Digital Portfolios for Elementary Classrooms

goo.gl/TQMtAL

Trevor Mattea | September 17, 2016trevormattea.com

@tsmattea

Tentative Agenda and Learning Targets

Tentative Agenda

● Introductions and Framing (10 min.)● Reading About and Exploring Digital Portfolios (10 min.)● Discussing How to Plan and Scaffold Teacher and Student Digital Portfolios (20

min.)● Assessing and Exhibiting Student Digital Portfolios (20 min.)● Creating with Google Sites (30 min. alternative)

Learning Targets

● I can define digital portfolio.● I can explain different rationales and articulate my own for creating digital

portfolios.● I can explore student and teacher digital portfolios.● I can plan and prepare scaffolds for student and teacher digital portfolios.● I can create a digital portfolio.● I can assess student digital portfolios.● I can support my partners in creating a digital portfolio.

Digital Portfolios for Elementary Classrooms

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Defining Digital Portfolios and Portfolio Events

Digital portfolios are selected bodies of online student work and reflection that provide evidence of students’ progress toward classroom learning targets and grade-level themes and allow them to easily share and make changes to their selections throughout the year.

Portfolio events are opportunities throughout the school year for students to share and discuss the work contained in their digital portfolios, such as student-led conferences, celebrations of learning, and passage presentations.

Original Definitions from Leaders of their Own Learning

Defining Student-Led Conference, and Celebration of Learning, and Passage Presentation

A student-led conference is a meeting attended by families and teachers. Students facilitate the meetings themselves, share portfolio work, and discuss progress with attendees.

A celebration of learning is a culminating grade-level or schoolwide event attended by families, teachers, and members of the greater community. Students facilitate the meetings themselves, share portfolio work, articulate learning and achievement, and demonstrate college- and career-readiness to attendees.

A passage presentation is a benchmark event at the end of a pivotal transitions year (i.e. fifth, eighth, or twelfth grade) attended by families, teachers, and members of the greater community. Students facilitate the meetings themselves and share portfolio work to demonstrate their readiness to move on to the next level of their education.

Original Definitions from Leaders of their Own Learning

Defining Student-Led Conference, and Celebration of Learning, and Passage Presentation

Student-Led Conferences:Building Student Ownership of Learning

● Student Engagement● Responsibility, Organization, and Decision

Making● A Culture of Evidence● Strong School-Home Partnerships

Celebrations of Learning:Making Learning Public

● High-Quality Work● Authentic Audience● Communicating Learning● Reflection

Passage Presentations:Providing Evidence of Growth and Learning

● A Growth Mindset● Community Pride and Commitment● Meaningful Rites of Passage That

Celebrate Learning

Original Rationales from Leaders of their Own Learning

Passage Presentation

Celebrations of Learning

Student-Led Conferences

Authentic AudienceEvery final draft my students complete is done for an outside audience. It may be for a small audience of Kindergarten children or a national audience on educational television. Either way, my role as teacher is not as the sole judge of their work but rather similar to that of a sports coach or a play director: I am helping them to get their work ready for the public eye. There is a reason to do the work well, and it’s not just because the teacher wants it that way.

-- Ron Berger, An Ethic of Excellence (2003)

A Culture of Evidence

Understanding Digital Portfolios● Read

○ “How Digital Portfolios Document and Motivate Learning”○ “Deeper Learning for Every Student Every Day”

What is a digital portfolio?

Understanding Digital Portfolios● Explore

○ Teacher D.P. Exemplar■ High School Student D.P. Exemplar■ Middle School Student D.P. Exemplar

○ Trevor Mattea Digital Portfolios Directory■ 2016 Elementary Student D.P. Exemplar■ 2015 Elementary Student D.P. Exemplar■ 2014 Elementary Student D.P. Exemplar■ 2013 Elementary Student D.P. Exemplar

○ Graphic OrganizerHow do these digital portfolios show an awareness of and connection to an audience?How do these digital portfolios show deeper learning?To what extent could these digital portfolios be used to assess in place of traditional metrics?

Understanding Digital Portfolios● Plan a Teacher Digital Portfolio

○ Digital Portfolio○ Items to Consider

■ Biography and Teaching Philosophy■ Classroom News and Pictures■ Extracurricular Information■ Lessons and Units■ Student Work Samples■ Recommended Resources■ Resume

What items from your practice will you include?

What items serve multiple purposes, model sharing for students and teachers, and help you advocate for your classroom practices?

Understanding Digital Portfolios● Plan Student Digital Portfolios

○ Success Criteria and Sentence Frames○ Sentence Frames for Comments○ Permission Slip○ Items to Consider

■ Artwork■ Biography■ Blog■ Goals■ Photography■ Projects■ Work Samples

What items from your practice will you include?What scaffolds will you provide for students?

What items serve multiple purposes for students, model sharing for other students, and help students advocate for themselves?

Understanding Digital Portfolios● Create

○ How-To Google Sites Directions○ How-To Google Sites Playlist○ Free Website Builders for Digital Portfolios

■ Google Sites■ Weebly■ Wix

How will you create and manage digital portfolios?

How-To with Google Sites● Log-in to sites.google.com● Select a Template● Name a Site● Select a Location● Select a Theme● Create a Layout● Upload Images● Insert Text● Link to Google Docs● Add a Page● Share the Site● Publish a Template

Understanding Digital Portfolios● Assess and Exhibit

○ High Tech High Digital Portfolios Database■ Teacher D.P. Exemplar■ Middle School Student D.P. Exemplar■ High School Student D.P. Exemplar

○ Trevor Mattea Digital Portfolios Database■ 2016 Elementary Student D.P. Exemplar■ 2015 Elementary Student D.P. Exemplar■ 2014 Elementary Student D.P. Exemplar■ 2013 Elementary Student D.P. Exemplar

○ Rubric○ Structures to Consider

■ Class Time■ Classroom Partnerships■ Student-Led Conferences■ Celebrations of Learning/Open Houses■ Presentations of Learning/Portfolio Defenses

How will you assess and exhibit digital portfolios?What scaffolds will you provide for students?

Other Suggestions● Start with Your Primary Rationale● Gradually Introduce Secondary Rationales● Prioritize Existing Classroom Items● Incorporate Existing Classroom Scaffolds● Gradually Build Technical Skills● Use Exemplars Again and Again● Find Teaching Partners● Reach Out to Parents

Takeaways and Final Questions● How do you now intend to use digital portfolios in your own

practice?● What questions do you still have?

● Whenever you are ready, please complete the anonymous Google Form to give me feedback (goo.gl/3PaCq).

Recommended Reading● Berger, Ron. An Ethic of Excellence: Building a Culture of

Craftmanship with Students. Portsmouth: Heinemann. 2003. Print.

● Hattie, John. Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn. New York: Routledge. 2013. Kindle.

● Kleon, Austin. Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered. Austin: Workman Publishing Company. 2014. Kindle.