SKYLIGHT STUDY GROUP 2017

DEVELOPING A PEDAGOGY OF ENQUIRY / IN DIALOGUE WITH REGGIO EMILIA: CREATIVE EARLY YEARS’ AND PRIMARY PEDAGOGY

• Have you already visited the preschools of Reggio Emilia on our introductory study week?
• Do you want to develop your knowledge further and dig deeper with like-minded educators?
• Do you want to work together in dialogue with each other and with colleagues in Reggio Emilia, in the construction of an environment of enquiry?
• Is the educational setting in which you work keen for you to play a leading part in its continuing professional development, and to benefit from the learning opportunity of this course?

Then this 2017 Skylight study group is for you! It is for educators in settings who have been to Reggio before, are working positively on their professional practice and want the opportunity to enable themselves and their settings to become more skilful and courageous in their work of creating a listening pedagogy.

The focus is on ‘dialogic pedagogy’. We will be exploring the discussions, processes, challenges, and strategies involved in Reggio’s educators continuous evolution of co-constructed learning experiences, and applying this to our own ongoing task of developing new pedagogy in the UK.

Key Learning: co-constructed education; understanding and applying principles of ‘listening pedagogy’, the image of the child as competent, sociable and creative learner; education as enquiry and relationship; transformative, systemic development in education provision.

THE THREE PHASES

1) PREPARATORY DEVELOPMENT 1ST JUNE – 20TH OCTOBER 2017

Leading up to the visit in October will be group exchanges in which you will be able to outline your current development challenges and we can begin to work on them together, applying our Developing Environments of Enquiry framework. There will be an online group exchange, and individual 1-1 sessions will also be available as an addition. We will be exploring the tussles and complexities of reflection, values, risk, languages and the responsibility of constructing the educational environment. These processes will also inform our Reggio colleagues and assist in their preparation for our visit.

2) ENCOUNTERS IN REGGIO 21ST OCTOBER – 27TH OCTOBER 2017

• A week of intense dialogue with educators and pedagogues of the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy.
• Saturday 21st October – travel to Reggio
• Sunday 22nd October – group discussions
• Monday 23rd – Wednesday 25th – encounters with Reggio colleagues and schools
• Thursday 26th am – concluding group reflections and projections
• Thursday 26th pm – concluding encounter with Reggio representatives
• Friday 27th –cultural encounters with the province
• Saturday/Sunday – leave Europe and return to UK

3) ON COURSE FOR CHANGE 1ST NOVEMBER –31ST DECEMBER 2017

We will work with you as a group and individually and your setting to ensure that there is a good foundation for the key learning to progress well into the future life of the school setting. There will be an online group exchange, and individual 1-1 sessions will also be available as an addition.

CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION AND APPLYING

The necessary group size is 20 – 30. You need to apply for a place with us directly: please talk with us to help you make the most of the course’s potential for your centre‘s development strategies. We welcome participation of English-speaking Reggio Children International Network colleagues.
If you need to make a funding application to support your participation, this programme schedule is designed to coincide with the 2017 Erasmus+ ‘Staff Mobility’ funding. Educational settings with a URN number (i.e. all educational settings which are Ofsted registered) are eligible to apply to this. This funding can also support travel, accommodation and subsistence, as well as the course costs. 2017 funding information should be available from British Council by December 2016, with an application deadline of early February 2017. Results should be known by mid-May 2017. In the meantime 2016 Erasmus+ ‘Staff Mobility Funding’ information is very useful in drafting your application in preparation for the short application window.
Other sources of funding may be available for individuals who do not fall into this eligibility (e.g Goldsmiths Foundation.)

ERASMUS+ APPLICATION NOTES

Your application to Erasmus+ needs to show the intent and practicality of centre/community change (not simply your individual benefit). It is a competitive application depending on merit, and the match with their priorities. British Council experts will give guidance (0161 957 7755).

COSTS

The individual participation fee is £1800, plus accommodation which we arrange at advantageous rates. You will also need to allow for travel and subsistence. Payment can be in two installments.

We are now taking bookings: do call anytime to discuss.

Don't delay; if you are considering Erasmus+ funding support, the  process is quite strict.