Power of Documentation for Early Childhood

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Power of Documentation for Early Childhood

• Bobbie Jo Kite and Scott Mohan
• April 5
• CASA Conference

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Brief Overview of Reggio Emilia

• Reggio Emilia is a prosperous and progressive
  city in northern Italy.
• Has a strong history of supporting early
  childhood education through private, parochial,
  and federal means.
• For a short period after World War II, in
  1945-46, strong local initiatives arose.

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• Explicit recognition of the relationship or
  partnership among parents, educators, and
  children.
• In the 1950s, educational approaches were
  rapidly changing and Loris Malaguzzi, founder and
  director of the municipal schools in Reggio
  Emilia was inspired by different people that
  helped shape his philosophy.

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Basic Principles of the Reggio Approach

• The Image of the child
• Teachers as Partners
• The Three Subjects of Education Children,
  Parents, and Teachers
• The Emergentor NegotiatedCurriculum

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• Childrens Relationships and Interactions Within
  a System
• The Value of Relationships Children in Small
  Groups
• Collaboration and Interaction
• The Role of Parents

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• The Power of Documentation
• Projects
• The Role of the Environment
• Time

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What is Documentation?

• Documentation is the process of gathering
  evidence and artifacts of what happens in the
  classroom. Documentation is not only the process
  of gathering evidence and artifacts, but also a
  physical collection of evidence and artifacts,
  the reflection of that collection, or part of it,
  in a way that makes childrens learning visible
  to the children, to the teachers, to the other
  adults including families and visitors.
• --Carlina Rinaldi (1994)

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Power of Observation Cycle
The Power of Observation, p.93
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Why Document Childrens Work?

• Opportunity to capture the experience of a child
  discovering something about his/her world
• Gives teacher new insight into that child
• Insights can be shared with parents and used to
  formulate other experiences for that child
• Documentation opens the doors of communication.

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• Documentation is a wonderful way to draw parents
  and visitors into our classroom and to
  communicate to them
• Documentation begins from observation.
  Observation is on-going, part of a large
  documentation process or a documentation on its
  own.

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Definition of Observation

• We define observation as watching to learn.
  Observing provides the information you need to
  build relationships with individual children and
  enable them to be successful learners. We learn
  about children by carefully watching them,
  listening to them, and studying their work.
  Watching and listening to children helps us
  understand what they are feeling, learning, and
  thinking.
• --The Power of Observation

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Fostering Relationships

• Positive relationships between children and
  teachers are the foundation for childrens
  exploration of and learning within the classroom
  (Howes Ritchie, 2002)
• Observing slows you down, giving you time to
  listen to children, to learn more about them.
• Observing helps you appreciate children, their
  knowledge and respect their being.
• Helps you become more aware when to intervene in
  ways to enable children to be successful learners

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Questions to Help You Get to Know Children

• Health and physical development
• Temperament
• Skills and abilities
• Interests
• Culture and home life
• Approach to learning
• Use of language
• Use of body language
• Social interactions with adults and peers

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You as Observer

• What you bring to observing
• Your culture
• Beliefs about child rearing
• Beliefs about appropriate ways to communicate
• Beliefs about childrens independence
• Going beyond cultural differences
• Your Professional Expertise

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Striving for Objectivity

• Differentiating between what you actually see and
  your own opinions and interpretations of these
  actions
• Objective and Effective observer
• Tuning into individual children
• Describing rather than labeling childrens
  behavior
• Listening to children
• Learning from families

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What to Observe?

• Capture what actually happened
• Capture not analyze it as it is happening
• Collect information keeps it open for analysis
  and interpretation in the future

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What Can Be Documented?

• Process of students and teachers
• Chronological process of a course of work
• How students interact
• How students influence one other in particular
  situations, parts of classroom or groupings
• Every activity offers multiple possibilities

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Where to Observe?

• Play
• Center time
• Outside play
• Academics
• Social Settings

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• Deciding what to observe is primarily the
  responsibility of the observer
• Even better if choice is shared by the group
  (adults who work together with that child)
• Field of observation is limitless

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How to Document?

• How you record must match your personal style
• Can use several methods
• Brief Notes (Quick written records)
• On mailing labels
• On index cards
• On daily log
• On a desk calendar
• On masking tape
• Anecdotal Notes (detailed, narrative accounts)
• Running Records (narrative accounts in sequential
  manner)
• Set up a system (forms, notes, folder, etc)

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How Do I Record

• Matrices (grid to record a word, brief note or
  rating)
• Tallies (count instances of particular event or
  behavior)
• Diagrams
• Sketches
• Photographs
• Videotapes

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Brief Notes using post its on a folder
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Literature Discussions Week of March 12, 2008
A Active participation P- Participated somewhat
Q-Quiet
Names Comments/Reflections
Andrew P Responded to Steves ? about Gardiners motive
Anthony A
Katie Q Recalled details of yesterdays discussion
Nadine Q Does she get the story? Try to talk to her 1-1
The Power of Observation- page 80.
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Examples of Matrices
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An example of tally sheet
Date 3/21/08
Childrens participation during group times
Morning circle Discussions Story time
Alice I I IIII
Brandon IIII II
Bria II
The Power of Observation, page 83.
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When do I intervene?

• Three basic questions before intervening
• Should I step back and give children the space
  and time they need to make a discovery or solve a
  problem independently?
• Does the child need me to step in and help?
• If I step in, what should I say or do?

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Revisiting the Practice of Observation

• Observations begins with your wondering about a
  child
• Collect Data
• Reflect on what you have learned
• Interpret what the child did and said
• Respond on the basis of that interpretation
• Review your observation notes at end of weeksee
  how much you have learned!

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Power of Observation Cycle
The Power of Observation, p. 93
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Using Observation to guide instruction

• Observations provides a way to look at the
  development in all domains
• Useful and helpful for assessment periods
• To create window inside the daily life of
  children
• Helps with Curricular Planning

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Curricular Planning

• Capturing kids interest
• Web planning
• Provocations
• Community resources

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Sharing Your Observations

• Internal uses
• Teacher notes
• Assessments (IEPs, IFSPs, Report Cards)
• External uses (for community)
• Newsletters
• Bulletin Boards
• Story Boards
• Class Books
• Student Showcases

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Goals of Sharing

• Targeted info
• Targeted audience
• Think about what you want to share
• Your goal for sharing?
• Misconceptions Playing vs skills and learning

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Uses Of Documentation

• For children to reflect on their own work
• For children to connect to and reflect on other
  childrens work
• For adults to reflect on childrens work and
  discuss about where their work might go next
• For families to experience the work and
  explorations of their children
• To document childrens growth over time
• To develop a complex and detailed picture of the
  child in all developmental domains
• To provide a resource for the wider community of
  educators to understand childrens learning
  better
• To share with everyone what is happening inside a
  school

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Types of Documentation

• Quote Board
• Skills Board
• Sequencing Board
• Reflection Board
• Project Board
• Story Board
• Works in Progress

• Everyday Life
• Environmental Projects
• Products of Interests or discussions
• Particular experience or event
• Self-managed projects
• Works in Progress

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Quote Board

• Used for dialogue between one other
• Put in quotes and keep it word for word (English
  or ASL GLOSS)
• Used when children choose not to extend on
  activity or project

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Skills Board

• Analysis of skills and concepts learned during
  specific activity
• Anecdotal record of a child
• Visible and clear explanation
• Can easily add to portfolio

Toddlers Skills Board
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2nd/3rd grade Skills Board
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Sequencing Board

• When play is extended
• Steps into achieving the final product
• Objective and clearly stated
• Significant items such as drafts, drawings,
  materials, etc

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Reflection Board

• Review of a childs own work or event
• Own feedback
• Process own thoughts, feelings, senses of event

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Project Board

• Running Record style--details needed
• Trial and Error
• Cause and Effect
• Review process, planning, doing
• Experiences and exploration

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Story Board

• Stems from childs actions, activities, ideas
• Attracts others
• Broadening play
• Think of it as a story (Beginning, Middle, End)
• Usually an event that attracts the majority of
  the class

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Particular event board
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Science Fair Documentation
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Work in Progress

• On-going
• Similar to Portfolio
• Opportunity for students to re-visit anytime
• Recalls information
• Provokes communication, interaction, and learning

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Works In Progress Binder
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Works In Progress-- Folders
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Looking At Your Class

• Think about the ways you are already documenting
• Examine your list of your current practices
• All types serve different purposes
• May be missing in some but may be included in
  some
• Make observation part of your daily schedule.

• Are there spaces where photos are displayed?
• Do you have a notebook to write yourself notes?
• How are experiences captured currently?
• How is student work collected? Is it re-visited?

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A word of Encouragement

• Lack of resources isnt an excuse, it is a
  challenge.
• I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one.

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Sources
Much of this information is adapted
from Gandini, L. (1997) Foundations of the
Reggio Emilia Approach. Hendrick, J. First steps
towards teaching the Reggio Way. Jabalon, J.
R., Dombro, A. L., Dichtelmiller, M. L. (2007).
The Power of Observation Wurm, J. (2005) Working
in the Reggio Way.