Educators' Institute
Featuring Presenters from
Pistoia, Italy and the
University of Florence
Learning through the Arts and Literature: A Collaboration Celebrating Innovation and Inspiration in International Education
Saturday - Monday, July 14 – 16, 2012
$350 ($385 after June 15) NAREA and Museum Members receive a $30 discount
(20 PDPs) In collaboration with Smith College, The Carle is once again honored to host an educators’ institute featuring Annalia Galardini and Donatella Giovannini; colleagues from Pistoia, Italy; Professor Enzo Catarsi from the University of Florence; and local educators, all of whom possess exceptional passion and expertise in the field of education for young children. With a focus on carefully designed spaces for adults and children, embedding learning within literacy-rich experiences, and supporting each child as an individual and a member of a community, we offer this opportunity to listen, observe and participate in learning with joy and engagement.
For further information contact the Education Department at programs@carlemuseum.org or (413) 658-1106.
CONFERENCE FLYER (PDF)
Click the above link for a conference flyer to post or share with colleagues.
Conference Program
Registration Information
Refund Policy
Accommodations
Conference Presenters
Conference Program
SATURDAY, JULY 14
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
10:00 – 12:00
Optional Pre-Conference Studio Experience
Book Making
Diana MacKenzie
1:00 – 2:00 pm
Optional Pre-Conference Program
Joy, Engagement and the Art of the Book with Pat Cummings
Whether creating books herself, conducting her annual Children’s Book Boot Camp, teaching Children’s Book Illustration or co-hosting Cover 2 Cover, a talk show about children’s books and the people who create them, Pat Cummings is doing what she loves best. Join her as she shares her stories, talks about her process, and ponders the past, present, and future of children’s books.
2:30 - 3:00 pm
Screening of the new Eric Carle: Picture Writer
Enter the raffle to win a free copy of the film.
3:00 – 5:00 pm
Optional Pre-Conference Visits
Early Learning Center or Artist Studios
Each location can accommodate between 10 and 20 participants.
Hampshire College Early Learning Center
Visit the Hampshire College Early Learning Center and discover the ways in which they have been inspired by and have implemented aspects of the Pistoia and Reggio Emilia programs.
Artist Studio Visits
Visit one of these artist studios to learn more about the artist’s technique and process.
- David Hyde Costello
- Jane Dyer
- Jeff Mack
- Bob Marstall
- Barry Moser (CANCELLED)
5:00 - 6:30 pm
Registration and Light Supper
Light Supper in the Museum Café. Visit the Galleries, Art Studio, and Museum Shop. Your conference badge entitles you to a 10% discount in the Museum Shop (Members 25%)!
5:30 - 6:00 pm
Screening of the new Eric Carle: Picture Writer
Enter the raffle to win a free copy of the film.
6:30 – 9:00 pm
Opening Session
Museum Auditorium; all other areas of the Museum will be closed.
6:30 – 6:45 pm
Welcome: Alexandra Kennedy, Executive Director, The Carle
Introductions: Rosemary Agoglia, Curator of Education, The Carle
6:45 – 8:00 pm
The Sharing of Wonderful Ideas: A Journey of Collaboration and Inspiration
Enzo Catarsi, Susan Etheredge, Annalia Galardini and Lella Gandini
8:00 – 9:00 pm
The Whole Book Approach
Rosemary Agoglia
SUNDAY, JULY 15
Smith College, Campus Center
8:00 – 9:00 am
Continental Breakfast
Welcome
9:00 – 9:45 am
Drawing on Design: The Daring Art and Design of Books Published in Italy and the United States
Lella Gandini
9:45 – 10:45 am
The Very Hungry Caterpillar in Tuscany
Professor Enzo Cartarsi
10:45 – 11:00 am
Refreshments
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
The Voices of Children and Teachers from Pistoia
Annalia Galardini and Donatella Giovannini
12:00 – 1:15 pm
Lunch
1:15 - 2:00 pm
Links to Learning: The Mind, Brain, and Education
Martha Lees
2:00 – 3:30 pm
Break-out Sessions
Each presenter will highlight ways in which they have been inspired by these rich international collaborations.
- Hampshire Early Learning Center
- Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill
- Northampton Kindergarten
- Early Childhood Centers in Tuscany
MONDAY, JULY 16
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
8:30 – 9:00 am (Museum Cafe)
Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 10:00 am (Auditorium)
Traces of Learning
Susan Etheredge
10:00 – 10:20 am (Museum Cafe)
Refreshments
10:20 – 11:15 am (Auditorium)
Materials as Provocation and Inspiration
Lella Gandini and Cathy Topal
11:15 am – 1:15 pm
Studio Session: Thinking with One’s Hands, Eyes, and Mind
1:15 – 2:45 pm (Museum Cafe)
Lunch/Browse Museum
1:30 – 2:00 pm
Screening of the new Eric Carle: Picture Writer, followed by a Q&A with Producer, Kate Geis.
Enter the raffle to win a free copy of the film
2:00 – 2:30 pm
Screening of the new Eric Carle: Picture Writer
Enter the raffle to win a free copy of the film
2:45 – 3:30 pm
Reflections on the Child as Researcher
Lella Gandini followed by small discussion groups
3:30 – 4:00 pm (Auditorium)
Closing remarks and Reflections
Registration Information
Conference fees include materials, Saturday light supper, Sunday and Monday continental breakfast and lunch, refreshments and PDPs. Members of The Carle and/or the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA) may deduct $30 from the conference fee.
Early Registration (Postmarked by June 15)
$350
Regular Registration (Postmarked after June 15)
$385
To Register
Download the registration form (below) and mail with payment to The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Attn: Programs, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA 01002 or fax to (413) 658-1139, Attn: Programs.
Registration Form - Pistoia 2012 (PDF)
For further information please contact the Education Department at programs@carlemuseum.org or (413) 658-1106.
Refund Policy
Refund requests received on or before June 15 will receive a 50% refund of the conference fee. No refunds will be issued after June 15.
Accommodations
A limited number of rooms are available for Conference participants at the hotel listed below. You must call the hotel directly and reference “The Eric Carle Museum Room Block” by Wednesday, June 13 to receive the discounted rate. We urge you to make your reservation early.
Clarion Hotel and Conference Center
1 Atwood Drive
Northampton, MA 01060
(413) 586-1211
Rate: $159 plus tax
For information about other area hotels please click here or visit www.hampshirehospitality.com.
Book by Friday, June 29!
Smith College Housing
Inexpensive housing available at Smith College, located in Downtown Northampton.
Single room with twin bed, linens and fan provided
Kitchen privileges and free parking included
Rate: $55 per night (available July 12 - 17)
To reserve a room at Smith College, please indicate the nights you plan to stay on your registration form and include payment with your registration fee. There are no refunds once a room is booked at Smith College.
Rosemary Agoglia
Rosemary Agoglia is Curator of Education at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. She has a B.A. from the University of Buffalo and an M.A. in Education from the University of Massachusetts. Rosemary plans and implements all the educational programming of the Museum. As an educator, she has taught students of all ages, designed curriculum, conducted workshops, and presented at national conferences. Trained in Visual Thinking Strategies, she works with visitors of all ages providing links between visual and verbal literacy and fostering the confidence to appreciate and enjoy art of every kind.
Meghan Burch
Guided Art Programs Educator and practicing artist, Meghan Burch holds a BFA in Illustration from Massachusetts College of Art. With a commitment to visual expression, she designs and implements the art-making portion of each guided group and conducts professional development workshops. Drawing on the richness inherent in materials, process, design, relationships and imagination, Meghan works with artists and educators of all ages.
Enzo Catarsi
Enzo Catarsi is Professor of General Pedagogy at the Faculty of Education University of Florence and Director of the Department of Education Science and cultural processes and training. He serves on the editorial committees of several national educational journals and directs the Center for Studies "Bruno Ciari". He is also a member of the Steering Committee dell'AIFREF (International Association for Training and Research in Family Education) which focuses on professional development, services for children and family education. He recently created the "Italian Journal of Family Education." Catarsi has also focused on issues of children's literature and the understanding of stories and storytelling with young children.
Susan Etheredge
Susan Etheredge is Professor and Chair of Education and Child Study at Smith College. She teaches undergraduates, collaborates with teachers in areas related to professional development and teacher education, and writes about inquiry-based teaching and learning. She is co-author of Introducing Students to Scientific Inquiry: How Do We Know What We Know? and co-editor of Insights and Inspirations from Reggio Emilia: Stories of Teachers and Children from North America. Susan recently spent a sabbatical year in Pistoia, Italy, studying the city’s innovative early childhood schools.
Annalia Galardini
Annalia Galardini was a founding leader of early childhood services in Pistoia, Italy and served as Director of Education, Social Services, and Cultural Affairs in the city administration. She now leads the Regional Educational Network in Tuscany. Prominent at the national and international level, she has organized in-service workshops in several Italian and European cities and has published articles and books about the organization, philosophy, and goals of services for children.
Lella Gandini
Lella Gandini, Visiting Scholar at Lesley University in Cambridge 2007-2009 and at the University of Arizona 2010, introduced the Italian education of young children from Pistoia and Reggio Emilia in the United States in the early 1980s. For Reggio Children, she serves as the Liaison for the Dissemination of the Reggio Emilia Approach. She is co-author and co-editor of The Hundred Languages of Children; The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation; Bambini: The Italian Approach to Infant/Toddler Care; Beautiful Stuff; In the Spirit of the Studio: Learning from the Atelier of Reggio Emilia; and Insights and Inspirations from Reggio Emilia: Stories of Teachers and Children from North America.
Donatella Giovannini
Donatella Giovannini is Pedagogical Coordinator for Infant/Toddler Services of Pistoia, Italy. She is involved in research carried out by the Psychology Institute of the National Research Council in Rome and in collaboration with several European programs for young children. She has published many articles and book chapters and has been instrumental in supporting the professional development of infant-toddler educators in Pistoia and its sister city, Palermo.
Martha Christenson Lees
Martha Christenson Lees is the director of the Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education, a Reggio-inspired early childhood program. Her professional interests include Italian approaches to early education, the use of technology and electronic communication in professional development and parent communication, and interdisciplinary learning. Her research focuses on connecting psychology, biology, and neuroscience to inform educational practice and policy. She is a contributing co-author of a chapter in Insights and Inspirations from Reggio Emilia: Stories of Teachers and Children from North America (by Gandini, Etheredge, Hill).
Diana MacKenzie
Diana MacKenzie holds a BFA in Printmaking from Syracuse University. As the Public Art Program Educator at The Carle since 2007, she designs and manages the drop-in programs for The Carle’s Art Studio. Available to The Carle’s thousands of annual visitors and open during all regular Museum hours, the Studio is also the place where Diana teaches workshops and classes that foster artistic expression and critical thinking for children and adults. Additionally, Diana brings Studio programming to children and families through outreach to schools, libraries and centers near and far.
Cathy Weisman Topal
Cathy Weisman Topal has been a studio art teacher for over 35 years. She currently teaches young children at the Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill and the Smith College Campus School, and teaches visual arts education in the Department of Education and Child Study at Smith College. Cathy is the author of many books that have grown from her explorations and exchanges with children, classroom teachers and in-service and pre-service teachers across the country including Children, Clay and Sculpture, Children and Painting, Beautiful Stuff: Learning with Found Materials with Lella Gandini, and the new Thinking with a Line, an interactive CD-ROM.
Sponsored by The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art with contributions from the Department of Education and Child Study at Smith College.