Planning

My Writing Portfolio
A Handbook for Young Thinkers,
Learners and Writers

Written and compiled by Dr. Farhana Ziaee

First Edition, March 2024
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 Contents

1. What is a Writing Portfolio?

2. Benefits of Writing Portfolio

3. Kinds of Writing Portfolios

4. Personal Portfolio Model

5. Classroom Portfolio Model

6. Preparing a Classroom Portfolio

7. Organization of a Student Portfolio

8. Contents of a Student Portfolio

9. Portfolio Evaluation

10. Advantages

11. Drawbacks

10. Celebration
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 What Is a Writing Portfolio?
It is an organized collection of a writer’s writeups that is
intended to demonstrate his/her growth over the course of
one or more years. It reveals student’s engagement in writing
activities, achievements, evaluations hence forth his/her
evolution as a Writer.
All writers keep a special collection of their work in special
digital or hard folders. A collection of such kind is called ‘Personal Portfolio’.

Benefits of Writing Portfolio

My Portfolio is a mere 2-ring binder, but I think of it as my treasure chest-probably

because all the writing resources I have stored in it are very special to me. Are you
feeling pressured about the need to use Student portfolios? Don’t worry, you are
probably headed for a rewarding teaching experience. In fact, there are many wonderful
benefits to having students create portfolios.

• It makes writing an amazingly joyous and creatively innovative learning process.

• Ss are practically able to see their evolution as a writer over a course of time.
• It enhances Ss organization and time management skills.
• One of the most important benefits of using portfolios is the enhancement of critical
thinking skills which result from:
a) Self-reflection
b) self-evaluation
c)self-study
• responsible for their own learning-self-accountability
• They become self-disciplined
• Ss reflect upon their writing process and identify their strengths and areas of
improvement/self-assessment
• Ss are grossly attracted by the thought that they have a role in their and peers’
evaluation-a role that encourages personal ownership for improvement and growth.
• Student centered control due to delayed ongoing evaluations and selections by
learners themselves.
• It promotes planning and goal-setting.
• It provides an opportunity for less vocal students to show their understanding of the
subject.
• Ss learn from each other as they share writeups with peers for reflections and enjoy
reading aloud their writeups in class.
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• Even Ss who rarely work are amazed to see their finished assignments.
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• It provides on-going, systematic and strategic language learning opportunities.

 • Ss develop an appreciation of their own learning/achievements
• Writing is no more a threat to them, but a pleasant experience.
• They start thinking of themselves as writers, and presumably some take it up as a
career too.
Kinds of Portfolios
One type of student portfolio contains work that shows the student’s progression through the
course of the school year. For example, writing samples might be taken from the beginning,
middle and end of the year. This can help show growth and provide teachers, students and
parents with evidence of how the student has progressed. Such a portfolio is called a ‘Process
Portfolio’.

A second type of portfolio involves the student or teacher selecting examples of their best
work. This type of portfolio can be graded and used as an evidence of student work for college
and scholarships. Such portfolios are referred to as ‘Product Portfolios’ and used for
showcasing student achievements. Self -assessment sheets, rubrics and carefully set and
agreed upon criteria is used to evaluate them.

A third kind of portfolio is a combination of the above two, being referred to as a ‘Hybrid’.

Process Product Hybrid

class person
room al

“Your Writing Portfolio represents your

work as a writer. The pieces you
include in it should say something
about your personal talents and your
writing process” Anne-Marie Oomen
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 Personal Portfolio Model

Did you notice, that my Portfolio is basically organized according to the steps in the
writing Process. A student can divide his/her portfolio as per their requirements.
For Example, different kinds of writing they like to do: poems, stories, letters,
plays, picture descriptions, or they can divide it by different audiences: personal write-
ups, family, friends and so on.
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 Preparing a Classroom Portfolio

A Classroom Portfolio is usually developed at the end of the academic year. It is a collection of
the best writing each student in the class choses to turn in for showcasing his achievements on
a class-level. It can be organized as a special folder, more like a magazine, or displayed as
mementos on a wall that can be shared with parents as a Group Project at the end of the year.

Why Should a teacher ask for a classroom

portfolio?

We as teachers know that the classroom

portfolio makes the writing process much
more real, meaningful and rewarding for
students.

Student efforts displayed for acknowledgement

How is a classroom portfolio

different from a basic writing
folder?

A writing folder contains all of your

Collage work of Students mounted on a wall
in-class writing, from old assignments
to the latest story you are working
on. A portfolio on the other hand,
showcases only your best effort as a
writer.

“I used to think of writing as my most

dreaded fear. Now it’s what I look forward to…When I look over my work, I
feel honored that I wrote it.”
Tomlinson, grade 5
Why try Portfolio?
Students have been stuffing bleeding writing assignments in dull thick
lined notebooks, for years. While in the writing portfolios teachers adopt a
learner centered approach, instilling critical thinking abilities in the
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learners as they select and reflect upon their writing process.

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 ORGANIZATION OF A WRITING PORTFOLIO

WHAT? WHEN?
A creatively presented folder with well -Initiated at the start of the year
organized Student’s written tasks composed -Addons throughout the year.
over the course of a year.
WHY? HOW? THE PROCESS
-Students become organized and responsible -Introduce the Writing Portfolio Concept to
for their own learning. (self-accountability) the Ss
-Students are engaged in self-reflection -Share last year’s sample Portfolio with Ss to
about their progress built-in excitation
-They evaluate their own work -Give away The Purple Sheet: Guidelines
-Students are pleased to observe their -Share Portfolio Evaluation Sheet/Rubrics
personal growth -Ask Ss to arrange a portable, handy folder
-They start to think of themselves as writers -Give away content page (Writing curriculum)
-They learn from each other -Give suggestions for organization
-Set process: deadlines, consequences
-Ask Ss to creatively decorate their folders
What is the most - formulate a title page with writing quotes
important thing to highlighting importance of writing.
remember about a -Next: About me as an Author.
writing portfolio? -Dedication page
-Reflections before I began my portfolio
“A writing Portfolio is -Reflections and read aloud after each task*
the story of your -4 Writing Tasks with Rubrics
-4 Assignments with Self-assessment sheets
writing experiences. If
-4 Personal Write-ups with Rubrics
you put forth your -Published Work
best efforts, your -My best effort as a Writer
portfolio will be a -Comments: Teachers, parents, peers, friends
success” -Conference Form
-Portfolio Evaluation Form
-Reflective Writing at the end of the year

READ ALOUDS ARE A MUST AFTER EACH EVALUATION

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 CONTENTS
Suggested Contents:
Tasks Assignments Assessments/Evaluation
-Cover page -Personal Narratives -Reflections prior
-Title page -Fiction Narratives -Reflections post
-Acknowledgement -Short stories -Self-assessment sheet
-About the Author -Informal letters -Peer Reviews
-Dedication page -Dialogue writing -Parents Comments
-Purple sheet -Descriptive writing -Teacher’s Comments
-Portfolio booklet -Formal letter -Conference Form
-Cut, paste, comment -Summary writing -Portfolio Evaluation
-code of conduct -Autobiography form.
-policies -Resume Writing
-rules and regulation -Book Reviews
-work contract -Movie Reviews
-Picture descriptions -Article Writing What will you include in
-3/7words/2-3-line -Writing a speech your Portfolio?
stories -Declamation
Your teacher will make it
-Framing quotations -Debate very clear what your
-Cinquains/limericks -Report Writing portfolio should contain.
-mind maps -Argumentative writing She will tell you how
-brainstorming -Biography Writing many pieces to include,
-graphic organizers what type of writing you
-Free writing can choose from, and
when your portfolio must
-Paragraph writing
be ready.
-Invitation card
-SMS
-email
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 Portfolio Evaluation
Portfolios can provide progressive and coherent snapshots of a learner's knowledge,
performance and development at particular points in a course or program. Students may feel
that portfolios are fairer than some other assessment methods, because: they require
sustained effort over a long period.
The Process of Evaluation:
Using Rubrics:
i. Define criteria such as creativity, organization, clarity, grammar, mechanics or following
instructions. (not more than 6)
ii. Put in levels of achievement: excellent, proficient, basic, needs improvement
iii. Assign specific descriptors for each criterion
iv. formulate level descriptors for each criterion to assess quality of the work
v. Assign weights, like organization 20%, mechanics10%, vocabulary10%
vi. Assign a score or rating for each criterion
vii. rubrics developed according to grade/genres
viii. Provide constructive feedback
ix. Summarize overall performance, identifying any notable strengths or weaknesses
observed
x. Communicate results, providing opportunities to review, ask questions, discuss ways to
further improve

By using a well-designed rubric, teachers can provide Ss with clear expectations,

meaningful feedback to support growth as writers.

Attached below are some evaluation sheets

Yellow comment s Sheets

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Self-Assessment Sheet

Parets Feedback form

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Name: _______________________ Class: ____________________ Date: _________________

PORTFOLIO CONFERENCE FORM

Student’s Comments Parent’s Comments Teacher’s Comments
What Does your portfolio reveal
about you as a writer?

What are your strengths as a

writer?

In accordance to your Portfolio, to

improve, you must work on?

My Follow-up Plan:

Name: Name: Name:

Sign: Sign: Sign: 11

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Narrative Rubric

Name: Title:

Structure
The writing . . .
• begins with action or a very brief explanation.
• describes the events and actions of the story in the middle part.
• organizes the events in an easy-to-follow manner.
• ends with a final action or final thought.

Ideas
• includes all the important actions and details.
• uses sensory details to describe how things look, sound, smell, or taste.
• uses specific verbs to describe action (sprint instead of ran).
• includes personal feelings.
• includes dialogue between characters.
• includes sentences that are easy to read and understand.

Mechanics
• is free of most errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
• uses quotation marks around dialogue.

Comments:
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Portfolio Evaluation

Name: Date:

Prewriting
• Chooses appropriate topics.
• Uses a selecting activity, such as clustering, freewriting, or listing.
• Discusses topics before writing.

Writing
• Collects details by gathering thoughts, researching, and talking to others.
• Thinks of ways to organize the details.
• Identifies a focus for writing.
• Uses graphic organizers when appropriate.
• Writes a first draft.

Revising
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• Rereads the draft and asks another person to read it.

• Revises the content and changes the parts that are unclear or out of order.
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 Editing
• Checks the revised draft for spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors.
• Asks another person to check the writing for errors.
• Proofreads the final copy.

Publishing
• Shares the work with classmates, friends, and family.

Overall
• Participates actively in group or peer conferences.
• Writes regularly in a journal.
• Writes in other classes.
• Writes to communicate (email, notes).
• Enjoys creative writing (poetry, stories, scripts).

Overall Comments:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Name: Sign: Date:

PORTFOLIO CELEBRATION

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 Advantages of Writing Portfolios

Skill development: Building a portfolio encourages students to continuously practice and refine
their writing skills, leading to improvement over time.

Self-reflection: Portfolios provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their own writing
progress, identify areas for growth, and set goals for improvement.

Showcasing achievements: Portfolios allow students to showcase their best work and
achievements to potential employers, colleges, or scholarship committees, enhancing their
chances of success in applications.

Personal branding: A well-curated portfolio can help students establish a professional online
presence and build their personal brand as a writer or communicator.

Evidence of learning: Portfolios serve as tangible evidence of a student's learning journey,

demonstrating their mastery of writing concepts, techniques, and genres over time.

Differentiation: In competitive environments, a strong portfolio can help students stand out
from their peers by highlighting their unique writing style, voice, and perspectives.

Career readiness: By compiling a portfolio, students develop valuable skills in organization, self-
promotion, and presentation, which are essential for success in future academic and
professional endeavors.

Overall, writing portfolios offer students a powerful tool for showcasing their writing abilities,
documenting their growth, and positioning themselves for success in their academic and
professional pursuits.

Drawbacks of Writing Portfolis

Time consuming:Building and maintaining a writing portfolio requires time and efforts to
curate and update regularly,which can be challenging for young writers.

Privacy concerns:Sharing personal or sensitive work may be uncomfotable for sensitive writers.

Subjectivity:Evaluation of writing portfolios can be subjective,as different individuals may have

varying opinions on the quality and relevance of the showcased work.

Record keeping:Follow-up,recording data,one to one reflections,all require time and

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commitment,which can be a challenge for teachers with increased workload.

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 NOTES

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