Ways of Implementation

Portfolio Types

Learning Portfolios– For students to show what they have                                                     learned. Not for a grade.

 Assessment Portfolios– Used for Evaluation (what we use in                                                                FYC), or Presentation (showcase best                                                             work).
 

Collection, Selection, and Reflection

Collection, selection, and reflection is part of all portfolios regardless of type. It is through these processes that learning occurs.  Collection, Selection, and Reflection is what makes a portfolio. In their book Portfolio Teaching: A Guide for Instructors, Nedra Reynolds and Rich Rice says, “without...collection, selection, and some element of reflection, it wouldn’t be a portfolio; it would simply be a scrapbook or a storage container”(2). The reflective component of the portfolio is a key feature. It allows students to take a look at their work over the semester, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and what they have learned about themselves as writers.

What Goes in A Portfolio?

As an instructor you can choose to have students include whatever you wish in their portfolios. However, what you decide to have students include should be aligned with your goals of the portfolio. For instance, if using electronic portfolios you might ask students to include video , sound, or website links that they have created. If your portfolio is centered around research projects you might ask students to include all field notes, observations, interviews, and artifacts they found. Here are some ideas of portfolio contents:

Drafts,Revisions, Peer Reviews, Teacher Reviews,In-Class Writing,Out of Class Writings , Pictures,Videos,Artifacts, Reflective Introduction  

Reynolds and Rice argue that, “the reflective piece, especially a reflective introduction, could be the most important text students write in your course because it shows their ability to think, to analyze, and to respond to the rhetorical situation” (38).  When assigning the reflective introduction decide how you want it to be formatted. For instance, a letter or an essay? Where do you want it to appear in the portfolio? What issues do you want it to address? Reynolds and Rice suggest asking some of the following to the students in the assignment:  Discuss your best entry and why it is your best. Demonstrate what this portfolio illustrates about you as a writer, student, researcher, or critical thinker.  Acknowledge your weaknesses, but show how you’ve worked to overcome them.  Discuss what you have learned about reading and writing. (40)    Take a look at samples to see my portfolios goals and  what I ask students to include.
 

Next: Student Benefits