Intentional Teaching and Observation

Intentional Teaching

• Educators deliberately design the learning environment and experiences.
• Educators reflect on how personal context affects their decisions.
• Educators use strategies like observation, documentation, planning, and assessment, reinforced by reflective practice.
• Children benefit when the social and physical environments are well-organized.
• Intentional teaching involves thoughtful decisions and actions to nurture children's learning.
• Grounded in observation, documentation, planning, assessment, and reflective practices.

Observation

• Observation is essential for intentional teaching and a foundational skill for educators.
• Crucial when working with children and families needing extra support.
• Educators should meticulously observe and record children's actions and words.
• Observation records serve as evidence for documenting children's thinking and learning processes.
• Observation helps gain insight into what and how children are learning.
• Used to design learning environments that support children's interests and skills.
• Observation provides valuable information for discussions among educators, professionals, and families.
• Aids in creating individual learning profiles.
• Informs curriculum decisions based on children’s needs.
• In ECE, observation involves deliberate watching, listening, and recording interactions.
• Skilled observers are present, watching and listening to children explore.
• Observation records should be concise notes capturing evidence.
• Aims to minimize biases and interpretations.
• Anecdotes are brief notes that include visual documentation.
• Planned observations include examples, time samples, or running records.
• Educators ensure observations are ethical and respect children's rights.

Documentation

• Documentation reveals the unfolding of learning processes.
• It begins with observing and recording evidence of children's learning.
• Representations are dated, collected, and described with contextual details.
• Photos and videos with tablets and computers allow child participation.
• Educators must ensure children's safety, privacy, and confidentiality.
• Pedagogical documentation involves observing and recording in ECE programs.
• Educators analyze and interpret evidence.
• Invites collaboration to design future learning contexts.
• Planning is informed by children’s skills and family.
• Pedagogical documentation allows children to see their own learning.
• Documentation interpretation allows educators to understand children's progress.
• Narration begins with observing play, gathering data and reflecting on it.
• Documentation is generated with and for children.
• Children are the creators and primary audience who review their experiences.
• Educators create documentation with an adult audience in mind.
• Sharing documentation is part of daily practice.
• It allows communication with families and responding to children's learning.
• Documentation helps answer parents' questions about their child's progress.
• Record keeping versus pedagogical documentation.
• A checklist, photo record, scrapbook, skills, and creative works are records.

Planning

• Planning includes content (learning experiences), implementation, interactions and space.
• Plans often consider indoor and outdoor spaces and available materials.
• Planning inclusive learning environments is a key element of intentional teaching.
• Supports educators in responding to children's learning.

Assessment

• Assessment must be sensitive to development and diversity.
• Ensures optimal opportunities and recognition of potential difficulties.
• Three approaches are used in ECE programs in Canada and Australia.
• Assessment for learning involves ongoing noticing and acknowledging of children's learning.
• Assessment as learning recognizes the assessment as a tool for children's learning.
• Assessment of learning confirms what children know.
• Information of assessment enables intentional teaching.
• Observe children, analyze observations, and record information.
• Gather evidence about what children know, do, and understand.
• Ongoing, including planning, documenting, and evaluating learning.
• A way to study learning involved and skills acquired.
• Includes interactions among educators and children, children and their environment and families.
• Helps children use evidence of learning to recognize what they have learned.
• Children use documentation tool to recognize their own learning achievements.
• Assessment of learning is summative and assesses what children know.
• Educators summarize children's learning based on evidence.
• Early learning standards are examples of outcome measures.
• Clear expectations across domains is optimal for children.

Reflective Practice

• Guides decision-making and planning through analysis of experiences.
• Involves thinking about curriculum decisions.
• Includes examining philosophies and the influence of personal biases.
• Reflective practice values children's views and ideas.
• Looking back at curriculum decisions.
• Critical Friend, friendly critics: Educators trust each other that evoke reflection.
• They offer another view of practice and information.
• Friends critique work and understand each other’s practice.