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I'm Me, I'm Special: An Electronic Portfolio
School Name: Greenvale School
| Type of Submission: |
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This idea is a submission for:
X A
curriculum idea
__Cool things to do
__A special issue
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| Age
group for whom this activity is appropriate:
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4-7 year olds
| Brief description of activity: |
I'm Me, I'm Special is my way of focusing on each child's individuality and helping them to realize their own uniqueness and self-worth. Currently 11 (55%) of my 20 students come from single-parent households, 2 (10%) live with a grandparent, and 3 (15%) have at least one parent who is incarcerated. 90% of the students in our school qualify for and receive tuition scholarships because of their family's low-income status (47% of our families have an annual household income of under $16,000 per year). These students are especially at risk for experiencing stressful situations at home where minimal attention is paid to them and their self-esteem and confidence can suffer. This project is designed to help children learn that they are special through pictures of themselves, certificates, happy notes, friendship cards, a Home page, activity sheets, games, and computer use. It also shows students and their families how new technology can have a positive impact in their lives.
Each child works with me individually to create a personal portfolio, and I'm Me, I'm Special projects go into this portfolio all year. We select pictures and print out cards that they can send to a friend or place in their portfolio. They children are involved in the creative aspects of designing cards. They also learn social skills as they take turns using the computer to do activities and work on their portfolios. Children can also create a Web page for themselves, gaining technology skills as well as an understanding of how the Internet works. It is important to monitor children when they are using the Internet.
| What
I did to set this up and how I followed through: |
I give each child a folder or 3-ring binder at the start of the school year which has the child's name on it and is his or her portfolio. We take their photos and put that in the portfolio as the title page, I'm Me, I'm Special. Then I ask them to describe themselves, asking them to identify characteristics such as height, hair color, eye color, skin color, hair texture, etc. I type in the descriptions they share. We then print them out and add them to the portfolio. I also have them tell me about their favorite things. They find pictures in magazines or on the computer and we add these to the portfolios. They can refer back at any time and I have them go back and choose one of the pictures, describe it and tell me why they like it. This becomes their story and is also part of the portfolio.
A key component to this project is sharing with other classmates and involving family members. I send a note home to the parents or caregivers explaining the project at the beginning of the year. They are asked to fill out permission forms and encouraged to make suggestions and to send occasional notes to their children. I keep in regular contact with parents to let them know how the project is going, and all correspondence is saved and added to the portfolio. As more and more parents have email, I plan to have an email journal that is sent home regularly.
Parents are also encouraged to work with their child on different phases of the project both at home and in the classroom. We constantly emphasize drawing and writing to communicate to others and to let our friends know that we are thinking of them. All of these items go into the children's portfolios, and they are encouraged to keep adding throughout the year.
I also document activities in the classroom through pictures and stories that are posted in their portfolios which enables them to refer back to the games, cards and descriptions they have collected as reminders of how special they are. This becomes an important part of our curriculum and we use it talk about understanding that all people are special and important, and having respect and compassion for others.
The portfolio also serves as an important record of developmental progress that is used in parent/teacher conferences and to monitor each child's development throughout the year. The portfolio is forwarded to the public schools when the child moves on to kindergarten and serves as a good history of each child's progress so their new teachers can get to know them.
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| Materials used: |
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Computer and children's art software. I created lesson plans around the use of the portfolio to create worksheets and games that could then be entered into the portfolio to help each child feel special and/or to understand that everyone is different and unique. I will begin using a digital camera to take photos of each child as the cover page for their portfolio. A three-ring binder or folder serves as each child's portfolio for the year. |
| What the children had to do and what I wanted them to learn: |
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The children talk with me individually about who they are and describe themselves. This helps them learn to use descriptive language, and to recognize specific characteristics like hair color, eye color, etc. They then work with me to print up their description on the computer and build their portfolio. They participate in games and activities both on the computer and on paper that are fun and add to their feeling of being special, while also teaching about diversity and respecting others. They also have to make choices as to what cards they want to send to one another and who they are going to send them to, which gives them a sense of control in the decision making process. Building their own portfolios instills a strong sense of self-worth and ownership in the children.
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| Background: How I got the idea: |
I slowly developed the I'm Me, I'm Special program over the years, as I saw the needs of the at-risk young children who came into my classroom. When students only live with one of their parents or don't live with any of them, have a parent who is in prison, or have been mistreated in the past by a parent or other caregiver, their self-esteem really suffers as does their respect for themselves and for others. Even the children who come from more stable home environments still need to learn that they are special, unique and important, and that the other children in their class are too.
I began by using the 'I'm Me, I'm Special' games and activities like having children describe themselves, or coloring or cutting out pictures of their favorite things, and from there developed the concept of the portfolio, so the children have a place to keep their special projects and things that are just for them, and so their parents and I have a tool to monitor their development and accomplishments. An electronic portfolio facilitates this process and adds an additional element to the program.
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| Analysis: How the kids and/or parents responded: |
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The children really enjoy their "I'm Me, I'm Special" portfolios and the activities, songs and games we do in association with that program. It helps their self-esteem, while also helping them learn tolerance and understanding of each other. It makes them so happy to receive a friendship card unexpectedly from one of their classmates, and when surprise letters from their parents arrive, they really feel important. Parents enjoy the program too. Many of our parents are single parents working hard and long to support their families, and most have other children besides their preschooler competing for their time and attention. They really appreciate having this program that gives them opportunities to let their children know how much they love them, and keeps them informed about their child's progress. One parent told me that she had wanted to put a memory book together for her child but didn't know how to go about it. She said the portfolio gave good ideas for creating something special for her child at home. Parents are welcomed into the classroom for activities, and are encouraged to look through their child's portfolio to get a good sense of their child and his or her accomplishments and abilities. I think this project has build important home and school relationships.
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| Extension |
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Creating Web pages for themselves could provide another way for children to have a special place dedicated to them and their interests. We could set this up for internal use only but if we wanted to actually post it on the World Wide Web we would set up a secure server that would only be available to the parents). Even without that outside posting, it would give children a look at a web page and would enable parents to stay informed about their child and his or her interests and progress, and to feel more involved with their child and his or her day in preschool.
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