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.

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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New York Times: Learning a language on the web is trendy

July 29, 2010

“The Internet, with its unparalleled ability to connect people throughout the world, is changing the way that many people learn languages” writes Peter Wayner in Learning a Language From an Expert, on the Web, an article from the New York Times (July 28, 2010).

The article touches on 2 of the themes that emerged in my study Global Trends in Language Learning in the 21st Century:

  • Using technology in language learning (new trend)
  • Taking an individualized, learner-centered approach (new trend)
  • Saying that learning languages is easy (outdated myth)

The way we learn languages is changing at a rapid pace. A new school year is approaching. What techniques, methodologies and approaches are you going to use that are appropriate for the 21st century?

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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.

Gandhi empowered others in 11 different languages

July 15, 2010

I have long been a student of Mohandas K. Gandhi and his work. For him, learning languages was a way to better understand the world around him and ultimately, to change it for the better. Gandhi learned 11 different languages in order to extend his reach and empower others:

  1. Gujarati
  2. English
  3. Sanscrit
  4. Latin
  5. Hindi
  6. Urdu
  7. Tamil
  8. Telugu
  9. Arabic
  10. Persian
  11. French

Gandhi saw learning languages as a way of communicating better with others and understanding the world more profoundly. These weren’t just noble intentions. They became part of the foundation of his work.

Aren’t these, at least in part, some of the same reason we are drawn to teaching and learning other languages?

Related posts:

Check out my conference paper on this topic:

Eaton, S. E. (2010). Leading Through Language Learning and Teaching: The Case of Gandhi. Paper presented at the Interdisciplinary Language Research: Relevance and Application Series, Language Research Centre, University of Calgary. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED508664

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Update – November, 2017 – This blog has had over 1.7 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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