“What was once educationally significant, but difficult to measure, has been replaced by what is insignificant and easy to measure. So now we test how well we have taught what we do not value.”
–Dr. Arthur L. Costa, emeritus professor,
California State University, Sacramento
When you think about it, our lives from now into forever will rely on fewer rote operations, predigested scripts, linear procedures, brute strength, past experience and things memorized. Even now, just living through one day requires problem-solving, collaboration, creativity, persistence, skepticism, empathy, metacognition, precision, curiosity, humor and a finely honed ability to communicate with others. If you’ve spent much time on this web site, it won’t surprise you that we think a portfolio is a darn good place to show what students can do, and a good place to show what we – and they – and intelligent folks anywhere – value.
The sample student profile included in the Grady Profile Demo contains a number of examples of artifacts by college students. For a more extensive example, be sure to download the College Level (including Pre-Service Teaching) sample profile as well.
Today’s college students are asked to demonstrate their thinking, speaking and writing abilities. An electronic portfolio is the sensible place to store the artifacts that prove students meet university requirements and collect all the data needed to legitimize the submission.
Each school or division will devise its own portfolio requirements.
Pre-service teachers, for example, may create portfolios that show mastery of teaching standards. And while they make their own portfolios, they will be learning the importance of portfolios for their own students, pride in one’s own work and appreciation of reflective practice.
