1. WestEd.org The California Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework: Theory to Practice Reflecting & Planning, Implementing & Reflecting

2. WestEd.org IMPLEMENTDOCUMENT OBSERVE PLAN Document ImplementPlan ImplementPlan Implement Plan Observe Document Observe Document Reflection Curriculum Planning Process

3. WestEd.org Teachers take time to reflect on observation, documentation, and assessments. Teachers plan their approaches and the materials they will offer based on their observations, documentation, and reflections. Teachers implement their plans for facilitating learning. CA Infant/Toddler Program Guidelines 8.4, 8.5 and 8.6 CA Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Program Guidelines, California Department of Education, 2006, pp. 106-107

4. WestEd.org Learning Objectives Participants will be able to: Consider a variety of factors in the reflection & interpretation of observation, documentation and assessment data. Develop ideas for next steps that support specific children’s learning and development, including possible adaptation to interactions, environments, routines, and engaging families. Implement plans while continuing to observe, reflect, and document…to discover how children respond and show evidence of development, and to continue the planning cycle.

5. WestEd.org Reflecting on documentation 1.Why do we reflect on our observations and documentation? 2. What is the goal, the ultimate purpose? 3. What do you do with your current documentation (notes/observations)?

6. WestEd.org Strategies for Reflecting on Documentation 1.Review multiple pieces of documentation recorded over time. 2.Put a set of photos side by side to show a sequence of actions or learning experiences. 3.Watch a video recording of a learning experience multiple times. 4.Compare notes with other adults (colleague, family members, etc.). 5.Review documentation several weeks after completing an assessment. This may clarify why a child is making progress in one domain more than other domains.

7. WestEd.org Practice: Review & Interpret a Photo Series What catches your attention? What does each child seem to be noticing, feeling, experiencing, understanding? What meaning does the child seem to be making? What ideas or hypotheses does each child seem to be exploring? What in this photo was worth documenting and then revisiting for planning? What else would be useful to know? (CA Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework, California Department of Education, 2012, p. 33)

8. WestEd.org Revisiting the 3 Types of Reflection In action – thinking in the moment On action – thinking back on what happened For action – planning ahead

9. WestEd.org Reflection for Action Getting ready for what will happen: Developing plans with goals in mind, Planning for possibilities, Taking into account previous: » Experiences » Knowledge » Environments

10. WestEd.org The Importance of Reflection Pausing to revisit your anecdotal notes and other documentation supports new ideas to come to mind and hypotheses to develop. What does hypothesis-building mean to curriculum planning? REFLECT & PLAN

11. WestEd.org Reflect and Plan “As teachers reflect on infants’ and toddlers’ exploration and interactions, they discover possibilities to sustain, extend, and help children make their play more complex, and thereby support children’s continued learning.” (CA Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework, California Department of Education, 2012, p. 29)

12. WestEd.org Practice: Consider this scenario Read about a teacher’s observation of Kaysha’s exploration with water. (CA Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework, California Department of Education, 2012, p. 39)

13. WestEd.org An accurate record holds the memory of Kaysha’s play The teacher can: 1.Return to it later to reflect on, and interpret the meaning of Kaysha’s play; 2.Share and reflect with colleagues; 3.Better understand Kaysha’s learning and development; 4.Develop curriculum ideas that might expand her discoveries (CA Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework, California Department of Education, 2012, p. 39)

14. WestEd.org Memory and Reliability A written anecdote allows a teacher to remember an observation in a much more reliable way. Without documentation, the memory of a moment can easily be clouded by the viewers beliefs about what is important and what is not. (CA Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework, California Department of Education, 2012, p. 40)

15. WestEd.org Practice: Reflect & Interpret Revisit documentation on Kaysha’s experience What does Kaysha seem to be noticing, feeling, experiencing, wondering? What meaning does she seem to be making? What ideas or hypotheses might she be exploring? What foundational skills could she be building? What might her family like to know about this experience? (CA Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework, California Department of Education, 2012, p. 33)

16. WestEd.org Reflecting & planning Teachers should keep the foundations in mind as they reflect. Knowledge of the foundations gives teachers insights into fundamental competencies children are developing.

17. WestEd.org Review your documentation of, and earlier reflections on, Kaysha’s experience. Compare this with the current observation of Kaysha recorded by her teacher, and your reflections. What stands out when you reflect on both observations? Revisit: Kaysha encounters Cornstarch (CA I/T Learning & Development Foundations DVD Series, California Department of Education, 2009, Disc 3)

18. WestEd.org Curiosity and Wonder If teachers enter into the reflection and planning process with their own sense of curiosity and wonder, it can be exciting and invigorating to develop ideas to entice children’s continued curiosity and exploration.

19. WestEd.org Teachers as Researchers Observe/Note Reflect, Ask questions Reflect, Ask questions What we’ll do Try to discover their intentions. This leads to: How might we support and expand the play? This leads to:

20. WestEd.org Reflect and plan for a small group of children Reflecting on a child’s documentation may lead to reflection on the emerging interests, concepts, and skills of other children in the group. Read about Kaysha’s teachers expanding their reflections and planning to other children. (CA Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework, California Department of Education, 2012, p. 43)

21. WestEd.org Brainstorming might include ideas to: Add/change materials to offer new or more challenging experiences. Expand participation in care routines. Be intentional about engaging children in conversations on certain topics. (CA Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework, California Department of Education, 2012, p. 29)

22. WestEd.org Generating Ideas Generating ideas for classroom approaches occurs after teachers have reflected on their observations, documentation and assessments. Brainstorming is enjoyable! The goal: » Imagine and play with ideas. » Consider ideas that portray what children are truly interested in, or that support the resolution of an issue. Choosing between options comes later.

23. WestEd.org Continue reflecting “for” action: Generate ideas for next steps Imagine Kaysha is in your group of children. Brainstorm ideas for supporting children’s explorations and discoveries. Use a combination of your own ideas and the teacher’s ideas and consider: All 3 learning contexts Play environment Interactions Routines How you might Support practice & repetition Adapt the environment & interactions Expand the complexity & variety

24. WestEd.org Planning: Important Considerations Policies for Program structure: Primary Care, Small Groups, Continuity of Care, Personalized Care, Inclusive of Children with Disabilities and Other Special Needs and Culturally Responsive Care Understanding development & individual children: Ages of Infancy Temperaments Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations DRDP or other Assessments Family and cultural context Child’s interests, abilities, needs

25. WestEd.org Ages of Infancy AgeNeeds Young Infants Security, Exploration, Identity Mobile Infants Security, Exploration, Identity Older InfantsSecurity, Exploration, Identity

26. WestEd.org Temperament Traits Activity LevelBiological Rhythms Adaptability Approach/with drawal Sensitivity Threshold Intensity of Reaction DistractibilityQuality of MoodPersistence

27. WestEd.org The planning process continues Once you’ve reflected and generated possible ideas for expanding exploration: Narrow the list to a few ideas that relate directly to the children’s interests, abilities, and needs. This becomes the beginning of a brief, flexible plan.

28. WestEd.org Communicate and collaborate with families Planning presents opportunities for: Communicating about the child’s interests, learning, development, needs & actions Strengthening relationships and the family’s sense of inclusion in the program Parents may also be interested in watching for changes in child’s behavior and development.

29. WestEd.org Fertile ground for meaning-making When elements of the children’s home and community are embedded in the infant care program, children encounter familiar concepts, language, and materials. This familiarity creates fertile ground for meaning-making and helps children explore with comfort and ease, experiment, and solve problems. The key is to get to know the families well and find out which connections are meaningful for each child, thereby fully engaging the child. CA Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework, California Department of Education, 2012, p. 31

30. WestEd.org Three Partners in Curriculum Planning 1. The child: actively pursues her or his own learning agenda. 2. Family members: provide the pre-primary relationship experiences and are the first teachers who support the child’s learning and development. 3. The infant care teacher: forms relationships with the child and family, learns from them and offers insight and guidance that brings the partnership together. Each has a unique perspective in shaping the design and the direction of the curriculum and each relies on the other to implement the curriculum effectively.

31. WestEd.org Key Points: Reflecting and Planning Documentation makes it possible to: o Reflect on children’s learning experiences. o Appreciate and assess developmental progress. o Discover possibilities to sustain, extend, and help make children’s play more complex. Based on insights from reflection, teachers and family members develop ideas for next steps to support each child’s learning and development, including possible adaptations to interactions, environments, and routines. Plans can be brief and flexible in order to be responsive to children’s moment-by-moment interests and needs.

32. WestEd.org Implement Teachers try out plans by: Making changes in the environment Introducing materials Interacting with children in new ways Highlighting objects or concepts for focus

33. WestEd.org Implement with Respect and Flexibility How each child responds to a suggestion or strategy is unique and sometimes unpredictable! Respect: The individual competencies each child brings. Their need for relationship-based experiences Watch & adapt to children’s continually changing interests & needs. The responsive teacher follows along, observes what the child does, and adapts moment-by-moment. This is easier with children you know well, who are cared for in small groups.

34. WestEd.org Experimentation, Surprise and Discovery! Implement and Reflect: Key Points A flexible plan allows a teacher to experiment – discovering more about the child and oneself. Approach this step with a sense of wonder! You may be surprised by children’s responses. A surprise may lead to new insights! Create an experience that is personally meaningful to each child by following each child’s lead. Assess the impact of the plans and assess individual learning to come up with additional ideas for supporting learning.

35. WestEd.org Program Support It is recommended that programs support teachers to implement plans in the spirit of experimentation. Each time a plan works or does not work, teachers can learn and grow from the experience. CA Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework, California Department of Education, 2012, p. 44

36. WestEd.org Implement & Reflect As soon as a plan is being implemented, the reflective, planning cycle continues. Teachers watch to discover how children: Respond to the plan Show evidence of their development

37. WestEd.org Reflection on Implementation Did children respond/engage in ways we anticipated? What were the surprises? Did the change support the individual children? Did the change support the group as a whole? What other adaptations might we make? Assists care teachers in considering whether environmental & interactional changes actually worked or not Why are these questions useful?

38. WestEd.org The “Time = Quality” Equation Time for reflection is essential for quality Where do we find the time? What do program leaders need to consider? What do infant care teachers need to consider? IT Guideline 8.4: Teachers take time to reflect on observations, documentation, and assessments.

39. WestEd.org Next Steps in Reflecting How will you meet Guideline 8.4? 1. When and how will you reflect? Will you reflect individually? If so, when? How will you share your reflection with the group? Will you reflect as a group? When and where? 2. What support will you need from your program leader? 3. What is your system for observing and documenting to support reflecting on action and for action?

40. WestEd.org Review Learning Objectives Participants will be able to: Consider a variety of factors in the reflection & interpretation of observation, documentation and assessment data Develop ideas for next steps that support specific children’s learning and development, including possible adaptation to interactions, environments, routines, and engaging families Implement plans while continuing to observe, reflect, and document…to discover how children respond and show evidence of development, and to continue the planning cycle.

41. WestEd.org Wrap-up Questions? Assignment Reading Next Session

42. WestEd.org Optional slides

43. WestEd.org Scenario: Teacher’s planning for Li As you listen to this scenario, notice how the teachers plan to adapt the environment and materials to: Support Li’s interest. Offer different ways to experience her favorite book (repetition). Invite increasingly complex play.

44. WestEd.org Interpret Children’s Play Interpret children’s play as a way to help ensure that the curriculum will: Engage the children’s emerging interests, skills, and concept development. Generate opportunities that will relate to various developmental domains. Add complexity to the learning of individual children and small groups of children.