Portfolios

Do portfolios create success for students?

By Charissa Hazell

s0154070

Portfolios:

Consider....

Error is no disgrace, it is the agency through which

we increase understanding......

At present there is very

little tolerance for error in the classroom.

Neil Postman.

EDED11405 Study Guide

What are portfolios? Portfolios are an alternative form of

assessment and are based on a collection of work

samples and/or products over time to demonstrate

what the student has learnt and is capable of.

For portfolios to be used as assessable tasks the

criteria and standards for work samples needs to be clear and precise for all involved to understand.

Brady and Kennedy (2009).

There are several types of portfolios to choose from.

The four most common are the SHOWCASE portfolio which shows the students best work, the EVALUATION portfolio

which includes specified and marked work, the DOCUMENTATION portfolio which shows work of the student that is chosen by the teacher and the student but not marked

and there is a PROCESS portfolio which includes weekly if not daily work samples and student self reflections.

These can all be stored in a paper/folder format and/or digital portfolio.

Brady and Kennedy (2009).

Not all portfolios are equal

Digital Portfolio information

Digital portfolios can use technologies such as

cds, dvds and the worldwide web. This

allows students to accumulate items in

many different formats such as video, voice

recording, online etc...Brady and Kennedy

(2006).

More can be learnt about digital portfolios by looking at the website- http://

www.foliosinternational.com/index.phpPortfolios.pptx

VideosOverview - http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7eMcpGMDRg

http://www.youtube.com/wClassMon Update 10 Overview - atch?v

=6lKeB6VwWMo

Digital Portfolio Example

Time wise: the student can assist the teacher by

helping to choose what goes in the portfolio so they know they have input.

Success wise: The portfolio can also help

create discussions between the teacher, student and parents about where the student is at and

the progress they are making. Plus the involvement of the student engages their

interest in the assessment process and allows them to feel secure in the knowledge they are

not being compared to others. By being involved in the assessment process, the student is made aware of the fact that their portfolio is judged against a standards or criteria sheet and isn’t

just a collection of ‘stuff’.

Brady and Kennedy (2006).

Why choose portfolios?

Modification of assessment to the student’s individual needs, interests and abilities is possible

Creates a true representation of what students learn (as opposed to written tests)

Tracks student achievement over time to reveal improvement or areas needing improvement

Enables students to reflect on their own learning and in turn motivates them to be lifelong learners

Provides teachers with meaningful information about student’s needs, interests and their own thoughts and ideas

Brady and Kennedy (2009).

Benefits of portfolios

Provides real illustrations of student learning

Provides opportunities for teacher-student collaboration in the selection of content

Facilitates meta-cognition (students understand how they learn)

Enhances student ownership of their learning

Develops the idea of individual differences in learning

Facilitates the accountability of teachers and schools

Improves the quality of teaching by integrating assessment and teaching and learning

Connects school experiences with real life by requiring demonstrations of accomplishments (authentic assessment)

Brady and Kennedy (2009).

Portfolios could also answer two important questions for teachers

Learning Management Question 7: How will I

check to see the learner has arrived?

Learning Management Question 8: How will I inform the learner and

others about the learners progress?

Smith and Lynch (2006).

Drawbacks/Weaknesses of Portfolios

Portfolios take time to complete

especially if they are an EVALUATION

portfolio which includes specified

and marked work or a PROCESS

portfolio which includes weekly if

not daily work samples and student

self reflections.

Policy Documents in regards to Assessment and Portfolios

The QSA Assessment Policy document states that the

purpose of assessment is to promote, assist and

improve learning while informing programs of teaching and learning.

As well as to inform people that need to know how well students are doing , their

progress and achievements to assist them achieve to the best of their abilities.

Presently in the State School system Prep students are the only students that have Portfolios as their prescribed take

home assessment piece.

The Early Years Curriculum Guidelines (2006) suggest as step 2 in the purposes of monitoring and assessing that children

and teachers organise evidence about the children’s learning in individual portfolios. They go to add that the portfolio

should be co-constructed by all involved parties and that is a dynamic record of examples of a child’s learning and

development.

The EYCG suggest a portfolio may include notes of conversations with children and/or other involved parties,

anecdotal records, checklists personal to each student with individualised comments, images or recordings and objects or

artefacts that the child has assisted in developing or made.

Prep Portfolios- EYCG

Interviewing others for their opinions and experiences

The main questions asked were do you

think Portfolios create success for

students and why/how.

Other questions asked included what grade do you think Portfolios should be

utilised for?

Miss B. who has been teaching in her specialised field of Early Childhood for 8 years informed on the 24th of November 2009, that she believes Portfolios create

success for students. She says that in her experience children love to look back at their work and photos. Miss B. states it can make them feel proud of what they have done over the year. She also adds it can

make them feel proud of what they have done over the year which turn leads them to a sense of pride in

themselves and their work. Miss B. then went on to say that a Portfolio allows them to share their work with others and make the link between home and school. In summary Miss B. said Portfolios give us

more a sense of the whole child rather then focussing on just a grade.

1st Teacher Interview

2nd Teacher Interview Miss W. was also interviewed on the

24th of November 2009, and is a 2nd year teacher.

Miss W. also agreed with Miss B. that Portfolios create success for students. She says that Portfolios give students an opportunity to reflect on what they have done throughout the year while also involving parents in the learning

journey of their children. Miss W. then went on to add that Portfolios provide other teachers with

a snapshot of the child’s learning journey from which they can plan

appropriate learning experiences for the children’s needs which in turn will

create further success for the students.

Mrs G. (a state primary school teacher since 1981) was interviewed on the 25th of November 2009 in relation to whether she felt success for students could be achieved

through portfolios. Mrs G. feels portfolios create success for students as it sets

the students up for having ownership of their work and that the students can see the journey from the beginning of

the year to the end of the year. She believes they are especially beneficial if the Portfolios

contain photos as they can then promote oral language. She says students can often re-live and re-tell the learning

experiences due to the imagery in front of them. Mrs G. feels all students in Prep should have them for the

above reasons but also feels students up to Grade 3 would benefit as they could be utilised to incorporate units of

work, recounts of learning experiences and samples for the Grade 2 diagnostic net.

3rd Teacher Interview

Upon discussions with a mum on the 26th of November 2009, who had received three very different styles of

portfolio recently , came to conclude that all three portfolios she had received had a varied

representation of work within. She felt that the effort and individuality of the portfolios dictated the level of accountability the

teacher had taken for them. One portfolio she stated was like a time capsule as it contained annotated work samples, pictures, teacher observations as well as a 40 minute DVD containing music, still and moving images (movie/video footage) while another portfolio was just full of pictures with no feedback or comments recorded. That portfolio appeared to be of a generic nature as it was not

individualised in any way.

Parent Interview

Parent Interview Continued

The parent then went on to add that they prided

themselves on celebrating each child’s learning journey and the accomplishments they had made as they (the

parents) feel it is important to find

reasons to celebrate success as it improves

their child’s self esteem and pride in their work.

Portfolio summaryThe portfolio tells a logical story of

the student’s success. It is a focused collection of student’s work that displays

student effort, progress and/or achievement.

The portfolio includes evidence of self reflection and the student’s

participation in setting the focus, establishing their own standards,

selecting contents and judging merit.

A portfolio really demonstrates to the student their learning

journey and why it is important which in turn makes them feel

successful.

What am I trying to decide?

What are my choices?

What is important to consider while making this decision (criteria)?

How important is each aspect of the criteria?

Do any of my choices and criteria match?

If so, how well matched are my criteria and choices?

How do I feel about the matches? Do I need to re-think the process?

Marzano et al.

Questions in relation to the decision making model.

Will I record students achievements in a portfolio format or a report card format?

Will I record their achievements in a paper or digital format or a combination of both?

Will the information gathered pass on to the following years teacher or go home with students to their families?

Do I have the time to compile portfolios for each of the students in my class?

Do I need resources to compile portfolios for the students in my class?

How will I record the information before committing it to a portfolio?

Will I use the information gained from the portfolios to assist in lesson/assessment task planning?

Will the information gained from compiling the portfolios benefit the students in my class?

Decision Making- Portfolios

The Decision Making Model requires the person making the decision to identify the decision and any alternatives that they are considering.

They then identify the important criteria.

And assign each criteria an importance score (3 if very important, 1 if not so important and 2 if somewhere in between).

The person then looks at which alternative has each criteria then multiplies the scores to discover which alternative has the highest score.

The person then reflects on the outcome and reacts to it by adjusting the criteria and/or scores if they feel it isn’t the outcome they were hoping for.

Marzano et al.

Decision Making Process

On the next slide is the recommended graphic organiser for decision making. If this was a

true group presentation this would be where I would take suggestions as to what would be the criteria and choices/options would be.

Then we as a group, would rate it as suggested (3 very important, 2 important and

1 not very important) in all criteria and suggestion columns and then calculate our

answer. We would then reflect and evaluate if that was the response we were hoping for.

Decision Making Graphic Organiser

Criteria No Portfolio Paper/Folder style Portfolio

Digital Portfolio

Time

Resources

Teacher use

Family keep

Future use

Decision Making Graphic Organiser

Something to think about....

I have learned more from my mistakes than from my

successes.

Sir Humphery Davy.

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

Dr. Robert Schuller.

EDED 11405 Study Guide

Brady, L. and Kennedy, K. (2009). Celebrating Student Achievement: Assessment and Reporting (3rd edition). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson

Education Australia.

Brady, L. (2006). Collaborative Learning In Action. Frenchs Forest, NSW, Australia: Pearson Education Australia.

Connell, P., Shearer, A., Tobin, T. and Harrod, C. (2006). Early Years Curriculum Guidelines. Brisbane, QLD: Queensland Studies Authority.

Division of Teaching and Learning Services. (2009). EDED 11405 Study Guide. Rockhampton, QLD, Australia: Central Queensland University.

Interviews with Miss B. and Miss W. at a State School on Tuesday the 24th of November 2009.

References

Interview with Mrs. G. at a State School on Wednesday the 25th of November 2009.

Interview with Mrs. C. (parent) on Thursday the 26th of November 2009.

Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., Arrendondo, D.E., Blackburn. G. J., Brandt. R.S., Moffett. C.A., Paynter. D.E., Pollock. J.E. and Whisler. J. E. (1997). Dimensions Of Learning. Aurora, Colarado, USA: Association For

Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Queensland Studies Authority. (2009). P-12 Assessment Policy. Brisbane, Queensland: Queensland Government.

Smith, R. and Lynch, D. (2006). The Rise Of The Learning Manager: Changing Teacher Education. Frenchs Forest, NSW, Australia: Pearson

Education Australia. 

References