Tiziana Filippini is a pedagogista and collaborator with Reggio Children, Italy.
She has a degree in psychology from Padova University and worked as pedagogista from 1978 to 2015 as a member of the Pedagogical Coordinating Team of the Istituzione – Preschools and Infant Toddler Centres of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia.
In particular, Tiziana was the long-standing pedagogista of the famous Diana Preschool, which came to the world’s attention when it was featured by Newsweek in 1991 as one of the 10 best schools in the world.
She coordinated the Documentation and Educational Research Centre of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia (1994-2009).
Tiziana was member of the Board of Reggio Children from 1994 to 2007 and now collaborates with Reggio Children on current research projects, speaking at international conferences, and consulting widely in the field of early childhood education.
She was referent for the exhibition “The Hundred Languages of Children” which now travels the world and will be viewed by thousands of educators and members of the public at the Early Childhood Australia national conference in Darwin later this year. Tiziana is one of the appointed curators of the new exhibition about young children and their learning called “The Wonder of Learning: The Hundred Languages of Children”. This second exhibition brings together important stories and current research projects from Reggio Emilia, and shares this important work with educators in global contexts.
Tiziana Filippini coordinates the professional development activities for teachers and atelieriste at the infant-toddler centres and preschools in Reggio Emilia and has a sustained interest in the ongoing investment in teacher education.
Since 2011 she has been the pedagogical supervisor of ‘Officina Educativa’, the Department of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia which works with the compulsory primary school in Reggio Emilia for children aged 6-14 years.
During her 37 years of experience, Tiziana has travelled the world to present as a speaker at conferences and seminars. Through this work she is able to share and celebrate the experiences of the infant-toddler centres, preschools and primary school of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, a system that has earned world wide acclaim and is known for its authenticity, excellence and democratic approach.
Tiziana Filippini was part of a collaborative research group with Harvard University that closely examined the system and work of Reggio Emilia. The project, Making Learning Visible, focused on creating strong learning cultures in schools using documentation as a tool to deepen and extend learning. This important work has been published as a book that is known across early childhood and other education sectors in many different countries.
During these last years she has periodically traveled to Boston USA for professional development initiatives connected to Harvard University and Wheelock College. She encouraged and supported the creation of Wheelock’s documentation studio to share the tools of documentation with educators in Boston and New England.
Tiziana has been invited on three occasions to participate as a Presidential International Visiting Scholar, and in May 2015, Wheelock College awarded her with an honorary Doctorate in Education.
We are indeed fortunate to have Tiziana Filippini visit Australia to share some important thinking, work and research with us in response to the pivotal provocations of Reggio Emilia.
