Public exhibition
One final element common to both kinds of portfolios is the public exhibition. Before a panel consisting of any combination of peers, teachers, parents, or other community members, students are often asked to formally present all or parts of their portfolio. In some cases, students defend their work, much like a graduate student might defend a thesis. In other cases, groups of students exhibit their portfolios in a more celebratory manner, much like a museum exhibition. Still other cases have students develop a part of their portfolio more in depth, reflecting a student's individual academic or career interests.
However a portfolio exhibition is structured, the importance of this element lies in forging a connection between student and community. When a student's portfolio will be viewed by others critically, it lends the whole process more validity and higher stakes; students will pay closer attention to quality. Similarly, it also becomes a way to involve the community, particularly parents, more deeply in the learning process.
By Andrew Epstein, Synapse Learning Design
