For parents & educators just beginning to explore Reggio inspiration I've come across an article I think provides a nice overview...
http://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca/Publications/Researchintopractice_Vol_IV.htm
I particularly enjoy the five points they make about documentation:
"Five Features of Documentation
1. Documentation involves a specific question that guides the process, often with an epistemological focus (focus on questions of learning).
2. Documentation involves collectively analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating individual and group observations; it is strengthened by multiple perspectives.
3. Documentation makes use of multiple languages (different ways of representing and expressing thinking in various media and symbol systems).
4. Documentation makes learning visible; it is not private. Documentation becomes public when it is shared with learners-whether children, parents, or teachers.
5. Documentation is not only retrospective, it is also prospective. It shapes the design of future contexts for learning."
Good concepts to keep in mind as I work on portfolios & documentation panels next week!
P.S. Anyone want to tell me how this whole link thing works??? Still can't get it to work right...
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Thanks for the link Heather - that's a great, concise article. I've been thinking a lot about the idea of documentation at home with my son - both around 'epistemological' foci and around general home/parenting stuff, like meals and sleep. I'm enjoying your blog, and thank you for the link in your last post - I never know who is reading :)
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I've missed recent comments - I'm not getting e-mail notification on all comments - so I really enjoyed reading your thought provoking response - I still have a lot to learn about all educational philosophies (a lifelong process) and I think that dialogue with others who are in the mix is one of the best ways for me to learn.