At the beginning of the year while in a workshop about Challenged Based Learning I worked with a group of teachers on this project called The Marshmallow Challenge. I learned a lot from this activity. I learned that you have to work together as a team. Also, I learned that its not as easy as it sounds to build a tower out of spaghetti and marshmallows. When I look back at this project I think about how participating in it helped me throughout the year. Not only did this project help me work as a team better, it also taught me that I have to work at creating things with unusual objects. The first time I did this it was hard, but I've done The Marshmallow Challenge two more times and I got better each time.
A portfolio is a collection of work. An ePortfolio is an electronic collection of work. While student portfolios have been around for nearly two decades, ePortfolios have been around at least one, but they are just starting to make headlines. ePortfolios are an electronic collection of artifacts or evidence that shows learning over time. Students can use ePortfolios for different purposes. One purpose is for learning and reflection on learning. Another purpose is to showcase products and use for accountability purposes. My work in getting started will focus on using ePortfolios for reflection of learning. Students may include writing samples, videos, pictures, projects, and observations from peers or teachers in their ePortfolio. The most important part of an ePortfolio is not to "dazzle" your audience with your product/artifact, but rather to reflect on why you chose to include that specific artifact, and what you learned from the process of developing it and your portfolio. ePortfolios should foster a sense of personal ownership of one's accomplishments, and encourage feelings of pride, responsibility, and dedication in students.
While I don't have a class of my own, as an instructional coach I am responsible for helping teachers improve their practices, as well as implement new practices. I am intrigued with the use of technology for reflecting on student work. Being reflective in my own work, and a huge advocate of formative feedback and assessment, I think portfolios, more precisely, electronic or digital portfolios are essential for 21st Century learning. I asked a third grade teacher if she would be willing to let me try some things with her students as the school year is winding down, she obliged.
I've researched how to get started, as well as observed students blogging to get a sense of what they already know and are able to do. I also had some A-Ha moments as I interacted with students blogging. A few key lessons we need to make sure we address; citing sources properly, plagiarism, and knowing your purpose for blogging. This particular group of third graders that I will work with in a few weeks is going to be using their blogs to reflect on learning this year. Because it's the end of the school year, I've asked their teacher to help them identify 4-6 assignments or projects they'd like to include in their eportfolio. Naturally though, you'd want to set the portfolios up at the beginning of a school year so students can choose work to reflect on and get feedback on throughout the year. While eportfolios can serve multiple purposes, we're going to begin using them for learning... meaning students will choose artifacts to post on their blog, reflect on the work, get feedback, and set goals for improvement. I want the focus to be on the process, rather than the product, especially at the elementary level. |
AuthorI'm Kristen, a dedicated and passionate learner and educational leader. This blog is the reflection of my work as an instructional coach. Archives
August 2015
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