K-8 organizations
For K-8 organizations, the following are some ideas on how to use Brightspace Portfolio to capture evidence of learning:
- Gardening/Science – monitoring a green space and tracking growth.
- Scavenger Hunts – numeracy and literacy, finding things in groups of a certain number, finding certain shapes in their home/outside. Use Portfolio to find something that starts with a letter, demonstrate pattern building or counting.
- Teachers sends out sight words and students post a picture using the words (making a sentence, acting something out).
- Reading – teachers ask students to post a picture of them with the book they read that day and have students re-tell, talk about their favorite part, etc.
- Literacy – read aloud practice, student records themselves reading from a book (also works for FSL in older grades).
- Digital book report – give analysis tasks and have the students respond via Portfolio.
- Virtual Journals – chance for students to connect with their teacher.
- Daily Physical Activity – teachers requesting student to try different activities. For example, Yoga Move of the Day – teachers post pictures of kid-friendly yoga poses and students try it and document in Portfolio.
- Physical Education – track progress with weightlifting, form checks, goals.
- Gratitude Posters– students make a poster of why they are thankful for front-line workers / community helpers. They can hang the art in their window and, in their reflection, they can discuss why they are thankful.
- “What things did you help with at home today?” – Students post to their portfolio something they helped with (cooking, baking, cleaning, etc.).
- Directed drawing videos on YouTube – post the directive drawing on Activity Feed and have students upload their final product to Portfolio (reflection could be how they felt about it, was it easy, hard? What else would they want to draw). Could also use discussions for this if you want the students to be able to see all the other students’ work.
- Virtual Learning Portraits – students create virtual learning portraits inspired by an artist. Great example: artist Gregg Segal’s Daily Bread series. Students should include items that have been most important to them while they are learning from home.
- Documentation of Accommodations: students can upload a picture/video of a task they’ve performed that fits their accommodations.
Figure: A math geometry portfolio displaying examples of polygons and polyhedrons.
Secondary (9-12) organizations
For secondary (9-12) organizations, the following are some ideas on how to use Brightspace Portfolio to capture evidence of learning:
- Field Trips - Authentic student reflection, voice and engagement.
- Outdoor Lessons - Document learning anywhere.
- Oral and Music Assessments - Free up in-class time; demonstrate progression of skills.
- Physical Education - Document milestones; capture learning.
- Art - Track progress and development of projects.
- Co-Op Work Term - Restatement and demonstration of learning.