Portfolios In The Classroom: Tools For Learning And Instruction

Portfolios in the Classroom: Tools for Learning and Instruction

ReviewThere are other how-to books about portfolio assessments that offer ready-made rubrics, touched-up examples of student portfolio entries, and slick graphics so the evaluations look as impressive as report cards. Don't be fooled. Buy this book instead. -- Middle Ground, October 1998The wonderful effect of the portfolio process is the self-awareness that develops when kids generate their own selection criteria, make decisions, and reflect on their work. When students discuss what they want to include in their portfolio and why, and analyze which project or piece of writing meets those criteria, they are creating connections to learning far beyond the scope of traditional forms of assessment.Portfolios also increase learning because students:take responsibility for their learning;actively engage in the learning process;think about their own thinking;grow in confidence and self-esteem;set goals for future learning.Using portfolios enables teachers to be clearer in their presentation of instructional strategies. Using examples from real portfolios and successful classroom experiences, Beth and Joanne take you step-by-step through helping children create portfolios that reveal accurate assessments of their own work.Portfolios in the Classroom features:instructional ideas that extend your use of portfolios;questions throughout the text that guide you to key ideas;real student examples from classrooms where teachers have successfully used portfolios;samples to illustrate discussion of each element in the process;end-of-chapter summaries and a complete bibliography;reproducible forms for you and your students to use;recommendations for using portfolios as a tool for parental involvement.This is a book full of ideas and suggestions that you can put to use immediately in your classroom.About the AuthorBeth Schipper teaches language arts courses and works with teachers in the credential program at California State University at Fullerton. She also teaches for the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Literacy Network and consults for schools and school districts in California.Joanne Rossi teaches courses and supervises student teachers for the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, California. In her work at the Foster City Reading Institute, she conducts seminars and consults for schools and districts in the state. Beth and Joanne continue to work with school children on a regular basis to keep themselves grounded in the realities of classroom life.