Chapter 1: Documenting Learning Purposes and Types
1. There are subtleties among the three documenting learning types: OF, FOR, and AS. Are you struggling to grasp the differentiation among the three? If no, provide an example of all three using the same topic or focus of learning when describing them to a colleague. If you are struggling, what specifically is causing confusion? Ask a colleague who is reading this book with you to listen to your thoughts and see if he or she can help you by providing clarifications.
2. Why does the example below meet the documenting OF learning characteristics?
While viewing a classroom blog post about an International Day celebration at an elementary school, a reader clicks on a link that takes her to a Google search results of folkloric outfits. She clicks on a second link that takes her to a Tasty Dishes from Around the World website. The post includes embedded photographs of the happy faces of students and their families visiting the seven countries the class studied by exploring the display boards in the gymnasium.
Based on what you currently understand, what can you suggest to extend this opportunity to represent a documenting FOR learning opportunity? Documenting AS learning opportunity?
3. There are four specific purposes for documenting learning: (1) to make one’s cognitive and metacognitive thinking visible, (2) meaningful to self, (3) sharable with self and others, and (4) amplified with a wider audience. After reading this chapter, how do you perceive these purposes will aid your learners (students, colleagues, and yourself) in how they tackle new or more complex learning over time? Why do you think having documentation artifacts that convey patterns and trends of someone’s learning process will benefit your students and yourself?
4. Access the news video for the “Girl Scout takes on the mantle of truth in advertising” article from On the Road with Steve Hartman. While watching the short video, make note of when Charlotte McCourt shares how her truth in advertising documentation was amplified. After contemplating the amplification results, share your responses to these questions with a colleague:
- What was the magnitude of Charlotte’s full-disclosure letter that could not have happened without the gentleman who received the letter sharing it with someone else, which lead to its eventual amplification and going viral?
- What could your students do in a similar truth be told manner that could have interesting (and maybe even amazing) results through using strategic sharing and amplifying?
If desired, share and amplify your responses using the #documenting4learning hashtag on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram; or by mentioning @documenting4learning on Facebook and Instagram, and @doc4learning on Twitter.
You may also like to leave a comment in the Leave a Reply box below to share a link and connect with other readers of the book.