art. 821 Sheet metal structure painted silver. diameter 25 x 32 cm

In any school where documentation is used to support

the educational activity in dialogue with children’s learning

processes, the quantity and quality of the documents

produced impose a revision and a redefinition of the

concept of archives and of archiving.

Simply producing documents (photographic images, handwritten

notes, videos, and so on) is not enough unless

these documents are individually interpreted by those

who produce them and supported by collegial comments

and interpretations. As this procedure builds and gives

meaning to what would otherwise be periodic fragments,

it becomes the basic element for the didactic project as

well as for the teachers’ professional development.

So this redefinition means that the concepts of archives

and archiving are viewed as a sort of connective structure,

where the proposed order (that is, narration) is

not only the organization of past memories but also the

predisposition toward an organization and memories of

the future. The past offers itself to the new interpretations

and meanings of the future.

The archives must therefore be set up in such a way as

to ensure continuous consultation and revisiting; they

should suggest an order but be open to new kinds of

organization.

The archives must be easy to access and consult but

at the same time protected. Given the high number of

possible users, the classification criteria and possible

new connections must be evident and clear.

It is therefore desirable for the archives to have a dedicated

space or room, where it is possible to consult the

material, meet colleagues and discuss the documents,

and view the audio-visual material. It is essential to have

furnishings and tools which, though located in various

areas of the school, can foster this important operation

of organizing and archiving all the material so that

greater meaning can be given to the day-to-day life of