Student Led Conferences & Digital Portfolios

When teachers allow their students to participate and play the lead role in conferences, students are showcasing that they can take responsibility and control of their learning. Student led conferences allow students to speak their thoughts, feelings, and ideas on topics they have learned. The students’ role is quite different than the teacher’s role in student led conferences. For instance, teachers facilitate, or help, students in gathering information and thoughts, while students are the ones writing, presenting, and bringing those thoughts to life. One way to use student led conferences in the classroom is to allow your students to present their learning to their parents at the end of the school year. By allowing students to lead discussion and conversation, they are taking control and owning their learning. This also allows them the opportunity to self-reflect, identify areas of improvement, build confidence, and strengthen autonomy. Parents also have a role in student led conferences. They should be an encouragement and pose questions to provoke deeper thinking.

ELL and Special Education students also benefit from student led conferences. When presenting information, students can use technology to help translation or present information. Google Translate is an excellent resource to help ease language barriers for non-English speakers. SPED students can use technology to present their ideas by incorporating apps that include voice overs and communication boards. It is important that we include all students in the student led conferences. Each child is entitled to a voice and should be given the opportunity to share their hard work and successes.

Digital portfolios are a great tool to aid in student led conferences. A portfolio is a collection of student work over a certain period of time. Digital portfolios follow students all throughout their school careers. When choosing work for the conference, the teacher should help students choose 3-5 pieces of work that showcase their growth and creativity. In my classroom, I would have students participate in student conferences to discuss what they have learned during each quarter of the year. Students could use their digital portfolios to present their work in writing, math, science, or art. Students can present such information to their friends and family during Open House or Parent Night. Students deserve to be recognized for all of their hard work and dedication. By incorporating conferences and portfolios into the classroom, we are encouraging students to step out of their comfort zones and have an innovator’s mindset to learning.