In my classroom, I have a poster of a 3-circled Venn diagram labelled READING, MATH, WRITING. In the center, where the three circles overlap, is the word JOBS. The students ask, "How will writing help me get a job? I hate to write!" I explain writing is how we communicate our ideas to others, and writing is a skill a good, effective worker, regardless of trade, needs. We use our best word choices so others can visualize, or see in their minds, exactly what we did, what we need, or what we want.
The students write yearlong, and they need a forum for showcasing their growth throughout the year. The writing portfolio allows the students to see first-hand how much they grow in their writing skills, from actual length and later quality. When they first begin their portfolio, especially if they have several writings to place in it, they begin experiencing a "WOW!" factor. Soon, they begin self-assessing, noticing the legibility and whether they can understand what they wrote. They exhibit pride in seeing their work 'published' for others. (They share it with their guardians at the end of the year.) The writing portfolio comes their non-threatening, visual data gathering tool which the student controls.
Our state and national content standards in writing state we need to provide students with opportunities to write, to publish, and the share. The standards also emphasize the importance of showing growth over time. The writing portfolio allows the students to meet these goals and to become effective writers while allowing them a sense of pride in what they can--and did--accomplish.
About my class
In my classroom, I have a poster of a 3-circled Venn diagram labelled READING, MATH, WRITING. In the center, where the three circles overlap, is the word JOBS. The students ask, "How will writing help me get a job? I hate to write!" I explain writing is how we communicate our ideas to others, and writing is a skill a good, effective worker, regardless of trade, needs. We use our best word choices so others can visualize, or see in their minds, exactly what we did, what we need, or what we want.
The students write yearlong, and they need a forum for showcasing their growth throughout the year. The writing portfolio allows the students to see first-hand how much they grow in their writing skills, from actual length and later quality. When they first begin their portfolio, especially if they have several writings to place in it, they begin experiencing a "WOW!" factor. Soon, they begin self-assessing, noticing the legibility and whether they can understand what they wrote. They exhibit pride in seeing their work 'published' for others. (They share it with their guardians at the end of the year.) The writing portfolio comes their non-threatening, visual data gathering tool which the student controls.
Our state and national content standards in writing state we need to provide students with opportunities to write, to publish, and the share. The standards also emphasize the importance of showing growth over time. The writing portfolio allows the students to meet these goals and to become effective writers while allowing them a sense of pride in what they can--and did--accomplish.
Read more