Documentation Project
Introduction
Illuminating children's creative processes through documentation is a recent focus in my work as an art educator. Photographic and textual records of their experiences provide an invaluable resource for examining each child's imaginative potential. In the studio, I am able to observe the multiple possibilities for invention that arise through their verbal and visual expression. I hope to nurture and expand each child's cycle of inquiry by tapping into their particular themes and by encouraging their descriptive dialogue.
My role as an educator and researcher has deepened my appreciation of the varied learning strategies and relational aspects embedded in children's thinking. Listening to what sparks a child's curiosity has a co-constructive component that is taking cues from their ideas and developing projects that inspire the unique viewpoints of each art maker. The documentation process frames what occurs in the studio and offers insights to both teachers and parents about the ways in which children think, explore, and ultimately arrive at decisions.
--Gail Tarantino, SFCAC Lead Teacher
(photographer: Gail Tarantino)