Possibilities for the use of mini-portfolio in biology

Abstract

The portfolio is an alternative method that synthesizes the work of student assessment to a particular school discipline for a period of time (a phase of a semester, a semester, school year, etc.). Making pieces that are part of a portfolio gives each student the opportunity to work at your own pace and to apply their theoretical knowledge and practical skills, talent and creativity. Also, the student has the opportunity to be actively involved in achieving individual, pair or group work tasks proposed, but also to evaluate oneself. Assessment of the components of portfolio gives the teacher an insight into student progress in school cognitive level, attitude and behavior. The aim of this paper is the proposal of mini-portfolios content that can be achieved by secondary school students in biology. In the research we used analysis method curricular documents, given curriculum and textbooks developed for middle school biology discipline. Given the information content of the subjects studied biology in secondary school, we mentioned components mini-portfolios that can be achieved by students in fifth grade for each class of higher plants studied, and in sixth grade for each class vertebrate, respectively. The varied work tasks listed in the proposed mini-portfolios was followed proper understanding and ownership of content by students studying biology concepts, systematization of knowledge learned, stimulating students' different intelligences, giving them the pleasure to participate in the realization of components, and increasing the student’s ability of self-assessment