Aussie Childcare Network Forum

Hi all!
Im wondering if anyone has completed the Jottings assessment that is part of the Holistic Child Cluster Off-the-job assessment. They're asking for me to complete a jotting observation based off of one video, but if a jotting is a series of observations - how do i complete the jottings using the one video? im a little confused, please help me!

Any idea?slope

Antaked wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 31, 2025 3:22 pm

Hi all!
Im wondering if anyone has completed the Jottings assessment that is part of the Holistic Child Cluster Off-the-job assessment. They're asking for me to complete a jotting observation based off of one video, but if a jotting is a series of observations - how do i complete the jottings using the one video? im a little confused, please help me!

You can make multiple observations from different moments in the video, focusing on the child’s behavior and interactions. Each jotting should note a specific action or response, even though you're working with just one video.

Hi! I understand why the jotting observation task might feel confusing, especially since jottings are typically a series of short notes taken over time, but you’re being asked to base it on a single video. Here’s how you can approach it:

A jotting observation involves capturing brief, specific moments of a child’s behavior, actions, or interactions to provide insight into their development. Even though you’re working with one video, you can still create multiple jottings by focusing on different moments or aspects of the child’s behavior within that video. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help:

• Watch the Video Carefully: Play the video through once to get a sense of what’s happening. Note the child’s actions, interactions, expressions, or any significant moments that stand out.

• Identify Key Moments: Rewatch the video and pause at specific points where you notice something noteworthy—e.g.,block blast the child engaging with a toy, interacting with a peer, or showing a particular emotion. Each of these moments can form the basis of a separate jotting.

• Write Brief Jottings: For each moment, write a short, factual observation (1-2 sentences) that captures what you see. For example:

“At 2:15, Sarah picks up a red block and stacks it on top of another, smiling as she does so.”
“At 3:40, Sarah shares a toy with Tom, saying, ‘Here you go.’” Each jotting should include the time stamp or context from the video to show it’s a distinct observation.

• Link to Development: Depending on the assessment requirements, you might need to connect each jotting to an area of development (e.g., social, physical, cognitive). For instance, the first example could link to fine motor skills, while the second shows social development.

• Treat the Video as a Snapshot of Time: Even though jottings are often done over multiple days in real life, for this task, the video is your “observation period.” Think of it as condensing several observations into the timeframe of the video.

By breaking the video into multiple moments, you’re effectively creating a “series” of jottings, just within the one source. If the assessment asks for a specific number of jottings (e.g., 3-5), aim to identify that many distinct observations.

Hi! While 'jottings' are usually a series of short observations, if you only have one video, you can observe multiple moments in the same video. Break the video down into specific moments – such as when the child starts playing, interacting with others, solving a problem, etc. – and briefly record each behavior or expression.Monkey Mart This will create a true jotting sequence, even if it's just one video. Good luck!