HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PRESENTATION,
"SCHOOL AS A PLACE OF RESEARCH"
GIVEN AT THE SUMMER CONFERENCE

In the book, In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia, Carlina Rinaldi inspires us to recognize research as a way of thinking, of negotiating, of documenting, and of approaching life.

We think this approach to research and to life belongs to children. They are born with the ability to interact with the world around them. Children are curious and interested and ask questions about how the world works, how things work and how people work.

As we document children engaged in investigations, we begin to observe the processes they use to answer their research questions.

• Children observe the world, paying close attention to what is going on around them, and they are inspired by the world.
• Children experiment with their hypotheses.
• Children formulate theories.
• Children transfer understanding from one experience to another. They collect information that is then applied to future experiences.
• Children collaborate with others as they engage in research. Sometimes, they blend their ideas with peers, while at other times, they disagree outwardly, openly and honestly. They recognize the value of the collaborative process and allow themselves the time needed for this process to unfold.
• And, children take risks in their research processes. They are willing to develop innovative and unconventional solutions. They recognize each error or mistake as an opportunity for learning. 

The children at Boulder Journey School are supported and encouraged in research processes through collaborations with teachers at our school who also have a mindset that is oriented towards research as a way of thinking and as a way of approaching life. We think that we, as educators, are better able to value and support children’s research if we too can embrace an attitude of research.
When we all embrace the mindset of a researcher, we look closely and observe carefully, remaining open to opportunities, possibilities and unexpected discoveries. Research involves systematic observation, documentation, interpretation, reflection and provocation. Through this process, we are able to see things we normally may not normally notice.

We remember when we first learned of the schools for young children in Reggio Emilia, we were in awe. When we went to Reggio Emilia, we couldn’t believe what we were seeing. We had never before seen such high quality in schools. Because the schools were in Italy, we thought that the Italians must just be smarter and more creative than Americans. As we began to study the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education, we began to realize that what we were seeing in Reggio Emilia belongs to a meaningful experience built by children, teachers and parents through the process of research – a process that includes observation, documentation, interpretation, reflection and provocation. Thus, we began to strongly believe that, if we engage in research, we too can have high quality programs for young children in our schools. We believe that if we can embrace an attitude of research, a desire to challenge ourselves, to look more closely and to think more deeply, we can be aware of the many opportunities that are presented to us daily that can give more quality to our lives.

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