Student portfolios for Language Learning: What They Are and How to Use Them

August 10, 2010

The use of student portfolios is increasing in education, as asset-based approaches to evaluation and assessment become more popular. When it comes to demonstrations of learning, student portfolios are gaining popularity at a rapid pace. They are collaborative efforts between students and teachers that provide clear demonstrations of students progress and achievements. Students are guided by their teachers to develop their own portfolios over time. Student portfolios contain demonstrations of their knowledge and authentic language use, such as:

  • Written work. These demonstrate the students use of vocabulary, knowledge of grammar and writing structures.
  • Digital and multimedia projects. These demonstrate their oral and listening competencies.
  • Reflections from students and teachers. This feedback replaces traditional grading. The intent is for the teacher and the student to engage in a kind of dialogue about the student’s progress. This also empowers the student to become self aware as a learner.

Whether they are traditional or electronic, portfolios are being used in classrooms across the globe at an increasing rate.  The beauty of the student portfolio is that the student owns it, not the teacher. Students carry their portfolios forward from grade to grade, taking responsibility for their learning as they go.

Here are some resources on the topic of student portfolios you may find useful:

Barrett, Helen.  February 18, 2009. ISTE Webinar. http://sites.google.com/site/eportfolios/iste

Barrett, Helen (2004). Professional Development for Implementing Electronic Portfolios. Retrieved from http://electronicportfolios.org/teachers/profdev.html

Barrett, Helen. (n.d.) http://electronicportfolios.org/index.html

Brownell, Wendy. Linguafolio and Portfolios. (n.d.) http://wendybrownell.wikispaces.com/Linguafolio+and+Portfolios

Dominguez, Juan. E-portfolios: Del PLN al Aprendizaje Retrieved 26 May, 2011 from http://juandomingofarnos.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/e-portafolios-del-pln-al-aprendizaje/

Grace. (1992). The Portfolio and Its Use: Developmentally Appropriate Assessment of Young Children.  Retrieved from http://www.tcdsb.org/academic_it/ntip/Assessment%20Files/PDF%20Format%20V5/4a-%20Assessment%20-%20Portfolio%20Assessment.pdf

North Carolina Regional Educational Laboratory. (n.d.). Portfolios.   Retrieved from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/earlycld/ea5l143.htm

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Using Skype for second language debates: Ideas for teachers

August 9, 2010

Two of the trends in language learning I found while researching Global Trends in Language Learning in the 21st Century were using technology for language learning and an increased focus on demonstrating language competence through speech and stories, debates and speaking competitions. How about combining the two?

I’ve been busy preparing my presentation on Using Skype in the Second and Foreign Language Classroom for the Social Media Workshop for language teachers put on by the Language Acquisition Resource Centre (LARC) at San Diego State University.

During my travels I came across Lois Smethurt’s blog. She has an excellent post on how she used Skype for an inter-school debate. She talks about the students’ reaction to the experience, as well as the logistics of putting together an inter-school debate using Skype.

I loved this idea for language learning. We can organize debates not only between schools, but between countries, too. Check out Sue Water’s blog post on how to connect with schools and classrooms in other countries using Skype. She offers an amazing resource list for teachers from around the world to connect using Skype.

Between them, these two insightful, innovative Edubloggers offer us the ingredients to put together inter-classroom, international second language debates using synchronous technology that allows students to use real language in real time.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

When I become a teacher

August 9, 2010

Here’s some food for thought on why we become teachers, or perhaps more importantly, why we should (or should not) become teachers.

The original video, plus the video responses to the original are, in my opinion, excellent tools for discussion and reflection for teachers. Whether you are an experienced teacher or a student teacher, these videos give pause and make us think about why we entered this profession.

If you happen to be in the position of being an instructor at a teacher’s college or faculty of education, these would make great classroom resources for your teachers-in training.

Provocative and engaging, these videos are also an excellent example of how one video can inspire others to tap into their own values, vision and creativity to respond.

Here’s the original satire, “When I become a teacher”

Here’s one response. It’s called “When I become a teacher – The Remix”. It echoes in style and presentation, the original.

Here’s another response, that’s even more creative. It’s also called “When I become a teacher”.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Learning means growing your heart and soul

August 6, 2010

My neighbor is an outstanding gardener. She’s gone away for a few days and asked me to water her plants while she’s away. After returning home from lunch with a friend today, I went as feeling inspired as I was watering my neighbour’s beautiful flowers. The vibrant colours of her garden inspired this metaphor:

“Learning is about growing your heart and soul. The fertilizer is passion. The result is a blossoming mind and a character rich with color.”

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

31 Signs You are a Thought Leader

August 5, 2010

The phrases “thought leader” and “thought leadership” seem to be everywhere today. There are 2 points of interest for readers of this blog:

  1. The question, “what exactly is a thought leader?” Can teachers be thought leaders? Literacy tutors? School principals? Sure they can. But not all those people are thought leaders by virtue of their profession.
  2. How do you explain the concept of thought leadership to students, particularly if English is a Second or Foreign Language to them? It’s tricky because the phrases “thought leader” and “thought leadership” are new and trendy. Some such phrases have “stickiness” meaning that they stay around for a long time, possibly even becoming part of our every day vocabulary. I think these phrases have this “stickiness” and we’re going to see them around for a long time.

There is of course, a third question.

Are you a thought leader?

Here are a few thoughts on what I believe characterizes thought leaders:

  1. Thought leaders are not so by virtue of a title or a job; they are so because of who they are and how they think and behave.
  2. Thought leaders think deeply about issues; they think them through from beginning to end and understand issues profoundly.
  3. Thought leaders”walk the talk”, not pontificate on a point.
  4. Thought leaders communicate their thoughts; they don’t just keep them inside.
  5. Thought leaders are eloquent, clear communicators. No rambling. No disjointed thoughts. They know how to get the point across.
  6. Thought leaders shares their ideas and knowledge generously.
  7. Thought leaders are courageous enough to share their thoughts despite criticism.
  8. Thought leaders are wise enough to allow themselves to be challenged by others, and to challenge their own assumptions, too.
  9. Thought leaders influence how others think and what they believe.
  10. Thought leaders inspire trust; they don’t demand it.
  11. Thought leaders are trend-setters and idea-shapers.
  12. Thought leaders have excellent reputations, or they build an excellent reputation as they go along.
  13. Thought leaders are passionate, but not pushy.
  14. Thought leaders are forward-thinking.
  15. Thought leaders are innovative.
  16. Thought leaders are confident, but not cocky.
  17. Thought leaders are sincere.
  18. Thought leaders are authentic.
  19. Thought leaders take a stand.
  20. Thought leaders are consistent with their message.
  21. Thought leaders challenge others to think in new ways and try new things.
  22. Thought leaders can share the same message in a variety of ways. They don’t sound like a broken record.
  23. Thought leaders have longevity. They are not “here today and gone tomorrow”.
  24. Thought leaders are compassionate. They understand the human situation and feel it deep in their soul.
  25. Thought leaders are driven to make a difference.
  26. Thought leaders believe in the possibility of transformation.
  27. Thought leaders believe in others’ potential.
  28. Thought leaders are lifelong learners; they learn constantly and enjoy doing so.
  29. Thought leaders have charisma not because of a great smile or chiseled features, but because they offer something fresh and new.
  30. Thought leaders are forward-focussed, allowing the past to inform, but not impede their thoughts.
  31. Thought leaders have an innate sense of hope about the future.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

1 Comment | leadership, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

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