# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Day in a Preschool - Reggio Children (2011)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Documenting children's learning is an intricate process. In this expert interview, Mara Krechevsky, a senior researcher at Harvard's Project Zero research centre, discusses the ins-and-outs of making learning visible.
Documenting children's learning is a complex and (sometimes) confusing process. Questions of how educators can use documenting to support learning are deeply intertwined with debates surrounding ethical and political assumptions in education.

Mara Krechevsky has over 30 years' experience in education research with a specific interest in documenting learning. In her role at Harvard, she has worked on a myriad of 'visible learning' projects including directing Project Zero's Making Learning Visible, an initiative that began as a collaboration with educators from Reggio Emilia.

Project Zero is a research centre at Harvard's Graduate School of Education. Founded by philosopher Nelson Goodman in 1967, Project Zero began with a focus on understanding learning in and through the arts. Since then, the centre's mission has expanded to include understanding and enhancing thinking, learning, and creativity in the arts and other disciplines, for individuals and institutions.

Mara has also co-authored two books that address documentation: Visible Leaners: Promoting Reggio-Inspired Approaches in All Schools and Making Learning Visible: Children as Individual and Group Learners. In this post, Mara touches on topics such as:

What does it mean to 'document learning?'

Why is documenting important in education?

How can documenting be used in education contexts shaped by pre-set curriculum and standardised testing?

Louisa Penfold: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk today. Like you, I am interested in the process of documenting learning and how this can support children's creative education. It would be lovely to hear you talk about this process at a fundamental level: what does it mean to document learning and why is this important in education?
Mara Krechevsky: I am really excited to talk about this today too. Documenting is a complex construct and concept that I am sure I will always be learning more about. Based on an initial collaboration with Reggio Emilia educators, and then work with kindergarten, primary and secondary educators in the United States, the Project Zero research team spent 10 years coming up with a definition of documentation!

To give you a bit of background, Nelson Goodman who is the founder of Harvard Project Zero, used to talk about the languages of art. He used to say that the question is not what is art but when is art. That is, there is not a fixed definition of art, but rather, the definition of art depends on the context and the presence of certain aesthetic qualities or "symptoms." Likewise, whether or not an artefact can be considered documentation depends on the context and how it is being used.

We define documentation as the practise of observing, recording, interpreting (either on one's own or, ideally, in a group), and sharing through different media the processes and products of learning in order to deepen learning.

One thing we are doing in this definition is making the claim that you do not need to wait until the learning process is over-and there is a final product or an exam score-in order to know that learning is taking place. Rather, you can see learning happening during the process itself. Documentation is one way to make this learning visible, which can also inform future learning.

When we ask people to share their own working definition of documentation, and then compare it to our definition, they often realize they have neglected to mention the "why" of documentation-"in order to deepen learning." Sometimes, documentation is confused with display, but one difference between documentation and display is that display focuses on what you did, whereas documentation focuses on what was learned. Sometimes people get so engrossed in "learning how to document," that they forget about "documenting to learn." So questions we often ask the teachers with whom we work is: What do you want to learn from this documentation? Whose learning do you want to support? Is it the students' learning, their own learning, the learning of others (colleagues, parents, or other stakeholders), or some combination?

My colleague, Ben Mardell, says that you should only collect enough documentation as you have time to revisit. Howard Gardner talks about documentation as "paring down." You can't document everything, so the practice of documentation forces you to become clearer about your educational values and priorities. What is the learning that you care about most? Your answer will help guide your collection and sharpen your analysis or interpretation of the documentation.
LP: Great, ok. My next question is around the age-old debate of 'how can documenting learning be used in education contexts shaped by pre-set curriculum and standardised testing?' How can we use documenting to re-think the idea of educational accountability?
MK: Some years ago, I co-wrote a paper on thinking about accountability in three realms. I think documentation can serve three forms of accountability. The first realm is accountability to self-becoming clearer about your learning goals, and then looking at what you intended to teach in relation to what actually happened with the learners in front of you. Documentation helps teachers both become more intentional and more reflective in their teaching.

The second realm is accountability to each other-contributing to the knowledge of others as well as one's own. Documentation can play a key role in supporting individual as well as group learning, and helping schools to build a collective identity as "a community that learns." Bringing attention to sharing learning with others encourages learners to take a metacognitive stance and likely deepens the learners' own understanding as well. It also reinforces the idea that learning is a social process.

The third realm is accountability to the larger community-evaluating the relationship between the school's mission and classroom practice and student learning. Accountability to the larger community should include multiple ways of demonstrating student learning.

Documentation can provide evidence of valued student learning that is often not assessed by standardized tests.

I am talking about learning like students using their imaginations, thinking critically, listening to and learning from each other, and developing a sense of aesthetics or emotional understanding.
LP: Documenting learning is a topic that has been written about extensively in early childhood education. Do you think this is a process that could be used in other education settings such as secondary schools, museums or community centres?
MK: Absolutely. The book, Visible Learners, shares the results of our work on the Making Learning Visible Project, a multi-year collaboration with teachers in the U.S. from early childhood through secondary school, as well as teacher educators. Documentation has many different meanings; it can take multiple forms and serve different purposes and audiences. If you think about documentation as a way to ground reflection about learning in concrete artifacts of that learning, which others can also point to and make sense of-that kind of "value added" to the reflection process can occur in any of the settings you mention.

Documentation is sometimes referred to as a kind of "visible listening," or providing a "memory" for a group, or a record of an individual or group's thinking. All of these meanings have relevance across educational contexts, if adults want to understand what is going on at a deeper level in order to inform future pathways, or provide continuity across learning experiences, or make selected insights, beliefs, or questions visible, so they can be returned to over and over again.

Documentation can also be seen as a political act because it makes a statement about the kinds of learning we value and the importance of understanding other minds. Carlina Rinaldi from Reggio Emilia talks about documentation as an act of love because it helps you to get to know and develop a relationship with the children and adults in your community. I wonder which one of us has ever considered a standardized test to be an act of love!
LP: Are there any final comments or tips you would like to give to educators documenting children's learning?
MK: I think it is really important to remember that documentation is not an end in itself. This is where the question of 'What do I want to learn through collecting my documentation?' becomes really important. Your response to that question will help guide you in knowing what to do with the documentation once you have it-e.g., sharing it back with the learners, asking colleagues to help you interpret a student's thinking, or shaping the documentation to share more widely in order to provoke people's assumptions and beleifs about what children are capable of. And I can't stress enough that in the school context, it is crucial that administrators give teachers the time to meet and to reflect on documentation with colleagues. As Rinaldi says, "this is how we learn to teach."
Further links
Harvard Project Zero runs a paid online course on Making Learning Visible.

If you would like to read more about making learning visible check out these posts on education apps for documenting learning, documenting learning books and my reflections on a visit to the Reggio Australia pedagogical documentation centre.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Harvard Project Zero's Mara Krechevsky talks about making learning visible

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This post features an interview with Mara Krechevsky from Harvard's Project Zero research centre. Mara is an expert in documenting children's learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This short documentary--created as an introduction to the Documentation Studio at Wheelock College--is a conversation with several leaders of Reggio Children and the municipal infant-toddler and preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy about the practice of documentation and its role in teaching and learning.

# data[].attributes.headline
What is pedagogy and how does it relate to documentation?

# data[].attributes.subject
What is pedagogy and how does it relate to documentation?

# data[].attributes.headline
Provocations and invitations: what is the difference?

# data[].attributes.subject
Provocations and invitations: what is the difference?

# data[].attributes.headline
Nurturing Language Composition in Young Learners

# data[].attributes.subject
Nurturing Language Composition in Young Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reggio Emilia - 4th International Summer School

# data[].attributes.body
Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange

Username: JenniAliceLaing
Password: 10.28.2014Mous

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Conversations Ep1: Conversations with Jan Millikan.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
REAIE Conversations. Our first guest is the founder of REAIE, Jan Millikan. Jan discusses The Pedagogy of Relationships with Kirsty Liljegren and Kerrie O'Neill.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In the entrance to the Diana school in Reggio Emilia, we see a large banner that hosts the phrase, 'nothing without joy'. Although attributed to Loris Malaguzzi, Alfredo Hoyuelos notes Malaguzzi's acknowledgement to the writing of French philosopher, Michel de Montagne in his book, La estética en el pensamiento y obra pedagógica de Loris Malaguzzi. Hoyuelos records the questions posed by Malaguzzi in 1981 and these questions, in the current world crisis, in a climate of despair, worry and fear, are just as pertinent today. Can we live without joy? Can you teach without joy?

The concept and value of joy should be embedded in our current pedagogical offerings, which, during the COVID-19 crisis, might be offered face to face, in an online environment or in a blended delivery of both. How can we educate and enrich the lives of children without a spirit of joy, a sense of courage and hope? Every educational service makes ethical choices reflective of their values and, we should ensure that these values are not left at the metaphorical door of the COVID-19 crisis. We need to be sure that our new interpretation of pedagogy does not subject children to the tyranny of transmissive entertainment and boredom.

According to Malaguzzi, 'every child born into the world represents a challenge, an interrogative. A kind of adventurer who may venture a thousand unforeseeable paths. He has within himself the possibility, 'the possibles' of being different from how we know him. This is his freedom and his responsibility, the one that growing imposes on him' (Hoyuelos, 2013, p. 65). This image of the child is one that we should consider in relation to the current image of the educator, most who are finding themselves in unknown and unchartered pedagogical waters. Educators have the possibility and perhaps freedom now to choose which of the thousand unforeseeable paths they will venture down. There are many strategies for educators to embrace the unknown, but whichever they choose, could they include the values of engagement, enchantment and joy?

Could we set the pedagogy of logic and cognition aside for a while and focus our attention on the pedagogy of imagination and creativity; a pedagogy where joy can be generated? Could we shift our focus for a minute from the dominant discourse of the information age to a conceptual age of the 21 st century where we may embrace Daniel Pink's concepts of design, story, symphony, empathy, play and meaning? Can we use these concepts, and a rich image of the child to stimulate idea generation and experimentation in a new reimagined 2020 pedagogy?

Ask yourself:

Does your current reimagined curriculum consider the importance of the environment in which the learning is taking place? Are you providing suggestions for children to gather and hunt for materials that will take them outside of the house, to connect with the natural world and to practice observation?

Are you asking families to record their children's thoughts, theories, questions and ideas during this time? Are the children's thoughts and concerns similar? What will their memories be of this time? Can these memories be shared with other children in some way? Are the children's memories filled with fear? Or joy? If children are fearful, what can educators do to reorient their thinking? How will this world health crisis contribute to their identity?

Are you providing or suggesting experiences for children to laugh, to experience enchantment and joy? To wonder what lives at the bottom of a puddle, to create shadows or to make a joke book?

Children are citizens of the present and society and we need to ensure that their rights during this 'present' are not forgotten and are not marginalised. Educators, more than ever, have a responsibility in their daily contexts to enact continuous critical reflection. Let's embrace this responsibility with a spirit of courage and a willingness to venture down a thousand unforeseeable paths in pursuit of each child right to optimism, playfulness and more pertinently, joy.
References:
Hoyuelos, A. 2006. La estética en el pensamiento y obra pedagógica de Loris Malaguzzi. Spain, Octaedro Ediciones, S.L

Hoyuelos, A. (2013) The ethics in Loris Malaguzzi's philosophy. Reykjavik. Isalda.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reframing Learning: A Pedagogy of Joy - Reggio Australia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the entrance to the Diana school in Reggio Emilia, we see a large banner that hosts the phrase, 'nothing without joy'. Although attributed to Loris Malaguzzi, Alfredo Hoyuelos notes Malaguzzi's acknowledgement to the writing of French philosopher, Michel de Montagne in his book, La estética en el pensamiento y obra pedagógica de Loris Malaguzzi.

# data[].attributes.headline
Assessment for, as, and of learning through pedagogical documentation

# data[].attributes.subject
Assessment for, as, and of learning through pedagogical documentation

# data[].attributes.headline
Finding Deeper Meaning in Pedagogical Documentation

# data[].attributes.subject
Finding Deeper Meaning in Pedagogical Documentation

# data[].attributes.headline
The Challenge: Meeting Requirements and Documenting as Researchers

# data[].attributes.subject
The Challenge: Meeting Requirements and Documenting as Researchers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
THE CHALLENGE: MEETING REQUIREMENTS AND DOCUMENTING AS RESEARCHERS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Last week Fiona wrote: I think that documentation is the strategy that will allow us to transform the way we spend our time with…

# data[].attributes.headline
Pedagogical Documentation: Impossible Goalposts and Imaginary Enemies

# data[].attributes.subject
Pedagogical Documentation: Impossible Goalposts and Imaginary Enemies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
PEDAGOGICAL DOCUMENTATION: IMPOSSIBLE GOALPOSTS AND IMAGINARY ENEMIES

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Around the world early childhood and primary school educators are exploring the practices of pedagogical documentation as a strategy fo…

# data[].attributes.headline
Example of Pedagogical Documentation from ICS Early Years Center

# data[].attributes.subject
Example of Pedagogical Documentation from ICS Early Years Center

# data[].attributes.headline
Reggio Children and 99 Languages to Give Back to Kids

# data[].attributes.subject
Reggio Children and 99 Languages to Give Back to Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reggio Children and 99 Languages to Give Back to Kids | Vea Vecchi at TEDxReggioEmilia

# data[].attributes.headline
Loris Malaguzzi Explains what makes a good project

# data[].attributes.subject
Loris Malaguzzi Explains what makes a good project

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Loris Malaguzzi Explains What Makes a Good Project

# data[].attributes.headline
Reggio Emilia Long-Term Project Documentation

# data[].attributes.subject
Reggio Emilia Long-Term Project Documentation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reggio Emilia Long-Term Project Documentation Video

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.text
Thanks for sharing this Angela. What a great resource for parents. https://t.co/hol534ueFg

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
Thanks for sharing this Angela. What a great resource for parents. https://t.co/hol534ueFg

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.referenced_tweets[].text
In an effort to support caregivers of kindergartners who are learning remotely, we created this resource for parents. Grateful to Matt Glover for helping me see how to honor the moves Ss make when they're emerging writers & to Collab Classroom for rich instruction! https://t.co/nBaICEfV0W

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
Thanks for sharing this Angela. What a great resource for parents. https://t.co/hol534ueFg
— Matt Glover (@Mattglover123) November 3, 2020

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Thanks for sharing this Angela. What a great resource for parents. https://t.co/hol534ueFg

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.includes.tweets[].text
In an effort to support caregivers of kindergartners who are learning remotely, we created this resource for parents. Grateful to Matt Glover for helping me see how to honor the moves Ss make when they're emerging writers & to Collab Classroom for rich instruction! https://t.co/nBaICEfV0W

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Thanks for sharing this Angela. What a great resource for parents. https://t.co/hol534ueFg

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Thanks for sharing this Angela. What a great resource for parents. https://t.co/hol534ueFg

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.referenced_tweets[].text
In an effort to support caregivers of kindergartners who are learning remotely, we created this resource for parents. Grateful to Matt Glover for helping me see how to honor the moves Ss make when they're emerging writers & to Collab Classroom for rich instruction! https://t.co/nBaICEfV0W

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.text
We are always looking for ways to link #play and #literacy @Y1NIST. Our current goal is using texts to help inform our play. The elephants were hungry, so researched what they eat. We then added some grass to make them happy! #kindergarten #education #intearlyed

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
We are always looking for ways to link #play and #literacy @Y1NIST. Our current goal is using texts to help inform our play. The elephants were hungry, so researched what they eat. We then added some grass to make them happy! #kindergarten #education #intearlyed https://t.co/UK4xxKrmrr

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
We are always looking for ways to link #play and #literacy @Y1NIST. Our current goal is using texts to help inform our play. The elephants were hungry, so researched what they eat. We then added some grass to make them happy! #kindergarten #education #intearlyed pic.twitter.com/UK4xxKrmrr
— Michael Palagi (@MichaelPalagi) May 10, 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
We are always looking for ways to link #play and #literacy @Y1NIST. Our current goal is using texts to help inform our play. The elephants were hungry, so researched what they eat. We then added some grass to make them happy! #kindergarten #education #intearlyed https://t.co/UK4xxKrmrr

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
We are always looking for ways to link #play and #literacy @Y1NIST. Our current goal is using texts to help inform our play. The elephants were hungry, so researched what they eat. We then added some grass to make them happy! #kindergarten #education #intearlyed https://t.co/UK4xxKrmrr

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
We are always looking for ways to link #play and #literacy @Y1NIST. Our current goal is using texts to help inform our play. The elephants were hungry, so researched what they eat. We then added some grass to make them happy! #kindergarten #education #intearlyed

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.text
Handy little breakdown of all the skills and dispositions that fall under the umbrella of #ExecutiveFunction https://t.co/euXs5zCPE8

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
Handy little breakdown of all the skills and dispositions that fall under the umbrella of #ExecutiveFunction https://t.co/euXs5zCPE8

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
Handy little breakdown of all the skills and dispositions that fall under the umbrella of #ExecutiveFunction https://t.co/euXs5zCPE8
— Annalee Higginbottom (she/ her) (@AJHiggi) December 4, 2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Handy little breakdown of all the skills and dispositions that fall under the umbrella of #ExecutiveFunction https://t.co/euXs5zCPE8

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Handy little breakdown of all the skills and dispositions that fall under the umbrella of #ExecutiveFunction https://t.co/euXs5zCPE8

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Handy little breakdown of all the skills and dispositions that fall under the umbrella of #ExecutiveFunction https://t.co/euXs5zCPE8

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.text
10 Things To Say And Do When Kids Are Burning w/ Rage
#SEL #communication #socialawareness

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
10 Things To Say And Do When Kids Are Burning w/ Rage
#SEL #communication #socialawareness https://t.co/qiCwVmdDXN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
10 Things To Say And Do When Kids Are Burning w/ Rage#SEL #communication #socialawareness pic.twitter.com/qiCwVmdDXN
— SocialEmotionalLearning (@SELearningEDU) June 10, 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
10 Things To Say And Do When Kids Are Burning w/ Rage
#SEL #communication #socialawareness https://t.co/qiCwVmdDXN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
10 Things To Say And Do When Kids Are Burning w/ Rage
#SEL #communication #socialawareness https://t.co/qiCwVmdDXN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
10 Things To Say And Do When Kids Are Burning w/ Rage
#SEL #communication #socialawareness

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.text
Great #executivefunction graphic here from @EdPsychEd. 
#SEL #EFSkills

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
Great #executivefunction graphic here from @EdPsychEd. 
#SEL #EFSkills https://t.co/WP2QugloB2

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
Great #executivefunction graphic here from @EdPsychEd. #SEL #EFSkills pic.twitter.com/WP2QugloB2
— SocialEmotionalLearning (@SELearningEDU) May 19, 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Great #executivefunction graphic here from @EdPsychEd. 
#SEL #EFSkills https://t.co/WP2QugloB2

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Great #executivefunction graphic here from @EdPsychEd. 
#SEL #EFSkills https://t.co/WP2QugloB2

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Great #executivefunction graphic here from @EdPsychEd. 
#SEL #EFSkills