As promised at TeachMeet NJ, this is the backchannel from todaysmeet.com/mrlebrun regarding the portfolio process. It seems that a majority of the posts focused on the reality of the current portfolio system being something that dies in a file cabinet and never gets revisited.
There were two conversations that came out of the portfolio presentation which I felt warranted further thought. The first was the question in the session that came up more than once about the danger of a student accidentally deleting a file. One of the aspects of the teaching job that comes through at every level is the gradual release of control. In the Danielson Framework, the most highly-effective teachers are those who allow their classes to be truly student-driven. From discussion topics to input on grading rubrics, highly effective scores are reserved for those teachers willing to relinquish control. The same should be said in this process. The more responsibility we give to our young people, the more likely they are to be effectively using the tools they are given. We have to instill in them a sense of responsibility. They have to be aware that if they're not careful, they may lose the work they have done. How many times have we forgotten to save with frequency and then had the unimaginable happen and the work disappears? Accidents will happen, but if we are careful to guard against them, we can minimize them.
After lunch, I was stopped on my way into the App Smackdown by Allen Martin (@AlsTechTime) with a question I couldn't answer. He asked me what the real-world value of the portfolio was. I pointed to the ability of the student to share growth and knowledge gained. I pointed to the ability for a person to put those skills on display for colleges and potential employers.
And he said, "But why? Have you ever heard that a college made its decision to enroll a student because of the work presented in his or her portfolio?" And I froze. I hadn't. I actually hadn't ever asked a candidate to share his or her portfolio with me, nor had I ever been asked to produce my portfolio during an interview. So the next step in my process is to connect with area colleges and university admission folks to see exactly what role, if any, the portfolio plays. After that, we, as educators will really have to identify the ways in which we're going to use portfolios in our classrooms.
Click here to find my presentations page including my portfolio presentations.
The transcript from the backchannel follows:
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