|
|
Article Provided by The Institute on Human Development & Disability
What is a positive portfolio?
A positive portfolio provides a visual representation of a
person’s strengths, interests, hopes, and dreams.
Building a strengths-based, positive portfolio involves
identifying the unique interests, preferences, skills and
natural learning opportunities important to children and adults,
friends and family members. The portfolio presents a positive
view of a person (child or adult), building on what they “can
do” and “enjoy doing” as opposed to focusing on individual
weaknesses. The process promotes building supports based on the
personal vision and the hopes and dreams of the individual and
the family. The portfolio provides the opportunity to create a
visual record and serves to assist others to feel comfortable
and confident in supporting participation in family, school, and
community life.
Highlights:
-
Actively involves family members and care providers
-
Promotes a positive view of the person
-
Builds on what a person “can do” and “enjoys doing”
-
Identifies natural learning opportunities
-
Builds supports based on strengths, hopes, and dreams
What is the purpose behind the portfolio?
Each child has individual strengths, interests, and preferences,
or “assets” which contribute to their unique personality. A
child interacts as a family member and with peers to establish
relationships. Relationships may be built and nurtured from
everyday home, school, and community activities. It is important
for families to identify and build on a child’s assets in order
to support their participation in the many natural learning
opportunities of daily life. Through participating in activities
together, doing the things children do, children learn from one
another while developing positive relationships and friendships.
Portfolio Advantages:
-
Allows you to easily participate in creating a visual record of
a child’s story to share with teachers and friends
-
Promotes early literacy and self-awareness
-
Highlights a child’s strengths and interests
-
Identifies appropriate supports to enhance a child’s development
-
Helps determine natural learning opportunities
-
A great tool to use as a child transitions to new places and
learning environments
-
As a child grows and changes, the information in the portfolio
can change too
-
Portfolio available in English,
Spanish, French, Korean and alternative format
Who is the Portfolio for?
The portfolio is an inclusive tool, appropriate for all children
and adults!
-
Family Members
-
Early Childhood Programs
-
Head Start
-
Early Head Start
-
Foster Families
-
Preschool & Daycare Programs
-
Early Intervention Providers
-
Elementary School Teachers
-
Self Advocates
-
School Age Students
-
Team Members
-
Hospital Child Life programs
The portfolio is appropriate for all children and adults at any
age! It is a great tool to highlight an individual’s strengths,
interests and preferences! The Take A Look At Me!™ early
childhood version was developed for children birth through early
elementary age and is currently available in English, Spanish,
and French, and soon to be available in Korean and Chinese
(Mandarin & Cantonese). Alternative format is available upon
request.
The Take A Look At Me ™ school age & adult version is currently
available for upper elementary age through adult in both English
and Spanish as well as alternative format upon request.
How can the portfolio be used after it is developed?
The usefulness of the portfolio is unlimited. Portfolios can be
used by individuals, family members, mentors, care providers,
teachers, early intervention or anyone who has an interest in
developing a portfolio. To date, they have been successfully
used in early intervention programs, preschools, elementary
classrooms, high school partner programs, self-advocacy
initiatives, and efforts, employment, individuals and their
families.
In early childhood programs:
The portfolio has been implemented in early intervention and
early childhood programs to promote a family-centered,
strengths-based approach to identify and enhance natural
learning opportunities. The portfolio has proven to be useful in
providing parental input in the development of the
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and Individualized
Education Plan (IEP) and in supporting a child’s transition at
various points in a child’s educational process.
In elementary school classrooms:
The portfolio process supports many of the learning concepts
within education including:
-
Increasing each child’s positive self-concept as being a
capable, successful, and unique individual
-
Encouraging skills in verbal and non-verbal communication of
ideas, needs, and feelings
-
Creating an awareness and understanding of individual qualities
of likeness and difference
-
Focusing on the promotion of literacy development
By incorporating the personalized portfolios that positively
reflect each student’s strengths and culture into the
curriculum, teachers can celebrate each child’s diversity and
engage all children in a variety of natural learning
opportunities while encouraging literacy development. Students
enjoy sharing their portfolios, and use them to introduce their
families, pets, and favorite activities outside of the classroom
with their friends at school.
With diverse populations:
Portfolios have been successfully utilized with families whose
primary language is not English. The family completes the
portfolio in their native language; the portfolio is translated
to English and then shared with the individual’s teachers, care
givers, or service providers.
With School Age and Adults:
Every person has individual needs and desires. A strengths-based
portfolio can be used to communicate those desires to care
providers and friends and can have a positive effect on the
attitudes of others. The portfolio can also assist individuals
in identifying ways to become participants in daily life and to
improve their own quality of life. Using the portfolio completed
by the family conforms with IDEA mandates to include parental
input in establishing intervention and educational programs.
1. Examples of topics covered in a positive portfolio.
-
Family and other important people
-
Daily routines and activities
-
Favorite things
-
Likes and dislikes
-
Ways of communication
-
Learning needs
-
Special equipment, medications or precautions
-
Hopes and dreams of individual or family
-
Additional pages for other topics unique to the individual.
2. Information about how to obtain a portfolio or portfolio
kit.
Contact:
The Institute on Human Development & Disability
The University of Georgia
850 College Station Road
Athens, GA 30602
(706) 542-3457
www.ihdd.uga.edu
Take A Look at Me! ™ Portfolio is a 20+ page booklet that
provides the pages needed to create a portfolio. $10 each.
Available in English, Spanish, and French. Discounts may be
available for quantity orders.
Take A Look at Me! ™ Take Home Kit includes your choice of
portfolio along with supplies to begin creating a portfolio.
Supplies include scissors, templates, markers, glitter pens, and
a glue stick in a convenient bag. $15 each.
3. Resource Information
The Early Childhood version was developed for children birth
through early elementary age and is available in English,
Spanish, and French. The Early Childhood version will soon be
available in Korean and Chinese.
The School Age & Adult version is available for early elementary
age through adult and is available in English and Spanish.
4. Contact information
Contact Mary
Rugg or
Julianne
Butler at
The Institute on Human Development & Disability
The University of Georgia
850 College Station Road
Athens, GA 30602
(706) 542-3457
www.ihdd.uga.edu
|
 |
|
|
| |
School systems are responsible for assuring that transition planning becomes
a component of the IEP beginning at age 14; however, it may be necessary to
start transition planning much earlier in order to allow the student to
achieve meaningful post-school outcomes. (From the Georgia Department of
Education's Transition Manual) Read more about the topic in the
Roadmap
Transition section. |
|
 |
|
