Post It Notes In Learning Journeys

[Guest]

Hiii, Just working on learning journeys, was just wondering how people put their post it notes in??

We have a page for each area of learning and stick them where they fit in,

Then we have to put the heading which it comes under eg, writing.. the page number and the age bracket. onto the post it note.

Does anyone else do this? Be so much easier to just stick it under the overall heading lol

[millhill]

I use stickers rather than post its... easier to stick in.

They don't go into areas of learning in the journal as they might incorporate more than 1 area of learning (e.g. PD and CLL).

They are put in in date order are numbered, then referenced on the child's DMs/ELGs sheet.

For example, I will have an observation of a child who has written their name and some other letters, I will write a number on the observation, then on the child's DM/ELG sheet will write the number next to the CLL: Use some clearly identifiable letters to communicate meaning and PD: Handle tools, objects, construction and malleable materials safely and with increasing control.

It is much easier than having to write the details on the sticker.

This way everything in the journal (photos, children's work) can be cross-referenced to the DM/ELG sheet and all the assessment evidence is in one place.

Edited April 13, 2012 by millhill

[Guest]

Ahh Thank you for that, thats quite a good way, cos yeah it is a bit tricky when they cover more than one area.

Is that DM/ELG sheet just a grid, we don't have them i don't think??

[millhill]

Here's one:

 

 

Ready_reckoner_EYFS_YR.doc

[Guest]

Ooo thats good.

Do you do that with photo enteries too?

[millhill]

Yes.

 

I'll put a number on the photo and will write P1 (photo 1) next to the appropriate statement.

For sticky notes I'll write SO1 (spontaneous observation 1) next to the appropriate statements.

 

They are all stuck in in date order so they show progression in the child's learning and I will number them as I go along.

[Guest]

Ooh right, thats a nice idea and a much easier method from what we're doing!

Thank you millhill

[Guest]

I love post it notes, have them in all shapes and sizes and colours!!.................sadly i used to get that excited about shoes and bags

[fimbo]

we just stick them on A4 paper in their LJ's in date order -note on the bottom which areas of learning it covers -then cross ref to the development matters sheet. we log photos in the same way (with an explanation underneath)- we may sometimes have photos / sticky labels and post its all on one page , especially if several staff members have observed similar things over a few days -we quite like it this way as it shows the childs development from different perspectives -and can sometimes highlight a thought process or schema, it can look a bit muddly at times tho.

[fimbo]

I love post it notes, have them in all shapes and sizes and colours!!.................sadly i used to get that excited about shoes and bags

 

i agree - the children love them too, i usually end up handing most of them out once they see my 'stash' lol !!

[Guest]

Thank you for your comments I'm liking the cross referencing I'm going to put the idea to my manager.

With the photos do you litereally just stick the photo in write a description of what they were doing/what was being said. then just cross reference?

Sounds so much easier... we have to at the min stick the picture in the middle and try and link it to all areas of learning

[millhill]

Yes, that is what I do. I don't write learning areas etc. within the journal, I don't see the point as I would still have to cross reference them to a DM/ELG summary sheet. The summary sheet helps me to track where the gaps are in each area and plan for actvities (based on children's interests)to address these gaps.

[Guest]

Ooh i see, sorry i keep asking the same basic thing,

Thank yooou again

[Guest]

Hmmm spoke of the ideas you've all said to manager and she just shot me down didn't even hear me ouuut..

Sooo annnoying!!

[lashes2508]

oh dear Jigsaw , sorry to hear that - keep trying and emphasise that you think it could work and perhaps a trial run- do you have an appraisal coming up soon where you can say more about how you feel - what were her reasons for rejecting ideas??

[Guest]

I have no idea about apprasisals..

She actually said well i don't link my small obs like that anyway just put them onto the area page eg cd, and put on post it note an age bracket

I don't know why i've been linking all mine in so detailed when no one else is .. and i'm sure you have to anyway else what would you have known you've covered??

i did try and say that sometimes it links into quite alot of things.. but the idea was completly shrugged off!

[Guest]

Just wanted to tell you how we do ours because sometimes it's useful to know lots of different methods so you can pick out the bits that work for you.

 

We don't use Post it Notes or stickers. We (usually) do an ob or notice something worth noting, or collect a piece of work and stick it onto a sheet of sugar paper, write a title, such as 'Best Friends' or 'Muddy Days'. We write an ob, or note what the child did. Then we link it to everything in the development matters that is relevent, (not necessarily every area).

 

This is then put into the child's Learning Journey in chronological order, ie at the back and the page is numbered.

 

This is then cross referenced onto our Tracker Sheet by page number and the age/stage is highlighted ie yellow for 22-36 months, green for 30-50 months etc.

 

We also note Responses (used to be Next Steps) which also get written on a sheet at the front of the Learning Journey for action, along with any new interests that the child has (This is a split page)

 

This shows that the child is making progress by the change of colours, what areas the child is strong in, what areas you might need to look at more closely, and any weaker areas.

 

The result is a really child and parent friendly, appealing Learning Journey which clearly shows progress, but is easy to understand and keep upto date.

 

If I can work out how I'll try to link our Tracker Sheet here, because that will make it all much clearer :-)

Tracker April 2012.docx

[Guest]

Forgot to say, this is our new tracker with the revised Development Matters statements... just in case it's any use to anyone else.

[lashes2508]

Jigsaw - did you have any induction when you started ?? Concerned that you do not have appraisals and really you should all be doing a similar method for learning journals and it is something you need to discuss as a team and find what works best for you all.

[Guest]

We use a coloured sheets of paper which corresponds to the colour we use for that terms tracking grid, for example we had blue sheets of paper for last term and highlighted parts on speech and language forms, tracking etc in blue also. Just makes it really easy to see which term you're following. We use stickers now as they hold better. I have a clipboard with stickers on it (plus copies of children I want to target, or goals I want to target) I try and observe snippets of conversation on these as well as "wow" moments.

[Guest]

Lashes, yeah i had an induction been working here for 3 nearly 4 years i think when the eyfs came in really. We have changed ways lots of times , i just feel completly lost, with no support from management. :(

Also had an appraisal in the first year of working herre but not sure how regular they have to be..

Though this is not my only issue with the setting so am in the process of applying for a new job