Week 3 Reflection

                 I have always known the meaning of the word "documentation. " However, this week, I learned about how I, as a teacher, can document and the importance of documentation. Documentation is about creating a "portfolio" that contains children's progress. It can consist of observation notes, photos, videos, children's artwork, blogs, and more. Teachers should document to monitor student learning and ensure that they are meeting all current core standards. Documentation can also assist teachers in instructional planning by revisiting what students have already demonstrated or what areas require assistance. Families also benefit from documentation because they can visually see what their students are learning. 

                There are two types of documentation that we learned about this week, which are the Conventional style and the Reggio Emilia project style documentation. The conventional style focuses on measuring students' learning using summative assessments such as tests and quizzes. This style focuses on students working alone while simultaneously competing with other students in their grade level. On the other hand, the Reggio Emilia project style focuses more heavily on the collaboration of students and the use of formative assessments. This style cares more about the understanding of children's learning than the number of correct answers they receive on a test. 

               Overall, this week's information will significantly help me better support the learning of my future students. I now know how essential documentation is for parents, teachers, and students. I want to use documentation in my classroom to ensure all my students stay on track to succeed. Over the summer, I worked for a summer camp, and we used Class Dojo. I could upload pictures of the children during learning and the work they created. It was a great way to communicate with families, and they loved it! I want to implement this in my classroom!