Documentations of Learning
Mr.
O'Leary
Documentations
of Learning (DLP's) are portfolios that contain documentation of what
the student has learned and work completed during a week.
DLP's
should include:
- All home work and class
work for the week. Be sure to include notes you took on class activities,
handouts you marked up, and other assigned and evaluated work, excluding
earlier DLP's.
- A narrative on what
you gained in thought, skills, experience or ideas from the assigned
work and class activities.
The
first paragraph
of the narrative should pinpoint where, when and why your learning
took place. For instance, don't just write, "I learned that authors
can use symbols to increase meaning." Add to that what symbol
you learned that from, where you thought about it, and why you made
the connection at this point in time.
The
second paragraph
should detail instances and evidence of respect or disrespect in the
class as a whole and by actions and dialogue specifically. How do
we know we are showing respect and when and how did that happen during
the week's activities? And, if disrespect were shown, where, why and
how did that happen?
The
third paragraph
should contain a discussion of what went well during the week, and
a discussion of what could have gone better. These paragraphs may
be shared anonymously by the teacher to highlight both the strong
parts of the class and the things we do that could be improved. As
an alternative, you may discuss concepts and discussions that were
not completely dealtwith during the week.
The
last paragraph
in the narrative should be praise for efforts or accomplishments by
individuals in the class suitable for anonymous sharing by the teacher.
I will read these to the class when I have finished correcting all
of the DLP's handed in that week. The best praise is the most specific
and detailed. General praise such as "Everyone was great this
week" sounds hollow and often insincere, even if true.
The intent of this documentation and narrative
is to encourage students to actively reflect on their learning and
to identify its sources and instances. DLP's also allow students to
use critical thinking and communication skills, and students will
be evaluated on the quality of their DLP's content and formÑboth what
they learned and how well they express that learning.