Beth Marshall Carolyn Kleinert

1. The Power
of Portfolios
Beth Marshall & Carolyn Kleinert
Spotsylvania County Schools
bmarshall@ms.scs.k12.va.us
ckleiner@ms.scs.k12.va.us

2. Download this
presentation at:
Slideshare.net
Search:
“The Power of Portfolios”

3. Objectives
of “Power of Portfolios”
What is a Portfolio?
Why portfolios are useful and worth the
effort in a in 21st Century WL classroom?
How to logistically use portfolios in
your classroom?
How are portfolios assessed?
How to promote World Language
programs and the learning of your
students through portfolios

4. Our journey with Portfolios

5. What is a portfolio?
• When you hear the “portfolio” what
comes to your mind?

6. What is a World Language
Portfolio?
• A World Language Portfolio is a
collection of student-selected artifacts
and reflections on the chosen work that
demonstrate his/her growth in the
language. Learning in each of the four
modalities (reading, writing, listening,
speaking) and culture is demonstrated.

7. What is a portfolio NOT?
• NOT a scrapbook
• NOT a collection of every activity done
throughout the year
• NOT just the work
• NOT dictated by the teacher for what
is included
• NOT just graded assignments
• NOT just assignments that earned a
„good grade on‟

8. What is included in a
WL Portfolio?
• Artifacts
• Student selected work
• authentic assessments are best!
• Among the artifacts included each selection
period, each modality and culture is covered
• Reflections
• Reflections on each artifact included
• Overall reflection on the quarter

9. Authentic Assessment
Advantages Challenges
Focuses on analytical skills and the Time-intensive to manage, monitor, and
integration of knowledge coordinate
Promotes creativity Difficult to coordinate with mandatory
educational standards
Reflection of real-world skills and Challenging to provide consistent grading
knowledge scheme
Encourages collaborative work Subjective nature of grading may lead to
bias
Enhances written and oral presentation Unique nature may be unfamiliar to
skills students
Direct match of assessment, instructional Challenging to develop for various types
activities, and learning objectives of courses and ranges of objectives
Emphasizes integration of learning over May not be practical for large enrollment
time courses

10. Goals of Authentic Assessment:
• Enhances the development of real-world skills
• Encourages higher order cognitive skills (analysis,
synthesis, evaluation)
• Promotes active construction of creative, novel
ideas and responses
• Encourages emphasis on both the process and
product of learning
• Promotes the integration of a variety of related
skills into a holistic project
• Enhances students‟ ability to self-assess their own
work and performance

11. SPOTLIGHT ON YOU:
SHARE A SUCCESS!
Share an authentic assessment that
you have used with your students
• What type learning does it show?
• How did you assess this?
• Management Tips or
• Challenges that you experienced
•

12. “A PORTFOLIO REFLECTS
THE VOICE OF THE
STUDENT”

13. Why are Portfolios worth the effort?
• Aligned with 21st Century WL skills
• SHOWS students and others growth
and progress in a concrete and
meaningful way
• Through the process students grow in:
• Creativity and Innovation
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Communication and Collaboration
• Information, Media and Technology

14. 21st Century Skills

15. Why are Portfolios useful?
• Puts ownership of learning back in hands
of student
• Allows student to really see what they are
great at and what still needs work
• Forces teacher to be more self-reflective
• Promotes balanced and inclusive
instruction, even for more difficult to
assess modalities
• 21st Century Skills-> transferable outside
WL classroom are built & developed

16. •HOW TO LOGISTICALLY
USE THEM IN YOUR
CLASSROOM

17. Introducing this to students:
• What is a portfolio?
• Examples of work to go in portfolios
• Examples of portfolios
• Clear expectations & check points
throughout the quarter
• Deadlines/checklists
• Lots of enthusiasm!

18. • Introducing this to parents…
• Parent letter of introduction to promote
“buy in”.
• Useful during parent conferences with
students
• “My child doesn‟t speak to me at home
in French”
• “I had no idea that he was doing this in
class this year”.
• GREAT communication tool!

19. Time Management and Ongoing
use of portfolios throughout the
year!
• Brain Dump Activity
• Choosing work
• Reflecting on the work
• Making sure all work is digitally
ready

20. HOW ARE
PORTFOLIOS
ASSESSED?

21. Rubrics are used by students to self-
evaluate
Self-assessment and editing shows
high metacognition!

22. OTHER METHODS OF
EVALUATION:
• Peer evaluations
• Student/teacher conferences
• Parent/teacher conferences
*The assessment is NOT grading
this work again!)

23. •HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR
PROGRAM AND THE
AMAZING LEARNING
HAPPENING IN YOUR
CLASSROOM!
AND….

24. •HOW TO EARN STUDENT,
PARENT, COLLEAGUE, AND
ADMINISTRATION BUY-IN!?

25. • STUDENT BUY-IN:
• Clarity of what a portfolio CAN be AND a clear
direction of where you can go!
• Have a variety of AUTHENTIC assessments to
choose from quarterly.
• PARENT BUY-IN:
• Introductory letters
• Use of the portfolios in conferences (or a take-home
conference form)
• “Portfolio Showcase Night”

26. •Have a parent/student “portfolio
celebration” at the end of the year!

27. • Some quotes from the evening
included:
• “ I didn‟t realize how much my child had learned
this year in Spanish!”
• “Fred never talks in French at home. It was great
to be able to hear him and see how much he had
improved over the past two years. Merci,
Madame!”
• “Viewing my daughter‟s portfolio showed her hard
work, determination, and enthusiasm for
Spanish.”

28. COLLEAGUE AND ADMINISTRATIVE
BUY-IN:
• Having colleague “buy-in” by showing energy for
what you are doing, and they will follow!
Invite them to see the portfolios in process in the
classroom
• Share parent comments
• It also helps to have your WL “head” on board!

29. • Student Examples &
Questions

30. Thank you!
Please do not hesitate to contact us to share
0
your successes and to ask questions. 
Beth Marshall bmarshall@ms.scs.k12.va.us
Carolyn Kleinert ckleiner@ms.scs.k12.va.us
Yiippppeee!!!
There are going
to be some
Did you hear? AWESOME
What? WL portfolios!