Visible Learners: Promoting Reggio-Inspired Approaches in All Schools

It is quite easy to be inspired by the schools, the work, and the publications that document the ongoing educational experiences in Reggio Emilia, Italy. After traveling with this approach for almost a decade, I continue to find it challenging to move—translate--the inspiration I have taken from these schools in Italy into practical work in my own contexts. This book has helped me to organize my action.Visible Learners begins with six actual, in-class experiences—ranging from Kindergarten through high school. It advances to discuss authentic, ongoing learning through the use of practical tools that help to create multiple, meaningful ways to document—make visible—the learning that occurs over time. In addition, the author’s take our current system of accountability into consideration as they show us these alternative ways to identify and support ongoing learning.One standout of the book for me is the identification and discussion of group learning. Group learning takes time, is complex and requires practice, particularly in light of our cultural focus on very specific, individual accomplishments. Yet small groups allow for a depth and breadth of understanding that just does not take place with more traditional, individually-focused curricula.I find that the stories and tools in Visible Learners create a flexible and very supportive frame that helps to move inspiration into practice. Krechevsky, Mardell, Rivard and Wilson illustrate practical threads that connect the action in Reggio to schools here in the Northeast. Visible Learners helps to sustain our wonder, curiosity and belief in the power of learning, both for children and for adults.

The misprint in this book was horrible. Luckily it was only the blue text on some pages but it was very distracting on the pages that were messed up and made reading thr page difficult. I did not have time to ask for a new book as my class was started by the time my book arrived.

This book is filled with clear and very accessible writing about using the processes learned in relationship with Reggio Emilia which are so widely admired but often only superficially understood. It is filled with excellent examples, practical descriptions, suggestions, and ready-to-use tools which will support your work as a teacher or other type of facilitator who seeks to make documentation as a pedagogy more central to your practice. Many are jumping on the bandwagon, but few have the integrity of this deceptively compact book. Thank you to all the authors and the individuals who brought this work to life!

This book reminds me of how inescapably human both teaching and learning are. The learning portraits provided and the tools and strategies suggested for creating classrooms that empower students to learn deeply and to care remind me that in an educational era in which teachers are often asked to care more about achievement than about learning and learners, it is possible to satisfy one's supervisors and do justice to our students, who brim with potential. I was recently so inspired by one of the book's six learning portraits that I blogged about it: <http://soalready.blogspot.com/2014/07/listening-for-learning-vernal-pool.html>

I used this excellent book as a reference for a presentation I recently did on the subject of making learning Visible. Highly recommend it for all ,especially those who do documentation boards as in a Reggio Inspired classroom.

A great book for teachers of any age at any stage of their documentation journey. The learning portraits in the beginning of the book are helpful and insightful. The middle (my favorite part) is packed with great information on group learning and documentation. And the end has practical tools and resources that could easily be implemented or adapted to fit individual needs.

If you've wanted to be more effective as a teacher and feel limited by requirements to teach to standards, you will want to read this.It brings the process of learning to the forefront. How many different ways do children actually learn? and how do you talk about this with the children and document the process. Its an eye opener for teachers too.who have felt enthusiasm and motivation absent in their classrooms at times. It's a great book

This book starts by explaining what documentation is and why it has the impact on the learning and the teaching. The practical examples are brilliant. I was most impressed with the yellow door projects and the Ferris wheel Math project. This book really helps to make learning visible.

This is an interesting perspective around the Reggio Emilia philosophy, that enables one to consider how it could be applied to older students. Despite the fact that the research is US based, it provides a wealth of information and useful case studies that can be used within British ITT.

Lo que necesitaba

Inspiring stuff that teachers can really apply. Though pre-school in initial application in Reggio Emilio Italy, I have found a lot of mileage in the book for my middle schoolers and for me as a teaching professional keen to hone my craft!

Clear examples of what inquiry based learning looks like in k-12 in an easily readable format. Great teacher resource for all ages to get an idea of how inquiry evolves through the years.

Great Book!