Literature Review

Portfolio Value

Students find it difficult to find their voice when reacting to and analyzing

literature. They want their voice to be heard (i.e. journals) and feel the need to read and

respond to novels. The writing portfolio has been a tool that has gained popularity

because of the effect it has on student writing. This opportunity for a voice transcends

the classroom and gives teenagers an opportunity to explore their place as future leaders

in society. “Teenagers are required to matriculate through a plethora of unrelated

coursework that does not necessarily reflect their interests and values” (Sewell, 2008).

Teenagers do not have an outlet in the educational system. The article asks for the

teacher to be a facilitator of the discussions and provide opportunities for the students to

read and write about things they care about. Students want the curriculum to be relevant

to their world and want to be challenged in their writing and reading. In this article, most

were given shorter works as would appear on the standards test and did not have the

opportunity until their last two years to experience the higher level thinking that

analyzing requires.

The opportunity to learn and reflect on writing is something that is lacking in the

regular school curriculum. Scherff and Piazza (2008) state, “An emphasis on the

individual as the focus of responsibility in Opportunity to Learn is particularly unsettling

given that students attend schools in high politicized climates and, depending on the

socio-political systems of which they are a part, are afforded greater or fewer choices and

options regarding what they learn”. Students want to do these things but cannot do it by

themselves; these things do not happen unless a school changes their curriculum to fit
these needs. According to Scherrf and Piazza (2008), “To replace authentic, meaning-

making tasks with exercises that solely display one’s learning does not allow students to

set their own purposes or practice skills they will need in real-life literacy situations.”

The portfolio can be a tool to fill this void. It offers legitimate, purposeful writing

and gives students opportunities to explore things that they want to know more about.

“Portfolios in classrooms today are a highly flexible instructional and assessment tool,

adaptable to diverse curricula, student age/grade levels, and administrative contexts”

(“Student Portfolios: Classroom Uses” 2000). The research behind the use of portfolios

is also encouraging. “Research shows that students benefit from an awareness of the

processes and strategies involved in writing, solving a problem, researching a topic,

analyzing information, or describing their own observations” (Student Portfolios:

Classroom Uses” 2000).

Portfolios can help in creating the critical thinking skills that are the basis for

good decision-making in all aspects of students’ lives. As Kish and Sheehan (1997) state,

“Three aspects of reflection that can be enhanced through the use of portfolios in the

classroom are explored here: the cognitive, the socio-emotional, and the moral elements

of reflection.”

Colleges and universities are advancing toward using portfolios to assess student

learning toward general educational goals. The use of portfolios in the high school

classroom will help to prepare students for that next step in their educational careers.

Cambridge (2008) concludes, “Advocates of this approach see portfolios as both more

flexible than standardized testing and more easily comparable across a program or

institution than the results of authentic assessments at the course level, such as papers,
projects, and exams.” Portfolios offer more writing keys to be met in a shorter period of

time. Many teachers express the desire to teach more writing styles but do not have the

time. Roger Farr (1990) includes a word of caution in the use of portfolios for

assessment, “Portfolios could become collections of materials that students and teachers

have reworked until they are no longer representative of the student’s ability-or worse

yet, not even predominately the student’s effort.” Farr (1990) would suggest using

portfolios to support standardized testing. “They will be seen as a supplement to

standardized tests, not a replacement for them.”

Although some see the portfolio as a great addition to and not the only answer to

writing assessment, others are having great success with just the portfolio creation. “The

amount of writing and reading assigned per quarter in this newly established portfolio

classroom far exceed the required work of my pre-portfolio classroom” (Kent, 2006).

The portfolio classroom gives students ownership and requires them to read and write

more than they have ever done.

Another key to building a portfolio classroom is the use of daily writing practice.

This comes in different forms such as: Journals, expressive writing, and personal letters.

“Implementation of an effective portfolio program ultimately depends on students

becoming invested in the process” (Bowers, 2005). Students need as much practice as

possible in preparing their works for portfolios. One writing program has students

writing three formal papers, two informal papers, forty-eight one page journals, reading

five books and up to a dozen in-class articles, three to five book presentations, and a

written reflection of the class and portfolio all in one eight to nine week quarter. (Kent,

2006) Documentation portfolios such as these show a students growth toward achieving
standards in reading and writing. The move in education has been toward benchmark or

ongoing assessment. Portfolios allow for these assessments to take place. “Ongoing, or

benchmark, assessment enables the school community to tell how well it is doing and

what next steps should be taken. A variety of content and media help create a more

rounded, accurate picture of student work. How can all of those efforts be captured and

analyzed? The most interesting option is the electronic portfolio” (Farmer, 1997).

Students learn more about themselves through portfolios. A key component to portfolios

is the selection process. Each item included in a portfolio must go through a process that

includes a reflective piece that explains why something is included. Farmer (1997)

states, “The main idea is to provide students with a way to reflect on their work and self-

monitor their progress using some kind of criteria.” Students show great responsibility in

developing their portfolios because of the wide variety of people that can see their work.

They must keep them organized throughout the process in order to have a quality final

product.

E-Portfolios are better

The electronic portfolio, or e-portfolio, is an advancement of the standard

portfolio that offers the student more autonomy in the creation process. E-portfolios give

students more creative options than simple compiling a sample of their best work and can

include videos, sounds bytes, drawings, and written text. The variations for the student

are almost unlimited. E-portfolios are the next step in portfolio writing, “If for no other

reason than the fact we’re going to run out of space to store three-ring binders. To have

these things magically stored in this virtual place that doesn’t take up any space in the

building is pretty compelling” (Waters, 2007). These new means of expression not only
offer better opportunities to complete the work but also expand the audience of readers.

Students are further motivated to showcase their best work when the audience expands to

parents and friends rather than just a bunch of teachers. “Suddenly their parents,

grandparents, and friends can see it. They can see what other students are doing,

compare their work, and get peer feedback. They can even display their work for

potential colleges” (Waters, 2007).

Many times e-portfolios are confused with creating a Web site. The differences

between the two are significant. There is no need for extensive instruction, unlike web

design, on how to compile items into an e-portfolio. The e-portfolio requires students to

work with things they already know how to use. Students can, “compile their e-portfolios

and add text documents, or various types of media, including pictures, audio files,

movies, presentations, and the like” (Blair and Godsall, 2006). In most cases, students

upload files like sending an e-mail. “Students can easily share their e-portfolios with

their classmates or teachers, and even be involved in cross-curricular projects that

culminate in e-portfolio development” (Blair and Godsall, 2006). E-portfolios also offer

extra security in monitoring student progress and what they are creating. Web pages are

available for the entire world to see; there are confidentiality issues at stake with students

that must be followed. One of the better aspects of e-portfolios is that they can evolve

and change over time. Artifacts don't just get added on as one completes something new

but a recognition that new items may add to or change an understanding of something

leads to an editing of the entire portfolio as a whole. Diehm (2004) states, “Electronic

portfolios offer three distinct benefits: 1. they are creative 2. they allow students to gain
an awareness of a larger audience and 3. they can evolve and grow over a student's entire

high school career.”

Conclusion

Portfolios can be a great tool in writing instruction. Research has shown students

feel a greater ownership in their writing and the classroom. Students who were once

bound by the pressures of writing formal essays can use the e-portfolio as a tool of

expression. The e-portfolio is a collection of a student’s best work through a prescribed

period of time. Students use that time-frame to hone their skills. “E-portfolios give

students ownership and responsibility for their own learning” (Hewett, 2004). A change

in student attitude can happen with the use of e-portfolios because of the personal

connection the e-portfolio demands.