Monday Mojo: Documenting Learning

Sharpen the Saw

If students could bottle up the learning in your classroom, how would they do it?  Reflection is an essential part of the learning process, and opportunities to pause and document the learning process are endless.  Once the semester is over, how will students know and reflect upon all they've learned in your class?  It's a daunting question, and one often dismissed in the haste of kicking off the school year.  But it's generally easier to begin with the end in mind, so take a few minutes this week to think about how students might document their learning this year.  The possibilities are endless!

A popular option is the portfolio, which can sometimes feel pretty beastly!  Consider, however, the two common types of portfolios, which can really be accomplished in smaller, more manageable alternatives in your class. PROCESS PORTFOLIOS focus on the process of learning from beginning to end.  These portfolios generally include the ups and downs of learning, including dismissed prototypes, early rough drafts, or the incorrect hypothesis.  PRODUCT PORTFOLIOS focus on student mastery of course objectives and showcase the best work of the student.  Does your classroom celebrate PROCESS or PRODUCT more frequently?  Even if you choose not to take on a portfolio, capturing learning via photo stores, video reflection, or brief journals can be a powerful catalyst for reflection.  

Trade Secrets

LHS Science teacher Katie Welzenbach challenged her students to create a digital portfolio to capture the learning in her BioMed class.  Kristin's portfolio is an incredible example of how text, photo, and video can be combined to create a process portfolio.  

The LHS Visual Art Department launched a virtual art exhibit last spring using the power of Blogger. It's an incredible collection of student work and a great example of the possibilities for a product portfolio.

Educator Silvia Tolisano is a guru on all things Documenting Learning and shares ideas on her Langwitches blog.  This Document4Learning Slideshare is definitely worth a look.

Digital Difference

Vocaroo creates audio recordings with a simple click of a button that can be shared via link or QR code, making it a fantastic option for students to share reflections on work products. 

Document learning in action using the photo collage maker PicMonkey to create a quick summary of any learning experience.  Photos can tell an incredible story about the learning in your classroom. Get out those computers or cell phones and encourage students to snap photos throughout your active learning experiences including labs, kinesthetic activities, and more.

Filter reflection through a hashtag and capture it all using Tagboard.  Establish a hashtag for any learning experience and encourage reflection via social media.  Tagboard will pull the hashtag from all social media platforms meaning students don't need a particular social media account. Filter from Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and more.

Thanks for reading this week's Monday Mojo! Do you have an idea related to documenting learning that you'd like to share? Please add it to the comment feed below. If you have a topic you'd like to see covered, email Sara.