Content area
Full Text
Portfolio assessment is often described as an effecfive means for social studies teachers to evaluate their students' progress.1 Because beginning teachers tend to have had little experience with portfolios, however, they may be hesitant to try portfolio assessment thus missing the opportunity to take advantage of this potentially valuable teaching method. To keep that from happening, teacher educators should consider having their students develop their own portfolios while in teacher preparation programs.
The theme-based portfolio-which we have found to be the most useful kind-is perhaps most effectively described as "an ongoing conversation between student and student, student and teacher, and student and self,'2 joining in this "conversation" by modeling portfolio assessment practices will help future social studies teachers become more familiar and comfortable with portfolio assessment, thus encouraging them to find ways to use this teaching method in their own classrooms. In that way, social studies methods instructors will help achieve their mission to "prepare prospective teachers to select, integrate, and translate knowledge and methodology from the social studies into curricula suitable for the grade levels at which they expect to teach " 13 By modeling portfolio assessment practices, teacher educators will encourage students to reconsider their conceptions of assessment and to develop the reflective thinking necessary for effective and creative teaching. 4
How Does a Theme-Based Portfolio Prepare Better Teachers?
A portfolio may be defined as "a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student's efforts, progress, and achievements in one or more areas.'5 For our theme-based portfolio, we have our students select a theme from the social studies curriculum as the focus for their portfolio development. As the term proceeds, the student is challenged to reflect on and apply to his or her theme new knowledge from course activities, class discussions, and readings. For instance, a prospective social studies student might select "revolutions" as the theme for his or her portfolio and then, when different learning strategies are being studied, consider how a cooperative learning strategy could be used to teach about revolution.
Students are also given opportunities to collaborate with their classmates in the development oftheir portfolios. Peer-review sessions throughout the term encourage students to continue to develop their portfolios by applying new knowledge gained in class. This constant effort...