Problem Statement:
Schools of the 21st century are embracing performance based instructional designs which require students to "demonstrate" their academic knowledge levels and apply their problem solving skills. Modern businesses are requiring future employees who can function as multi-skilled evaluators and situation analysis experts. Recently developed technologies and research designs have documented that student's reading, listening, researching, calculating, writing, analyzing, reporting, and motor skills can be more authentically determined and meaningfully expressed through electronic portfolio assessment, than utilizing traditional standardized testing and letter grading practices.
Rationale:
Electronic portfolio assessment is a form of media literacy that enables students to improve their communication skills whether they work independently or in groups. Student work created on expensive school based multimedia equipment can be transferred to VHS videotape portfolios. This video transfer makes school-to-home assessment communication accessible to virtually every household since there is no need for costly home based multimedia technologies. Video portfolio technology is kinetic in nature and the relationship between the people on both sides of the camera is like a "dance" when the media captures and reflects students' achievement of meaningful goals which are clearly understood and appreciated by teachers, parents, and other community members.
Extent of Need:
Realizing that traditional forms of instruction are not sufficient to meet the needs of at-risk students, Bethel Public School District #403 developed a series of core essential learning outcomes which are performance based. These performance outcomes are:
Because these outcomes are new and quite complex to assess, we have selected electronic multimedia technology assessment techniques to provide all students an opportunity to showcase their abilities. Combining computer generated media with videotape has only recently become attainable for the non-professional video consumer. Bethel Junior High School recognizes that these recent advances in technology offer a great opportunity for school/parent partnering. We believe that our students will be proud to "show off" their daily learning activity and project accomplishments thereby enhancing their self image. Having parents share their children's accomplishments in a structured learning environment through videotape will increase parent appreciation of the school and its vision to offer parents improved communication of authentic student achievement.
Bethel Junior High School staff will require a user friendly written and visual guide to multimedia equipment and techniques before they can effectively introduce this alternate form of instruction and assessment. To facilitate the training of teachers in the use of multimedia technology for instruction and assessment, A Title VI "15%" grant proposal was written by Steve Parr, David Fairbanks and Carol Neufeld and awarded to Bethel Public School District #403 by the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to fund: