Student Digital Learning Portfolios

I teach in a 1:1 Chromebook classroom with the majority of student work completed through G Suite for Education apps or other digital tools and programs. A challenge of mine has always been how to showcase student learning when it is all housed online. This year, my students are creating student learning portfolios to share with their families, peers, and others what they're working on in addition to their reflection of their learning.

Here is an example of one of my students' learning portfolios so far:

Google Sites

I decided to use Google Sites for the student learning portfolios because of the ease of use and quick learning curve. I spent one class period helping students get started and now they know how to update their websites on their own. 

Google Sites makes is really easy for students to insert examples of their work from their Google Drive. There is also an embed function for students to embed Flipgrid videos! Students love utilizing the template function and are able to easily customize the theme and aesthetic of their websites.

Here is the tutorial I made to help my students create their Google Sites:

*Bonus* My Maps on the Home Page!

In addition to students creating new pages for each unit, my students create a My Maps at the beginning of the year and update it each unit with new locations. They are literally mapping their journey as we cover units. 

Here are what my directions look like. 

Below is an example of what this can look like.

Sharing Student Learning Portfolios

To showcase all students' learning portfolios, I had my students create mini profile cards with a QR code and URL to their websites. I printed them and placed them on one of my classroom walls so all classroom visitors can scan the QR codes to access the student learning portfolio.

Share Settings and Student Privacy

I take student privacy very seriously (and it's the law!) so I emphasized to my students to only include first names on their websites and student work.

However, I also emphasized the importance of an authentic audience. Our goal is to have others view their progress and learning and in order to do that, we have to allow for a public audience. Therefore, in my guide, I show them how to open up the websites for public viewing, but check the box to request search engines not to show the site.

Do you have your students create learning portfolios in your class? I'd love to see other examples of digital portfolios. Comment below or connect with me on Twitter!