Guest Posted April 7, 2012 Posted April 7, 2012 Hi all Currently we use learning journals that are provided by our LEA (not as a word doc or anything useful like that) but as a photocopy! We have to then photocopy this for each child (about 50 pages!). Anyway my supervisor asked our PVI teacher when we can expect new ones. They are considering whether to do them!!! So thinking this means alot of work to something similar if they dont do one. If they could provide a word doc at least wecould try and amend it ourselves. It never fails to surprise me the differing levels of suppoort offered by different LEAs.Anyone else been told something similar?
AnonyMouse_21338 Posted April 7, 2012 Posted April 7, 2012 ours provide nothing also, and (as far as i can remember) we were just told we had to do them -with no guidance of what they should contain / look like / document etc !
Guest Posted April 7, 2012 Posted April 7, 2012 Our LA do not provide anything either, but I kind of like the idea that each settings LJ's will be as individual as their setting is!
AnonyMouse_2157 Posted April 7, 2012 Posted April 7, 2012 Just wanted to say scarlettagel... loving the squirrel photo
AnonyMouse_3307 Posted April 7, 2012 Posted April 7, 2012 Being devil's advocate here - doesn't just relying on the LA just create a dependency culture - what stops you from just developing what you know you need?! Many LAs have very reduced these days which means they simply don't have capacity to do all the things they used to do and which schools and settings got used to. Cx
Guest Posted April 7, 2012 Posted April 7, 2012 We also use Learning Journals provided by the LA. However, I am in the process of updating them, so they will essentially be the same, just organised under the new headings. They really weren't fancy to begin with so it's not too much work adjusting them now. Quick question though: I am in pre-school and April is going to be a busy month for us with the new intake. Would you start these new children with the new learning journal (assuming I can get it ready in time!) or would you continue with the current ones? I'm thinking that if I can do it, I would rather start them with the new ones as they are going to be with us for a while yet!
Guest Posted April 8, 2012 Posted April 8, 2012 Some useful comments there. Our supervisor is not computer savvy but guess in our setting who is??! I think our LEA have basically asked all settings to use their document (I call it a learning journey but its just the development matters statements which we highlight and then details of next steps. We put all our post it obs here. We also do scrapbooks which have the photos and "work" in). However if they dont update it then we should be able to go ahead and use our own.
Guest Posted May 2, 2012 Posted May 2, 2012 Our learning journeys are basically an A4 exercise book! We have parent's add in some pictures / infor about their child, then we just stick in photos & observations as we go along. We have grids with all the dev matters statements that we cross check observations against. Can I ask what is in your Learning Journals?
Guest Posted May 5, 2012 Posted May 5, 2012 I too am intrigued about what is in your journals that needs to be copied. We have a card cover with child's name and photo and then: 1 page intro about what the EYFS is about a chart which staff simply tick to show when they have added an observation and which area of learning it mainly relates to the initial 'all about me' sheet Notes on review meetings with parent/carers are added as they happen The rest is blank sheets to simply add the observations photo. Staff should also add mark making examples etc on a regular basis - but I have to chase them on that! Perhaps we have been missing something?
AnonyMouse_21338 Posted May 5, 2012 Posted May 5, 2012 (edited) we have a few pages at the front which we complete with the parents so we know a little about their child before the start with us, we have a section called parents voice, which we encourage the parent to complete whenever they take the LJ home, i have attatched a copy of our LJ -ive removed our logo and the photos and pictures from it -so it does look a bit boring. we also include information about the eyfs -but i am updating that at the mo -so i havent included this in the download. this all goes in the front of an A4 folder - we then use a4 paper to stick photos, obs, post its,etc to. all obs are linked to the DM's (which are also our transition records -these come from our LA) and we highlight (colour coded to each term) when the child is comfortably acheiving that DM. any work the child may like to add is also in there -or photos of their work if we cant get it in the book. the LJ's are out all the time -so the children are able to look at them, they share their books with other children, and we make notes of any comments they may of made about what they have seen in their folder. i have also created a form for the parents to 'sign out' their LJ's -as some were taking a while to come back to the setting, also some parents chose not to use the parents voice page -and we have no evidence of them actually seeing the folder -so if they sign it out and in -then we can see who has and who hasnt seen them. all the children really love thier books -and we enjoy completing them - although we get through loads of poly pockets !! blank LJ.docx Edited May 5, 2012 by fimbo 3
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted May 5, 2012 Posted May 5, 2012 Being devil's advocate here - doesn't just relying on the LA just create a dependency culture - what stops you from just developing what you know you need?! Many LAs have very reduced these days which means they simply don't have capacity to do all the things they used to do and which schools and settings got used to. Cx have to say that in this area our LEA provides very little and always has done...the only problem with this is that i find we all take loads of time creating things that people have already done (hence why i am on here so much!!) also it can feel that we have very little support at times and we all send different info to schools etc etc. In terms of learning stories we have one file which includes in the beginning sheets (parent info at the start of pre-school) dvelopment matters tracking sheets photo obs /obs/childrens work/feedback info with parents and childrens comments....so everything is in one place. Our difficulty at the moment is because these are so precious we are worried about allowing children access to them (we have 2 year olds+) so we are starting to develop an additional document for the children to access
AnonyMouse_19802 Posted May 5, 2012 Posted May 5, 2012 Our difficulty at the moment is because these are so precious we are worried about allowing children access to them (we have 2 year olds+) so we are starting to develop an additional document for the children to access Hi we are concerned about what would happen if the children had free access??! we too have two year olds, children with additional needs that will mark make on ANYTHING that comes to hand and children that love to 'self initiate' ha ha! and we dread picking up the pieces of all those long hours of LJ time! How do you monitor this fimbo, is a member of staff allocated to 'sit' with them? 1
AnonyMouse_19802 Posted May 5, 2012 Posted May 5, 2012 Our learning journeys are basically an A4 exercise book! We have parent's add in some pictures / infor about their child, then we just stick in photos & observations as we go along. We have grids with all the dev matters statements that we cross check observations against. Can I ask what is in your Learning Journals? I rather like your way dbrowne 1976, sounds nice and simple, but gets the job done! LJs have become the bane of my preschool life! So many conlicting ideas, inputs from advisors and tutors and different ideas about how they shld 'look' from staff! One member does hers to perfection, almost a 'keepsake' others including me find them a trial, especially in finding the time to complete and update them! it always seems to end up. being a rush! I certainly think they have a place, cos it makes sure you know your child, but I. feel they need to. be just a working document..Simples! I find it very frustrating when they are returned from parents without so much as a signature let alone, ...so help me....a comment!! 1
AnonyMouse_21338 Posted May 5, 2012 Posted May 5, 2012 Hi we are concerned about what would happen if the children had free access??! we too have two year olds, children with additional needs that will mark make on ANYTHING that comes to hand �� and children that love to 'self initiate' ha ha! and we dread picking up the pieces of all those long hours of LJ time! How do you monitor this fimbo, is a member of staff allocated to 'sit' with them? no (-we only have 2 members of staff , we work on minimum ratio and have free flow :blink: )- we keep the DM's (which are also our transition records) seperate - so there is no chance of these getting damaged or getting lost , but we just ensured the children treated their folders as they would any other book - luckily they are really good with them, the main problem we have is the bloomin poly pockets have a tendancy to rip and flop out ! we are all in one room as well, which makes it easier -as we can see what the children are doing and could stop any 'vandelism' if we needed to -but up to now, we havent needed to 1
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted May 5, 2012 Posted May 5, 2012 all the children really love thier books -and we enjoy completing them - although we get through loads of poly pockets !! Yes, we certainly do use a few! We have a really helpful chap at Staples who gets us a good deal on them when we need them. Thanks for sharing this, I'll dig ours out and upload it again, it's in resources I think too
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted May 5, 2012 Posted May 5, 2012 (edited) Here are the main pages, there are a few we're still working on - the Transition bit is here too, although that has yet to be changed to the new format. We have photo obs pages too, but these are not name specific, just in a pile and can go in any child's folder A New Learning Journey full.pdf Edited May 5, 2012 by Cait 3
Guest Posted May 5, 2012 Posted May 5, 2012 A very nice document Cait. I may just have to adapt it for my setting! I was told at a recent briefing that forms were not going to be produced by the LEA this time.
Guest Posted May 5, 2012 Posted May 5, 2012 Thanks Fimbo and Cait for posting. I really like the ideas for suggestions for parents to do with children in yours Fimbo, and the way yours, Cait, is written from the child's angle. I think we will use both those ideas as we revise ours. So many thanks. Rafa, I really agree with you about some staff wanting to create 'works of art'. I seem to have a constant battle with some staff. I keep telling them to let the children stick the observations and photos onto the pages. It does not matter if they are squint or upside down - at least the children will know it is their book. But will some of them listen! - and they moan that they don't have enough non-contact time. Note to self - be firmer and insist that the room leaders include sessions for this in the planning.
AnonyMouse_19802 Posted June 8, 2012 Posted June 8, 2012 i cant download this for some reason Yep, that happens to me sometimes debbiecai.....very annoying....just sympathising...cant tell you why! hope someone can......?
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted June 8, 2012 Posted June 8, 2012 That's strange, sorry I'll have a look at it when I'm on the computer. Have you got adobe installed? Because that could be the problem
Steve Posted June 8, 2012 Posted June 8, 2012 Debbie, were you referring to Cait's PDF document? Hopefully you were referring to fimbo's Word document which is in the newer format (docx). If so, can you tell me which version of MS Word you have as there is a fix for older versions to enable you to read them. If not, could you tell me what the error message you're getting is?
AnonyMouse_39621 Posted June 8, 2012 Posted June 8, 2012 hi. I have windows 7, and word starter 2010. It happens witha few things i try to download but not all of them
Steve Posted June 8, 2012 Posted June 8, 2012 Hi Debbie - In that case you need to let us know which specific downloads you're having difficulty with and what the error message you're getting says. It's obviously not Word as you have an up to date version of that. Next time you get a problem with a download, just copy the post address (look above the post with the attachment and at the right it will have something like '#25'. Click this and it will give you a link you can copy and PM or post. Or alternatively if it's not a post copy the URL from the address bar and send me that. Hope that all makes sense! :1b 1
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