ten years ago at a conference that featured Margie Carter and Deb Curtis from Harvest Resources … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. Pondering about early learning is something that I do on a regular basis. Usually what motivates me are stories from colleagues and friends or posts shared on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, as most of my friends and followers on social media are educators. I could talk for hours with anyone … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. One of the benefits of embarking on a journey of self-directed professional learning is the unexpected consequences of stepping outside your comfort zone. Four years ago, I was pushed into a state of disequilibrium by a group of students who encouraged me to take a look inside the unfamiliar world … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. Making teaching and learning visible has been a cornerstone of Reggio inspired practice for some time. In Ontario, there is increasingly an expectation that early learning professionals engage in pedagogical documentation, the process that makes visible teaching and learning. The problem for early childhood educators, specifically, is time. In a long and … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. One of the aspects of my work in early childhood education that I am grateful for is the opportunity to visit programs for children, both indoors and outdoors, from infant and toddler spaces, to preschool and kindergarten classes, to classes for grades one, two and three, as well as before … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. There are many perspectives on philosophies and theories and how they should guide early learning practice. Program models and approaches have been been influenced by historical, contemporary, and postmodern views of children, families, and learning. The many program models and approaches in practice in the early learning world are complex in … Continue reading
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. I spent a number of my formative years as an early childhood educator working in a community based child care program. I worked collaboratively with the other teachers and the administration team. We had a culture of mutual respect and I felt valued as a member of the community. However, … Continue reading
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