AERO Conference Is Very Kid Friendly

For anyone who may not know, the whole point of our trip out East was to attend the 7th Annual AERO Conference. (Alternative Education Resource Organization at www.EducationRevolution.org) It is the perfect conference for this alternative educating family - we homeschool, and dad is the director of a very cool Charter School. There is something for everyone here! We can opt to use the free daycare provided, which we did utilize a little with Finn and Piper today. Jamie was able to network while I attended two sessions with my buddy, Charlotte.

The first workshop was about how children learn math, and even though this was a workshop about children and how they learn, Charlotte was the only child there. She made a great natural "prop" for the presenter. He loved asking Charlotte questions, and of course, Charlotte loved to be in the spotlight. The second workshop about the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and learning really resonated with me. It is an artistic approach that seems to fit so well with homeschooling and Project Based Learning. Again, a workshop about children and how they learn was appropriate for my daughter. An arts and craft table was set up, and Charlotte was free to sit and create while the workshop went forward.





Here she is creating a crown out of sparkly wires while Leslie Siegrist presents "A Narrative Journey Through the Landscape of Reggio Emilia: A Landscape of Possibilities." The whole point of Reggio is to let the child guide their own learning. Children can learn through play, through art, through their senses, and creativity. Adults have to trust our little learners - to follow their lead and catch the spark when it ignites and then fan that flame. This is when the true learning occurs. When the inspiration comes from within.