Using Technologies for Documentation and Communication
With advances in user-friendly technologies, teachers now have at their disposal many options for creating documentation (Berson & Berson, 2010). Many tools are currently available that can serve to streamline the process and help families feel a part of the daily learning experiences of their children.
Certainly the digital camera and cell phone have revolutionized the way in which teachers capture the essence of classroom activities. The ability to take, store, edit, print, and insert images in a variety of applications suggests many possibilities for sharing the curriculum with families. Teachers can also scan children’s two-dimensional work.
But pictures alone don’t tell the whole story. Consider Figure 5.1. The image depicts a block structure built by children. Without a description, it could be interpreted in any number of ways. When the teacher adds a simple printed description to the figure (label A), more information is conveyed. Further expanding the label to include a short reflective statement about what the image represents (label B) connects the activity with the curriculum in a way that is meaningful. Label C fully describes the learning represented in the photo as well as the skills and knowledge the children used.