The NAREA Professional
Development Series
"Dialogues for Quality in Education: Social Justice in Diverse
Early Childhood Settings"

Sept. 25-27, 2009

Indianapolis, Indiana

"Dialogues for Quality in Education" is a multi-year professional development series, which coincides with "The Wonder of Learning - The Hundred Languages of Children" exhibit, and is coordinated by NAREA,
in collaboration with Reggio Children and exhibit host communities.
The fourth initiative of this series is "Dialogues for Quality in Education: Social Justice in Diverse Early Childhood Settings"
on September 25-27, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

 

Deanna Margini has worked for the Municipality of Reggio Emilia since 1985. She was an educator in an infant-toddler center from 1985-1991. After that experience, Deanna became a pedagogista of the Preschools and Infant-Toddler Centers, Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, Italy. In this capacity, she coordinates one municipal infant-toddler center, two municipal preschools, and is part of the pedagogical coordinating team of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia.
 
As a pedagogical coordinator of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, Deanna has attended several professional development courses on the topic, "Welcoming of Immigrant Children and Families in the Educational Services," promoted by the Region Emilia Romagna. She has been particularly involved in research projects regarding multicultural aspects that also include "Strategies for the Welcoming of Children and Immigrant Families in Educational Preschool Services"
in Reggio Emilia, Italy and abroad.
 
Since 2005, Deanna has coordinated a research project called "Culture in Play: Dialogue and Mediation." This project concerns the inclusion of linguistic-cultural mediators of different nationalities in the working groups of the teachers, children and parents. This research project involves the Preschools and Infant-Toddler Centers, Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia as well as the preschools
run by the Italian government.
 
Deanna often presents to participants of study groups in Reggio Emilia. Since 1991, she has been part of professional development initiatives in various cities in Italy and abroad, specifically, in Europe (Spain, the United Kingdom, Croatia and Sweden) and in Latin America (Colombia). Deanna has also participated in professional development initiatives in connection with the presence of the exhibition,
"The Hundred Languages of Children," in Italy and abroad.

Mirella Ruozzi has worked as an atelierista for the Municipality of Reggio Emilia since 1975. Her degree in Visual Art includes a specialization in clay and ceramics. She worked in the schools from 1975-2001. Currently, Mirella collaborates with the Municipal Multimedia Center, observing, documenting and editing videos of research projects done in the Preschools and Infant-Toddler Centers, Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia and she is a Reggio Children consultant.
 
Mirella was one of the curators of "The Hundred Languages of Children" exhibit and she participated in many seminars and conferences in Italy and abroad, organized in connection with the exhibit. She was also a curator of the exhibits, "The Expressive Languages of Children: The Artistic Language of Alberto Burri" and "Dialogue with Places." These exhibits collected experiences from the Preschools and Infant-Toddler Centers, Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia. Mirella has been part of several research projects related to "The Wonder of Learning - The Hundred Languages of Children" exhibit. In the last three years, she was part of the research group that coordinated projects and workshops related to the annual European Exhibit on Photography that involved children of infant-toddler centers, preschools and primary schools.
 
Since 1980, Mirella has given her contribution as a speaker to professional development courses for teachers of infant-toddler centers and preschools, run by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia and other Italian municipalities as well as those run by the Italian government. Since 1990, she has taught in a high school for teacher preparation. She often presents and shares her experience with study groups in Reggio Emilia. During the last ten years, Mirella has participated as a speaker in professional development courses and workshops called "Thinking with the Hands," organized by the Documentation and Educational Research Center in Reggio Emilia as part of the annual professional development plan for the teachers of the Preschools and Infant-Toddler Centers, Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia." She has written several articles based on her experience for Italian early childhood journals.

 

 

 

 

 

There is much to see and to do when visiting the exhibit. 

 

 

Invitation to Contribute Images
to the 2010 NAREA Membership CD
from the Membership Committee

Please mail CDs and completed release forms to:

 

 
The summer 2009 issue of Innovations, v. 16, n. 3, features:
· "Is Beauty a Way of Knowing? Reflections on the April 2009 Study Group in Reggio Emilia" by Margie Cooper
· "Challenges and Transformation in North American Teacher Education Programs: An Interview with Carol Bersani, John Nimmo and Andrew Stremmel - Part Two" by Judith Allen Kaminsky
· "Insights and Inspirations from Reggio Emilia- A Book Review" by Ben Mardell
· NAREA Column: "Strengthening Professional Relationships Through the NAREA Website" by Judith Allen Kaminsky

The summer 2009 issue of Innovations was published in early September. The PDF file of this issue will soon be accessible to NAREA members on the Members Only Area of the NAREA website.