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The
following portfolio design was developed to promote and
structure the self-reflection, analysis, and communication
skills of dance students. The response/evaluation strand
in all four levels of the Dance TEKS outlines student expectations
that can be met using portfolios. However, the expectations
of Level IV are most closely aligned with the tasks involved
in developing a portfolio. Level IV students are expected
to "evaluate personal work and the work of others,
using a valid rationale and demonstrating sensitivity toward
others" (§117.59(c)(5A)). There are many more student
expectations in the Dance TEKS that can be demonstrated
with portfolios. Teachers should use the TEKS to help students
plan portfolio entries.
Each
of the following entries consists of two types of evidence:
-
narratives,
or reflections, in which students tell personal stories
of dance experiences and strengthen their critical evaluation
skills
-
artifacts
that support the assertions made in journals/reflections.
Artifacts are actual student work samples, such as videotapes
and program notes.
Entry
1: Context of Learning.
A set of questions guides students to briefly introduce themselves
and to discuss their backgrounds and interests in dance. Questions
address student goals in dance for the school year.
Entry
2: Performance #1.
Documentation of a performance follows student learning
from the beginning stages of learning a new dance, with the
requisite acquisition of step sequences, through its public
performance. A written journal and videotapes document the
learning process. Students investigate the historical and
cultural contexts of the dance and explore its influence on
contemporary choreography and dance education. The entry culminates
in a student assessment of the performance based on predetermined
criteria developed individually or with the guidance of the
dance teacher.
Entry
3: Study Trip Review.
Over the course of the school year, students attend several
professional performances. Each student chooses one performance
for in-depth research of its history, culture, and previous
interpretations. The student examines how the dance evolved
from its origins to its contemporary rendering and writes
a review of the current performance in light of research findings.
Entry
4: Performance #2.
A second performance in the portfolio demonstrates what students
have learned about choreography and performance. Students
work in groups of four to select music, design costumes, coregraph
and perform an original dance. Dance journals document each
student’s role in the group, individual reflections on
the group process, and rationales for group decisions. Videotapes
provide evidence of the dance's development and final presentation.
The videotape of the final performance is accompanied by program
notes, written by the group, to introduce their work. Students
evaluate the process of creating the dance and its final production
based on predetermined criteria.
Entry
5: Growth in Dance.
Students respond to a set of questions that help them analyze
their experiences in dance over the school year. They analyze
their personal progress and how their goals have changed since
the beginning of the year. Questions prompt dancers to address
the relevance of specific techniques to the presentation of
particular dances.
Entry
6: Future Goals.
Students articulate possible directions they might explore
in dance and in other areas relevant to dance that may form
the basis of their goals for the following year.
Dance
teachers should develop timelines to establish the due dates
of each entry and of the complete portfolios. Students receive
feedback on submissions and may revise entries based on feedback.
Teachers may invite other dance teachers, college-level dancers,
and dance professionals to review portfolios. Reviewers should
receive training on the criteria each portfolio is expected
to demonstrate.
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