As someone who is privileged enough to visit dozens of early learning, OSHC and school settings all over Australia, it is sometimes palpable the themes and trends that circulate through these sectors as a whole. Sometimes, like the increasing explosion in the value of play for plays sake, they are a delightful wave to ride as a tangible dawning of respect and appreciation for play growing in educators is extremely satisfying for a Playworker! However, sometimes these trends are less than ideal. One that has been growing recently, I suppose in correlation with the social media age, is an increased demand, and expectation, for copious digital documentation of children, their play and their learning. Now less than ideal is not direct criticism at digital documentation itself, digital resources like apps are merely a tool after all, but rather how and why they are harnessed. Sadly, a large portion of this style of documentation is a by-product of well-meaning parents and thus this blog has been designed to give some critical perspective on why for the health and wellbeing of your children this, a reliance on this form of communication, and pressure on educators to provide it, may not the best course of action.
Firstly, and maybe most obviously is what sort of play is disrupted for the sake of pictures to be taken? Play exists as a cycle, commencing in a metaludic state, and progressing through cues, returns, the development of a play frame and ideally the establishment of play flow (Sturrock & Else, 1998). Play flow is not guaranteed but it is essential to the healthy development of humans as it is quite literally the antithesis of anxiety, fear of failure, boredom and loss of interest (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). There is much an educator or playworker can do to support flow state, however, these things are subtle and nuanced aimed directly at supporting the play process and not, as Play Cycle theory dubs it, the adulteration of the play. In short, calling a halt to play, or requesting a look at the camera for a smile is nothing short of adulteration. It may result in a lovely picture, but consider, over time, increased lost opportunities to operate in a flow state, not only a state devoid of anxiety and boredom, but also one of optimal learning.
Another depressing by-product of incessantly photographing play for documentation is the reality that we cannot capture everything. Thus, where do educator’s subjective opinions and biases (that we all have) lie? Who determines what will make a “good” learning story vs what goes under the radar? For a child lost in an incredible yet imaginary world, which is quite unphotographable, does this suggest to them subtly that their experience holds less value? Less as it is not worthy of a picture? Does it position the self-conscious child to repeat “the thing” that they know will get the attention and the picture taken? As an educator and playworker who has also worked at the teenage end of the childhood spectrum I can promise the parents out there that you do not want to train your sons and daughters at an early age to play up to the things that will get them the most attention on digital media platforms. Research suggests this sort of behaviour can evolve as narcissism and self-objectification in males and females respectively (Seidman, 2015).
Direct feedback from educators in the industry is perhaps the most depressing and affirming criticism of how and why digital documentation is used. Parental pressure for this medium, why they want it, and how much they get has reached ludicrous proportions in some settings. I have been regaled with stories from many settings such as one educator being abused by a parent because she only received two pictures of her son in a day but she had it on “good authority” that another parent had received three. Another comment was that parents complain if the pictures are not “happy play pictures” that they can share with their friends. This is an unrealistic expectation and poor documentation as development includes fun, but also comprises of trials and tribulations worthy of documentation and reflection even if they are not an “instagram moment”. Our educational frameworks, whether it be in the early years or school aged care define documentation as something that helps educators evaluate children’s learning and assist them in their planning cycles (ASECQA, 2009). It is not a highlight real showing cherry picked moments and, treating it as such breeds strong apathy and dissatisfaction in educators towards the process of documentation itself. This is yet another loss ultimately for the children.
Add to these three aforementioned points a playwork perspective:
* Playwork Principle 4: For playworkers, the play process takes precedence and playworkers act as advocates for play when engaging with adult led agendas. (PPSG, 2015).
This sort of documentation, when used as relayed to the author, serves only adult purposes and not even well. As opposed to critiquing a broad spectrum of learning (good, bad and otherwise) and allowing for real planning to occur, it can lead to superficial efforts to tick boxes and in many cases, used a marketing gimmick to compete in a competitive sector. The hardest pill to swallow for parents, and sometimes educators alike is that sometimes we are not meant to know everything going on in play. Many play types such as recapitulative play, imaginary play, fantasy play and more need to remain a bit of a mystery to be special (Hughes, 2001) (Leichter-Saxby, 2009). Many adults can relate to this by remembering that their most treasured, imaginative, magical world in play as a child very rarely included an adult! Documentation can be done to support this, by analysing spaces, themes, resources, and how they all work to support the play process. This documentation can even make amazing conversation and email dialogue with parents interested in the deeply subtle and nuanced realm of children’s play and development. These play types, and all their associated benefits will not however manifest with a camera in the face.
Angus Gorrie
ASECQA. (2009). Being, Belonging, Becoming. Retrieved from The Esarly Years Learning Framework: https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/acecqa/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.
DEEWR. (2011). My time, our place: Framework for school age care in Australia. Canberra : Commonwealth of Australia.
Hughes, B. (2001). Evolutionary Playwork and Reflective analytic practice. London: Routledge .
Leichter-Saxby, M. (2009). Children’s Places of Secrecy and Play: A Playworker’s Guide to Dens and Forts. Islington Play Association.
PPSG. (2015). The Playwork Priciples. In The Playwork Principles Scrutiny Group. Cardiff.
Seidman, G. (2015). Are Selfies a Sign of Narcissism and Psychopathy? Retrieved from Psychology Today.
Sturrock, G., & Else, P. (1998). The playground as therapeutic space: playwork as healing. The Colorado Paper, (pp. 1-28).