Fostering Intelligent Moderation in the Next Generation: Insights from Remida-Inspired Reuse Materials Education

ABSTRACT

Ecologically minded leaders and early childhood teacher educators offer a culturally significant shiny fish project in their community as a way to launch an environmental-material reuse project. Questioning if environmental collapse is imminent, their project investigation of developing a locally relevant Remida Reggio-inspired center serves as hope for reconceptualizing early childhood practices, offering innovations, and fostering intelligent moderation of earthly resources. Finding widening circles of influence and engaging participants are key to nurturing hope, and these educators draw implications to manifest a large and impactful vision and call to action.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Will Parnell

Will Parnell, EdD, is Department Chair of the Graduate School of Education's Curriculum and Instruction department and Professor in early childhood education. He serves as the pedagogical director of the early childhood schools on his campus. He researches the experiences of teachers and children in schools and his specialty areas are teacher and classroom research, environments and designs for learning, documenting young children’s learning, and facilitating narratives. Dr. Parnell currently serves on the founder’s board of A Renaissance School of Arts and Sciences, on the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educator’s Board and he leads the Inventing Remida Portland initiative.

Christine Downs

Christine Downs, M. Ed, is a senior instructor at Portland State University in the Graduate School of Education’s Special Education Department. She served as a cohort leader, instructor and field experience supervisor for a group of full-time teacher candidates becoming special educators. Christine is also a glass artist. Love of nature and art have fed her spirit as a teacher of children with special needs and of graduate-level students. An art therapy Bachelor’s in Arts led Christine into a career honoring inquiry and curiosity. Her current areas of focus are in creating sustainable teaching careers especially through the practice of mindfulness and in preparing to teach mindfulness practices to young children.

Julianne Cullen

Julianne Cullen, MS, is a graduate of Portland State University’s Masters in Curriculum and Instruction Early Childhood Education program. She develops, implements and coordinates parenting education programs in Northwest Oregon. As a family-life educator, she facilitates a variety of programming for parents, staff, and community members with a focus on early childhood education potential. Her lifelong interest and minor in environmental sociology led her on a journey to visit Reggio Emilia, Italy, and the desire to understand the Remida approach. Julianne promotes intelligent moderation of our resources inspired by Remida teachings. After her professional development seminar with Remida Reggio, she insisted on bringing this inspiring work back home to her colleagues.