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- Student portfolios

Currently

The value of student portfolio's is undeniable.
- Currently the majority of schools store and access portfolios as hard copies, that is bulky folders of work samples, reports etc.
- The LM is able to access a range of usefull information regarding each student in their class. e.g., past work samples, literacy/numeracy levels, past report cards, social and emotional particulars, special needs considerationsand any specific profiling information.
- The School Admin staff are able to access enrolement info, behaviour history, Family particulars, medical records (incl necessary medications, allergies etc.)
- Other members of the school community that may access and add to a portfolio are guidance officers, support staff, specialist teachers, supply teachers, prac students as well as the student and his/her parents.
The value of having this plethora of information available to all concerned parties is that anyone of them can put their hand on relevant, detailed information concerning any student within the school.

HOWEVER

In its current format the portfolio system is prehistoric!
All info is held in hard copies(on paper) and is usually distributed in bits and pieces around the school, the LM may hold academic info as well as some medical, others are held at Admin often because of privacy laws, the SEU may have some etc, etc. If one of these stakeholders requires further or alternate info they need to literally pack a lunch and travell the school searching for the relevant documents.
During this process documents are inevitably lost in the system. Even if the ultimate care is taken and a rigorous filing system adhered too, the physical bulk of these documents becomes a problem for storage and transportation.
Although well intentioned, this system is awkard and inefficient.

One alternative is to scrap the whole system, just let kids be kids and hope that they learn something along the way.
Another, more responsible alternative, is to embrace technology and develop a system of digital portfolios.

"In the case of portfolios, the sheer volume of material and media makes digital portfolios much easier to transport than paper portfolios."(Niguidula, 1997)

Digital Portfolios

A whole school implementation of a digital portfolio system would efficiently and easily accomplish the tasks that a hard copy folio currently provides, the variety of info stored can be sorted into folders easily accessible to the appropriate stakeholder. In the digital format all of the relevant information can be efficiently stored, accessed, transferred, compared and updated.
A much wider ranging and futures oriented advantage of digital portfolios is that they become the foundation for authentic, school wide, integration of ICT's thus embedding learning in a context familiar and relevant to the generation of digital natives.
Within this context a digital portfolio can become much more than an evaluative tool for storing and recording work samples and profiling info. It can become an interactive platform for students to showcase their abilities and accomplishments using a range of media types.(Niguidula, 1997) A digital portfolio supports and encourages

-Student ownership of their learning
-Student self assessment and reflection
-Integration of assessment, reporting, pedagogy and curriculum
-Opportunities for teacher/student collaboration
(Brady & Kennedy, 2005)

The Product

A digital portfolio system can be as simple or as elaborate as required, a school wishing to implement a digital portfolio system can begin using a simple format such as a Wiki for student exhibitions or a relational database for academic transcripts and profiling information. Such a system can gradually evolve into a fully integrated whole school system with benefits and capabilities only limited by imagination and available technologies. (Barrett, 2000) It is at this advanced stage of evolution that the full benefits of a digital portfolio system are realised. To reach this point requires confidence and commitment from the whole school community, which in itself fosters community spirit and ownership amongst stakeholders, furthermore it provides a common platform on which all can contribute to and benefit from an integrated system of assessment curriculum and reporting. (Balanskat, 2005)
A digital portfolio system can be developed using a range of software packages to suit the various applications. Education Queensland and their Smart Classrooms initiative provide templates and professional support for queensland teachers.

Show example portfolio

Powerpoint - current portfolio product
slide 1
Current portfolios
Portfolios as seen in schools today take 2 distinct formats
1. The educative/document portfolio - profiling information, enrolment details, specialist reports etc.
2. The showcase portfolio - commonly scrapbooks of work samples or bulky Art portfolios
slide 2
Document Portfolio
At this stage we are more interested in the document portfolio.
They are a valuabe, essential tool for every teacher.
- The LM is able to access a vast range of usefull information regarding each student in their class. e.g., past work samples, literacy/numeracy levels, past report cards, social and emotional particulars, special needs considerations and any specific profiling information.
- The School Admin staff are able to access enrolement info, behaviour history, Family particulars, medical records (incl necessary medications, allergies etc.)
- Other members of the school community that may access and add to a portfolio are guidance officers, support staff, specialist teachers, supply teachers, prac students as well as the student and his/her parents.
slide 3
The key disadvantage of student document folders is subtely hidden within the name
DOCUMENT folders
In the majority of schools this abundance of usefull information is stored and accessed as hard copies, that is bulky folders of documents.
slide 4
Further Disadvantages
1. Because its contents are valuable to a range of staff members, they tend to be transferred and distributed to all corners of the school.
2. Inevitably documents are lost or efficiently filed in another part of the school.
3. Environmental concerns - Imagine the amount of documents for 1 student, multiply it by 400 for each student at that school and then multiply that by 1300 , the number of state schools in Qld alone. How many mushed up trees is that???
slide 5
Summary
The value of student portfolios is undeniable
HOWEVER
The current product is cumbersome, inefficient and environmentally damaging

powerpoint - digital portfolio product
slide 1

Link to dig port.
http://learningplace.eq.edu.au/cx/resources/items/1c35e289-bab8-76e6-ae93-82deafc70b82/1/docs/click-me-only.htm

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