Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Since law 169/2008 (so-called Gelmini Reform), new high schools have been created, including the musical high school, a 'vocational' address for stu dents driven by a specific passion. It results clear from the study plan with his strong practical laboratory component. It is a new image of high school, which differs from the Gentile model and suggests a new look for musical culture. The edu cational and cultural profile of the student com bines common knowledge and practical learning, sanctioning the divorce from AFAM and complet ing the reform of the conservatories which had made them universities (law 508/99). This contri bution focuses on the challenge that this high school represents in sewing a high school look to technical-practical learning as the fulcrum of a new epistemic field.

The pedagogy of listening was born and developed in Reggio Emilia’s schools, in northern Italy. This article analyses the pedagogy of listening in the light of the fundamental texts of the Reggio Approach’s literature. The aim is to explore some key-concepts such as language, context, relationship and evaluation and also to link them to Jerome Bruner’s work and contributions. Moreover, the authors attempt to offer an in-depth view of “documentation” as the crucial tool to ground the listening into the dynamics among the many educational actors involved. In the last part of the article, we underline the importance of democratic values in the Reggio Approach and in its socio-constructivist approach to active citizenship and children’s rights.