When Tauranga Intermediate teachers decided class blogs could be an effective way to introduce eportfolios, little did they know that the seven initial blogs would snowball to become 24 and rising!
Teacher Karen Mills explains how the school is moving from paper-based portfolios to the use of eportfolios.
In 2010, staff at Tauranga Intermediate School began conversations about the purpose of students' ‘windows’ folders and their effectiveness in the formative assessment process. The folders were a traditional paper portfolio showcasing student work, with a small amount of student reflection.
Teachers wanted students to demonstrate greater capability as communicators, thinkers, and learners within their learning, interactions, and related reflections.
During term four, a small group of teachers trialled the use of a learning journal with their students. The thinking was that students would be:
The teacher’s role is to support students in setting their learning targets and helping them to co-construct the appropriate success criteria.
'Goals’ have been replaced by ‘learning targets’, which may be relevant for a few weeks only. Once a target has been met, students then set a new target. The targets are constantly changing and evolving, in contrast to the previous practice of being reflected upon at the end of each term.
This work is seen as preparation for the implementation of eportfolios. It transitions students and teachers from a paper-based learning journal to an eportfolio model. The school hopes this will result in a more streamlined process, as students will have the language and skills required to manage their learning. Teachers are able to see how this process will sit well alongside the development of the key competencies.
The deputy principals have led an eportfolio Professional Learning Group to investigate and trial eportfolios within the school. The focus for the PLG sessions has been effective pedagogy and teaching as inquiry. The group decided a class blog could be an effective introduction to the processes involved in the development of eportfolios. Little did they know that the creation of seven blogs initially, would snowball to become 24 and rising!
Teacher Karen Mills has collated Tauranga Intermediate’s journey using MyPortfolio.:
Published on: 20 Jun 2011
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