Blog 3 - eportfolios as assessment

Blog Reflection #3 - Assessment

 

The tenet I related to the most from the 10 research based principles in Electronic Portfolios as Digital Stories of Deep Learning is probably that AFL should be recognized as central to classroom practice. It was very hard to select just one, because many of the principles listed were important and also overlapped some of the others. For example, I do believe that AFL should focus on how students learn, should foster learner motivation, and guidance should be constructive. I feel that these could all fit together as to why it should be central practice in a classroom. 

There are many positives with AFL, which is why it must be a focus. Students must be assessed to guide teaching, not to keep record of their mistakes and shortcomings. We as teachers need to see where our focus should be. AFL will allow us to constructively guide students and foster their desire to learn on their own. It also allows them to learn in a way that will suit their needs best.

As someone with an art and technology background, I love the idea of portfolio assessment and have done it on a small scale within my classroom. Will it ever replace the standardized high-stakes testing? Probably not. Should it? Definitely. It is a way for students to show what they have learned and what they are the most proud of. It shows where room for improvement is. It shows strengths and can guide career preparation.

Creating and developing my own portfolio will hopefully help me keep a more organized track of career growth, get my name out in my field more, and help me cast a vision for future goals. Hopefully it will also serve as a resource to colleagues within and outside of my district.