Karin Eskesen comes to us with a wealth of experience as an experienced former teacher who has worked for many years as an educator in Preschools and Primary schools; and also as Head of government home based care and head of Educational Studies at the Royal Copenhagen University in Odense.

Karin had the privilege of working closely with Loris Malaguzzi, and is the Founding and continuing Director of the Danish Reggio Emilia Network and Danish representative to the Reggio Children International Network.

Karin is currently involved in consulting, working with teachers at all levels of education, and lecturing in Demark and abroad.  She has also been instrumental in setting up and organizing Remida educational recycling centres across Denmark in collaboration with many local government authorities.

Karin has authored many publications, edited the Danish Reggio Emila network journal and been involved in translating resources from the schools of Reggio Emilia into Danish. She hosts several International study groups in Denmark on a regular basis.

Karin will be presenting at various venues around Australia please click here for further details.

Exciting News!     -   Australia Day Honours 2012

Jan Millikan, founder of the Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange (REAIE) has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal! This is exciting news for early childhood education and for REAIE! Congratulations to Jan on this most exceptional and deserved award and recognition.

The Australia Day 2012 Honours List was announced on Thursday 26 January 2012 by the Governor-General. The Honours List provides national and formal recognition for approximately 690 Australians across the nation who have made a significant difference to their communities. Our Australian honours system is internationally renowned and respected. Australia’s distinctive honours system began in 1975 with the creation of the Order of Australia, to recognise service to the nation or humanity.

Australian honours are unique in that they were designed for the community to make nominations. The Australian honours system is free of patronage or political influence. Anyone can nominate an Australian citizen for an honour. Jan was nominated for this award by the REAIE Committee.

Jan has a long and impressive history in the early childhood field, in diverse roles and capacities.

In 1990, when ‘Time’ magazine nominated the Reggio Emilia Early Childhood Centres as the ‘Best Kindergartens in the World’, requests started for visits to Reggio Emilia, from countries all over the world, (beginning with the United States of America) to both experience, and to study the remarkable capabilities and competence being exhibited by pre-school children, through the application of the philosophies and practices in these early childhood settings.  This prompted Jan to investigate further, leading to her visiting the Pre-Schools and Infant Toddler Centres of Reggio Emilia, Italy with a group from the USA in 1990. The impact of this visit inspired Jan to share the amazing work of the Reggio Emilia schools with educational colleagues in Australia.

Since then and in a variety of ways, Jan has been instrumental in enabling Australian educators to explore the educational project of Reggio Emilia; willingly sharing her knowledge for the betterment of Australian children and their families which has led to changing the face of Early Childhood in Australia.

Jan is a talented leader in that she encourages educators to reflect on their practice through provocation, challenging them to see beyond their current situation to the potential of all children and enabling them to create possibilities which have not previously been imagined for the education of young children.

Upon receiving the OAM Jan has expressed: “My thanks to the REAIE committee for putting my name forward for this significant   award.  I have been so fortunate to have been able to learn from, and with, so many wonderful educators who showed enormous courage, in not only talking about change, but in making it a reality in their work with and for children.  I have been quite overwhelmed by all the messages of congratulation received, and my big hope now is that the award may be able to open new doors for REAIE in realising the vision and mission of the organisation and in advocating for the rights of all our children.”

Congratulations Jan!

Limited places are still available for the 2012 Study Tour to Reggio Emilia, Italy. The program will run from April 15th – April 20th 2012, it includes:

• A guided walking tour of the city is provided on the Sunday afternoon of the 15th April by the Friends of Reggio Children
• The study program commences on Monday 16th April and concludes with a final dinner on the evening of Friday 20th  April.
• The venue for the week is the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre
• A limited bus service is available to from the city to the International Centre. It is also within easy walking distance from the Astoria Hotel.
• Lectures will be in either English or Italian. An interpreter will be available whenever the Italian language is to be used
• Study topics will include:
  • Background and history of the Reggio Emilia educational project
  • Children as citizens with rights
  • The school as a system of interactions and relationships
  • The environment and the educational space
  • Observation, interpretation, documentation
  • The Hundred Languages of Children
  • Parents’ involvement in the life of the school
  • ReMida (recycled materials as resources)
  • The Program will include:
    • Presentations and seminars by teachers, pedagogistas and atelieristas
    • Visits to pre schools and infant toddler centres
    • Visits to exhibitions

     

An Overview of the Educational Project in Reggio Emilia with a special focus on the Hundred Languages

Workshop presented by Margo Hobba

November 26th 2011 9am – 12pm

The Michael Zeuschner Community Hall, Bulimba State School, 271 Oxford Street, Bulimba, QLD

Carla Rinaldi (2006) describes the theory of the hundred languages as a metaphor for the many ways in which human beings communicate and as a strategy for constructing and consolidating understanding.
In this 3 hour workshop we will construct and communicate our understanding about the principles of the educational project in Reggio Emilia through some of the hundred languages.

For more details please click here

An intensive professional learning workshop over two days, for participants who already have prior knowledge about the Educational Project in Reggio Emilia. Participants will draw on projects from Reggio Emilia and Australia as a catalyst for thinking about the role of research in schools and centres. We will begin by discussing the nature of teacher research in educational contexts and it’s importance in understanding and supporting children’s learning strategies and in creating contexts which enable these to grow and develop. Together we will consider and use a process of research which includes reflecting on visions, cultures and values and the way they influence the educational choices that we make; developing specific educational intentions and research questions; planning materials, documentation strategies and interactions; assessing our discoveries and the way these could relaunch further research. Participants will work together in collaborative groups, experiencing the joy of sharing multiple perspectives and the challenge of making good choices.

Click here to go to REAIE site.