June 2018

In the past school year, 2017/2018, students and teachers in three of our classrooms have used online ePortfolios to communicate Student Learning. In the 2016/2017 school year, there were two classes that used e-Portfolios to communicate student learning.

The use of student ePortfolios in each of these three classrooms has generated great excitement for students, parents and staff. Parents have been provided an opportunity to see their child’s progress and learning in a way that never existed before. Parents are able to read descriptive feedback about their child’s progress on a continual basis, providing more information than our three traditional report cards have ever been able to share. Through ePortfolios, students are also able to evaluate their learning and progress. Students are identifying their strengths and the areas they can improve upon, and are noticing that learning is a journey and a process. Students have come to understand that ability is not a fixed, finite trait you are born with, rather ability is something that is ongoing and can be developed. They are noticing that with timely descriptive feedback and a plan to improve they are able to succeed academically and socially/emotionally. Students have learned that their ability is not fixed, and that with hard work, determination and encouragement they can achieve what they may have thought impossible before. The development of this belief definitely connects with our school focus on growth mindset. The rest of our teaching staff are keenly interested by the story and outcomes of our three classes using ePortfolios to communicate student learning. Many of our teachers are committed to using ePortfolios for the first time in the 2018/2019 school year. They will use the ePortfolios to share student work with parents throughout the school year.