FIAE Chapter 4

Portfolios are where we begin in chapter 4.  Portfolios are great ways to tell if a student has achieved mastery.  There are no interpretation or guessing to be made about the level of mastery.  Unlike tests or quizzes, in portfolios, students get to reflect on their work and progress when they are asked to choose some of their own work to put together a portfolio.  They can be one-year things or be put together over an entire academic career.  They can be a hard copy, electronic copy, or even both.  Another way to differentiate to show student knowledge and mastery is to use rubrics.  They give multiple options on how to complete one assignment and have clear instructions as to what knowledge they are expected to gain.  Students can also keep their own journals and blogs.  This can greatly demonstrate if they actually understand content, like or dislike a subject, or even give insights to other aspects of the student’s life.  I would implement any one of these great self-assessment tools.  Students should be just as involved in their education as teachers are.  I want my students to feel comfortable enough in my classroom to be unafraid to tell me what works for them and what doesn’t.  Given students the chance to be comfortable enough to work with their strengths and self-assess can infuse them with motivation to perform well in their assignments.  Keeping students motivated and comfortable in the classroom is a must in order to be successful as a teacher.