Are Portfolios an Effective Way of Assessing Students' Knowledge and Progress?

The journal entry this week is in response to Chapter 4 of Content-Area Reading, titled: "Assessing Students and Texts."

Portfolios

PORTFOLIOS.  It's a dreaded word by most students in today's classrooms.  In high school, our mathematics teachers required us to complete a portfolio by the end of each semester.  It was a compilation of certain assignments, tests, quizzes, and reflections/applications of things we had learned throughout the semester.  The common response to these portfolios from students was, "This is math class, why do we need to do all of this writing?"  I too (at the time) felt this was an unnecessary way to assess what we had learned in math.  Not to mention how much of a pain in the butt it was!

After much more schooling experience, many teacher education classes, and especially after reading this chapter, I have become almost convinced that a portfolio is one of the most effective ways of assessing students.  In the American Education System, where standardized tests have become so commonplace, it gives them a make-or-break mentality for most schools and students.  Even so, it has become something that all students expect, whether they like it or not.  The great thing about portfolios as opposed to standardized testing is that "Portfolios are vehicles of ongoing assessment.  They are composed of purposeful collections that examine achievement, effort, improvement, and most important, processes" (Vacca, Vacca, and Mraz 98).  It's a collaborative assessment that can be used as a method of tracking true progress of students, as opposed to a standardized test once a year.

Standardized Testing

For my future classroom especially, I feel that portfolios will be helpful to assessing student achievement and progress in the subject of religion.  With a content-area that doesn't have a standardized test issued by the state or federal government, it gives much more leeway as to how I am able to assess my students.  Another great thing about this type of assessment, as pointed out by the authors, is that they are an authentic form of "assessment that measures the process of the construction of meaning.  The students make choices about what to include; these choices in turn encourage self-reflection on their own development, their own evaluation of their learning, and personal goal setting.  Advantages of portfolios are more easily visualized when compared with traditional assessment practices" (Vacca, Vacca, and Mraz 99).

After reading this chapter, I personally feel that portfolios are an excellent alternative to traditional forms of testing student knowledge and progress.  I think there are many benefits that can come from portfolios, many of which prepare students for college and even life beyond the classroom.  I mean how many times have you filled out a sheet of bubbles outside of a school setting.  I would guess very few to none.

Take-Home Lessons of the Day:
1. Portfolios are a great alternative to the traditional forms of testing students.
2. Nobody likes to fill in bubbles.
3. If you are a future student of mine, you will likely be making a portfolio for my class.
4. Happy Valentine's Day!
5. Happy Feast Day of St. Cyril of Methodius!