2026 Exhibition

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“Learning and teaching should not stand on opposite banks of a river and just watch the water flow by: instead they should embark together on a journey down the river. Through an active, reciprocal exchange, teaching can strengthen learning how to learn.” Loris Malaguzzi 1

The idea behind the whole ELC and Bialik Children’s Centre immersing themselves into one concept ‘Reciprocity’ is because of a willingness to create relationships and connections amongst the staff; to develop an even stronger community where everyone has a sense of belonging.

But what do we mean when we speak about reciprocity? Reciprocity is often understood as an exchange—a giving and receiving between two people. Within our ELC, however, we understand it as something much deeper. It is a dynamic, ongoing process in which relationships create opportunities for mutual influence, new understandings and shared growth. It asks us to recognise that learning does not move in one direction, from teacher to child, or from one educator to another. Rather, learning is continually shaped and reshaped through our encounters with others.

Reciprocity requires us to be willing to listen, to be open to being changed by what we hear, and to acknowledge that our own understanding is never complete. It asks us to move beyond the assumption that we are the ones who hold the knowledge and instead recognise the knowledge, experiences and perspectives that each person brings. In this sense, reciprocity is not simply about being connected; it is about what happens within those connections.

For children, reciprocity is evident when an idea offered by one child becomes the starting point for another child’s thinking; when a question changes the direction of an investigation; or when children negotiate, challenge and extend one another’s theories. Educators are part of this same process. The questions children ask, the unexpected directions their thinking takes, and the theories they construct challenge us to reconsider our assumptions and make new pedagogical decisions. In turn, our listening, questions, materials and responses offer children opportunities to revisit and extend their ideas. The investigations which took place under the concept of ‘reciprocity‘ were different in each room.

Reciprocity also lives within our professional relationships. When educators share documentation, engage in dialogue and welcome differing interpretations, each person contributes to a collective understanding that no individual could have reached alone. We learn not only from one another’s knowledge, but also from our uncertainties, our questions and our willingness to think differently. Families, too, bring valuable knowledge of their children, enriching our understandings and reminding us that learning extends beyond the classroom.

Our professional learning and planning are a complex and interactive process in which teacher reflection and collaboration is viewed with the utmost importance. Through observation, analysis and reflection the teachers constantly consider why they did what they did. For us research is considered a strategy, a response to curiosity and doubt. The research is part of our everyday practice. It provides the possibility for critical thinking and constructing new knowledge.

In fact, the process is parallel to the way that we see our children learning. Our seminar meetings held fortnightly give opportunity for teachers to share their documentation with others and to reflect, question and learn from the different perspectives of other teachers in the group. This shared documentation is the foundation for the planning and reflecting that occurs at these meetings.

 “Intellectual conflict is understood as the engine of all growth in Reggio. Therefore, teachers seek to bring out, rather than suppress, conflicts of viewpoints between children. Similarly, among themselves, they readily accept disagreement and expect extended discussion and constructive criticism: this is seen as the best way to advance”.2

Each classroom began by listening deeply—to children’s conversations, their drawings, their questions, and their fascinations. Documentation played a central role—not as a product, but as a process of reflection and relationship. Panels, conversations, and visual displays became invitations for others to join the inquiry. The walls, floors, and shared spaces echoed the children’s questions, hypotheses, and moments of discovery.

Carla Rinaldi proposes the concept of “the normality of research”3 which defines research as an attitude and an approach to everyday living in schools and in life; a way of thinking for ourselves and thinking with others, a way of relating with others, with the world around us and with life.

What emerged from this collective journey was a deepened sense of connection—among classrooms, between families and educators, and most importantly, within the children themselves. They began to see themselves not just as learners, but as contributors to a shared dialogue of meaning.

The articles in our journal are not investigations in their entirety but rather small vignettes, part of the process. Each investigation is documented through the recording of discussions and reflections by the children and their teachers, through photographs and other ‘languages’. This documentation is fundamental to our work with our children. It makes their thinking, often very complex, visible and open to evaluation and interpretation.

Through the lens of ’Reciprocity‘ we are reminded that every child, every educator and every family brings a unique world of experiences, ideas and possibilities. When we slow down, listen deeply and make space for the many languages through which people express their thinking, we begin to recognise that learning is not something we simply deliver or measure. It is something we create together. Each encounter offers the possibility of seeing something differently and discovering what we might not have discovered alone.

  1. Malaguzzi, L. (1998). The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia approach—Advanced reflections (2nd ed.), edited by C. Edwards, L. Gandini, and G. Forman.
  2. Edwards, C. (1998). Partner, nurturer, and guide: The role of the teacher. In C. Edwards, L. Gandini, & G. Forman (Eds.), The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia approach—Advanced reflections (2nd ed.). Ablex Publishing.
  3. Rinaldi, C. (2005). In dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, researching and learning. Routledge.

Stay tuned for the 2026 exhibition exploring ‘reciprocity’.

Click on the links below to access the classes:

BCC Aleph BCC Bet     BCC Gimmel     BCC Dalet

Kinder 3 Aleph  Kinder 3 Bet     Kinder 3 Gimmel

Kinder 4 Aleph        Kinder 4 Bet       Kinder 4 Gimmel

Prep Aleph             Prep Bet              Prep Gimmel

Year 1 Aleph           Year 1 Bet          Year 1 Gimmel      

Prep/Year 1 Jewish Studies

2025 Windows into Children’s Thinking Exhibition: Investigating Visibility

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What happens when we let children lead the way in how we see learning? This question sits at the heart of our Bialik Early Learning Centre (ELC) that includes our Childcare Centre and kindergarten, and our Junior primary initiative—not just as a teaching strategy, but as a philosophy that honours children’s voices, thinking, and agency.  This year, we embarked on an ELC and Junior primary school-wide concept to explore ‘Visibility’ as a living concept, with each classroom developing its own research question based on the children’s thinking and understanding. Any concept or idea we have involves choices. An important consideration with which our educators begin is the motivation behind those choices.

For us visibility is more than just what could be seen with the eyes. It is a way of being in relationship—with each other, with ideas, with space, and with learning itself.

Ultimately, the focus on visibility transformed classrooms into living labs of curiosity, connection, and shared meaning-making. It challenged the traditional notion of teaching as transmission and reimagined school as a collaborative, ever-unfolding inquiry—guided by the children and teachers in an act of reciprocity.

Each classroom began by listening deeply—to children’s conversations, their drawings, their questions, and their fascinations. Documentation played a central role—not as a product, but as a process of reflection and relationship. Panels, conversations, and visual displays became invitations for others to join the inquiry. The walls, floors, and shared spaces echoed the children’s questions, hypotheses, and moments of discovery.

Carla Rinaldi  proposes the concept of “the normality of research”1 which defines research as an attitude and an approach to everyday living in schools and in life… as a way of thinking for ourselves and thinking with others, a way of relating with others, with the world around us and with life.

The educators, too, became researchers—studying how children represent their thinking, how visibility fosters belonging, and how the environment can be designed to listen and respond.

What emerged from this collective journey was a deepened sense of connection—among classrooms, between families and educators, and most importantly, within the children themselves. They began to see themselves not just as learners, but as contributors to a shared dialogue of meaning.

The articles in our journal are not investigations in their entirety but rather small vignettes, part of the process. Each investigation is documented through the recording of discussions and reflections by the children and their teachers, through photographs and other ‘languages’. This documentation is fundamental to our work with our children. It makes their thinking, often very complex, visible and open to evaluation and interpretation.

Through the lens of visibility, we were reminded that every child carries a world within them. When we slow down, observe closely, and make space for their many languages of expression, we begin to see learning not just as something to measure, but as something to marvel at.

1 Rinaldi, C 2005, In dialogue with Reggio Emilia : listening, researching and learning, Routledge, London ; New York.

Click on the links below to access the classes:

BCC Aleph and Bet   BCC Gimmel   BCC Dalet

Kinder 3 Aleph  Kinder 3 Bet     Kinder 3 Gimmel

Kinder 4 Aleph        Kinder 4 Bet       Kinder 4 Gimmel

Prep Aleph             Prep Bet              Prep Gimmel

Year 1 Aleph           Year 1 Bet          Year 1 Gimmel      

Prep/Year 1 Jewish Studies

2024 Windows into Children’s Thinking Exhibition: Investigating Place

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“From the beginning, children demonstrate that they have a voice, know how to listen and want to be listened to by others. School should be a place where first and foremost it is a “context of multiple listening” involving the teachers and children both individually and as a group”1. This gives children (and adults) the ability to explain, to negotiate, to recognise that there are many different solutions to one problem; to give up one’s own idea in recognition that perhaps someone else has a better solution than yours and most importantly, the ability to be able to use the ideas and theories of others, to help consolidate your own understandings.

Every year, we choose, in a democratic way, a new idea or big concept. This year the concept of “place” became the lens through which our investigations began. The focus of an investigation provides a vehicle for achieving a much larger intent. The investigation should provoke children to develop theories and strategies and to test those theories in collaboration with others.

Any concept or idea we have involves choices. An important consideration with which our teachers begin is the motivation behind those choices. Why are we choosing to research a particular aspect of our work?

Among the many choices we made was one fundamental for the future; the identity, the reality, and the image we give to children and their education.

We encouraged our children and teachers to challenge their thinking, to ask questions without knowing the answers and to revisit ideas and thoughts in different ways. There is evidence that teachers, whose image of the child values collaborative relationships, creates rich learning for children and one another.

The writing of our journal was, as always, a profoundly rich period of professional development and exchange as we explored the structure of the context offered. The stories in this journal are not investigations in their entirety but rather small vignettes, part of the process, from each level as well as from cross class groups. Each investigation is documented through the recording of discussions and reflections by the children and their teachers, through photographs and other ‘languages’. This documentation is fundamental to our work with our children. It makes their thinking, often very complex, visible and open to evaluation and interpretation. In this journal the children’s words are italicised, and many of the articles are prefaced by their own words.

“When you make learning visible, you make it exist, real, shareable, the starting point for democracy”2

Click on the links below to access the classes:

BCC Aleph and Bet 2024 BCC Gimmel 2024 BCC Dalet 2024

Kinder 3 Aleph  Kinder 3 Bet     Kinder 3 Gimmel

Kinder 4 Aleph        Kinder 4 Bet       Kinder 4 Gimmel

Prep Aleph             Prep Bet              Prep Gimmel

Year 1 Aleph           Year 1 Bet          Year 1 Gimmel      

Prep/Year 1 Jewish Studies

References

  1. Giudici, C., Rinaldi, C., Krechevsky, M., Barchi, P. and Harvard Project Zero (2001). Making learning visible : children as individual and group learners. Reggio Emilia, Italy: Reggio Children.
  2. Giudici, C., Rinaldi, C., Krechevsky, M., Barchi, P. and Harvard Project Zero (2001). Making learning visible : children as individual and group learners. Reggio Emilia, Italy: Reggio Children.

‘Magic’ of the 2023 Windows into Children’s Exhibition.

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“What is unique about learning is its dedication to possibility. When we human beings learn, the act of learning carries us beyond what we have encountered and propels us into the realm of the possible. The human learning process is not simply about acquiring knowledge about what we have encountered: it is dedicated to going beyond the information given. There is no other species on the face of the earth so dedicated to the pursuit of the possible.” Jerome Bruner  

The thought behind the whole ELC immersing themselves with one idea, is because of a willingness to create relationships and connections amongst the staff; to develop an even stronger community where everyone has a sense of belonging.

The big idea of ’Magic’ became the catalyst for our whole ELC investigation during 2023.

Documenting what has been observed in our work together with the children is fundamental to our approach. It represents a tool for exchange; for sharing and valuing different points of view.

When we talk about making the processes of learning visible, we are constantly aware of the importance of reflection, analysis, interpretation and discussion by the teachers as a rich source of professional development. The documentation is fundamental to our work with our children. It makes the thinking, often very complex, visible, and open to evaluation and interpretation. We encourage our children and teachers to challenge their thinking, to ask questions without knowing the answers and to revisit their ideas and thoughts in new ways in an effort to launch and relaunch our investigations.

The investigations in our journal have taken place during 2023 and are examples of what can be achieved during collaborative group learning. Each one is authentic and purposeful. An investigation may have been fairly short, or may have continued over many months and may still be ongoing. What follows are not investigations in their entirety but are rather small vignettes, part of the processes, from every classroom in the Early Learning Centre.

The words of the children are written in italics, and many of the articles are prefaced by the words of the children. It is our hope that in reading this journal you will be able to construct your own meanings and questions as active participants of this process.

Click on the links below to access the classes:

Creche Aleph          Creche Bet          Creche Gimmel        Creche Dalet

Kinder 3 Aleph Kinder 3 Bet     Kinder 3 Gimmel

Kinder 4 Aleph        Kinder 4 Bet       Kinder 4 Gimmel

Prep Aleph             Prep Bet              Prep Gimmel

Year 1 Aleph           Year 1 Bet          Year 1 Gimmel      

Prep/Year 1 Jewish Studies

2022 Exhibition

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The Concept of Connection.

Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio approach, believed that the challenge facing children today is to think how to interconnect. He stated that “this is the watchword for the present and the future – a word that we need to understand deeply and in all its forms. We need to do so keeping in mind that we live in a world made not of separate islands but of networks…”

After the last 2 years of lockdowns, the concept of “Connection” became the catalyst for our whole ELC investigation during 2022. Any concept or idea we have involves choices. The choice of this concept was chosen for its endless possibilities and not one prescribed outcome. We hoped that each investigation in each room would be authentic, a source of deep learning which would offer opportunities for children to engage in thoughtful ways.

Our children come to school asking questions. We observe and listen to the children because when they ask ‘why’ they are not simply expecting an answer from us. They are requesting the opportunity to find out for themselves. This attitude of a child means that they are real researchers. It is possible to destroy this attitude of research of our children with our quick answers and our certainty. We believe children ‘act’ upon the world in order to know it. Knowledge comes from actions which have been internalized. This construction and co-construction of knowledge is central to the Reggio Emilia approach. The role of the educator is to legitimise the children’s curiosity and knowledge.

As adults, we first explored the concept we were bringing to the children. We predicted and anticipated ideas as well as developed some questions. This research and planning by the adults both prior and throughout the investigation is critical to its success.

Our professional learning and planning allow a complex and interactive process in which teacher reflection and collaboration is viewed with the utmost importance. In fact, the process is parallel to the way that we see our children learning. Documentation as well as all the materials produced during observation is also of importance to our children as they can interpret and reinterpret their own experiences. Our seminar meetings give opportunity for teachers to share their documentation with others and to reflect, question and learn from the different perspectives of the other teachers in the group.

The investigations in this journal have taken place during 2022. What follows are not investigations in their entirety, but rather small vignettes, part of the process, from each level, as well as cross class groups in the Early Learning Centre. The investigations may have spanned a few weeks, months or even a year and some are still ongoing. Each investigation is documented through the recording of discussions and reflections by the children and their teachers, and through photographs and other languages. In this journal the children’s words are italicised, and many of the articles are prefaced by their own words.

“How complex are children’s ways of building knowledge, therefore how complex are the ways of capturing it.” (Reggio Emilia)

Click on the links below to access the classes:

Creche Aleph          Creche Bet          Creche Gimmel        Creche Dalet

Kinder 3 Aleph Kinder 3 Bet         Kinder 3 Gimmel 

Kinder 4 Aleph        Kinder 4 Bet         Kinder 4 Gimmel

Prep Aleph              Prep Bet              Prep Gimmel      

Year 1 Aleph           Year 1 Bet           Year 1 Gimmel         

Year 1 Jewish Studies

2021 Exhibition

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Beginnings…

The concept of “beginnings” became the catalyst for our whole ELC investigation during 2021. Any concept or idea we have involves choices. An important consideration with which our educators begin is the motivation behind those choices. Why are they choosing to research a particular aspect of their work?

When initially discussing the concept of beginnings, one of our educators asked “If we talk about beginnings, does that mean there was nothing there before?”

As adults, we first explored the concept we were bringing to the children. We predicted and anticipated ideas as well as developed some questions. This research and planning by the adults both prior and throughout the investigation is critical to its success.

The idea behind the whole ELC immersing themselves into one concept “beginnings” was because of a willingness to create relationships and connections amongst the staff, to develop an even stronger community where everyone has a sense of belonging.

The choice of concept was chosen for its endless possibilities and not one outcome. We hoped that each investigation would be authentic, a source of deep learning and would offer opportunities for children to engage in joyful ways. The importance of the connection between theory and practice cannot be underestimated. According to Malaguzzi, the separation of practice and theory within education impoverishes both. He uses a metaphor of riding a bicycle: “to go forward we have to push both pedals and maintain balance: one pedal represents theory: the other practice. Pushing only one pedal does not get us far”.

Our professional learning and planning allows a complex and interactive process in which teacher reflection and collaboration is viewed with the utmost importance. In fact, the process is parallel to the way that we see our children learning. Our seminar meetings give opportunity for teachers to share their documentation with others and to reflect, question and learn from the different perspectives of the other teachers in the group. This documentation is the foundation for the planning and reflecting that occurs in these meetings

2021 has again been a year of COVID disruption. At times during the year we have asked ourselves what future we have before us. We know that much will depend on choices we make and, on the awareness we develop as to the values and ethics that guide these choices. Among the many choices to be made, one will be fundamental for the future; the identity, the reality, and the image we give to children and their education. Despite lockdowns rich learning took place through digital Bialik. The results have culminated in our Windows into Children’s Thinking journal.

The investigations in this journal have taken place during 2021. What follows are not investigations in their entirety, but rather small vignettes, part of the process, from each level, as well as cross class groups in the Early Learning Centre. The investigations may have spanned a few weeks, months or even a year and some are still ongoing. Each investigation is documented through the recording of discussions and reflections by the children and their teachers, and through photographs and other languages. “How complex are children’s ways of building knowledge, therefore how complex are the ways of capturing it.” (Reggio Emilia)

The documentation allows for reflection and revisiting by the teachers and the children who were part of the investigation or by another group of children or teachers. It will reflect the many languages the children use as they describe their theories and make sense of their world such as the written, spoken and expressive languages.

In this journal the children’s words are italicised, and many of the articles are prefaced by their own words.

Click on the links below to access the classes:

Creche Aleph          Creche Bet          Creche Gimmel        Creche Dalet

Creche Hey

Kinder 3 Bet         Kinder 3 Gimmel 

Kinder 4 Aleph        Kinder 4 Bet         Kinder 4 Gimmel

Prep Aleph              Prep Bet              Prep Gimmel      

Prep Jewish Studies 2021

Year 1 Aleph           Year 1 Bet           Year 1 Gimmel         

Year 1 Jewish Studies 2021

Presenting the ‘Windows into Children’s Thinking’ 2020 Exhibition.

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 “Children can give us the strength of doubt and the courage of error. They can transmit to us the joy of searching and researching…the value of research, as an openness toward others and toward everything new that is produced by the encounter with others.” Carla Rinaldi

The idea behind the whole ELC immersing themselves into one overarching research question is because of a willingness to create relationships and connections amongst the staff; to develop an even stronger community where everyone has a sense of belonging. It is also to recognise school wide research as professional development.

Our ELC investigation this year “Crossing Boundaries” was chosen at the end of 2019 long before the challenges of 2020. More…

Click on the links below to access the classes:


Creche Aleph          Creche Bet          Creche Gimmel        Creche Dalet  

Kinder 3 Aleph        Kinder 3 Bet         Kinder 3 Gimmel 

Kinder 4 Aleph        Kinder 4 Bet         Kinder 4 Gimmel

Prep Aleph              Prep Bet              Prep Gimmel          Prep Cross Class 

Year 1 Aleph           Year 1 Bet           Year 1 Gimmel         

Year 1 Cross Class  Year 1 Jewish Studies 2020

2019 Exhibition

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Presenting the ‘Windows into Children’s Thinking’ 2019 Exhibition.

The narrative becomes a form of thought and gives structure and meaning to a story, thus giving it existence, transforming it into a life story, recreating it and giving it new meaning. “There is no life if it is not told,” said Jerome Bruner. “The narrative gives meaning but also liveability to life, bringing synthesis, underscoring the salient features that give meaning to the past; a daily flow that would otherwise get lost in anonymity. It is a time of reflectiveness, of pauses, and interior listening. It is the time of memory”. More…

Click on the links below to access the classes:

Creche Bet             Creche Dalet

Kinder 3 Aleph        Kinder 3 Bet         Kinder 3 Gimmel 

Kinder 4 Aleph        Kinder 4 Bet         Kinder 4 Cross Class

Prep Aleph              Prep Bet              Prep Gimmel          Prep Cross Class 

Year 1 Aleph           Year 1 Bet           Year 1 Gimmel          

Year 1 Cross Class                            Year 1 Hebrew and Jewish Studies      

2018 Windows Into Children’s Thinking Exhibition

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Presenting the ‘Windows into Children’s Thinking’ 2018 Exhibition.

Welcome to the 2018 Exhibition.  

This year the big question of “Transformation” underpins the investigations in the ELC. While the understanding is ‘transformation’ this can and does look different in every classroom in the school. Teaching is not simply a matter of transmitting knowledge from one to another, rather teaching and learning are the transformations brought about through unique and living relationships. Presenting big ideas to children can be the spark that challenges children to reach out from their own understandings to make connections with the understandings of others. This helps them to see and hear and respect multiple perspectives and that there is not only one way. More…

Kinder 3E    Kinder 3M    Kinder 3R
Kinder 4G    Kinder 4J    Kinder 4L    Kinder 4 Cross Class
Prep A         Prep J         Prep R        Prep Hebrew & Jewish Studies Investigations
One L          One NZ       One R         Year One Cross Class

2017 Exhibition

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Presenting the ‘Windows into Children’s Thinking’ 2017 Exhibition.

Welcome to the 2017 Exhibition.  

The concept of “welcome “became the catalyst for our whole ELC investigation during 2017. Any concept or idea we have involves choices. An important consideration with which our educators begin is the motivation behind those choices.

Why are they choosing to research a particular aspect of their work? Jill Mclachlan and Clare Britt in their book “Unearthing Why” discuss how we spend time focussing on the what and how of our experiences. What will we do tomorrow? How will I teach that concept? How much time should I allow for that activity? How will I respond to that child? And while they acknowledge the importance of these questions they suggest that there is a place for relooking at the deeper question of ‘Why’ educate in the first place.

Through observation, analysis and reflection the educators constantly considered why they did what they did. For us research is considered a strategy, a response to curiosity and doubt. The research is part of our everyday practice. It provides the possibility for critical thinking and constructing new knowledge.

As adults, we first tried out the idea we were bringing to the children. We predicted and anticipated ideas as well as developed some questions. This research and planning by the adults both prior and throughout the investigation “was critical to its success.

As with most opportunities offered to the teachers in the ELC they embraced this idea, at first with many questions but as always with a willingness to support the ideas. While every teacher in the ELC based their investigation on “Welcome”, in each classroom this looked different and that is the strength of “listening” to our children.

The investigations in this journal have taken place during 2017. What follows are not investigations in their entirety, but rather small vignettes, part of the process, from each level, as well as cross class groups in the Early Learning Centre. The investigations may have spanned a few weeks, months or even a year and some are still ongoing. Each investigation is documented through the recording of discussions and reflections by the children and their teachers, and through photographs and other languages. “How complex are children’s ways of building knowledge, therefore how complex are the ways of capturing it.” (Reggio Emilia)

The documentation allows for reflection and revisiting by the teachers and the children who were part of the investigation or by another group of children or teachers. It will reflect the many languages the children use as they describe their theories and make sense of their world such as the written, spoken and expressive languages.

“Successful dialogues do not presume answers or outcomes but are an exchange of thoughts and feelings, which allow for the possibility of change because one mind experiences another mind”. Mary Hartzell

In this journal the children’s words are italicised, and many of the articles are prefaced by their own words.

 

Click on the links below to access the classes:

Kinder 3G    Kinder 3J    Kinder 3L

Kinder 4E    Kinder 4M   Kinder4R   Kinder 4 Cross Class Investigation

Prep L         Prep R        Prep Z

One G          One K      One R     Year One Cross Class Investigation

2016 Exhibition

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Presenting the ‘Windows into Children’s Thinking’ 2016 Exhibition.

This year the United Nations 2016 International Year of Pulses became the catalyst for a whole ELC investigation. Our initial aim was to bring the experiences of teachers and children closer together and to inspire them to not only think about the role of pulses (grain legumes) in feeding the world, but to motivate them into playing a more active role in matters affecting the environment. We hoped to bring issues such as health and nutrition, food security, environmental sustainability and sustainability in other ways into our classrooms. Most importantly we wanted the learning to be authentic and worthy of learning.

“When you make learning visible, you make it exist, real, shareable, the starting point for democracy.” Carla Rinaldi

Carla Rinaldi proposes the concept of the “normality of research” which defines research as an attitude and an approach to everyday living in schools and in life…as a way of thinking with others, a way of relating with others, with the world around us and with life.

Several years ago, we, in the E.L.C. started our own research journal. The articles were not investigations in their entirety but rather small vignettes, part of the process from each year level as well as cross class groups. One investigation may have spanned a few weeks, whilst another may have continued over many months and may still be ongoing. This documentation is fundamental to our work with our children. It makes their thinking, often very complex, visible and open to evaluation and interpretation. It also makes visible the teachers’ research and reflections alongside those of the children. These investigations are authentic and purposeful. The documentation reflects the many languages the children use as they describe their theories and make sense of their world i.e. the written, spoken, expressive and digital language.

Click on the links below to access the classes:

Kinder 3E    Kinder 3M    Kinder 3R

Kinder 4G    Kinder 4J    Kinder4L    Kinder 4 Cross Class Investigation 

Prep A         Prep K        Prep R

One L          One R        One Z       Year One Cross Class Investigation

Feedback from opening night….

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Dear All,

What a fabulous night!! You all did an amazing job!! I listened to some parent comments…

‘Wow! This is a lot of work!’

Some just loved seeing their children in a photo or their comment ‘up in lights’ so to speak.

Personally I read quite a few panels and really loved seeing the children’s thoughts on so many different theories and ideas. The iPads also brought the panels to life.

Well done to all the staff!!
You are all unique and amazing!!

Sarah

Dear ELC staff,

The evening, and the exhibition, was (and is) fantastic. A real celebration, explanation and exemplification of strong, purposeful and investigative learning.

I was bowled over by the quality of the documentation and inspired by the in-depth conversations the children are having about complex subjects.

Well done to all – huge effort has gone into this and all are to be congratulated.

Jeremy

Timely Thoughts: Reflections on Time by Jeremy Stowe-Lindner

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Friends and colleagues,

Time interests me. I like clocks. I like their look, their serenity. I am interested in their inevitability and their rules. I like their international language.

I am a history teacher and a philosophy teacher – so it fits that the need for measuring time, the presentation of time, and questions surrounding time, intrigue me. And so it is that Time, History and Memory are the topics of our conversation today.

I would like you to engage in a fantasy with me for a moment. I would like to look at a paradox, something that should make sense, but doesn’t. Something that in isolation works, but when we put it with what else we know, doesn’t.

The Greek philosopher Zeno imagines that the God Achilles, who was known for his speed – Achilles’ heal and all that – had a race with a tortoise – beautiful animals but not exactly known for their speed. Achilles gives the tortoise a headstart – let us say 100 metres.

If we suppose that each racer starts running at a constant speed – one very fast and one very slow, we would say that Achilles will over take the tortoise. But Zeno’s paradox says that he doesn’t.

Zeno says this. If the two of them race, with the tortoise having a headstart,  – then after some finite time, Achilles will have run 100 metres, bringing him to the tortoise’s starting point. During this time, the tortoise has run a much shorter distance, say, 10 metres. It will then take Achilles some further time to run that distance, by which time the tortoise will have advanced farther; and then more time still to reach this third point, while the tortoise moves ahead.

If we follow the logic, then  whenever Achilles reaches somewhere the tortoise has been – the dotted line in the picture here – he still has farther to go. Therefore, because there are an infinite number of points Achilles must reach where the tortoise has already been, he can never overtake the tortoise.

Zeno was a Greek philosopher who enjoyed suggesting paradoxes which challenge our understanding of the normal. We know that in reality Achilles would overtake the tortoise, but when explained in this way, there is a philosophical block to speed winning a race.

Today I would like to speak with you about one of the themes of this paradox. Time.  Time in general, and history in particular. We will look at the traditional concept of time and compare it to that in the Jewish tradition. I would like to ask as many questions as I answer today, honouring the philosophy of Reggio Emilia that we are celebrating this evening. Asking the right questions and engaging in the explorations of learning are in themselves goals to make us powerful learners and collaborative members of society.

Time is an artificial construct. It governs our lives, we live by the clock, we try and act in a timely way, we speed up, and we slow down. Schools in particular live by the bell. Our lessons last the same amount of time. Meetings fit within lesson times. Toilet visits are governed by time. When we eat is governed by the bell. And in society as a whole, how often do we say, I need time to think, give me some more time, I’ll be there in a minute. Let us try and understand this concept of time, and where it came from.

Let us start with clocks. Let us start with some audience participation, to warm us up. When, I ask you, was the first time-measuring clock invented?

1587 BC   1277AD       1487AD           1787AD

Well they’re all right. Water clocks were probably the earliest form of clocks – we know that there were some in Ancient Babylon and Egypt in the 16c BCE – here’s a   replica of Su Song‘s Astronomical Clock Tower, built in 11th century Kaifeng, China. It was driven by a large waterwheel.

Muslim Spain had the first mechanical clocks that we might recognise – they were certainly around in the 13thc and possibly before. The word clock, by the way,  comes from the Celtic words clocca and clogan, both meaning “bell” – most likely it was the sound of bells which also characterized the prototype mechanical clocks that appeared at this time. They didn’t tell time in the way that we might recognise – they were basically reminders for particular events, or prayer services.

Spring driver clocks emerged in the 15th century. Pendulum clocks came soon after and once Britain wanted to explore the high seas, the British government offered a £20,000 reward for a non-pendulum clock that would lose less than 10 seconds a day so that ships could navigate accurately. John Harrison won with this. Not really something that you’d wear on your wrist.

So why this obsession with time? Why this obsession with clocks.

Well, I think we now agree on a few things. Time is an artificial construct  – we have developed systems over time to measure it, categorise it, and understand it.

We saw from Zeno’s paradox that there is a difficulty with matching up the laws of time, with the laws of motion. We also know that the faster you travel, even though time flows at a constant rate for the traveller, time objectively slows down. This is part of Einstein’s theory of relativity. It is also, he said, how it is possible to time travel. How do we know this to be true? Well, place two atomic clocks on two aircraft, one flying westward and one flying eastward, and you will see that time passes slower on the eastward heading aircraft, since it is moving with the earth’s rotation and thus a bit quicker. So time is not something that is constant. When the two aircraft land at the same point, their two clocks show different times.

We have established  that time can be different for different people, and that our method of measuring it – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 60 seconds in a minute and so on – is an artificial construct. The French Revolution, after all, experimented with a 10 day week. Between 1582 and 1752, two different calendars were used in Europe. In England, only by an Act of Parliament in 1752 did they move over to one calendar, wiping out 11 days of September in one go.

Let us now move onto the practical implications of time and history here at school.

I am a history teacher. The way we like to look at time in History lessons is using a timeline. In the History classroom, we see time as linear. There is a straight line between now, yesterday, last year, last century, last millenium.

This makes time easy to categorise, to list, to understand. A sense of linear chronology is a basic skill in the Australian History curriculum and is listed as a teachable skill from the Foundation year, or Prep.

We gain an understanding of time as our brains develop. Using my own children before the age of schooling as an example, we can see this.

At this age Jesse had an understanding only of the present. He had no concept of past or future.

At this age he had an understanding of now, before and soon.

At this age he had an understanding of memory, yesterday, present, tomorrow and the future.

I wonder what life would be if we developed no understanding of chronology.

I would like us now to consider the Jewish understanding of time. Because this is the important aspect of this talk. In what ways does the Jewish understanding of time shift away from the traditional.

Here’s a Hebrew test. What is the Hebrew word for History? Well the answer is that there is none. The Hebrew word for History is borrowed from the English: Historia. That is because there is no concept of history in Jewish tradition in the way that we recognise it. The books of the bible play around with time – the early humans lived for centuries, the events are often muddled up with no traditional sense of chronology. People appear from all over the place. Adam the first man was still alive when Noah’s father – Noah of the Flood – was alive. The patriarch Abraham was 75 years old when his 205 year old father Terah died! In Bereishit, genesis, the world itself was created twice – read the first two chapters.

SO, if there is no word for history, what is the concept of history in Jewish tradition. How do we view time, and in what way is it different to our current understanding of it. If modern tradition, with clocks and so on, view time as linear, then Jewish tradition does not.

In the absence of Historia, there is Zichron, which means remembrance. We remember things – events are not in history – they are in our history. The other name for our new year, Rosh Hashanah, is Yom HaZikaron – the day of remembrance – and it is a two day festival, even though we use the word Yom – which means Day in the singular. Rosh Hashana is translated in English as New Year – but we also call Rosh hashana the birthday of the world, but actually it is the remembrance of creation of the world.

During our blessing over wine on Friday nights, we remember the days of slavery in Egypt. And on Passover, Pesach, we say that we remember the days of slavery, and we are commanded to behave ‘as if you yourself were there.’

How can we do this? How can we remember the days of creation? How can we be as if we were slaves in Egypt. How can we remember History, rather than learn it.

The Jewish people have been through a lot – and the scars of events are often quite literally born on the forearms of our grandparents. Yair lapid, Israeli politician said, “there is not one family in all of Israel whose members sit at the table and say ‘oh well not much happened to our family in the last 300 years’.

Do we remember, rather than learn about, the events because they are painful? Exile, dispersion, pogroms, persecution, murder and war? Partly.  Do we remember because of the wonderful events? The barmitzvas, the independence days, the parting of the seas,  the successes, the achievements of our Einsteins and our Mendlessons? Partly.

We also remember the events because we have a different way of looking at time.

If the traditional view of time is by watching the clock and cataloguing time in a linear way, the Jewish way of viewing time is a spiral.

What if our clocks looked like this? The Jewish view of time does not hark back along a timeline to the distant past. It sees spirals and circles, not lines. It peers back into history, as though yourself were there says the Passover Haggada. We do not look back – we look down to the spirals beneath us and we do not just learn about, we remember.

We thrive in Zeno’s paradox because we use different rules of times. We create rituals to recreate the stories of yesteryear because we are commanded not to learn – but to remember. It is the memory of our history that helps us to celebrate, to laugh, to cry and to despair together. It is the memory of our history that helps unite members of our faith across the world.

Kol Yisrael Areivim ze la ze – all of Israel is responsible for each other – why? Because we were all there at the exodus from Egypt. We were all there at Mount Sinai. We were all there at the great dispersions. And we are all here, now, in celebration of history, in defiance of history, living history because zichron, and not Historia, is the basis of our heritage.

The iconic Jewish prayer, Shema, is written in the present tense, as if we are hearing the words of Moses. It tells us to remember the commandments. It is not about learning about- it is about remembering.

So, friends, how do we reconcile this? How do we reconcile the academic linear view of History with the Jewish concept of memory and remembrance.

I would suggest that we do not need to. They coexist, they do not conflict.

Memory is experiential and history is studied. We need both. The Jewish lens of history, of remembrance, thrives on historical proof but because it invokes memory as well, it is inherently popular. It levels the playing field because we are not reliant on history being taught to us. We are required and obligated to remember it. To sit down with bubba and zeida, with grandma and grandpa and find out about the past. What Jewish school does not have a family history project as part of its curriculum? With Jewish festivals, we relive the events. The Chanuka story we relive it. The Passover story we sit down and eat the food, tell the stories, and remind ourselves that we, ourselves, our very beings were freed from Egypt. And we continue the story is HiStory by telling it to our children. What do Jewish communities do as soon as they arrive somewhere to live? They build a school.  We bring together objective history, documented history, factual history, with family and collective memory. We create living history.

Tonight is a celebration of the Reggio-eEmilia inspired philosophy of learning at Bialik College’s Early Learning Centre. Great schools unite thinking and learning with happiness, wellbeing, relationships and creativity. I hope that we have done something tonight to unite these principles into the minds of everyone here.

We all have our own narratives – and I hope what we have also shared tonight is that each of our narratives, each of our histories are different – and that is fine. We celebrate the diversity of our individual and collective memories and, standing on the shoulders of giants, our ancestors in memory and history, we step forth with courage – the Bialik College motto – Dirchuna Oz.

Exhibition Opening

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We are delighted to have Jeremy Stowe-Lindner as our guest speaker for the opening of the exhibition on Wednesday 31 October.

Jeremy Stowe-Lindner is Bialik College’s new Principal. His previous roles include the founding Head teacher of JCoSS, the Jewish Community Secondary School. Jeremy has held leadership positions in three London schools. Jeremy has an MBA in educational management, a Cert.Ed. in subject leadership, the NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headship) and has also published both in the UK and abroad.

Describing himself as ‘a history and philosophy teacher by training and temperament’, Jeremy will speak on the theme of: Timely Thoughts: Reflections on Time.