Introduction
“Assessment is the process of identifying, gathering and interpreting information about students’ learning. The central purpose of assessment is to provide information on student achievement and progress and set the direction for ongoing teaching and learning” (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007, p.1). I believe an assessment strategy which best encapsulates this understanding of assessment is the portfolio. Specifically, a process portfolio provides a wealth of information about a student’s progress in literacy and not only allows a teacher to assess the learning that has taken place but also helps them to identify the areas in need of improvement. Additionally, the crucial element of the student’s self-assessment and self-reflection in the process of creating the portfolio also allows both the teacher and the student to understand the progress, strengths and weaknesses of their writing.
Portfolio assessment
There are a number of definitions in the literature to describe the strategy of portfolio assessment. Brady and Kennedy (2009) describe portfolio assessment as a collection of work samples or products collected over time to demonstrate student progress in learning and achievement of outcomes. This is the most succinct and ideal definition as the idea of assessment is to not only assess the final products of learning but to also assess the process a student takes to achieve that final product. Portfolios in general provide evidence of a how a student thinks, questions, analyses, synthesises, produces and creates (Borich & Tombari, 2004). Grace (2002) emphasises that they keep track of a student’s success rather than their failures. This naturally allows you to determine what their learning n...
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College, Columbia University Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics, 4(2), 1-3. Retrieved from http://www.tc.columbia.edu/academic/tesol/WJFiles/pdf/TaejoonParkForum.pdf
Thomas, C., Britt, P., Blackbourn, J. M., Blackbourn, R., Papason, B., Tyler, J. L., &
Williams, F. (2004). Portfolio assessment: A guide for teachers and
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Wortham, S. C., Barbour, A., & Desjean-Perrotta, B. (1998). Portfolio assessment:
A handbook for preschool and elementary educators. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/PDFS/ED442584.pdf
Forsyth, K., Taylor, R., Kramer, J., Prior, S., Richie, L., Whitehead, J., Owen, C., & Melton, M.
In one semester of English 101 I have learned so many things about writing. I used to believe that writing was just putting words on paper, but have since learned that writing is much more than that, I now understand that writing is a way of exploring my mind and of making connections with other writers and readers. Over the course of the semester I have been learning to write in a way that uses the skills of reflection, critical thinking, and much more. I have used these skills to compose two academic essays that I am submitting in a portfolio to determine my final grade in English 101. In order to have a passing final grade my essays need to display skills I have learned in the course that are required by the Portfolio Assessment Rubric or
Sullivan, T. N., Helms, S. W., Bettancourt, A. F., Sutherland, K., Lotze, G. M., Mays, S.,
It has been brought to the school’s attention that there is a need for a more perpetual and comprehensive assessment of students while they are served in the Gifted and Talented Program. Formative assessments provide opportunities to evaluate student performance while the students are being served in the Gifted and Talented Program. Portfolios are an excellent way to evaluate student performance while also helping self-direct their learning and there by improving students’ aim in attaining particular educational goals. Initial testing is conducted to determine placement when considering eligibility for placement in the program. However, our plight lies in the ability to formally document a student’s progress and involvement once they have
Assessment has been the greatest challenge in my development as a professional. My coursework as supported my growth in this area, especially in understanding the broad range of assessments used to support students’ growth and development. My courses have also supported my understanding of how ongoing observational assessment and standards-based measures can be used to inform instruction and support the cycle of observation, reflection and planning. Coursework
Stuart, G. L., Moore, T. M., Elkins, S. R., O’Farrell, T. J., Temple, J. R., Ramsey, S. E.,
Haynes Stewart, T. L., Clifton, R. A., Daniels, L. M., Perry, R. P., Chipperfield, J, G., &
‘Portfolio’definitions: do we need a wider debate? Med Educ, 39(11), 1142-1142. Roberts, C., Newble, D. I., & O'Rourke, A. J. (2002). Portfolio‐based assessments in medical education: are they valid and reliable for summative purposes? Med Educ, 36(10), 899-900.
Rand, D. G., Dreber, A., Haque, O. S., Kane, R. J., Nowak, M. A. & Coakley, S.
Intellectual quality is embedded through the elements of deep knowledge and understanding and substantive communication (NSW DET, 2003, p. 10). Throughout the lesson, focus is sustained on key concepts such as cursive writing, spelling, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary. Students are then given opportunities both orally and written, to express and demonstrate their understanding and competency. Extension options are also available for students where they can use digital technologies to publish their work or write in calligraphy once the set task is completed. (NSW DET, 2003, p. 11). For students to achieve higher quality outcomes, they need to be highly engaged and willing to participate (NSW DET, 2003, p. 10). This can be achieved through establishing challenging learning goals within each students’ proximal development and providing work that is intellectually stimulating, relates to real life and meet the needs of each student in order to gain confidence first (AITSL, 2011; Berk, 2013, pp. 267-268).
Pichert, J. W., Moore, I. N., Catron, T. F., Ross, J. C., Westlake, M. W., Karrass, J.,
Final Reflection Essay Portfolio Participation During the course of this min-mester I have attended class 90% of the time needed or asked by my professor. The other 10% that I was unable to attain class was due to the fact that life its self cannot be avoided no matter how hard on tries. As far as my Active Engagement during this course I would say I did great. Putting forth the effort to social engage in the class as well as engage in groups to successfully gather the information the professor Dr. Kennedy was giving the students and I with the outcome of the progress my writing has come.
New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 2001. 1290-1302. Saussure, Ferdinand de. “Course in General Linguistics.” The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism.
Portfolios serve the purpose of an extensive record of a student’s best work and skills. As the student progresses through life, record keeping and reflection becomes an expectation. A résumé cannot possibly describe the entire list of qualities each individual possesses. As a result, portfolios thrive in high schools and offices alike to demonstrate a person’s capabilities in the greatest detail. Any person with a future-oriented mindset should have a portfolio to create opportunities for a successful life.
Through assessment students and teachers are able to determine the level of mastery a student has achieved with standards taught. Both formative and summative assessment should be purposeful and targeted to gain the most accurate data to drive further instruction (Ainsworth, 2010). While this syllabus does a good job of identifying the need for both formal and informal assessments, the way in which this is communicated does not provide enough detail for understanding. Simply listing assessment types does not give any insight into how these assessments fit in the learning process of this course. While some of the assessments mentioned could be common assessments chosen by the school or district to gain insight into the effectiveness of instruction, the inclusion of authentic assessments is most beneficial to students and demonstrates learning in a context closer to that of a work environment (Rovai, 2004). Unfortunately, this particular course, according to this syllabus, relies heavily on quizzes and traditional tests and essays to form the bulk of assessment opportunities. While other activities, such as formative assessments, journaling and discussions are mentioned as possible avenues for scoring, they are given a very low percentage of the overall grade. This shows that they are not valued for their ability to show progression and mastery. If this is indeed the case, this puts the students as a