Showing posts with label Daily Journal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daily Journal. Show all posts

Friday, February 15, 2013

Reflections on Observing & Programming

I have been pondering a great many things ... It’s part of my job you see. BUT in this pondering I have had some conscious ideas about my practice as an educator. 

Many people are in this cycle: 
  1. We see the child doing something.
  2. We (the all-knowing-educator) then decide that the child will do something else that we choose based upon all our knowledge (which we can’t admit might be limited!) and our perspective (which again, isn’t necessarily a balanced one!)...
  3. We then observe and make judgements based upon whether the child has achieved what we have set out for them to do.
  4. We then document our findings based upon this one moment where the child may or may not have done what we wanted them to do...

Does anyone else see what might be wrong with this cycle?

This is many people’s planning cycle! This was my planning cycle ... We see, we make choices, then we act, then we evaluate and go again ...
Why don’t we plan for many different possibilities rather than just the one? Why don’t we problem solve and think about how many other ways we can support children in their learning and growing and being and becoming? 

I think the problem is the new is being overlapped with the old ... You know the old school way of doing things where we just essentially programmed in the boxes ... I always hated doing this and I was and am a day book programmer ... But even now I’m thinking of other ways I can do the same thing without the day book ... The day book requires (for me at least) a computer and time to write ... and not everyone will have that. I've started playing around with other ways and am starting to ponder using documentations and mind-maps and webs, even notations!

I’m not providing you with any concrete answers here ... I might even be leaving you with more questions! But what I’m thinking is ... what happens if we provide really excellent learning environments for children that are well thought out (because we write reflections) and have so much content that will support children over time ... 

Time to learn and grow being the key here ... 

What if, when we are writing our observations or reflections on particular children’s learning and growing, we make suggestions about:
  1. Different experiences within the learning environment that might already suit the needs of the child or the group as a whole?
  2. Different teaching strategies that might support that child achieve that outcome or milestone or satisfy their need?
  3. (Here’s some novelty) Act NOW! What can you do NOW to support that child? Is it asking a question or providing a resource to extend their engagement? Could it be role modelling by their side? Or could it possibly be helping them hand over hand? Could it be as simple as a smile of encouragement!? Write THAT down!
So that is what I have been wondering ... how much of what we already do in regards to our teaching practice is left unsaid and undocumented? How much of what we might be able to do, but feel we can’t do because it has to be something that we “follow-up” or do later is left undone, or done so far in the future that it no longer serves a purpose for that child?!?!

Signing off,

G @ Teacher’s Ink.

© Teacher’s Ink. 2013

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Reflections on Documenting + Linking


Disclaimer: This entry is HUGE! I'm sorry ... Good luck!
When did teaching in early childhood stop being so much about the children and more about the paper work? You know the children’s observations, the daily reflection book, the program and the evaluations that follow? Then we mustn’t forget projects that we “must” do as well as perhaps documentation displays on top of that! Oh, and you must follow-up on what you did before. And don’t forget to link EVERYTHING into EVERTHING else so that you are meeting the requirements that the government has set for you. You’ve been told by so many people that you have to do this that and the other and you are doing them, but it’s just too much! You are drowning. I am drowning. How is that quality?

Tell me, with your nose in a portfolio/journal or your face in a computer, do you understand and know your students better? We are forever stalking the children from one moment to the next and then shoving a camera in their face.

Imagine how you would feel if there were people constantly following you around and taking photos of what you were doing. You don’t have any privacy in the bathroom because there is either someone going to the toilet with you or there are others standing around and watching you. Sometimes standing and staring. They remind you to wipe your bottom. You were going to, but you just hadn’t gotten to that point in the process yet. But there they are, telling you to wipe your bottom.  You were quite content having a quiet and ‘private’ moment to yourself thinking about what you wanted to play next, and someone interrupts you with “wipe your bottom” ...
Imagine how you would feel with people constantly following you around with a camera taking photos of what you are doing. Whether you are trying to read a book or serve yourself a wedge of apple, there are people watching closely with a camera in hand. Private conversations you have are overheard and then documented and either shared with everyone OR they are put into a file with your name on it and the file of all your associates. [I know, I’m starting to sound a bit paranoid – but I am just sharing what I have seen many times over!]
Imagine standing at an easel with a paint brush in hand (and it really doesn’t matter what colour paint nor does it matter what hand you are holding the brush in!). You are watching the paint work its way across the paper and touch the other colours. You notice that when one colour goes into another colour, it changes into a different colour. You are amazed and wondering about this when someone over your shoulder points to one of the colours and asks you “What colour is this?” So you oblige them and you say “blue” ... You wonder why this person, who is much older and more experienced than you is asking you what the colour blue is. Surely they should already know this? You get back into the groove of your painting when they point at your painting and quiz you again about what colour ...and again and again?  You really just wanted to paint. But that unique moment of wonder and magic is gone. The adult got what they wanted from you, and your painting, interrupted, unfinished, is hanging up to dry.
Everything you do is then analysed and picked apart and critiqued. People make assumptions about who you are based upon the information they have gathered and they then come to conclusion about who you are and what they think you should do next. You are then told that you have to engage in this activity, and again, they are there. Always watching. Always listening. With camera in hand. Always judging.
Where is the humanity in this? Where are the relationships? Where is the sense of community? As I started to write this reflection, the more I started to really question what the heck I’ve been doing all these years. Look, I know that just because we do these things, it doesn’t mean that we aren’t wonderful educators who know our children well. It doesn’t mean we don’t have genuine relationships with them. It’s not about that ... I just really started to feel uncomfortable about some aspects of my work that has been part of my practice for a great many years.
And come on you have to admit that really, we are acting a bit like paparazzi when it comes to documenting children’s engagement and learning!
So, why do we do this?
We are told that if we observe children and analyse their actions and development we will have a deeper understanding of children and learning in general. This will apparently then make us better educators, more able to engage with children and provide for their learning and development. We are told that if we can link our observations with theory and quality standards, then we will not only better understand the children in our care, but we will also be achieving a higher standard of care and education.  We are told that by better understanding children and relating their development to theory we will have a positive impact upon the understanding of children and their abilities as a whole. This will make the world a better place, because we can provide better outcomes for children.
I disagree. Strongly.
Our observations and what we link them to, sit at a service. They sit in a file or in a portfolio. These then sit inside a magazine box or basket on a shelf at a service for the parents to sometimes look through. Sometimes we give children opportunities to look at them. Sometimes they are individual. Sometimes they are so full of group observations where the child is not particularly visible as an individual because we are under so much pressure to pump out a certain number of “obs” that we start slapping in whatever we can.
At some point, they go home with the child and are sometimes cherished. Sometimes they are lost. Sometimes they held at a service until an account is finalised, and never go home. Sometimes they are even thrown away by families.
A copy is kept at the service that goes into a file and sits there until the child is of a certain age (depending upon your country, state and their particular regulations) ... then it is shredded, recycled and goes back into the paper making system. It might become an egg carton or kitty litter or photocopy paper or even toilet tissue. Your hard work today, might sit around for 24 years, be filed and stored, shredded, recycled and then be used to wipe someone’s nose. Seriously. How is this sustainable? How is this quality? How is this good for the environment? How does this serve children? How does this make us better educators?
This work does not go to a university to be reviewed by philosophical academics. It is not going to be used to design contemporary theories of teaching and learning. So please tell me how all this work ... how all this confused complicated energy goes towards substantiating learning and development theories?
I am not an academic.
I am not interested in substantiating theories.
Theories are also a collection of ideas and beliefs as explainations ... they are NOT 100% proven fact!
I am interested in working with children, families, communities and fellow educators in creating amazing learning spaces for all parties to learn and grow as people. I am interested in making a difference.
I am not belittling the academics among us who love theory and relating it to practice. But, I’m sorry that is simply not me. And you might argue that I am then in the wrong place, but I will argue that I am most definitely in the right place.
Everyone seems to be running around lost and confused as to what they need to do to survive in early childhood in an Australian context today. Yes, I know, *they* are coming! The Assessors! They are going to judge us ... I get that. I really do.
BUT, we seem to be going crazy with this linking! We are being told by someone who was told by someone who was in turn told that we had to link to this that and the other.
The reality is that if you start throwing about theory at people, who are not interested in it, they are going to shut off and disengage. We want engagement! We want an active learning community. The reality is that not every educator is university educated AND even the university educated educators (this includes me) are interested in theory! Confusing isn’t it?
This is already getting too long and its getting a little tiring standing here on top of my soap box ... but seriously ... we are going way over the top. Just like this blog essay of 1,545 words!
I’m currently reading the Standards and the Regs and the EYLF and other bits and pieces and I am planning on working out what we actually have to do. I really don’t want to plan and document according to gossip or misinformation. I will share. When I know what I’m doing!
Exhale.

© Teacher’s Ink. 2013

 

Monday, August 6, 2012

Starting From Scratch ...

I'm starting from scratch ... and I'm ruffling feathers ... I might write about this for publishing at a later date ... But I will focus on my work as a teacher and educational leader for this blog!

What I have been working on is a planning cycle ... The NQS says (and correct me if I'm wrong, or something somewhere says, but I'm too tired and weary to look it up, so just pretend we both know what I'm talking about, and that I'm right!) we need to have a cycle ... so I'm drawing up a cycle ... and in that cycle I have arrows that indicate link from one aspect to another  ... A cycle that is clear to understand and can be easily seen on a bulletin board ... I won't put up a "program" so to speak, but I can have a cycle with a link to possibilities!

I'm working in supporting staff to link the daily reflections to the children's portfolios (or journals) ... and then I'm trying to support staff in writing the links from yesterday's events with today's events and then think about where we might go for tomorrow. I'm also encouraging instead of saying LOC 1.2.3 or some such secret code, that we use the words and terminology of the EYLF without being arrogant and elitist about it ... We need to be understood by parents and the community!

I mean it's well and good to know in my head how everything will look ... but how will it look to others?

Being an educational leader is challenging especially when you are trying to not only lead a preschool team, but a whole service as well! What was I thinking??!?!?! I know the challenges will pay off eventually ... its just so exhausting!

Speaking of exhausting, I have a new awesome padded mattress overlay that I really must go and reaquaint myself with quicksmart!

Been lovely seeing you again!

XoXo

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Just Another Day Book Sample

This is just another version of the same sort of thing that I would do from time to time ... I wouldnt write anything at all myself ~ I'd involve the children and interview them ... These are the sorts of things they would say ...

The Day Book ~ My Style Explained V.2

Like last time ... I've added numbers as reference points ... Numbers 1-4 are explained in my previous post as well as number 7 ... I'm hoping its not too confusing but I didnt want to cut and paste it and add numbers in different orders etc. I'm assuming you have read or will read V.1!







5.       This is where I got clever a couple of years ago when it was suggested that I show the children’s voice more – this was even before the EYLF ... So I would call some children over and simply ask them a few different version of essentially the same questions:

a.       What did you play today?

b.      What did you like playing today?

c.       What did you learn today?

d.      What was the best part of your day at school?

It really depended upon who I was talking to – their language and comprehension skills etc. But you get the idea ... ask an open ended question about their play and then write down what they have to say. This is their voice. Their words or voice reflecting upon their day.
6.       This is where the author of the daybook is acknowledged – and the staff for the day written as well. I’ve also previously written what types of music we’ve listed to, or what we had for lunch so it was all there for parents to read – a one stop shop.


So this is just another version of what my day book entries used to look like ...

Enjoy

T.ink.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Day Book ~ My Style Explained V.1


I am titling this as "Day Book ~ My Style Explained V.1" because it's simply just that ... It's very general and I've written it using generic and nonsensical terms. I'm going to reflect more on this and either provide some different samples or some guiding questions. I have also done a few different things over the years, so I will create some mock-ups of those and post them in the near (or not so distant) future and title them V.2 and V.3 etc. If you notice, I have placed numbers in the sections. The numbers are used as reference points to explain my thinking behind those sections below the image.



1.   The Title ... You can say what you want here ... I used to say “Monday’s Story” or whatever day of the week it was ... You can have it focused on one aspect of your learning environment – you can use the terminology that you are familiar with for example I might have used “The Creative Child” (DOCS, 2005) and written about our experiences in collage or perhaps the buildings that were created in block area using stones, branches and pieces of fabric. The title can be simple, or it can be a headline designed to grab peoples’ attention!

2.   These are the =main= events ... it is not EVERYTHING that was engaged with on the day. This is just what was really important or where the most learning was observed by the educators ... It might not be the most important leaning that occurred – but you don’t have eyes and ears all over your head so you can’t see and hear everything that happens everywhere all day long.

3.    I don’t like being tied to a future idea ... or curriculum decision so I use “POSSIBLE future directions” ... Its just the ideas at the time of writing the day book entry ... overnight my ideas may change, indeed while driving to work the ideas may change – or the children may come up with their own ideas or in fact they may not want to move from the place of learning they were at yesterday. I think we get so carried away with: What are we going to plan next? When it is perfectly valid to just experience NOW! Notice that I used terms like: more, less, repeat, extend and then something new. Again, these are only ideas of where the possibilities might be. They are not set in stone!

4.   This is where I write about the main events in more detail. You can relate them to the EYLF (DEEWR, 2009) and the concepts held within the learning outcomes or any other aspect of the EYLF you’d like to refer to. You can paraphrase or you can quote directly. It’s up to you. There is no particular prescription about how this should look. What you do need to be talking about and reflecting up on is children’s learning – not so much the  specific outcomes, but the processes. I like writing this as a narrative because it means that its a story, its personal, its reflective, you are speaking to your audience and sharing your thoughts, but you are also able to refer to the past, present and future in your expression. And that is "linking" and making connections within your curriculum. Remember curriculum is:

"Curriculum encompasses all the interactions, experiences, routines and events, planned and unplanned, that occur in an environment designed to foster children’s learning and development" DEEWR, 2009 pp. 9).

5.   This is where there is a space for families to write a comment to the children or the service. They can share ideas or what they are thinking about what the children are doing. I would strongly encourage you to ask families to share their voice in the day book. I remember one mother’s comment about rainbows which to this day, touches me. She was one of the main parents to read the day book and be involved. Imagine how her child felt, knowing that her mother took such a strong interest in her school.

If you have any questions or comments, please post them here or email them to me! I'd love to hear from you: teachersink [at] gmail dot com

T.Ink