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A Dynamic Writing Record
This week I read the following articles:
Conference on College Composition and Communication (2015). Position statement: Principles and practices in electronic portfolios.
Kabodian, A. (2013). Reflecting on the move to digital writing portfolios.
My experience with portfolios is extremely limited, and I must admit that my opinion of these portfolios is relatively simplistic and formed by my classroom experiences as a student.
I remember that I had to create a writing portfolio in my sophomore year of high school, and I remember scrambling trying to revise and polish a few works so that they were "portfolio-worthy." I didn't really understand the portfolio, but I created it because my teacher had requested it. I turned it in for a grade and never really thought of it again.
I think that my experience is not an uncommon one for most students. It is hard for students to see the "big picture" when it comes to writing. I don't think that many of my students are as aware of how they are developing as writers as I am. Writing is a task to them, and they fail to see their own growth or progression. A portfolio may be a great way for teachers to assess the growth of a writer over the course of the year, but I don't know if the students see the same value.
As a teacher, I have dabbled in the use of the portfolio. However, my experiences have sounded a lot like Kabodian's (2013) experiences with students and portfolios. I questioned whether my students' minds were "cognitively and emotionally developed enough to comprehend reflecting on their own work." I found myself chasing students down at the end of the year and trying to make sure that they turned in their portfolios. "What started as a way to get a better look at the progress of their [the students'] writing over time, ended up with me chasing and corralling as many a rogue skateboarders as I could." Even with all of these problems, it was nice for me to page through a student's portfolio and marvel at the work that he was able to do over the course of the year. The portfolio made the writing assignments more meaningful because they continued to "exist" and be relevant even after the original assignments was long over.
Kabodian's (2013) description of the old-fashioned portfolio really made me appreciate one of the primary benefits of digital portfolios: they can't be lost. Hearing about the folder with hard copies of a student's work that followed a student from kindergarten through 8th grade was impressive, and I can see the impact that such a portfolio could have on an 8th grader. However, Nalbadian points out that these hard copies get lost or overlooked or forgotten. The benefit of the digital portfolio is that it is always there and always accessible. It can follow a student from teacher to teacher, school to school, or even state to state. The convenience of that cannot be overlooked.
The other major benefit of digital portfolio's is well-articulated in the CCCC's position statement (2014), "E-portfolios can be "web-sensible"--a thoughtfully arranged collection of multimedia-rich, interlinked, hypertextual documents that students compose, own, maintain, and archive on the Internet or other formats." Digital portfolios allow for a multimedia approach that is fitting for a 21st century student. Yes, as English teachers we must preserve the integrity of the written word. However, people now have the ability to communicate in a multimedia way that allows for a greater impact. The digital portfolio acknowledges this multimedia approach, and students no longer have to feel limited by the abilities of the pen and paper. The means of communication are so much more effective today thanks to digital tools, and it would seem silly not to acknowledge and embrace these new means of communication.
My goals:
1. Learn more about digital portfolios, especially their multimedia potential.
2. Assess my own classes and see if there is room/time for digital portfolios.
My experiences with portfolios were similar to your as a student, and while I did feel some sense of achievement when I looked back through my work, I usually found myself cringing at some of the earlier pieces, but failing to see my own progress. I was like your students when you said, “I don't think that many of my students are as aware of how they are developing as writers as I am. Writing is a task to them, and they fail to see their own growth or progression.” One of the “big ideas” I have really taken away from the readings in this class thus far is that a portfolio is not just summative, it does not simply reflect the work students have done, but rather allows students the opportunity to reflect on their work, respond to their peers’ work, and record their writing process in a new and different way. This, as you said, can stay with them over the course of their lifetime if we want, although I do find myself wondering what happens to students’ digital portfolios when they graduate or no longer need them for class. Do they just exist in cyberspace like old MySpaces and Xangas? Anyways, I think the point of great digital portfolios is to show students how to use them effectively early on, so that as they grow as writers, readers, researchers, scientists, etc. they are able to look back on their earlier work and notice the changes. How you get students to recognize and reflect upon these changes is still a work in progress, but I think digital portfolios allow us the ability and space to begin to ask these questions with our students.
ReplyDeleteI loved your picture of the medical records that you started your blog with. I've worked for doctors and even though they have digital portfolios, they continue to maintain their paper "portfolios" for their patients. As you noted, hard copies can be lost or misplaced over time, but with a digital portfolio, in theory at least, our students could have a forever portfolio. I had not read Kabodian's (2013) article, so your including that was very helpful to me. The thought of having continuous work for 8 years is to me mind-boggling. I have always worked in a transient area and very, very rarely have I seen students stay in the same school area for that amount of time.
ReplyDeleteSince you were "scrambling" at the end of your school year to find acceptable work for your portfolio in high school, do you think that the reward-time ratio is worth it?
Pat
I do not recall having a portfolio in high school. I always wonder about how such teaching tools are create. I appreciate you sharing your experience of having to chase down students for their portfolios. I believe with the digital portfolio there may be less chasing as the students will be co-owners of the digital portfolio and they will be able to see their progress over time. Also for high school students we can help them see how the portfolio can be used to help them enter the next phase of their lives, whether college, vocational school or the job market. This connection to something tangible and meaningful to them may increase their willingness to be more constructively engaged in the process.
ReplyDeleteHi Michael!
ReplyDeleteMy experience with portfolios is also extremely limited, however, this class has already taught me so much. It’s been so helpful reading other people’s posts about digital portfolios and how they incorporate the reflection process. I also wondered if students were cognitively and emotionally developed enough to comprehend reflecting on their work. However, after reading Caroline’s post, I learned that even kindergarteners could reflect on their work; it is all about how you set it up. Caroline did video interviews of her students reflecting on previous work. She asked direct questions about their work and helped them set goals for future work. I thought this would be such a great idea to probe student reflection as well as walk them through the process. I think older students could benefit from this too! It would be neat to watch student interviews throughout the year and observe how much they grow through the reflection process. Your post made me think of this example! I loved reading your personal experiences, thanks for sharing!