I realize the conversation has evolved to a different focus, but forgive me as I would like to add a little more detail to the post about creating a student portfolio. Parents- early on in your child�s elementary years start keeping a container of some type filled with your child�s certificates, specifics about lessons, clubs, teams, or groups, community service, assessments from school, exceptional work, and any other artifacts that you feel capture your child�s moments in time where scholarship, leadership, service, character, or creativity were memorable. There may be times in your child�s life when s/he would like to participate in a camp or another opportunity where advocacy of your child may benefit from this authentic or specific evidence. I have seen parents provide artifacts when advocating for acceptance into gifted and talented programs. Thinking ahead through this type of organization can really help save time later.
As time goes on, usually beginning at about the middle level, these documents can become even more important as passions grow, and therefore stakes become higher in terms of your child�s participation in or recognition of academic or creative experiences. As the child grows, so, too, should his/her ownership of the record-keeping, though you as parents will recognize events that should be documented or artifacts that are worthy of keeping around for at least a few years while your child�s portfolio fodder grows before your child may.
In high school, release even more responsibility to your child. As opportunities arise, you will see the connections between the evidence you have been keeping and its relationship to questions asked on student applications for camps, honor societies, internships, jobs, and any other opportunities or recognitions for which a mind can profit from physical evidence to help stir some memories. In essence, this shoe box has become a very large and casual �portfolio� and �3-D resume�. In fact, as your child develops a resume in the later high school years, some of these experiences may provide helpful recollections.
The final product of a portfolio that a young adult may carry to an interview will be very different from that initial �shoe box� concept of the early years. First, it will be very refined and will only include the most impressive artifacts your child has. ACT scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation from teachers, copies of essays written for scholarships, certificates of achievement and so on will provide evidence that augments your child�s claims in an interview. I am in agreement that elementary artifacts are not appropriate here, and really you will need to judge the value of middle level artifacts in a high school portfolio. If excellence, for instance, in music is evidenced through experiences at the middle level that might be something your child would include in the high school portfolio if s/he is focusing on a music scholarship. It just depends.
In the case of my son, and many students I�ve taught and mentored over the years, the movement towards autonomy is both guided and encouraged, and yes- expected. Students should own their portfolio, and in our case it meant the parent and child sat together to organize that final product. Parents will help double check to ensure their children did not forget something substantial, and can be helpful in taking on a role of an observer who has seen the portfolio for the first time. What do you notice that is impressive? What spurs questions or clarification? Teacher mentors who are advocates for their students should be responsible enough to ensure students whose parents are not �organization savvy� receive guidance towards developing thoughtful record keeping.
I hope these comments are helpful. The concept of actively helping students develop portfolios is not new, but the catalyst for me besides advocacy of our own children at early ages developed when I served as an advisor for an honor society at one point in my career. Students would have profited from providing more than sketchy details regarding previous experiences in leadership or service. Thinking ahead and being organized enough to try to keep meaningful documents in one spot can save a little time and exacerbation later.
Thanks for letting me jump in here!
