The Ohio Voices for Learning: A Reggio Inspired Forum (OVL) held its spring statewide conference at AUM on Saturday, March 16, 2019. OVL is a network of study groups from each geographic region in Ohio. It sponsors two professional development events each year.
“The conference offered participants learning opportunities in several workshops that blended both theory and practice, said Julie K. Biddle, PhD, Professor and Education Chair, Division of Education and Interdisciplinary Studies. “Most participants are currently working with young children and so appreciated ideas that they could implement in their respective settings. The conference lent itself to rich dialogue among participants, which renewed enthusiasm for Reggio inspired practices.”
Dr. Marian Glancy welcomed the 60 early childhood attendees to campus. The theme of the day was “Reflecting on the image of the teacher: the why and the how of working in a Reggio-inspired way.” Participants attended workshops that included such topics as “Teacher as Researcher,” “Modeling the Process of Representation Drawing and Painting,” “A Thousand and One Possibilities – the Joy of Planning,” “Beautifully Unprepared: Not-Knowingness and Inquiry-Based Professional Development,” “Transitioning from Themes to Projects,” and “The Integrated Curriculum.”
Among the presenters was an alumna of AUM, Stephanie VanHouten. Stephanie received her BA in ECE license with AUM and completed her MEd with a professional concentration in the Reggio Emilia Approach in December. This is the third time that OVL has held an initiative at AUM. Julie Biddle, Chair of Education and Advanced Programs at AUM, is one of the founding members of OVL and facilitates the Greater Dayton Reggio Study Group.
