The Power of Learning Story Assessment Across Communities of Practice

Session Type: Invited Speaker Session

Abstract

Learning Stories have a rich history spanning at least three decades, and have come to be embraced not only in their ‘home’ country of Aotearoa New Zealand but also in a range of international contexts. This narrative assessment approach is a distinguishing feature of early childhood education practice in New Zealand, yet is continually contested by those seeking more developmental perspectives that risk pathologizing children’s needs rather than celebrating children’s unique strengths along their learning journeys. This symposium presents three case studies highlighting the tremendous power and potential of Learning Stories across both early learning and schooling contexts. Together, the three papers in the symposium show how quality use of Learning Stories can impact teachers, whānau/families, communities, and - most importantly - mokopuna/children. The symposium is rooted in the bicultural context of Aotearoa New Zealand and the philosophies expressed in our unique curriculum documents. This contextualisation is in keeping with the sociocultural nature of Learning Stories. However, those from other contexts can still appreciate the richness of this assessment approach, and the existing uptake of Learning Stories in a range of diverse international contexts affirms the wider value of this approach. Having experienced the transformative power of Learning Stories ourselves as both educators and parents/whānau, all those contributing to this symposium wish to see more, rather than less, use of learning story assessment in our own contexts and beyond.

Sub Unit

• International Aligned Associations / New Zealand Association for Research in Education - NZARE

Chair

• Katrina McChesney, University of Waikato

Papers

• How Documentation of Formative Assessment Has the Capacity to Strengthen Parents' Views of What It Is to Be a Learner in the 21st Century - Wendy J. Lee, Educational Leadership Project

• How Learning Stories Can Affect a Community's Understanding of Their Children's Learning Identities - Lorraine Sands, University of Waikato

• How Primary School Teachers Are Using Learning Stories as Formative Assessment Practice to Enhance Learning - Amanda King, The University of Waikato

Discussant

• Katrina McChesney, University of Waikato