Spring 2012 Semester

EEDUC 5815.01
Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education
1, 2, or 3 graduate credits

Course Dates:

• February 20, 2012 - March 25, 2012
• March 26, 2012 - April 22, 2012
• April 28, 2012 & April 29, 2012

Faculty: Mary Mindess

Cost per graduate credit: $500, plus $30 Technology fee and $30 Registration fee

This course is linked to the annual Reggio Emilia Inspired Institute sponsored by Lesley University The dominant focus of this course and the 2012 Institute is on Sustaining Inquiry: Everyday Experiences and Extended Projects with Children

Additional Course Content:
History and basic philosophy of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. Considered will be the organization of the environment, the teacher's role. the role of the atelerista, and the relationships between the schools and the community. Special Focus on the emergent curriculum and processes for documentation

Course Schedule:
This course may be taken for 1 – 3 credits. Participants enrolling in the course for one credit are required to attend the Institute on April 28 -29 in Cambridge, MA and submit a paper based on this experience. Those enrolling for two credits attend the Institute and enroll in the on-line course for either the period from February 20 – March 25, or March 26 –April 22.Those enrolling for three credits participate in the on-line components of the course from February 20 – April 22, and attend the Institute The cost of attending the Institute is included in the course fee.

For more information about course requirements, contact:
Mary Mindess, Professor
617.349.8923 or 800.999.1959 ext. 8923
mmindess@lesley.edu

EEDUC 5301
Study Tour to Reggio Emilia, Italy: Collaboration, Inspiration, and Interpretation
(1 or 3 credits - distinctions noted below)

Meeting Dates and Times: March 29, 2012, 4 – 7 pm; April 15-21, 2012 in Reggio Emilia, Italy [including 2 class meetings that will complement the Study Tour lectures]; April 28, 2012 at Reggio Emilia Institute held at Lesley University. Online content will be included in the course.

Location: University Hall, 1815 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge (Room TBD)

Course Description:     
This experiential course will provide participants a unique opportunity to learn about the Reggio Emilia approach to Early Childhood Education, create research questions for investigation, and develop their personal and professional relationships in the process. Students in the course will meet at Lesley University prior to traveling to Reggio Emilia, Italy, so to better understand the approach and to highlight perceived connections between the Reggio Emilia approach and individuals’ own contexts. As part of the formal study tour, which includes visits to Reggio schools, presentations at the Loris Malaguzzi International Center, and cultural experiences, students will network with colleagues in the field to promote collaborative work and to adapt specific ideas to our American contexts. While abroad, students and faculty will meet to process individual and shared experiences. Participants will also maintain reflective journals that may include writing, drawing, photographs, or other artifacts created during the course. The course will culminate with gallery presentations at the Lesley University Reggio Emilia Inspired Institute. This experience will provide an avenue for course participants to share their learning with the broader community, and will serve as documentation of our individual and group experiences.

For more information about course requirements, contact:
Dr. Lisa Fiore, Professor
617.349.8662
lfiore@lesley.edu

Registration: Download form from Registrar's website, and return with payment to Yazmin Colon Garcia, Lesley University, 29 Everett Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. To contact: ycolon@lesley.edu, or 617.348.8924.

For more information about other Reggio offerings, contact Yazmin Colon Garcia at ycolon@lesley.edu.