In Dialogue

Most of the photographs below are of participants working with materials. What I can’t talk about in images is the other part of these workshops, where I try to unveil a bit about the personality, history and significance of the materials. Another important aspect of the workshops is the dialogue among participants connected with the hands-on, minds-on experiences.

 

7th Annual NAREA Summer Conference, Asilomar, CA June 16-19, 2011

10 Ateliers were conceived and facilitated by a collaborative group:

Jennifer Azzariti, Pauline Baker, Kristi Cameron, Juan Felipe Calle, Simonetta Cittadini, Kristen Edge, Jennifer Kesselring, Sarah Liebold, Monica Malley, Lily Schwartzman and Shannon Welch. Below are photographs of some of the groups.

 

 

 

Clay as a Language in Connection with Passover, Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, April 5, 2011

Participants, after thinking together about the values and meaning of Passover, used clay, wire and paper to represent their ideas. Participants were encouraged to think abstractly, not literally about Passover.

I wanted to link the past with the future. The eye is how we see our future and our past. The mouth is what we have to say about our past and future. The ear is what we hear, what our families pass down. The blank one (the participant had not had time to link the blank piece) is that way because it leaves space for the different ways to tell the story)

Materiality: Considering the Relationship Between Materials and Ideas, Innovative Teacher Project, San Francisco, CA, February 26, 2010

 

 

Participants design ‘carpets’ for specific spaces in the school.

The Grammar of Light, Innovations Seminar Series, Wayne State University, Michagan, February 5, 2010

Thinking and Designing With Thread, August 24, 2010, Atlanta GA, Inspired Practices in Early Education

Clay Workshop for Professional Development, June 2010, Scott Montgomery Elementary School, Washington DC

Here are some photographs from a recent workshop at Scott Montgomery Elementary School in DC (this year Scott Montgomery has merged with Walker Jones Elementary School).

To paraphrase Loris Malaguzzi, philosopher and founder of the Reggio Approach, it is our responsibility as educators to have knowledge of  materials and media.

Conversations With Clay, August 31, 2010 Laura and Joel Greenzaid EarlyChildhood Center at B’Nai Tzedek, Potomac, MD