Welcome!

Hi Family and Friends!

Welcome to my blog that will hopefully keep you all up-to-date while I'm studying abroad in Italy for this next month! I am so excited for this trip and feel so blessed to have this experience.

For those of you who don't know, the theory of teaching in Reggio Emilia, Italy is one-of-a-kind. I can honestly say, where I am going is THE BEST place for kids on earth. Take a look at this link to learn more about the type of teaching I'll be studying:

Reggio Emilia Approach

During my undergraduate work at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, I had the opportunity to work with professors who supported this type of teaching as best practice. My time at Whitewater helped me develop a strong interest in Reggio Emilia. I always joked that "one day, I'd be there"...and I can finally say my dream is coming true! My professors and cohort members supported a teammate and myself to complete an undergraduate research project funded by the university focused on the complexity of engagement in constructivist preschool settings versus those preschools using direct instruction as the main curriculum. This work really triggered my love and passion for constructivist teaching, and I'm excited to visit the "mecca" for the field of early childhood! :)

The last email that the program sent out said that people from 30 different countries (I have to list them...it's an incredible turnout: Australia, United States, Nigeria, New Zealand, Turkey, Austria, Lebanon, United Kingdom, Sweden, Greece, Canada, Mexico, France, Norway, United Arab Emirates, Portugal, Guatemala, Brazil, Belgium, Indonesia, Italy, Iceland, China, Germany, The Netherlands, South Korea, Israel, Jordan, India) will all be in attendance. I can't wait to be surrounded by the brightest educators literally from around the world! :)

I'm going to attempt to update this blog as much as possible while I'm abroad so that everyone can know what I'm up to! I'm excited to soak in as much as possible (and eat LOTS of delicious food...speak broken Italian...and most of all enjoy my first time out of the country!).

I love you all! xo

-Carly Terese