Articulating a Vision: Student Led Portfolio Conferences and the Journey

As we approach the midterm of the trimester, we should take a moment to honor all the steps taken thus far in our journey. Simply put, I feel that 7-1 students have grasped how their Social Studies class works. When introducing a task, I sense a different perspective on how it should be undertaken. I see students asking for my advice on written work because they feel “that more can be there.” I am listening to students argue with one another: “Lexington and Concord were important, but not as important as the Boston Massacre- that started it all.” Students are trying to troubleshoot problems by posing workable solutions. I find myself hearing students ask if they can take a task in a way that I might not have seen. Their autonomy is becoming increasingly apparent. Students are becoming more open to the postmodern idea of truth being a mobile army of metaphors. Concepts such as midnight and inevitability have become part of the linguistic pattern of recognition of many a student. Some have even taken to developing their own arguments and ideas about how American history functions. I am having students develop ideas such as “We all live in our own universes,” or “The Revolution might not have been inevitable, but struggle for rights is inevitable,” or “What good are political rights if you have no money?” I see students studying my copy of Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, and asking to borrow it during a silent reading moment. Some will argue that this might not be a representative of all 7-1 students. I suppose that I borrow a gardening image for a response. I sense that the conditions have been created so that all flowers can grow and some take more time than others. Once the garden has been configured properly, growth is inevitable… as is the struggle. The midterm point has revealed flowers ready to bloom. Our garden is looking pretty good in terms of becoming into one where a thousand flowers bloom and the intellectual market of ideas is open for business.
Conferences will illuminate such growth this week. I hope that all of our student conferences reveal student maturation and evolution. I do hope that all stakeholders of the process can listen to how students describe their own world and their own sense of education. Traditional conferences have a tendency to silence the student voice in the discourse of student progress. Student- led portfolio conferences are unique. The students lead and drive the conference. The role of the teacher is more facilitating the dialogue. No doubt that this dialogue happens outside of class with parents and family members. Yet, rarely does it happen with the entire triad of student success: student, family members, and teacher. This is critical for this partnership locks in the highest caliber of student achievement. It is my hope that conferences display how far our students have come thus far on their journey and how much more they have to go.
With conferences this week, student homework might not be as much as one might have come to expect. Students have a writing task that is due on Tuesday, extended from its original Monday deadline. Additionally, students will have to finish reading chapter 5, section 4. The assessment on chapter 5 is forthcoming as well as an introduction to the world of Don Quixote, windmills and monsters, and the dream of democracy. This will segue into our fieldtrip. At the time of posting, my district website does not seem to be functioning properly, so if you require pdf copies of documents, please check back frequently, until I can determine the cause of this. Once again, technology and I seem to be at odds. As always, if I can be of any further assistance or clarification, I invite you to contact me at school, via email, posting a response to this blog, or contacting me at home.

All best and happy hunting. Happy conferencing, as well.
Mr. Kannan