Learning Journeys
What are they?
A learning journey is a record of a child’s learning and development throughout Early Level. A learning journey aims to tell each child’s story, building a unique picture of their achievements and interests. The creation of this must be a collaborative process involving all practitioners, the child, and their family. The learning journey is used to document the significant learning for each child, weaving a progression pathway that develops their present and future potential.
It can be in a book, folder, or electronic format and should enable children to reflect on their progress and learning. It should include the child’s Emerging Literacy Developmental Overviews and trackers, helping to record and track their progress (for SBC Trackers & Developmental Overviews see tabs at the bottom of this page).
Learning journeys or profiles form part of the child’s Personal Plan.
Key messages:
- Clear links are evident between the child’s Care Plan/All About Me and the contents of the learning journey.
- Clear links are evident between the child’s chronology and the contents of the learning journey. See bitesize training ‘Linking the Documents’ and further information on the Personal Plans page.
- Children’s individual achievements are celebrated from within and out with the setting.
- Families are fully involved in understanding their child’s progress; their opinions and knowledge about their child are valued.
- Both families and children contribute to the learning journey.
- The experiences illustrated are developmentally appropriate and tracked.
- Learning journeys must show children’s progress over time and link to the trackers and progression frameworks for literacy and maths.
- Learning journeys document the interactions between the practitioners and the child to evidence progression and enhanced individual learning.
Ways we can do this:
Practitioners use the child’s “All About Me” information page to influence the provision, so that the children’s interests are catered for, e.g. the child has an interest in cars noted, and there is an observation where the child has been using cars to develop their learning.
Include photos of the child with any adults from partner agencies. Observations are linked to input from the partner agency. Observations reflect entries in the chronology, e.g. a photo of the child with the Pre-School Home-Visiting Teacher (PSHVT) or the child working on the next steps identified by the Speech and Language Therapist (SaLT). For example, the chronology states the child has begun potty training, and the learning journey celebrates their first success.
A section in the learning journey shows children’s achievements, or these are evident throughout the learning journey, e.g. the family sends in photos or a slip that celebrates their child learning to ride a bike or sleeping in their own bed all night for the first time.
Opportunities are given for families to see their child’s learning journey and discuss their child’s learning with their key worker, e.g. learning journeys are sent home regularly or available for families to access online. In addition, families are offered phone calls home to discuss children’s progress.
Children are involved in their learning journey and can access it independently. Families can comment on the child’s learning in the learning journey, e.g. the child is engaged in talking about their learning following observations, sticking in photos, able to ask to have things put in. Feedback sheets are provided when learning journeys are sent home for families to comment on their child’s progress.
Practitioners use the trackers, developmental overviews, and guidance documents to see if the provision and experiences are appropriate developmentally, e.g. supporting subitising, not written calculations.
Using the “Classes” function for Documentation – Learning journals
Organise classes to ensure a smooth transition between academic years within & beyond ELC (See video).
Create Assignments without due dates & with appropriate Student Access settings g. view only/hidden/editable
Organise classes either by term or curricular area. If using a photo of a child for their profile picture, permission from parents MUST be obtained. If you organise your paper learning journeys by subject area or holistically, continue to do the same in Showbie (at least until all practitioners are using Showbie confidently).
Use Folders carefully (having folders within folders can become quite cumbersome when accessing individual children’s learning)
Be clear as a setting about which learning is documented digitally on Showbie & which learning is kept in a paper book/file. Avoid repetition.
Use emojis meaningfully, with a purpose & for signposting, to support staff, parents & children to use the learning journey.
Have a consistent approach to completing & organising the Learning Journey, & writing different types of observations (& the Showbie/digital tools used for these), display approaches on the wall, in Showbie or in the Showbie Rationale.
Ensure Learning Journeys and Observations are in line with the guidance on the Learning Journey & Observations Features of a quality Learning Journal & High Quality observations should remain the same as expected for paper versions.
Ensure that learning documented in the learning journey is up-to-date & specific to that child – if posting one photo to multiple accounts, ensure posts are personalised and relevant learning is documented specific to each learner.
A key benefit of using a digital platform to document learning is the variety of media available (text, photos, videos, voicenotes) in the learning journey. Make good use of these and for a variety of purposes, particularly capturing the child’s voice. . Showbie supports a variety of evidence to be used as part of the documenting process, enriching the experience of reflection by children as they can view video, audio recordings and photographs. Practitioners & children can also “Share to Showbie” from a different app e.g. videos from the “Voice memos” app or drawings from the “Notes” app, allowing children to share their learning and ideas in different ways.
Create systems for showing updates on & progress in learning. Ensure next steps and PLODS are followed up/updated. There should be clear links between observations so that it is clear to see the thread of learning & progress over time – how it started and then how it progressed throughout the posts. Some settings have a separate ‘next steps’ assignment that summarises the ‘open’ next steps for each individual child & the progress being made with these. Practitioners could use emojis effectively by using a consistent emoji for each thread of learning. Practitioners could also date or name their entries using consistent language so that this is made clear.
SLT & Lead practitioners should have access to learning journeys to enable regular moderation.
Accessibility features should be used to support practitioners, children & parents in using Showbie (e.g. speech to text feature on keyboard, showing children & parents how to use the “speak” feature in Showbie on posts, use of voicenotes in Showbie etc)
Use Annotation tools on photos & documents (text, pen, highlighter, pinned comments & voicenotes) for specific purposes (e.g. pen for children to write, updates on a next step in text, child’s reflections on learning in a voicenote). Also, ensure effective use of “renaming photos”.
Trackers and developmental overviewscan be easily inserted into each individual child’s learning journals, readily accessible to all practitioners. If using trackers and developmental overviews, practitioners are able to hide documents from students & parents using the assignment setting ‘Hidden’ which allows teachers to access the contents, but parents and students cannot. Trackers and overviews can be updated and annotated within Showbie and exported to be stored electronically or printed to be used as part of transition.
Engaging children:
Ensure that children know what Showbie is & that their learning is stored here
Adults should model posting & post to Showbie on behalf of children who are in the early stages of using Showbie
Practitioners should support children with posting to Showbie, sharing photos & recording voice notes. When they are ready, practitioners should encourage children to do this
Encourage children to add to & engage with individual & group learning experiences recorded on Showbie, using the annotation tools on photos & by creating new documents in Showbie
Support children to reflect on learning regularly, using the annotation tools, as well as the Voice Notes feature within the Showbie posts feed.
If using QR codes with children :
Children should have opportunities to browse their learning experiences on Showbie g. via practitioner iPad or using student QR code (see below
Store QR codes securely in folder or book & not up on the wall
Practitioners should have considered practical use of QR codes, with individual code & photo of child (or name clearly displayed) on one page. Consider setting up a “Showbie Station” with one or two iPads, dedicated to viewing their Showbie account.
Engaging parents:
Ensure that parents have a way of sharing learning, achievements and news from home. This might be through a system of sending the child’s QR code home & allowing parents to add to the learning journal from home, through individual learning communities for families and key worker or through a whole-group community.
Post ideas for how parents can support, continue & extend learning at home (e.g. as information sent periodically throughout the year, or spontaneously as part of some observations). This will build parental confidence in recognising how to support their child’s learning at home.
If sending student QR codes home:
Give parents the Student QR code with clear guidance about the expectations of how they should be used.
Ensure that Student QR codes facilitate parental contributions in a specific learning assignment created to share learning/interests from home e.g. new assignment is created with settings set as ‘editable’ so child can post photos, comments & voice notes.
