How would you use a portfolio?
Currently the I have two portfolios. One was required to graduate high school which is now stored in a box in the basement with other high school tokens. The other portfolio was required for my undergrad at the University of Toledo. Both are in 3 ring binders full of different achievements from my high school and college careers.While teaching I created a classroom portfolio/scrapbook to display at parent/teacher conferences. This portfolio would give the parents a chance to see different activities that took place during that trimester.
Once my digital portfolio is complete, I hope to use to get a teaching job. I think adding it to my resume might be a nice touch.
What would you include in your portfolio?
I think any achievements would be a great to include in a portfolio. I was nominated Charter School Teacher of the Year and I put that letter and award in my portfolio. For a portfolio that is going to be used to get a job or a new position, I think sample lessons plans, pictures of students working (with their parents permission), letters of recommendation, and any evaluations would be a great addition to a portfolio.A portfolio in my mind shows the best of you on paper or the web. You want to include items that show off your strengths as an educator.
How do your students use portfolios?
My first and second graders kept a portfolio of work to show their parents at conferences. I also added important pieces of work to their portfolios. The school I worked at required that we keep a running active portfolio for the year and then at the end of the year pass the portfolio on to the next teacher. Since my students were younger, I pick most of the work that was collected for the portfolio. I tried to show writing for every month of the school year, to show growth. I also tried to put something from different subject areas such as mathematics, social studies and science in their portfolio, not just writing.I know that the middle and high school art teacher was helping her art students create an art portfolio to display their finished works. These portfolios included both original artwork and pictures of different pieces that were too large to fit in the portfolio.
Primarily, I am a middle school and high school virtual Math teacher. I do teach one Chemistry lab class in which I see each of my students at least once a week. I know we come from different worlds but how are you using portfolios in your Math class? I have struggled with their purpose in my Math class but I would love to entertain their use if I could see strong reasoning?
ReplyDeleteOccasionally, I have my students track their math test/quiz scores within one unit on a line plot. They are then able to see their progress (or lack of progress). The parents enjoy looking this over as well. Just a thought that you could try Matt!
ReplyDeleteStudents in one of my schools use portfolios as goal binders. They record their goals, where they're at, and what they achieve. They do this for their math scores, reading levels, and writing artifacts. I hope you kept some of those from when you were teaching first and second grade! Given how data-driven today's schools are, that would be a great way to show you are a data-minded teacher!
ReplyDeleteMatthew, for my students I select different story problems they have written to be included in their math portfolio. I would also put each time they passed a group of math facts. We do teach different grades but I think just find a sample of the students work and start creating a math portfolio. It doesn't have to be large.
ReplyDeleteCollin, those are all items I have included in their portfolio. Both showing their strengthens and weaknesses. I feel the important part of a portfolio for younger grades is to show growth and sometimes by the end of the year, the student can't believe how far they have come! It is awesome to watch them look back and get excited about how well they are doing now!
Thats a great idea to use a portfolio as a class. I would like to start a classroom portfolio, but, it keeps falling down on the list of things to do. Do you keep anything electronically for the parents?
ReplyDeleteI haven't done anything electronically for parents but I think there could be an event or portfolio section on the classroom webpage to keep parents up to date. I will have to include that somehow.
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