What is a student portfolio? This is a question more and more teachers are asking as student portfolios become increasingly important for students and educators alike. Today, we'll answer this question in great detail, along with describing the different types of student portfolios and the benefits each type provides. We will also provide examples of how to create different types of portfolios. Whether you're a teacher who is looking to begin with student portfolios or if you're simply curious about what they are, this post is for you!
A student portfolio is a collection of student work that demonstrates a student's skills and learning progress. The portfolio can be either digital/online or physical, although more and more schools are moving towards using digital portfolios. Their convenience and ease of use make them an obvious choice for many situations.
Student portfolios are used to assess student learning, as well as provide a way for students to reflect on their own progress. Portfolios can also be used as a tool for student-led conferences. Often, they're also requested by colleges and employers as a way to get a well-rounded view of a student's skills and abilities.
What are the student benefits of a student portfolio?
There are all kinds of reasons student portfolios can be beneficial, both for students and for teachers. Student portfolios help students keep track of their learning progress and skills development over time. Portfolios can also motivate students to do their best work, as they know that their work will be seen by others.
In addition, student portfolios can provide valuable feedback for teachers on what areas the student is struggling with and what areas they excel in.
Let's talk more about the teacher benefits of portfolios next.
What are the teacher benefits of a student portfolio?
Teacher benefits of student portfolios include having a clear way to track each student's progress over time, being able to identify areas where the student needs improvement, and providing valuable feedback to the student.
Further, using student portfolios can save teachers time when it comes to report card time! Reporting back to the documents in a student portfolio can demonstrate how far a student has come, their overall strengths and areas that might need improvement. Teachers can use these insights not only when they’re doing report cards, but for many other purposes too.
Student portfolios also play an integral role in identifying curriculum gaps and a lack of alignment with outcomes for teachers and faculty. By collecting student work samples over time, it becomes easier to identify which areas of the curriculum need more attention.
Student’s portfolio reflects inclusive academic development of an individual in specific period. Student’s portfolio is systematic, authentic and reliable evidence of his comprehensive growth in an academic session.
Portfolio shows learners’ artistic, creative, innovative, rational, comprehensive and conceptual growth. Students’ portfolio represents his systematic efforts to achieve the excellent points.
When we think our purpose of teaching in the classroom, we do enough preparation, and planning. We try to execute our planning. Why do we conduct these activities? What are the purposes behind this? We prepare, plan and execute it in the classroom to maximize learning. Why do we share learning objective in the classroom? Why do we share learning outcomes in the classroom? Why do we conduct co-curricular activity in the classroom? Wise teacher ensures maximum learning outcomes in the classroom. Portfolio is the authentic showcase of learners’ learning. Student’s portfolio is one of the best tools to ensure quality learning and to ensure student’s growth over a period of time. Teacher as well as parent evaluates students’ qualitative learning growth with the help of student’s portfolio. Teacher evaluates his overall effort for imparting qualitative learning.
Students’ Portfolio Beneficial for Educators
- Concrete evidence of students learning and students growth
- Compare and contrast student’s progress from beginning of academic session to the end of an academic session
- Ensures individual student’s growth during an academic year
- Evaluate student’s growth, reflects on strength and weakness and plan for the next
- An opportunity for the educator to ensure student’s partnership in his own learning growth
- Educator can show learner’s profile to the concerned guardian/parent and can discuss overall growth of learner with parent. Educator can develop strong bond and partnership with parent to maximize learning outcomes.
Students’ Portfolio Beneficial for Parent
- Can see his/her ward’s overall learning growth
- Can observe his/her child’s weakness and strength in a specific field
- Can observe his/her child’s initiative/efforts of learning
Portfolio Reflects Hard Work of Student’s Effort- Student can feel the essence of his hard work for creating such a wonderful collection. Student can be active participant of preparing own profile. It is really matter of pride for them. Student will work hard for performing better in all other learning activities.
Student’s Portfolio is beneficial for educator and guardian. Let us assume! Ms. Mariam studies in class 6th. Her handwriting is very poor. Educator starts working on Mariam’s handwriting. Educator can observe 2-3 possible outcomes i.e. either child’s handwriting may be same or deteriorated slightly after 6 months or child started writing in good handwriting. Could a concerned subject teacher keep student’s sample of handwriting in student’s profile? Could it be counted as an evidence of student’s growth? Ms. Deepa [English Teacher] planned properly to take a class on “how to compose a poem” in class 8th. She conducted it well and at last she asked student’s to compose a poem on an interesting topic. All students composed poem and shown it teacher. She observed that 4 student’s copied from each other, 12 students directly copied from Google, 2 students’ tried to write their own [not so good not so bad] and 2 students composed meaningful poem [proper words, proper expression,]. Can teacher keep student’s poem in the learner’s profile?
We need to keep our observation and evidence of learning in student’s portfolio. Wise teacher focuses on students’ achievement rather than faults. We assess student’s learning progress over a time. Student’s portfolio is collection of learning progress of a learner. Since learning is complex phenomena, either student’s learning can be fine example of vertical progress or example of horizontal progress. If our educational system could not make expected change in learner’s behavior and in cognitive domain with the help of well-developed syllabus, curriculum, trained teacher and availability of best technology in 21st century, we will not justify the concept of universal learning approach.