What's pedagogy anyway?

28 Pages·2011·2.24 MB·English

WHAT'S
ANYWAY?
Using pedagogical
documentation to engage
with the Early Years Learning
Framework
Associate Professor Alma Fleet,
Toby Honig, Janet Robertson,
Anthony Semann, Wendy Shepherd
NSW Professional Support Co-ordinator
Children’s Services Central is the Professional Support Coordinator in New South Wales and is
an initiative funded by the Australian Government under the Inclusion and Professional Support
Program. Children’s Services Central is managed by a consortium of key organisations that
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enquiries should initially be directed to the Professional Support Coordinator in your region.
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© Copyright 2011 Children's Services Central
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CONTENTS
Meet the authors 4
Introduction 5
When we talk about pedagogical documentation, what do we mean? 6
Why should I document? 8
What is the family’s role in documentation? 10
Who is documentation for? 12
What is the relationship between pedagogical documentation and
the Early Years Learning Framework? 14
What does pedagogical documentation look like? 16
Where can I find the time to document effectively? 18
What is the role of theory in documentation and the Early Years Learning
Framework? 20
Give me an example please! 22
Where to from here 25
References 26
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MEET THE AUTHORS
Dr Alma Fleet
As an Associate Professor at Macquarie University, Alma Fleet has had an
opportunity to be engaged with a wide range of teaching, researching and
publishing opportunities. She enjoys working both with pre-service teachers and
those currently working across the early childhood sector. In addition to her
involvement in practitioner enquiry and educational change initiatives, she has a
particular interest in her work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colleagues.
Toby Honig
Toby is an early childhood teacher working in a long day setting in Sydney. He
also curates and contributed to the pedagogical documentation exhibition panels
that were produced by Macquarie University (Exhibit-on). Toby has been working
in early childhood for over 10 years and completed his Bachelor of Education
(Early Childhood) at Macquarie University. He has presented at early childhood
conferences across Australia and overseas. Toby has a particular interest in how
pedagogical documentation can transcend age groups and cultural differences.
He enjoys the opportunity to be able to critically reflect on practice, using
documentation as a way to communicate easily with families and colleagues the
thinking behind practice.
Janet Robertson
Janet is the Outdoor Teacher at Mia Mia, Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie
University. Her professional interests include the Educational Project of Reggio
Emilia, outdoor education and thinking for young children, pedagogical
documentation and listening (in the pedagogical sense). Having worked in a
range of roles in the Sydney area, and presented her ideas both regionally and
internationally, she enjoys opportunities for professional exchange.
Anthony Semann
Anthony is a Director at Semann & Slattery (www.semannslattery.com), a
research firm based in Sydney and Melbourne. Anthony has worked as an
educator, innovator and advocate with a broad range of government and private
organisations. His skills and expertise have seen him work across Australia and
overseas. Anthony is in demand as a presenter, facilitator and public speaker.
Anthony has qualifications in Education, a Masters degree in Sociology and is
currently completing a PhD with a research focus on leadership and courage.
Wendy Shepherd
Wendy has been the Director of Mia Mia for the past seventeen years and
has worked with the staff during this time in the exploration of the process of
documentation. Wendy has an understanding that documentation is and should
be unique and contextual to each setting and that engaging in the process is a
professional development program in itself as it is such an excellent reflective
task and a vehicle for connecting with others. Wendy welcomes the rigour that is
required in researching, reflecting and collaborating as it reveals the complexity
that is early childhood pedagogy.
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INTRODUCTION
T
he Early Years Learning This book attempts to challenge
Framework provides a us all to refrain from creating a
timely opportunity for one-size fits all approach when it
the early education sector to comes to documenting teaching
critically reflect on the practice of and learning. It also suggests
education and the diverse ways that we must think and act
in which curriculum is developed critically when exploring the role
and teaching is delivered across of pedagogical documentation
the varied locations where in early years education. The
programs are offered to children. act of thinking critically will
Alongside (and in-fact preceding) enable educators to create
the introduction of the Early contextually relevant curriculum
Years Learning Framework has and documentation that works not
been much theorising, thought only for the educators, but also for
and attention given to the role the community at large.
of pedagogical documentation.
Pedagogical documentation has Furthermore, this book challenges
for many years served as a source educators to resist the notion
of inspiration, reflection, activism of reducing children’s learning
and transparency for all involved and consequently the associated
in the education of children. Thus, pedagogical documentation to the
whilst the Early Years Learning five outcomes as outlined in the
Framework offers new and revised Early Years Learning Framework.
ways of thinking about early Documenting pedagogically must
years education, it is inevitable move beyond a simplistic process
that it will also raise questions of matching observations to
for educators regarding the learning outcomes outlined in the
documentation they keep and the Framework. Learning is a complex
purposes such documents serve. process, as is the formation of
human identity. We therefore
We do suggest that educators challenge all educators to think
proceed with caution. Any new broadly about teaching and
ideas entering the space of learning and the implications of
education may run the risk of this complexity on documentation.
homogenizing practice, therefore
leading to a formulaic approach to
teaching and quite possibly also
to the ways in which documenting
children’s learning takes shape.
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WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
PEDAGOGICAL DOCUMENTATION,
WHAT DO WE MEAN?
P
edagogical In describing what pedagogical Documentation is not the
documentation is a documentation is, it may also be collection of data in a detached,
term that we use to useful to define what it is not i.e. objective, distant way. Rather
describe a process of it is the interpretation of close
• A record of the day’s events,
gathering artefacts, keen observation and attentive
conversations, • A photo essay of centre life, listening, gathered with a variety
ideas, and displaying children’s of tools by educators aware of
• A scrapbook of children’s
learning, energy and theories. contributing their different points
work.
The concept is inspired by the of view (Gandini & Goldhaber,
work of educators in the schools 2001).
What is missing in the above
of Reggio Emilia, Italy, and in
example that is present in
Sweden. The challenge for early Pedagogical documentation also
pedagogical documentation?
childhood educators in Australia encourages multiple authors to
Thoughtful reflection and
is how and if to adapt these ideas collaborate on the one piece. The
analysis.
to our Australian context (Fleet, authors may include educators,
Patterson, Hammersley, Schillert, families and/or the children. The
The thing that separates
Stanke; 2006, p.312). inclusion of multiple voices and
pedagogical documentation
perspectives can strengthen the
from other forms of observation
Pedagogical documentation understanding gained through
and record keeping is the use of
follows children’s and educators’ the process as well as the
analysis and reflection. This form
thinking and finds ways to make document produced.
of research always includes these
that thinking visible. It is a means
two fundamental aspects. The
of analysing what lies beneath Pedagogical documentation
analysis may be a self-reflection;
the play experiences to find also has a role in exploring
it may draw on different theories
the questions being asked and everyday experiences and is a
and/or theorists; it may be linked
the learning that occurs. It is tool for educators to see “the
to texts and ideas within early
a tool for educators to gather extraordinary in the ordinary”
childhood or beyond. What
information to create meaning, (Shafer, 2002). This encourages
it does is give the educator
but documentation is more than us to take every day experiences
opportunities to reflect on what
just the gathering of evidence: that may otherwise pass us by
learning has taken place and to
or we may overlook, and see
Documentation is not only the assist in thinking where to from
them as moments of learning,
process of gathering evidence here? There is almost always a
of relationships, of thinking, of
and artefacts, but also the journey that takes place within
listening and of insight and then
reflection on and analysis of the the story being told, whether
using these moments to form the
collection, and the presentation that means a journey over a
basis of documentation. Through
of that collection, in a way that series of weeks or months or
documentation, we can show
makes the children’s learning even a journey that occurred
the ordinary to be extraordinary
visible to the children, the within a small space in time.
(Strozzi in Reggio Children,
teachers and other adults. There is always a moment where
2001, p.58).
(Rinaldi in Wurm 2005, p.98) something needs to be overcome
(or to be offered) that may be
achieved through adult or child
intervention.
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Thinking points
• Can you identify what you
are currently doing in your
program that might be called
‘pedagogical documentation’?
• How can you plan to investigate
ways of identifying the
extraordinary in the ordinary
within your classroom or setting
i.e. morning arrival, children
greeting each other, lunchtime?
• In what ways are you able
to engage in a collaborative
approach to documenting
children’s learning, including
families, children and other
educators?
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WHY SHOULD I DOCUMENT?
H
opefully this question written word and be delighted children and when children pour
does not infer that by the imagery and be informed over the documentation stored
documentation is just about the thinking of the teacher in folders that provides a record
a task that must be and the child/ren revealed in the of their experiences. Perhaps
completed to comply narrative. we all have a memory of loving
with regulatory to look at old family photos and
Why should we spend our time
requirements. If so, such an this is evident when children in
and energy in this way? The
obligation may dissuade you from early childhood programs look
best reason of all is to build
experiencing the exhilaration and at their centre ‘family albums’,
connections with families and
stimulation that documenting the the archival documentation of
the community and to celebrate
lived experiences of the children their experiences when they were
our practice, to bring to light
you are guiding and developing younger.
the complexity of pedagogy and
relationships with, each and
theory. This is active advocacy A wonderful example of the
every day, brings. It is indeed
for early childhood education merit of this practice presented
a professional responsibility to
and for the profession. It may itself when two children looked
record, document and assess
ultimately raise awareness and through the photographs and
the children’s learning, skills
a level of respect for the sector documentation of clay work they
and understandings. But it
within the broader community. In had completed in the previous
is also much more than this.
the process we become critical year. Immediately the children
Documentation is more than
thinkers about children, play and wanted to engage with the clay
writing a running record or an
theory and begin to understand again to replicate the original
observation and formatting and
more comprehensively the clay characters they had created.
publishing text, photographs and
purpose and the impact of our However this time, a year later,
work samples.
work. There are other secondary they recreated the characters with
Documentation is a practice that reasons for documenting that more well defined features and
has a robust and an enviable are also very worthwhile. We with the addition of limbs this
international history. Early document in order to trace the time, representing an action such
childhood educators can aim process of learning and speculate as combing their character’s hair or
beyond simply recording facts on the outcomes for children. eating a lollypop.
and the functional, perfunctory It also makes visible ours and
Usually when questioned about
act of writing. There is a need to the children’s thinking and to
previous documented experiences,
seek answers and ask the many create an aide-de-memoir for
children will demonstrate that
questions that arise when working children, educators and families
their memory is acute and they
alongside children and gathering of particular events and moments
can usually account for what
data. When writing up your in the life lived in the early
they had said and describe their
reflections (including those of the childhood setting.
thoughts about each photograph
children, families and colleagues)
An archive is created of the and the recorded story within
about a moment in the day or an
rich learning that takes place the documentation. Thus the
event, the information you gather
over the years and is recorded documentation and the process
should begin to intrigue and sing
referring to current knowledge of documenting serves many
to you and you should be inspired
and theories. One day this purposes - What rich data for
to explore theories fearlessly,
archival material may serve as a the assessment of children’s
analyse deeply, research widely
wonderful sociological research learning, for critical reflection, to
and revise and craft a narrative
project about early childhood promote dialogue, collaboration
that is evocative and seductive.
education over the decades. and building connections and
You want to draw the reader
The sense of doing this work community: Educators and
into the story, your story and the
becomes apparent when families children engage in meaningful
children’s, the hypothesis and
linger to read the documentation collaboration, the real work of life,
questions and provocations. You
as they arrive to collect their inclusive of family and respectful of
want the reader to savour the
diversity.
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“There is a need to
seek answers and ask
the many questions
that arise when
working alongside
children and
gathering data.”
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WHAT IS THE FAMILY’S ROLE
IN DOCUMENTATION?
P
edagogical exploring and developing.
documentation is Both family and early childhood
an investment for educators receive the knowledge
the practitioner of aspects of the child that we
as it effortlessly do not know and what they are
invites families capable of. Often families have
to engage in a dialogue and the opportunity to see their child
develop a respectful, meaningful in a new light, and practitioners
and equitable relationship with have the opportunity to see the
the ‘significant others’ in their tender, loving and loved child
children’s lives. For families who from the perspective of the
enrol their children in early years home - a gift to both educators
programs, this investment is and family.
particularly important as early
childhood educators may only Families are a critical audience
have the perspective of the child for our work. This reality may
within the program. Educators require educators to pause to
need to confer, liaise and frame a professional dialogue,
collaborate with the children’s but not reduce it. Rather this
families to gain the image of the is to invite an understanding
child who lives their life within a of the complexity and theory
family and a community. Having within our work. Documentation
knowledge of the diversity of should not exclude the reader
the contexts of family life adds from the conversation. Families
to the professional’s knowledge will be keen contributors
about the child and cultural when the request to engage
competence, as family members in the dialogue is respectful
are the child’s first mentor and life and sensitive. Families will
guide. Families are well placed to continue to contribute when
provide us with an authentic and they see a reflection of their
meaningful image of the child. thoughts and impressions in the
documentation. Families as well
In letting go of the image of the as children have editing rights
all-knowing professional expert, and educators must ensure that
being uncertain and unsure consultation is complete prior to
allows room for the ‘other’ to also the finalisation and publication
be knowledgeable in particular of documentation. Through
and equally valuable ways. This the process of consultation,
is a sound starting point for an families will become a link to the
abiding professional relationship broader community and another
with families. Families (if we have advocating voice for early
the ears and heart to listen) will childhood education.
reveal the child they know and
love, augmenting our knowledge
of the child we see playing,
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