A Guide to Documenting Learning Read online

  Praise for A Guide to Documenting Learning

  In A Guide to Documenting Learning, the authors seek to qualify, rather than quantify, what contemporary learning is all about: looking for, capturing, reflecting, sharing, and amplifying the learning that is taking place. In this text, they break down these actions and how they apply to before-, during-, and after-learning moments and describe a new way to approach contemporary work and self-determined learning.

  —Michael Fisher, Author and Consultant

  The Digigogy Collaborative

  Amherst, NY

  I love the idea that students can be aware of their learning. It can be documented, reflected on, curated, and shared in order to garner feedback, and the student owns the learning every step of the way.

  —Kathleen Rodda, Literacy Coach Affiliation

  Eucalyptus Elementary

  Hawthorne, CA

  This book touches upon information that would be useful to any school system because it scaffolds ways that educators can help students make their thinking known, which will only improve their future reasoning skills.

  —LaQuita Outlaw, Principal

  Bay Shore Middle School

  Bay Shore, NY

  Educators trying to create compelling learning experiences confront the daunting challenge of content-coverage requirements and expectations of teaching to the test. Students and their thinking are often invisible as the only representations of learning made public are marks and rankings. Tolisano and Hale take the inspirational Reggio Emilia approach and scale it into new contexts to create deep learning experiences for today’s learners, with an eye on the future of learning as well.

  —Cameron Paterson, Head of Learning and Teaching

  Shore School

  North Sydney, Australia

  This book will become an important guide for schools and educators to have on their shelves. The content is original and highly organized, and it presents many new ideas on documenting learning. This book takes what is happening in the world of teaching right now and elevates it to a coherent pedagogical process. The graphics are a fantastic resource.

  —Andrea Hernandez, Educational Consultant

  amplifiEDucation and edtechworkshop.blogspot.com

  Jacksonville, FL

  A Guide to Documenting Learning

  Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano

  To my father, Jochen Rosenthal,

  who showed me the importance of

  where I come from and where I am going.

  Janet A. Hale

  To my lifelong friends,

  Lisa Frederick, Linda Isaac, and Rondi Little,

  who love and support me unconditionally.

  A Guide to Documenting Learning

  Making Thinking Visible, Meaningful, Shareable, and Amplified

  Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano

  Janet A. Hale

  Foreword by

  Alan November

  FOR INFORMATION:

  Corwin

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  Copyright © 2018 by Corwin

  All rights reserved. When forms and sample documents are included, their use is authorized only by educators, local school sites, and/or noncommercial or nonprofit entities that have purchased the book. Except for that usage, no part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  All trademarks depicted within this book, including trademarks appearing as part of a screenshot, figure, or other image, are included solely for the purpose of illustration and are the property of their respective holders. The use of the trademarks in no way indicates any relationship with, or endorsement by, the holders of said trademarks.

  Printed in the United States of America

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Tolisano, Silvia Rosenthal, author. | Hale, Janet A., author.

  Title: A guide to documenting learning : making thinking visible, meaningful, shareable, and amplified / Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano, Janet A. Hale.

  Description: First edition. | Thousand Oaks, California : Corwin, a Sage Company, [2018] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2017041327 | ISBN 9781506385570 (pbk. : alk. paper)

  Subjects: LCSH: Educational evaluation. | Curriculum planning. | Student participation in curriculum planning.

  Classification: LCC LB2822.75 .T65 2018 | DDC 379.1/58—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017041327

  This book is printed on acid-free paper.

  Acquisitions Editor: Ariel Bartlett

  Senior Associate Editor: Desirée A. Bartlett

  Editorial Assistant: Jessica Vidal

  Production Editor: Amy Schroller

  Copy Editor: Lana Todorovic-Arndt

  Typesetter: C&M Digitals (P) Ltd.

  Proofreader: Dennis W. Webb

  Indexer: Maria Sosnowski

  Cover Designer: Gail Buschman

  Marketing Manager: Margaret O’Connor

  Contents

  Foreword

  Preface A Collaboration Invitation A Guide to Documenting Learning Rationale

  Disclaimers

  Assumptions

  Acknowledgments

  About the Authors

  Introduction Chapter Descriptions

  1. Documenting Learning Types and Purposes Documenting Learning Types Documenting OF Learning

  Documenting FOR Learning

  Documenting AS Learning

  Documenting Learning Purposes Making Learning and Thinking Visible

  Making Learning and Thinking Meaningful

  Making Learning and Thinking Shareable

  Making Learning and Thinking Amplified

  2. Documenting Learning and the Now Literacies Relationship Between Documenting Learning and Now Literacies Basic Literacy

  Media Literacy

  Digital Citizenship

  Global Literacy

  Information Literacy

  Network Literacy

  3. Documenting Pedagogy and Heutagogy Defining the Difference Between Pedagogical Documentation and Heutagogical Documentation What Is Pedagogical Documentation?

  How Does Pedagogical Documentation Correlate With the SAMR Taxonomy?

  What is heutagogical documentation?

  Defining the Difference Between Displaying and Documenting What Is the Difference Between Displaying and Documenting?

  What Is Acceptable as Evidence of Learning When Documenting?

  4. Documenting Engagement and Learning Layers Defining Learner Engagement The Primary Learner

  The Secondary Learner

  Documenting Learning Layers Students Documenting Their Own Learning

  Teachers Documenting Student Learning

  Teachers Documenting Their Own Professional Learning

  Schools and Districts Documenting Learning as Institutional Memory

  5. Document
ing With Sharing and Amplifying in Mind Sharing and Amplifying When Documenting Learning What Are the Connections Between Sharing and Amplifying?

  Sharing With Oneself—Slight Degree of Amplification

  Sharing Face-to-Face—Low Degree of Amplification

  Sharing Online—Increased Degree of Amplification

  Sharing Globally—Extended Degree of Amplification

  6. Documenting Phases Documentation Phases Pre-documentation Phase

  During-documentation Phase

  Post-documentation Phase

  7. Documenting Learningflow Routine Learningflow Routine Steps Look for Learning

  Capture Learning

  Reflect on Learning

  Share Learning

  Amplify Learning

  8. Documenting With Text and Visual Platforms and Tools in Mind Text and Visual Platforms and Tools Schoolware and Worldware Considerations

  Text and Backchannel Documentation

  Image/Photograph Documentation

  9. Documenting With Audio, Video, and Blogging Platforms and Tools in Mind Audio and Video Platforms and Tools Audio Documentation

  Video Documentation

  Blogging Platforms and Tools Blogging Documentation

  Hyperlinked Writing

  10. Documenting With Unpacking in Mind Unpacking Documentation Artifacts Unpacking Blog Posts

  Unpacking Twitter Feeds

  Unpacking Conference Hashtag Feeds

  Unpacking Backchannels Using TodaysMeet

  Unpacking Backchannels Using Google Docs

  Unpacking Infographics and Sketchnotes

  11. Documenting Challenge: 21st Century Skills and the Now Literacies Focusing the Challenge

  Framing the Challenge Look for Learning

  Capture Learning

  Share the Learning

  Amplify the Learning

  Applying the Challenge Your Turn!

  Now What?

  12. Documenting Learning and Branding: Administrative Actions School and District Brand Identity Documenting Learning and Branding Identity

  13. Documenting Learning: Moving Forward What to Cut? What to Keep? What to Upgrade? What to Cut?

  What to Keep?

  What to Upgrade?

  Appendix

  Glossary

  References

  Index

  Foreword

  I am very proud to write the foreword for this book. Every once in a while, a really important, practical book comes along that can make a difference every day for a wide range of learner abilities. A Guide to Documenting Learning is just such a book. This step-by-step guide provides a framework for helping students and professionals to “learn how to learn.” Specifically, these pages can help students and teachers capture their learning, reflect on their learning, share their learning, and ultimately, amplify their learning.

  My own experience as a teacher, administrator, and now a consultant who has had the opportunity to visit schools around the world has convinced me that many learners are not aware that documentation is a valuable strategy or do not know how to document their learning well. As I am sure you are aware, there has been an explosion of tools and platforms available on every device that, when used creatively, can organize, share, and amplify learning. Silvia and Janet’s book provides educators with a framework for introducing these tools and platforms to learners and, most importantly, documenting phases and learningflow routine steps to use them well every day. Making sense of tools to purposefully capture learning and understanding how to manage the learning evidence can be overwhelming for even the most tech-savvy educators. Silvia and Janet have done years of experimentation with students and professionals and various tools to provide a clear road map for success.

  On a personal note, Janet and Silvia have shared these ideas at my summer conference in Boston for the past few years to educators from around the world. Teachers walk out of their workshops on fire.

  I have had the pleasure of collaboratively working with Silvia on the concept of the Digital Learning Farm where students have responsibility to research and create content that adds value to peers. Examples of the jobs associated with the digital learning farm that are specifically presented in A Guide to Documenting Learning are The Official Scribe, The Tutorial Designer, Global Communicators, and Collaborators. I have been working for years using an action research model for many of the main process concepts presented in these pages.

  Another concept that Silvia and I have been collaborating on is a powerful framework called the First Five Days of School where a specific skill set is frontloaded during the first five days of school that has a learning payoff throughout the year. Almost all educators agree that how you begin the school year can make a huge difference to the success of the entire school year. While there are applications for all five days, Day One and Day Five are of particular note. Day One is where the daily discipline of carefully documenting learning is introduced. Day Five is where students begin to understand the power of sharing their work authentically with a global audience. Authentic presentation of ideas can be highly motivating and provide invaluable feedback. I am always amazed at how some students will work harder and with more care for an authentic audience than if the work is only for themselves. Of course, the learning strategies of the first five days extend naturally to the first five weeks, the first five months, and throughout the school year. The documentation learning phases and learningflow routine that Silvia and Janet explain in detail and articulate through helpful examples and implementation suggestions are perfect for supporting and expanding all of the First Five Days of School skills and strategies.

  Although Silvia and Janet advocate the use of technology, their book is not about technology. They leverage the use of tools and platforms for the sole purpose to amplify learning and to share learning beyond an audience of one (the student or professional) or few classmates or colleagues. It is their belief that documenting OF learning becomes more than display of “What did we do?” and moves into the realms of documenting FOR learning and documenting AS learning.

  We need to help teachers make their students’ thinking visible. One of the most powerful results of implementing the ideas in A Guide to Documenting Learning is the constant opportunity to do just that—making learners’ thinking visible. As we all know, every student does not ask for help at the moment it is needed. Many students do not even know what questions to ask sometimes, or they think they do not need any help when they are heading down a wrong path. Once the concepts of this book are applied in any learning environment, teachers, administrators, and professional development leaders will have a deeper understanding of how their learners are making meaning. There will be very clear evidence of where learners need help and where learners can help one another! Silvia and Janet’s book is jam-packed full of ideas to use tools, platforms, and thinking routines that allow learners to make their thinking visible, reflect deeper, and prepare to share their learning-thinking artifacts with an authentic global audience.

  All of us are concerned about the ethics and moral ground of helping learners gain awareness of how to navigate the potentially treacherous course of social media. The majority of our students will not have been guided by an adult on how to use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and more that are yet to come. For those of you who are concerned that our students must have the high moral ground of adult guidance, this book points out clearly and in detail how to provide students with sophisticated social media skills for learning opportunities.

  Ultimately, what A Guide to Documenting Learning is about a framework that can be applied to lifelong learning. The ongoing results of the documentation work can also inform teachers of the impact of their own work that can be in turn shared in Professional Learning Communities and Professional Learning Networks. This book should be essential reading for all veteran and prospective teachers, as well as administrators and educational leaders. Enjoy!

     —Alan November, Founder, November
Learning

     Author, Empowering Students With Technology

     Marblehead, MA

  Preface

  When you need to innovate, you need collaboration.

  —Marissa Mayer

  A Collaboration Invitation

  Silvia and I met in person for the first time in 2010 at a Curriculum21 summer conference. I knew of her innovative documenting work due to following her on Twitter, reading her Langwitches blog posts, and interacting with her virtually in preparation for the conference. I had been inspired (and still am) by Silvia’s forward-thinking around evidence of learning, and especially challenged by her stance on the act of documenting to go beyond merely displaying what had been learned at the end of a unit, lesson, or activity.

  About two years later, I made an offer to Silvia, “If you ever want to write a how-to book based on your documenting learning concepts, I’d love to coauthor it with you!” I knew that her ideas needed to be articulated and shared via a professional book and I felt I could be of service, given my professional-writing experience with Corwin and ASCD. Silvia shared that she was not ready at the moment, given her life was busy with moving to Brazil, teaching, coaching, consulting, and blogging.

  Fast forward to the fall of 2015. I received a phone call that began a virtual collaborative writing and image-creating journey that we would not trade for the world. You are about to embark on the result of our journey. Before you begin reading, we want to share a quick glimpse into our collaborative process.