Carol Ann Wien habits of documenting

Summary

The video script delves into the intricacies of pedagogical documentation, emphasizing the importance of educators developing a habitual mindset to capture meaningful moments. It illustrates this with a poignant example of a child's emotional connection to her past, symbolized by a simple gesture at a window. The script highlights the need for educators to observe beyond traditional developmental markers, focusing instead on the social and emotional connections children form. It advocates for a documentation approach that uncovers the richness of children's experiences and the connections they make with the world around them.

Takeaways

• 📝 Pedagogical documentation is a complex process that involves multiple layers.
• 🔍 The first layer of documentation is identifying what to document and the adult's intention behind it.
• 🛠️ Educators often struggle to make documentation a habit and need time to feel comfortable with the practice.
• 🕒 It can take months or even a year for educators to develop documentation as a daily habit.
• 🤔 Patience is required when developing the habit of documentation, and it's okay to start as a beginner.
• 📸 An example of strong documentation is capturing a child's emotional connection to their past environment and caregivers.
• 👀 Documentation should aim to reveal the child's social and emotional world beyond just developmental skills.
• 💡 The purpose of documentation is to open our eyes to the richness of children's experiences as they discover the world.
• ❤️ The role of educators includes following and documenting the child's love and excitement about the world.
• 🔗 Mapping the connections children make through documentation can lead to insights outside of conventional thinking.

Q & A

What is the initial challenge educators face when it comes to documentation?

The initial challenge educators face is developing the habit of documenting. It can be hard to remember to document and have the necessary tools readily available.

How long does it typically take for educators to feel comfortable with documentation?

It can take months or even a year for educators to feel comfortable with documentation as a daily habit.

What is the importance of being patient with the documentation process?

It's important to be patient with the documentation process because it takes time to develop the habit and comfort level with documenting.

Why is it necessary to give educators permission to be beginners in documentation?

Educators need permission to be beginners to allow them to explore and develop the habit of documenting without fear of judgment.

What is an example of a strong moment in an educator's practice mentioned in the script?

An example of a strong moment is when a child who has moved from a toddler unit to preschool looks in the window to see her old room and caregiver, and they press their palms against the glass.

What does this moment reveal about the child's social and emotional world?

This moment reveals the child's strong connection to her previous environment and caregivers, showing her social and emotional attachment.

Why is the act of documenting important for understanding a child's development?

Documenting is important because it helps educators to see beyond conventional developmental skills and understand the child's social and emotional connections.

What is the role of documentation in observing a child's encounter with a new world?

Documentation helps to open our eyes to everything else that's going on, capturing the richness of children's experiences as they encounter a new world.

How does documentation assist in following a child's love and excitement about the world?

Documentation assists by allowing educators to follow and document the child's connections and excitement, capturing their wonder and love for the world.

What does the script suggest is the purpose of documentation in the context of children's learning?

The purpose of documentation is to try to see the connections that children are making, which can take us outside our normal realms of thinking.

What kind of questions does the script suggest educators should ask when documenting?

Educators should ask different kinds of questions that focus on mapping the connections children are making, rather than just observing conventional developmental milestones.