Portfolios Expression of the Exceptional Mind by Haley

Portfolios Expression of the Exceptional Mind by Haley - June 2015 Scholarship Essay

Assessing is, by definition, the process of making a judgement of something. In school assessments, we are asked to perform tasks reflecting our academic understanding of a subject, so that the higher powers of education can determine (judge) our levels of knowledge. Depending on the assessor that previous sentence may, or may not have, been a run-on sentence. Consider the following: as you’re reading this essay, you’re given the power of the assessor. You can decide whether or not you like what i’m saying simply because you’ve been given the right to. One thousand dollars towards an education, whether it be mine, yours, someone else's, is partially in your hands as you vote. The same way our teachers and professors can determine the fates of our grades.

As a student in high school I’d turn in what I thought was B-level work after a period of procrastination and would still receive an A, because in comparison to my peers, I was still more advanced. That was until my freshmen year in high school when I was faced with a teacher who recognized my capabilities, and loved to crack the whip behind my heels by giving me very low B’s (this was a travesty in my mind) when I didn’t put in all my effort. Under this teacher’s guidance, I began to recognize the importance of consistency in your work. Consistency is a quality that employers look for in potential employees, and expect from those that they do hire. My ideal form of assessment recognizes the varying mindsets and learning types of students. Those who learn visually, interactively, linguistically, etc. The best way to cultivate a collection of these works is through a portfolio.

Portfolios successfully display a persons diverse abilities, show whether or not they consistently produce quality work, while also getting a better sense of the individual and the effectiveness certain teaching methods have on them. Students can only perform and progress if their instructor is also taking time to improve their teachings. Most importantly, you learn what a person has to offer based off of portfolios. When making a portfolio you can set goals in your mind for the pieces you’re creating. What am I trying to express? How can I portray this message in a way that feels real to me? Free-verse poetry on a table mat from the hip cafe everyone studies at is acceptable. Charcoal on ripped canvas with ink blots over a watercolor garden is acceptable. Typed, formal, opinionated essays in 12 font Helvetica is acceptable. In a portfolio your creativity is encouraged. In a portfolio your mind’s work is acceptable. You are acceptable.