College Prep :: Blog

The following is a proposal for the College Prep Final Portfolio Project.  The purposes of this project is for students to assess themselves and their progress in the program.  The Core 5 instructor will be monitoring this project and it should be reflected in syllabus as a percentage of grade.  Steps to complete this project should be given periodically as classwork or homework assignments so students are not overwhelmed at end of term.

1.  Using the presentation tool, students start a new presentation labled Final Portfolio Project.

2. Students make an Introductory text box reflecting on their first impressions of HTIC and their intial English ability.

 3.  Students add files in chronological order representing what they feel represents their progress in the program.  ICEs and research papers should be filed in storage and easily accessible for this step.  They may also add audio and video samples demonstrating their speaking ability.  Students should write short explanations of the files they have selected and how they feel it represents their progress.

4.  Students should select one or two blogs from Classroom without Walls and reflect on their favorite and most educational field trip.

5.  A longer Conclusion text box, perhaps linked to topics added in introduction, should be written explaining their overall assessment of themselves in the program and what future challenges lie ahead.

 

 

Because of some technical difficulties not everyone got a chance to see this. So here it is again hosted on our trusty server.

Today we had a great time at Ft. DeRussy for our After TOEFL Picnic. Here is an interview with the winners of the Vocabulary Bee held during the event. Each winner received a Starbuck's Giftcard.

Today we had a language exchange with students from neighboring Iolani High School.  The following is an interview with an Iolani/HTIC pair. Click play to watch video.

1. The first thing a student should do is fill out his or her profile.  This is an ideal CORE  class or homework assignment during the first few days of a student's first term.  Information such as likes and dislikes, future goals and wishes, contact, and tons of other fun stuff can go here, very similar to a MySPACE or Mixi account.  This is also where students upload their site picture which is the little icon that identifies them on the blog and other places around the network.
2. The next stop on the system is the personal blog .  A great first blog is a simple introduction of oneself to the learning community.  Following blogs can be announcements about upcoming events, reviews of places around HTIC, or really just about anything that a student wants to share.  The goal here is to express yourself. Please note complete essays and research papers are usually too long and not appropriate for blogs, however excerpts from such items may make good postings. For all field trips, it is recommended that students join the Around Town Community, and use the community blog to informally reflect on their excursions.  It is also possible to add MP3s to blogs for podcasting, and flash video for vodcasting.  Just about any file you have uploaded can be added to a blog entry.
3. Probably the most useful feature of this system is the ability to add files .  Students should make folders of each class, especially Core classes,  and upload files. Subfolders for in-class essays and research papers for each course are also suggested.  All research papers and midterm and final in-class essays are required to be uploaded and serve as good evidence for learning and show progress over time.  Students may also add pictures, audio, and video to really enhance their collection.  Teachers should encourage students to add work to their collections and this system may also serve as a paperless way to submit assignmments.  Note that student can make special access groups so that only their teachers will be able to view their files.
   
4. The real magic of the portfolio system comes from making presentations of student work.  The presentation tool allows students to arrange their files, blog posts, and textboxes in a meaningful order and add comments about each entry.  A comprehensive presentation of all their work is required to be made in the CORE 5 class since it is during their final term in the College Prep Program .  In this presentation students can write an introduction textbox, add papers, blogposts, and other files with meaningful comments that track their progress, and finally add a self-assessment textbox that reflects upon what they have learned in the program. 
   

This post is to express my gratitude for everyone's big efforts this term
and to document all the truly wonderful things that are going on in our
program right now.

First, the trips and outings and the subsequent blogging by students on
the http://portfolio.hawaiitokai.edu/trips/weblog/ is exceptional. If
anyone has not seen this blog yet, log in and check it out. I loved
reading the students entries about Chinatown, Manoa Falls, Punahou
Carnival, Dole Plantation, Leonard's, China Wall's, and the like. Thanks
to everyone for the time put in.

I also want to thank those involved in the language exchanges we have
going. In cooperation with the IP Department, Iolani High School, and
most recently HPU, we are already responding to our program review and
giving students what they asked for, more real opportunities to speak
English. Thanks again to everyone coordinating and in some cases giving
up weekend time.

And there is more to come, I cannot wait for the program wide Vocabulary
Bee about to take place, and we are in the process of putting video
presentations into the students portfolios and broadcasting live as well.
Hopefully we have a good showing on the TOEFL too.

If I left anything out, feel free to respond and let us know other what
other events and general good stuff is taking place.

I do not know how everyone manages to pack so much in to 10 weeks but I
feel really fortunate to work with such a supportive, creative,
professional, high-energy team. All the stuff you are doing does not go
unnoticed.

Hi everone.  I just want to say that I love reading everyone's trip postings and I think they are great documentation for our program.  please rememeber to add pics, audio and video.

1. The first thing a student should do is fill out his or her profile.  This is an ideal CORE  class or homework assignment during the first few days of a student's first term.  Information such as likes and dislikes, future goals and wishes, contact, and tons of other fun stuff can go here, very similar to a MySPACE or Mixi account.  This is also where students upload their site picture which is the little icon that identifies them on the blog and other places around the network.  A first speaking sample should also be collected during a students first term.
2. The next stop on the system is the personal blog .  A great first blog is a simple introduction of oneself to the learning community.  Following blogs can be announcements about upcoming events, reviews of places around HTIC, or really just about anything that a student wants to share.  The goal here is to express yourself. Please note complete essays and research papers are usually too long and not appropriate for blogs, however excerpts from such items may make good postings. For all field trips, it is recommended that students join the Classroom without Walls Community, and use the community blog to informally reflect on their excursions.  (Please ask students to include the date of their field trip in posting)  It is also possible to add MP3s to blogs for podcasting, and flash video for vodcasting.  Just about any file you have uploaded can be added to a blog entry.
3. Probably the most useful feature of this system is the ability to add files .  Students should make folders of each class, especially Core classes,  and upload files. Subfolders for in-class essays and research papers for each course are also suggested.  All research papers and midterm and final in-class essays are required to be uploaded and serve as good evidence for learning and show progress over time.  Students may also add pictures, audio, and video to really enhance their collection.  Teachers should encourage students to add work to their collections and this system may also serve as a paperless way to submit assignmments.  Note that student can make special access groups so that only their teachers will be able to view their files.
   
4. The real magic of the portfolio system comes from making presentations of student work.  The presentation tool allows students to arrange their files, blog posts, and textboxes in a meaningful order and add comments about each entry.  A comprehensive presentation of all their work is required to be made in the CORE 5 class since it is during their final term in the College Prep Program .  In this presentation students can write an introduction textbox, add papers, blogposts, and other files with meaningful comments that track their progress, and finally add a self-assessment textbox that reflects upon what they have learned in the program.