I have always been a believer in the power of portfolios. This week was validation of that belief as I saw students sharing their learning with their parents. Without a doubt, this is the most effective tool for really getting to the heart of where a child is in their learning journey. When students are asked to reflect on what they have learned there is often a blank stare (wait, what? I was supposed to be learning something here?) followed by a smile of acknowledgement (whoa! I can't believe I learned all that!). Students are so proud of themselves, and for good reason. It's not just the participation award that everyone gets, it's the realization that one has achieved one's goals. Some of the questions that I encourage parents to ask during portfolio are:
What did you like about your work? What would you have changed if you had more time? What are you working on now? How does this work support what you are learning in your other classes? How does it relate to what you have learned so far? What do you hope to learn next? How does this work support who you are as a learner?
Next week we begin session 4 in TAAP. I will be starting up again with LV students and continuing on with math. The journey continues!
What did you like about your work? What would you have changed if you had more time? What are you working on now? How does this work support what you are learning in your other classes? How does it relate to what you have learned so far? What do you hope to learn next? How does this work support who you are as a learner?
Next week we begin session 4 in TAAP. I will be starting up again with LV students and continuing on with math. The journey continues!