Lesson 8: Student/Youth Due ProcessTopic: How is a portfolio demonstrating Multiple Intelligences prepared for a unit on student/youth due process rights? Background:Portfolios can be defined as a collection of the selected work of students. They differ from folders that consist of random work. In some instances, portfolios include a student's best work. For many years portfolios were used by a number of professionals, most notably artists and models. More recently, they have been used in education as an assessment instrument. A number of characteristics make portfolios effective:
There are several different types of portfolios such as a class portfolio and a graduation portfolio, and it is important to know the type that is being developed. A graduation portfolio consists of a variety of items such as autobiographical information, career and action plans, internships/community service work, individual, group and interdisciplinary products and projects, independent study term papers and interviews. Graduation portfolios may also include on demand performances in which students perform specific tasks upon request, and embedded long-range projects in which students do research and develop products over time. Thomas Armstrong, an author and advocate of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences theory, claims that most portfolios focus primarily on linguistic and logical/mathematical intelligences. In his view, incorporating multiple intelligences into the portfolio experience, allows the inclusion of a greater variety of material. To this end, Armstrong has developed a portfolio checklist to determine if all the intelligences have been represented (see Handout 8C). In this lesson, students will be introduced to what a portfolio is, and how it can be useful as an assessment tool in the classroom. Objectives: In this lesson, students will be introduced to what a portfolio is, and how it can be useful as an assessment tool in the classroom. Students will then explore how their knowledge of multiple intelligences theory can make a portfolio an exciting new way to showcase unique talents and abilities.
After a discussion of the definition and contents of a portfolio and the relationship of Multiple Intelligences theory to the completion of a portfolio, students will be able to:
Materials: Handout 8A "My Personal Portfolio"
Ongoing Procedures:Introduce the concept of portfolios by asking students if they know what a portfolio is? Tell students that artists and models keep portfolios. Ask students the following questions:
Tell the class that every portfolio should have goals - what you hope to accomplish. In terms of a unit on student/youth due process rights, what would you want to accomplish by keeping a portfolio? Place the words "Portfolio of Student Youth Due Process Rights" on the chalkboard. Have students brainstorm what their goals would be in keeping a portfolio and what they would include in a portfolio to accomplish these goals. Draw a circle on the chalkboard and place the words Portfolio of Student/Youth Due Process Rights, in the circle.
Ask students to indicate the items they would keep in the portfolio as follows:
Portfolio of Student Youth Due Process Rights Distribute Handout 8A, "My Personal Portfolio." Have students complete the exercise and then explain their answers to the following questions:
Distribute Handout 8C. Divide the class into several equal sized groups. The groups will discuss how the portfolios will be assessed and who will assess them (e.g. a team of students, the teacher etc.). After each group has completed this task, join together as a class. Tell students that assessment categories for portfolios should demonstrate whether goals have been accomplished, whether materials are well organized, whether materials are creative, whether the portfolio shows proof of growth and whether the portfolio shows feelings and values. The teacher should now develop a list of assessment categories for portfolios with the class. If the class has difficulty thinking of assessment categories, give students some ideas and then discuss whether they agree that these are the categories that should be used. The class now develops a rubric for at least one assessment category (e.g. "creativity.") A scale will be used to measure how well a portfolio displays this category (e.g. how well does the student show creativity.) The scale will have measurements of failure, adequate, good, and excellent. The class will determine what items in a portfolio make the portfolio fall within the measurement of failure, adequate, good, or excellent for a particular category. Students should copy this information from the chalkboard onto the Handout. Have students explain their answers to the following questions:
Distribute Handout 8C "What to Put in an MI Portfolio." Tell students that the material to be included in the portfolio should deal with a variety of intelligences. The teacher may need to review Multiple Intelligences theory which was presented in a previous introductory lesson on this subject. Reconvene the original groups. Have students complete the activity on the Handout. After completing the group activity, students will again meet as a class. Distribute Handout 8D. Students will compare their group lists to the lists compiled by expert Thomas Armstrong. Have students explain their answers to the following questions.
Return to Handout 8A "My Personal Portfolio." How will your personal portfolio demonstrate Multiple Intelligences?
Handout 8A: STUDENT/YOUTH DUE PROCESS My Personal Portfolio
Answer the following questions in the space provided. 1. What do you want to accomplish with your portfolio (must deal with the theme of student/youth due process rights? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
2. How will your portfolio look? Will it be a journal, folder or box etc? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
3. How will your portfolio be organized? Will it consist of only finished products, best work or be in chronological order etc? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
4. What will your portfolio include? Will it include projects, products, interviews, class notes, homework, research or group projects etc? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
Handout 8B: STUDENT/YOUTH DUE PROCESS
Assessing A Portfolio According to your group, how should the portfolios be assessed? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ According to your group, who should assess the portfolios? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Meet as a class and use this space to complete the next part of the activity.
Handout 8C: STUDENT/YOUTH DUE PROCESS What to Put in an MI Portfolio Reconvene into your original groups. Below is a list of the seven intelligences. The group will decide what items should be placed in the portfolio to demonstrate each intelligence. The first item has already been supplied on the Handout. The group will determine what additional items are appropriate for each intelligence and list that item in the space provided. Students should be prepared to explain how each item the group selected shows a particular intelligence.
According to your group, what should you put in a MI portfolio; To document linguistic intelligence:
To document logical/mathematical intelligence:
To document spatial intelligence:
To document bodily/kinesthetic intelligence:
To document musical intelligence:
To document interpersonal intelligence:
To document intrapersonal intelligence:
Handout 8D: STUDENT/YOUTH DUE PROCESS
What to Put in an MI Portfolio (Part 2)
Students should now meet as a class and compare the group list with the list of items below.
To document linguistic intelligence:
To document logical-mathematical intelligence:
To document spatial intelligence:
To document bodily-kinesthetic intelligence:
To document musical intelligence:
To document interpersonal intelligence:
To document intrapersonal intelligence:
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