Learning history
The learning history is a method of educational documentation that emerged from early childhood education (pre-school education) . The concept was developed by New Zealand educationalist Margaret Carr. Learning stories are now one of the most widespread processes (see also methodology (pedagogy) ) of educational documentation in Germany.
Formal layout
A learning story describes how and what the child learns based on a situation from the child's everyday life in the day-care center . The story is usually formulated as a letter to the child. Usually photos or drawings are also included in the learning story in order to make them even more accessible to the children. In some facilities, the focus is entirely on photos. The New Zealand Department of Education provides numerous examples of learning stories. There are now various commercial providers who provide a framework for digital forms of educational documentation (e.g. Storypark or Stepfolio).
Background: Originated in New Zealand
Learning stories were developed as a central assessment process for New Zealand day care centers. They correspond to the New Zealand curriculum "Te Whariki". Both relate to five learning dispositions:
- Taking an interest
- Being involved
- Withstanding difficulties or uncertainty (persisting with difficulty or uncertainty)
- Communicating with others
- Taking responsibility
The learning stories should help to perceive the existence of these learning dispositions and to identify exactly how they manifest themselves in an individual child. Learning stories are intended to focus specifically on the children's strengths. In this way, attention is paid to what a child can already do and where exactly this ability is shown. The concept of learning stories was adapted by the German Youth Institute ( Deutsches Jugendinstitut ) and adapted to German conditions under the title "Education and Learning Stories".
Goals of learning stories
- Learning stories make a learning process aware. They are designed to help make learning more effective. “Learning stories are stories about learning (...). They record episodes of key learning in which children develop new work theories and learning dispositions ”. It can be documented how learning is done so that the conditions for e.g. For example, learning processes that are going well are made clear to both the child, the educator and the parents .
- They are designed to encourage children and adults to reflect on learning .
- The children take their binders home with them and deal with them with their families. "Learning stories offer a form of presentation that families find interesting and that they can deal with again and again." In this way she can develop her own learning tradition. Learning stories have the potential to build bridges to people, things and places by naming them and describing their relationship with the child. The parents get an insight into what children think about and what they are interested in - this is how they develop ideas about which experiences and offers are useful for a child based on their interests.
- When children are involved in educational considerations, they develop “learning patterns and expectations about when and how they participate, persevere, communicate and take responsibility.” For example, “Ezra” developed knowledge and theories about what is involved in truck driving and roadworking - he develops “a working theory about what a competent learner does”: According to Carr, this is someone who can initiate a project and use a variety of strategies, who consults with experts, negotiates with others and works together. So Ezra's folder will contain the development of these his findings.
- Study stories also contain events and experiences related to the family and community with which the child is dealing. Zahra z. B. discovered the rocking horse on the first visit to the day care center and was fascinated by it. Again and again she was busy thinking about what her "donkey" was doing. Her mother read her a story about it, which sparked Zahra's interest. Her brother explained to the teachers the background of the "donkey" in a refugee camp. And the grandmother joined the discussion.
Learning stories can be a basis for cooperation between children and teachers (see learning strategy ). Both get to know each other very quickly - the educator the strengths and priorities of the child, the child the approach of the educator, and soon the parents are also involved in this work on the stories, because they occasionally provide important background information. Parents' interest in the facility and in their children is growing - their involvement is likely to intensify. It makes parents more open.
Working with learning stories
Learning stories are kept in the facilities with the help of folders ( called portfolios ) and belong to the children. Dealing with learning stories:
- At the beginning, what the child is doing is written down as accurately as possible. The observations can be written down at any time during a day care center. A specially designed form is useful. The various observations are presented by an educator on another form, the learning dispositions are worked out: the skills, the knowledge of the child, which has been shown in different stations, etc. U. also the development of the disposition .
- This is followed by a discussion between the teachers involved - in the course of time the children themselves and the parents can also be included in the discussion. The discussion establishes the connection to the previous development of the child and opens up perspectives for the possible further development of the child (see developmental psychology ). The results are recorded by the teachers in a new learning story, which does not make the child's current interests, concerns or abilities clear. The child then receives a new learning story in which z. B. an educator reports to a child: “Dear Lina, recently I have observed and written down several times what you have done. I think you are very interested in watching how the other children play in the sand (...). ”With this form of support, the child can easily grasp his position and talk to the teacher about it, because the story shows his strengths and weaknesses described.
- Based on the discussion and conversations with the child (and the parents), it can be decided how to B. can further develop interests. In the case of Lina, one could consider how she could better participate in the games being watched. The child is supposed to expand his skills and knowledge. Progress shows that learning stories are becoming more complex. The child expands its repertoire of possibilities of action. The progress can usually be recognized by the fact that the frequency and intensity of activities are increased.
- In the documentation of all these events, it becomes clear to the child, the caregiver and the parents what course the child's development takes. The child's “ educational processes ” are thus structured and illustrated. “The documentation has an effect on the child's learning. They develop an idea of being someone who can learn well and who has strengths. The learning stories shown help the children to remember and reflect on their activity (...). ”The teachers also get an overview of the learning process of the various children in the facility. The insights gained intensify the teachers' motivation to communicate about the development of the various children.
Challenges in working with learning stories
Changing the daycare center to learning stories has many consequences that need to be considered. On the one hand, certain materials are necessary: Experienced teams consider the following technical devices to be necessary: digital cameras, video cameras, copiers, PCs, printers and laminators. On the other hand, you also need to reflect on your own goals and attitudes towards the children. Empirical research shows that many institutions that work with learning stories (sometimes unintentionally) carry out an assessment of the children's abilities, which also includes (alleged) weaknesses. Another problem is the high expenditure of time associated with learning stories. This effort must have been planned in advance.
Aspects of the learning history
The learning story contains details that the educators need to discover in order to understand and promote the child's learning strategy . The details can relate to both the past and the future. They invite families to participate in the learning story, writes Margret Carr. Strictly speaking, the learning history could be used with any learner, regardless of age. The fact is, however, that it is currently used with children in pre-school education (see also kindergarten ) and in primary school .
In the area of communication e.g. B. ( see above ) the children will learn as part of the learning history concept ,
- To develop an understanding that symbols can be read by others
- to become familiar with the usefulness of the publication
- to become familiar with stories from other cultures
- to combine joy with words and books
- To gain experience with stories and story drafting.
The assessment is closely linked to the methodology of the learning history . These are all the activities that teachers and students undertake to self-assess the learning process . The maintenance of the assessment means an intensification of learning processes (learning gain). The study by the New Zealand research group concludes that the following practices support learning processes:
- meaningful tasks,
- active involvement of learners,
- a culture of success,
- the opportunity for learners to express their ideas, so that the development and expansion of previous skills is appreciated and is the focus,
- do not compare with others.
The four principles
According to Carr, learning stories offer the right form for realizing the following principles:
- Relationships: Children learn through responsive and mutual relationships with people, places and things.
- Skill: The ECEC curriculum helps children learn and develop.
- Holistic Development: The early childhood education plan helps with a holistic view of learning and development.
- Family and Church: Both are integral parts of early childhood learning.
See also
Web links
literature
- Margaret Carr, "Assessment in Early Childhood Settings: Learning Stories". 2001. London: Sage.
- Margret Carr: Learning Stories - an educational and learning concept from New Zealand , in: Norbert Neuss (ed.): Education and learning stories in kindergarten , concepts, methods, examples; Berlin 2007; ISBN 978-3-589-24519-2
- Norbert Kühne : Thinking about learning ... The history of learning as a methodology in the day care center, in: klein & Groß No. 11/2007, Oldenburg Schulbuchverlag, Munich , pp. 40–41; ISSN 0863-4386
- Hans Rudolf Leu; Katja Flämig: Educational and learning stories - a project of the German Youth Institute, in: Norbert Neuss (ed.): Education and learning stories in kindergarten , concepts, methods, examples; Berlin 2007; ISBN 978-3-589-24519-2
- Christine Lipp-Peetz (Ed.): Practice observation - On the way to individual education and training plans , Berlin 2007; ISBN 978-3-589-24523-9
- Norbert Neuss (ed.): Education and learning stories in kindergarten. Concepts-method-examples; Berlin 2007.
Individual evidence
- ^ Margaret Carr, "Assessment in Early Childhood Settings: Learning Stories". 2001. London: Sage.
- ↑ Viernickel, S., Nentwig-Gesemann, I., Nicolai, K., Schwarz, S., & Zenker, L. (2013). Key to good education, upbringing and care. Berlin.
- ^ Carr 2001, p. 3
- ^ Carr, 2007, p. 45
- ^ Carr, 2007, p. 47
- ^ Carr, pp. 51/52
- ^ Carr, 2007, p. 48
- ^ Carr, 2007, p. 49
- ↑ after Leu; Flämig, 2007; P. 63 ff
- ↑ Leu; Fiery; 2007, p. 66
- ↑ Leu; Flämig, 2007, p. 67
- ↑ Leu; Flämig, 2007, p. 69f
- ↑ Leu; Flämig, 2007, p. 71
- ↑ Helen Knauf, "Learning stories - an empirical analysis of their use in Germany." Early Childhood Education Journal. 2017. doi : 10.1007 / s10643-017-0863-9 .
- ↑ Deutsches Jugendinstitut (DJI), final report of the project “Educational and learning stories as an instrument for concretizing and implementing the educational mandate in the elementary sector”. 2007. Munich: German Youth Institute (DJI).
- ↑ see literature
- ^ Carr, 2007, p. 43