Portfolios can be very useful tools for the English classroom. Written portfolios can be created to organize student work. They allow the teacher to see the progress of the student over a period of time. After all, some students may not be on the level they need to be on by the end of a semester, yet the progress demonstrated in a portfolio can prove that some work has been completed, and the teacher may even be able to see frequent mistakes (or successes!) through examining work completed over a period of time.
One of the main advantages of digital portfolios is that they can be accessed from any computer. Since they are paperless, teachers do not need to keep tract of work students have turned in to them as hard copies. The convenience of technology also allows students to hold onto projects for years- if they add everything to the same portfolio, they will be able to access it all in an organized format. At KSU, the education department uses a website called Chalk and Wire to monitor the progress of the students who are trying to meet all of the criteria necessary to graduate as teachers. After each English Education class, I must create a reflection on how I have completed/am working toward the standards in the program.
