Promoting Children’s Rights in European Schools: Intercultural Dialogue and Facilitative Pedagogy

About the Author Claudio Baraldi is Professor of Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. He is past-president of the Sociology of Childhood Research Committee of the International Sociological Association.Dr. Erica Joslyn is Head of Department for the Department of Children, Young People and Education at University Campus Suffolk, UK.Federico Farini is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Northampton, UK.Chiara Ballestri is a Researcher at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.Luisa Conti is Lecturer on Intercultural Communication and Pedagogy at the University of Jena, Germany. Product Description Promoting Children's Rights in European Schools explores how facilitators, teachers and educators can adopt and use a dialogic methodology to solicit children's active participation in classroom communication. The book draws on a research project, funded by the European Commission (Erasmus +, Key-action 3, innovative education), coordinated by the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy, with the partnership of the University of Suffolk, UK, and the University of Jena, Germany. The author team bring together the analysis of activities in 48 classes involving at least 1000 children across England, Germany and Italy. These activities have been analysed in relation to the sociocultural context of the involved schools and children, a facilitative methodology and the use of visual materials in the classroom, and engaging children in active participation and the production of their own narratives. Each chapter looks at reflection on practice, outcomes, and reaction to facilitation of both teachers and children, drawing out the complex comparative lessons within and between classrooms across the three countries. Review “The SHARMED project deepens notions of agency using examples of facilitated engagement with and alongside children. By describing how visual, oral and written narratives focused on co-constructed identity in increasingly complex, multicultural contexts. This book provides a rights-based rationale as well as practical skills for teachers to embed trust, respect and tolerance in education settings.” ―Sarah Te One, Senior Researcher, CORE Education Tatai Aho Rau, New Zealand“Drawing on the Shared Memories and Dialogues project funded by the European Commission, this book provides such an interesting, unique perspective on ways to explore innovative pedagogies and facilitate children's participation in multicultural communities. An exciting reading!” ―Fengling Tang, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies, University of Roehampton, UK