Internationality

Today held the best sessions yet for me. The focus on Internationality was very thought provoking and reassuring to see that all over the world people are moving toward creating a world wide society focused on thinking, communicating and creativity. Hopefully the world will become a more peaceful place because of the endeavors of so many dedicated people starting with the very young. Even though it is hard, stuck in our own little HELPs world, we really need to think globally. From using recycled art materials to working much harder to focus on children learning to think and solve problems using their own intelligence, we can make change.
Another great quote from today, "we see children as people capable, full of potential and knowledge and rich in ideas and theories." So frequently we think we know everything and it is our responsibility to provide children with what we know rather than using what they know to guide us in how to guide them.
I thoroughly enjoyed one of the keynotes this morning. Anshul Arora moved from Singapore to India (he said his family said he was crazy!) to be a part of what has in the past two years become a revolution in the Indian schools. He referred to it as a "fundamental shift" in Indian education. Preschool is not currently common in India and the outlook is promising.

This is what I have loved here:
I had a great discussion with a professor from the University of Greece over lunch.
I then had an enlightening conversation with a Pre-school teacher from Brazil.
Chatted with my new friend Young Ah from Korea, currently working at the lab school at Ohio State where they have a Reggio inspired High School!
She invited our whole HELPs team to her house for the Wonders of Learning next May in Newark, OH!
Look out Young Ah, (great name, right?) we may just take you up on that!

Now for dinner......what pasta shoudl we have tonight????

I doesn't get better!