Documenting children's learning experiences is paramount for both educators and parents. While traditional methods such as written observations have their place, incorporating digital photography and video into the documentation process offers a myriad of benefits that enrich the learning journey. These visual mediums are indispensable tools for capturing the voice of the child and celebrating the vibrant world of early childhood education. Below I discuss some of the reasons why you should consider digitally documenting using photographs and video and also recommend Mosaic, my favourite app for doing so.
Visual Storytelling - A Picture Paints a Thousand Words:
The Reggio Emilia approach describes the 100 languages of children to highlight the many ways of being and of seeing the child. Photography and video enable educators to tell compelling visual stories of children's progress and achievements and to document the 100 languages and ways of seeing children and capturing their many ways of being. A single image can convey a wealth of information - a picture paints a thousand words - capturing the nuances of a child's engagement in the environment as they are deep in play, their exploration, collaboration, and self-discovery. Videos, on the other hand, provide a dynamic narrative, allowing educators to showcase the evolving skills and interests of each child and to capture a live moment of learning and discovery.
Parent Engagement:
Incorporating visual documentation fosters strong parent engagement by providing a tangible and dynamic window into their child's daily experiences. Parents can witness first hand the playful learning experiences, growth, social interactions, and newfound skills of their children in a meaningful way. This creates a valuable bridge connecting the home and early years setting, promoting a collaborative partnership between educators and parents, all in the best interests of the child.
Reflective Practice for Educators:
Reviewing and revisiting photographs and videos allows educators to engage in reflective practice, offering a window into their methods and the effectiveness of their planning, interactions and communication. Observing and reflecting on their practice in this way can support educators to refine their approaches, tailor activities to individual needs, and continuously improve the quality of their ECEC practice.
Documentation as Assessment:
Visual documentation serves as a powerful assessment tool, offering a holistic view of a child's development. Educators can use photographs and videos to create a comprehensive portfolio that showcases a child's progress across various domains, including physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional development. Again, providing a valuable insight for both parents and educators which can support them to facilitate each individual child's holistic learning and development needs.
Reflecting with Children:
When children see themselves in photographs or videos, it promotes self-awareness and self-reflection. This visual feedback allows them to recognise their achievements, understand their capabilities, recall their experiences, and develop a positive self-image. It empowers children to take an active role in their learning journey as the visual images and videos can prompt discussion with children about their likes and dislikes, activities they wish to revisit or extend on or those which they didn't like so much.
Recommended Digital Documentation App:
Although there are a number of apps for digitally documenting children's early childhood education, I particularly like Mosaic.
Mosaic is very affordable and extremely easy for educators to use. Mosaic works like an electronic portfolio or storybook for each child. Photos and videos are easily uploaded with the touch of a button, linked with the Aistear curriculum framework and shared directly to parents to build and strengthen the connection between home and the ECEC setting. Mosaic places the child are the centre of ECEC practice. You can find out more about Mosaic here.
Conclusion:
In the contemporary landscape of early childhood education, the integration of photography and video documentation is emerging as a transformative and leading edge area of ECEC practice. These visual mediums not only capture the essence of a child's learning experiences but also enhance communication between educators and parents. As we embrace the power of digital visual storytelling, we embark on a journey of celebration, reflection, and collaboration, ensuring that every child's unique learning adventure is documented, shared, and appreciated.
About the Author:
Paula Walshe is a published author, PhD student and Assistant Lecturer in ECE at Dundalk Institute of Technology. Her PhD research focusses on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and maths) in ECEC.
In 2023 Paula published her first book entitled "Síolta in Practice" which is a guide to implementing Síolta quality standards in ECEC. It is published by Boru Press and is available here.
Paula has also co-founded a Twitter community of practice page and podcast @ECEQualityIrl . You can listen to the most recent ECE Quality Ireland podcast here.
You can contact Paula or learn more about her work here. LinkedIn: Paula Walshe / Twitter: @walshe_paula / Instagram: @digitalearlychildhoodeducator