EDUC111 Week 6 Discussion

Analyze and explain the advantages of using anecdotal records. In addition, analyze and explain any potential disadvantages and how they may be addressed.

Classmate #1:

Good evening class,

Anecdotal records are a useful tool in helping teachers keep track of observations they have made in their classroom for each student as necessary. These records are detailed and descriptive while documenting specific behaviors or interactions among their students. The anecdotal records can later be used to assess their students’ behaviors, needs, and learning patterns. This is a useful tool to assist the teacher in identifying areas of growth that can be worked on for each student’s specific needs.

Some advantages of using anecdotal records are that the records can assist a teacher in understanding their students on a deeper level and give them the opportunity to help their students grow and learn in different ways if it is necessary. Additionally, the records can be written quickly and are easy to write, since they should be factual and describe what happened without any assumptions being made. It is also helpful that there does not need to be any additional training for teachers on how to document their records. The records can be used over a period of time to see the progression of a student, or they could be used to see where a student might start having difficulties in certain areas of development.

Some disadvantages of anecdotal records are that it might be possible that the teacher is unable to remember exactly what happened in an incident that he/she observed. Our memory is not always reliable, and, in the classroom, there are many things to observe. One way to mitigate this is to have sticky notes ready and close by in case anything is noticed and should be documented quickly. Another disadvantage could be that the teacher is only focused on documenting certain types of behavior and other things that would normally be documented are overlooked. A way to help stop this from happening is for the teacher to plan what they might want to observe for each day or have some type of formatted chart to assist the teacher in keeping an eye out for things that might be easily missed when they are actively observing their students.

Classmate #2:

Class and Professor,

Anecdotal recordings give teachers the chance to see and record each child’s distinct behaviors, abilities, attitudes, performance, incidents in the classroom, and growth. This personalized evaluation can assist in adjusting instruction to meet the needs of each kid. An instructor can stay organized with their observations and monitor each student’s progress with great benefit from anecdotal notes. One benefit of anecdotal records is that they allow for quick note-taking, which facilitates the easy and quick recording of information on individual students. Teachers only need to jot down a few symbol words in their notes to help them remember where each student is in the learning process—they don’t have to go into great depth. The benefit of anecdotal records is that teachers don’t need any special training to capture or document their observations. When using anecdotal records, teachers have a few disadvantages. One drawback is that anecdotal recordings cannot be completed in a standardized manner. Another issue is that teachers’ recollections can be prejudiced, which affects how accurate the records are. To sum up, anecdotal records provide insights into individual development and are a useful tool in childhood education.

References:

Brightwheel. (2023, October 27). Anecdotal Record: Child Observation Tool for Early Educators. Bright Wheel. https://mybrightwheel.com/blog/anecdotal-record

Network Support. (n.d.). Using anecdotal records in the classroom. https://k12teacherstaffdevelopment.com/tlb/using-anecdotal-records-in-the-classroom/