Google portfolios model

Sharyn Skrtic, Grade 3 teacher in Singapore at International School in Singapore (ISS)

Grade 3 teacher shares how her students are using technology “to create their learning space, communicate their learning with others, organize their evidence into portfolio entries, and demonstrate they can be responsible digital citizens through their online presence in the portfolio.”

Schools have a responsibility to show evidence of student learning. Portfolios are one method of collecting and storing information that can be used to document and assess student progress and achievement.” – Making the PYP Happen

“Learners’ awareness, use and appreciation of different ICT knowledge, skills and platforms should be developed.” – The Role of ICT in the PYP

We want students’ portfolios to:

• celebrate a student
• show a student’s progress and development
• provide space for students to reflect on their work
• provide space for students to set goals
• show development of knowledge, conceptual understanding, transdisciplinary skills, attitudes and attributes of the learner profile over a period of time.

We want the following transdisciplinary ICT skills to be relevant to all learners:

• investigating
• creating
• communicating
• collaborating
• organizing
• becoming responsible digital citizens

In the past I have always implemented hard binder portfolios in my classroom. A few years ago, I added ‘some’ things on the computer to compliment the hard binder portfolio. This year, my students are up and running with their own portfolios in Google Sites. These portfolios are open and linked to our class blog homepage, g3ss.weebly.com

A homepage of a student portfolio (click on image to be directed to portfolio site)

Portfolio entries should document both the process of learning and the product, including images and evidence of students in the process of constructing meaning. By using Google Sites for our portfolios we are able to provide the opportunity for authentic embedding of ICT across the curriculum.

Classroom and specialist teachers are collaborating together with the students to show evidence of their learning.

Students are using ICT to create their learning space, communicate their learning with others, organize their evidence into portfolio entries, and demonstrate they can be responsible digital citizens through their online presence in the portfolio.

We have just started our school year, but I already see the students understanding the value of the portfolios as a continual process for their learning. And by linking their portfolios to our class blog, they are learning as part of a broader community of learners and gaining an authentic audience for their sharing.

All of our students in G3-G5 have Gmail accounts. We use open class blogs and open student portfolios.

How are your students using portfolios?

—

The original article can be found on Sharyn’s blog here.

Sharyn is an international primary school teacher whose career started in Cleveland, Ohio, teaching grade 2. She has also taught in Düsseldorf, Germany and in Hong Kong. Sharyn enjoys teaching and she is passionate about differentiation, assessment, and technology. She blogs at sharynideas.com and tweets @Shaza33.