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MODULE 1 documentation

Time:

Purpose:

in this module you can find a definition of what documentation is and its relevance in the educational practice.

 

What documentation is:

According to the apt phrase of the Reggio Emilia Approach, documentation “makes learning visible”. There are different aspects of learning that can be made visible and different strategies and methods of doing so.

Documentation is a process of construction of an artefact (a written text, a video, a group of photographs, a poster), in order to describe some elements of a learning process. [As you can see in the folder 1.1.Observing]

This definition has many educational meanings:

1) it is a material artefact: documentation is not only a personal impression or a mental remind of an event. It is something that has a material entity (should it be a written text on paper; on an electronic support);

2) it is planned in advance: the practitioners seldom document some events that happen contingently; documentation is previously discussed by the team of professionals: “what is considered relevant to observe and document? For which reasons? How can data (images, texts, compiled check-lists or rating scales) be composed in a trustworthy narrative? How can documentation be used for future educational activities?”

3) documentation is a deliberative practice, that is, it is a goal-oriented activity [what do we want to know?]. In a single educational event, there are many potential objects of observation and discourse: the practitioners should select some aspects of the process, in order to have a single focus of attention and documentation. A focus of attention could be: a single child’s process of thinking, a pair or a group of children doing intentionally some actions in their settings; a pattern of behaviours of a single child or a group (documented by the use of check-lists and rating scales), what a child shows to master (recognition of shapes, counting, representation of quantities in personal ways and any other relevant competence in the educational process).

 

Documentation promotes:

- communication with children: giving the children some remainders of their experiences; as reference points for the development of their self-narrative (how far I have developed since);

- intersubjectivity among practitioners: its methodology is designed in advance: discussion about what is educationally relevant in the activity; what happened here? What to do next? by identifying what was going on, a perspective on practice could be worked out;

- communication with families: presenting some reference points to share and confront ideas, to make explicit the unfolding of an educational model: are parents informed of the educational principles and practices of the educational setting? Do teachers and parents share materials and practices? Do they find elements of conflictual cultural models in raising children? Are there negotiations?

 

Recognize: in the folder “1.1 Observing” you can recognize the twofold process of observation, as looking carefully to a specific focus of attention, and producing an artefact in collaboration with colleagues. Please, note that the focus of attention is the children’s activity rather than their finished products. The teacher writes down notes, takes pictures and then discusses with colleagues to make sense of the children’s process of learning and of the future educational activities.

In the folder “1.2. documenting”, you can see different artefacts of documentation: one is an exhibition of both the children’s products and photos, narratives and children’s thinking during the activities (1: it is useful for children, families and community); a record of the activity that preserves the diversity and richness of children’s products, for the school and the group of children (please note that there is neither assessment of children’s products according to a given standard, nor a ranking of their products). You may have also recorded talks with children about their ongoing activities and written notes of adults’ observations (foto 3). Documentation may be organized as a wall display, that narrates a story about the activity and the children’s achievements (4, 5). Finally, you may collect the documentation into a booklet (foto 6).

Reflect: Please, observe your setting and take note: Which tools do you use in your own practice? For which purposes? Do you think the tools are consistent with your idea of child-centred practice?

Summary: did you notice? Documentation always involves both the act of observing and the act of registering down. Documentation is also an artefact that promotes communication and reflection. Therefore, there are as many opportunities of making it public and accessible as your creativity allows.

In the child-centred approach, documentation gives you the opportunity to highlight the different paths of children’s learning, their interest for exploration, personal inquiry and communication. There is no a single developmental line all the children should follow. This is an educational opportunity to create an educational environment that allows children to develop their potentialities and documentation will allow to reconstruct these developments.

Outcome: when you have completed the module you will be ready to recognize how many intentional or intuitive strategies you usually apply to monitor the children’s activities and their learning, what evidence you use to talk to your colleagues in order to reflect upon children’s learning and how you communicate with families. You also recognize how many textual artefacts are present in your school to make manifest some aspects of children’s learning (learning journals; wall displays; observational tools) and you may want to design and share with your team-mates new documentation tools, to capture children’s centrality in your educational practices.

What next: Educational events (such as a play activity, a learning process, an interaction among children) can be observed and documented according two alternative modes of thinking, and they are presented in the next two modules. Each is focused upon specific aspects of the educational practice; this means that there is not one single best way of documentation, each has its opportunities and its shortcomings.