- The comfort level of the teacher in exploring and implementing a new resource
- The time commitment involved in establishing and maintaining portfolios
- The amount of student involvement in maintaining portfolios
- The end goal of publishing or displaying student portfolio
So, this month I thought I would share some solutions that could be used for student portfolios.
Three Ring
I recently learned about Three Ring and it seems like a fantastic solution to the digital portfolio question. One of the great features that I really like about it is that it can follow the student from year to year and is not tied to a teacher. It does not confine contents to just online work, but can include pictures taken of drawings or other written work. It makes creating digital student portfolios easy for all grade levels! One thing I feel that sets Three Ring apart from other student portfolio solutions listed here is that Three Ring was created specifically for student portfolios, so it includes things that are easy to use for teachers. |
Evernote
Evernote is another great tool that allows you to collect and store information. Evernote allows teachers to collaborate with students to build their portfolios. There are many great collaboration and sharing features that Evernote offers, but one thing I really like about Evernote for student portfolio use is that it allows you to create audio recordings (from their app) and save it directly to your account - no need to use an outside program. This is great for on-the-go recordings and early elementary students. |
Google Drive
Google Drive is a multi-function tool that allows users to incorporate a variety of information. As Google Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations, etc. are built right into Google Drive, organizing resources is easy. It is hard for me to pick just one feature I love about Google Drive, but the one thing I find very useful is the sharing and collaboration aspect that Google Drive provides. This could be a great storing space from year to year and would not be tied to a teacher, but rather owned and managed by students. |
Weebly
Weebly is my go-to website for web creation. I will also use Google Sites from time to time, but Weebly is very visual and easy for teachers and students alike to use. By using a website for a portfolio, you can create many different aspects - files, links, videos, blogs, and pretty much anything else you can think of that documents learning. Creating a website lends itself to being a student-directed portfolio option, but can also be created collaboratively with a teacher. Weebly does offer an education version, but this does tie students to teachers, so it may be difficult to maintain from year to year. |