Pre-Planning Recap: Day 2

Today was a robust, action-packed day #2 of pre-planning. Front-loading and launching the key initiatives for the upcoming semester, communicating the basic “housekeeping” items, duties + red binders (Thank you Mel), preparing for R & D teams (Thank you Angél), and getting CPR (re)-certified (Thank you Anne-Brown and Patsy). Here are the slide presentations for Advisory (Thank you Max and Tasha), Visible Thinking (Thank you Ann and Charles), and Eportfolios (Thank you Katie).  

Students Take the Lead – Spring 2016

Students Take the Lead – Spring 2016 On Wednesday, February 17, students took the lead for the second time this year with student led conferences. In the fall, students shared their goals with parents and teachers. This time, students ran the show from start to finish. Introducing parents and teachers to one another, the students showcased 5 demonstrations chosen from their e-portfolios.  

Students Want Access

Students Want Access The past couple of mornings, I’ve received several unexpected student visitors to my office. My desk is covered in papers, my nose buried in a laptop while diligently working to accomplish a variety of projects, but thankfully I know when to put all of the ‘important stuff’ on hold. What’s more important than taking the time to listen and talk to a passionate and curious learner? One student came in to show me the BB-8 robot he got for Christmas. He just walked right in, opened up the box, placed the robot on the floor, and showed […]

Students Share Eportfolio Feedback

Students Share Eportfolio Feedback 5 Middle School students took advantage of an offer to spend time working with me to ‘crack the code’ on making eportfolios more engaging for students. We met last week for an initial ‘discovery’ conversation. Students freely shared their likes and dislikes. Some snippets are captured in the videos below. Also, this week, students connected with the president and founder of Digication to share their ideas and questions, as well as learn more about the purpose and design of the platform we use. Many exciting plans are unfolding for this group of volunteer students. Undoubtedly, their enthusiasm […]

Learning Transcends School

Learning Transcends School Do you believe learning happens only at school? Probably not. Yet somehow, we act like it’s true. It’s like the matrix – a kind of false sense of reality. It’s similar to “God is experienced only at church.” Hogwash. God is everywhere. And learning happens everywhere, too. For years, we have conditioned them that learning occurs in specific subjects, in specific rooms, at specific times, in specific desks. If there isn’t a grade attached to it, they may not be interested. Such conditioning limits the possibilities of learning and metacognition. This week, we challenged students to discuss […]

Overcoming Obstacles to ePortfolios

Overcoming Obstacles to ePortfolios This morning’s faculty meeting saw teachers paired up with Middle School Digital Media students. Our goal was learn from students and ‘crack the code’ on how to use eportfolios more effectively. We followed up on last week’s meeting (vertical process standards/formative assessment/eportfolio demo) and last week’s conference mentor discussions (how students can take greater ownership of their learning through eportfolios). Today’s Faculty Meeting Agenda Essential Questions: Based on student feedback, how can we ‘crack the code’ for how to use eportfolios more effectively both ‘for learning’ (formative/workspace) and ‘of learning’ (summative/showcase)? Desired Outcomes: Students and faculty […]

Hacking ePortfolios

Hacking ePortfolios (cue sudden, startling music) There’s been an awakening. Have you felt it? Our school launched eportfolios a few years ago. Feedback from students and teachers confirms we have not yet cracked the code on how to use them effectively. Why not? Lack of clear purpose Middle School kids don’t have to be coaxed into seeing the relevance of Instagram or Snapchat. It’s social. It’s about them. It’s a way to share and be ‘in the know.’ In fact, not being part of it leads to a desperate feeling of being on the outside. The purpose of eportfolios has […]

Student Feedback on ePortfolios

Student Feedback on ePortfolios Today, students met with their conference mentors to read an article and discuss how to make e-portfolios more relevant for students. Many students do not see the need or value in this practice yet. I led a conversation with about 30 students and loved hearing their thoughts, ideas, complaints, and obstacles because I believe so fully in the power and relevance of e-portfolios as a tool for learning. There is a large gap and disconnect between our vision and the current reality of this initiative. I am totally stoked by this feedback and the conversations students […]

4 Characteristics of a Quality ePortfolio

4 Characteristics of a Quality ePortfolio 1) Easy to Use – We launched our first version of a student eportfolio using Google sites two years ago. It was the result of a collaborative summer grant with a team representing Preschool, Lower, Middle, and Upper School. The product was visually appealing and featured two major sections: Collection and Showcase. The Collection was for everything. Finished, unfinished, polished, and imperfect. The Showcase was reserved for only the finest works. All of the learning demonstrations and reflections were curated by the 6 MV Mindsets (Collaborator, Communicator, Solution Seeker, Ethical Decision Maker, Creative Thinker, […]

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