Margaret Carr & Wendy Lee 
Learning Stories 
Constructing Learner Identities in Early Education

Margaret Carr′s seminal work on Learning Stories was first published by SAGE in 2001, and this widely acclaimed approach to assessment has since gained a huge international following. In this new full-colour book, the authors outline the philosophy behind Learning Stories and refer to the latest findings from the research projects they have led with teachers on learning dispositions and learning power, to argue that Learning Stories can construct learner identities in early childhood settings and schools. By making the connection between sociocultural approaches to pedagogy and assessment, and narrative inquiry, this book contextualizes Learning Stories as a philosophical approach to education, learning and pedagogy.

Chapters explore how Learning Stories:

– help make connections with families

– support the inclusion of children and family voices

– tell us stories about babies

– allow children to dictate their own stories

– can be used to revisit children′s learning journeys

– can contribute to teaching and learning wisdom

This ground-breaking book expands on the concept of Learning Stories and includes examples from practice in both New Zealand and the UK. It outlines the philosophy behind this pedagogical tool for documenting how learning identities are constructed and shows, through research evidence, why the early years is such a critical time in the formation of learning dispositions.

Margaret Carr is a Professor of Education at the University of Waikato, New Zealand.

Wendy Lee is Director of the Educational Leadership Project, New Zealand.

Tabela de Conteúdo

Learner Identities in the Early Years: An Introduction to Four Themes

Why Story?

Co-Authoring and Dialogue

Making Connections Across Boundaries Between Places

Recognising and Re-Cognising Learning Continuities

Appropriating Knowledges and Learning Dispositions in a Range of Increasingly Complex Ways

Reconceptualising Assessment

Constructing and Sustaining a Passion for Learning

Sobre o autor

Wendy Lee is passionate about Early Childhood Education (ECE) in New Zealand and has developed a deep interest in issues related to the curriculum and leadership. She is a strong advocate for Learning Stories and the power of documentation to strengthen learner identity of children. Over the past 50 years, her career has focused on building strong, reflective and robust learning communities through her roles as teacher, unionist, lecturer, community development worker, city councillor, manager, professional development facilitator and researcher. Today, as director of the Educational Leadership Project Ltd she and her team provide training and advice to ECE centres throughout New Zealand and in a wide range of other countries. Over the past 20 years, she has had the privilege of collaborating with Professor Margaret Carr on a number of ECE research projects, including co-directing the National Early Childhood Assessment and Learning Exemplar Project. This produced the Kei Tua o te Pae books on assessment for improving learning in the NZ ECE sector. As the influence of research in the area of Learning Stories and Assessment in New Zealand grows and extends more into ECE practice, Wendy has been increasingly requested to present its influence to a wider international audience including teachers in Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, Japan, Belgium, the USA, Kazakhstan, Canada, Australia and China.