I awoke early from my sleep in our new hotel in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The Hotel Posta is an ornate hotel that has cathedral ceilings, antiques, a beautiful stairwell, and art displayed throughout its interior. Mary and I excitedly prepared for our day as we dressed to have breakfast and walk to the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre!
Upon entering the breakfast dining room, I noticed a large buffet of Italian food. There were many delicious foods in which to choose from. Fresh focaccia bread, rolls, croissants and pastries lined the table, along with prescuitto, ham, and sausage. Hard and soft cheeses, fresh cherry tomatoes, scrambled eggs, jams, jellies, fruit, yogurt, and granola for parfaits. Coffee, cappuccino, bottled water, and juices were also offered. This breakfast buffet was quite impressive.
As a group of 35 people, we walked the streets of Reggio Emilia to the Loris Malaguzzi Centre. Our guide pointed out different stores along the way. As we walked, I noticed the beauty all around me. Diffenbachia, English ivy, hibiscus, and geraniums hung from balconies and was planted in pots along the streets. There were some cars being driven, but we saw many people walking and riding their bikes. We passed beautiful historic buildings on our walk along the stone roads. The elaborate doors on many of these buildings are made of solid, heavy wood and often have large doorknockers. Many windows are covered with fancy, decorative iron. I am amazed of the beauty in this place! We reached the train station which is located just the other side of the centre. I followed our guide through the tunnel and saw a documentation of bikes that had been represented and drawn by children. Although it was very warm, I noticed goosebumps on my arms as I was so excited to see the children’s work in the community!
We arrived at the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre and were taken to a large room with several chairs. An interpreter introduced us to an archiver who works with documentation. She shared with us all about her work with children in Reggio. I watched several videos and noticed how each teacher truly scaffolded the child’s learning through the experience. Later that day we met with an atilierista and her interpretor. She passionately spoke about documentation and then the interpretor translated. We were then provided an opportunity to explore the documentation in the atelia. Materials were also provided for us to see different uses of them. It was a wonderful experience!
We then boarded a bus and visited a cooperative center in Reggio Emilia. The social cooperative “Panta Rei” was founded on July 12, 1999. This center has children 8 months to 5 years old. The documentation was thorough and complete. We actually had an opportunity to tour their facility while children were present. I was thrilled to view the children’s work and see the toddlers dipping their brushes in glass jars of paint! I reflected on my own image of a child and how each child is capable and competent. Would I feel comfortable giving these materials to toddlers?
Later that evening, we went out to dinner in the city of Reggio Emilia. There was a special event going on called Pink Wednesday. This was the second week of a series of six Wednesdays for this year. This event brought out the whole community for a celebration in the streets of Reggio Emilia. As we walked along, we heard music p!ayed by bands. We even had a crowd gathered outside our hotel windows for hours at night!