In the early years of school, pupils have a very positive approach towards any new topic. Very often, the first contact with mathematics in the Italian school risks giving a limited and somehow negative impression, generating long-lasting effects. In this paper, we report on a series of experiences carried out in a second-year class of a primary…

In the post-pandemic era we're living through, it can seem as though real life resides in the virtual world -- the one driven by screens and the sedentary lifestyle that shapes a human being's posture and intellectual faculties (Vincent, 2018). As we look back over this period of enforced confinement, it is worth examining how being at home has…

This paper describes an educational experience realized in the form of extracurricular workshops involving music technology students of the "V. Gambara" music high school in Brescia (Italy). By means of a participatory prototyping experience, the project aimed at fostering the students awareness and understanding of technological means…

While the development of creativity, or creative thinking, in mathematics is considered important by many researchers, there are several difficulties in implementing creative tasks, especially before secondary school. Within the original context of a mathematical escape game, this paper reports two episodes exemplifying the difficulties met by…

In this report, we present certain teaching activities employed at the University of Calabria and at the I.T.C. C. Mortati high school. The former were conducted within the English for Basic Academic Skills courses, the latter in the Spanish as a Foreign Language classes for students in the last two years of high school. The grammar and linguistic…

The methods and music of American Professor Joan Yakkey have had an international influence on the music education of elementary and secondary students. Yakkey, a graduate of the High School of Performing Arts and Queens College in New York City, went to Italy to teach music in the 1970's. Italy, a country historically rich in music, was…

In this article, I will examine the use of picture books as a means of supporting the intellectual pursuits of young children. Theoretical frameworks will be discussed as they pertain to the integration of these books in the Municipal Infant Toddler Centers and Preschools of Reggio Emilia and Pistoia, Italy. The pedagogical framework of these…

This article discusses a possible approach to the evaluation of virtual community environments (VCE), intended as the integration of members, processes, and technologies characterizing a given community of professionals. In particular, as to the return on investment for VCE, the article supports the idea that tangible returns for the organization…

In this article, the author describes Liguria Study Center for the Arts and Humanities in Bogliasco, Italy, which offers a stately perch from which a few lucky scholars and artists can gaze at the Mediterranean and gather their thoughts making it so conducive to the study of arts and letters. The center provides scholars and artists midcareer and…

The notion of imagination is central to our contemporary western conception of and valuing of art. Yet the conception of imagination upon which this valuing rests is based on certain assumptions about art-making and about persons. Imagination refers to the creation of an idea or artifact from the mind of the creator. That a work of art arises from…

This article presents the author's experiences during a 5-day tour at Reggio Emilia, Italy, that is well known for the phrase, "the hundred languages of children" (Edwards, Gandini, & Forman, 1993). The author saw the infinite ways that children expressed their ideas in each Reggio school being visited. The author found three means…

Describes a three-year study at an Italian secondary school that examined the role played by information and communication technologies (ICT) as cognitive tools. Discusses the theoretical context of creativity; integrating ICT into the curriculum; and scaffolding. (Author/LRW)

In this special section on creativity and learning, several articles discuss practices of schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Topics include the role of reciprocity between child and adult in creative learning; the importance of play for adults; and ideas directors can use to help teachers translate creativity into classroom practice. (AC)

Describes the early childhood system in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in which educators (1) ensure that children live in "a community of well-being"; (2) create a supportive environment; (3) respect individual rhythms; (4) maintain work areas for the visual arts; (5) respond flexibly to children; and (6) foster peer support. (AC)

Examines children's art creations in a child care center in Reggio Emilia in northern Italy. Suggests that, to produce art, children need many interesting experiences in classroom and community, as well as encouragement to think, talk, and create art in response to their experiences. Under such circumstances, their art is as intriguing and…