As I watched the video with Margaret Kiernan of Drew University, and considered this week's readings, I found myself contemplating the ways in which all design elements impact the learning experience. When I began my graduate work at Rutgers years ago, I was introduced to the approach used in early childhood environments in Reggio Emilia, Italy. I have since taken professional development classes and visited exhibits which have allowed a closer look at the role design plays in this approach.
Teachers in the Reggio schools consider the environments to be the "third teacher" in a learning space. Careful consideration is given to the physical environment, as well as the materials and how they are displayed. A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to visit the Wonder of Learning exhibit that was on display in New York City. You can learn more about the exhibit here:
The experience itself is formulated in much the same way the approach presents learning. When considering the flow of the exhibition space, one is presented with this description from the website:
The various projects are communicated using different media: three-dimensional objects, videos, booklets, audio recordings, and so on, which can be associated with the same project to enable different levels of reading and study, and to afford visitors a personal approach according to their level of interest and competency.
This week's readings brought my understanding of the Reggio approach to a whole new level. In the article, Reggio Emilia as Culture and Theory in Practice, the author suggests, "Teachers want the children to learn to notice and appreciate colors, textures, and design. They also want them to make friends, they want parents to feel welcome, and they want an environment that supports their own relational, aesthetic, and intellectual needs as well"(p.8). In the past I have always considered the Reggio approach important because of the way in which it embraces a sense of community, construction of knowledge, interpretation of ideas, and creativity through use of various modalities. Now I see the ways in which the young children who experience learning in these schools develop and appreciate these design elements from a very young age.
As part of my reflection, I revisited the Wonder of Learning website, and looked again at the projects that were a part of the exhibit. This project is entitled, "Painting, between materials and nature"
A description of the project from website is as follows:
A transformational journey in which natural materials reveal quantity, qualities, density and variations in colour and hue to become paint.
The transformation of materials is continued in the atelier using hands, sieves and rocks to crumble, crush, sift and powder – capturing the material’s essence, colour and perfume.
The palette of materials prepared in this way is then used by children to make compositions bearing the traces of very different individual journeys of research.
The elements of design presented by Golombisky and Hagen (2010) are incorporated directly into the environment and experiences in which children engage. Here one can see the ways in which space, shape, texture, color, movement, and unity play a particular role in creating the space for children to engage in learning. This reflection has helped me to consider the ways in which the classroom environment I have created is impacting how children are interpreting their environment. Furthermore, how can I incorporate these graphic design principals into digital documentation of experiences?
As I consider my multimedia project focused on use of digital portfolios in the classroom, I am thinking about ways that I can support teachers in creating visual documentation that matches their audience of parents and students. How can we support children to develop these aesthetic skills, and how can we as teachers, communicate effectively with parents through multimedia in digital portfolios?
Sources:
Golombisky, K., & Hagen, R. (2010). White space is not your enemy: A beginner’s guide to communicating visually through graphic, web and multimedia design. Amsterdam: Focal Press/Elsevier.
Home. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2017, from http://www.newyorkcitywol.org/
New, R. S. (2007). Reggio Emilia As Cultural Activity Theory in Practice. Theory Into Practice, 46(1), 5-13. doi:10.1207/s15430421tip4601_2
[Painting, materials, and nature]. (2009). Retrieved January 29, 2017, from http://www.thewonderoflearning.com/exhibition/materia/?lang=en_GB
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