Modern Childhood No. 3 2024
Sensuality – The extra-linguistic
September 3, 2024
Modern Barndom 3/24 focuses on sensuality and children and young people with functional variations and impairments – children with special rights. Geresta adapted elementary school in Härnösand shares its extensive change work, where the learning environments are permeated by sensuality and the working method is multilingual. Kollaborativet talks about its "sensory performing arts for everyone" and the co-creation processes with children and educators. In addition, Sarah Uhnoo, associate professor of sociology, talks about young people's informal learning through "local podcasts," and Edu Ortens' Jasmin Nasser talks about the platform where marginalized (young) voices can be heard. Also featured are educator portraits, documentation, the launch of the Reggio Emilia Institute's podcast, and Elias Fjellander from Signerat RFSL Ungdom on the new gender identity law.
The panel
What did you take away from this year's Summer Symposium: "Preschools in a time of crisis, war, and crime"? Rafael Alves Noreen, childcare worker in Stockholm, Johanna Westman and Viktoria Samuelsson, preschool teachers in Sundsvall, and Maida Micheletti, principal in Ystad, answer this question.
Environments for learning and wonder
"We started with the practical stuff, deciding to make flexible classrooms and creative learning environments both inside and outside. That process was the first step. The collegial change process was step two, says Carina Söderlind Löfvander, principal of Geresta's adapted elementary school in Härnösand. Today, the rooms are imbued with practicality, sensuality, and aesthetics—and a hundred-language approach to work.
Sensual language-based performing arts
"We always try to create conditions that allow children to express themselves and develop their existing skills. That's also why we work with the senses, because the children we meet are experts at navigating them," says Ellen Spens, one of the performing artists behind Kollaborativet, which focuses on the body and the senses and always works closely with children and young people with functional variations and their teachers.
Podcasts as an arena for learning
This spring saw the publication of the bookMellan resignation & framtidstro(BetweenResignation and Faith in the Future), in which researchers at the University of Gothenburg examined the living conditions and learning of young people in stigmatized areas. Meet Sara Uhnoo, associate professor of sociology and one of the editors, who is particularly interested in so-called "ortpoddar" (suburban podcasts). Also featured is one of the podcast creators, Edu Ortens Jasmin Nasser, who talks about the platform that focuses on creating a representative space for young people from the suburbs.
Hyllan
Gunilla Essén reviewsDeveloping Preschool Together – Valuing Small Steps.
Reggio Around
The launch of the Reggio Emilia Institute podcast, news on the Modern Barndom website, and more.
The Educator
Eva Claesson, operations manager for preschools and central student health services in Härnösand, whose 45-year career in preschools and schools has been marked by both changes and guiding principles, such as the importance of the child's perspective and multilingual working methods.
Documentation
"What is sound – children in relation to sound." Children at the Nyckelpigan preschool in Hedemora explore the sound of the wind in a hundred languages.
Synpunkten
Carina Wällstedt Johansson, deputy principal in Helsingborg and member of the Reggio Emilia Institute's board, on safeguarding democracy and the importance of the word "together."
Signed
Elias Fjellander, chairperson of RFSL Ungdom (RFSL Youth), on the new gender identity law.