A portfolio is a purposeful collection of work,
selected to achieve a specific goal that exhibits the students’ efforts,
progress and achievements. Portfolios are based upon the principles of
collecting, selecting, and reflecting upon their own work.
A portfolio is not a plain record of the work
the student did in the past, so do not merely collect documents in their
portfolio. A portfolio should also be unique and tell a students’ story, not a
standardised specification.
There is a variety of portfolios ranging from
learning logs to extended collections of achievement evidence. The
"evidence" can include curriculum materials or reports, photographs
of students at work, feedback from colleagues or employers etc.
It is an important mechanism for
documenting a students' educational progress through the curriculum.
The student and teachers collaborate on selections for the portfolio, which may
contain;
·
assessment by the teacher
·
examples of
the student ‘s work
·
information
about any extracurricular achievements or other activities undertaken by the
student
·
self-assessment by the student
It is intended that the contents of
the Portfolio will assist parents and their children to reflect on efforts,
experiences, progress and achievements in a meaningful and purposeful manner.
It is anticipated that parents will use the information to encourage their
children to set positive goals and work towards them throughout the year.
The value of the Portfolio is
greatly enhanced when parents:
·
read it
together with their child
·
ask questions
·
give feedback
·
praise
genuine effort and achievement
·
assist in
goal setting when improvement is needed
·
read to
their (kindergarten) child any comments from the teacher
·
write comments
or questions as appropriate
·
sign the
sheet provided to show the teacher that they have seen it
I designed several ideas to enrich the portfolio with personal students' statements.
See:
'Dalton, doe het eens anders' page 193 - 214
Arko Uitgeverij, Nieuwegein, 2009
