Communities

Beliefs

• Changed from seeing community as background context to understanding it as an active partner in learning.

• Community shapes children’s identity, belonging and worldview.

• Developed a stronger belief in social learning and cultural connectedness.

Ethical considerations

• Promote inclusion and cultural responsiveness.

• Respect community diversity.

• Build reciprocal community relationships.

• Advocate for children’s rights to feel connected and valued.

Theory and approaches

• Vygotsky → learning happens through social interaction and shared meaning.

• Reggio Emilia → appraoch positions community as a partner in learning and forming identity.

• Supports belief in community‑connected learning.

Beliefs - planning decisions

• I shared cultural objects to model community identity and belonging.

• I encouraged children to share their own community connections

• Built a sense of belonging through shared storytelling.

Reflection and improvement

• Add community‑linked objects or local stories.

• Invite community members to share stories or cultural knowledge.

• Extend into a community‑based project.