Portfolios go out next week. The portfolio is an important tool for sharing and promoting quality work, providing an incentive to take up opportunities we provide and to foster self-motivation in taking up challenges that arise in preparation for high school and future career pathways.
They are set up to celebrate success and encourage quality work. The students are asked to put a lot of effort into the creation and presentation of their portfolio
It is important to note that Portfolios are still a small selection of the enormous amount of work done at school. We must not forget to acknowledge and recognise the huge amount of unwritten work, the discussions, debates, questions, exploration, higher order thinking and day to day interaction with in the classroom.
Often we celebrate ‘student work’ not ‘student voice’ and it is student voice that is so important with in a classroom and in a child’s development. Classrooms are an exciting place where talk and discussion about learning is essential.
Guy Claxton has written ,'The classroom should be a place where talk about the process of learning, the nature of oneself as a learner, and ones improvement and intentions for oneself as a learner, is continual and natural, Claxton sees the NZ Curriculum's key competencies as providing 'learning power'.
Parents, when receiving portfolios please take in to account that it is just a snap shot. LISTEN to your child talk about their learning, the process and successes and celebrate the whole learning experience. Look at the evaluations and self assessment. Be proud of your child!
