Visible Learners

A progressive, research-based approach for making learning visible

Based on the Reggio Emilia approach to learning, Visible Learners highlights learning through interpreting objects and artifacts, group learning, and documentation to make students' learning evident to teachers. Visible classrooms are committed to five key principles: that learning is purposeful, social, emotional, empowering, and representational. The book includes visual essays, key practices, classroom and examples.

• Show how to make learning happen in relation to others, spark emotional connections, give students power over their learning, and express ideas in multiple ways
• Illustrate Reggio-inspired principles and approaches via quotes, photos, student and teacher reflections, and examples of student work
• Offer a new way to enhance learning using progressive, research-based practices for increasing collaboration and critical thinking in and outside the classroom

Visible Learners asks that teachers look beyond surface-level to understand who students are, what they come to know, and how they come to know it.

Mara Krechevsky is a senior researcher at Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Ben Mardell, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Lesley University and a former researcher at Project Zero.

Melissa Rivard is a senior researcher and visual media specialist at Project Zero.

Daniel Wilson, Ed.D., is a principal investigator and lecturer at Project Zero.

Inspired by the innovative educational philosophy that originated in Reggio Emilia, a small city in Italy, Visible Learners offers research-based practices for fostering learning in groups through documentation. In this approach, first developed during a long-term collaboration between researchers at Harvard's Project Zero and Reggio educators, learning becomes a visible activity that develops students' intellectual capacities as well as their individual and group identities as learners. Visible classrooms can be identified by five key principles--that learning is purposeful, social, representational, empowering, and emotional. The authors define each principle using illustrative learning portraits, quotes from students and teachers, pictures, reflections, and examples of student work. Additionally, the authors offer teachers and administrators practical ways to enhance learning by increasing collaboration and critical thinking across grade levels and subject matter. Also included is a section containing dozens of tools for making learners and learning visible, incorporating guidelines for the classroom and the staffroom as well as ideas for engaging students' families. Visible Learners shows how observing and documenting learning can change the nature of that learning, and asks teachers to look beyond surface to understand who their students are, what they come to know, and how they come to know it. " We are at a critical moment that cries out for 4 C's learning (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity). Visible Learning addresses this very challenge by offering rich examples and practical guidance for creating powerful learning experiences in our classrooms, schools, and communities." -- Ken Kay , CEO of EdLeader21 and cofounder and president, Partnership for 21st Century Skills " Many educators have pondered whether the 'Reggio approach' can be employed with older children and under different conditions. In this highly original book, the authors demonstrate how the principles developed in a small city in northern Italy can be realized across the ages, across the curriculum, and across the seas." -- Howard Gardner , Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Inspired by the innovative educational philosophy that originated in Reggio Emilia, a small city in Italy, Visible Learners offers research-based practices for fostering learning in groups through documentation. In this approach, first developed during a long-term collaboration between researchers at Harvards Project Zero and Reggio educators, learning becomes a visible activity that develops students intellectual capacities as well as their individual and group identities as learners. Visible classrooms can be identified by five key principles that learning is purposeful, social, representational, empowering, and emotional. The authors define each principle using illustrative learning portraits, quotes from students and teachers, pictures, reflections, and examples of student work. Additionally, the authors offer teachers and administrators practical ways to enhance learning by increasing collaboration and critical thinking across grade levels and subject matter. Also included is a section containing dozens of tools for making learners and learning visible, incorporating guidelines for the classroom and the staffroom as well as ideas for engaging students families. Visible Learners shows how observing and documenting learning can change the nature of that learning, and asks teachers to look beyond surface to understand who their students are, what they come to know, and how they come to know it. " We are at a critical moment that cries out for 4 Cs learning (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity). Visible Learning addresses this very challenge by offering rich examples and practical guidance for creating powerful learning experiences in our classrooms, schools, and communities." Ken Kay , CEO of EdLeader21 and cofounder and president, Partnership for 21st Century Skills " Many educators have pondered whether the Reggio approach can be employed with older children and under different conditions. In this highly original book, the authors demonstrate how the principles developed in a small city in northern Italy can be realized across the ages, across the curriculum, and across the seas." Howard Gardner , Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education

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