Cara Daniela *,
I carefully read what you wrote and participation even if not concluded. It 's a pleasure for me, although I already knew because of our attendance is not short, see the passion and enthusiasm that leaked from the lines that have spread. A passion and enthusiasm educational and learning that is close to girls and children, become close to them for support, but also to learn from them. E 'for me almost superfluous to say how much the values \u200b\u200bexplicit non - violence, autonomy, accountability and clear sense of freedom that inspires you through Idan Pesciola I are neighbors and as a guide. as you know I share this vision and trying to put it in practice, to realize as you maintain a community of purpose (vision) and practice (practical action). And I like this way you face the world without dwelling too much on the complaint, slavishly insist on things that do not go around ... and look forward to see that the resources we have been given in the form of people, ideas and enthusiasm to walk forward ...
There are so many issues it touches. range from the role of the teacher to the question of its formation, the theme of the professional community to the influence of strong Idana Pesciola ways of teaching that I find so close to Not Backpack: information and joint planning, accountability, freedom as self - direction that is based on intrinsic motivation, according to the misleading of the vote, the role of the voice, work together. And then grapple with the real problems that other is not what today is called the real task or always problems to be solved with the brain that brings us to the question of research methods and problem solving (worth it - I agree with you - to investigate the contribution of this education really !!!).
I am convinced, however, that classical education has more or less said everything about how to set up the school according to a new model and that the information which we enjoy so we can find in Idana Pesciola as in J. Dewey and Maria Montessori, Freinet or Bruner, Pestalozzi and Piaget. Indeed there is certainly a common thread that links must always be sought in their masters these unsurpassed. I wonder why no backpack? This initiative may be new or trace back what has been said and done? What adds to our commitment as the most?
SZ also do not see how the introduction of new methods or visions, but rather focus on three fundamental attentions to help us in change.
The first attention is that SZ is an experience that values \u200b\u200bthe tradition and systematized in a process of inclusion of new contributions.
So first and foremost a place where the network goes down and discuss the contributions classics, but also to the new one opens: I think of all the scenario for learning are drawing the neurosciences, research on intelligence and styles learning scenarios cognitive apprenticeship and communities of practice, the methods of cooperative learning and Differentiated instruction, the suggestions that we experience as the instructions for use, the map-generating, methods of classroom management geared to 'autonomy and accountability, attention to physical space, finding a mix between personal, couple and group, the active participation of students to instructional design and management of the school, the contribution in the final of many Italian and foreign authors oh well you present. The peculiarity of SZ
here is the constant openness to the visions and approaches, and the attempt to systematize and summarize we try to do, but normally, at least in Italy, pedagogy and psychology are either forgotten or references in other respects there focuses only on very few inputs without fruitful synthesis.
A second focus SZ seen as a place of promotion practices in a structured community.
What has always impressed me, first as a teacher and then as the head teacher is the discrepancy between vision and practice. Between statements of principles and action daily teaching in the classroom. With
SZ instead we went to court! This is the new, especially (but not only) for our country and we have entered into a global, not with a specific curriculum in mathematics or Italian, perhaps through an upgrade to sensitive teachers. Nor are entered the classroom by offering a single strategy for classroom management, perhaps because those teachers have been fascinated by cooperative learning. We entered with the ambition to rethink all aspects of organization and planning, with the ambition, in short, to review all the ways to teach the knowledge as ways to organize and manage the class.
I try to exemplify: cooperative learning is interesting for her attention to learning that occurs in relation to which the work of group in the group is of strategic importance, but in its sacred texts are puts such little attention to physical space. Yet cooperation is impeded or facilitated the organization of the environment. And what about the personal work that normally is not considered. Connecting personal work with the cooperation? How then combine that with the cooperation of students of teachers? One could go on pointing out how generally practical approaches to the school are certainly interesting, but segmented, partial, sector. We have big visions that are being transferred from classic and contemporary, yet practical, chopped, to break them out of school.
Outstanding very few contributions in excess of this problematic. Perhaps the single most accomplished and what remains of Maria Montessori (Freinet, in my opinion the only approaches her) where the penetrating vision and extensive global practice binds to both teaching the disciplines of classroom management , until it touches the role of the teacher and director.
SZ's challenge is to gather the great visions and the most charming and effective practices to achieve these visions relate to synthesis in order to make schools really high quality teaching and learning.
the classroom we at the school, the community of teachers and students, always with the need to develop and add practices that slowly transform as the same class as the school, a transformation that, sorry if I insist, must be visible, tangible, understandable, since I see that the teacher speaks less, I see a number of languages \u200b\u200bused, I see many furnishings and arranged differently, I see students working alone aware of the programs and objectives and have no need at all times to adults who guide them and they Comandini I see students and teachers who use a low voice because it is useful to talk and to reduce the level of stress and speed, I see walls with posters, billboards, panels renewed well-constructed, readable, beautiful, I see lines - available to guide students to search, a user of the class that collects all the procedures (instructions) is most important that students and teachers have built together to organize well, I see teachers who organize a school day in detail and are concerned about information of those students, I still see students able to choose activities and how to organize. One aspect that makes the difference is certainly the size of an object class and a school, un'oggettualità consists of documents and materials that make independent and responsible students, as oggettulità built together. Un'oggettualità that strikes the outside observer, it struck me as the first time I visited a Montessori school in castle near Varese or school of the bridge in Portugal. Un'oggettulità that directs Finally, the behaviors of freedom, autonomy, responsibility, hospitality and community that we seek.
How to achieve this? I tried to propose the idea of \u200b\u200ba global approach to the curriculum for that very reason. Quell 'comprehensive approach that has fueled, even without naming it, the work of Maria Montessori, work which has left many schools actually: you just open the door of a Montessori class, that even a layman is aware of being faced with something different.
Excuse my sociological vein steel, but always call to leave, all of us, a basic requirement. It is based on the fact that the traditional model of school is strongly rooted in the structures and minds of everyone, inside and outside the school, both in Western societies than in the Southern Hemisphere. I found some elements of this type both in Finland and in the Dominican Republic where, as you know, I was recently. Let us always remember that in developed countries like Italy are almost 50 years that people spend at least a decade in this institution pervasively and continuously exposed to a traditional model in an age that children and young people, particularly impressionable and permeable. There is no other social institution (hospital, prison, judiciary, factory) that is successful and is able to penetrate at once so deeply and extensively in the minds of citizens such as schools. the worst thing in some ways because while the remainder of citizenship open the doors to other work environments and other organizational models, teachers and leaders (category to which we belong) are instead to live the same experience, even if the other side, seamless ... long I can not tell you with my analysis but I can not do less to explain to our journey to understand and to put away our enthusiasm, passion and values \u200b\u200bfrom the risks of failure that so dramatically in the education sector are strong, much stronger than others, precisely because of this grounding of consciousness, for so to speak.
E 'SZ so that gives us a third opportunity - the third warning - to establish ties of solidarity and community among institutions . Since the challenge of changing the school so difficult, it is unthinkable that David in this case, can defeat Goliath. SZ proposes to create a network connection with the ambition to change. different schools growing up making can flourish, feeding only if they connect, they help, they argue. is the meaning of the network, here is the idea of \u200b\u200ba label of recognition and belonging, while showing respect for liberty and creativity, in a way that I think is one of Idana Pesciola.
In short, in the final three points are: feed a vision by drawing on classical and contemporary, inspired by the values \u200b\u200bwe believe in, trying to do the synthesis and walk, open to new contributions, then transform school practice in the round, implying spaces, ways to teach the disciplines, the ways to interpret the assessment, classroom management, planning activities and so on until you get to the point that opening the door of even a layman can see that the scenario is profoundly different; eventually forge ties with schools that share everything with courage to confront the Goliath of the traditional model with each other and strengthen us vision and feeding practices that progress.
In this sense, the label without a backpack helps, I think, because it is a label that tells of a journey that many do with us and for this reason that strengthens each of us. increasingly wary of the many teachers who say they do not want the Promethean SZ label or any other label that puts them in a situation of communities in the name of freedom. label - in their view - caged and confined, although these labels promise innovation. think the juggernaut of change on their own school is an illusion and those teachers a bit 'individualistic, the showdown, without realizing it, succeeds, only to become prisoners, because prisoners are, paradoxically, their desire to vigorously defend the poorly understood "freedom of teaching." These who do not want to be caged in the end it will be more than the others!
Here are my thoughts that I offer you requested by your beautiful and profound words, thoughts turning a bit with this' rational that characterizes them, but I think that may be relevant to our dialogue.
a close embrace.
Marco
Daniela Pampaloni is director of the school including Fauglia belonging to the network without a backpack, is also a member of the Executive Without a backpack. Daniela wrote a nice letter about the school, the children, the values \u200b\u200bwe cherish. These are my reflections offlrirle or wanted and now I share with many of you.
