Collaboration - Italy 2017-2019

During the Spring Semester 2014, I traveled to Siena Italy with 9 teacher candidates. We lived in the city, learned Italian and taught English in three schools. 

There, we met Dr. Maurizio Tuliani, an experienced, history, geography, and technology teacher. His 8th graders  use IPADS. He was the first teacher (outside of the US) to collaborate with the ABC's Project. His students worked with mine. 

Before we began, a male student asked a critical question in Italian directed to me: 

"Barbara, you want to know what we THINK? No one ever asks us what we think. They want to know what we know, and then, we are tested on it. Are you sure you want our thinking?" 

After an 'Ah Ha" moment, both Dr. Tuliani and I assured him that his thinking mattered. 

How often do we (parents, teachers, counselors, coaches) ask kids what they think?  Two veteran educators and my teacher candidates learned the importance of differentiating between Kids" thinking and knowing. Images created on IPADS were uploaded on a Smartboard (V= Votare, O = Operari) captured the attention of the students and prompted authentic discussion. 

This collaboration was published in The International Journal of Social Studies Education in 2015 (see link below). 

In June 2017 the project focused on one letter I = Immigration and  images were created with paints and art materials.  

Thank you, Dr. Tuliani and 8th 1A Cecco Angiolieri Scuola Mediale, Siena, Italy.