pedagogical documentation: module 3 - pearson school · 2016-06-14 · practices, and how observing...

Pedagogical Documentation: Module 3 Facilitator Guide Page 1 of 20 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Canada Inc.

Fundamentals of Pedagogical

Documentation

IN PEDAGOGICAL

DOCUMENTATION, TEACHERS SEE

THEMSELVES AS RESEARCHERS.

SHARING WITH STUDENTS

ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO THINK

METACOGNITIVELY ABOUT THEIR

LEARNING.

SHARING WITH COLLEAGUES ALLOWS

MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES TO

INFORM THE INTERPRETATION OF

LEARNING.

SHARING WITH

PARENTS AND FAMILIES PROVIDES

THEM WITH NEW INSIGHTS INTO THEIR

CHILDREN AS LEARNERS AND CREATORS OF KNOWLEDGE.

Pedagogical Documentation: Module 3

Facilitator Guide

Purpose and Scope

Pedagogical documentation has the potential to transform

how educators, learners, and families see themselves in the

learning process. Through pedagogical documentation,

educators begin to view themselves as researchers and to

look at learning through a variety of lenses in order to try to

understand the learner and respond more effectively in

practice. Through examining the documentation, students

become more aware of themselves as learners and begin to

see themselves as partners in the classroom. Likewise, when

parents are invited to interpret the documentation, they

begin to see their children as capable risk-takers who are

able to solve problems and think metacognitively about their

own learning. The multiple perspectives shared by these

partners in learning as they examine and discuss

documentation is at the heart of the change in practice that

results from making learning visible through documentation.

Module 3 builds on the learning from Modules 1 and 2. In

Module 1, educators considered what they are currently

doing to document student learning, their assessment

practices, and how observing and listening to students

during the process of learning might change their

understanding of students as learners and lead to more

responsive teaching. Classroom educators began to position

themselves as researchers and co-learners in the classroom.

They examined their image of the child and how their

assumptions and beliefs about their students influence their

practice. They also examined the benefits of engaging in

work that would challenge their thinking and cause them to

critically reflect on their pedagogy. At the end of the

module, educators took on the challenge of observing and

listening to a student who they wanted to understand better

or learn more about and then reflected on the experience.

In Module 2, educators learned about the actions and stance that are part of the

process of pedagogical documentation. At the end of the module, educators were

challenged to engage in the actions of pedagogical documentation with colleagues.

They started with observation and description and moved through analysis and


interpretation to developing theories and possibilities for responding to the learning.

Throughout the process, they critically reflected on what the documentation meant for

students, educators, and parents.

In Module 3, educators continue to position themselves as teacher-researchers who

view their classroom as a place of research—a place where they try to understand and

learn more about why they do what they do. By observing and critically reflecting on

the learning process, educators question and strengthen the effectiveness of their

practice in response to student learning. Educators know that the process of

pedagogical documentation involves many actions and is powerful for students,

teachers, and parents. As pedagogical documentation becomes part of their practice, it

changes the way educators, students, and parents view learning. All three become

partners in the learning process with valuable insights to share with each other.

In this module, educators discuss ways they can begin to implement pedagogical

documentation as part of their everyday classroom practice. They understand that

pedagogical documentation is not a “private practice” and that its power is unleashed

when educators or students share their documentation with families, the school

community, other students, and educators. Through this process of bringing multiple

perspectives to the learning made visible, pedagogical documentation impacts on

teaching and learning. Module 3 provides an opportunity for educators to examine the

important considerations and decisions that they need to make as they prepare to

share their documentation with others.

Specific Goals

Educators will

● explore best practices in implementing pedagogical documentation in the

classroom

● review strategies to support going public with their documentation

Role of Facilitator

Facilitators of the module take the stance of provocateur rather than expert. As

creators of this professional learning resource, we recognize that everyone involved in

teaching has expertise to share. We hope that the module will provide an opportunity

for all participants to share their expertise, respectfully question and challenge ideas,

use research (both academic and classroom) to support their discussions, and engage

in collective knowledge building.

We also hope that educators will test the theories presented, discuss the videos and

research presented, and share their thinking with their peers. Thus, we have designed

the module so that groups can decide how much time they want to spend on any

particular segment. Our intention is to provide a resource that is responsive to the


learning needs and interests of the learners. The seat, video, and activity times

suggested onscreen are a guide for individuals only. Groups are meant to stop and

discuss the content throughout the module. Facilitators should allow time for this,

responding to the group’s interests and interactions as well as any sticking points or

questions that emerge. Facilitators may wish to preview the module and the

Facilitator’s Road Map in this guide to get a sense of how much time might be needed

to work through the module at a comfortable pace that allows for deep discussion and

reflection.

Facilitators are observer-participants in the module. Ensuring that everyone has a

voice at the table requires the facilitator to participate with a non-dominant voice.

Careful listening and observation of the group dynamics will allow for thought-

provoking questions to emerge and stimulate reflection. The language at the table

should be that of inquiry and research:

● I am wondering …

● I’ve been thinking about …

● I’m not sure, but …

● I think I heard this … am I right?

● What are you thinking and wondering?

● Do we need to …?

● … might this be what we’re thinking?

eJournal

The eJournal is a modifiable Microsoft Word document of the module content, including

the quotes, questions, and activities presented onscreen. These notes allow educators

to concentrate on the content without having to take notes. They also provide space

for educators to work on the suggested activities, record their own thoughts and

reflections, and jot down ideas. Educators may customize the eJournal and add pages

to capture the group’s thinking, record points that emerge in discussion, and so on.


Module at a Glance

Pedagogical Documentation: Module 3

Segment Focus Videos and Activities

Introduction

Module TOC:

Screens 2–6

Educators

• review the process of pedagogical

documentation and key learning

from Modules 1 and 2

• consider and record personal

learning goals

• consider guiding questions of the

module

• view a video of Carlina Rinaldi

speaking about documentation and

consider her statements in

relationship to their work

eJournal

Module 3 Goals and Guiding

Questions, A Quick Review, Recap

of Module Activities, Carlina Rinaldi

on Documentation

Video

Carlina Rinaldi on Documentation

Recommended Resources

The Relationship Between

Documentation and Assessment by

Carlina Rinaldi

Question 1:

What are best

practices in

implementing

pedagogical

documentation?

Module TOC:

Screens 7–17

Educators

• consider when and how to do

pedagogical documentation

• consider how to begin pedagogical

documentation

• explore ways to capture information

• discuss questions that relate to

pedagogical documentation

• discuss and reflect on the phases

and ethical issues of pedagogical

documentation

eJournal

Question 1: What Are Best Practices in

Implementing Pedagogical

Documentation? How Do I Begin?

Opportunities for Documentation,

Ways to Capture Information,

What Questions Do I Ask? How

Often Do I Document? How Do I

Organize My Documentation? An

Overview of Pedagogical

Documentation

Unpacking Quotes and Ideas

Monograph: Pedagogical

Documentation Revisited: Looking

at Assessment and Learning in

New Ways by the Ontario Ministry

of Education


The Disposition to Document: Portraits

of Practice by Laurie Kocher

Documentation: A Hard to Reach Place

by Janice Kroeger and Terri Cardy

Question 2:

What strategies

support sharing

documentation?

Module TOC:

Screens 18–29

Educators

• consider how to go public with

documentation

• consider rules around sharing

documentation

• explore types of documentation and

ethical issues in documentation

• discuss and reflect on who owns the

documentation

eJournal

Question 2: What Strategies Support

Sharing Documentation? Basic

Rules Around Sharing

Documentation, Purposes for

Documentation, Documentation

Panels, Co-Constructing an

Understanding of Learning,

Sharing Documentation with

Colleagues, Building Capacity,

Ethical Issues in Pedagogical

Documentation


Unpacking Quotes and Ideas

Given et al on Sharing Documentation

Krechevsky et al on the Usefulness of

Documentation

Article: Reflections and Shadows:

Ethical Issues in Pedagogical

Documentation by Pat Tarr

Video

Teacher Sandra Rosekat on

Documentation Panels

Principal Mary Patrick on Her School’s

Journey


Learning to Document in Reggio-

inspired Education by Carol Anne

Wien with Victoria Guyevskey and

Noula Berdoussis

Provoking Dialogue: Promote a

Deeper Understanding of Teaching

and Learning through Images and

Documents by Margaret

MacDonald and Alejandra Sánchez

Video: Sandra Rosekat on

Documenting the Learning

Video: Sandra Rosekat: Concluding

Thoughts

Beyond the

Module

Time: 2–3 weeks

Module TOC:

Screens 30–31

Educators

• review best practices of pedagogical

documentation

• reflect on the videos presented in

the modules

• create and analyze documentation

panels

• share and connect with other

participants to discuss new

questions, thinking, and wonderings

eJournal

Create a Documentation Panel, Final

Words, Check Your Understanding


Accountability in the Three Realms:

Making Learning Visible Inside and

Outside the Classroom by Mara

Krechevsky, Melissa Rivard, and

Fredrick R. Burton

The Pedagogy of Listening: The

Listening Perspective from Reggio

Emilia by Carlina Rinaldi

Reflections from an American Context

on “The Path Toward Knowledge”:

An Interview with Lynn White by

Judith Allen Kaminsky and Lella

Gandini

Reflections on Documentation: A

Discussion with Thought Leaders

from Reggio Emilia by Terri Turner

and Daniel Gray Wilson

Reflections on the Relationship

Between Documentation and

Assessment in the American

Context: An Interview with Brenda

Fyfe by Lella Gandini and Judith

Allen Kaminsky

Pedagogical Documentation in Early

Childhood: Sharing Children's


Learning and Teachers' Thinking

by Susan Stacey, Redleaf Press,

2015

As you work through the online segments, use the Facilitator’s Road Map that follows

to pause and/or guide the suggested reflections, discussions, and activities.

The articles and videos listed as Recommended Resources are available online. Please

note that some articles require purchase. Instructions for finding these resources are

included in the Facilitator’s Road Map.

NOTE: The TOC in the online module indicates the time length for each screen. The

time for the Accessibility audio file is included in the total time of the last screen in the

module. There is also a running time count at the bottom at the TOC. The total time

includes the audio file.

If the online module freezes at any point, please select the TOC button, select a

different screen, and then select the one you were viewing. Or, close the module,

reopen it, open the TOC, and select the screen you were viewing.


Facilitator’s Road Map

Online Module

Segment 1

Introduction

Questions and Provocations

Module 3 Goals and Guiding Questions (Screen 2)

• As facilitators, we want to respond to the interests and questions of educators involved in the work. We acknowledge that

educators come to this resource with different strengths,

experience, and expertise and that each educator comes away

with their own learning. We aim to capitalize on the learning of

the individuals to build collective knowledge around our

understanding of pedagogical documentation. As the online

module begins, participants will be prompted to set goals for the

third module based on two inquiry questions introduced by the

narrator:

- What are best practices in implementing pedagogical

documentation?

- What strategies support sharing and going public with

documentation?

A Quick Review (Screens 3–4)

• Lead participants to reflect on what they already know about pedagogical documentation. Have pairs, groups, or individuals

record their key learnings in a way that is meaningful to them

(e.g., concept map, list, graphic organizer). Ask pairs or groups

to share their thinking and post their ideas. They may raise some

of the following points:

- importance of pedagogical documentation in practice

- benefits for students, parents, colleagues, and themselves

- stance of inquiry and educator research into learning and

teaching

- importance of bringing multiple perspectives to the

interpretation of documentation through sharing

- support of colleagues as critical friends and partners in this

work

- making learning visible through capturing documentation

as students are engaged in the learning process

- development of refined observation and listening skills

- voice of the student and the educator in the learning

process

- actions taken during the process of pedagogical

documentation

- role of critical reflection and an “open to learning” stance

in interpreting and responding to documentation

• Invite participants to consider the two inquiry questions (see above), which are the guiding questions for the module. Have

individuals, pairs, or small groups reflect on the following

Module TOC: Screens 2–6 eJournal

• Pause for participants to consider and record personal

learning goals.

Facilitating Notes

• Establish a format that you can use for all sessions of the

module (e.g., place, time,

procedure, goals).

• In the online module, clicking on

the TOC box at the bottom right

will open a Table of Contents

that you can use to navigate

among the screens.

• Ensure participants are familiar

with the Recommended

Resources of Modules 1 and 2

listed in Ongoing References

below.

Ongoing References

• Curiosity, Curriculum and

Collaboration Entwined:

Reflections on Pedagogical

Documentation by Pat Tarr

(access the article via the link on

Screen 10 in Module 2)

• Documentation: Both Mirror and Light by Pam Oken-Wright,

Innovations in Early Education:

The International Reggio

Exchange, 8(4), 2001, 5–15.

• Mind-Sets and Equitable Education by Carol S. Dweck,

Principal Leadership, January

2010, National Association of

Secondary School Principals (go

to the NASSP website in the link

above and search the article

title)

• Making Learning Visible Through Pedagogical Documentation by

Dr. Carol Anne Wien, from

Think, Feel, Act: Lessons from

Research about Young Children,

2013, Ontario Ministry of

Education.

(continued on next page)

https://reggioalliance.org/resources/free-resources/https://reggioalliance.org/resources/free-resources/http://www.principals.org/http://www.principals.org/http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/Wien.pdfhttp://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/Wien.pdf


Online Module

questions and record their thinking:

- What do you want to learn? To understand better?

- What questions do you have?

• Ask participants to share their thinking and post the questions and key ideas that emerge from the discussion.

• Use the resource and the narrator’s key ideas about pedagogical documentation to confirm and build on some of the ideas that

have already surfaced in the discussion.

Recap of Modules 1 and 2 (Screen 5)

• As participants reflect on the work of Module 1 (i.e., observing and listening to a student who they wanted to understand better

or learn about) and the actions of pedagogical documentation in

Module 2 (i.e., observing, describing without judgement,

analyzing and interpreting, drawing conclusions and developing

possibilities for responding, critically reflecting on the learning

made visible), you may wish to pose these questions to deepen

and expand their thinking:

- What challenges did you experience in the work you did in

Module 1 or Module 2? What did you learn?

- What recommendations would you give to a colleague who

is beginning this work?

- What are you doing or thinking differently now because of

this work?

- How is your role as teacher-researcher influencing the way

you are looking at student learning? The classroom

environment? Your relationships with students, parents,

colleagues?

- As you think about your classroom and your students, what

are you wondering now? What do you want to explore next?

- Through engaging in the process of pedagogical

documentation, what insights have you gained? Can you

describe some pivotal moments you’ve experienced?

Moments where you realized your assumptions and beliefs

about teaching and learning were being challenged?

- What has this work meant for your students, parents,

colleagues, or community? How do you know?

Video: Carlina Rinaldi on Documentation (Screen 6)

• Before participants view the video, provide the following context:

Carlina Rinaldi is the President of Reggio Children and a

Professor of Pedagogy at the University of Modena and

Reggio Emilia in Italy. She worked side by side with Loris

Malaguzzi in the municipal infant-toddler and preschool

system of Reggio Emilia, where she was the first

pedagogical coordinator. She has published many books

and articles about Reggio-Inspired learning and teaching,

which have been shared extensively throughout the world.

From 2012 to 2013, Carlina served as a member of the

Adelaide Thinker in Residence project. This video is one of

a series that was created when Carlina was part of the

project.

Facilitating Notes

• As participants share questions, indicate that some of their

questions may be answered

within the module and some

may be answered through

further classroom research.

Ongoing References (cont’d)

• The Nature of Teacher Research

by Barbara Henderson, Daniel R.

Meier, Gail Perry, and Andrew J.

Stremmel, Voices of

Practitioners, 2012 (go to the

National Association for the

Education of Young Children

website in the link above ⟶

Publications ⟶ Voices of

Practitioners ⟶ What is Teacher

Research?)

• The Power of Documentation in

the Early Childhood Classroom

by Hilary Seitz (go to the

National Association for the

Education of Young Children

website in the link above ⟶

Publications ⟶ Young Children

⟶ Search for Articles and

Authors ⟶ article title or author

name)

• The Teacher as Researcher by

Carlina Rinaldi, Innovations in

Early Education: The

International Reggio Exchange,

10(2), Spring 2003, 1–4.

• Your Image of the Child: Where

Teaching Begins by Loris

Malaguzzi, 1994, Child Care

Information Exchange, 96 (go to

the North American Reggio

Emilia Alliance website in the

link above ⟶ Resources ⟶ Free

Resources)

http://www.naeyc.org/http://www.naeyc.org/http://www.naeyc.org/http://reggioalliance.org/resources/innovations/https://reggioalliance.org/https://reggioalliance.org/


Online Module

• Have participants watch the video once to get a sense of Carlina’s message about documentation. Then invite them to

watch it a second time to record some of the key ideas she

outlines.

• Rinaldi states that documentation is “the very important act that allows us to make visible the learning processes of the student

and that it makes visible the steps that students take to move

from a knowledge to another—to a new knowledge and to build

their own identity.” Take time to discuss this definition and how it

relates to educators’ current experiences with documentation.

Use the following questions to deepen the conversation:

- What do we need to think about and act on to gather

documentation that makes the steps of learning visible?

- How do our stances of inquiry and “teacher as researcher”

support this kind of documentation?

- Rinaldi also says that “documentation in synthesis is an act

of love.” What does this statement mean to you?

- Rinaldi states that “at the same time it makes visible the

learning processes of the educator … the learning

processes of the child can drive you as an educator and to

learn more about what does it mean to be an educator.”

How do your experiences with documentation connect to

this idea?

- In the video, Rinaldi speaks about the tremendous power

that documentation has for parents. What might happen if

you shared your documentation with parents? How might

they view their child differently?

• You may want to take the conversation further by inviting participants to read the article “The Relationship Between

Documentation and Assessment” by Carlina Rinaldi, which builds

on many of the ideas introduced in this video. Ask participants to

share one quote that resonates with them and to reflect more

deeply on the impact that pedagogical documentation can have

for all the partners in learning. Consider focusing the discussion

on the following points raised in the article:

- the importance of collecting documentation during the

course of learning experiences

- the student as researcher

- the pedagogy of listening

- the relationship between learning and dialogue

eJournal

• Pairs or small groups of

participants can click the link in

the section Carlina Rinaldi on

Documentation to view or

return to the video.


• The Relationship Between Documentation and Assessment

by Carlina Rinaldi, Innovations in

Early Education: The

International Reggio Exchange,

11(1), Winter 2004, 1–4.

http://reggioalliance.org/resources/innovations/http://reggioalliance.org/resources/innovations/


Online Module

Segment 2

Question 1: What are best

practices in implementing

documentation?

Questions and Provocations

When and How of Documentation (Screen 7)

• “When and how does documentation fit into my already busy day?” Quite likely, this question that the narrator poses is on the

minds of most participants. Before you begin this segment, you

may want to facilitate a discussion that allows participants to

delve into this question with ideas and perspectives based on

their current practice. Use the following questions to guide the

discussion as needed:

- Considering that documentation takes place “during the

learning,” what might this look like in your classroom?

- How can we document and try to understand what children

are thinking without interrupting their thinking?

- What strategies do you need to put in place to make

documentation a part of your practice?

How do I start? (Screens 8–10)

• As participants read and reflect on the onscreen questions, encourage them to build on their initial thinking from the

discussion above. Perhaps, they have already suggested answers

to these questions. Have participants add possible answers to the

chart or their eJournals, as well as questions of their own.

• In “How do I begin?” (Screen 10), the narrator lists three possible reasons for documenting learning. Remind participants

that Rinaldi says that pedagogical documentation “makes

learning visible.” Ask: What do you want to make more visible to

yourself? To your students? To your colleagues? To parents?

• Convey the following points about how documentation can make learning visible:

- Documenting a student you are wondering about will make

that student more visible to you. Taking the time to watch

and listen to the student will provide you with new insight

and more questions.

- Documenting a chaotic time of day can make the reasons

behind the chaos more visible to you. It will allow you to

think more intentionally about the “why” of the chaos and

the changes you can make.

- Documenting the learning at a centre will make the

learning at the centre more visible to you. It will allow you

to consider questions such as: What are the children

doing? Why? What might I change to make the learning

more rigorous? To give the children more choice?

- Behind each of these “reasons” for documenting is our

desire to “make learning visible.” You may be documenting

Module TOC: Screens 7–17

Facilitating Notes

• You may wish to have participants record their current

ideas on a chart or in their

eJournals, and add to the list as

you work through the module.


Online Module

for several days and at different times in order to make the

learning visible.

Opportunities for Documentation (Screen 11)

• Invite participants to share opportunities for documenting within a day in their classroom. Use the onscreen list of opportunities to

prompt them to brainstorm documentation opportunities. Have

participants record ideas on chart paper or in their eJournals.

Pose the following questions to focus the conversation on reasons

for documentation as needed:

- What could be made visible?

- What might you hope to learn or understand better?

Ways to Capture Information (Screens 12–13)

• Once the narrator finishes her remarks, pause the online module to lead a discussion around the practicalities of documenting.

Ask:

- If you are using cameras, tablets, or other types of

technology, what might you need to think about to capture

documentation in the process of learning?

- What issues might you need to consider when you are

using technology? Paper and pencil?

- What strategies or routines might you need to put into

place?

What questions do I ask? (Screen 14)

• Revisit the list of potential opportunities for documentation that participants brainstormed earlier.

• Have participants think about the onscreen questions individually and provide an opportunity for them to share their thinking with

a partner or small group.

• As you bring the whole group together to complete this section of the module, you may wish to co-construct a chart of possible

answers to the following question:

- What questions do you have as you think about the specific

opportunities for documentation that we have identified?

Frequency of Documentation (Screen 15)

• Participants may want to pause the online module to consider and discuss this aspect of implementing of documentation. Elicit

or convey the following points:

- Since documentation makes learning visible through

analyzing the learning process, it is not unusual for

documentation to take place over a period of time.

- As educator-researchers, we are interested in finding

answers to our questions about student learning and our

own practice.

- Often when we document, we find that we need to go back

for more observations to capture additional moments of

learning in order to confirm what we think we have

learned.

- Although pedagogical documentation provides educators

Facilitating Notes

• As participants review Kroeger and Cardy’s onscreen list of

documentation opportunities,

convey that “dead zones” are

classrooms areas that students

seem to avoid, such as a

classroom library that is not

used effectively, a centre that is

not visited, or an arrangement

of furniture that is not used.


• Video: Sandra Rosekat on

Documenting the Learning, It’s

About Documenting,

Kindergarten Matters,

Intentional Play-Based Learning,

Ontario Ministry of Education.

http://curriculum.org/secretariat/kindergarten/documenting.html


Online Module

with powerful evidence of learning that can be used in

conversations with parents and students, the primary

purpose is not assessment, but rather the study of the

relationship between educator and student.

• Consider inviting the group to go back to their list of documentation opportunities and discuss the relationship

between time and purpose for documenting.

How do I organize my documentation? (Screen 16)

• Ask participants to consider how they might organize the following examples of documentation that they can capture in

their classroom:

- a sequence of photographs that follows an inquiry or study

- a video or a photo of a student engaged in a single

learning experience

- a series of videos or photographs capturing learning over

time

- a photo, drawing, or writing with an audio clip or transcript

of a student explaining the thinking process

- anecdotal notes captured while observing a pivotal

moment in a student’s learning

• To delve deeper into the topic of organizing documentation, pose the following question for the group to discuss:

- How does your purpose for documentation inform the way

that you might choose to organize and save the

documentation?

Monograph: Pedagogical Documentation Revisited

(Screen 17)

• As the narrator points out, this monograph provides a sound overview of pedagogical documentation. You may wish to scaffold

the reading of it by having participants read and unpack one

section at a time, rather than reading and discussing the whole

resource at once. Note that

- The sidebars contain Getting Started Tips that participants

should reflect on and discuss as part of implementing

pedagogical documentation.

- The highlighted sections entitled Exploring Terminology,

Shifting Mindsets, Assessment for Learning, Assessment as

Learning, Fostering Reciprocal Relationships, and Adding

Rigour to Your Curiosity pose reflective questions for

educators to consider as they engage in pedagogical

documentation.

- The section Ethical Considerations in Pedagogical

Documentation on page 7 can be discussed later in the

module when this issue is explored.


• Documentation: A Hard to Reach

Place by Janice Kroeger and

Terri Cardy, Early Childhood

Education Journal, 33(6), June

2006.

• The Disposition to Document:

Portraits of Practice by Laurie

Kocher, Canadian Children,

29(1), 2004, 23–31. The article

pdf is attached to the facilitator

guide pdf.

Facilitating Notes

• To close this segment, consider reading and discussing the

article The Disposition to

Document: Portraits of Practice

by Laurie Kocher. This will

provide an opportunity for

participants to build on their

thinking in connection to the

questions and provocations of

the segment. Laurie is an

instructor at Douglas College in

British Columbia. She has

collaborated on the book

Journeys: Reconceptualizing

Early Childhood Practices

through Pedagogical Narration

(2014).
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10643-006-0062-6http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10643-006-0062-6

23

CA N A D IA N CH ILD REN CH ILD STU D Y

Introduction

This study, undertaken as a PhD research

p ro ject at the U niversity o f S o uthern

Q ueensland (A ustralia), has ex p lo red the

p ro cess o f chang e ex p erienced b y three

teacher-researchers w ho have em p lo yed

the p ractice o f pedagogical documenta-

tion, insp ired b y the R eg g io E m ilia

A p p ro ach to early childho o d educatio n.

Pedag o g ical do cum entatio n is a w ay o f

m aking visib le the o therw ise invisib le

learning p ro cesses b y w hich children and

teachers w o rk in early childho o d centres

and scho o ls. I t m ay include anecdo tal

o b servatio ns, children’s w o rks, p ho -

to g rap hs that illustrate a p ro cess, audio

and video tap e reco rding s, and children’s

vo iced ideas. A sig nificant co m p o nent is

the teachers’ reflective tex t, w hich is an

integ ral p art o f the do cum entatio n. M o st

im p o rtantly, do cum entatio n p ro vides a

fo cus f o r co ncrete and m eaning ful adult

and child reflectio n o n children’s learn-

ing p ro cesses.

Dahlb erg , M o ss, and Pence ( 1 9 9 9 ) cap -

ture the essence o f w hat it is to b e a

reflective p ractitio ner w hen they w rite:

P racticing a reflectiv e and communica-

tiv e pedagogy pres uppos es a reflectiv e

practitioner w h o, togeth er w ith h is or

h er colleagues , can create a s pace for a

v iv id and critical dis cus s ion ab out peda-

gogical practice and th e conditions it

needs … W ith ins piration from th e early

ch ildh ood ins titutions in R eggio E milia,

in north ern I taly , many pedagogues

around th e w orld h av e b egun to us e ped-

agogical documentation as a tool for

reflecting on pedagogical practice (pp.

1 4 4 -1 4 5 ) .

G iudici, K rech ev s k y , and R inaldi ( 2 0 0 1 )

s ugges t th at th e v ery act of documenting

ch anges teach ers ’ unders tanding of w h at

goes on in th e clas s room, caus ing th em

to s low dow n and encouraging th em to

reflect on and unders tand th e deeper

meaning and v alue of a learning ex peri-

ence. T h is reflection informs th eir deci-

s ions ab out w h ere to go nex t. R ath er

th an try ing to tell th e w h ole s tory of an

ex perience or putting up th e w ork of

ev ery ch ild, teach ers b ecome s electiv e

ab out w h at to document, continually

mak ing decis ions ab out th e moments and

ex periences th at are mos t meaningful to

record. O ften, th es e may b e th e “ ordi-

nary moments ” th at occur s pontaneous -

ly , in addition to th ough tful ex ch anges

th at tak e place during complex project

w ork . “ Ins tead of s imply des crib ing th e

ex perience of th e learning group, th is

v iew of documentation inv olv es a deeper

analy s is of th e purpos es b eh ind it and

b eh ind th e related learning proces s es

and products ” (p. 2 8 9 ) .

T h e R e g g io E m ilia A p p roa ch

R eg g io E m ilia is o ne o f several sm all

w ealthy cities in E m ilia R o m ag na, a

reg io n in no rthern Italy w ith a histo ry o f

co llab o ratio n and p o litical activism .

S ho rtly after Wo rld War I I , the g ro und-

T h e D is p os ition to D ocum e nt:P ortra its of P ra ctice

L aurie K o cher

L a urie K och e r has b een a kinderg arten teacher in B ritish C o lum b ia f o r o ver tw enty years. H er do cto ral research takes a clo se lo o k at the

p ro cess o f chang e ex p erienced b y a cluster o f teachers, p ro f o undly influenced b y the p rincip les o f the R eg g io E m ilia A p p ro ach, p articularly in

the area o f do cum entatio n. M s. K o cher w ill jo in the Institute f o r E arly C hildho o d E ducatio n and R esearch team at U B C ( V anco uver) in

S ep tem b er, 2 0 0 4 .

A b s tra ct

With insp iratio n fro m the early child-

ho o d institutio ns in R eg g io E m ilia, in

no rthern Italy, m any educato rs aro und

the w o rld have b eg un to use p edag o g -

ical do cum entatio n as a to o l f o r

reflecting o n their p edag o g ical p rac-

tice. This article b riefly sum m ariz es a

research p ro ject that has ex p lo red the

p ro cess o f chang e ex p erienced b y

three teacher- researchers. E ach

teacher is a m aster at the art o f do cu-

m entatio n, w hich they have develo p ed

in a w ay that is culturally relevant f o r

their o w n co m m unity. The system atic

do cum entatio n p ro cess has allo w ed

each teacher to b eco m e a p ro ducer o f

research, and o ne w ho ex am s her o w n

develo p m ent as a reflective teacher. A

f o rm o f descrip tive narrative, kno w n

as portraiture, has b een used as the

fram ew o rk f o r this study. Parallels

are draw n b etw een p heno m eno lo g y,

as describ ed b y M ax van M anen, and

the ex p erience o f these teachers as

do cum enters.

... the very act of documenting

changes teachers ’ unders tanding of

w hat goes on in the clas s room,

caus ing them to s low dow n and

encouraging them to reflect on and

unders tand the deep er meaning and

value of a learning ex p erience.

24

CANADIAN CHILDREN CHILD STUDY

work for what is now regarded as “ the

Reggio Emilia Approach” was laid when

working parents built new schools for

their young children. Following upon

the devastation of the war, parents did

not want ordinary schools. Rather, they

wanted schools where children could

acq uire skills of critical thinking and col-

laboration essential to rebuilding and

ensuring a democratic society. This

strong sense of purpose inspired the late

Loris Malaguzzi to join in this collabora-

tive effort. In 196 3 , well in advance of

the national system, Reggio Emilia

opened its first municipal preschool. By

the late 197 0s, a system of municipally

funded preschools and infant-toddler

centers was in place; it has since served

about half of the city’s young children.

International interest in Reggio Emilia

has grown at a remarkable pace, inspired

in large part by the traveling exhibition

“ The Hundred Languages of Children.”

Delegations of educators and other inter-

ested parties have visited the city to see

firsthand its early childhood classrooms.

O n December 2, 1991, N ewsweek mag-

azine proclaimed the preschools of

Reggio Emilia to be the “ best in the

world.” The three tenets of communica-

tion, exploration, and problem solving

complement one another and are para-

mount in these schools. Together, they

form the underpinnings of a robust and

collaborative early childhood education

paradigm. Reggio Emilia’s image of the

child as “ rich, strong, and powerful”

(Rinaldi, 1998 , p. 114) has become a

dominant theme in discussions on early

care and educational policies and prac-

tices at the local and national levels. It is

this influence - to promote not only

change, but reflection, debate, and con-

versation - that may well be Reggio

Emilia’s greatest legacy.

Pedagogical Documentation As

C ommunication

Early in their history, the Reggio educa-

tors realized that systematically docu-

menting the process and results of their

work with children would simultaneous-

ly serve three key functions. It provides:

• children with a concrete and visible

memory of what they had said and

done in order to serve as a jumping-off

point for ensuing steps to learning

(Bredekamp, 1993 );

• teachers with a tool for research and a

key to continuous improvement and

renewal; and

• parents and the public with detailed

information about what happens in the

schools and serves as means of eliciting

their reactions and support (Kocher,

1999).

These insights led the development of

documentation into a professional art

form in Reggio Emilia, involving the use

of slide shows, posters, and increasingly,

videotapes to record children’s project

experiences (Cadwell, 1997 ).

O ften, selections are taken from ongoing

documentation and organized in panels

and displays of children’s work to reveal

the ongoing unfolding of a project, or

even an “ ordinary moment” during a sin-

gle day. The documentation panels cover

the walls throughout the school as if they

were a second skin (G iudici,

Krechevsky, & Rinaldi, 2001). These

panels might include photographs that

tell about the process, a description of

the various steps and the evolution of the

project activity. These descriptions are

carefully composed to include the tran-

scriptions of the children’s own remarks

and conversations that accompanied

their particular experience (which is

often tape-recorded). The documentation

panels tell stories about specific activi-

ties, the educational approach, and the

steps of the learning process.

Additionally, the documentation con-

tributes to the generally pleasing aesthet-

ic atmosphere of the space.

Pedagogical documentation, however, is

not about creating beautiful panels or

displays, but about following and shap-

ing the knowledge-building process. It

allows teachers to deepen their under-

standing of children’s strengths and

interests, different languages or domains

of knowledge, their own actions and ped-

agogical decisions, and the processes of

learning.

This process of documentation clearly

makes evident to parents, colleagues,

and visitors the high regard that adults

have for children’s work. Children

receive the message that their work is

important and valued. Through viewing

the panels (and other forms of documen-

tation), parents may become more aware

of curriculum objectives and appreciate

teachers’ efforts. Many parents become

more involved in the school experience.

For teachers, reviewing the transcripts

and photographs helps them to consider

children’s learning processes and to clar-

ify their own objectives.

Documentation is an important kind of

teacher research, sharpening and focus-

ing teachers’ attention on children’s

plans and understandings and on their

own role in children’s experiences. As

teachers examine the children’s work

and prepare the documentation of it,

their own understanding of children’s

development and insight into their learn-

ing is deepened. O n the basis of the rich

data made available through documenta-

tion, teachers are able to make informed

decisions about appropriate ways to sup-

port each child’s development and learn-

ing (Beneke, Harris-Helm, &

Steinheimer, 1998 ). Documentation

makes visible traces of the child’s expe-

rience and learning, and makes possible

a public sharing and testing of ideas

(Freeman, 1998 ). The systematic docu-

mentation process allows each teacher to

Pedagogical documentation,

however, is not about creating

beautiful panels or displays,

but about following and

shaping the k nowledge-

building process.

25


become a producer of research and to

examine his/her own development as a

reflective teacher.

Educators in Reggio Emilia view docu-

mentation as an instrument of exchange

and communication of ideas. Especially,

they try to communicate that children are

rich, competent, and powerful. The doc-

umentation of young children’s work

highlights their capabilities, often sur-

prising viewers with its complexity

(Kocher, 1999). It is through the unity of

thinking and feeling that young children

can explore their world, represent their

ideas, and communicate with others at

their highest level. Recognizing that

exploration, representation, and commu-

nication feed one another, teachers can

best help children to achieve this poten-

tial.

Methodological Approach

In this study, I sought to learn more

about the personal qualities that enable

some teachers to embrace pedagogical

documentation with enthusiasm, and the

development and evolution of pedagogi-

cal practice that arises out of reflecting

upon the process of documenting chil-

dren’s learning. My own experience

with documenting and making visible

the complex learning of young children

has caused me to wonder if the docu-

mentation process acts as a catalyst for

dispositional change. Does this change

happen because of a disposition to

embrace Reggio or does embracing

Reggio precipitate the desire to change?

The approach taken in this qualitative

case study has been characterized by a

design that is emergent, flexible, and

responsive to the changing conditions of

the study in progress. The sample selec-

tion was non-random, purposeful, and

small; as a researcher, I spent consider-

able time in the natural setting of the

study, often in intense contact with the

participants. Desiring to limit this study

to a reasonable scope, and particularly to

focus on information richness (Patton,

2002), three teachers and their work

were chosen for in-depth study and

analysis. These three, Ann, Sarah, and

Margie, are primary sources of knowl-

edge in examining and understanding

pedagogical documentation, as inspired

by the schools of Reggio Emilia, inter-

preted for a North American context.

Each woman was selected based upon

input from others, and a desire to provide

distinct voices reflecting different expe-

riences.

The site of research, Hilltop Children’s

Centre, is a private preschool/day-care

programme, which serves children of

approximately 3-6 years of age. Three

teachers in particular at Hilltop have

been incorporating elements of the

Reggio Emilia Approach into their teach-

ing practice for nearly ten years. These

teachers have participated in study tours

to Reggio Emilia, as well as engaging in

independent study on this approach.

They have adapted a method of pedagog-

ical documentation that is culturally rel-

evant to their own community. These

teachers are MASTER documenters.

Documentation panels consisting of pho-

tographs, transcribed conversations, and

teacher reflections, cover the school

walls. During their years of document-

ing children’s work, they have amassed a

collection of project history books

detailing various investigations and

experiences (Field notes, 2002).

Three primary kinds of data gathering

were included in this research project:

(1) in-depth, open-ended interviews; (2)

direct observation; and (3) written docu-

ments, including such sources as person-

al diaries, archived documented project

stories, and programme records

(Creswell, 1998; Goodwin & Goodwin,

1996). The data from lengthy open-

ended interviews consisted of direct quo-

tations from individuals about their

experiences, opinions, feelings, and

knowledge (Marshall & Rossman,

1999). The data from observations

included detailed descriptions of pro-

gramme activities, participants’ behav-

iours, and staff actions. Document

analysis yielded excerpts, quotations,

and entire passages from records, corre-

spondence, and official reports

(Merriam, 2001).

Descriptive information about pro-

grammes and people provided initial

evaluation data. Content analysis

involved identifying coherent and impor-

tant examples, themes, and patterns in

the data, looking for quotations or obser-

vations that seem to go together or are

examples of the same underlying idea,

issue, or concept. Patterns, themes, and

categories of analysis emerge out of the

data rather than being decided prior to

data collection and analysis. Organizing

and simplifying the complexity of data

into some meaningful and manageable

themes or categories has been the basic

purpose of content analysis.

Portraiture

The final written form of the project has

taken on the framework of a descriptive

narrative known as “portraiture,” a term

used to define a method of inquiry and

documentation in the social sciences

developed by Sarah Lawrence-Lightfoot

(1997). Portraiture seeks to combine

systematic, empirical description with

aesthetic expression, blending art and

science, humanistic sensibilities and sci-

entific rigor. The portraits are designed

to capture the richness, complexity, and

dimensionality of human experience in

social and cultural experiences. These

portraits are shaped through dialogue

between portraitist and the subject, each

one participating in the drawing of the

image. The encounter between the two

is rich with meaning and resonance and

is crucial to the success and authenticity

of the rendered piece, a text that comes

as close as possible to “painting with

words” (p. 4).

Portraiture is framed by the phenomeno-

logical lens. Van Manen (1990) suggests

that in phenomenology, one studies the

obvious: a phenomenon that is right

before us but that is not well document-

ed or described. He also writes that the

26


aim of phenomenology is to “transform

lived experience into a text that express-

es something essential in re-living and a

reflective appropriation of something

meaningful” (p. 36).

As portraitist, I am interested not only in

producing complex, subtle description in

context but also in searching for the cen-

tral story, developing a convincing and

authentic narrative. This requires care-

ful, systematic, and detailed description

developed through watching, listening

to, and interacting with the protagonists

over a sustained period of time, the trac-

ing and interpretation of emergent

themes, and the piecing together of these

themes into an aesthetic whole. The

process of creating a whole often feels

like: “weaving a tapestry or piecing

together a q uilt. L ooking for points of

thematic convergence is like searching

for the patterns of texture and colour in

a weaving. In creating the text, the por-

traitist is alert to the aesthetic principles

of composition and form, rhythm,

seq uence, and metaphor. The por-

traitist’s standard, then, of authenticity,

capturing the essence and resonance of

the actors’ experience and perspective

through the details of action and thought

revealed in context” (Davis & Lightfoot,

1997, p. 12).

Portraiture, with its focus on narrative,

intends to address an audience beyond

the walls of the academy. The attempt is

to move beyond the academy’s inner cir-

cle, to speak in a language that is not

coded or exclusive, and to develop texts

that will seduce the readers into thinking

more deeply about issues that concern

them. The interpretations of protagonist

and portraitist contribute to the co-con-

struction of the story, but the final con-

tributor is the reader – who brings yet

another interpretation into the discourse.

The reader is “an active force in the co-

construction of story, applying available

data to the elaboration of his or her

interpretation of the narrative” (Davis &

Lawrence-Lightfoot, 1997, p. 118).

Discussion

Dozens of salient themes have emerged

from the data. The limitations of this

brief article obviously preclude detailing

them all here, so I highlighted only a few.

Karen Gallas (1998) uses the imagery of

a beachcomber to describe her research.

The analogy seems apt. Taken with tex-

ture, colour, and shape of sea glass, the

novice beachcomber picks up every

piece. The collection process is almost

indiscriminate because the delight in

finding treasure scattered along the sands

is so captivating. Over time, blue glass

becomes the prize because it is so rare,

and in the process of looking for the blue

glass, the beachcomber’s focus narrows.

Let me offer some of those cobalt blue

gems here.

Resonance w ith “ W hat Could B e”

In our interview conversations, each of

the three participants identified a power-

ful sense of connection upon her initial

exposure to the work of Reggio Emilia

educators. Referring to their viewing of

the video, “To Make A Portrait of a

Lion,” which portrays one project under-

taken by Reggio educators with young

children, I noted the following com-

ments:

~ What I was seeing was all my yearn-

ings for how to be with children right

there, in images and words, and being

lived out in front of me…

~ S eeing people living with the kind of

heart and spirit that I wanted to live with

in my days with children, and had some-

thing to strive towards without really

knowing what I was striving towards.

~ It’s hard to even find words for it

because it was such a heart-level experi-

ence…

~ I think that’s what brought me to tears.

S ome place is doing all these things that

I dream about and they’re not just doing

it in some alternative, backwards place.

They’re not just doing it by removing

themselves from the world, they’re out in

‘the marketplace.’ That’s just such a bea-

con of hope. I mean, it sounds trite, but

it really is, it’s such a beacon of hope for

that…

~ The heart and soul piece, the way of

being with children in the world, the ped-

agogy that grows out of the image of the

child, the image of the teacher, the image

of the family, is so deeply resonant for me.

~ This experience of weeping, just weep-

ing, weeping both from being so deeply

moved with this joy at what children and

families and teachers were experiencing

together, in Reggio, and weeping with this

yearning for my own work, to continue to

deepen in those sorts of ways of building

relationships with children and families,

and supporting children’s thoughtful col-

laborations. Weeping out of the sense

that I am so excited about it, and so over-

whelmed by the ‘bigness’ of it.

Karen Gallas (1998) uses the imagery of a

beachcomber to describe her research.

T he analogy seems apt. T aken with

texture, colour, and shape of sea glass, the

novice beachcomber picks up every piece.

T he collection process is almost

indiscriminate because the delight in

finding treasure scattered along the sands

is so captivating. O ver time, blue glass

becomes the priz e because it is so rare,

and in the process of looking

for the blue glass, the beachcomber’s

focus narrows.

Clearly, there was a sense of resonance,

a heart-felt connection with this portray-

al of living with children in an authentic,

intentional way. It was almost as if each

woman was articulating an experience of

coming home, of arriving, metaphorical-

ly, in a place where the lived experience

meshed with the dream of what could be

possible. Van Manen’s seminal work,

Researching L ived Experience (1990)

comes to mind as he describes phenome-

nological research:

27


From a phenomenological point of view,

to do research is always to question the

way we experience the world, to want to

know the world in which we live as

human beings. A nd since to know the

world is to profoundly be in the world in

a certain way, the act of researching –

questioning – theoriz ing is the intention-

al act of attaching ourselves to the world,

to become fully part of it, or better, to

become the world. Phenomenology calls

this inseparable connection to the world

the principle of “intentionality” (van

M anen, 1990, p. 5).

The vehicle of pedagogical documenta-

tion is what makes these experiences in

the schools of Reggio Emilia, this princi-

ple of intentionality, visible and share-

able.

Pedagogical Documentation is the

Cornerstone

Reflecting on their individual experi-

ences of developing a personal style of

pedagogical documentation over a num-

ber of years, each described the practice

as becoming the cornerstone of her ped-

agogical work with children. As van

Manen (1990) writes, “when we raise

questions, gather data, describe a phe-

nomenon, we do so as researchers who

stand in the world in a pedagogic way (p.

1)” – this way of standing in the world is

reflected in the following selected

quotes:

~ Y eah, exactly, the process or way of

being in the world, is really what it is, a

way of understanding our work, or

understanding our relationships with

children and with each other that is

about mindful presence and authentic

engagement and curiosity and delight.

H ow that all gets lived out or made tan-

gible is the form of this thing we call

documentation, this paper we put up on

the wall, this document we send out to

the web-page, whatever form it takes, but

that in fact documentation is an expres-

sion of a way of being with children.

~ I think of documentation as growing

out of deep listening and close observa-

tion, so that’s not anything that neces-

sarily shows, it’s not any tangible piece.

I’d say that’s a core piece of documenta-

tion, really being present to what the

children are experiencing, doing, saying,

playing about, arguing about, collabo-

rating about, feeling about. So, that is a

central component of documentation,

that mindful presence.

~ I felt that as this moment where, of

recognition that this practice had

become, like I’d absorbed it into my

bones, into my understanding, in an

utterly powerful way.

~ I feel the way it feeds me, it’s energiz -

ing. I love the way in which I pay atten-

tion to children as I’m writing, as I’m

taking a photo… I feel the contact of it.

~ It sure has been an anchor in, an

anchor that’s allowed me step into this

very open-ended, in many ways, open-

ended way of being with children. M ost

of the teacher scripts that we’re taught

are really heavy on planning and agen-

das. To let go of that way of teaching,

and step into this other planful, inten-

tional way that is looked at as much

more open - I think documentation can

be something to hold onto in that

process. I know myself as a teacher, I am

radically different, because of just hav-

ing lived these years of documentation in

so many ways. That’s what’s been piv-

otal in my growth.

~ Personally, one thing, one way that I

experience the power of this little being

called documentation is finding myself

invited to be nourished, to be challenged

to be a close observer, and to be really

present in the world.

~ It just feeds me so deeply, and is for me

the thing that gives meaning to any of

this.

Documentation, such as that collected

and collated by Ann, Sarah, and Margie,

is focused on what Giudici et al. (2001)

describe as the “stuff” of understanding

– ideas, theories, hypotheses, feelings,

experiments, deductions, notions of

cause and effect, imagination, intuitions,

“performances,” and the relationship of

experience, skill, knowledge, and insight

– cognitive processes involved in coming

to know something. Recording and pre-

senting children’s actions and interactions

can reveal the genesis of ideas and then, in

being shared, can lead to new thoughts,

questions, and discoveries (p. 307).

Intellectual Engagement

A particularly salient theme that has

emerged from the data is that, having

incorporated pedagogical documentation

into a nearly daily practice, there is a very

high level of intellectual engagement for

the teacher, which is made manifest in the

process of interpretive writing. Read their

comments:

~ So, is that the key, or a key, to the intel-

lectual engagement? Is the documenta-

tion what keeps you intellectually linked

in to this daily work? H ow big a compo-

nent is that? H ere we are, smart, think-

ing, intellectually curious people who

are attracted to work with young chil-

dren, and is documentation part of what

lets you be both of those things at the

same time?

~ That’s a message that belongs in the

work, because, you know, I’m smart, and

I’m a thinker, and a writer, and…, you

know, you don’t have to engage intellec-

tually, it’s not what’s perceived as what’s

needed for this work. It’s not the expec-

tation of most people when they come to

this work, and I think that’s partly why I

think I was so attracted, initially, to these

lab schools that were connected to uni-

versities, because it felt like, “Oh, well,

the work with children isn’t, you know,

intellectually stimulating, but I could be

working with undergraduates or doing

research, or working with these

researchers, or…” I was trying to be the

intellectual part of myself in that way,

and that’s kind of what changed in the

living it full days here at H illtop, was just

realiz ing that it’s all here. I’m really

smart, I’m really well educated, and I

use every ounce of it every day. Sure,

28


there are moments, you know, there are

the moments of living with kids that

aren’t, sort of, intellectually rewarding

or fulfilling, except that, if you really

come at, “Who is this kid?” with curios-

ity, or, “How do I know this family?” or,

“What is the interaction?” If you take in

the message that you can be really curi-

ous about everything that happens, then

yeah…it’s a totally, completely, com-

pletely intellectually fulfilling work,

which so many people just don’t get.

~ I’m so engaged by the intellectual

piece, and so engaged by the profession-

al development, I mean, all of that is def-

initely there…

Practicing the art of documentation

while living school days with children

fosters a culture of research at Hilltop.

Gandini and Goldhaber (2001), believe

that the process of documentation can be

an agent of change. Pedagogical docu-

mentation …has the potential to change

how early childhood educators see our-

selves as professionals. It certainly

requires that we expand our identity from

nurturer and caregiver to include theo-

retician and researcher. We have found

that documentation demands a high level

of intellectual commitment and curiosity

and a passionate engagement in our

work (pp. 143 -144).

Writing as a Native Language

A particular personal quality that each

participant independently identified was

that of being a comfortable writer. A sig-

nificant component of sophisticated ped-

agogical documentation is the teacher’s

reflective commentary, and so it’s not

surprising that someone who is a compe-

tent writer would be drawn to this prac-

tice. Quoting again from van Manen

(1990):

In writing the author puts in symbolic

form what he or she is capable of seeing.

And so practice, in the lifeworld with

children, can never be the same again.

My writing as a practice prepared me for

an insightful praxis in the lifeworld (I

can now see things I could not see

before). Although I may try to close my

eyes, to ignore what I have seen, in some

way my existence is now mediated by my

knowledge. And because we are what we

can ‘see” (know, feel, understand), see-

ing is already a form of praxis – seeing

the significance in a situation places us

in the event, makes us part of the event

(p. 130).

~ Writing…it’s my native language, real-

ly. So there’s that personal piece for me,

too, of feeling sustained by documenta-

tion, because it is going to this native

language place. And feeling like it’s a

place where I really practice and deepen

my writing skills, and become a better a

writer – that can only be a good thing.

~ To really sink into the experience, or a

moment that I’m watching unfold, and to

write about it. I mean, writing is some-

thing that I do anyways, so it’s this way

of being, that we call documentation, it’s

a really great fit.

~ When I write, I feel able to do more

nuanced thinking about children and

learning and able to dig deeply as well

as to see broadly what’s the heart and

soul of learning and play…

~It IS research and writing, and I’m liv-

ing it all day every day…

~It helps a lot that I write…that’s shaped

the form, that shapes what my documen-

tation looks like.

~ I think the fact that I’m a good writer

pushes me towards documentation that

looks like a lot of writing…

The writing process itself helps to deep-

en one’s own thinking, or, as Richardson

(2000) says, “writing is a way of ‘know-

ing,’ – a method of discovery and analy-

sis” (p. 923). Ann, Sarah, and Margie

are able to think out loud, in their docu-

mentation, to be transparent in their

thinking, thereby inviting the reader into

the reflective process.

Infinite Attention to Another

Well-known Reggio pedagogue, Carlina

Rinaldi, has put forth the challenge that

“the best environment for children is one

in which you can find the highest possi-

ble quantity and quality of relationships”

(Cadwell, 2003, p. 136). Bill Readings

(1996) says: “I want to insist that peda-

gogy is a relation, a network of obliga-

tion…(in which) the condition of peda-

gogical practice is an infinite attention

to the other” (p. 16). The primacy of

relationships is a strong theme that was

referred to by the three participants in

this study, as well by many of the parents

of children who attend Hilltop.

~ That’s sort of the heart of the whole

relationship piece, is the whole heart of

the beginning and sustaining piece for

me of this work. Documentation is the

practice that cultivates relationships,

that reflects and cultivates relationships.

~ It’s being in relationship with children

and families, and that’s what it’s about

for me, the deep and intimate and mean-

ingful relationships that are there.

~ C ertainly I’m so engaged by the intel-

lectual piece, and so engaged by the pro-

fessional development, I mean, all of that

is definitely there, but the living, breath-

ing meaning of it for me is being in rela-

tionship, being in community.

My observation, as an outside researcher,

is that these educators have worked hard

to effectively develop systems where

collegiality and collaboration support

relationships among the children, educa-

tors, parents, and community, opportuni-

ties for learning and the co-construction

of knowledge. Working with an emer-

gent or responsive curriculum, negotiat-

ed with all the stakeholders, is a dynam-

ic process that generates documentation

and is re-generated by documentation.

Building and maintaining relationships

is the guiding thread. Giudici et al.

(2001) make the observation that schools

“too often dedicate their energies pri-

marily to curriculum and didactics,

neglecting the broad network of relation-

ships and communication that are an

integral part of the educational process,

29


and consequently placing little emphasis

on the organization of these relation-

ships” (p. 5 3). Clearly, these teachers

have overcome that hurdle.

Reflective Commentary

Earlier I described Ann, Sarah, and

Margie as master documeters. Many in

North America have been intrigued by

the process of pedagogical documenta-

tion developed by the educators in

Reggio Emilia. What makes the work of

these three teachers at Hilltop particular-

ly inspiring is the insightful reflective

commentary that is paired with their

observations of the children’s experi-

ences. For example, during an investiga-

tion launched by play around Disney’s

“Lion King,” Sarah wrote:

Thinking back on this first gathering, I’m

struck by two things. First, it seems that

one of the main jobs for this group will be

grappling with and working on the inter-

personal dynamics of how decisions get

made in their play. These girls have been

learning all year about the power strug-

gles of inclusion and exclusion, and this

work team may be an opportunity for

them to think through these issues.

Second, I heard some ideas emerge in

this first conversation about good lions

and bad lions, light lions and dark lions.

I will be curious to see how these distinc-

tions and classifications play out in our

next meetings…Though my primary

intention for the Lion Work Team is that

they have a chance to explore the Lion

King story in a wide range of symbolic

languages, it seems this work may also be

a rich opportunity for them to play about

issues of race and bias…My role as a

teacher continues to be that of watcher,

listener, documenter. I don’t plan to do

much overt provocation around issues of

racial difference until I better understand

what internal questions and wonderings

these girls really have.

During another investigation, Ann wrote:

In their play, children work actively,

explore and understand themselves, their

friends, their world. They are asking

questions, constructing knowledge,

extending and deepening their under-

standings. When we observe their play,

listening carefully, we can see “under-

neath” the topical content of their play

to the development themes at its roots.

Our note-taking about and transcribing

of children’s play helps us uncover these

themes. Our sense of these developmen-

tal themes guides our work with chil-

dren, as we seek to support, enrich, and

extend their work around these themes.

It’s tempting for adults to stick with kids’

topical themes, and certainly easier than

digging deep for the themes underneath.

When we notice the themes under kids’

play, though, we honour their authentic

work, and we can meet them there. Our

curriculum, then becomes driven by the

children- a respectful, engaging, fasci-

nating approach to curriculum for us

adults and for the children. Here is a

sketch, or “web,” of our thinking about

some of the developmental themes and

their manifestations we see in the Tricks,

Treasure, and Titanic play.

Reflective practice is a dynamic, inquiry-

oriented process that connects classroom

experiences, including children’s learn-

ing, to a teacher’s construction of knowl-

edge. Through self-reflection, one learns

to listen to oneself, a skill that is essen-

tial to listening to others and developing

awareness, which leads to mindfulness

(Rud, 1995 ; Van Manen, 1991). These

teachers are masters at this, as is clearly

evidenced in the reflective, interpretive

text that is a significant component of

their documentation. Freeman (1998)

contends that teaching, and the notion of

a teacher’s work, must be thought of as a

process of doing research, defined as

speculation, wondering, and questioning

what we do. Reflective teachers move

toward a deeper engagement with the

burning and authentic issues of teaching

that allow for soul transformation and

increased understanding, or, following

Socrates, a “turning of the soul”

(Haroutunian-Gordon, 1995 ).

Three V oices, Three Perspectives

Each of the protagonists in this story,

names the practice of documentation as

the centre of the work she does with chil-

dren.

S arah describes documentation as a

really close description of what teaching

an emergent curriculum looks like: “It’s

the main activity, if you take documenta-

tion in its biggest description that

includes the reflective part, and the use

of what you’ve collected to be thoughtful

and playful about what you might want

to do next. To me, documentation is that

something to hang onto…the anchoring

structure in a very organic curriculum.”

She considers her collection of docu-

mented projects incredibly treasured

items. They provide really solid evi-

dence or traces of doing rich, important

work with children. “There’s something

about the concreteness of that and the

process of documentation takes this

organic, experiential, fluid curriculum,

life, and … groups it into meaningful sto-

ries in some way. The stories give you

little pieces to hold on to that can repre-

sent that time lived. It’s partly this relief

that this moment is at least captured to

some degree, so it’s not lost… it’s in the

history. Partly it’s the sense of, ‘I’ve

something to show for what we’ve been

doing.’ That’s still a huge reassurance,

for me, and my biggest defence against

anybody who might say, ‘What do you do

here all day? You don’t do anything, you

don’t have a lesson plan.’ And I can say,

‘Well, no, but I can show you what we

did every day this week, and how rich it

was. So that looks like money in the

bank, knowing that those stories are

there.”

Ann considers doing peace and justice

work with kids as “my core, my spine to

my work, that’s been the sort of deepest

anchor. That’s what drew me to working

with young children in the first place.”

For her, the practice of documentation,

coupled with the principles of emergent

curriculum, fit “hand in glove” with

social justice work. By studying her

documentation notes, she can see under-

30


neath the words of the children to the

themes and issues under-girding them.

With that understanding, she responds in

meaningful ways, taking an active role in

shaping an activism project. She says,

“If, in fact, we’re paying such intimate

and close attention to children and build-

ing deep relationships with them that

deeply respect who they are individually

and culturally, we can’t help but do anti-

bias and diversity work…. There’s no

way to do that work without paying close

attention to children, and hearing from

them what their passions and pursuits

are, and meeting them in that place, and

letting that be the curriculum that we live

with children. B ringing those two pieces

together...feels really important to me.”

What has always been at the heart of

Margie’s work has been ideas about

close observation of children, and think-

ing about what can grow out of those

observations. In her role as pedagogista

(or self-described “community elder”),

she encourages observers to slow down,

to be mindful of the ordinary moments

that are, in fact, extraordinary. Thinking

about fostering a culture of documenta-

tion, she believes that “creating the dis-

position to notice and delight and be

curious about what you’re seeing” is

key. “V aluing children for who they are,

not just what we want them to be, causes

a shift in the way we think about learn-

ing and teaching. We also begin to envi-

sion a larger purpose for the teaching

profession – making childhood visible

and valued for the ways in which it can

enrich our humanity and contribute to

our collective identity. To bring this

transformation about, we need a peda-

gogy (a way of thinking about learning

and teaching) that mirrors our vision for

children, not the existing one of the pop-

ular culture. Teachers who subscribe to

a pedagogy of this nature come from a

place of curiosity, believe in children’s

capabilities, and know that they are

engaging in a process that is unfolding,

not static…There’s a lot of ways you can

use your observations, and, because I’m

straddling a bunch of different worlds,

advocacy being a big one, it took me a

while to find a good balance between

documenting for advocacy purposes.”

The Phenomenological Connection

I find a strong parallel between phenom-

enology, particularly Max van Manen’s

description of human science research,

and the experience of Ann, Sarah, and

Margie, as documenters. What these

particular teachers are doing in their

everyday practice appears to be, indeed,

un-named phenomenological research of

the lived experience of these teachers

and children. The way in which each of

them stands in pedagogical relation to

the world, and their abilities to write

reflectively on the meanings of phenom-

ena of daily life lived in this community,

are reflected in these words of van

Manen’s (1990):

…pedagogy requires a phenomenologi-

cal sensitivity to lived experience (chil-

dren’s realities and lifeworlds).

Pedagogy requires a hermeneutic ability

to make interpretive sense of the phe-

nomena of the lifeworld in order to see

the pedagogic significance of situations

and relations of living with children.

And pedagogy requires a way with lan-

guage in order to allow the research

process of textual reflection to one’s ped-

agogic thoughtfulness and tact (p. 2).

Each participant was asked if her experi-

ence of embracing the practice of peda-

gogical documentation has acted as a

catalyst for personal growth or change.

Ann’s response was a resounding:

~ Ah…I think that’s exactly the right

question to be asking. My own personal

experience is that profoundly, YES. It

was life changing, it set me on this jour-

ney that I’m still on…

And again, this is mirrored in van

Manen’s (1990) belief that phenomeno-

logical research can be a transforming

process:

Phenomenological projects and their

methods often have a deep transforma-

tive effect on the researcher himself or

herself. Indeed, phenomenological

research is often itself a form of deep

learning, leading to a transformation of

consciousness, heightened perceptive-

ness, increased thoughtfulness and tact,

and so on (p. 16 3).

It seems fitting to conclude with the

words of Loris Malaguzzi (1993),

founder of the Reggio Emilia preschools,

written shortly before his death.

This work has strongly informed – little

by little – our way of being with the chil-

dren. It has also, in a rather beautiful

way, obliged us to refine our methods of

observation and recording so that the

process of children’s learning becomes

the basis of our dialogue with parents.

Stand aside for a while and leave room

for learning, observe carefully what chil-

dren do, and then, if you have under-

stood well, perhaps teaching will be dif-

ferent than before (p. 77).

Whether or not there is a disposition to

document seems to be the proverbial

“chicken and egg” question. Which

comes first? Ann, Margie, and Sarah

have each had a remarkable, intuitive

response to the work of educators in

Reggio Emilia, a response that resonates

with a vision of great possibilities.

Having keen observational skills, delight

in and curiosity about children, the abili-

ty to articulate and put into text their

reflections, a commitment to nurturing

relationships, and intellectual engage-

ment that is fostered by the active role of

researcher are all dispositions that these

teachers bring to their work. It is also the

description of the pheno