Infant/Toddler Reflective Curriculum Planning Process Documentation: Strategies, Tools & Practice WestEd.org

Learning Objectives: Documentation

Participants will be able to: • Demonstrate an understanding that documentation is an important part of the assessment process; • Recognize that documentation can serve multiple purposes and has different intended audiences; • Use several different types of documentation processes including anecdotal records, work samples, video clips, photographs and dictation.

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G U I D E L I N E 8.2

Teachers document observations for later use.

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Curriculum Planning Process Document OBSERVE Implement Plan Observe DOCUMENT Implement Plan Plan IMPLEMENT Observe Document Implement Observe PLAN Document WestEd.org

Documentation Overview

The Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Program Guidelines DVD Series, Disc 2

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What is Documentation?

• Some type of physical record that is based on keen observations and attentive listening, gathered with a variety of tools by teachers contributing their different points of view.

• The deliberate choice to observe and record what happens in the infant/toddler environment in order to reflect and communicate children’s discoveries .

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What is Documentation? (continued)

• Records that can be interpreted.

• Documents that elicit comments and reflection.

• Public displays that explain what children are learning or doing.

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What is Documentation? (continued)

• Can take the form of: panels, websites, DVDs, and individual albums or books.

• Includes: photographs, transcripts, video tape, sound recordings, artifacts, etc.

• Graphically designed to present the process of learning.

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Why Document?

• To help parents be aware of their children’s experiences and maintain parental involvement.

• To help teachers better understand their own work.

• To promote professional growth of the teaching staff.

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Why Document? (continued)

• To help children be aware that their effort is valued.

• To create an archive that traces the history of the school.

• To reveal the process of learning together.

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Creative Uses of Documentation

• To remember.

• To make visible the ways infants learn.

• To capture children’s discoveries so they can return to them for continued inquiry.

• To share and reflect on experiences with others.

• To plan how to better facilitate learning.

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Many Uses of Documentation

• Training and supervision. • Program advocacy.

• Deepening relationships with families.

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The Documentation Process

• Teachers are participant-observers while caregiving.

• Teachers watch, listen, and think about their observations.

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Tools that Support Documentation

• Video cameras • Notebooks • Still cameras • Audio recorders • Palm Pilots • Computers • Post-It notes • Calendars • Scanners • Printers

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Strategies of Documentation

• Anecdotal records • Videos • Event Logs/Sampling • Time Logs/Sampling • Portfolio sampling • Lists/checklists • Photos • Running records

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Which Strategies Work for Us?

The choice of observation and recording strategies must be carefully considered in the context of the setting, the questions that have been framed, and the goals.

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Bias, Potential, & Limits

• Each tool leaves out something or adds something. • The way we use each tool is highly subjective. • What we include or exclude in a photo or video depends on our focus. • Using more than one tool for gathering our observations makes a more complete record.

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Capturing Traces of Learning

Teachers capture bits of evidence of a child’s interests, methods of exploration, ways of interacting with adults & peers, traits, styles, & preferences through documentation.

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15-minute Break WestEd.org

Meaningful documentation can make more efficient use of your time!

• • • •

Notice and record behaviors that:

Show the child’s accomplishments, growth, learning strategies and interests, Reveal the child’s thoughts or emotions, Are new, unusual, or outstanding in some way, Are related to a concern or goal for the ch ild.

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Is this meaningful documentation?

Tony fills his cup at the water fountain.

Tony holds the cup with one hand and with the other, pushes button on fountain to fill his cup.

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Is this meaningful documentation?

Sheena and Ann sat at the picnic table playing with the toy dishes, pots and pans, and sand. Sheena and Ann sat on opposite sides of the picnic table, pouring sand into toy pots and dishes. Holding the side of a bowl in one hand and a scoop in the other, Sheena poured sand into the bowl. She stirred it and said, “Soup’s ready.” They both pretended to eat from their bowls with imaginary spoons.

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Presentation of Documentation

• Documentation can be presented in slide and video documentaries, panels, albums, books, notebooks, letters, flyers, and works of art. • It should include the reflections of teachers and children’s dialogues or thoughts.

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Communication through Documentation

• • When teachers work together to select, organize, arrange, and identify documentation, they give new meaning to the experience that first produced them.

In producing documentation, teachers see more clearly what happened before, thereby gaining further understanding .

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Focusing on Photos Activity

• Who or what can be seen in the photo?

• What is worth remembering?

• What is important to know about the meaning of the photograph?

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Small Group Activity:

What are the essential elements of a practical system for documenting infants’ learning and development?

Definitions:

• Practical – effective, simple, easy to do as part of daily routine, thorough and complete.

• • System – includes organization of people, time, and materials.

Documenting – capturing specific information for developing curriculum based on children’s interests, tracking developmental progress, and program advocacy.

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• • •

Partner Discussion

Discuss what types of documentation you have done. What tools have you used? What space do you use to display or store documentation? What strategies seem to work best?

What are some things you would like to try?

What ways might you support each other to make documentation a natural part of your program?

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Group Feedback

What new thoughts do you have about the documentation process in your program?

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Create a Documentation Panel

• Create a photo documentation panel using the materials provided.

• Use rich language to engage the viewer.

• Think carefully about your message and how you display the photos and the text.

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Sharing Your Stories WestEd.org

To Document More Effectively, Get Organized!

• • • Organize a system of time and tools that is efficient and meets the individual needs & styles of the observers (staff & parents).

What could you do to enhance your system?

Pick one of the things you have committed to do and share it with the group.

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Documentation Resources:

I/T Program Guidelines, Chapter 6, Guideline 8.2: Teachers document observations for future use, p.102.

DVD: New Perspectives, Disk 3.

DRDP-IT© (2010) www.wested.org/desiredresults.

[documentation tools; newsletters; etc.] DVD: Getting to Know You Through Observation.

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I/T Reflective Curriculum Planning Course - Assignment #2:

Guidelines Workbook Activity 8.2A: Create a system of documentation.

Points Possible: 10

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Next Session - Reflection

Remember to complete Assignment #2: Create a system of documentation, and bring it to the next session, where we will be exploring the act of Reflection!

See You Next Time!

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Questions WestEd.org