Stepping out of Theory
I identify with Konrad Glogowski and his quest to move theory into practice. His latest post, Readerly Comments - Part II, really struck this whole idea home for me.
"Working on my thesis and keeping this blog has had a strong impact on who I am as an educator. But I do not want to operate in the realm of theory all the time. I needed to test myself." (Readerly Comments - Part II, Glogowski.)
Blogging has had a deep impact on my teaching as well. It’s introduced me to how other people do things in their classrooms, it’s dropped me into powerful conversations that I would never have had access to, it’s caused me to think about things that I would have never thought about on my own, and most valuable of all, blogging has placed me inside a vibrant community of teachers and thinkers.
I’ve been blogging for almost a year now. I can honestly say that I’ve learned more about the art of teaching and myself during this year than all my six years of ESL teaching without blogging combined.
One of the things that I am learning a lot about are portfolios. (Again, before blogging I didn’t have a clue about them…) I think portfolios are fascinating, and offer a viable alternative to testing and examinations.
I’ve read about portfolios. I’ve explored them. I’ve written about them. I’ve advocated for their use, but I’ve never actually been able to USE one. I’ve been stuck in theory.
But stuck no longer. I’ve been given an advanced level group, my old legal English group again, and I’ve decided to try and put my theoretical knowledge of portfolios to practice.
Blogging and thinking about things is one thing, actually DOING those things is quite another animal!
Since my group started up a few days ago, I’ve found myself in a state of block. I’ve been really excited about the idea of employing portfolios with my class, but when it actually came to deployment …well it’s been a lot more challanging than I had expected.
Here are a few of the things I’ve been working through:
1. Selling it to the students: Teaching portfolios.
2. Selling the idea that language learners can help themselves, and most of the work of language learning should happen OUTSIDE the class.
3. How do you decide what goes in a portfolio?
4. Where should the portfolio live? Should it be digital or paper based? If it’s digital, what do you do with those who fear tech?
5. How do you evaluate a portfolio?
And those are just a few of the things that have been giving me a bumpy ride. But you know what? I was reflecting on the whole thing during thismorning’s commute from class to our offices, and I found myself feeling a rush. A fresh motivation, and sense of aliveness around what I was doing.
The concepts around portfolios that I’ve only been thinking about, have taken on brand new meaning as I try to deploy into reality.
I can see why portfolios can so easily become a boxy thing, a place controlled by the institution vs. a messy learning environment controlled by the student.
This post feels like it should go on to deliver a polished conclusion, where I share how I’ve figured the whole thing out, and share how my successfully deployed portfolio system has dramatically enhanced my student’s language learning.
But I can’t do that. More than anything, this is a request for help. What have you done? How have you used portfolios? How have you "sold" the idea to your students?
I’m still figuring it all out, and loving the process of stepping out of theory. What do you think?
I’ve always wanted to do portfolios myself but unfortunately feel constrained by the university I work at to conform with traditional assessment. I do look forward to what you finally decide to do.
Comment by EFL Geek — April 6, 2006 @ 4:24 pm
For corporate language training we use a hybrid portfolio model that blends portfolios-for-growth with portfolios-for assessment. Respectively, the overall themes are:
1) connection to real-world language performance: the learner collects and selects as much authentic on-the-job language use as possible (email, powerpoint, presentation/conference call audio, peer assessment (not strictly a portfolio item though). The change over time is what we look for (we = learner + us). The metalearning benefits of learner selection and diagnosis are usually pretty good.
2) For assessment we use a multi-modal scheme where we look at self-assessment (a report), teacher qualitative assessment (ditto), teacher tests, peer assessment, and standardized tests. That way we get the hard (albeit limited) data of, say, the TOEIC or the BULATS, but not as a unique indicator - it’s together with the other cool stuff. So HR is happy but we’ve managed to provide the learner with more valid feedback than any one method on its own (and qualitative teacher assessments alone are just as flawed as the BULATS).
We throw everything together in a formatted document (digital or a simple notebook) that we use as a key part of every class, even if tangentally.
That’s the short version: I should post on this and detail it out!
Comment by Cleve — April 7, 2006 @ 8:18 am
Aaron, just prior to reading your post I have been trying to write an application for an action research grant to explore areas of growth or potential in ICT for our education system. One of the highlighted areas that has a chance of attracting the grant is the area of “e-Portfolios for Teachers.” That’s what I’ve been trying to nail down over the past few hours and it is timely how the edublogosphere offers up just-in-time thinking on the topic. My proposal would have me and two colleagues (one from leadership, one classroom based) explore what a professional e-portfolio might look like and put it together. Now I’m theorising that three factors stop educators from jumping in and getting their own portfolio together and they are time (or lack of it), cost (hosting, software) and ICT technical skills to make it all happen. I’m thinking that using Web 2.0 tools like blogs, wikis, podcasts that a time effective, cost neutral, user friendly, flexible to change model could be put together in the “small pieces, loosley joined” theory of David Weinberger. I will be keen to hear from you re: your students but have you given thought to being the role model and setting up your own e-portfolio and learning alongside your students. That way, you aren’t imposing your idea on them but rolling up your sleeves (metaphorically) and pitching in with them. Whaddayareckon?
Comment by Graham Wegner — April 9, 2006 @ 6:57 am
EFL Geek,
Sorry for not responding quicker. I hang my head in shame.
It is hard when you feel constrained isn’t it? In my case, out company doesn’t currently even use portfolios in any way. Management, however, has been wide open to the idea - though very much in the dark about it like myself. So I’m pioneering I guess. Learning the best I can, and trying to implement in a way that makes sense, and in a way that I can explain to everyone else. I will let you know how this all works out…
Comment by Aaron Nelson — April 11, 2006 @ 9:19 am
Cleve,
Thanks for your great response man! I have some questions for you:
You said: “…the learner collects and selects as much authentic on-the-job language use as possible…” - I really love this, and wonder how they go about selecting their samples. Do you have any hand in that…training about how to select and how to add to their portfolio etc? How do you get them to buy into the whole process?
How do you decide, formally, what things go into the portfolio. Do you have a split critera where the student decides some content, and you decide others? Are you working towards any specific benchmark or proficiency standard in your portfolio work?
I will be eagerly watching English360 for anything you post around this stuff!
Thanks Cleve.
Comment by Aaron Nelson — April 11, 2006 @ 9:24 am
Hi Graham,
Thank you for your comments. I just love the way you framed the “just-in-time” thinking bit. I too love the blogsphere for that.
I do have a ProD blogfolio running, and I liked your ideas of mentoring the portfolio work. I think that’s a very important part of the puzzle - to show how, not just tell how. Show that you too, as teacher, also buy into the idea of continuous development. Great idea, didn’t think of it! - In case you want to see my umm…very much in development blogfolio, head here: http://teacherindevelopment.wordpress.com/
I warn you now though that I’m in the middle of preparing a writing workshop, and many of my entries have been around sentence construction. (If anyone reading this is a grammar/writing jedi, I’d love your feedback!)
I agree with your 2.0 idea around helping teachers dive into professional portfolios. I think ease of use is a huge factor, ignore it at your peril. My experience with tech and teachers so far has been…well…on phobia level. They just don’t like the stuff. The easier it is to make work, the better your results will be. Please do keep me informed of what happens with your grant.
Thanks Graham
Comment by Aaron Nelson — April 11, 2006 @ 9:35 am