EEND 679 Module 6 Discussion
Hello Class,
For this module we are to discuss our experiences with portfolios. After going through the resources and looking back at my time being a student, I really have great respect for portfolio work in education. It can be an amazing tool to show growth, and showcase a students talent. Not just in the typical classes you would think of like Language and Writing or Art Classes. I really do think I could add a portfolio as part of a unit or maybe a semester.
Looking back at my time being a student, I remember doing a portfolio for the first time in my graduate education classes. It was a great way to showcase all of my work in one binder. Now thinking of what a portfolio is, and being a parent now, I realize I was doing portfolios way back in elementary school. In fact, I am lucky to still have that work in a chest and often go back to admire/laugh at all my art and writing in 1st-5th grade. I am able to do the same with my school aged kids today. Make a portfolio of their work so they can one day go back and look at their growth through the years. But my question is, can I use this as an educator in my class for high school biology students? Definitely not the easiest subject to use portfolio work as a means of assessment.
The first thing that came to mind is actually the unit we are currently exloring- Ecology. It is definitely the unit I ask students to be creative the most, and reflect on their personal and family beliefs and habits. Students hopefully show growth in not only their knowledge of the natural world, but also their strategies to decrease their carbon footprint and their role as caretakers of our one and only planet. (There is no Plan-et B)... So how could I use portfolio work to foster student reflection and growth in a science class?
Maybe by starting a binder that houses their creative material (food webs, ecological journals, environmental children's book, letter to the human race creative writing assignment) that shows a big picture of their growth with the material and overarching theme of our ecology unit. I also like the idea of assessing their work as a whole for the unit, and the change of pace it would create for the students and teacher. I fear it would be difficult to assess, and problematic for students that have time management issues.
Since this is a technology class, and our resources obviously focused on it, I really like the idea of a digital portfolio. This is something you could easily keep on Google Drive, without having to change your instructional practices. What an awesome tool to show growth, and something that could easily be shared with parents at PTC's or even through an email. It would be easy to assess and see growth as well if everything was located in one digital portfolio. I like a few of the tools highlighted but because we are a "Google" school with Chromebooks, I see myself using portfolio folders in Google Drive as a way to start exploring portfolio work. After all, this would also accomplish one of my big goals over the next year in going paperless.... for environmental reasons!
Thank you,
Jim Nielsen
For this module we are to discuss our experiences with portfolios. After going through the resources and looking back at my time being a student, I really have great respect for portfolio work in education. It can be an amazing tool to show growth, and showcase a students talent. Not just in the typical classes you would think of like Language and Writing or Art Classes. I really do think I could add a portfolio as part of a unit or maybe a semester.
Looking back at my time being a student, I remember doing a portfolio for the first time in my graduate education classes. It was a great way to showcase all of my work in one binder. Now thinking of what a portfolio is, and being a parent now, I realize I was doing portfolios way back in elementary school. In fact, I am lucky to still have that work in a chest and often go back to admire/laugh at all my art and writing in 1st-5th grade. I am able to do the same with my school aged kids today. Make a portfolio of their work so they can one day go back and look at their growth through the years. But my question is, can I use this as an educator in my class for high school biology students? Definitely not the easiest subject to use portfolio work as a means of assessment.
The first thing that came to mind is actually the unit we are currently exloring- Ecology. It is definitely the unit I ask students to be creative the most, and reflect on their personal and family beliefs and habits. Students hopefully show growth in not only their knowledge of the natural world, but also their strategies to decrease their carbon footprint and their role as caretakers of our one and only planet. (There is no Plan-et B)... So how could I use portfolio work to foster student reflection and growth in a science class?
Maybe by starting a binder that houses their creative material (food webs, ecological journals, environmental children's book, letter to the human race creative writing assignment) that shows a big picture of their growth with the material and overarching theme of our ecology unit. I also like the idea of assessing their work as a whole for the unit, and the change of pace it would create for the students and teacher. I fear it would be difficult to assess, and problematic for students that have time management issues.
Since this is a technology class, and our resources obviously focused on it, I really like the idea of a digital portfolio. This is something you could easily keep on Google Drive, without having to change your instructional practices. What an awesome tool to show growth, and something that could easily be shared with parents at PTC's or even through an email. It would be easy to assess and see growth as well if everything was located in one digital portfolio. I like a few of the tools highlighted but because we are a "Google" school with Chromebooks, I see myself using portfolio folders in Google Drive as a way to start exploring portfolio work. After all, this would also accomplish one of my big goals over the next year in going paperless.... for environmental reasons!
Thank you,
Jim Nielsen
Comments
Post a Comment