Are Student Portfolios The Next Wave In Education?

In today’s dynamic educational landscape, students are not just learners; they are creators, innovators, and architects of their educational journeys. One strategy that is revolutionizing the way students engage and exhibit their progress is the student portfolio. Often regarded as a collection of work samples throughout the years, portfolios have evolved into something beyond  assessments, offering a comprehensive view of a student’s growth and capabilities.

Why Should I Get My Students Started On Student Portfolios?

Student portfolios serve as an invaluable investment in a student’s educational journey. Beyond grades and standardized tests, they offer snapshots of a student’s abilities, progress, and personal development throughout the years. They typically contain a range of projects, essays, creative works, and reflections. This investment isn’t just about showcasing achievements; it’s about fostering a mindset of continuous improvement and learning.

Portfolios are not confined to quantifiable assessments. They are repositories that capture student growth. They highlight creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, collaboration, and resilience. These are the qualities that transcend the limitations of traditional grading systems. They often contain multimedia elements such as videos, presentations, artwork, and highlight reels that paint a holistic picture of a student. They reveal facets that grades alone cannot capture.

I’ve personally worked with student portfolios for years and have helped hundreds of students create their own. These student creations start off as required projects, usually in an English class. These students see them as an assignment and after the process of adding artifacts and reflections, they morph into something more personal. Students realize that their art, music, and athletic achievements are also a definition of who they’ve become and make their way into these portfolios. This is where the magic happens and student ownership kicks in. And anything that fosters student ownership is something I can get behind. 

What Platform Do I Use With My Students

What platforms are used for the portfolios? There are many different options out there. Some portfolios started off as a simple Word Document or Google Doc. As more tools made their way on the scene, some districts transitioned to OneNote while many Google Workspace districts leveraged Google Sites. These platforms do the job but they each have their own hang ups. How do students take these with them after they graduate from high school? Transferring ownership to a personal account sounds easy enough but there are some limitations and challenges. If you’ve used Google Takeout Transfer before, you know what I’m talking about. So what’s the tool of choice? After doing some recent research on the topic, I’ve come up with an answer that shouldn’t surprise you.

Wakelet! It gives students the ability to work in a safe environment that protects student data. It’s web based which makes it easy for students to showcase their artifacts from virtually any device. Multimedia is easy to add to their portfolio collection through simple URL’s and does not require massive file uploads. Third party integrations such as Flip, Twitter, YouTube, and Google Drive are difficult to find on any other platform. The account handoff when students graduate from high school is much easier with Wakelet than other platforms.

If you’d like to see the power of Wakelet portfolios, head to https://bit.ly/Wakeletedtechbites and book a demo with the Wakelet Team. 

The student portfolio wave is upon us and it’s up to us to make sure our students can navigate these waters with the right platform. Grades are only a mere snapshot of the whole student and student-created portfolios can help our students set goals, reflect, and build agency through self-motivation. Surf’s up!