Children enter school with a variety of acquired learning skills. Unfortunately, not all enter with the same or equal level of learning abilities. Therefore, the challenge for the teacher will be to identify what skills the child has already acquired, as well as those they should have acquired, but have failed to exhibit. A portfolio is a relevant, yet authentic collection of student work that can be used to help teachers to get to know their students better. In essence, the goal of using portfolios in the classroom should be for the purpose of identifying developmental milestones to symbolize growth, and to better direct instruction; thus, developing better student learners.
The Benefits of Using Portfolios
Using portfolios in the classroom is an important benefit to the teacher, as well as to the student. In fact, using portfolios is one of the most effective tools teachers can use to document current performance, student growth, and further instruction that may be needed. In addition, not only do portfolios document authentic, concrete examples of learning and student growth over time, they also document individual student achievements in specific areas. Furthermore, portfolios contribute to a student's individual body of knowledge, whether good, bad, or ugly. Surprisingly, students take pride in seeing their beginning point, and then seeing how they have grown. So, using portfolios in the classroom can be beneficial in improving self-esteem, too.
A portfolio can include the following:
Samples of written work
Student journals
Classroom projects
Teacher anecdotal notes that may identify student learning styles or behaviors
Videotapes or audio cassettes of student learning
Student drawings or paintings
Self-assessments
Putting the Portfolio Together
Now that you know what a portfolio is and what can be included in a student portfolio, it is important to know how to choose appropriate sample work. Remember, a portfolio is also a student's contribution; so, it is important to sometimes allow students to choose selected work to include in the portfolio. However, it is the responsibility of the teacher to make certain that the samples are genuine and presents an accurate picture of where the student is in his or her learning. This means that the student's work demonstrates what he or she knows and is able to do. Also, most importantly, make certain that the student's portfolio has not become a trash receptacle or dumpster for unloading "everything" that has been done in the classroom. Student samples should always be authentic and placed in chronological order from the beginning of the school year to the current. As stated earlier, all student work must be authentic to be useful.
Using portfolios as an authentic assessment is not only challenging, but very time consuming. It takes a lot of patience and diligence on the part of the teacher to ensure that all student work that is included in the portfolio is meaningful and genuine. Furthermore, being that portfolios are a chosen collection of real learning outcomes overtime, they are also an excellent way to help establish strong partnerships between students, teachers, and families. Since portfolios are used for purposes of assessing and instruction, it's a win-win situation for both the teacher and student. Thus, providing continual, authentic assessments.
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