This week we dipped our toes into a deep and profound sea. Please excuse my horrible metaphor but just having returned from the Carribean my thoughts are a bit mixed up in the tropics.
Assessment and student portfolios is a topic that would merit a year long study all on its own. It gets to the very heart about what we truly believe as educators.
What consitutes learning? Who is in charge of deciding? How do we measure? How often? How much power should students have in their own learning? What are grades? What do they mean? How do we document learning? For what purpose? I could go on and on.......
At this moment I can be sure of a few things. I believe the more I include students in the process of assessment and evaluation the more engaged they will be in their own learning. Setting learning goals and being an active member by reflecting on their own progress towards their goals is not only a valid use of instructional time but will reap benefits beyond the classroom walls. The point of school is learning and I need to keep this priority at the forefront of my thoughts as I plan instructional experiences for my students. Portfolios are a key to documenting learning and progress towards goals. Digital portfolios are a bit of a stretch for my first and second graders at this point but there may come a time when that changes.
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