Task 15 -- Communicative approach

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Date Posted: 15:25:39 08/15/03 Fri
Author: Simone Couto
Subject: Task 15

FIFTEENTH CLASS

August 11th to 15 th

Testing

How can we use portfolios to evaluate our students' progress?

The following texts can help you:
Student portfolios: classroom use http://www.ed.gov/pubs/OR/ConsumerGuides/classuse.html
Alternative Assessment and Second Language Study: What and Why? http://www.cal.org/ericcll/digest/hancoc01.html
Development and Implementation of Student Portfolios in Foreign Language Programs http://www.stanford.edu/group/CFLP/research/portfolio/portfolio1.html

In order to understand how portfolios can be used to evaluate students� progress, it is important to take three aspects into consideration: its content, the teachers� role and the students� role.
Portfolios will always be composed of a collection of sample work by the student that will show his/her level of accomplishment in relation to what was given in class, always reflecting what was learnt � after all, it is composed of activities given as homework or in class. Therefore, its main purpose would probably be that of showing the students� progress. Examples that can be mentioned of its content would be: compositions, essays, summaries, teachers� feedbacks, researches, quizzes, dictations and other similar tasks. Drawing and photographs, as well as charts and the like, could make portfolios more exciting and interesting too. Nonetheless, other kinds of displays related to reading, speaking and listening could also creatively be added with cassette or videotapes. It is important for the portfolio to have an index of its content, with maybe even a summary of each of its items, making it more didactic and objective � this way the material will be placed in an orderly fashion and preferably in a chronological way. The portfolio needs also to be constructed in a regular way and not all at once.

Teachers must remember that portfolios must be introduced in a homogeneous way in relation to the curriculum she is teaching. Moreover, they should not simply impose it, this is a matter that should be discussed with the learners, brainstorming in order to reach agreements on the best manners in which to develop the portfolio. After this is done, teachers must clearly expose the principles that shall be followed. These rules must, of course, suit the students age and level of knowledge in the subject, so it will not be too demanding and so they may have enough support. Support and motivation should also come from parents, hence teachers must try to try to make them receptive. As can be seen, teachers must constantly be taking part in the elaboration of the portfolio, whether planning tasks that will be included or checking and commenting on what the students have done so far.

Students can share their portfolio amongst them developing their involvement and obtaining feedback from each other, besides managing to keep their most important results neatly saved together � being able to afterwards look back on what was done and improve themselves or simply have a constant reminder of past subjects. Throughout the elaboration of the portfolio students must be encouraged to carefully put together what they consider their best material and think about it. This way, they will be actively taking part and thinking about their own evaluation and education, becoming hence more independent.

As can be seen, though it can be a little bit troublesome at time consuming, the portfolio making is a technique that instigates learning in many different levels, it is motivating and also fun for students and teachers. It is an alternative way of evaluating that can be very successful by taking some basic notions into consideration.

-BIBLIOGRAPHY AS MENTIONED IN QUESTION AT THE START.

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