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8 - Putting tenets and goals into practice: Using portfolios in literacy classrooms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 October 2012

Ann M. Johns
Affiliation:
San Diego State University
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Summary

A portfolio is a collection of my specific written works: four different assignments. By using this system, I can see my improvement in writing, and it makes me feel more responsible for doing the several tasks. It also helps me to think about different kinds of papers (Nguyen Hoa, student, developmental writing class at San Diego State University, December 1991).

In many ESL writing classes, teachers purposely structure writing assignments for success…. [However], if writing successes come too easily, they may be insufficiently challenging to serve the purpose of giving students writing experiences they can later refer back to in attempting to address tasks across the curriculum. Although ESL [or any literacy] class should no doubt be psychologically nurturing place, surely being a safe refuge is not enough (Leki, 1995, p. 256).

Throughout this volume, it has been argued that students should have a variety of motivating and challenging text experiences in their literacy classes, and that they should view texts and, to some extent, their strategies and processes for achieving tasks, as socially constructed. This chapter discusses classroom approaches that attempt to apply this argument, using the principles and goals outlined in the previous chapter. Portfolios are becoming of increasing interest to literacy practitioners.

These tools are flexible in terms of content, size, and purpose, so they may be adapted to many teaching and learning contexts. In addition, they are uniquely suited to expose students to a variety of genres.

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Type
Chapter
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Text, Role and Context
Developing Academic Literacies
, pp. 131 - 150
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1997

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