Portfolios for the Digital Age

(Room 324) Grades 2-12

Bill Tucker, Jason Tarr, Judy Wycoff and EMWP teacher consultants

In this collaboration of K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 teachers, the composing process in a digital environment will be modeled, along with alternative platforms for portfolio assessment. Participants are invited to bring laptops. At the conclusion of this demonstration, presenters will assist participants with their own digital portfolios.

Composing and revising in a digital environment are supported by the following statement from the Common Core State Standards:

“To be college and career ready writers, students must take task, purpose, and audience into careful consideration, choosing words, information, structures, and formats deliberately. They need to be able to use technology strategically when creating, refining, and collaborating on writing. They have to become adept at gathering information, evaluating sources, and citing material accurately, reporting findings from their research and analysis of sources in a clear and cogent manner. They must have the flexibility, concentration, and fluency to produce high-quality first draft text under a tight deadline and the capacity to revisit and make improvements to a piece of writing over multiple drafts when circumstances encourage or require it.” (From “Note on the Range and Content of student writing,” Common Core State Standards on English Language Arts, p. 63.)

Standards for Production and Distribution of Writing

In this presentation we will address:

How do digital portfolios change instruction?

What should go into a portfolio?

What precautions are necessary for web-based portfolios?

What digital portfolio platforms are best for K-5 students?

How can portfolios promote revision?

How can collaborative and self-assessment be incorporated into digital writing?

How can portfolios improve reflection about writing?