Teacher as Passionate Portfolio Freak
I’m fascinated.
Today I was reading and responding to comments left on my post about ePortfolios, and I found Graham’s comments around the need to model portfolio use for students to be very thought provoking.
He asked:
"… 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."
That made me think.
In my last post, one of the "big questions" I had been wrestling with was around encouraging students to "buy" the whole portfolio process in the first place. Could this be part of the solution?
I think Graham is on the right track here. A few hours after I read his reply I came across this link in my bloglines account. I’ve set a feed up to monitor delicious postings which have to do with portfolios - here’s the link if you want to do the same thing: del.icio.us/tag/eportfolio
Delicious led me here:PORTFOLIO LIBRARY: Planning and Design Guide : see Exercise 2: WHAT GENERAL PORTFOLIO SKILLS DO WE NEED TO TEACH?
He opens with two very interesting approaches to deploying portfolios: the folder approach vs. the model approach. It was a good smack in the head for me, as I found myself showing up a bit in the "folder" story. Now I know where I need to migrate to…and quickly.
I do have a very weak blogfolio on the go, but with these new ideas before me I now see that I need to pump my own portfolio up if I want to successfully use it with my students.
It makes beautifully simple sense: If you’re not a "folio thinker" yourself, how can you expect your student to become one?
Take a few minutes and read Kimeldorf’s story of how he has been using portfolios: he’s passionate about them. Passion is catchy.
Related resources for future exploration:
Why Engage with Electronic Portfolios?
Engagement with Electronic Portfolios: Challenges from the Student Perspective.
Thanks for this post.
I agree that modelling is a genuine and real way to teach. If we expect our students to value something and do something, then we should be doing it as well.
My hat’s off to you on that one. I have been wondering similar things around my whole push for student blogging—ie should I be blogging more accessibly to students. I blog around ed related issues, ones that students generally don’t seem interested in. I have been wondering if I should be making my entries more accessible or student friendly in their approach and delivery.
Not dumbing it down, but making the topics covered more approachable.
The problem is modelling adds another thing to your plate. Not only do you have prep time and planning and forecasting and marking, but now you have to get in there too!
yikes
Comment by James Matthew — April 11, 2006 @ 3:16 pm
James,
I have one class of students blogging. In the teacher blog I write about what we are doing in class, but I also add some blogging entries about my personal life, such as books I’m reading or things that I did to make it more than just a classroom blog. The students seem to find it interesting even if it is the kind of writing that I would never include on my regular blog (which students don’t know about)
I also think that having your own portfolio will encourage students to get into it. When I have the opportunity to use portfolios in teaching I will definitely create one of my own.
Comment by EFL Geek — April 11, 2006 @ 4:32 pm
James,
Thanks for your thoughts on this stuff. Modeling is kind of obvious isn’t it? I mean, if you aren’t actually doing a portfolio yourself, how in the world will you be able to lead someone into one? That’s a basic leadership quality: you don’t tell other people to do stuff that you aren’t already doing, or willing to do yourself. In this case, teaching is also leading.
On a wide audience blog: that’s a sticky wicket isn’t it? Not to “dumb down” as you say, but to make what you write worth the while of a broader audience - namely your students. I think I find myself in agreement with EFL Geek on this one: Maybe a different blog is in order? I know I swing on this a little: blogs that stay on topic vs. blogs that cover a wide range of stuff - but I tend to prefer blogs that stick to their content specialty. I know I’ll get good x content from this blog.
I dunno. It’s a strange area. What I’m trying to say is that if you widen your blog to make it more accessable to students, maybe you’re doing yourself a bit of a disservice at the same time. I blog for professional development mainly. I think that if I were to widen the scope, or make it more…ummm…not so focused, maybe I WOULD lose out.
On the other hand, widening the scope of your blog could force you to explain concepts you’re working on in a more understandable way. That could lead to deeper learning for you, because when you learn something with the purpose of teaching it to someone else, you often soak it in much better.
I ramble. I still don’t know about that one…
Comment by Aaron Nelson — April 12, 2006 @ 1:54 pm
i decided a long time ago that sharing my blogfolio with students was not really a good idea for me.
a)i don’t think that they’d be genuinely interested
and
b)it might restrict my writing/thought process when it comes to reflecting upons student behavior, comments etc.
Comment by daniel — April 30, 2006 @ 5:39 am
Hi Daniel,
So you keep your portfolio to yourself. I find myself nodding in agreement with the whole “self-censorship” issue. I have found myself teetering on the edge of telling my fellow teachers about this blog, and I’ve told a few, but in general I refrain precisely for the very reason you gave: I may have to curb my ideas in some way.
How interesting this is. How do you go about getting your students into portfolio work?
Comment by Aaron Nelson — May 3, 2006 @ 9:10 am