Conferences

Sightlines Initiative Network members present experiences of early years centres and educators being inspired, finding new enthusiasms and abilities in supporting children’s deep learning; illustrations of children's sociable, imaginative and deep learning

An introduction to the network, for educators interested in change and listening to children

This day provides a unique opportunity to explore the ideas and practices of Malaguzzi and the schools of Reggio Emilia; and to think critically about the current condition and future directions for early childhood education in the UK - and what we want for our children and society. The day is organised and led by leading experts on Reggio Emilian pedagogy, from Italy, Sweden and the UK.

“There are rich children and poor children. We [in Reggio] say all children are rich, there are no poor children. All children whatever their culture, whatever their lives are rich, better equipped, more talented, stronger, and more intelligent than we can suppose.”

A day hosted by Sightlines Initiative and the Thomas Coram Research Unit, including Sightlines seminar with Gunilla Dahlberg

encountering, enquiring, exchanging, expressing, learning

in a hundred languages

A weekend for early childhood educators to encounter the work of Reggio Emilia and develop their own competences in working across the range of expressive languages in supporting their children’s learning and meaning-making.

How can educators:

• Actually create places for learning in many expressive languages?
• Learn when and how a new expressive language can be brought into children’s enquiries?
• Explore expressive languages themselves, to better build their own competence and familiarity?
• Show the outside world how this interwoven learning practice works, tor the deep enjoyment, benefit and learning of the children?

Both days will feature educators from Reggio Emilia & their work.

The first day will be a presentation style conference, with lots of time given to the detailed exploration of enquiry projects. It's possible to attend this day only and we welcome students to this day.

The second day is for those who wish to focus, seminar-style, on exploring participants’ issues in the development of their educational practice, with the opportunity for detailed exchange with our Reggio Emilian colleague.

POST-EVENT

Click More Details for further details including 2015 conference reviews, and Participants' Comments from the Saturday. 

I can see you and you can see meSightlines Initiative Network members present experiences of early years centres and educators being inspired, finding new enthusiasms and abilities in supporting children’s deep learning; illustrations of children's sociable, imaginative and deep learning

The London & West Midlands Network groups, and others in the Sightlines Initiative Community Network will present and discuss recent and current experiences in their developing of creative pedagogy.

An introduction to the network, for educators interested in change and listening to children

Imagine a world where educators, families, the community build education together with their children ...

• How can parents, educators and policy-makers work together to activate education fit for children?

• How can educators, parents and children communicate, value and share their learning?

A conference day exploring the vital experience of Reggio Emilia, a modern European city, for all concerned in defending and building education in the UK.

Reggio Emilia regards itself as 'a city of education.'  Since 1945 this experience has grown with parents, community, educators striving to grow and understand and prioritise, working closely together all the way.

In a period in the UK when educators and parents are finding a common voice to express what education should be like for their children, in a time when ‘policy’ is increasingly at odds with these visions, it is a time to learn and act.

The experience of the citizens of Reggio has much to say to us, in these times.
This day will explore the inspiring experience of parents and educators of Reggio Emilia learning and building schools together, brick by brick, and discovering how their preschool and primary education is being nurtured and made visible in the city. We will consider how the Reggiane experience can inform the efforts of UK educators and parents in creating intelligent education together.

Presentations by Moira Nicolosi, Reggio Emilia educator, with additional UK examples from Sightlines’ Network.

The day is about: "honing education from the principles of relationship, encounter, enquiry, exchange and expression": principles which Sightlines Initiative and settings in its network are working on and towards. Informed by close encounters with the preschools of Reggio Emilia, and with colleagues from the Reggio International Network.

The day will include a mix of presentations and discussions;to mark, question and progress our pedagogy.

OUTLINE AGENDA

• What does it mean to say ‘inspired by Reggio’? - Examining pedagogical development grounded in Sightlines’ and Reggio’s principles: Robin Duckett; (including ‘Languages of Evaluation – evaluating practice from our principles’, Peter Moss)
• Researches: focussing on democracy – Sightlines Network West Midlands; 'the interplay of expressive languages' – Sightlines Network London
• Strategies for documenting and presenting the messages of shared learning (viewing and examining aspects of ‘The Many Faces of the Assembly’ (Reggio Children)

Whether you're already involved in our network or want to find out more the day is for you. We welcome you to attend from independent and statutory early childhood and primary settings.

On the previous day, in nearby Telford, we are holding An Encounter with Madeley Nursery School . This can make an ideal two-day professional development event.

image from 'The Many Faces of the Assembly' c. ReggioChildren

An in-depth encounter with Tiziana Filippini, Reggio Emilia pedagogista and consultant.

"Ideas fly, bounce around, accumulate, rise up, fall apart slowly, or spread, until finally one of them takes a decisive hold; it flies higher and conquers the entire group of children.” Loris Malaguzzi: from 'Daily Life at School: Seeing the Extraordinary in the Ordinary.' Making Learning Visible page 72

This day will be an unparallelled opportunity to engage directly with a  representative of Reggio who has such long-term and deep experience, and is ready to dialogue and debate in English. Be inspired by what is desirable and possible in early childhood education.

Tiziana is a passionate, strong advocate of Reggio's Approach and knowledge - she has been a core part of the work of the schools since 1978: In particular, Tiziana was the long-standing pedagogista of the famous Diana Preschool, which came to the world’s attention when it was featured by Newsweek in 1991 as one of the 10 best schools in the world. She has engaged in international numerous international dialogues, often accompanying Loris Malaguzzi on research and lecture tours to Sweden and Denmark, and was a member of the research team  of the acclaimed reference work Making Learning Visible.

Here is a short extract 'learning in relationship' from her  2013 talk, also in London at IoE.

Sunday 10th November will be a seminar day for Sightlines Initiative Network participant settings to work in dialogue with Ms. Filippini . (see separate registration.)

Online Conference set:  narratives of the real and possible in shaping education

These are times of possibility. Amidst calls and demands to ‘return to normal’ there are also many who have lost patience with the ‘old normal’ or have seen that other ways of living and learning are indeed preferable. Multitudes of educators, head teachers, parents and advocates are striving to protect and also develop possibilities for educational experiences with children’s rights, wellbeing and proclivities for natural enquiry at the heart.  

This online conference set of seminars is designed to nourish all those who are actively promoting and creating these ‘visions of the possible.'

The core frame of reference in these seminars is work of the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy.   2020 is the centenary of Loris Malaguzzi’s birthday, the pedagogical teacher, psychologist and civic campaigner who worked closely throughout his life with Reggio Emilia’s emerging preschool services between 1945 - 95. Reggio’s preschools continue to be a tirelessly evolving example of an embodied vision for the future.  We are also showcasing selected innovative educational experiences from other countries. We will consider these alternatives, in order to learn and ally with their experiences as we forge a new education for our children.  The series culminates in a panel discussion with Peter Moss and others to consider the questions and possibilities that these generate, and the principles and directions which they imply for us. "
	" It is the spring of 1945. I hear that in a small village called Villa Cella, a few miles away from the town of Reggio Emilia, people decided to build and run a school for young children. That idea seems incredible to me! I rush there on my bike – I find women intent upon salvaging and washing pieces of brick …you have to agree that seeing an army tank, six horses and three trucks generating a school for young children is extra-ordinary. … [Reggio Emilia's] valuable (and continuing) history confirms that a new educational experience can emerge from the least expected circumstances. " Loris Malaguzzi
Communicate with presenters prior to the presentations: When you register you will be given a link to write about your interests, foci, wishes, questions. If you register before Friday 16th October these will be submitted to the various presenters. This will be helpful to them in honing their presentations and give them a sense of connection with you and your interests.