Tuck-Pointing and a Sense of Accomplishment
Wisdom from the Field #4
In the summer of 2020, I volunteered to help repair our local art school. One brick building in question needed tuck-pointing - updating the joints with new mortar.
I also signed up to learn a little bit about this skill; my home has a sandstone foundation and needs some care too.
I do not have a future in this trade but I am glad I could help out while learning something new. What I also learned is this work is physically challenging, especially in the July heat. Near the end of the project, I asked the mason who was teaching us how he manages to stay motivated with this work in sometimes harsh conditions.
He waved his hand in front of the newly repaired building and said, “Look at what we did. You get a real sense of accomplishment.”
Making Learning Visible
In The Power of Moments, the authors noted that when former students are asked about their most memorable school experiences, they usually report graduation, prom, sporting events, and similar events.
One reason they remember these events is they are visible representations of their journey in life. They are high in emotion and in meaningfulness. In addition, students understand the results of their efforts as they are tangible.
This is why I wrote Digital Portfolios in the Classroom - to help make school more meaningful and memorable for kids. With technology used for this purpose, students do not have to translate their learning from a letter, grade, or score to an understanding of their efforts. They can point to their writing, speeches, and reflections in a digital space and then say, “Look at what I did.”
Reflective Questions
What area in your classroom or school is potentially ready for a shift to portfolio assessment? Which discipline could use some visibility?
What performance tasks in your curriculum would lend themselves well for students to publish and reflect upon their learning artifacts in a digital space?
How might this process look and feel? Will students first have opportunities to observe and/or participate in any demonstrations of portfolio assessment?
Will families have an opportunity to celebrate what their children have accomplished, both online and in person?
I just created a new workshop around using Google applications for digital portfolios. If your school is interested in learning more about this professional development opportunity, email me by replying to this post in your inbox or leave a comment.