The following resources provide information on documentation and assessment with regards to inquiry-based learning. It is essential for educators to find ways to observe and document experiences, as the information gathered is critical to informing planning and ensuring learning (ETFO, 2010a, p. 31).
The Power of Documentation in the Early Childhood Classroom
Resource Type: Journal Article
Author: Hilary Seitz
Documentation, in the kindergarten sense, usually includes samples of a child's work, photographs of various stages in the learning process, comments written by the teacher and students, transcriptions of learning conversations and explanations of the activity. It amalgamates the learning process into a visible, tangible form. Educators learn what children know by watching them, listening to their conversations and engaging them in exploration, and a documentation board makes this process visible (ETFO, 2010a, p. 29). In this article, the author provides a great overview for those new to documentation. She details what documentation is, what things should be documented, as well as discusses why documentation is an important teaching tool. The author writes that documentation helps "show accountability", which is beneficial as teachers try to find ways to make learning visible to parents, volunteers and other adults (ETFO, 2010a, p. 29).
The Power of Documentation in the Early Childhood Classroom
Author: Hilary Seitz
Documentation, in the kindergarten sense, usually includes samples of a child's work, photographs of various stages in the learning process, comments written by the teacher and students, transcriptions of learning conversations and explanations of the activity. It amalgamates the learning process into a visible, tangible form. Educators learn what children know by watching them, listening to their conversations and engaging them in exploration, and a documentation board makes this process visible (ETFO, 2010a, p. 29). In this article, the author provides a great overview for those new to documentation. She details what documentation is, what things should be documented, as well as discusses why documentation is an important teaching tool. The author writes that documentation helps "show accountability", which is beneficial as teachers try to find ways to make learning visible to parents, volunteers and other adults (ETFO, 2010a, p. 29).
The Power of Documentation in the Early Childhood Classroom
Learning to Document in Reggio-Inspired Education
Resource Type: Journal Article
Author: Carol Anne Wien
The Reggio Emilia style of documentation is highly respected, as it combines different media forms to make learning visible. Documentation can be used both as an educator's research into children's learning as well as a design process for the creation of curriculum. In this article, the author discusses five steps an educator can take in their implementation of Reggio documentation - 1) developing the habits of documentation, 2) being comfortable going public with recounting of activities, 3) exploring the visual literacy of graphic displays, 4) making children's theories visible and 5) sharing visible theories with others. This article is a great introduction to the art of documentation, and for those wishing to gain more understanding of the Reggio documentation approach.
Learning to Document in Reggio-Inspired Education
Author: Carol Anne Wien
The Reggio Emilia style of documentation is highly respected, as it combines different media forms to make learning visible. Documentation can be used both as an educator's research into children's learning as well as a design process for the creation of curriculum. In this article, the author discusses five steps an educator can take in their implementation of Reggio documentation - 1) developing the habits of documentation, 2) being comfortable going public with recounting of activities, 3) exploring the visual literacy of graphic displays, 4) making children's theories visible and 5) sharing visible theories with others. This article is a great introduction to the art of documentation, and for those wishing to gain more understanding of the Reggio documentation approach.
Learning to Document in Reggio-Inspired Education
Discipline-Based Inquiry Rubric
A fabulous resource for educators, this rubric is not designed to assess student work, but rather to assess the effectiveness and quality of the inquiry itself. Educators can use this rubric to reflect upon the inquiry process that has taken place and set next steps for enhancing inquiry within the classroom. The rubric examines the inquiry for authenticity, academic rigor, assessment, home and school connections, use of technology and active participation among other items. Educators can examine if they are beginning, developing or accomplished in each aspect of the process.
The rubric takes into consideration the need for inquiry subjects to be subjects that children can explore deeply and directly (ETFO, 2010b, p. 26). It also recognizes that inquiries can and should be strongly mapped to the curriculum, and should be guided by "big ideas" within the curriculum expectations (ETFO, 2010b, p. 26).
The rubric takes into consideration the need for inquiry subjects to be subjects that children can explore deeply and directly (ETFO, 2010b, p. 26). It also recognizes that inquiries can and should be strongly mapped to the curriculum, and should be guided by "big ideas" within the curriculum expectations (ETFO, 2010b, p. 26).