1. Using Course Portfolios to Boost Attendance & Build Self-Management Skills ABE SUMMER INSTITUTE 2016 ELIZABETH ANDRESS

2. Workshop Objectives At the end of this session, you will be able to:  Describe in general terms the portfolio used in an advanced-level ELL/ABE retail customer service course and supports for completion  Identify self-management skills developed through successful completion of a multi-document course or unit portfolio  Consider the connection between a portfolio requirement and increased attendance  Draft a concept and document list for use of a portfolio in a course you will be teaching

3. Portfolio - definition  Meriam-Webster: a selection of a student's work (such as papers and tests) compiled over a period of time and used for assessing performance or progress  Many types of and approaches to portfolios – the sky is the limit!

4. PAIRS: Your participation in this workshop  What is your experience with portfolios?  What is your interest in the workshop topic?  What questions do you have that we can address?

5. Retail Customer Service class - context  Advanced ELL and L1 learners  12-week closed-enrollment class, 5 days/week, 1.5 hrs/day  Award a Hubbs Certificate of Completion  Portfolio – 80%  Attendance – 70%  Vocabulary tests, unit tests and final exam – 70%

6. Course Portfolio  See handout – Job Portfolio  Types of documents:  Job search documents – resume, references  Reference documents for various job search steps  Feedback forms – school store performance, mock interview  Photos  Course completion certificate

7. Portfolio – Benefits to me as instructor  Accountability to students – ensure I cover all items  Easy for me to check student progress  Students know how they are doing just from the checklist  Allows for early intervention for students who fall behind  Clear way to promote transition skills in my teaching

8. Portfolio – Benefits to students  Course expectations are clear  Students persist through duration of course  Use in mock interview and actual job search  Tangible, big accomplishment – “I did it!”  Develops many transitions skills

9. Student responsibility for completion  If you miss the day when we work on a portfolio item in class, it is your responsibility to:  Get the item in the “past handouts” folder on the teacher cart  Ask a classmate about how to complete it  Get help from a classmate, classroom volunteer, computer lab staff or someone else to complete it  I can help you identify resources/options to support completion  I want students to succeed, but I don’t hand-hold along the way…

10. Student success stories  Wesenyelesh – No items completed at end of Week 4  success by end of course  Elsa – Pride and astonishment in own capacity  new visions for education and career goals

11. TRANSITIONS: “TIF” Self-Management Skills  See handout – TIF @ a Glance: Self-Management Snapshot  Relevance to MN Adult Diploma, all levels of ABE and ELL  Skills for successful transition to work, training, post- secondary, and community contexts

12. Portfolios and Self-Management Skills THINK – PAIR – SHARE  Which TIF Self-Management skills are required / developed / demonstrated by successful completion of such a portfolio? How?  Think of a specific example where skills developed through completion of the portfolio would equip learners with transition skills for the workplace.  Think of a specific example where skills developed through completion of the portfolio would equip learners with transition skills for post-secondary education or training.

13. Portfolios – Impact on attendance PAIR – SHARE  How/why would this portfolio requirement increase attendance?  With the knowledge and assumptions you have about your own students‘ attendance, do you think use of a portfolio might increase their attendance? Why or why not? My experience – 80-90% attendance common; benefits to students and program

14. Using portfolios in your own context  What if… How could I…  Variety of contexts – GED, adult diploma, reading or writing classes, ELL, other job skill classes  See handout – Portfolio Planning Worksheet  Begin to shape use of a portfolio in a course you teach  Work alone or find a partner (similar class/context)  ____ minutes  Time to share with full group

15. Planning steps  Class  Student population  Goals for using a portfolio with this class  Basics of the portfolio Items to include in the portfolio  Requirements – e.g., % of portfolio items or points required to “pass”  Incentives I’ll create for completion of portfolio requirements  Expectations and supports for student completion of portfolio items if absent  How students can use the portfolio beyond the unit or course  Critical questions / things to figure out / other thoughts

16. Show-and-tell – brief summary  Context  Goals  1-2 good ideas so far  Questions, challenges…

17. Wrap-up  Positive potential of portfolios  Critical issues  Review of workshop objectives

18. THANK YOU!