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RE: Annie Rothenberg Introduction & Virtual Learning for Young Students

I like your project idea of addressing the lack of quality fully virtual learning programs for young children. It seems to me that requiring parent support will (and should) remain part of the equation. But, as your research indicates and experience has shown, perhaps coaching can somehow become a bigger part of the solution.

Either way, I agree that “responsive adaptations to students”, not just to their needs, but I would add also as part of the negotiated learning process between teachers and students (at least in a Reggio Emilia-inspired setting) is essential. For obviously even if parents are fully available to provide technical support, they are often not able to support children in the same way that a learning coach/teacher would. As such, I wonder if future considerations are not just about supporting knowledge of the technology, as with parent involvement, but about building a training program model for teacher (and parent?) coaches that can guide both the technology AND the pedagogy, which educational innovations seem to indicate are becoming more and more integrated anyway. In any case, it sounds like you and your team have already started to come up with some interesting solutions that work for your particular learning environment. I say “keep going”!

As a side note, I always find it interesting that young children featured in Reggio Emilia documentation seem quite comfortable and adept at using technology in project work. Which leads me to wonder how this understanding can be introduced and scaffolded, as part of the early learning educational setting, going forward. Speaking of which, I would be curious to learn how the schools in Reggio Emilia are handling virtual learning during the pandemic. I imagine they, or other Reggio-inspired schools around the world, have come up with some interesting strategies and solutions by now.