In my experiences, I’ve seen the use of portfolios is class be a lot like group work. It sounds good, innovative, and student focused. Too often, it just ends up being a cute idea that is done poorly, doesn’t lead to deeper learning, and is quickly forgotten about.
I have never liked this approach. Unfortunately, I’ve been guilty of it myself. I could tell in the middle of it that I was missing something, and things were not really getting to the point of bringing about a better learning environment. I could never really get a grasp of it and would put it off until I thought I had learned more. Two things have really created a change for me in the last twelve months. First, was our district committee working on starting a K-12 portfolio program. Though my work on this committee, I got a real good opportunity to look at so many other portfolios, research, and talk with other people who were looking for the same thing. I had turned the corner. The second has been this program. These have really given me the tools to move from portfolios as a collection of work and into a learning tool. In the web article, Why Use an ePortfolio, Dr. Harapnuik points out very clearly about learners using portfolios to demonstrate their learning journey and not just a snapshot of the destination. (Harapnuik, n.d.) For an ePortfolio to really be a way to assess learning, students must truly own the process. This sparked an inspiration for me in my class. I have been turning more and more of my class over to my learners each year. This year, I pretty much gave them full control. They are telling me how to grade things, what will go in the gradebook, and when things will be due. To that end, they are also responsible for clearly demonstrating that they have mastered the standards of the course. My students and I have agreed that they are going to use their portfolios to demonstrate this mastery. I’ll be honest. It’s a bit nerve-wracking. I have no idea how things will turn out. We had a conversation today about one of the standards. The students asked me if I had a document that gave a clear definition of it so they knew what to give me in return. I told them that I didn’t have one. Even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to them because I want them to research it and figure it out. Go to Google. I continued by telling them that I would help them evaluate what they find. I have no idea exactly what the next step is. We have agreed to a clearly defined goal for the end of the year. At the same time, they are determining the path. As we move through this uncharted territory, we all know that their portfolios will be key to demonstrating mastery. We have also begun to see that it will be helpful for them to manage the process. They have already started adding in some of their own reflections. There is a team of students that are going to take the lead in guiding the rest of the class through building their portfolios. Reflections of learning is next on my mind for getting them to the higher levels of mastery. So, begging the question… what do you think I need to look out for, or do next, or… ? I’m in totally new territory here. Any advice? Works CitedBarnstable, K. (2010, January 8). 41 Benefits of an ePortfolio. Retrieved from Stable Transitions: https://kbarnstable.wordpress.com/2010/01/08/41-benefits-of-an-eportfolio/ Barrett, H., & Richter, J. (n.d.). Why Reflect?Retrieved September 2018, from Reflection4Learning: https://sites.google.com/site/reflection4learning/why-reflect Harapnuik, W. (n.d.). Why Use an Eportfolio. Retrieved September 2018, from It's About Learning: http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6063
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About 5303This course is the second in the Masters of Education in Digital Leading and Learning at Lamar University. The focus of the course in developing and learning about ePortfolios in education. ArchivesCategories
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