Wheelock College Blog Comment on Making Learning Visible and Storytelling by Brianna Doherty

As an early education major I was familiar with the concept of documentation through my other classes, but this was the first class that focused almost solely on it. Documentation is such a powerful tool for educators to use. It allows you to really meet students where they are and help them grow as learners and be able to see that growth and share back with them. It helps all students to be able to share their strenghths as learners. In Reggio Emelio, where documentation is the heart of the school, there is a concept called the 100 language of children. The idea is the children communicate their learning in many many different ways; through writing, talking, drawing, dancing, etc. Documentaion allows teachers to capture and make visible those different ways of learning that may be missed in a traditional setting. It gives students a love of learning because instead of feeding students information to fit standards you're tailoring the standards around their learning interests; this also gives students a powerful sense of agency in their own learning and thinking. Multiple times in this class we were shown examples of documentation of student's work and were amazed by the level of skill and learning that was displayed by children that young. Because I had taken classes on documentaion before I wasn't sure how much I was going to learn in this class and was very surprised. I learned so much about design and visual layout as well as technical skills. None of which I had ever been exposed to before. This class helped me understand of the idea of taking my documentation of students and presenting in a way that is visual appealing to others and tells a story. I also learned about storytelling. The idea of an essiential question at the heart of every story, and the ideas behind a story; why is this story important, who story is this to tell. Story telling is such a powerful tool. Every child and familiy has their own unique story and as an educator it is vital for me to learn about and respect those stories so I can create a respectful, collaborative, and welcoming classroom for children and their families