Saturday, July 14, 2012

Academic Writing : Argumentation Text


PORTFOLIO AS AN INNOVATION OF LEARNING TOOL AND ASSESSMENT SOURCE FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING


These days there are several innovations in educational theory and practice. Education has moved from conventional teaching such teacher-center process to student-center process. The purposes of these innovations are to develop students’ competency and performance. To reach these purposes, there is a variety method but some educationists choose portfolio as a good way to teach and assess students’ progress. However, quite a few teachers argued that in the implementation of portfolio in the classroom is difficult and challenging. Nevertheless, portfolio becomes the popular option because there are several excesses for this program especially to evolve students’ competence and their relationship with the community. Both are the whole things that we need in the successful English language learning process.

A portfolio is a purposeful collection of students’ work that exhibits students’ effort, progress or achievement in a given area (Cameron, 2003). Portfolio is regarded as a good learning tool and assessment source for English language learners because the nature of portfolio involves the whole important attribute in learning process. Brown (2004) suggested six nature of portfolio are collecting, reflecting, assessing, documenting, linking and evaluating. According to this opinion, teachers consider that it will be hard to reflect, assess and evaluate every student one by one through the content of each student’s portfolio. It will need a long time to do it. Even this program is challenging especially in assessment process, I think that this program is more full-filling than traditional programs because in the realization in the classroom portfolio express students’ characteristics and identities, develop students’ competence, and establish a relationship between students and community. Every student has a portfolio which consists of their own creative work. To reflect students’ progress, teacher can assess and evaluate through the content of students’ portfolios. Teacher has to watch students’ achievement closely and every time. Then, we all know that traditional learning causes students lack of motivation, so portfolio program can be the good selection for teachers because portfolio not only fosters students’ competence but also interlace relationship between students and community. In the end of portfolio program, there is a final element to complete the entire process namely final exhibition. This section gives students a chance to show their portfolio in front of peers, teacher and parents. Through this activity, student will be motivated to do their best and band a good relationship between students and other people. The benefit of this program is not just for students but also for teachers. This program circumstancially trains the teacher to be the professional one and bring into being fair assessment. Thus, teacher must do this program seriously.

I think that these attributes describe the whole things that we need in a learning process. When the entire attributes are achieved, it means that the purpose of innovations and the learning process is carried on successfully. The fact shows that portfolio gives some potential benefits, such as foster students’ motivation, strengthen relationship between students and community, and indicate students’ characteristic and uniqueness. 

In conclusion, portfolio offers an alternative learning tool and assessment for English language learners that different from the traditional program. Portfolio appears like an innovative and creative activity for students. It will motivate students to create something new and different from their peers. Students will be more active and excited in the learning process. Portfolio also is the authentic source of assessment, reflection, and evaluation that shows students progress and achievement. Whereas in the implementation of portfolio is challenging, however this program is full-filling process and generate accountability. It will be an interesting and success program if teacher and students both can do this seriously.




Brown, H. D. (2004). Language assessment: Principles and classroom practices. New         York: Pearson Education.

Cameron, S. (2003). Using portfolio assessment: To translate rigor, relevance, and               relationships to classroom learning. Arizona: Curriculum Management System.

 Gomez, E. (2012, March 9). Assessment portfolios. Including English language learners in large-scale assessment. Retrieved from             http://www.cal.org/resources/digest_pdfs/0010-gomez-assess.pdf

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