10-How Observing, Documenting and Interpreting Children’s Outdoor Play Brings a New Lens to Play Possibilities

This module examines the complex process of pedagogical documentation and its components - observation, documentation and interpretation - and relates them to outdoor play and learning.

In this course, participants will be able to:

  1. Examine the complexities of pedagogical documentation including the observation, documentation and interpretation components.
  2. Identify how pedagogical documentation enhances outdoor play experiences for children.
  3. Reflect on the various forms of documentation and how they can be used to support and encourage outdoor play possibilities.
  4. Examine the benefits and the challenges of pedagogical documentation.
  5. Analyze and interpret various documentation to see the pedagogical possibilities.

Module Content

Not Enrolled
This course is currently closed

Module Includes

  • 7 Lessons
  • 23 Topics
  • 1 Quiz

Responses

  1. Module 10 deepened my understanding of pedagogical documentation as a meaningful process that extends beyond merely recording events—it allows me to see, connect, and interpret children’s outdoor play experiences in new ways. By engaging in thoughtful observations, documentation, and interpretation, I can identify learning possibilities, enhance outdoor experiences, and advocate for the importance of outdoor play. This module reinforced the value of collaborative documentation, and I look forward to continuing to integrate these practices at Teeny Tykes Home Daycare, Votier’s Flats, and Carburn Park to capture children’s curiosity, inquiry, and sense of wonder.

  2. Since FLIGHT was introduced to Alberta, I have been incorporating learning stories into my program. While I believe documentation plays a significant role in our educational methods, it also advocates for and highlights the value of outside play

  3. This is an important area – I have been involved in different applications but now see that outdoor play is a rich setting for developing pedagogical documentation that may be overlooked in favour of the classroom or indoor centre.

  4. I have learned that Pedagogical Documentation is very important so that the curriculum is based on the children’s interests. And observing children requires active listening as children have so many ways of expressing themselves, not only through language. But through actions, music, and art to name a few.

  5. Designing outdoor play area is best practice to ensure that outdoor spaces are well organized for the children to have independence in their play , Children must have all the access in all kinds of materials and equipment , walkways should be clearly marked and free of obstruction.

  6. Pedagogical Documenting is a valuable tool for advocating for the child and sharing important information with parents or guardians.

  7. The unit gave alot of meaning to pedagogical documentation. There are things and perspectives that I have come across never before.

  8. Documentation is important because it can stay with the child through their years of learning and other teachers can reflect on all the documentation.

  9. Families need to know their child is learning more than just physcial movement when playing outdoors but their outside experiences are very important in their development. As early learning teachers we have the ability to show families what learning is occuring by doing observations,listening, and recording and docmenting these experiences for them to see and share. By displaying with photos, written words and the child’s art work we are giving value to the child experiences and supporting their learning stories. By asking the parents permission to share this with others ,we are involveing the families in our programming too. This makes the child’s process visible, and focus on them or the group as a whole.I hope i am being an advocate for my children and their families when i do a panel of our learning stories and i feel i learn just as much as the children. I hope i can teach them how to reflect on the past to build on the future learning.

  10. I think it will be great to capture the moment when children are experiencing new discovery such as looking at the new sprout popping out, touching the warm in the first time and harvesting vegetable. It will be good way to communicate with collogues, children and families by documentation.

  11. I love exploring pedagogical documentation…..always so much to learn about it! I know I overthink things, and sometimes can get weighed down by the term Pedagogy, but this is an important practice for any educator.

  12. Documentation is very beneficial to a daycare room as it allows the child, educators, parents, and co-workers to see the daily activities and learning of the room.

  13. I really enjoyed this module. It remind me the happy faces of children and parents whenever they receive a picture of their child’s activity or whenever the children view themselves in the picture displayed on the board. They take pride in the their work whenever they see it themselves in it.

  14. I enjoyed this module, it was a good reminder of the importance of documenting. we are often so busy that taking time to reflect and jot down as we observe feels like a luxury – it isn’t though.

  15. This module brought me back to my school days when we did assignments with different documentation methods with these as well as when I did keepsakes for my Preschoolers.

  16. I’ve gathered lots of new insight about documentation and have some new ideas around how to document and display and present the documentation in my dayhpme program.

  17. It is important for us to have documentation about outdoor play. Parents can see what their children are doing and the children can revisit their play.

  18. I have always documented any of my programs to see if they are suitable for the children and to have family input, also people in the field like my programs or if the have other suggestions. This helps with advocacy t and importance for out door play. So others can understand that we need outdoor play.

  19. I have been using learning stories in my program since FLIGHT was introduced to Alberta, and I feel that documentation is an important part in our educational practices but brings about advocacy and importance to outdoor play