Through earning the Reading Endorsement, it has become extremely evident to me that it is important to assess children for what they do know, instead of what
they don’t know. But, due to the misery of the standardized tests that we must put our children through, it is often difficult to do just this. Teaching in a world that is so number oriented; test
scores are often the only area that is looked at to assess a child’s learning ability and what they do know. Unfortunately, our mentality has become corporate, with children as the product on an assembly
line (Hendrick, 2002). As educators, we pour information into children, and are expected to have them all be able to pour it out in exactly the same way on a test. But, coming from personal experience,
some people can just be poor test takers. So the question then for many teachers is, how should a student's learning be fairly measured and assessed? Standardized tests show "which child knows
more?” whereas student portfolios can show "what does each child know?" And, isn’t this what we as teachers are in search of finding out?
All too often, teachers fail at allowing children to “like” school. This is often due to the fact that many children do not enjoy school because they
do not feel successful. Instead of setting children up for failure, why not set them up to be successful and, in turn, allow school to be more enjoyable for them?
Portfolios As A Means of Assessment
In order to assist students in building up the confidence needed to feel successful in the learning environment, students must know exactly what is expected of
them at all times and not just feel like a confused shadow in the room. Portfolios can allow the teacher to show each child what they are capable of producing, rather than whether or not they chose the correct
answer for a question on a test. Production is more important than recognition; students must show that they can actually do something, rather than just picking the right answer (Graves, 2001). Portfolios have
the ability to allow children to become the curators of their own work, thus not only advancing their own learning, but helping their teachers and parents understand better what they have learned as well. And as a
joint assessment process to decide what should be submitted into each portfolio, this will allow all children to feel responsible for their accomplishments and growth in academic ability.
Children need to see their performances in the classroom as progress, instead of just growth. They need to feel responsible for their learning progress,
and not feel that they will just grow naturally over time. Portfolios allow children to control their own rates of “growth” at which they are accomplishing goals and improving their academic
levels. And, as each child develops, he/she can see what is necessary to focus on. Self-reflection and self-evaluation allow children to become embraced with their own learning journey. Being that
it is often a difficult task to indulge many children into their journey through learning, portfolios allow all children to become involved with a feeling of responsibility.
Children need to see a reason for learning what they are being taught. Portfolios allow for documentation of actual classroom experiences, as
opposed to performance-based assessments (Meisels, 1997). Reflecting on and evaluating their own work not only allows children to feel responsible for themselves, but it also will remind them of what more to
include next time they do a similar assignment. Evaluations and reflections should be looked at as positives. Both teachers and students learn that people improve by judging their own performance against
exemplars and clearly defined standards (Valencia, 1998, p.20).
Implementing Portfolios
In order to begin implementation of the portfolio, the teacher needs to have a plan and stick to it from day one. It is necessary to make decisions about
the portfolios you are going to have in your classroom. Here is a checklist of things to consider before implementation:
1. What will your portfolios look like? A manilla folder, a folder, a pizza box, the choices
are endless
2. Where will you store them?
3. How often will you send the work home with the children? Or will you send work home
at all?
4. What content areas will include in the portfolio?
Once you can answer these questions, you are ready to begin implementing portfolios in your classroom.
A magnificent way to show children the importance of portfolios is to simply bring in and
share your very own “working” portfolio, (the one that was used for a job interview would be a perfect example). Explain to your class the importance of the items in your portfolio, as well as what your
portfolio helped you to accomplish. Tell them you are standing in front of them because of your portfolio. Also, explain how you feel when you look at it or show it to other people. You can then
explain to your class that they are going to be making their very own portfolios of all that they will be learning during the year.
Exactly what each portfolio will incorporate is mainly up to the teacher. A
good idea is to align the portfolio with the curriculum. At the beginning of each progress report period, a checklist can be derived consisting of all of the areas of items that you would like each child to
have in their portfolios by the end of the reporting time. Children can decide which items go in for each area. This can be left very open for the children to decide. For example: if one of the
items on your checklist is a friendly letter, and you are going to engage in writing three friendly letters that semester, the child should be able to choose which letter they would like to include as their best
sample of this. To make this even more individualized, as for a child with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), a list of goals may be generated for that child to accomplish. These goals can be taken
directly from the child’s IEP.
Allowing children to feel in control of their own learning is important as they develop into
responsible young adults. Having a rubric created for each item to be placed into the portfolio is necessary for children to be able to visualize what is being expected of them. This rubric can be
developed together with the class to allow for the feeling of ownership. Knowing what the outcome should be will allow each child a willingness to produce more positively. A rubric can also be made
to assist children in knowing what grade they will receive for the work that they produce.
Both the teachers and the students can be involved in the evaluation of items to be placed
into their portfolios, based on the rubrics previously developed. This can be done by simply completing an entry slip that describes why the item should be placed into the portfolio, or by evaluating a piece
that he/she is not ready to place into the portfolio yet. Both ways allow the child to become a responsible and independent learner. And, these are only two of many ways to have children evaluate their
own learning.
If You’re Not Convinced Yet
“Because portfolios grow out of classroom work, focus on individual students, and provide feedback directly to the teachers and students, teaching and
learning will most likely improve” (Valencia, 1998, p.5). Portfolios allow the teacher to see areas which need further instruction. Linking assessment and instruction enhances teaching and therefore,
improves student learning (Meisels, 1997). When assessments and instruction are related in a way that children feel connected to the world, growth will be present and never ending.
Children should evaluate and reflect on what they do know, and not always feel bad for what they don’t know. This goes back to the main reason for
implementing portfolios. Portfolios allow teachers to feel like teachers again. Rather than simply spitting out scripted information provided in a teacher’s edition, portfolios allow teachers to teach
children what they need and want to know. The power and the magic of learning are found in “the teachable moment.” This just happens and often can’t be planned. Education has to do with finding the
truth by following the wonder, and you would follow the wonder right into the teachable moment, if you were allowed to and had the time (Hedrick, 2002). Unfortunately, teachers are not always able to take
advantage of these teachable moments because of all of the other pieces of the curriculum that they have to get to in order to be prepared for the big standardized test. Aren’t the teachable moments why most
of us chose this profession in the first place?
Work Cited
Graves, M. (2001). Teaching reading in the 21st century. Needham Heights: Allyn & Bacon.
Hedrick, G. (2002). Real teachers don’t test. Educational Horizons, 80, pp.
Meisels, S. (1997s). Using work sampling in authentic assessment. Educational Leadership Journal, 54, pp.
Valencia, S. (1998). Portfolios in action. Florida: Harcourt Brace & Company.
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