A portfolio primer

1. A portfolio primer • A portfolio is, “a purposeful collection of student work that tells the story of the student’s efforts, progress, or achievement in (a) given area(s). This collection must include student participation in selection of portfolio content; the guidelines for selection; the criteria for judging merit; and evidence of student self-reflection (Arter J., 1992).”

2. What to consider? • Determining the purpose of the portfolio is all-important affecting: • Design • Content • Link to instruction • How students feel about process (Arter J., 1992).

3. 3 types of portfolios • The composite portfolio tells a story of a group. Its purpose is to aggregate information (Arter J., 1992). • The best works portfolio describes the most successful works for a student, showing evidence the student achieved specific learning targets. • Growth and learning-progress portfolios are formative portfolios showing how a student is progressing throughout a given time frame.

4. Purposes of the 3 portfolios:Composite • A composite portfolio looks at what impact a school or program is having on students.

5. Best Works • The best works demonstrates: • mastery of learning • high accomplishment in a given area • minimal competence in an area for the purpose of graduation, and/or evidence of a school district’s accomplishments • Outcomes: • showcasing work for parents • passing on information about a student to their next teacher • showcasing work on the internet (Nitko, Brookhart, 2007).

6. Growth • The growth portfolio helps the student to monitor their learning and thinking progress over time (Nitko, Brookhart, 2007). • Purpose: • student and teacher to work collaboratively reviewing the learners’ progress and change • student sees the “whole picture” of their learning • Student understands learning is about process and reflection.

7. Portfolio construction • Portfolio construction should be a partnership between educator and student. • They are the stakeholders. • They have the classroom knowledge to be successful. • Additionally, there is more likelihood their models may be used when generating the large-scale assessment pieces (Arter J., 1992).

8. Guidelines • The end product must show’s the student has engaged in self- reflection. • Provides students opportunities to learn to value work and learning process. • The portfolio is separate from the cumulative folder and contents from the portfolio need only be included if the information takes on new meaning. • The portfolio should explain the students’ activities, including the rationale, intent, contents, standards, and judgments. • The portfolio can be evolutionary by serving different purposes throughout the academic year. • A portfolio may have multiple functions. • A portfolio should show student growth. • Students need to see examples of other student generated portfolios (Paulson F., 1991).

9. Educator considerations • Who or what is being evaluated? • What is the purpose of the evaluation? What are the learning targets and goals? • Will other methods of assessment serve these learning targets better? • Should the portfolio focus on best work, growth and learning progress, or both? • Who should be involved in defining the purpose, focus, and organization of the portfolio? • Are there additional purposes? • What is the breath of the work to be covered? • Who is responsible for evaluating the portfolios?

10. Students’ steps • Collection of works: Convert all of the work into digital format and put all documents into a single folder. • Selection: Decide which artifacts to use. This may be done independently, with the teacher, or with peers. • Reflection: • Students explain why they chose a particular artifact • Classify the work and reflect • Students reply to rubric or prompt, most of the student learning takes place here. • Connection: • Students learn to answer the questions, “why are we doing this?” and “what’s next?” • This is the point where they learn the value in what they have learned.

11. Concerns about portfolio contents • High-investment: Students are invested in the process. This is the most desirable. • Cookie-cutter: All portfolios look the same. Students don’t have input on content. • Portfolio-week: Works completed just before the deadline and not polished. Undesirable. • Teacher-generated: All entries based on the same set of prompts, low student investment. • (Nitko & Brookhart)

12. Scoring portfolios • Scoring portfolios thru the use of rubrics is most common. It is important to match the intended learning target with the assessment criteria. • Depending on chosen portfolio type, student self assessment is also appropriate. • It must be decided whether each entry will be assessed or the portfolio as a whole.

13. Digital portfolios vs. paper portfolios • The digital portfolio is digitized and easier to share. • It teaches students technological tools. • It can be comprised of multiple media. • It can serve multiple applications. • There is organizational flexibility (Gibson, D. & Barrett, H. (2002).

14. Pilot digital portfolio for the elementary art program Rio Rancho Public Schools Bgold@rrps.net

15. Why? • Prepare students for a technology based future • Provide students with a systematic approach emphasizing strategic progressive questions. • Students acquire the skills needed to become self-regulated learners. By this I mean to teach the learners a “Cyclic process” whereby they monitor their learning and become reactive in their thinking and art making (Zimmerman, 1990). • Meet New Mexico state technology standards as they relate to art education

16. Who? 3rd grade students

17. How? • Students meet weekly. • One session is art production the second session is portfolio production. • Utilizing power point, students learn to take digital photos of their work, up load it and organize work in their folders. • Students self select works to add to their power point and respond to prompts. • Students add text to their presentations. • A new slide will be added to the presentation each week.

18. Skills taught during 3rd grade school year include: • Utilizing digital cameras to photograph work. • Uploading images into a student file. • Choosing work for use within individual portfolio. • Pasting chosen work into power point format. • Adding text to power point presentation. • Manipulate backgrounds to convey an overall feeling they want the portfolio to have. • Adding sound and/or video to their power point presentation.

19. What are the learning targets? • Students will learn to utilize power point to create a multi-media presentation of their works of art. • Students will answer questions to reflect on their art making process. • Students will utilize self assessment writing tools to direct their future learning. • Students will utilize peer assessment tools to give formative feedback to their peers.

20. Proposed student self assessment questions • I used correct grammar? • I used correct sentence structure? • I answered the questions? • My work of art meet the stated goals for the lesson? • I completed a peer assessment? • I used my art vocabulary?

21. Proposed student formative reflection questions • I made… • This is how I made… • My next steps for this project are… • One new art making technique I learned in this lesson was? • A new art term I now know is? And it’s meaning is? • If I could change one thing about my completed project it would be? • If I could choose what the next lesson would be I would like to learn?

22. Proposed peer checklist questions • My friend didn’t answer this question clearly because… • I wish my friend told me about… • One suggestion I have for my friend is she/he could… • One thing my friend has in their entry that I’d like to add to my entry is…

23. Useful resources • http://teachers.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/. This web-site will help to build assessment rubrics. You can input your teaching targets and construct outcome levels. • http://www.tesd.k12.pa.us/stoga/dept/artwebpage/visualart/portfolios/index.html. This site shows dozens of student generated portfolios from high school students. • http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/eportfoliorubric.html. Here one can find an example of a rubric that is e-portfolio specific. • http://www.teachervison.fen.com/visual-arts/teaching-methods. This is a fee based web-site that will help to identify ways to organize a portfolio. Several pages can be viewed for free prior to fee being imposed. • http://reta.nmsu.edu/Lessons/digital/elem/elemen.html. This site shows examples of multiple kinds of elementary student generated portfolio.

24. Works Cited • Arter J., Spandel, V.(n.d.) Using Portfolios of Student Work in Instruction and Assessment, Instructional Topics in Educational Management, 201-209. • Gibson, D. & Barrett, H. (2002). Directions in Electronic Portfolio Development. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education. 2(4), 556-573. • Nitko A., Brookhart S. (2007) Educational Assessment of Students, Pearson Education, NJ. • Paulson,P., Paulson, F., Meyer, C.(1991) What Makes a Portfolio a Portfolio, Educational Leadership,60-63. • Zimmerman, B. (1990) Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Achievement: An Overview, Educational Psychologist, 25(1), 3-17.