Creating student portfolios

What should be included in a student portfolio? Ask the student and let her help decide.

Portfolio assessment provides a variety of means to document and assess student work. A student portfolio is similar to one of an artist. An artist carries a portfolio to show prospective clients examples of her best work.

In student portfolios students might choose to add
a) peer observation and evaluation;
b) evidence of self reflection, self knowledge, self evaluation;
c) items that tell a story of the journey of the year;
d) teacher observations;
e) things that show growth and change (eg extra-curricular, interests, attitudes);
f) items that demonstrate "my best work done to date";
g) information from parents;
h) items that indicate transfer of learning;
i) evidence of progress toward year's goal;
j) ...

Portfolios are performance based assessments that match assessments in the "real world". Students receive immediate feedback, gain confidence by acknowledgements of their strengths, and gain insight into how to improvement.

Why not ask students to be present for parent-teacher conferences and have them conference with their parents about their portfolios?

What's your story?

Photo credit Rick Harrison