Date: August 23, 2023 (Wednesday)
Time: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm (Hong Kong Time)
Mode: Online via Zoom in English
Registration: https://eduhk.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9zuzSPpmEaH6AqG
In the 8th INTER-CONVERSATIONS forum co-organized by the Department of Early Childhood Education at the EdUHK, Fairchild Kindergarten, and the Hong Kong and Macao Reggio Emilia Study Group, our speakers from Hong Kong, Macao, Shenzhen, Vietnam, and Japan will tell us how the Reggio Emilia approach is practiced in their cities and regions. Join us, and learn about the Reggio Emilia philosophy and method in Asia! See our speakers’ biographies below. A question-and-answer session follows the talks. Contact Sofie Chua (schua@eduhk.hk) for queries.
Biography of Speakers
Representatives from Hong Kong
Ms. Betty Yau is a Guest Lecturer for the ECE department at the Education University of Hong Kong, supporting leadership and management courses in ECE subjects and field experience for student teachers. She is also the Principal of Fairchild Kindergarten and the Acting Head of School for Fairchild Junior Academy. Both school campuses are Reggio Emilia-inspired early years settings, which promote play and inquiry to foster children's curiosity, creativity, and confidence. She has strongly advocated for the Hong Kong and Macao Reggio Emilia Study Group since 2016 and has facilitated meetings for the group to help spread knowledge and awareness and share best practices on the Reggio approach in Hong Kong for educators and parents.
Mr. Mabo Kuwata is a Japanese early childhood educator. He is the owner and teacher of Il Villaggio Dei Bambini, Hong Kong, and a co-founder of Hong Kong & Macao Reggio Emilia Study Group. He studied ECE in San Francisco, Bay Area. He worked with children and families for over 19 years in various settings: personal babysitter, preschool (assistant teacher, teacher, director), children’s museum (BADM), etc. Also, he’s been working as a teacher trainer in Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. He believes that the most important thing to stay with children is honesty. Being honest, sincerely. He sometimes gets in trouble for being too honest, but this is what he believes and sees that the Reggio Emilia approach is doing.
Ms. Rafaella Tung is a dedicated and experienced educator with over two decades of experience in the early childhood and special education sectors. She earned her MA in Education from San Jose State University before returning to Hong Kong to attain a Postgraduate Degree in Education from the University of Hong Kong and Kindergarten Principal qualifications from Baptist University. Throughout her career, Rafaella has worked with children, families, educators, and the wider community. She also established several educational organizations, including World in Motion for special needs children, the award-winning Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool Blooming Buds, the Reggio Emilia study groups of Hong Kong and Macao, and the educational consultancy firm Blooms and Buds. Rafaella's work encompasses various educational roles, including consultancy, writing articles, university lecturing, teacher training, and working with children. She is committed to giving back to her community, and serves as a Service and Development Committee Member for Playright HK.
Representative from Macao
Dr. Annie A.Y. Choi is a kindergarten teacher at the TIS International School of Macao. Born in South Korea, she has taught at international schools in Asia for 20 years, including 15 years in kindergartens. As Annie's background is in Computer Education (Yonsei University, Korea), she has also taught AP Computer Science, IB Korean Literature, and high school technology classes in China for five years. Annie completed the Ph.D. program at the University of Saint Joseph in Macao, with her dissertation titled: Listening to Children's Ideas to Improve in Learning and Developing Higher-Order Thinking Skills Through Reflection with Daily Documentation. She now mentors new teachers at TIS and supervises student teachers in her classroom. Annie presents at workshops for international school teachers about the Reggio Emilia Approach, the Emergent Curriculum, Kindergarten STEAM ideas, Seesaw, and co-teaching practice. Annie welcomes collaborating opportunities for research between schools and universities with kindergarten classrooms regarding children's voices, documentation, or STEAM.
Representative from Shenzhen, Mainland China
Ms. Joanna Huang is a seasoned education professional and leads the Huitong Early Learning Centre as the Head of Kindergarten. She is an alumnus of South China Normal University and further honed her expertise with a Master's in Education from Deakin University. She is an administrator and a hands-on practitioner, shaping young minds as a dedicated homeroom teacher. As an ardent proponent of the Reggio Emilia approach, Joanna brings its philosophies to life in her everyday teaching practice. Through her endorsement of the project approach, Joanna encourages young learners to explore their interests, developing skills that pave the way for lifelong learning. She documents each child's learning, using this comprehensive portfolio to inform her teaching strategies and nurture their natural curiosity. A key tenet of her practice is recognizing the environment as the third teacher. Joanna carefully designs her classroom to stimulate exploration, communication, and interaction, ensuring it is welcoming and challenging.
Representative from Vietnam
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hà was born in 1977 in Hanoi, Vietnam. When she had a daughter, she looked for a good educational method for her. Then, she was inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach and applied for a study tour at Loris Malaguzi Center. At that moment, she also set up her own kindergarten named Elite Preschool. Her school applies the Reggio Emilia approach based on traditional topics following the educational ministry's curriculum to make teachers' work easier and to keep the school fees affordable for parents. For instance, with the monthly topic of transport, the traditional program teaches children many kinds of vehicles; but she advises her teachers to spend time observing children and choose one vehicle (e.g., bicycle) to have an experiment based on the Reggio Emilia approach. She and her colleague have organized seminars to share about the Reggio Emilia approach to teachers in Vietnam. They also published a book about their journey with Reggio Emilia, with their observations from different countries.
Representative from Japan
Dr. Mari Mori taught at kindergartens in Japan and NYC, USA as a teacher and principal in Tokyo, Japan. She gained her Doctor of Education degree at Teachers College, Columbia University, USA. Dr. Mori currently serves as a professor of Early Childhood Education to teach undergraduate and graduate classes, including “Principles of Early Childhood Care and Education," “Current Issues of International Education,” and “Reggio Emilia Approach of Early Childhood Education” at Kobe Shinwa University in Kobe, Japan. She is the Board Director of the Japanese National Committee of OMEP, a member of the Voice of Children Advisory Council of Bright Start Foundation. She has served as a coordinator of Reggio International Network and adviser at JIREA. Her main research interests focus on the relationship between children’s rights and practice, slow pedagogies, and pedagogical documentation.