The 2024 Annual Conference for the Association of Constructivist Teaching (ACT) was hosted by Boulder Journey School in Boulder, Colorado (https://www.boulderjourneyschool.com). The school, founded in 1984 through a collaborative effort among educators, parents, local public schools, and the community, is rooted in the belief that children are competent and capable. Given its origins, it is logical that the school implements the practices of the Reggio Emilia Approach, which advocates exploration, collaboration, long-term projects, and creative arts.
The Reggio Emilia Approach (https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/), an educational philosophy, emerged in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in the mid-twentieth century and has since spread to more than 145 countries and territories worldwide. Visiting Reggio Children, an international center in Reggio Emilia, Italy, is a dream of many early childhood educators, including myself.
The Reggio Emilia Approach also emphasizes the teacher-as-researcher concept. Aligned with this philosophy, Boulder Journey School not only serves children aged 6 weeks to 5 years and their families but also offers teacher training in collaboration with the University of Colorado Denver.
A keynote presentation by Dr. Brenda Fyfe, titled Embracing Constructivism: Interweaving Linguistic and Culturally Responsive Theory and Practice, drew from her book Affirming the Rights of Emergent Bilingual and Multicultural Children and Families. Her presentation provided concrete examples of the Reggio Emilia Approach in practice.
Two unique aspects of this year’s conference stood out to me:
- The hybrid format: The conference was offered both live and virtually. Attendees and presenters for the virtual sessions seemed quite comfortable in this format. It is clear that we are all continuing to construct new knowledge around technology, an area accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Broadening constructivist practices: Presentations extended beyond early childhood education. For example, I attended a session by a behavioral scientist with great curiosity, as there is a fundamental difference between constructivism and behaviorism regarding how humans learn. When the presenter mentioned B.F. Skinner, a university faculty audience became upset and even challenged her. However, as the presenter explained and demonstrated her approach to working with children with behavioral issues, it became evident that she uses close observation of children’s responses, builds upon their interests, and focuses on building trust—all principles of constructivism. This was a compelling example of how even behaviorists are embracing constructivist theory and practice.
Hosting this year’s conference at Boulder Journey School perfectly aligned with the conference theme, Embracing Constructivism: From Theory to Practice. As Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia program, stated, the Reggio Emilia Approach was influenced by the work of Jean Piaget, the founder of Constructivism.
In 2025, Vanguard will host the ACT conference under the theme of Universal Language of Learning: Constructivism. I had the opportunity to showcase the Vanguard campus to the current ACT Board President, Dr. Beth Van Meeteren, when she visited Orange County for another conference. She really liked the campus and is highly appreciative of us hosting the next year’s conference. I am confident it will be an excellent conference!