I met a middle school math teacher while I was a tech coach at a PK-12 international school that scoffed at my suggest of using a digital portfolio with his students. He didn’t consider himself the “portfolio type.” He mentioned, “after tests, we go over the answers most commonly missed, and any questions, and that’ll all they need.” But after I convinced him to try a digital portfolio system for one semester, he said he’d never go back.
“I used to only see the final answer,” he reflected. “Now, I see the thinking that got them there which was way more powerful because I could more easily see where they needed help.”
Portfolios = Thinking on Display
In math, we often prioritize accuracy. But portfolios allow students to demonstrate mathematical reasoning, not just computation. That’s exactly what a Balanced Assessment System calls for—assessments of, for, and as learning (Stiggins, 2007). Portfolios give students room to:
- Show step-by-step problem-solving
- Reflect on errors and revisions
- Explain strategies through writing or video
- Set goals and track progress over time
Instead of just a single unit test, students compile evidence of understanding from across the learning arc. He still used the test, but found students performed better on average that year than in previous years.
What Goes in a Middle School Math Portfolio?
Here’s what a the students in that math class included over one unit:
- Screenshots of work done in GeoGebra
- Annotated PDFs or photos of written problem sets
- Short videos either of themselves explaining a chosen problem
- Corrections of previously missed problems, with explanation
- A math “challenge of the week” journal entry
- A reflection slide: “What strategy worked best for me?”
Assessment With a Human Touch
These math portfolios have also improved student-teacher conferences. Our middle school had been developing a student lead conference process. Instead of hearing about grades in a gradebook from the teacher, students used their portfolios to share specific examples of their work directly with their family. Their parents were able to see the learning process.
By the end of the term, the math teacher himself said “It’s less about grading more things, and more about gathering meaningful evidence.”
Beyond Math
Of course, Math is just one subject area a portfolio can be useful for learning. English classes can use a journal for writing and reading reflection, science can use a journal to document labs and experiments, social studies can keep a portfolio to unpack claims, evidence and reasoning. An art portfolio could follow the process of making a piece, etc.
When I taught Design, a portfolio in the form of a design journal was the primary artifact assessed. We also used the portfolio for students to demonstrate safe use of the shop tools. Here’s an example of what that journal looked like.
Are you ready to start using portfolios in your classroom?
Download a ready-to-use Digital Portfolio Template
A flexible slide deck you can adapt for any subject. Includes reflection prompts, space for artifacts, and rubric suggestions.
🔗 Learn More:
- Rick Stiggins (2007). “Assessment Manifesto”
Download PDF - Dan Meyer: Beyond Answer-Getting
Blog post on seeing math thinking - Harvard Project Zero – Making Thinking Visible
Strategies for Math and STEM
