GotTechED the Podcast
Episode #135: Tips and EdTech for Student Portfolios
Welcome back to GotTechED the podcast this is Episode 135 called “Tips and EdTech for Student Portfolios”. In this episode, we’ll explain some of the benefits of assessing students using portfolios. We’ll be sharing why you should do them, the barriers that stop teachers from using them, and some of our favorite tips, tech and activity ideas to implement into your classroom! This is another episode you don’t want to miss, check it out.
Segment 1: Updates
- ISTE Philadelphia
Segment 2: Why or Why not Student Portfolio?
Why Use Student Portfolios vs Traditional Assessments
- help your students feel proud of their achievements
- provide students with an opportunity for self-reflection
- provide a great starting point for goals setting
- increase and improve home-school communication
- provide information for evaluation
- provide information for parent-teacher conferences
- make student handover easier
- showcase the efficacy of your school programmes
- Decreased stress
Why do they get left behind?
- Very subjective to grade, Ts feel uncomfortable
- Ts fear Ss will take advantage of the freedom
- Ts question the effectiveness of the portfolio as an assessment tool (does it really work?)
Our Top Tips
- Set goals/expectations/the focus early. Is this for one unit of study? The whole year? What specific skills will it assess? What content will it assess? Is it to show S progress over time or just showcase S work to parents and admin?
- Decide how you will grade it. Rubric? Completion? Provide this to the Ss from the beginning.
- Plan for Feedback … mechanism… when and how feedback will take place
- Consider having a another T to perform standardization checks on your grading
- Explain to the Ss from the beginning the purpose of the portfolio. If they know the benefits they will have more buy-in
- Provide Ss with enough edtech resources
- Class website subpage
- Wakelet
- Google Sheet List by category
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