Introducing Dialogue Number One

If you follow Bakers and Astronauts on Facebook, you've probably seen the rumblings of some conversation about an article discussion group.  There seemed to be some interest when I first proposed the idea, and now we are ready to give it a whirl!  I thought it would be more fitting to call it a dialogue, though, because I hope that it allows for more than surface discussion.

For our first dialogue, we will be learning about documentation.  There was some interest in learning more about how to document everyday, how to fit it into a routine, and how to learn more about it in general.  Many of us want a better understanding of what documentation is and how it might fit into our practices.

We will begin by talking about how it fits into our settings, what it means to us, and what we want it to look like or feel like as we learn more.  What do we want to do differently?  What resources do we need?  Why are we documenting at all?

We will se varied sources to learn more, from journal articles to blog posts and photographs.  These resources will add to our understanding of what documentation is, and how is about more than Reggio Emilia style planels.  Our needs are diverse, our families are diverse, and our resources are diverse.  How can we make it work for each of us?

It is important to share that this dialogue is not about everyone being on the same page with pedagogy or philosophy, but instead, it is about broad topics that we can discuss and help each other and ourselves.  Reflecting on what we are doing now and envisioning new ideas for the future is best done in a group, and I hope this will turn into a place where we can support each other in that process.

I hope that you'll join in!  There are no specific assignments, but there will be readings available and an ongoing discussion board.  We will also be having a group web conference so we can see each other and chat in real time towards the end of the month.

We will be using Wiggio as our platform for the group, and you can use this link to join in.  If you're having trouble, please email me at alliepasquier@gmail.com.  The articles and links to our reading will be up on Wednesday!