Expert in acclaimed early education approach to give 13th Annual June Fox Lecture
April 9, 2009
Lella Gandini, a noted educator and the U.S. liaison for the acclaimed Reggio Emilia-inspired teaching method, will give the Thirteenth Annual June Fox Lecture April 30 at Lesley University.
Gandini’s lecture is titled Teaching by Listening: Stories from the City of Reggio Emilia, Italy and the United States.
The Reggio Emilia Approach was initially created after World War II, in the small Italian city of Reggio Emilia. The approach focuses on fostering relationships among children, teachers, parents, and community. It builds on the premise that each child has the desire to connect with others, to engage in learning, and to enter into a relationship with his or her environment.
Gandini, whose new book is Insights and Inspirations of Reggio Emilia, will discuss the pedagogy of relationship and listening that distinguishes the work of Reggio Emilia educators.
“Dr. Gandini has been a visiting scholar at Lesley University for almost two years,” said Mario Borunda, Dean of Lesley’s School of Education. “She has brought an excitement to the campus that reflects the joys of exploration and thinking found in the Reggio Emilia approach itself. Having her give this distinguished lecture will bring that excitement to even more educators.”
Gandini’s talk will held be at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 30 at Lesley’s Marran Theater, 47 Oxford St., Cambridge, Mass. 02138. The public is invited to join the Lesley community for this event.
The June Fox Lecture Series honors Professor Emerita June T. Fox, who served as Dean of the Division of Education and Special Education, the precursor to the School of Education. The series has previously featured Linda Darling-Hammond, later the education advisor to Barack Obama, and Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind man to climb Mount Everest, among others. The talks recognize Fox’s rigorous commitment to teacher preparation and a progressive vision of education in a diverse and democratic society.