1. 1 A pretty picture to begin the presentation... Crescent Lake, Washington state

2. 2 2 Showing What They Know Engaging Students Through Portfolios and Exhibitions Dr. Ken Easum Administrative Coordinator Educational Options Office

3. 3 3 Options Schools Accomplish the Impossible Every Day “ S ometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Said Alice, on her journey through Wonderland (with the help of Lewis Carroll)

4. 4 4 Six Elements That Most Excite and Motivate Students* 1. Education that takes place out of the school. 2. Something that students really want to do and that they have a choice in what they pursue. 3. Students have an opportunity to collaborate with others. 4. Students have the opportunity to produce something. 5. Students’ efforts are seen as useful to others. 6. Students have an opportunity for reflection and refinement. * Based on research by Joe Nathan, Director for School Change, Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota

5. 5 5 The 7 th Motivating Factor: Caring and Knowledgeable Adults “ Instruction at Educational Options schools is based on the principle that developing positive relationships with caring and knowledgeable adults that students can interact with on a daily basis is critical to their success. Students need to learn the skills, knowledge and habits of mind that are essential to take responsibility for and control over their own education. ” * * From the Options Program Overview: Personalizing Education for Every Student, January 2008

6. 6 6 Motivation is the key!

7. 7 7 Goals of Today’s Workshop See how WASC supports students learning and effective teaching at Options schools Learn how portfolios help students organize and reflect upon ‘what they know’ Learn how student exhibitions help ‘engage students in their own learning’ 

8. 8 8 Goals of Today’s Workshop (continued) See specific examples from schools that have incorporated students portfolios and exhibitions into their school culture Have fun!

9. 9 9 Conventional Instruction Reform Instruction Teacher-directed Didactic teaching Short blocks of instruction on single subject Single media Individual work Teacher as knowledge dispenser Ability groupings Assessment of fact knowledge and discrete skills Student exploration Interactive modes of instruction Extended blocks of authentic & multidisciplinary work Multimedia Collaborative work Teacher as facilitator Heterogeneous groups Performance-based assessment Instructional Learning Trends

10. 10 WASC Western Association of Schools and Colleges What does WASC really stand for? Part 1

11. 11 We Are Student Centered!

12. 12 Characteristics of a WASC Accredited School Is student-oriented and examines its students’ performance continuously

13. 13 Involvement and collaboration of all staff and other shareholders to support student achievement. Characteristics of a WASC Accredited School

14. 14 Characteristics of a WASC Accredited School Includes the assessment of the entire school program and its impact on student learning in relation to expected schoolwide learning results, academic standards, and WASC/CDE criteria.

15. 15 Characteristics of a WASC Accredited School Evidence of student work to be examined:  oral presentations  individual & group work  discussions  investigations and experiments  performances (exhibitions)  reports  projects  project products  portfolios  essays  journals  open-ended questions

16. 16 Characteristics of a WASC Accredited School The extent to which differentiation of instruction is occurring and its impact on student learning

17. 17 Characteristics of a WASC Accredited School (Summary) Instruction is student-centered Involvement and collaboration of all staff Includes the assessment of the entire school program Evidence of student work to be examined: - oral presentations, - individual & group work, - discussions, - performances, - reports, - projects, - portfolios, - essays, project products Differentiation of instruction and its impact on student learning

18. 18 Exhibitions (Help students showcase the knowledge and skills they have learned) Do students spend significant amounts of time doing field-based work beyond the four walls of the classroom? Do students engage in real investigations, using a variety of methods, media, and sources? Are students expected to communicate what they are learning through presentation and/or performance? Part 2

19. 19 First, they make schools externally accountable by providing members of the community an opportunity to view the goings-on in their schools. Second, they make schools internally accountable by generating valuable information about what and how students are learning. This healthy scrutiny prompts schools to make changes, if necessary, so that they can graduate thoughtful and capable students. Third, and perhaps most importantly, exhibitions encourage students to move toward deeper and more substantive understandings and, in so doing, ask teachers to shift their emphasis from transferring information to providing a usable base of skills and knowledge (McDonald, 1992). Exhibitions serve three Integral Functions

20. 20 Project Ideas are Everywhere

21. 21 Students are natural exhibitionists. Here a dedicated teacher helps his students find a theme for their portfolio exhibit.

22. 22 Or... that unusual family down the street might make an interesting project.

23. 23 Imagine conducting an Oral History Project with this family

24. 24 Student art displayed at the Options ArtsCool culmination

25. 25 Portfolios (Students Showing What They Know and Can Do) The act of creating a portfolio helps students organize and reflect upon‘what they know’ Part 3

26. 26 Rare photo of Queen Elizabeth I bestowing honors upon a student for Creating a Most Fabulous Portfolio

27. 27 Collaborate One of the most important skills in life is the ability to work with and learn from others

28. 28 What Does the Future Look Like? Students will routinely use both traditional and electronic portfolios. Students will continue to ‘show what they know and can do’ through a variety of exhibitions. Options schools and their staffs will be successful in WASC accreditation because their skills and expertise will match their positive relationships to motivate and educate students to excel.

29. 29 Digital Portfolios The Way Students Will Preserve and Present Their Work

30. 30 Contact Information Dr. Ken Easum Administrative Coordinator, Educational Options Office 333 S. Beaudry Ave.–18th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90017 Office: 213.241.0600 Fax: 213.241.8446 Email: ken.easum@lausd.netken.easum@lausd.net

31. 31 A pretty picture to end the presentation... The Oregon Coast