Using Portfolios for Instruction

Students in high school learn to use portfolios not just for assessment but as a way to use writing skills, use inquiry skills and communication skills to report their findings with other st... See More

Students in high school learn to use portfolios not just for assessment but as a way to use writing skills, use inquiry skills and communication skills to report their findings with other students. This author feels that the key to make these instructional tools effective is to allow students a wide choice of what they want to do and what is of interest to them. The article provides guidelines for an investigation entry, a scoring guide, and a rubric to use as well. This is an interesting idea. Since students make their own selections of what to include they buy into the process with more interest.

ELL Students' Assessment & Instruction Portfolios

The author shows how portfolios can be used to help ELL students learn science concepts. They are given much latitude to choose how they want to apply the science information they have learn... See More

The author shows how portfolios can be used to help ELL students learn science concepts. They are given much latitude to choose how they want to apply the science information they have learned, express their learning in writing, and embed their learning into their own lives via cultural backgrounds and interests. A sample investigation entry, portfolio scoring guide, and details of how to incorporate portfolios in a high school science course are provided. Class sharing of portfolio entries at the end of the semester allows for discussions over the diversity of approaches that are used. This is an excellent model for high school teachers to use to incorporate portfolios for assessing student work as well as to help all students increase their understandings of key science concepts.