Reggio-Inspired Mathematics

cross-district meeting: November 9 2021

Educators from across six districts gathered on Zoom after school on November 9 to re-connect and share a little around how each district planned to take up this professional inquiry project this year.

Some districts are looking at revitalizing this project in their districts while others have a specific inquiry question developed related to our overall focus on story and math. Examples include investigating math and story in everyday experiences, storytelling on the land inspiring emergent experiences in mathematics, the use of data to tell a story of place or community and connecting math, materials and the outdoors.

We discussed and shared ideas about some big ideas related to connecting story and math.

We brainstormed different ways to connect and think together through this professional inquiry project and used mentimeter.com to collect "votes" from those attending. The following is how the group thought we should concentrate our group's efforts this year:

So look forward to some upcoming events and projects! Information will be posted on this site or you could contact your district contact for this project.

Slides from our meeting can be viewed here:

Download BCRIM_November_2021

~Janice

Reggio Children Online Atelier: Mosaic of Marks

On October 28, I set my alarm for 5:30am to be up and ready for another live online atelier experience from Reggio Children in Italy. This atelier was focused on a Mosaic of Marks, Words and Materials and we were asked to gather mark making tools and surfaces in preparation.

The atelieristas shared some of their thinking and then asked us to select four mark making materials and four surfaces and to just spend some time investigating those materials sensorially before making any marks. We were then invited to share three concepts or ideas that came to mind as we explored the materials. Two of my words were connections and residue. 

We were then invited to begin mark making, thinking about the concepts and ideas that were inspired by the materials. I played with the idea of connecting circles and spirals and the different residues left by the tools on different surfaces.

The atelieristas watched as we used the materials and providing feedbacks and prompts to provoke our thinking and nudge our investigations in a deeper or new way. I was reminded of the importance of providing learners (adults, children, etc) with time to immerse themselves with ideas and materials.

The Vancouver Reggio Association, in collaboration with NAREA, will be hosting Reggio Children's Mosaic of marks exhibit here in Vancouver, beginning in the fall of 2022.

~Janice