In this chapter, you are introduced to the concept of pedagogical documentation. This chapter explores the practice of child observation which has typically been used to assessment children’s development in relation to norms and milestones which are produced by western child development theorists. In contrast, pedagogical documentation positions teachers as researchers, learning from children.
Some of the key ideas in this chapter include:
Models of teaching reflect our ideas about how the teaching environment should be arranged, and about planning, assessment, and how children and teachers should relate to one another. Such models have been generated by various individuals and some approaches demonstrate a blending or cross-fertilization of ideas. Reggio Emilia is one such approach; it is a philosophy of pedagogy that is characterized by open-mindedness to multiple views, a focus on developing ethical and empathic relationships, and the use of diverse strategies and techniques. In it teachers are viewed as intellectuals, not technicians.
Pedagogical documentation, a reflective process, is part of the Reggio Emilia approach. It has taken different forms but aims to make learning visible by collecting photos, videos, recordings, and artefacts in the classroom. Encouraging children’s democratic participation in pedagogical documentation has been a challenge.
The way in which we interpret what we see is complicated by the theoretical lens or image we use. A particular theory can focus our attention selectively. Child observation has been used to understand child development and to learn about and manage children’s behaviour. Tools such as running records, anecdotal records, checklists, and time or event samples can be used to organize observations of children. Technologies have been used for observations for over a hundred years; photos, videos, and recording devices capture what is happening in the classroom and represent children’s learning experiences. Documentation has been criticized for being hard to learn and implement, the fact that it can become a way of monitoring teachers and children, and its’ assumption that children agree to participate.
