Sample Letter Home
In kindergarten,
many of the discoveries children make and lessons they learn are influenced by
ideas and contributions from the group as well as the individual. Yet the power
of learning in groups is overlooked when we focus too much on the end products
of individuals (think bulletin boards with each child’s work displayed or the
emphasis on standardized tests). Of course, a main purpose of school is to help
children become competent and active life-long learners; we need and want to
encourage, celebrate, and assess the individual child. But often, in order to
create satisfying and high-quality products, children need to work together to
problem-solve, discuss, rethink, and refine. It is in these conversations that
memorable connections are often made by students. In our class, teachers try to
capture the process of these learning groups in order to tell the story of
learning to others and ourselves. Documenting learning allows us to revisit ideas
and deepen understanding; it also creates a window into our learning. As Dewey
said, “Experience is not the best teacher. One must reflect on experience in
order to learn.”
How does this work in the classroom? We often document the work of groups that form organically, for example, recording conversations between builders in the block area or writers at the Writing Center, or taking pictures that show the sequence of a project. We also offer provocative materials or questions to small groups to generate discussion and exploration, and document the process by taking photographs and recording children’s words. Sometimes, we tell a story of learning on a bulletin board to share powerful learning moments with others (parents, other students, other teachers). Often our students take part in creating this display, reflecting on their learning and developing new layers of understanding or questions in the process. Sometimes we make learning experiences transparent to the entire group to provide a model or assess ourselves as a learning community. For example, we might show children how one group solved a problem on the playground or worked together to clean up an area or paint a picture.
This emphasis on learning together and making learning visible grows out of the Making Learning Visible (MLV) Study Group. Our group was inspired by work of researchers at Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and educators in Reggio Emilia, Italy. MLV focuses on understanding, supporting, and documenting learning in groups for children and adults. We invite you to talk to us at any time about this approach and the values and ideas behind it. For more information, please visit the Making Learning Visible Website: http://pzweb.havard.edu/mlv/ and http://www.makinglearningvisibleresources.org/.
*Based on Letter by Nicole Zagami, 2009
How does this work in the classroom? We often document the work of groups that form organically, for example, recording conversations between builders in the block area or writers at the Writing Center, or taking pictures that show the sequence of a project. We also offer provocative materials or questions to small groups to generate discussion and exploration, and document the process by taking photographs and recording children’s words. Sometimes, we tell a story of learning on a bulletin board to share powerful learning moments with others (parents, other students, other teachers). Often our students take part in creating this display, reflecting on their learning and developing new layers of understanding or questions in the process. Sometimes we make learning experiences transparent to the entire group to provide a model or assess ourselves as a learning community. For example, we might show children how one group solved a problem on the playground or worked together to clean up an area or paint a picture.
This emphasis on learning together and making learning visible grows out of the Making Learning Visible (MLV) Study Group. Our group was inspired by work of researchers at Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and educators in Reggio Emilia, Italy. MLV focuses on understanding, supporting, and documenting learning in groups for children and adults. We invite you to talk to us at any time about this approach and the values and ideas behind it. For more information, please visit the Making Learning Visible Website: http://pzweb.havard.edu/mlv/ and http://www.makinglearningvisibleresources.org/.
*Based on Letter by Nicole Zagami, 2009
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