Remembering and Continuing to Reflect upon our Time Together

Bringing Meaning and Affect to the Understanding of Learning

Early Learning Summer Institute

Laurentian University, Education Faculty

July 5th & 6th 2012

On a bright summer's day, four graduate students from York University embarked on a journey to Sudbury Ontario to facilitate the learning of Teachers and Designated Early Childhood Educators from the Rainbow District School Board and community preschools.

As one of the facilitators, I wanted to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who participated by sharing some documentation of the process that we engaged in together.

Unfortunately for the purposes of this post, I am unable to include all the wonderful photographs, but am hopeful that the following will honour our learning.

To begin our time with one another, all participants came prepared with an artifact that represented a really significant moment of learning in their life, and kindly shared their story.

This was followed by an invitation to create an echo object that extended their initial learning story, using a controlled pallet of materials.

 Each echo object was as unique as those who created them!

After the completion of their echo object, participants were interviewed by their partner, and later shared their experience with their table group.

Paper and envelopes were provided to give a "gift of happiness" in response to a displayed object.

In addition, sketches were created and added to a collaborative instalment, and later placed back with the original artifact and echo object.

This post cannot do justice to all of the emotions and thoughtful comments that filled the room. It was truly inspiring, and I continue to reflect upon our learning and moments together...

I would like to conclude with a quote that Carol Anne Wien shared after our two days, and thank all those who participated in our process together.  Special thank you to the group that I facilitated, those who agreed to be included within the post, my travel companions/supportive colleagues, and to Carol Anne Wien and Dr. Sharon Speir for including us in this wonderful learning opportunity!

"The central act of adults, therefore, is to activate, especially indirectly, the meaning-making competencies of children as a basis of all learning."

                                                                                    -Malaguzzi, 1998, p. 81